MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
Epic Games has made Unreal Engine 4 free for anyone to download and use. Epic announced the news earlier this week in a post on the official Unreal Engine blog. The $19/month subscription service the company debuted last year is no more, and former subscribers will receive a $30 credit …
Read More »Updated Humble Widget allows devs to offer browser-based demos
Humble Bundle has launched the latest version of its Humble Widget sales tool, with a new feature that allows developers to offer playable browser-based demos of games. Along with the in-browser demo option, the update also introduces new payment methods and more customization options. The release follows Humble’s partnership with …
Read More »Unity backs Indie Zone at video games marketplace Interface
Video games technology giant Unity has backed MCV and Develop’s new B2B content marketplace event Interface. Interface takes place on May 14th in London, and is designed to allow developers to showcase their games, find investors and pitch ideas. A potent mix of affordable demo space and a business matchmaking …
Read More »OlliOlli dev unveils Not a Hero for PC, PS4 and Vita
OlliOlli developer Roll7 has revealed it’s working on more than just a sequel to its 2D skateboarding title. The team has announced cover-based shooter Not A Hero for release this year on PC, PS4 and PS Vita. A beta version will make the convention rounds in both the UK and …
Read More »Epic offers up $5m in grants for Unreal devs
Epic Games has announced it has put together $5m for no strings attached” funding of indie devs who create games using Unreal Engine 4. Games Beat reports Epic will be awarding participating developers between $5,000 and $50,000 each, and interested parties can send their project info to unrealgrants@epicgames.com – the …
Read More »Microsoft turning Xbox One consoles into dev kits this year – report
Microsoft will reportedly turn retail Xbox One hardware into development kits and open up app creation to all developers. Sources said to be familiar with Microsoft’s plans have tipped The Verge that the company will detail its strategy in April – during its upcoming developer-focused Build conference. The report adds …
Read More »ESL releases matchmaking devkit to debut in WipEout spiritual successor
The biggest eSports league in the world, ESL, has released a white label development toolkit called ESL Matchmaking. The tool, to be first used in UK indie developer R8 Games’ upcoming anti-gravity racer, Formula Fusion, will allow competitive-grade ranked multiplayer matchmaking. The game, hailed as a spiritual successor to the …
Read More »Valve urges Greenlight devs to stop trading keys for votes
Valve has requested developers with games listed on Steam Greenlight to cease the practice of trading game keys for votes. IGN reports on Steam’s message sent to participating devs, which points out how these votes skew the true customer interest in the Greenlight submission. "We do not think these votes …
Read More »Mitu Khandaker-Kokoris on learning to be indie
When MCV spoke to Positech’s Cliff Harris last month he mentioned publishing other indie games, namely ‘space comedy life-sim’ Redshirt, by one-person studio The Tiniest Shark. That single developer is Mitu Khandaker-Kokoris, a PhD researcher who ditched her time in education to fulfill her passion for video games. I was …
Read More »Why indie devs should consider physical retail
The digital age has given rise to thousands of games developers releasing titles on Steam, mobile and consoles. Sold Out sales director James Cato believes there’s room at retail for these studios, too… An MCV article (May 23rd, 2014) set industry tongues wagging by suggesting that over two-thirds (72 per …
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