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

Multiple sources claim that the developer will close down by the end of the week

THQ reported an annual net loss of $431 million, a considerable drop from its $35 million loss the year prior. THQ Chief Executive Brian Farrell opened the company’s earnings conference call on Wednesday by stating it had been a disappointing year for the California-based publisher. Sales sunk to reach $830 …

Over the next couple of weeks, Develop will be embarking on a special series of interviews with some of the world’s largest and most celebrated independent developers. On Tuesday we featured an interview with Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli; Wednesday saw part one of our interview with the Oxford-based duo heading …

There are a few spaces left for the Charity Spa Day next week, so sign up now if you fancy a day of networking and relaxation with other execs from the likes of Nintendo, Gem, Microsoft, Ubisoft, EA, Sony, Best Buy and GAME. The 2009 annual Charity Golf and Spa …

There’s a whole new market out there ready and waiting for those able to think outside of the box – and seemingly that’s exactly what 2K Play has done with its new Wii title It’s My Birthday. Getting older is about to become a lot more fun,” 2K Play’s vice …

EA Sports President Peter Moore has told MCV that the label has learnt some hard lessons” about developing games on Wii – as it pledges a renewed push on the format throughout 2009. In an exclusive interview, Moore said that EA Sports had traditionally been fixated on graphics – but …

Six months on from his seemingly amicable departure from Korean MMO firm NCsoft, it is now being claimed that space-traveller Richard Garriott is to sue his former employer for $24m. Kotaku reports that documents from the Texas Western District Court show that Garriott is accusing the firm of fraud. In …

The former employees of Empire are to get absolutely nothing for the two months of unpaid loyalty they worked for the firm prior to its collapse. Administrator KPMG told MCV this afternoon that ‘unfortunately, the Company is not in a position to make any payments for arrears of wages to …

Acclaimed MMO developer and Ultima Online creator accuses former employer of fraud

Writing exclusively for CasualGaming.biz, PopCap’s senior director of business development for Asia Pacific Giordano Bruno Contestabile has called for casual games publishers to open up their platforms in an effort to stimulate further growth in the sector. While every MMO seeks to become the primary and possibly the only mean …