MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
In scenes grimly reminiscent of a doctor turning of a long-forgotten patient’s life support, Microsoft has confirmed that Xbox Live services for the now nine-year-old original Xbox console will be turned off on April 15th. The move affects both games played on the 2001 machine, Xbox 360-compatible Xbox titles and …
Read More »And Project Needlemouse is
16 years on from the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 on the Mega Drive – and after a string critically questionable 3D outings for the speedy mammal – Sega is to return to the series’ roots with Sonic the Hedgehog 4. The game was first touted in September last …
Read More »No standalone 250GB HDD for the UK
Microsoft has dashed hopes that the launch of a standalone SKU for the 250GB Xbox 360 HDD in Japan may lead to a similar move in the UK, while at the same time suggesting that the current top-end 120GB model is on the way out. Microsoft is now offering a …
Read More »Sony: PS3 will pass Xbox 360
The PS3 will eventually outsell Xbox 360 – that’s the prediction of PlayStation Network boss Peter Dille, who claims that Microsoft’s machine is unlikely to enjoy the same ten-year lifecycle that Sony has planned for PS3. I’m confident PS3 will be around in ten years and I can say that …
Read More »JAPAN: Xbox 250GB HDD dated
Xbox 360 owners in Japan will soon be able to get their hands on a standalone version of the 250GB HDD – a peripheral only available in hardware bundles in the UK. Until now the 250GB HDD was only available as part of specific hardware bundles. Microsoft said last September …
Read More »Warner dates LEGO Harry Potter
Growing games publisher Warner Bros Interactive has put a tentative May 2010 release date on the latest brand of the popular brick-building games series, LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4. Focusing on the happening in J. K. Rowling’s first four Potter novels – The Philosopher’s Stone, The Chamber of Secrets, The …
Read More »Annual Xbox sales fall 13%
Microsoft sold 5.2m Xbox 360 consoles in the quarter ending December 31st – 13 per cent down on the 6m units it sold in the same period in 2008. The number brings the console’s worldwide sales total to 39m units. 7.3m consoles were shipped in the period, down on the …
Read More »Praise heaped on Mass Effect 2
The first reviews of Mass Effect 2 have gone live ahead of Friday’s UK release of EA’s long-awaited RPG sequel – and all signs point to BioWare’s latest becoming one of the highest rated titles of all time. According to reviews aggregator Metacritic, Mass Effect 2 is currently the second …
Read More »Dead Rising 2 confirmed for 2010
Arguably the most exciting news to stem from Capcom’s recent information-flurry is the confirmation that zombie sequel Dead Rising 2 will be out some time this calendar year – in Japan at least. However, the publisher hasn’t mentioned a timeframe for the game’s arrival in Western markets, which in itself …
Read More »Monster Hunter MMO for Xbox
Its Western impact may remain limited for the time being, but Monster Hunter is one of gaming’s key franchises in Japan – and hot on the heels of the brand’s Wii debut last year the series is now heading to Xbox 360. Capcom has confirmed that it is to port …
Read More »