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

EA and Hasbro have announced that they are to launch a branded channel on Xbox Live Arcade under the Hasbro Family Games Night banner. The move mirrors similar deals struck by Sony on its recently released PlayStation Home service, and is the first of its kind to emerge since the …

A new report has dispelled rumours that Microsoft will be laying off a significant portion of its workforce, claiming the company has other cost cutting measures in mind. Following rumours that Microsoft was considering dismissing thousands of employees, CNBC reports that the company will be reducing its outgoings through attrition …

The worsening conditions on the UK High Street could lead to a record number of vacant retail outlets by the end of the year, analyst Experian has predicted. Ongoing retail administrations, disposals and rationalisations are expected to see the vacancy rate climb from its current seven per cent to ten …

PETA, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has named Lionhead’s Xbox 360 RPG Fable II in its 6th Annual Proggy Awards, naming it the year’s most animal-friendly video game”. The organisation said of the game: Fable 2 is a vegetarian’s dream come true. Why? In this virtual fight …

Platform holder Microsoft has announced that the upcoming release of Capcom’s Resident Evil 5 will be accompanied by an Xbox 360 hardware bundle including the game in Japan. The Xbox 360 Biohazard 5 Pack (as the series is known in the region) will include the console, a 60GB hard drive, …

Previous business model saw decisions driven by financial needs and not quality, says CEO

Water Melon Development says upcoming cartridge-based Mega Drive outing could be heading to Xbox Live

Following SCEE president’s David Reeves upbeat forecast of the year ahead for PlayStation , fellow executives have praised the achievements of the business in the last 12 months and predicted a bumper year ahead for PS3. SCEA vice president Ian Jackson stated: We’ve had a solid holiday season and have …

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe president David Reeves has stated that Sony’s PlayStation division is on target to alleviate” the specific pressure” it has come under for failing to post a profit since the launch of PS3. In an upbeat forecast for the year ahead on the UK PlayStation site, Reeves …

Climax once consisted of a string of studios stretching to LA, employing more than 400 staff. Today itâ??s one studio employing barely a quarter, yet management argue an outsourcing-based restructuring means its better equipped than ever to deliver quality games.