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

Graphics and physics middleware company Geomerics has secured a grant worth some £100,000 from the DTI’s 2006 Technology Programme.

Earlier this week French team Nevrax said it would go into receivership this month, but players of its MMO Ryzom are hoping to buy the game and start developing it themselves if the plug is pulled.

A last-minute signing has boosted Autodesk's 3December event, which takes place next week, with studio Rare set to talk about the production of its latest game, Viva Piñata.

Another company has thrown its weight behind Nintendo's Wii by forming a studio solely dedicated to developing games for the platform, as EA acquires Utah-based Headgate Studios.

Processor firm Nvidia is continuing its prestigious Fellowship Programme for the next academic year, offering funding to PhD projects that will aid the progress of graphics development research.

Codeworks GameHorizon and Game Republic, the support agencies for game developers in the North, are joining forces for a new developers' conference taking place on May 10th, 2007.

EA UK may be closing its NW studio, but Vivendi-owned Birmingham-based Swordfish could help those left in the region without a job as it opens a new office in Manchester, Develop can reveal.

Autodesk has lined up a number of notable computer graphics masterminds to speak at the London leg of its 3December event, which takes place on December 4th.

Ageia, the company behind physics middleware and hardware PhysX has changed its licence agreements - allowing developers to use the tool in commercial PC games for free.

Half-Life 2 creator Valve and small indie outfit Turtle Rock have signed a deal to produce a  new shooter the two say will do for co-op gaming what Counter-Strike did for versus games.