MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
Microsoft may have sold just 503 units of its Kin smartphone in the six weeks it was available before being discontinued. The software giant pulled the plug on the Kin on 30 June, just weeks after it was launched in the US, and a European roll-out was cancelled. Influential tech …
Read More »Dragon Age 2 confirmed
Acclaimed RPG developer BioWare has finally issued official word on the in-development RPG sequel Dragon Age 2. The game is a fully-fledged sequel featuring a brand new storyline that plays out over the course of ten years and is once again dependent on the in-game decisions of the player. A …
Read More »Firms press for DEA review
Major ISPs BT and TalkTalk are jointly seeking a High Court judicial review of the Digital Economy Act (formerly the Digital Economy Bill), the BBC reports. The challenge could lead to a delay to the expected October arrival of the new laws that will see PEGI become the sole arbitrator …
Read More »DSi sales soar
DSi sales have leapt 40 per cent every week since Nintendo lowered the trade price last month. The drop in the handheld’s retail price to 129.99 is currently being promoted to consumers as part of a ‘Price Crash’ campaign. Since the adjustment in trade price has been passed on to …
Read More »OPINION: Sainsbury’s battlecry
It’s surprising to think that maybe, just maybe, the supermarkets are under pressure to impress in games. Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons are the new giants in video games. All four have taken significant market share away from the specialists, and are even toying with pre-owned, digital distribution and specialist …
Read More »Sainsbury’s calls for lower games RRPs
The war between retailers and publishers looks set to once again erupt over software pricing – with Sainsbury’s last week issuing a fierce battlecry. The supermarket chain used its entertainment conference to throw down a warning to publishers that it will not continue to swallow the cost of cutting games …
Read More »Mobile gaming continues to grow
The number of mobile phone owners who play games on their portable devices has grown by seven per cent to 34 per cent in the last 12 months in North America, according to a new report from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project. MSNBC reports that 38 …
Read More »Sony ‘saddened’ by Insomniac switch
Sony was told back in 2008 that Insomniac Games wanted to break away from the platform holder, the company has revealed. Now two years later, and a few weeks after EA’s deal with Insomniac went public, a high-profile Sony executive tells Develop he was personally saddened by the studio’s switch. …
Read More »June sales bode well for Blur
Speaking on his personal blog, former games journalist and current Activision man Dan Amrich has launched a passionate defence of online racer Blur following widespread reports of low sales in the US. I’ve seen sites call it a ‘failure’ and one even went on to list a whole bunch of …
Read More »Sony and Nintendo making 3G handhelds
The Wall Street Journal claims that both Sony and Nintendo are in talks with wireless carrier NTT DoCoMo about integrating 3G mobile connectivity into upcoming handhelds. In Nintendo’s case this is believed to be an unannounced iteration of the not-yet-released 3DS. In Sony’s case it would be for the still …
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