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

As a major celebrity’s son or daughter, you’re due a few more perks than your average playground dweller. And that’s exactly what BBC presenter Jonathan Ross’s son Harvey discovered when EA sent him an advanced copy of Will Wright’s Spore. Ross (Jr.) has posted his opinions on various internet forums …

Harsh critic of the video games industry Keith Vaz has been offered a knighthood by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, UK national newspapers have alleged. According to The Times and The Guardian, there have been ‘strong hints’ that Vaz was offered the honour as part of a series of bribes from …

Intel-owned middleware firm strikes partnership despite parental opposition

Top industry analyst Nicholas Lovell has said that despite the huge success of GTA IV, it won’t save Take Two from EA’s advances, with the publisher needing a white knight” to step in to rescue it. Lovell said the GTA IV launch has had no meaningful impact” on the firm’s value, …

Gateshead event grows ahead of start next week

Emergent's game framework adds new geometry and terrain systems

Take Two executive chairman Strauss Zelnick has told a crowd at New York’s Piper Jaffray conference that the publisher is keen to introduce microtransactions into its biggest titles as part of a new moneymaking online push. Speaking to a room full of investors, Zelnick said the publisher is testing in-game …

MTV is reporting that a movie based on video games francshise Turok is set to hit cinemas. Flags of our Fathers star Adam Beach revealed the plans in an interview, where he claimed that he would be playing the lead role. We just finished the animated movie and now we’re …

American TV giant NBC has followed contemporaries Warner Bros and Disney to stake a big claim on the games market, acquiring a controlling stake in German casual site Bigpoint for €70m ($110m). NBC’s equity firm Peacock has teamed up with UK-based private funding firm GMT to grab a 70 per …

Studio head tells Develop that staff are hopeful