MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
THQ is plotting to become the king of Wii mini-game collections with the follow-up to last year’s mass-selling BIG Beach Sports. Like its predecessor, BIG Family Games will retail for 19.99, and bis backed by a large-scale above-the-line and TV marketing campaign throughout the summer. But it will have its …
Read More »Funding for games plummets 60%
"In the last four or five months there has been a collapse in venture capital and, more broadly, private equity funding for privately-held games companies." That’s the view of a leading investment analyst. What’s going on? Games Investor Consulting’s director Nick Gibson has expressed a belief that venture funding for …
Read More »Casual-orientated EA Sports Complex arrives on Home
EA’s long-awaited Sports Complex has gone live on Sony’s PlayStation Home service, brining with it a number of multiplayer casual titles. Included as part of the large promotional social meeting place, the EA Sports Complex houses Texas Hold ‘Em Poker, car racing and, in the near future, a multiplayer golf …
Read More »Cost of gaming on the rise
The UK annual inflation measured by the Retail Prices Index has for the first time since 1960 today revealed that the UK economy is in a state of deflation – but video games remain one of the few categories increasing in price. The BBC reports that the RPI fell to …
Read More »UK retail ‘wants to be part of digital revolution’
UK retail has told MCV that it wants to be a part of the digital revolution, following news that Amazon is selling Xbox Live Arcade game codes in the US. Key UK retailers have told MCV that they would be ‘very interested’ in selling digital games through their websites. However, …
Read More »US: Consumers predict increased games spending
Leading US statistics body NPD has found that the majority of North American gamers say that they expect to spend more on their hobby this year than they did in 2008. Numbers in the recent Entertainment Trends in America report state that 65 per cent of the 10,000 people questioned …
Read More »New family gaming guide arrives online
The Association of Family Gamers has revealed a brand new website aiming to information and support about safe gaming that families can enjoy together. Familygamer.co.uk promises a jargon free guide arrives with over 600 reviews outlining the suitability of a number of titles, as well as guides and editorials exploring …
Read More »New price comparison site targets gamers
With the online price comparison market becoming increasingly competitive, new outfit Sccope is targeting gamers to give itself a head start in the long battle to win internet market share. A statement from the new portal claims to offer a route to substantial savings on games – for instance, a …
Read More »AUSTRALIA: Necrovision denied retail release
1C’s upcoming WWII first person shooter Necrovision will not be released in Australia after the country’s Classification Board refused to grant it a certificate. GameSpot reports that excessive violence was named as the determining factor. With Australia still lacking an 18+ age rating for games, 1C’s title was deemed to …
Read More »US: Games dominate kids Christmas spend
Gaming may nowadays be a pursuit for all ages, but that doesn’t mean that the appetite for the hobby amongst kids has diminished – indeed, new research from US stats firm NPD suggests that games are dominated parent’s Christmas spending power in 2008. For the five weeks up to and …
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