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

SuperData has updated its VR headset shipment figures and Samsung’s Gear VR headset is once again the most shipped headset in Q1, according to the research firm’s estimates. In Q1, the Gear VR shipped 782,000 units through to consumers and businesses, says SuperData, making it by far and away the …

Live streaming services Hitbox and Azubu have merged to form Smashcast, turning the newly-formed LA-based company into the world’s largest independent eSports broadcaster outside Asia. The platform, which will utilise Hitbox and Azubu’s 20m monthly active users, hopes to be a main competitor to Twitch, and will be the only …

With vast sums of money being poured into VR around the world, the virtual reality development scene has never been healthier. In a recent GDC survey, for instance, there were more developers making games for VR (24 per cent) than there were for the Xbox One and Project Scorpio (22 …

The National Videogame Arcade’s Iain Simons talks about why the divide between video games and art culture might be smaller than everyone thinks ?

CompLexity gaming have announced that they’ll be exiting the competitive Overwatch scene, citing issues with Overwatch’s “current transitional phase.” CompLexity are the third organisation to eject from the Overwatch scene in the past week, with TSM and Red Reserve both claiming that uncertainty over the game’s competitive future as the …

Two NFL franchise owners have invested in Blizzard’s Overwatch League, according to reports. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross have, according to a report by Richard Lewis, purchased Overwatch League Spots in multi-million dollar deals. Dot Esports’ sources are claiming a figure of $20 …

Peripheral maker turns their hand to making games

NetherRealm Studios, the developers behind forthcoming fighter Injustice 2, announced the creation of an Injustice 2 Championship Series yesterday in tandem with the game’s publisher, Warner Bros. Games. The series will offer $600,000 in prizes, a pool that puts it on a level with the prize money offered up by …

When Activision acquired Blizzard back in 2008 via its Vivendi merger, the company had just released one of the most successful and influential shooters of all time – Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. The popular series went stratospheric, defining its console generation (especially the Xbox 360) and making levelling …

The majors are over, and Valve is now gearing up for its crowning jewel: The International. The International is somewhat unique because its prize pool is crowd-funded by players. Valve put $1.5m into the prize pool and then sell in-game items and put 25% of the monetary value of any …