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

Usually the first column of the year is a time for looking ahead. But for a change, letâ??s think beyond the prospects for PS3 or middleware.

Developers and publishers could get a slice of government technology grant

In fact, leading headline and hyperbole aside, I couldn’t have been more pleased with the words of The Guardian’s political editor. According to the paper, the government proposes to adopt a wide-spread classification system for all video games, ultimately putting the medium in line with film. Also, retailers will be …

The nominations process for the most prestigious video games industry awards ceremony in the world, the MCV Industry Excellence Awards 08, is drawing to a close – so this week is your last chance to make your voice heard. To make sure your opinion counts, email us at mcvexcellence@intentmedia.co.uk before …

If MCV and The Guardian’s predictions are correct, then there will soon be universal BBFC ‘cinema-style’ ratings for all game releases. Do you think this is a good thing? Will it lead to less blame for the industry and a clearer classification system? Or will it be a time-consuming, needless …

Fresh planning restrictions, designed to stem local dominance of individual supermarkets, is to be unveiled this week, according to the Metro newspaper. The Competition Commission’s chairman, Peter Freeman, has been conducting a two-year inquiry into the grocery sector, which is reportedly worth 95 billion. Freeman is expected to set out …

Riccitiello admits to DICE audience that publisher fumbled integrating the likes of Bullfrog, Westwood and Origin

EA is to unveil a new development team focused on games for casual networks, reports MCV sister site Develop – head over there for the full story

New Blueprint studio taps into Facebook, MySpace wave

MCV genuinely hates to say we told you so today – as The Guardian’s front page excitedly reports that Gordon Brown is to unleash an aggressive ‘clampdown’ on the sale of violent video games. As predicted in this week’s MCV, Labour appears to have settled on a new ‘cinema style’ …