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

The UK video games market’s weekly value has bounced back from its mid-summer slump following the launch of Wii Sports Resort. According to MCV calculations, based on Gfk-ChartTrack/ELSPA’s weekly reports, the market had tumbled week-on-week since June, with sales falling to 16.9 million for the week ending July 10th. However, …

Sony will release the long-rumoured PS3 Slim later this year in the UK priced at 260, according to a report in The Daily Telegraph. That will be for the 40GB model, the paper claims. It adds that Sony is also prepping an 80GB SKU which will retail for more. It’s …

In a move that will no doubt increase its global credibility in the publishing sector, Virginia-based publisher SouthPeak has welcomed former Take-Two president and CEO Paul Eibeler onto its board of directors. As one of the most respected executives in the interactive games industry, we welcome Paul to the board …

Half-Life developer looks to raise the bar with new 'expression capture system'

An agreement between in-game ad firm Double Fusion and PS3 platform holder Sony has hit a stumbling block today with news that a new advertisement recently introduced in download-only racing title WipEout HD has been removed. The decision comes after reports that the ad has doubled loading times between tracks …

After admitting yesterday that it has plans for former Midway pair Mortal Kombat and SpyHunter, Warner Interactive has named a third IP that will be heading to retail under its new stewardship. Only yesterday talk was circulating that Warner had pulled the plug on This Is Vegas, but the publisher …

An analyst who claims to have seen a prototype of Apple’s new secret project says the company is building a multimedia device that will play videogames. The new source adds to a growing list of eyewitnesses who insist they have been shown Apple’s newest product. Several separate sources have already …

Unity conference to take place October 27th-30th in San Francisco

The financial quarter ending June 27th 2009 bought mixed fortunes for the games arm of global giant Disney, with sales down but operating loss reduced. Sales fell by 20 per cent year-on-year, dropping to $113m. However, operating loss was reduced from $91m in 2008 to $75m this year. The savings …

Namco Bandai has released its financial results for the quarter ending June 30th, showing a loss in operating income of approximately YEN 2.8bn. The company posted a profit of YEN 1.5bn for the same quarter last year, highlighting the significance of this year’s drop. Namco’s net sales also fell by …