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

A new venture described by its creators as the ‘iTunes for video games’ has now launched online – and is looking for fresh white label partners. GameStreamer, the digital distribution and streaming service, offers developers and publishers access to a B2B network of consumer sites that will host their titles …

The kingpin of the world’s largest pornography producer has called on Sony to make downloadable HD adult movies available worldwide through PSN. The Vivid Entertainment founder and co-chairman, Steven Hirsch, told MCV that he believed the distribution of porn films on PS3 had real potential” for the adult entertainment industry. …

ELSPA has reassured the trade that the PEGI ratings system’s ascent to become law is still on track – despite the discovery that current age classification is legally unenforceable. A recent review of the 25 year-old Video Recordings Act discovered that the selling of adult videos and games to minors …

There seems to be no stopping Disney. One minute it is grabbing headlines for a $4bn buy of Marvel, the next it is signing up Bungie founder and Halo co-creator Alex Seropian to oversee its studios. Reporting to Graham Hopper, the head of Disney’s increasingly powerful games division, Seropian will …

Square Enix has just confirmed the rumours – Final Fantasy XIII will be released on PS3 in Japan on December 17th. The game will cost YEN 8,800 – that translates to around 60, which could conceivably point to a higher than normal RRP in the UK a la Call of …

As reported by MCV last month, SCEE is to add a number of new titles to its PS3 Platinum software range. The new titles joining the line-up are Guerrilla Games’ Killzone 2, Evolution’s Motorstorm: Pacific Rift and Insomniac’s Resistance: 2 in the 19.99 catalogue shortly in the UK. The exact …

Operations manager promoted a Mechscape draws near

Alex Seropian and his Wideload studio is acquired by Mickey Mouse firm

Another Electronic Arts exec heads to a casual gaming start-up

Numbers from La Tribune suggest that the PS3 Slim sold 37,000 units in its first week of release in France – an increase of 1000 per cent. The growth mirrors that seen in the UK according to ChartTrack, and the actual sales number is likely to be similar to the …