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

Acclaim MMO offers publishing deal to indie and pro developers via ModCenter deal

Courses from former Criterion exec to teach management techniques

New issue features NaturalMotion cover story plus a look at game engine licensing

Report says Sony Ericsson will unveil gaming phone at the Mobility World Congress

The second half of our interview with senior execs from Sports Interactive, Secret Level and Creative Assemblyâ?¦

Whispers that the handset manufacturer might be planning a device based around gaming functions have been circulating for years, especially after the success of its Cyber-shot imaging range and Walkman music family. There’s been feverish speculation that the company is working on a PlayStation-branded phone – and insiders suggest this …

Activision is celebrating after promotion of the multiplayer Beta for Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare on both Eurogamer.net and Game.co.uk led to more than 10,000 applications for keys. The Beta is now set to launch on Gamespot , which the publisher hopes will produce another surge in demand”. Senior …

Much-anticipated Sega title The Club will miss the Christmas release window, after the publisher admitted that its release has slipped until next year. The 360, PS3 and PC action title, which was developed by Project Gotham creators Bizarre Creations, was previously due for release at the end of this year. …

Business spectators claim that when Warner was sniffing around the SCi Group late last year, the Board of the UK publisher chose to hold out for a deal worth 6-7 a share. In the end, the US media giant acquired a ten per cent stake in the company at a price …

SCi’s mystery would-be bidder is not Ubisoft, according to a source from the company. The Financial Times quotes an insider from the French publisher as saying: We are not in discussion with SCi Entertainment any more than we are with any other company in the industry.” However, another source quoted …