MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
Paramount has announced its new SVP of videogames following the departure of Sandi Isaacs last year – former Kuju America boss John Kavanagh. Kavanagh, who was also previously VP of product development at Eidos, will oversee all aspects of Paramount Digital Entertainment’s video game group – which includes development and …
Read More »Xbox figures high in brand survey
A new report from brands and marketing agency Vitrue claims that Xbox was the fifth most discussed brand on social networking sites in 2008. The company compiled its results by monitoring online conversations across a number of social networking sites, measuring the frequency in which a number of blue-chip” brands …
Read More »UK games market to overtake Japan in 09
With the Japanese market suffering a significant decline in value in 2008 and the UK enjoying record sales, MCV is predicting that the UK games market will by the end of the year grow to become the second most valuable in the world. Whilst the Japanese market was worth 520,000 …
Read More »Pessner is new Games for Windows boss
Windows and Xbox 360 platform holder Microsoft has announced that former Entertainment and Devices Division general manager Ron Pessner is to become the new boss of Games for Windows. The appointment, reported by Gamasutra, follows the news last week that former boss Chris Early has left the firm. Also heading …
Read More »AUSTRALIA: Attorney General defends lack of R18+ certificate
South Australian attorney general Michael Atkinson has defended the Classification Board’s refusal to introduce an 18 age rating for video games released in the territory, claiming that games are potentially more harmful than movies. I don’t support the introduction of an R18+ rating for electronic games, chiefly because it will …
Read More »UK CHARTS: Wii Fit proves its stamina
The nation may be strapped for cash, but it also needs to get into shape – at least that’s what the ELSPA Gfk-ChartTrack All Formats Top 40 suggests, with Nintendo’s Wii Fit clinging on to top spot for the second week on the trot following a hike in sales of …
Read More »PopCap: "Nintendo hasn’t stolen our thunder"
PopCap’s creative director and co-creator of the mammoth casual gaming success Bejeweled, Jason Kapalka, has insisted that firms such as Nintendo are not ‘stealing its thunder’ despite the fact that the huge sales numbers for many casual titles continue to go unrecognised. Kapalka was responding to a recent report on …
Read More »More job losses hit Microsoft gaming
Following its announcement late last week that 5,000 jobs are to be lost in the next 18 months, Microsoft has over the weekend confirmed a number of new cuts. The first high-profile casualty of the cull seems to be the head of Microsoft’s Games for Windows PC gaming initiative, Chris …
Read More »THQs IceStorm ready to pick up Red Ant slack
Martin Good, the senior vice president of Australian distributor THQ Asia Pacific, has told MCV that has firm is ready to make the most of any opportunities that arise in the region as a result of the turmoil caused by the recent troubles at Red Ant. Red Ant was placed …
Read More »SCEE has no plans to reduce headcount
SCE has confirmed to MCV that it has no plans to reduce the headcount of its European operations as part of Sony’s worldwide cost-saving restructuring efforts. The assurance follows the news that Sony has revised its earnings forecast and increased its predicted losses for the year ending March 31st. It …
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