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

Microsoft has signed a new deal with TV network Canal+ to bring services to Xbox 360 in France. The Canal+ Group is most notable for movies and football programmes. The partnership will initially focus on the on-demand services from Canal+, video-on-demand service Canalplay and specialist football channel Foot+. Ultimately, it …

Gamebridge, the joint venture between Tokyo-based developer Interchannel and Nordic Nintendo distributor Bergsala, released its first game Happy Bakery last week. Christopher Dring speaks to Gamebridge CEO Shigeki Takeuchi about the new publisher’s ambitions… How did Gamebridge come to be?Gamebridge comes from our desire at Interchannel to expand our business …

83 per cent of devs hand processes to other companies

EA has reclaimed the top spot in the UK Charts with new release Fight Night Round 4 – the first time a boxing game has reached the coveted ELSPA/GfK-ChartTrack All Formats No. 1 position. Activision Blizzard’s Prototype move down to No. 2 as EA’s The Sims 3 follows suit, moving …

Sega has publicly waved goodbye to ‘King Of Pop’ Michael Jackson. The publisher worked with the superstar on title including Moonwalker and Space Channel 5 – whilst Jackson was also rumoured to have penned the score for Sonic The Hedgehog 3. Jackson died last week at his LA home from …

End of an era for Sony's homebrew community

Electronics giant to begin development next month

Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Kaz Hirai has revealed a new and enhanced version of PlayStation Network should be launched by next spring. The upgraded service will build on the established PSN system but will be more open and broader in scale, Fortune reports. Hirai suggested the upgraded service will integrate …

PlayStation Home stands to become an essential component for all PS3 games”, according to the service’s director. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe’s Peter Edward predicted the online virtual world would become integral to future PS3 titles as the company continues to develop the service, Gamasutra reports. Home is the starting point …

The maker of the Mortal Kombat films has filed a lawsuit against Midway that could prevent Warner from buying the struggling publisher. Threshold Entertainment’s chairman and CEO Lawrence Kasanoff is suing Midway in the US Bankruptcy Court over the intellectual property interests in the Mortal Kombat series, GamePolitics reports. The …