MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
With news of 35 per cent growth in the US hardware market in October causing great cheer across the Atlantic, Nintendo has the greatest reason to celebrate after some hugely impressive sales figures for its hardware. NPD stats show that the Wii sold 803,000 units in October, with twin-screened cousin …
Read More »US: 18% market growth in October
Credit crunch? What credit crunch? The resilience of the video games market to the global financial crisis is still a matter of debate, but annual year-on-year growth of 18 per cent for the month of October in North America is undoubtedly a very positive sign. NPD figures show that the …
Read More »GTA IV DLC and Chinatown Wars delayed until spring?
Speaking at a US-based BMO Capital Markets Conference in New York earlier today, Take 2 CEO Strauss Zelnick has suggested that both the upcoming Xbox 360 exclusive downloadable content for GTA IV and anticipated DS outing Chinatown Wars have been delayed until spring next year. MTV quotes Zelnick as stating: …
Read More »Second Life sex leads to divorce
28-year-old British woman Amy Taylor has filed to divorce her huband after discovering that he had been sleeping with another woman… on a computer via the virtual world ‘game’ Second Life. Taylor and her husband originally met in an online chatroom in 2003. Head over to CasualGaming.biz to read the …
Read More »ESRB introduces age rating summaries
US regulator The Entertainment Software Rating Board has introduced online summaries of each video game it rates in an effort to grant parents more opportunities to research the potentially harmful content in games. The move follows similar measures already in place at UK body the BBFC. And in a boost …
Read More »Credit crunch could be Blu-rays death knell
The effects of the current global economic global crisis could see sales of Blu-ray discs and associated technology dramatically underperform this Christmas, according to some industry observers at the recent HD3 Conference in the US. The economy is the biggest challenge, because there are just so many pieces to the …
Read More »DS patents hint at console’s future
Ahead of the release of Nintendo’s rejuvenated DSi in Europe and North America some time next year, Nintendo has patented a number of DS-related titles that could offer a sneak peek at the plans the firm has for its machine. The eclectic list points to all sorts of possible software, …
Read More »JAPAN: Big market drops in October
Japan’s games market suffered a significant dip in October, with the total market value 21.6 per cent down on the same month in 2007 according to figures from Famitsu owner Enterbrain. Hardware sales dropped by 29.1 per cent, and software by 14.9 per cent. Sony’s PSP was the strongest performer, …
Read More »Wii Fit tops online UK shopping searches
Online shopping stats firm Hitwise has revealed that Nintendo’s Wii Fit is currently the most searched for product by internet shoppers in the UK – with the Wii console itself and Apple’s iPhone close behind. In total, Wii Fit accounted for one in six searches for video game products in …
Read More »Games for Windows Live to challenge Steam?
Microsoft has, without great fanfare, revamped its Xbox 360-a-like Games For Windows Live service, and the introduction of a PC version of content delivery service Live Marketplace suggests that the technology firm is on the verge of launching its own digital downloads system. Users will be able to access trailers, …
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