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

We round up the leading networking solution providers

£56k earmarked to help UK games firms show their wares

The UK’s communications minister is set to propose that the Government impose a universal levy on broadband bills to compensate entertainment companies for their losses from illegal downloads. Lord Carter is to unveil his new report setting out his vision for Digital Britain next week, according to The Telegraph. The …

UK stationer, newsagent and entertainment retailer WHSmith has said that like-for-like sales at its High Street stores fell seven per cent for the 20 weeks ending January 17th compared to the same period one year ago. Overall like-for-like sales, which include the businesses’ online arm, fell by five per cent. …

When it comes to networking middleware, efficient multiplayer is just expected, but community and commerce tools are highly prized, reckons Jon Jordan

Statistics from market research company Media Control Gfk International suggest that gaming has overtaken DVD and Blu-ray in terms of worldwide market value, Edge Online reports. The firm claims that games accounted for 53 per cent of 2008’s global packaged media commodities market, which in total valued $61bn. Global video …

3D event defies economic downturn to return bigger than ever

Online retail giant Amazon.co.uk has hired internet veteran Chris Poad as director of software and video games Poad was previously employed as head of e-commerce at the UK subsidiary of German company OTTO, where he was responsible for the online retail strategy for home shopping businesses such as Grattan and …

Following its announcement late last week that 5,000 jobs are to be lost in the next 18 months, Microsoft has over the weekend confirmed a number of new cuts. The first high-profile casualty of the cull seems to be the head of Microsoft’s Games for Windows PC gaming initiative, Chris …

Whilst 30 per cent of the companyâ??s game testing force is also let go