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

Main conference's opening talk from John Schappert will "set the stage" for 2008's "revolutionary changes in game development"

Publisher looking to expand influence outside Japan

WarCry is reporting that San Francisco-based Perpetual Entertainment, now known as P2, has ceased work on the Star Trek Online project. To read the story in full, head over the MCV sister-site Develop.

In a quarterly earnings call, Majesco CEO Jesse Sutton has shed some light on the plan for the publisher’s new internal studio – including that the eventual aim is for the studio to contribute 10 to 15 per cent of the publisher’s output. For the full story, head over to …

Following’s Gordon Brown’s comments to The Sun this week, ELSPA has been in dialogue with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform – and has been told that despite the tabloid’s spin on the story, Brown’s opinion on games has not changed. We were obviously concerned by the Prime …

Square Enix is preparing a renewed push in Western territories this year – and has admitted that it would consider acquiring a European studio. Speaking exclusively to MCV, the president and CEO of Square’s European and US divisions John Yamamoto said the firm was focusing on how to better seduce …

Russian publishing powerhouse-cum-specialist-retailer 1C has told the likes of GAME and Gamestation to forget about a move into the Russian market. 1C’s international sales boss Nikolay Baryshnikov admitted that it would not be impossible” for a UK specialist to make it in the territory, but told MCV that tax impediments …

Ubisoft has confirmed that the DS version of its successful console outing, dubbed Assassin’s Creed: Altair’s Chronicles, will hit European retail next month. The game boasts a fully interactive 3D world and all four cities featured in the Xbox 360 and PS3 version. "The success of Assassin’s Creed worldwide has …

The news that intergalactic fan-favourites Darth Vader and Yoda are to appear in Soul Calibur IV may have been wholly unexpected, but the game’s director Katsutoshi Sasaki has said that the it’s a move designed simply to please the fans. Speaking to Gametrailers, he stated: "The thing that I want …

Firm to refocus on Perpetual Platform support and casual games