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

MCV’s vital weekly retail digest, RetailBiz, is available to view onlineand download now. Our special six-page supplement offers an in-depth look at this week’s official Gfk-ChartTrack multiformat Top 40 – once again dominated by Nintendo’s Wii Sports Resort – as well as all of the official UK single and multi-format …

There’s no budging Nintendo’s Wii Sports Resort from the top of the ESLPA GfK-ChartTrack this week, with the popular mini-game collection holding firm at the top for the second week on the trot. Its strongest contender, fellow Nintendo title Wii Fit, can’t quite reclaim the top spot, though strong sales …

Ubisoft believes that new 3D film Avatar – and its subsequent game adaptation – can create a similar buzz to the first Harry Potter movie. In one of his first interviews since joining Ubisoft as marketing director from Microsoft, Murray Pannell said that the title – which will appear in …

Mario and Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games may be a few months from launch, but publisher Sega has already begun its ‘biggest ever’ marketing campaign for the title. The firm has booked 30-second spots before some of this summer’s biggest movie releases, beginning with Harry Potter, and continuing with …

DSGi has declared its merger of PC World and Currys a success – and now plans to open more outlets under the new model in the future. The company launched a trial store that incorporated products from both retailers’ portfolios in Surrey in January. Now the PC World and Currys’ …

Argos’ games offering has felt the effect of the retailer being forced to increase its prices. As reported earlier this month, the firm has raised many prices by five per cent due to global exchange rates and other pressures. In its new catalogue, which was released last weekend, the retailer …

Three-day event sees 43,000 attendees as well as 500,000 website visits

Earlier this year MCV broke the news that long-time Microsoft man Murray Pannell had joined Ubisoft as marketing boss. In his first major interview since taking the role he talks to Michael French about the publisher’s titles for this year, a long-term promotion strategy and reaching new demographics…You’ve been in …

Japanese developer and publisher Sega has announced mixed results for the quarter ending June 30th 2009, with the period bringing a decrease in the firm’s operating losses – but also an annual decline in software sales. Net sales for the period reached YEN 60.47m, a decline of 19 per cent …

The trading director of Shop Direct, parent company of Woolworths Online, has left the firm – sparking speculation that the business is in trouble. David Inglis left last week, according to Associated Newspapers, after relaunching the Woolworths brand online in June. As reported by MCV, the firm has snapped up …