MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
YouTube has launched its new premium offering, YouTube Red. The $9.99-a-month subscription allows viewers to watch YouTube videos without adverts, combatting the need for third-party plugins such as Adblocker. Subscribers will also be able to download and save videos to watch offline on their mobile devices – another long-requested feature …
Read More »Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon Wii U Premium bundle due out this month, costs £240
A new Wii U SKU will include two of the platform’s most popular multiplayer games. The Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon Wii U Premium Pack will include digital copies of the titular titles, coming with the racing game pre-installed and a download code voucher for the squid shooter. Mario Kart …
Read More »Newell takes to Reddit to defends premium Steam mods
Such has been the backlash to Steam’s introduction of paid-for mods that Valve founder Gabe Newell has taken to Reddit to address one of the move’s most critical communities. Premium mods went live last week but quickly evoked a fearsome response online. Our goal is to make modding better for …
Read More »New line of Skylanders premium toys to launch this Autumn
Activison has announced that a new range of premium Skylanders toys will be coming to the UK later this year. The limited edition Eon’s Elite set will introduce eight new versions of existing Skylanders characters, with Spyro and Chop Chop the first two ‘fan-favourite’ figures to see a re-release. The …
Read More »Video suggests Premium subscription planned for The Sims 4
An official walkthrough trailer for The Sims 4 has apparently leaked one of EA’s monetising initiatives for the title. Joystiq reports that the 20 minute video, which can be seen below, carries an on-screen ad for The Sims 4 Premium membership. "The Sims 4 Premium. Save on new packs with …
Read More »‘More games should become free-to-play,’ suggests Trion Worlds CEO
The CEO of Trion Worlds has said that more titles should considering adopting a free-to-pay model, as paying upfront for games becomes harder to justify. If there’s one thing we’re learned through all of our own prior development, it’s that the barrier of having to purchase a thing before getting …
Read More »Capcom refutes pay-to-win Street Fighter V comments
Street Fighter V won’t offer pay-to-win DLC, despite claims from one Capcom exec that it will. EventHubs reported that Capcom president and COO Haruhiro Tsujimoto told an E3 audience that the game’s developer is trying to steer away from making the next game such that skilled players will win, but …
Read More »EA pulls original Peggle in New Zealand as F2P version is introduced
A free-to-play version of PopCap puzzler Peggle has arrived on the iOS App Store – at the expense of the existing paid version. Pocket Gamer reports that while the new version is broadly the same as the original release in gameplay terms, it does change a few elements – such …
Read More »Mehdi – Xbox One with Kinect is still the ‘premium experience’
Microsoft may have bowed to market pressures and cut Kinect from Xbox One, but it hasn’t given up its Kinect charm offensive. Even now the company is still refusing to acknowledge the camera’s unpopularity and is instead insisting that the 349 Kinect-free SKU is still just the first step in …
Read More »Minecraft Realms launches in North America
Mojang’s private-server service Minecraft Realms is now available in North America, the studio announced earlier today. The Minecraft service offers players the option to buy a premium subscription for Mojang to host a private server for friends, families, and other small groups. Subscriptions cost $13 per month, and provide 24/7 …
Read More »