MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
Former Konami studio head David Coxhas joined digital production company Fish in a Bottle in an effort to grow its core games business. Cox worked at Konami for 17 years, joining in 1997 as UK product manager. He then rose to European product manager in 1999, before becoming studio head …
Read More »ESL UK appoints ex-Warner Bros as Managing Director
The ESL has appointed Spike Laurie as business partner and co-Managing Director of their UK operations. Laurie, who previously comes from Warner Bros., worked as retention and engagement manager there for three years, on titles such as Shadow of Mordor and Batman: Arkham Knight. He will be joining James Dean, …
Read More »Mass Effect writer Drew Karpyshyn returns to BioWare
Mass Effect series writer Drew Karpyshyn has returned to BioWare three and a half years after leaving the studio. Karpyshyn announced in 2012 that he hadretired” from the game industryand that his parting was completely amicable and 100 per cent my decision”. In a newblog post, the writer said he …
Read More »Reports claim Konami’s Fox Engine boss has left
Konami’s worldwide technology director Julien Merceron has reportedly left the company. Merceron oversaw Konami’s Fox Engine, which powers titles such as PES 2016 (out today) and the recent Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. The claims first emerged on French site Gameblog but have since apparently been confirmed to …
Read More »The Hut Group reorganises games and tech team with new recruits
Zavvi’s parent company The Hut Group has restructured its games and tech team, with key new recruits. Former senior buyer Mike Fethers will lead the new team as head of technology and games. He is joined by Martyn Plant, who has been appointed junior buyer. Plant has been part of …
Read More »Creative director Gary Carr has left Lionhead
Long-term employee Gary Carr has departed Microsoft-owned UK studio Lionhead. GameSpot reports that Carr was until recently headed up an eight person team in charge of new IP development. He had been with the company for 12 years. We can confirm that Gary Carr, who played a lead role in …
Read More »Gameloft Tokyo hit by layoffs
Scores of developers have reportedly been laid off at Gameloft Tokyo. Gamasutrareports that the layoffs have been made just weeks after the studio released its first game, mobile puzzle RPG Magna Memoria. The game’s poor performance is believed to be the cause of these job cuts. Up to 80 employees …
Read More »Capcom UK boosts team ahead of Street Fighter V
Capcom has made two new hires. Brian Ayers joins as brand manager and is working on Street Fighter V. He has previously worked at Cake PR where his accounts included Xbox and EA. Prior to that he spent seven years at Konami, where he progressed all the way up to …
Read More »More job losses at Rovio as 260 positions are axed
Rovio will lay off up to 260 staff as it aims to completely restructure the firm and reinvigorate its falling revenues. The redundancies will apply to the entire organisation. This excludes employees working on the upcoming Angry Birds Movie. Rovio CEO Pekka Rantala said in its current financial condition, the …
Read More »Smedley leaves Daybreak for good
John Smedley has left the studio formerly known as Sony Online Entertainment. It was announced last month that the executive had stepped down from his role of CEO, with the plan apparently being for him to take some time off before transitioning to a different role” within the company. However, …
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