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

Square Enix has completed its transformation, following the acquisition of Eidos in February. The company announced this afternoon that the combined business of Eidos and Square in the UK will operate under the name of Square Enix Ltd – part of the Square Enix Europe business unit. Square Enix Europe …

Official peripherals for smash hit kids’ franchise Peppa Pig are to arrive at retail later this month. Blue Ocean, the accessories division of Koch Media UK, has entered into a partnership with P2 Games and E1 Entertainment to develop accessories for the Nintendo DS. The first item to be available …

In a move that could prove an important milestone in the battle against console modding, the Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal by Worcestershire-based modchip seller Christopher Gilham. Gilham was found guilty of selling modchips in late 2008 but later challenged the assumption that playing copied games on a …

Yet a vast majority view piracy as a problem for their businesses going forward

Indie retailers have praised Activision Blizzard and Centresoft for their support during the launch of Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Earlier today, we reported that 3 million copies of the hugely popular game had been shipped to the UK, and Independents assure us that they have received a fair …

Disney wants to turn Mickey Mouse into a games icon as big as Mario with new title Epic Mickey. The title, announced by the publisher to journalists from around the world at a special unveiling in London last week, is a Wii-exclusive. Disney is planning to use the Wii demographic …

EA is performing. In both Europe and North America, EA was the number one overall publisher in the quarter – number one on the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC, and number two to Nintendo on the Wii. [In future] we see a tale of two sub-sectors. The various digital sectors …

Independent retailer Gameseek is protesting against competitors that broke the street date on Activision Blizzard’s Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The game officially launched at midnight last night, but Gameseek boss Stephen Staley has called on Activision to deal with retailers that have been selling copies to consumers early. …

A record number of North American stores opened at midnight last night to usher in Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Activision Blizzard reports that more than 10,000 retail outlets opened their doors at 12am precisely, allowing consumers to pick up the hugely popular FPS as soon as possible. The …

UK retail sales for October saw the market climb at its fastest pace since Easter, recording the best performance in October for seven years, analysts say. According to the British Retail Consortium, UK retail sales values climbed 3.8 per cent last month when compared to October 2008. On a total …