MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry

Virgin has confirmed that it is to return to the UK industry as a major market player after an absence of eight years. Spanish publisher-cum-distributor Virgin Play is plotting to open its first London office – marking the first time that the Virgin games brand has had a presence on …

A host of UK retailers including the likes of GAME, Play and HMV have priced Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Elite – and all agree that the machine will launch for 329.99. Due to arrive on August 24th, the revised console offers a 100GB hard drive size increase, an additional HDMI video …

Enterbrain, the publisher of Japanese games bible Famitsu, has revealed that Sony’s PlayStation 3 has passed the one million sales mark in Japan – eight months since its launch on November 11th. However, the pace falls significantly short of that boasted by rival Nintendo, whose Wii console reached the one …

Microsoft’s Peter Moore has quit his role as corporate VP of the company’s interactive entertainment business and taken the job as president of EA’s new Sports label – with former Electronic Arts man Don Mattrick moving in to take his place. Moore’s move, according to Electronic Arts, "rounds out the …

Publisher puts "some of the most prestigious developers in the industry" on download serivice

Microsoft's Moore resigns and Don Mattrick steps up to take his job

Ubisoft has sold off its stake in developer Gameloft to investment bank Calyon. The move comes as Ubisoft looks to focus on the expansion of its publisher/developer business. Yves Guillemot, chief executive officer of Ubisoft, commented: "The video game market offers numerous internal and external growth opportunities. We have therefore …

Executive vice president of THQ Kelly Flock has told the New York Times that the publisher is aggressively” searching out Wii titles – and applauded the low cost of developing for the format in comparison with PS3 and Xbox 360. Flock revealed that a Wii game can be created in …

French publisher relinquishes interest in mobile game developer and distributor

Following an annual global survey on casual gaming, Macrovision has claimed to identify a general acceptance of ‘advertising, online trials and cross-game promotion.’ Of the 400 gamers surveyed, 83 per cent were willing to view a 30 second advert in order to play a game for free, 53 per cent …