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

French independent games studio Ankama is to build a UK-specific support team and community for Dofus, its self-published MMO, Develop can reveal.

Second Life developer Linden Lab is setting up a development team in the UK and has chosen coastal city Brighton for the location of its new office.

Sega has signed another deal with an independent studio, choosing UK team The Code Monkeys for the mobile game of The Golden Compass.

The director of UK-based Deep Red Games, Clive Robert, has acquired the studio from its Asian owner to secure an independent future – although the move has meant some staff cutbacks.

Upcoming PS3, PC and 360 game Rogue Warrior has added Kynogon's Kynapse AI middleware to a toolbase that already includes Unreal Engine 3, publisher Bethesda has announced.

3D tool company Skymatter has appointed Escape Studios as UK partner for sales, training, and support services for its Mudbox software.

Game Developers Conference organiser CMP is keeping busy between now and the 2008 GDC - after announcing a Korean event last week, the team also confirmed it is putting together a conference in China.

A partnership between Philips and Rivers Run Red will enable virtual world Second Life to take advantage of its amBX ambient experience hardware.

Stormfront Studios founder and president Don Daglow today told attendees of his GDC session that it's "impossible" to predict which games format will rule the new generation.

MMO technology company Simutronics has seen its HeroEngine tool licensed by three developers - one of which is Virgin Games UK, which plans to use the software to power its A World Of My Own online world.