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[LEADER] KNOW-HOW… OR NO CHANCE Santa’s sack will be a little lighter this year – and the MCV team couldn’t be happier. But before you accuse us of needless ‘Bah! Humbug’ misanthropy, allow me to explain: Thanks to publishers pushing treats for retail into January and February that would have once firmly been lugged around by Rudolph and co., there’s plenty for our scribes to get their teeth into in Q1. Just a few years ago, however, we had to be a bit more ‘inventive’ during the post-Yuletide lull. It’s hard to write about games when none of the blighters are coming out, you know. Luckily, we always had a perennial headline to fall back on, from which pertinent commentary would always blossom: ‘The threat to retail’. Remember it? Each year, we’d quiz prosperous traders with our own confused enquiries about future menaces: ‘Download to own’; ‘microtransactions’; ‘games on demand’ and many other alien, otherworldly concepts were mentioned – and not always with much conviction. Embarrassingly, I can admit now that we didn’t always know what those futuristic phrases really meant. Trouble is, neither did the retailers.
“Put simply, if you don’t get digital, you don’t get games. And you probably don’t exist anymore.” We’d tend to receive cheery, non-committal answers about “keeping an eye” on the everchanging world of online as – quite literally sometimes – the tills rung on high in the background. Indeed, many of the respondents didn’t actually seem that ‘threatened’ at all. ‘Flourishing’ outlets we threw this poser at included Choices UK, Virgin Megastores, Eplay, Zavvi, Woolworths and a host of indies. Less than five years later, these outlets are all six feet under. The High Streets of market towns across the UK are a wasteland of transitory pound shops and counterfeit KFCs. Steam is (magnanimously, at least) becoming the biggest PC games retailer in the world. Put simply – as we reach the end of 2009, if you don’t get digital, you don’t get games. And you probably don’t exist anymore. You only need to read the next few pages to see just how much attention the big survivors from ‘trade 1.0’ are giving the sector today – from GAME to Codemasters to Gian ‘Green Man’ Luzio. So as great as it is to see nine tenths of UK retail stick two fingers up to the recession in our MCV Retail Survey, we have to hope that it’s informed confidence – rather than unenlightened arrogance – that’s led to such optimism. At least the signs are good. Given the chance, we probably wouldn’t bother writing that shamefully elementary ‘threat to retail’ piece any more. After all, you lot are far too clued up. Tim.Ingham@intentmedia.co.uk
Have you been good this year? Categories unveiled for MCV Awards 2010, including new singular awards for supermarket retailers, peripherals and ad executions Lobbying period to kick off in January
THE CUT-OFF isn’t until February, but how about rounding off your year by dreaming of a big win at the MCV Awards 2010? Next year’s prestigious event takes place on Thursday April 22nd at The Brewery, Chiswell Street, London. Amongst the 17 awards up for grabs are new categories
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A set of Finalists will then be announced by MCV in March and a Judging Panel of up to 100 top retailers and senior execs will then vote for the winners. We also plan to widen the number of judges voting on the PR Team prize, to allow leading journalists and media bosses to have their say.
These really are awards that mean something. If you have done anything that should be considered, let us know. Michael French, MCV
such as Supermarket of the Year, Peripherals & Accessories Brand of the Year and Best Game Creative (single advertising execution). Over 600 retailers and execs from across the UK and European trade will be there on the night, with huge media coverage. The formal lobbying process starts in January, with MCV readers encouraged to nominate themselves, suppliers or even put competitors forward.
THE CATEGORIES RETAIL Star Store Online Retailer Independent Retailer (under 30 stores) High Street Chain Supermarket PEOPLE & INDUSTRY UK Development Team Distribution Team Sales Triumph Sales Team Games Publisher
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All judges are revealed after the votes have been cast. “We’re hugely excited by the plan for the next MCV Awards and believe we have made some real progress in further tweaking the categories,” commented editor-in-chief Michael French. “And these really are awards that mean something. The entire industry gets involved, so if you have done something that should be considered, please do let us know.”
PR & MARKETING Peripherals & Accessories Brand Game Creative (single ad execution – any media)
PR Team New Game Brand Game Campaign Marketing Team SPECIAL AWARDS MCV Retail Advisory Board: Special Recognition Grand Prix For more details about the MCV Industry Excellence Awards 2010, sponsorship or table sales information please contact: Kathryn.Humphrey @intentmedia.co.uk