Game Developer magazine’s editors have launched the 2009 State Of Game Development purchasing survey, with an all-access GDC 2010 pass as incentive for completing the questions.

The survey covers topics such as company size, market sectors worked in and tools used, and should be filled out by any current professional game developer. Select results will be published in an upcoming issue of Game Developer magazine and made available in a Game Developer Research report.

In appreciation of the time and effort taken, once participants complete the survey, their name will be entered into a drawing to win one All-Access Conference Pass to Game Developers Conference in San Francisco in March 2010.

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Ubisoft on Monday said it has "positioned itself in the multiplayer segment" with the acquisition of Paris-based developer Nadeo, developer of the popular online multiplayer racing game TrackMania.

"The acquisition of Nadeo is an important step in our expansion within the online gaming sector", said Yves Guillemot, CEO of Paris-based Ubisoft. "Through Nadeo, Ubisoft will gain an expert team, one of the best online technologies around as well as a flagship multiplayer game that enjoys an unrivalled reputation among a loyal and committed community."

He added, "We are excited about the idea of introducing TrackMania to an ever-wider audience and sharing the expertise of Nadeo’s teams with our company’s other developers." Ubisoft did not disclose the terms of the acquisition in a press release.

The acquisition of Nadeo is the second Ubisoft acquisition in the past several months in which the publisher was particularly interested in multiplayer technology. When Ubisoft announced the acquisition of World in Conflict developer Massive Entertainment, Guillemot said the buy would help Ubisoft get its foot into the MMO space.