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

A handful of the UK’s finest video games companies have pledged to make this year’s MCV Excellence Awards the best ever by sponsoring vital elements of the evening. Nintendo returns as the MCV Awards’ Exclusive Retail Partner, sponsoring the entire retail category of awards – which takes in Independent Retailer, …

The changes s uggested by Dr. Tanya Byron in her Review of digital entertainment today – and backed by leading Ministers – won’t actually have any practical effect until 2010. That’s according to the report itself, which sets out a timetable for when Byron’s recommendations will be implemented. It reads: …

– Why commission the report at all when there is no known problem that needs addressing? This is just another waste of taxpayers money and an example of blame culture running amok. The nanny state out of control. There are far more pressing social issues that the government continually fails …

Platform holder Microsoft has congratulated Dr. Tanya Byron in the aftermath of the Safer Children in a Digital World report , praising the way the report has been put together. "This is a timely and valuable report on what we believe is a key issue, ensuring that parents, Government, NGOs …

Bluehole Studio to use Epic's engine in new PC MMORPG, Project S1

MCV sister site Develop has the full story – head over there for more details

Trade body for UK developers backs report - but says industry should not be burdened by 'cost of waging an information campaign'

Tanya Byron has revealed her grand plan for UK video game classification – and PEGI will still have a very significant role to play. Speaking at a conference to selected press this morning, Byron described her vision: a system in which all games are rated by the BBFC, with a …

An aggressive price promotion from the UK’s leading retailer Tesco has seen Microsoft’s Xbox 360 drop below the 150 barrier for the first time. The supermarket chain if offering an Xbox 360 Arcade machine, which includes a wireless joypad, 256MB memory card, component cable and five Xbox Live Arcade titles, …

Currently video games are subject to two classification bodies, PEGI and BBFC, with the latter only used for more adult software. PEGI is a voluntary system, with the ratings carried out by members of the industry itself. This takes place by means of a self-assessment form. Ratings proposed by the …