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

Microsoft will open the first of its branded retail stores next Thursday, October 22nd, according to the Wall Street Journal. The date is in line with the release of its next operating system, Windows 7. The site, in Scottsdale, Arizona, is expected to showcase PCs and mobile phones running Microsoft …

Games from its 1UP label to be compatibility tested by gaming audience

Our two-week focus on the cutting edge of sound design

Despite the vested interest his own company has in the music sector thanks to the Rock Band franchise, EA Sports boss Peter Moore has stated that the genre will face tough challenges ahead. If you look at the ability of the industry to sustain the big box mentality — Guitar …

Romero MMO project still in development with 'smaller core team'

Publisher EA will release BioWare’s much-anticipated sci-fi RPG sequel Mass Effect 2 on Xbox 360 and PC on January 29th in the UK. The game’s pre-order bonuses have also been outlined and will include in-game items such special armour and weapons. Retailers who have signed up to the incentive schemes …

AUDIO SPECIAL: A look over the future of adaptive and generative audio

It’s three weeks at the top of EA’s FIFA 10 in the ELSPA GfK-ChartTrack All Formats Top 40 this week, despite a strong challenge from Sony’s chart debutant Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Naughty Dog’s PS3 exclusive manages to grab second place in its first week of release, knocking Codemasters’ realistic …

HMV will launch its first in-store cinema in London on Friday (October 23rd) – the first step in its re-birth as an ‘entertainment hub for popular culture’. The firm has partnered with Curzon Artificial Eye to launch a three-screen cinema above HMV’s Wimbledon Broadway store, dubbed HMVCurzon. If the trial …

Whilst Sony’s Uncharted series has been a firm favourite in the West since its arrival in late 2007, it’s reception in Japan has been less enthusiastic – a problem that the sequel seems to have very ably addressed. Gamezine reports that in its first day on sale in Japan, the …