MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
Online indie ShopTo has seen its software market share leap in 2012. The firm says that, according to Chart-Track figures, its market share increased 45 per cent last year. ShopTo has already claimed significant wins this year, securing 31 per cent of the sales of Ni No Kuni Collector’s Edition, …
Read More »Retail: Don’t block pre-owned
UK retailers are rallying against reported plans to prevent pre-owned sales on the next Xbox. Website VGLeaks reported last week that Microsoft’s next console will require a permanent online connection and will not need to read optical discs once a game has been installed. The report adds weight to persistent …
Read More »Metacritic dismisses score-weighting report
A report claiming to reveal the systems that Metacritic uses to assign importance” to reviews from various sites has been dismissed by the reviews aggregator. Gamasutra has reported that websites whose reviews are included in Metacritic’s roundup were split into six different categories, with those in higher tiers having a …
Read More »GAME customers name 1996 as gaming’s ‘golden’ year; Names Wii as best ever console
1996 has been named as video gaming’s ‘golden year’ by a survey of 2,000 GAME customers. Big hits released that year included Resident Evil, Super Mario 64, Tekken 2, Crash Bandicoot, FIFA 96 (which was the first in the series to use real-life licenses) and the mighty Tomb Raider. 2002 …
Read More »Games get convenience store boost
Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons say they will push games through their local convenience stores. All three already sell games through smaller outlets, but usually focus on major launches such as Call of Duty and FIFA. Although there are no plans to stock a wider range of games, the grocers’ buyers …
Read More »Is 2013 the year of the indie?
This year will be a major year for the independent retail scene, say store owners. Indie retailers hope the mass closure of HMV and Blockbuster stores have provided them with opportunities to expand both their in-store offerings and the number of shops. Last week, major retailers pledged to fill the …
Read More »Ninth studio announces Warhammer licensing deal
Canadian developer Roadhouse Interactive has become the latest studio to get its hands on an official Warhammer license. The company has reached an agreement with Games Workshop to make a side-scrolling Space Marine game for smartphones and tablets. The work we have seen to-date from Roadhouse makes us extremely confident …
Read More »Video games tax breaks delayed in the UK
Games tax relief will not be approved by April 1stas the UK awaits confirmation from Europe. UK games trade body UKIE has stated that tax relief will still definitely happen, and the government is 100 per cent committed” to legislation. Tiga has also explained that tax relief is still awaiting …
Read More »Morrisons renews games focus
Morrisons is tackling the video games market with renewed focus this year, according to its games buyer Simon Millea. The grocer plans to make its games business more relevant and theatrical for its customers by being more selective with the titles it stocks and finding new sources of revenue. We …
Read More »Supermarkets now the cheapest place to buy games; Average game price climbs
The average selling price of video games last year was 26.45, a rise of 3.2 per cent year-on-year. Chart-Track data published by ERA shows another year of game price rises. Supermarkets are now the cheapest games retailer, with an average selling price of 25.50, an increase of two pence over …
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