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

The casual games sector has been given another boost via the founding of a new studio based in New York, called Rebel Monkey.

EXCLUSIVE Q&A: In this Developmag.com interview, Games That Matter co-founder Hannes Seifert tells us why the former Rockstar Vienna team has chosen the long-discussed ‘Hollywood Model’ for its new business – and why he thinks they can make it work.

Some questions still remain as to how soon Microsoft's recently launched Vista OS will deliver as a games platform, but a team from Glasgow already has one answer - it's casual game is one of the first available for the operating system.

French Parliament has approved a bill granting tax credits for games developers, a move designed to secure and encourage a healthy interactive entertainment sector within the country.

EA has stepped up to distribute Pandemic's next-gen title Mercenaries 2: World In Flames, putting an end to some speculation that the studio may distribute the PS3 title itself.

SCE Worldwide Studios VP Michael Denny and other key Sony Liverpool personnel have commented on the direction the company plans to take as both format-holder and software developer as the network-enabled PS3 establishes itself.

A team of students from Teeside have teamed up for a graduate business within the Tees Valley's DigitalCity project called Twisted Studio - and the gang is already talking about of licensing out its games development toolkit.

In this exclusive Q&A Developmag.com talks amBX with Jo Cooke, Philips’ chief marketing officer (pictured) to find out what developers' reaction to the company's ambient experiences technology has been like.

With 80 per cent of its places filled, there are just three days to go for developers and services companies to register for a place at Game Connection's upcoming GDC events.

Trip Hawkins, founder of EA and 3DO and the current CEO of mobile games publisher Digital Chocolate, will present the opening keynote during March's GDC Mobile.