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

You only have to look at Fleet Street’s recent witchunt of Sega’s Madworld to know that gaming is a long way from being considered a ‘buddy’ of the national newspapers. But it’s been much, much worse in the past. Ladies and gents, please join us in looking back over some …

The first beautiful example of ill-informed public figures losing the plot over video games, Sega CD release Night Trap combined a dangerous mix of ACTUAL VIDEO (it’s almost real!!!), near-naked hotties and B-movie violence. Censorship-humping senator Joe Lieberman attacked the game for encouraging users to slaughter the nubile stars – …

You can’t tell us Midway didn’t have a sneaking suspicion that it wouldn’t inspire countless angered column inches with its comically gory beat-‘em up. And by including so much blood in the original MK, it hit the jackpot where the likes of Death Race (reckless motoring in 1976) and Custer’s …

Ah, blood. These days, the joy of the crimson splurge is a pre-requisite of your hardcore gamer – and a lust for polygonal lifejuice is sated in pretty much every 18-rated title on the market. But a decade ago, hemoglobin was a much rarer commodity, and Eidos’ generosity with the …

Never one to let the facts get in the way of putting the willies up its arthritic audience, The Daily Mail’s timeless front-page headline from August, 2004 still causes pale faces at ELSPA – as does the next day’s crusading follow-up of ‘Ban These Evil Games’. The ‘story’ referred to …

The Guy Game. What. An. Idea. How a dodgy quiz sim in which your reward was seeing some uncovered boobies didn’t reach GTA IV levels of hype is beyond us, but the mammary pedalling PS2 release, erm, didn’t. Not only that, but to add to its shame, it became embroiled …

Many of us have gone the extra mile for a bit of nookie, but this got ridiculous. The story goes something like this: Bright spark at Rockstar puts simulated, barely visible – and inaccessible – fellatio in the violent, profane GTA: San Andreas. Post-release, consumer geek works out how to …

A plot full of so many twists, backstabbing and arguments, it could well have ended up in Dynasty. As soon as Rockstar’s Manhunt 2 was wafted in front of hullabaloo-starved Wii reviewers, they loved it. Even kiddy-friendly GamesMaster called it: ‘Shocking for all the right reasons.’ The BBFC disagreed, refusing …

Another day, another screaming Daily Mail front page. Under the sensational headline ‘Slaughter’, the Mail reported on a Sony Greek launch party for God Of War II, in which a dead goat was used as a centrepiece. According to The Mail, guests were invited to pull cooked offal from inside …

Hilary Clinton? C’mon. The BBFC? Pah. Jack Thompson? Please. All of these industry enemies pale in comparison to the big cheese – Him upstairs. Sony faced the wrath of the Holy Ghost when it pinched an image of Manchester Cathedral for PS3 epic Resistance: Fall Of Man. The Church Of …