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

PopCap’s globally popular Peggle franchise is to make the jump to consoles with three staggered releases over the next three months, starting today with the North American release of Peggle Dual Shot on the Nintendo DS. Following the DS version, Peggle will be released on both Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade …

Blockbuster has denied that it is using law firm Kirkland & Ellis to help it file for bankruptcy. National newspapers reported this morning that the retailer had recruited Kirkland to advise it on ‘bankruptcy or restructuring’. However, Blockbuster spokeswoman Karen Raskopf has told Bloomberg: We’ve hired them for refinancing and …

xaitment's Schneider tells us how it's been trying to win over developers

DSi software will be region locked because of the growing number of different age ratings and restrictions seen in the world’s varying games markets, Nintendo has stated. Speaking to The Times, UK boss David Yarnton explained: There are many different age requirements with games around the world. I’ve been involved …

Reports have emerged claiming that Motorola’s former VP of global marketing has joined Microsoft’s European marketing team. Marketing Week reports that Dale departed from Motorola in January to look for a position in his native UK. Sources are claiming that Dale is set to become a senior member of the …

Having just opened a new office in America, AI middleware specialist xaitment is continuing to establish itself as a leading force in the market.

The Hut Group is on the search for a brand agency as it looks to launch an awareness campaign designed to highlight its recent resurrection of Zavvi. The move comes after The Hut bought the rights to the Zavvi name and its online retail restructure. Marketing Week says The Hut …

Think that working in games is all about slaving away in a darkened room? Well, it is, but all that hard work can have its perks? Our recruitment special continues with a reflection on the benefits of all the hard work at the desk.

Best Buy has postponed the launch of its UK division until the first quarter of 2010. The joint venture with Carphone Warehouse was due to open its first store in the south east of England this summer, but Best Buy UK’s chief executive Rodger Taylor revealed the launch has been …

After its successful rollout last year, Microsoft is to make NXE a mandatory upgrade for 360 users wanting to play the latest titles on their machines, according to reports . NXE, or New Xbox Experience, was released last year and completely overhauled the Xbox 360’s previous dashboard ‘blade’ system. It …