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THE MARKET FOR COMPUTER AND VIDEO GAMES International Media Partner
Issue 581 Friday April 2 2010 £3.25
04 Reeves returns
12 Two’s company
Former SCEE president David Reeves discusses his new role at Capcom Europe
Take-Two CEO Ben Feder on the firm’s blockbuster lineup for 2010
06 THQ bounces back
17 Retail market stats
Publishing boss Rory Donnelly toasts THQ’s ‘tremendous turnaround’
A closer look at the figures from ERA’s yearly entertainment market overview
08 Rockstar sees Red
23 Retail Biz
UK GM Neil Stephen on plans to screen Red Dead ads for movie-watchers
Our detailed product guides focus on Monster Hunter Tri and more
EVERY BUYER EVERY BRANCH EVERY INDIE EVERY WEEK
Now we have to prove our worth
INCORPORATING
DLC goes mainstream with £1m MW2 push by Dominic Sacco
UK industry must secure world class talent to show tax breaks are the right decision by Christopher Dring ALISTAIR DARLING’S Budget was a landmark moment for the games industry – but UK studios most show they are worth the £90m invested in them. That’s the message from industry bosses who say the UK has to promote itself as a global force in order to beef up its studios and local workforce. Ubisoft Reflections boss Gareth Edmondson – who previously said that Ubi would have added 1,000 staff to its Newcastle studio had tax breaks been available – told MCV: “Tax relief should lead to increased investment, jobs, innovation, as well as stimulating the development of new IP and preventing further brain drain.”
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Labour heeded our call for tax breaks – but Livingstone, Cousens, Denny, Edmondson and Dunn say UK studios must now step up
The UK has become supercompetitive. We have the talent, we have the financial incentives to go with it. Gary Dunn, Sega
Research shows that over five years tax relief would create or save 3,550 graduate jobs, while generating £457 million in new development expenditure. But that just won’t happen without the industry standing up to be counted. Eidos life president Ian Livingstone added: “Long term
expanding and new studios starting, with inward investment into the UK.” Codemasters CEO Rod Cousens says it is time for the UK to steal back talent overseas,
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we’ve now got to get everyone to understand the UK is a cost-effective place to make games. We are one of the most creative nations in the world. Here is the opportunity to build on that and stop the UK industry decline. “I think you will see announcements in the coming years that existing studios are
they did to the UK. In terms of Codemasters, we have focused on UK development with multiple studios. There is great scope for expansion within the existing structure providing the investment incentive is readily accessible.” Gary Dunn, Sega’s MD of European development, believes that the UK is on track to be the the most attractive place in the world to make games: “We are now supercompetitive,” he said. “Not only do we have the talent, we have the financial incentives to go with it. When you look at the tax breaks and the exchange rate between the dollar and pound, we are a lot cheaper than most places.” And Sony’s senior VP of worldwide studios Europe, Michael Denny, says that such inward investment will drive more innovation from UK games developers. He said: “Increased investment will undoubtedly assist in the creation of
We now have to promote Britain as a place to invest, and do unto others what they did to the UK. Rod Cousens, Codemasters
and pledged to expand his own studios using tax incentives. “The UK industry needs to actively promote itself as a place to invest,” he said. “It needs to do unto others what
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better facilities, better training, better environments and world class studios that are capable of attracting the best talent from the UK and all over the world.”
ACTIVISION HAS put a mammoth marketing campaign behind the launch of Modern Warfare 2 DLC. £1m is being spent to promote the downloadable Stimulus Package, which adds a host of new multiplayer maps to the world’s fastest-selling game. The publisher has made the investment to spearhead a marketing campaign that targets the game’s worldwide audience of 25m players. This includes extensive online marketing and a TV advert, both of which are live now and will continue to run throughout Easter. Activision’s marketing director for UK and Ireland David Tyler said: “We are excited about the content of the Stimulus Package and our gamers are going to be blown away by the new maps. “Our partners are playing a crucial role in driving the Stimulus Package message out to consumers through their in-store activation. “Retailers are fully on board to ensure they secure their share of the commercial opportunity that is being created. The key behind all of this as usual, is having great content.” The Stimulus Package is available now on the Xbox 360 for 1200 Microsoft points, with PS3 and PC versions to follow later in the year. Turn to page 9 for more on the new MW2 campaign
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