MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
"I think really bad VR is the only thing that can kill off VR." So says Oculus Rift creator Palmer Luckey, who toldEngadget: "That’s why we’ve been so careful to say that ‘these are dev kits, do not buy, do not buy!People don’t have experience with this technology. When it …
Read More »As many as 140 UK retailers are currently in "critical condition"
Business recovery firm Begbies Traynor estimates that 140 UK retailers are currently in a critical condition”. The firm would not identify any of the 140 retailers on its critical watchlist”, but their inclusion means they have either a winding up petition or a county court judgement over 5,000. The stats …
Read More »Will HMV still exist in 2021? "I wouldn’t bet on it," boss Fox admits
What an age we live in when retailer bosses admit that their chains are on the road to extinction. Having yesterday posted a loss for its last financial year, HMV boss Simon Fox – who will step down from his role early next month – has made a remarkable admission …
Read More »GAME Oxford Street could close its doors
While Game Retail Limited, the new owner of retailer GAME, appears in good health, the future looks less certain for its flagship Oxford Street Store in London. The Telegraph reports that the outlet could be forced to close its doors after the landlord, Lazari GP, won a court order last …
Read More »Is GameStop actually in a position to buy GAME?
The presumption that GameStop will inevitably acquire GAME could be wide of the mark, if analyst warnings are to be believed. GameStop may have fared far better than its transatlantic rival amidst the recent changes to the games industry, but the uncertainty surrounding the future of the games market could …
Read More »OPINION: The end of pre-owned would be a disaster for games
Reports this morning – which it must be said remain totally unsubstantiated – claim that the Next Xbox could incorporate a new technology that blocks the use of pre-owned games on the console. The gravity of this news, if true, would have industry-wide ramifications. The fallout for retail would be …
Read More »Iwata dismisses free-to-play
The freemium model for video games isn’t just a sector that Nintendo will be avoiding – it’s one that president Satoru Iwata believes actually threatens the health of the industry. "When we look at the entire system of freemium, it’s not always that everyone is happy with the offers," he …
Read More »Skies darken above Nokia
Finnish firm Nokia, once the giant of the mobile phone scene, has sent a chilling warning to investors. The company has warned that it is likely to report no profit for the quarter ending June and that overall handset sales would be "substantially below" the €6.1bn to €6.6bn previously forecast. …
Read More »Jobs in danger at Sony UK studios
Staff across Sony’s UK studios are anxiously waiting to see if they will be spared from a restructuring process now underway. Sony Liverpool, Sony London, and Evolution Studios will each be affected by the reorganisation, Sony has confirmed. Unannounced projects will be streamlined or cut”, the firm said, though added …
Read More »Days are numbered for specialist indies
Indie chain Game Player has closed its doors, and MD Gary Noakes says that the days of specialist retailers are all but over. Pre-owned specialist Game Player decided to only stock used games following tighter and tighter margins on new releases. However, with increased pressure from the banks and growing …
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