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

Online giant eBay.co.uk is altering its fee structure to encourage more High Street retailers to sell through its website. The auction specialist has done away with Gallery costs, improved its Buy It Now service and cut up-front listing fees, in an initiative designed to reduce the risk for retailers. eBay …

FremantleMedia Enterprises and Eleco have revealed plans to partner on a range of new titles based on the Channel 4 TV favourite Grand Designs. The new titles will enable amateur design enthusiasts to create their own Grand Designs projects, and will include SKUs dubbed Self Build & Development, Kitchen and …

Publisher Rising Star is preparing to tap into the retro market when it sends its revamp of the classic R-Type into retail next month on PSP. Based on the title originally released in the early ‘90s, R-Type Tactics will hit retail shelves on September 12th, and Rising Star hopes the …

Returning Dreamcast classic Samba De Amigo is to dance its way onto Wii next month, and Sega has told MCV that the game will embrace a whole new audience. Samba De Amigo became a cult sensation when it was released back in 2000, and now Sega is preparing to bring …

High Street retailers will soon realise that rapid uptake of digital downloads renders console sales unprofitable – and destroy the hardware business by refusing to stock major platforms. That’s the vision of the boss of online games network WildTangent – which reaches 15 million gamers each month and counts Sony …

Following the success of Kung Fu Panda and LEGO Indiana Jones on PS2, publisher Activision is set to release a plethora of big titles for Sony’s last generation console. The firm is already working on PS2 versions of major releases such as Quantum of Solace, Call of Duty: World at …

That Sony used GC to reveal new models of PS3 and PSP goes a long way to demonstrate exactly how important this show has become – even the platform holder’s E3 showing this year was sparse in comparison. But it’s just not enough. While the film industry holds one of …

SCEE boss David Reeves has revealed that the newly-announced 160GB PS3 is a ‘limited edition’ trial SKU – and that there will be no further changes to Sony’s hardware offering ahead of peak period. Following a Leipzig Games Convention packed with new announcements, the firm confirmed to MCV this past …

GameStop has promoted COO Daniel A DeMatteo to CEO – as Richard Fontaine moves upstairs to the position of executive chairman. The firm said that the moves come ‘in light of tremendous growth, impressive continued worldwide brand expansion and powerful operating metrics’. Fontaine, 66, had been GameStop’s chairman and CEO …

Blockbuster Entertainment is to take on the specialists once again with its Total Entertainment centres, a new store concept that deals primarily with video games. According to sources at the firm, Blockbuster is planning to roll out 30 Total Entertainment stores by the end of September, with each store featuring …