MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
The American games market is on the rise, with consumer spending increasing by $200m in 2016. That’s according to a report from US games trade body the ESA and market tracker NPD, which says the nation’s games industry generated $30.4bn in 2016. 2015’s figure was $30.2bn. That includes revenue from hardware, software, …
Read More »US games revenue slumped 15 per cent in December
The American games market saw year-on-year decline in December. According to research from US market trackers NPD, $2.78bn was made from hardware, physical and digital software, PC and accessories, a dip of 15 per cent on December 2015. The biggest decline game from games hardware, which saw a 20 per …
Read More »Pokémon Go launch looking unlikely in China
Niantic’s hit mobile game Pokmon Go may not launch in China due to government concerns. As reported by Reuters, the Chinese government has said it will not license augmented reality and location-based titles in the country until potential security risks have been assessed. The region’s State Administration of Press, Publication, …
Read More »Japanese boxed games revenue dropped seven per cent in 2016
The Japanese boxed games market continues to fall in value, with revenue generated from boxed sales dipping seven per cent year-on-year. According to sales data provided by Famitsu, in 2016, hardware and software revenue dropped to 299.48bn from 2015’s 320.97bn. This is one of the lowest year for the Japanese …
Read More »China gets three new PS4 bundles
Sony is hoping for a foot-up in the Chinese Christmas market with the launch of three new PS4 hardware bundles this week. Power Up Gaming reports that the SKUs come themed in gold, silver and red. Each includes a normal black Slim console, a black DualShock 4 and a coloured …
Read More »NES Classic sold 196k in US in November but US market falls sharply
The hard to find NES Classic Mini shifted just shy of 200k units in its first month in the US, NPD data has shown. Note that this number would undoubtedly have been far higher had Nintendo been able to meet demand. The overall market was not a pretty picture, however. …
Read More »Yakuza 6 debuts at No.1 in Japan, Final Fantasy XV drops 90%
Yakuza 6 has gone straight in at No.1 in Japan this week, according to data from Famitsu. The PS4 exclusive isn’t due in Europe until 2018, but Sega’s highly anticipated open world game sold 201,211 units in its first week. Naturally, PS4 hardware sales continued its lead from last week, …
Read More »Pokemon Go arrives in India
Niantic’s world conquering Pokemon Go has now arrived in the world’s second most populated country. As of today, trainers living in India and other South Asian countries including Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh can download Pokemon Go and explore their neighbourhoods in search of Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle …
Read More »Xbox One also getting $50 US discount
Microsoft has mirrored by Sony by introducing its own $50 post Black Friday discount to Xbox One in the US. Sony last week confirmed that its $250 500GB Uncharted 4 PS4 Slim bundle would be returning for Christmas. Now Microsoft has rolled out a $250 500GB Battlefield 1 bundle, along …
Read More »China forces developers to reveal loot box odds
Starting May 2017 developers whose games contain random loot box drops will be required to reveal the underlying odds. Games such as Overwatch, Hearthstone and Counter-Strike reward players who both complete in-game tasks and pay cash with digital loot boxes, the contents of which vary. Rare and valuable items can …
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