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

The Advertising Standards Authority will not uphold complaints against charity-backed ads which implied video games are a health risk, MCV understands. Last week, MCV broke the news that the Government’s Change4Life campaign had put together a print campaign backed by the British Heart Foundation, Diabetes UK and Cancer Research, which …

Sidney Mock, the CCO of the world’s leading casual games network SPIL Games, has stated that the tight controls that platform holders Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo have on content for their platforms are destined to fall over time. Consoles are increasingly going online, though of course there are the walled-gardens …

Increasingly popular middleware engine hits version 2.5

Trinigy's engine is latest to incorporate NaturalMotion's tech

Having made its name on PS2 and gone on to enjoy success on both Xbox 360 and PS3, Capcom’s Devil May Cry series has now shipped 10m units worldwide. The original title, which arrived in 2001, was an energetic interpretation of the formula made popular by fellow Capcom IP Onimusha …

Japanese publisher Bandai Namco has acquired a 95 per cent stake in rival D3P in a deal estimated to be worth 9m. Furthermore, a complete buyout is expected to be closed in the near future. Bandai Namco Games has announced plans to acquire 100 per cent of D3, and its …

The lid has now officially been lifted on highly anticipated RPG sequel Mass Effect 2, with a release confirmed in early 2010 on Xbox 360 and PC – though not, it seems, on PS3. The game is a sequel to the Microsoft-only RPG original, which became a critical and commercial …

Former MySpace commercial operations exec Chris Ellis has been revealed as IGN Entertainment’s international new senior vice president and managing director. Ellis takes charge of IGN Entertainment’s non-US operations, including ket sites such as IGN, Rotten Tomatoes and AskMen. I’m excited about building on these accomplishments,” Ellis stated. There’s a …

Bluetooth multiplayer and microtransactions join usability enhancements including cut and paste

Apple’s iPhone 3.0 preview last night lifted the lid on a number of enhancements on the way for the device this summer, a number of which are squarely aimed at boosting the iPhone’s gaming credentials. The new version of the iPhone and iPod Touch software will allow for peer-to-peer Bluetooth …