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

Access the RETAIL BIZ Previews section by clicking here. It features MCV’s definitive round-up of the hottest releases due for release in the near future. This week, we delve into Ubisoft’s James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game, the official companion title to the highly anticipated movie. Featuring stunning visuals and 3D …

Both casual game developers seek product expansion

Mastertronic-owned The Producers have backed out of a high-profile plan to align distribution efforts with Trilogy. Just three weeks ago The Producers and Trilogy announced plans to take on the likes of Gem, Centresoft and Koch Media by creating an alternative distribution business for entertainment goods. At the time, the …

Having wowed critics in Japan and winning a noteworthy 40/40 review from weekly Japanese games bible Famitsu, Bayonetta has now made its mark on this side of the globe thanks to its review in today’s copy of Edge. Future’s cult magazine has awarded Sega’s action outing 10/10, making it only …

3D artist conference taking place both live and online

But there's money to be made on RIM devices, claims developer relations director

This week’s UK software sales have skyrocketed 198 per cent to 103.1 million. It is comfortably the highest weekly figure of the year and isn’t far off 2008’s Christmas week, when 112.8 million went through UK games retailer’s tills. Unit sales also leapt up, rising 123 per cent to 3,422,625 …

Sony Computer Entertainment chairman Kaz Hirai has revealed the firm has pencllled in an early 2010 launch date for its new iTunes-rivalling online service. As reported by MCV yesterday, Sony Online Service will offer consumers digital movies, music, games, books and more through a range of devices – including PS3, …

Flying in the face of what you might guess to be the case, Japanese production company Marvelous Entertainment has admitted that it has seen far greater returns from its PSP operations this year than it has from its Wii business. Siliconera reports that the firm said that three of its …

New York State authorities are currently testing a system that would send emergency broadcasts over online gaming networks. Such warning messages can already be sent to the public through TV and radio, alerting people to natural or man-made disasters. But the State Deputy CIO Rico Singleton revealed the new system …