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

The motion sensing wireless microphones bundled with Microsoft’s karaoke title Lips are to get their own SKU as the platform holder looks to talk up the benefits of the peripherals in all of the console’s music titles. CasualGaming.biz has the full compatibility list – click here to take a look.

THQ has restructured its business into three new units – housing core, casual and online games. As a result, key exec Ian Curran (pictured) has been promoted to EVP for Global Publishing, and will oversee worldwide revenue for THQ. Curran’s responsibilities include sales, distribution and channel and territory marketing for …

Global Industry Analysts expects the global gaming market will be worth $91 billion by 2015. This prediction was published in GIA’s latest report, Video Games: A Global Strategic Business Report, which looks at gaming trends between 2001 and 2015. The firm attributed the expected growth in market value to the …

Mastertronic wants to take modest games to the fierce retail arena, World of Goo to draw first blood

White Stripes’ Jack White has declared it depressing” and sad” that music games such as Guitar Hero are so influential in the way children discover music. Led Zeppelin’s songwriter and guitarist Jimmy Page also spoke out on the matter, questioning the relevance of plastic drums to kids wishing to learn …

Having reportedly been finalised as long ago as March, Microsoft has for the first time publicly acknowledged its acquisition of Israeli motion sensing technology firm 3DV. Speaking of Microsoft’s extensive R&D facilities in Israel, corporate VP Moshe Lichtman told Globes: Fourteen development projects are taking place at the centre today, …

Asda games buying boss Duncan Cross has hinted that the supermarket is ready to accommodate the sale of digital games – but said that any move into the space is not a priority’. With the digital-only PSPgo due to hit shelves this year and Amazon US selling points cards for …

Asda was on course to become a dominant force in games, with increased shelf space and aggressive price promotions. But that was before its distributor EUK collapsed. Christopher Dring speaks to category boss Duncan Cross about the supermarket’s revitalised bid to become the UK’s biggest non-specialist retailer… Asda was enjoying …

Since its arrival on the North American arm of Sony’s PlayStation Network two weeks ago Square Enix’s retro RPG Final Fantasy VII has already been downloaded 100,000 times. In doing so it becomes the fastest selling PSOne title on the network to date in the region, Gamasutra reports. The game, …

Matias Myllyrinne to discuss the challenges in balancing small teams with big IP