8 MCV 21/08/09
WWW.MCVUK.COM
NEWS
THQ: New WWE will make us champ of the fighting genre Smackdown vs Raw publisher prepares epic reveal at this week’s Summerslam for its ‘biggest title of the year’ by James Batchelor THQ HAS declared WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2010 the biggest release of its financial year – and said that its release will cement its place as the fighting genre’s No.1 publisher. The firm will unveil the game this weekend at WWE event Summerslam – a show it
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told MCV. “The game remains our biggest release this fiscal year and will be launching on six platforms on October 23rd. “Strategically the title is of crucial importance and will further cement THQ’s dominance of the fighting category, along with the launch of UFC 2009 Undisputed earlier this year in May.”
This title is of crucial importance for us. It will cement THQ’s dominance of the fighting category. Mark Cook, THQ
says emphasises the “crucial importance” of the title to its business. “WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2010 is a pillar release for THQ this Christmas,” THQ’s product marketing manager for UK and Europe Mark Cook
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For this year’s iteration, THQ has taken a more reserved approach to revealing the game’s features. “Our traditional campaign would be to announce the new title at Wrestlemania in March and then blow out the
EBS Benelux snaps up Favour Games EUROPEAN distributor EBS Benelux has acquired independent rival Favour Games. The takeover comes as EBS moves to strengthen its position as a distributor of home and portable entertainment products in the Benelux region. “We are very excited and proud to welcome Favour Games into the EBS family,” said EBS Benelux MD Ruud Severien. “The openness, speed and mutual trust with which
the acquisition came into play has created high expectations for all involved. “We now not only have a unique proposition for games publishers, but the acquisition opens up many other business opportunities too.” Favour Games’ operations will be integrated into the EBS Benelux central warehouse in The Nethelands. EBS Benelux: +31 625 010496
THQ product boss Cook (inset) is overseeing a campaign to “tease WWE fans and whip them into a frenzy”
feature set and start the PR campaign from E3 onwards,” Cook explained. “This year, we took a strategic decision to save the big reveal for Summerslam on August 23rd. It’s the biggest event of the summer for WWE fans and is a perfect platform for
us to deliver a fully integrated announce programme. “By holding back on the feature set for so long and teasing the fans with the upcoming PR initiatives, we have been able to whip the Smackdown Vs Raw gamer and WWE fan into a frenzy of
excitement and anticipation about the big reveal.” PR activity begins this weekend, including the first on-air gameplay footage on The Jimmy Fallon Show and a sponsorship deal for all WWE programmes on Sky Sports. THQ: 01483 724 500
Game Player starts phone business GAME PLAYER is offering fellow indies the chance to boost revenues by unlocking mobile phones. The retailer is selling equipment that enables stores to open phones to accept any network, providing technical support for a monthly fee. “The margin is 100 per cent,” said MD Gary Noakes. “You plug the phone in and the gear unlocks it for free, so indies can easily make extra income. It’s a massive market – everybody has a mobile.”
NOAKES: Game Player boss’s new indie business is growing
Noakes has already gained experience with the service by offering it to customers through his own stores, and now hopes to expand this
business. “I hope to provide a one-stop service for all phone-related items to help indies,” he said. “I aim to give a high quality service and our engineers can log into the clients’ PCs to assist with support. “I’m confident customers will love this service – it’s a chance to make 100 per cent profit for a small outlay. We can also provide a repair service so the business can decide how much they want to take on board.”
To take part in the UK's biggest sampling event, contact David Lilley david@eurogamer.net