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

Is an image makeover for DRM a possibility?

Combined video game software unit sales across the world’s three largest games markets grew 11 percent in calendar year 2008 to 409.9 million – up from the 367.7 million units recorded in 2007. The data comes in new findings from Top Global Markets, the integrated monthly report from leading providers …

Publisher and developer Square Enix is to publish Activision Blizzard’s James Bond: Quantum of Solace on Xbox 360, PS3, Wii and PS2 in Japan, Andriasang reports. The game, which is developed by Call of Duty: World at War studio Treyarch, was released alongside the film last year in Europe and …

Nintendo dominated the list of the world’s biggest selling games of 2008 – with Mario Kart beating out titles such as Wii Fit and GTA IV to become the most popular game of the year. Mario Kart Wii sold a total of 8.94 million units in 2008 according to recent …

Guitar Hero World Tour developer Neversoft has announced that it is to release an additional SKU to its Guitar Hero: World Tour offering in the form of a standalone drum pack. The peripheral will retail for $100 and is set for release on February 15th. The developer has also confirmed …

An in depth look at the handheld hardware revisions

75 per cent of workforce made redundant as publisher switches to iPhone, Android, NGage and handhelds

Saturo Iwata, the global boss of Nintendo, has stated to inverstors that he believes the firm’s twin-screened DS handheld could go on to sell over 150 million units worldwide. ”I don’t think it is appropriate to conclude that DS is reaching its final stages on the market,” Iwata stated, according …

Pirates of the Burning Sea developer to branch out into casual MMOs

Facial animation tech adds support for FaceGen models