MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
The maker of the new Tomb Raider has distanced itself from the use of the word ‘rape’ to describe an incident in the new adventure title. In last week’s E3 trailer for the game, protagonist Lara Croft is forced to endure sexual advances from her captor. When things get physical …
Read More »OPINION: E3’s core focus comes at a cost
It’s unfair to judge the games businesses that effectively run E3 based on the presentation for its products. But you can collectively judge the products themselves. And the broad theme across those pushed to the front was loud and clear. Grunts, gunfire, and girl characters often getting short thrift; these …
Read More »OPINION: The danger of taking E3 out of context
Some surprises are always kept secret, and some expected announcements seem to disappear into nothingness. But, with a certain degree of accuracy, we can always predict what we’re going to get from the platform holders at E3. Is that depressing? No, not really. There are thousands of us around the …
Read More »OPINION: Will E3 be big and brash? Or coy and quiet?
The immediate impression in Los Angeles next week will likely be that E3 is, once again, in its big and brash form. We’re promised the usual string of bolshy opening press conferences, new products revealed and others teased further, maybe some price cuts. But really, it doesn’t matter if GTA …
Read More »OPINION: A moment in chart history
When the trade clicked open its Monday morning UKIE charts update this week, the big story was the data that wasn’t listed. Max Payne may be a worthy No.1. But with a three day headstart and a passionately connected PC audience Blizzard’s DiabloIII was undoubtedly the ‘real’ No.1 thanks to …
Read More »MCV AWARDS: Middle aged or different age?
Ten years of MCV Awards and, yep, things have changed. Even the most leaden-footed industry will have evolved in that time. But there was a sense last night of more shifts than usual over these past 12 months – and not just to a new venue. As the curtain rose …
Read More »Molyneux on Kinect: "We expected too much, too soon"
Days before walking away from both Microsoft and his own studio Lionhead last week, Peter Molyneux admitted that the public were too quick to judge Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Kinect technology. It’s just like any piece of new technology or invention, whether it’s a bike, a motorcar, or a flying machine. …
Read More »OPINION: Is Britain still great for games?
Our lead stories this week are on face value about very contrasting companies.But together they spell out a dismal message about what the UK market is offering British games firms. So what does the ailing boxed game retailer have in common with the small publisher finding an audience on the …
Read More »OPINION: Taking great Paine
The surprise news as we went to press on MCV magazine earlier this week was that Nintendo’s Dawn Paine is to leave the firm next month to take an important role at Universal Pictures. The move says plenty about about how drawn to games other forms of entertainment have become.Hugely …
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 …
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