MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
Microsoft last night released its latest Xbox Live release schedule and the inclusion of something called the ‘LA Noire Rockstar Pass’ add-on has certainly caught the eye. "In celebration of launch on May 17th take your LA Noire experience to the next level," is the only detail offered in the …
Read More »The used games/used cars argument
It’s an argument often trotted out whenever anyone attacks the pre-owned market – "You don’t see Toyota demanding a cut from the sale of a second hand Corolla." But Kaos Studios, the developer behind THQ’s upcoming shooter Homefront, says that the video games market can’t be considered under the same …
Read More »GAME: Pre-owned charges havent hurt us
The wide-spread efforts by publishers to earn extra money from pre-owned games hasn’t dented GAME’s second-hand game business. This year EA, Sony and THQ have introduced new measures that mean owners of games like Mass Effect 2, SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 and UFC Undisputed 2010 must pay for an extra …
Read More »Xbox 360 gets unlimited music service
Microsoft has lifted the lid on an ambitious new digital content service for Xbox 360 that will grant users the right to download as much music as they like for a flat monthly fee. Called the Zune Pass, those who cough up the 8.99/€9.99 subscription will receive unlimited access to …
Read More »Pre-owned DLC penalty entirely fair
It seems as if every day a new publisher jumps aboard the in-box DLC code bandwagon, and industry analysts have given their full backing to the new payment model. Games such as Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age: Origins lock pre-owned buyers out of accessing additional content online, whereas upcoming …
Read More »EA talks DLC codes
Outspoken EA boss John Riccitiello has sought to defend the firm’s recent efforts to reward customers who buy new copies of its games by bundling one-off DLC codes in the box. The likes of Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect 2 have already included such codes, …
Read More »EA Sports reveals Online Pass
EA Sports boss Peter Moore has lifted the lid on what the company is calling the Online Pass – it’s own take on the DLC code system that rewards those who buy brand new copies of its games. Much like the tactics already employed with fellow EA releases such as …
Read More »The Lords pass Digital Economy Bill
Peter Mandelson’s increasingly controversial Digital Rights Bill has been approved by The House of Lords and now looks set for a pre-election approval at the hands of The Commons. The decision comes despite the last-minute inclusion of measures proposed by the Liberal Democrats that will grant courts the power to …
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 …
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