MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
EA has decided to give age-old puzzle classic Tetris a free-to-play makeover. Tetris Blitz is described as an innovative new twist on the world famous puzzle game” that contains fresh new features and stunning visuals for the ultimate Tetris experience”. In much the same way as PopCap altered the rule …
Read More »Ben Cousins wants to reinvent the touchscreen FPS with The Drowning
Touchscreen need not play second fiddle to physical controls in the first person shooter sector, DeNA’s Ben Cousins argues. And the former exec intends to prove it with upcoming release The Drowning. The game will shun virtual joystick controls in favour of a gesture-based affair. Shooting is handled by the …
Read More »Sega releasing retro console themed laptops in Japan
Sega returns to the hardware market”. We very nearly went with that headline on this one. Because it’s kind of true. No, the company isn’t launching a new console. Nor it is reissuing the Dreamcast or Saturn. What it is doing, however, is releasing four PC laptops with retro console …
Read More »VIDEO: The Star Wars fighting game that never was
Long-dead developer Studio Gigante was at one stage working on a Street Fighter II style Star Wars game – and you can see the video here. The video was posted online by Gigante co-founder Josh Tsui, who is currently president of developer Robomodo. What you’re seeing is described as an …
Read More »Wii U tracking 38% behind Wii in US as Xbox 360 continues dominance
The Xbox 360 has started 2013 in much the same way as it ended 2012 in the US. And sadly, so did the Wii U. NPD’s numbers for January 13 actually show a rare thing for the US games market – year-on-year gains. Nine per cent, in fact. However, as …
Read More »"Aliens: Colonial Marines is essentially TimeGate’s game"
Quite why developers are scrapping to take credit for Aliens: Colonial Marines is a bit of a mystery. But you can understand why the world is interested. The game had immense potential and, who knows, it could still fulfil some of that by selling strongly. The TV ads are very …
Read More »Mario & Luigi RPG and Donkey Kong Country announced; Animal Crossing, Luigi’s Mansion and Fire Emblem release dates confirmed
Nintendo has announced three new titles for the 3DS – Mario & Luigi RPG, Donkey Kong Country 3D and Mario Golf. Revealed by Satoru Iwata himself – complete with a flattering green Luigi cap – Mario & Luigi RPG takes place in Luigi’s dreams. Mario Golf, meanwhile, is being developed …
Read More »GameStop lobbying platform holders over pre-owned block rumours
Global games retailer GameStop has been lobbying platform holder Microsoft to try and persuade it to abandon its rumoured plans to block pre-owned software on the Next Xbox. "Sony has said publicly that they don’t intend to block used games on their next console. Microsoft has not commented on the …
Read More »Wargaming has acquired Gas Powered Games
MMO developer and publisher Wargaming has acquired Supreme Commander creator Gas Powered Games. Wargaming will as part of the deal assume full ownership of the studio, bringing key staff members such as founder Chris Taylor on board. "Gas Powered Games’ heritage and development pedigree shows us just how valuable an …
Read More »Future’s consumer reach hits record high
The latest ABC numbers from Future Entertainment show that the publishing company now reaches a higher global audience than ever before. As a whole the company’s publications now reach 20.2m people, a 29 per cent year-on-year increase. The figure includes duplicates, however, gathering together ABCs, unique users, digital subscribers, social …
Read More »