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

You can now read the digital edition of this week’s MCV magazine – simply point your browser here. You have the option of flicking through the pages of the magazine online, or downloading the PDF. The launch of a digital edition means MCV can now be read by more people …

GDC 09: Realtime Worlds signs Natick studio for All Points Bulletin

Video games were the shining light of the High Street last year – pulling the overall UK entertainment retail sector kicking and screaming to a five per cent increase in revenues. Games software enjoyed a 21.1 per cent rise in annual sales in 2008 according to the Entertainment Retailers Association …

GDC 09: Facial animation specialist boosts headcount by six

Online file sharing portal FileFront is to be closed by current owner and former 1UP publisher Ziff Davis, it has been confirmed. A message posted up on the site reads: We regret to inform you that due to the current economic conditions we are forced to indefinitely suspend the FileFront …

Though traditionally GDC has not been a platform from which big-hitting titles are announced, Nintendo bucked the trend yesterday with its announcement of new DS title The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. The name immediately suggested a title either based on music that’s good to drink to or paranormal trains. …

In a wash of frowning newsreaders, red arrows and general gloom, GAME was a shining light, beating expectations for the retail market and being one of the few chains to turn a profit. Sure, it is benefitting from the potency of the games industry and is very much the first …

How does the Gem of 25 years ago differ from the Gem today?Chris Peacock: We started off on a marketing stall selling games from the back of a lorry, now we’re a 400-plus million group. From that point of view, there’s no real comparison between the two businesses. We’re part …

The developers of the excellent Professor Layton and the Curious Village, which has been a big hit in the UK and Europe over the last six months, have confirmed at GDC that the sequel will be released in the West. Level 5, which has developed a trilogy of Layton games …

GDC 09: Developer Level 5 reveals surprise hit's sequels will make it to the West