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

Half-Life 2 developer and Steam owner Valave has stated that North American pre-orders for its upcoming console and PC shooter Left 4 Dead are currently 60 per cent ahead of those enjoyed by The Orange Box at the same stage before its release. Speaking to Edge Online, Valve MD Gabe …

Ahead of the release of Konam’s Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 on October 17th, the series’ creator Shingo Takatsuka has claimed that improving the game’s online performance has been the top priority for the team this year. Speaking to CVG, Seabass admitted: I do acknowledge that last year we placed such …

The unlikely resurgence of Xbox 360 in Japan seems to be continuing with news that Microsoft’s machine has outsold Sony’s PS3 for the third week in a row in the territory, though Nintendo’s hardware pairing is still bossing the hardware charts. Figures from Media Create show that Xbox 360 sold …

Most publishers are accustomed to their titles hitting the pirate network the very moment they’re shipped out to retail, but Bethesda has suffered an early blow with news that Fallout 3 has already hit illegal file sharing networks. The game, which isn’t due out in the UK until October 31st, …

No More Heroes 2 development head Goichi Suda, of development studio Grasshopper Manufacture, has stated that his upcoming Wii sequel No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle will be released in two different versions – one censored and one uncut. We won’t be able to make the same game for all territories,” …

Following on from the not very surprising news that Microsoft will next year release a boxed standalone expansion for its massively popular FPS Halo 3 , developer Bungie has revealed a few more details about the title. GameSpot reports that Bungie.net’s community lead Brian Jarrard spoke to journalists at the …

Sony's Bristol-based tools firm more than doubles space to fuel expansion

Japanese developer and publisher Square Enix has given the official nod to a European release for its upcoming Xbox 360 RPG Star Ocean: The Last Hope. The game, which is actually a prequel to the existing titles in the Star Ocean series, is a classic space opera blending sci-fi and …

Your MCV team has undergone a series of staff changes which will further cement its standing as the games trade’s most essential publication in print and online. Current Develop editor Michael French becomes editor-in-chief of both MCV and Develop, with Tim Ingham set to take up the position of associate …

After a record-breaking first weekend in the UK , EA has confirmed that FIFA 09 has hit 1.2 million sales in Europe after less than a week on sale. The achievement makes it the fastest start in the history of the award winning franchise. "FIFA 09’s great kick off is …