MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry

Tesco has posted its strongest Christmas results in three years, with like-for-like sales up 5.1 per cent in the UK. The whole group sales – including its international business – increased by 7.5 per cent in the six weeks to January 9th 2010. The results were driven by sales of …

In an exclusive interview with MCV, EA Europe’s senior VP Jens Uwe Intat has stated that the publisher will release fewer games in 2010 than it did in 2009 – but the payoff will be an overall increase in quality. "Our aim is to do less games and do them …

While the UK’s leading games specialist retailer GAME today confirmed sales were down over Christmas, the chain has said its preowned offer continues to grow. Across all territories the firm operates in, it said second-hand sales presented year-on-year growth over Christmas. A year ago, the firm started reporting specific figures …

GAME has issued its annual post-Christmas trading update this morning – and it looks like the UK retailer bore the brunt of the local market’s dip in sales. Sales for the five weeks ending January 9th were down by 12.1 per cent across the whole group, while group like-for-like sales …

Electronic Arts this evening announced it is down-grading projections for both full year revenues and trading during the Christmas season. The firm has lowered its yearly guidance from $3.6bn-$3.9bn down to $3.6bn-$3.675bn. CEO John Riccitiello blamed two factors for the drop: a "soft December for EA and packaged good sector …

Comments made by EA’s CEO in this evening’s investors conference call suggests Star Wars: The Old Republic will be released in Spring 2011. During the call – which discussed the firm’s decision to reduce its projected revenues for FY2010 – John Riccitiello said the firm’s next ‘major MMO’ is making …

New research suggests development budgets are soaring dangerously fast

Microsoft’s Major Nelson has announced that this week’s Xbox Live Arcade release will be Croteam’s frivolous first person shooter Serious Sam HD. Priced at 1200 Microsoft Points (10.20), the game will be available to download this Wednesday (January 13th). The game was released on PC late last year. The Serious …

SCEE has confirmed via the PlayStation blog that it will release a beta version of anticipated PS3 title ModNation Racers on January 22nd. However, the beta is limited to just the first 100,000 PS3 owners who log into the PlayStation Store on Thursday January 21st and click on the download. …

While Canada represents only 2 per cent of global workforce reductions