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

French publisher Ubisoft has confirmed that Assassin’s Creed III will be released at some point in the company’s upcoming financial year – making a Christmas 2010 release a distinct possibility. The third instalment in the series will also be the first to include online multiplayer options. In addition, it has …

Ahead of what increasingly looks like a very different year for Wii than it has had before, Ubisoft has become the latest publisher to say that its business ambitions are to centre around Xbox 360 and PS3 in the year ahead. The 2010-11 line-up will be more focused on the …

Is the development sector leaving its veterans behind?

Buzz builds as GDC adds another major addition to its event list

Nintendo intends to keep manufacturing the DS Lite alongside the DSi and new DSi XL – but the format-holder has told MCV that the industry should expect an increased emphasis on the online-connected DSi devices. Our current plans are to continue manufacturing Nintendo DS Lite globally,” a spokesperson explained. The …

MCV can reveal that Nintendo will launch the DSi XL in Europe and the UK on March 5th. The fourth iteration follows in the footsteps of the original DS, the DS Lite and last year’s DSi. It features by far the largest screen ever seen on a Nintendo handheld (as …

The DSi XL will carry a slightly higher trade price than its predecessor DSi, MCV understands. There will be a slight premium on the Nintendo DSi XL trade price to retailers compared to the Nintendo DSi,” a Nintendo spokesperson told MCV on confirming that the device is to launch in …

Ubisoft has revised its earnings projections for its third quarter – citing a slowdown in the DS market, slow back catalogue sales and a move towards triple-A titles. The firm’s sales targets for third-quarter and full-year 2009-10 have been revised downwards to €495m and around €860m respectively, from the previously …

Ubisoft has delayed the eagerly awaited Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction to an April release. The game was previously due for launch on February 23rd, but the publisher’s third quarter performance reports reveals Sam Fisher’s upcoming title has been pushed back to the next financial year. Tabletop strategy game R.U.S.E …

Publisher Atari has at last opened the digital doors to the public beta for Cryptic Studio’s long awaited MMO Star Trek Online. Running until January 26th, the beta offers players the chance to take control of their own Federation or Klingon vessel in a world populated by thousands of other …