MCV809 October 17th by Future PLC

THE BUSINESS OF VIDEO GAMES ISSUE 809 FRIDAY OCTOBER 17TH 2014

02.12.14

“OPEN WORLD ... EPIC PROPORTIONS”

SECOND CLOSED BETA COMING TO PS4 AND XBOX ONE IN NOVEMBER © 2014 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. The Crew logo, Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries. The trademarks, copyrights and design rights in and associated with Lamborghini vehicles are used under licence from Lamborghini ArtiMarca S.p.A., Italy. General Motors Trademarks used under license to Ubisoft Entertainment.

IN HIS FIRST EVER INTERVIEW, NINTENDO’S UK GM SIMON KEMP ON WHY THINGS ARE FINALLY LOOKING UP FOR THE HOME CONSOLE. PLUS MARKETING BOSS SHELLY PEARCE ON ANOTHER MAJOR CHRISTMAS FOR 3DS

PAGE 16

CAN WII U TURN IT AROUND?

ISSUE 809 FRIDAY OCTOBER 17TH 2014

THE BUSINESS OF VIDEO GAMES

CHEAT SHEET

THE EDITOR

THE WEEK IN VIDEO GAM

WII U NOW HAS THE GAMES. BUT NOT THE PRICE.

ull disclosure. I am a Nintendo fan. I always have been. If it wasn’t for Mario, Zelda and Pokémon, I wouldn’t be writing for you now. So any criticism I may have levelled at the company down the years, you know it’s out of a genuine desire for it do better. Yet I often ﬁnd myself conﬂicted between what my business journalist brain thinks Nintendo ought to look at, and what my heart wants them to do. Take for instance the Wii and DS years. A time when Nintendo was transforming the industry into the one we have today where everybody plays games thanks to its great products, positioning and marketing. But as a fan, I hated the Wii years. Sure there was a Mario Galaxy here, a Skyward Sword there, but Nintendo was focused on making games for everyone – Wii Sports, Wii Fit and Wii Music – titles I enjoyed (well maybe not Wii Music), but they weren’t what I wanted. So when Nintendo UK’s Shelly Pearce and Simon Kemp told me that its focus for Wii U is getting fans buying it, I want to tell you how it’s a indictment of the machine’s performance. Two years in and not even Nintendo’s fans have bought it. But I know why those fans are yet to buy the console. The Wii years diminished Nintendo’s reputation amongst its most loyal followers. They’ve grown sceptical, and if Nintendo wants to win them back, they need to prove it to them. Even if they do come back, those fans won’t make up

October 17th 2014

There is a market for Wii U, as an alternative to the PS4 and Xbox One. But its £240 price point is too high. another 100m Wii U sales. To be honest, in the UK at least, I’d be surprised if the machine even beats GameCube’s sales. But if they can get that audience back, it will be a solid base from which to rebuild. Those fans do still exist. 3DS’ performance proves they’re still there, and that’s been thanks to a strong ﬁrst-party line-up (plus the fact the DS did a far better job of satisfying Nintendo’s fans than the Wii). Wii U’s range of software is slowly getting there and the content shown at E3 – Splatoon and Zelda the name but two – are all encouraging signs. Yet as Wii tried to woo Mum and Dad, Nintendo fans went elsewhere. They’ve probably already bought, or are planning to buy, an Xbox One and PS4. If Nintendo hopes to win them back, it will have to do so as a ‘second console’. There’s a market for Wii U: as an alternative to Microsoft and Sony’s souped-up machines. But if it wants to play this part, then it needs to lower that £240 price tag. Because that’s not a ‘second console’ price point. And I’m saying that not just as a critic, but as a fan. cdring@nbmedia.com

UK RETAILERS SELL 2.8M GAMES IN SEPTEMBER

lmost 3m physical games were sold at UK stores last month. 2.84m to be precise, which together generated a huge £107m for UK retail. It actually fares quite poorly compared with last September when 4.9m games were sold, although those numbers were skewed heavily by the launch of GTA V (the game’s launch on PS4 and Xbox One in November is likely to be pretty huge, too).

The vast majority of those 2.84m games sold were due to both Destiny and FIFA 15, which together accounted for 59 per cent of all games sold last month. It’s a further highlight of how retail game sales continue to gravitate around just a handful of major releases. The month also saw over 200,000 home consoles sold in the UK market. All data is courtesy of GfK Chart-Track and retail reports.

Market Data The industry is still coming down from FIFA’s blockbuster launch, but Alien, DriveClub and Skylanders make for a new-look Top Ten £60m

£30m

£56m 1,328,359 units £28.5m 761,269 units

£0m

Week Ending September 27th

Week Ending October 4th

£19.3m 449,668 units Week Ending October 13th

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CHEAT SHEET

MES

SPONSORED BY

SUPER SMASH BROS + GAMECUBE CONTROLLER [WII U]

Sega

Bayonetta 2 + Bayonetta [Wii U]

Nintendo

Warner Bros

Halo: The Master Chief Collection [Xbox One]

Microsoft

Wii U GameCube Controller Smash Bros Edition [Wii U] Nintendo

Sony

Grand Theft Auto V [PS4]

Forza Horizon 2

DriveClub

Destiny

Activision Blizzard

Sunset Overdrive Day One Edition [Xbox One]

Skylanders Trap Team

Activision Blizzard

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel [Xbox 360]

NBA 2K15

2K Games

Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 Day One Edition [PS4] Konami

Super Smash Bros for 3DS

Nintendo

Football Manager 2015 [PC]

Minecraft: PlayStation Edition

Grand Theft Auto V [Xbox One]

Sony

Rockstar Microsoft 2K Games Sega Rockstar

October 17th 2014

NINTENDO’S WII U PLAN

HAS NINTENDO’S WII U TURNED A CORNER? It’s by no means at Xbox One or PS4 level, but Wii U sales are up in the UK this year. And Nintendo’s going all-out this Christmas to convince its own fans to invest in the ailing system. Can they do it? Christopher Dring speaks to marketing director Shelly Pearce and, in his first ever interview, UK general manager Simon Kemp

“W

ii U has had quite a good year so far,” said Nintendo’s UK marketing boss Shelly Pearce when MCV came to visit the company in Windsor this week. It wasn’t a statement we were expecting to hear. Wii U’s story so far has not made for pleasant reading. Two years in and Wii U’s sales performance has been – and we’re underselling it when we say – a bit of a catastrophe. Third party publishers and a number of retailers have abandoned the console. Yet Pearce’s positive appraisal comes from her belief that the Wii U has turned a corner. When it comes with competing with Xbox One and PlayStation 4 that ship – for want of a better cliché – has sailed. But Wii U is actually growing. Sales are up over 60 per cent in the UK this year. And from Nintendo UK’s perspective there’s been a change in public opinion. “We’ve really seen momentum pick up with Mario Kart 8 back in May,” continues Pearce. “That was when we saw a step change, not just in terms of sales but also people’s attitudes to Wii U. People are starting to consider buying now, which was cemented by our E3 activity. All the software that we showed then gave people confidence that there were lots of games coming that they wanted.” UK boss Simon Kemp adds: “We’ve felt a real increase in interest and momentum. Compared to 12 months ago, it does feel noticeably different.”

October 17th 2014

Super Smash Bros on Wii U is Nintendo’s key release this Christmas

more out there. And then we will broaden the console out to families around Christmas time.” The Wii U games that will receive most marketing and TV advertising this Q4 includes Mario Kart 8 – complete with new, humorous TV ad campaign – and of course Super Smash Bros Wii U, which launches on December 5th. And the final part of Nintendo’s Wii U plans for Christmas is Amiibo.

It may be two years old, but Wii U’s disappointing sales figures suggest that not even Nintendo’s core fanbase have invested in the console yet. It’s a fact that’s not lost on the UK team, which has launched its #thetimeisnow campaign specifically aimed at those gamers that have held off. “It is still about driving hardware to Nintendo fans,” says Pearce. “We have some support, but there’s still

The toys-to-life proposition will work across numerous upcoming games, but initially Nintendo says it will focus in on what the figures can do in Super Smash Bros. There are 12 toys coming on November 28th and a further six on December 19th, featuring iconic Nintendo characters such as Mario, Link and Pikachu. Kemp says that he’s talking to game and toy retailers about Amiibo and that the firm’s challenge is explaining what sets it apart from Skylanders and Disney Infinity. “It will sit alongside those games, but it’s a bit different,” he tells us. “Figures work across different titles, offering different experiences.” He continues: “In the first instance we would like people to experience the functionality that Amiibo offers, and the people that will get the fullest experience will be the ones that buy it alongside Super Smash Bros. So our first priority is to make sure that people who buy that game really enjoy training up their Amiibo, levelling them up and giving them special capabilities. Of course there will be a wide audience beyond that.” COMING SOON There are a handful of other titles for Nintendo to push this festive season. Hyrule Warriors launched last month, while next week sees the arrival of Bayonetta 2, which has already landed big review scores from the likes of Edge. But it’s not just about what’s coming this Christmas, says Pearce.

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NINTENDO’S WII U PLAN

“One of the key things for us is that people are starting to realise what software there is, what games they can get this Christmas, but importantly a lot of the key stuff that is coming next year, too. It is a really strong line-up. There are a lot of conversations going on about what is coming next year. Splatoon is key, Captain Toad is one I’m looking forward to, and of course Zelda. So we are expecting to see real growth from Wii U this Christmas and we will continue to build on that next year.” NEXT YEAR’S SUCCESS 2015 looks promising for Wii U. Alongside the aforementioned games, Nintendo’s legendary developer Shigeru Miyamoto has gone to work on a series of new titles, which will arrive next year. There may not be a host of games coming to Wii U, at least not on the scale of Xbox One or PS4. But with each release there’s another reason for those Nintendo fans to step across. If only it could get the price right. Cutting the cost of Wii U is no easy decision, particularly when

Nintendo is eager to return to profitability. But with Xbox One and PS4 undercutting each other, Wii U is looking increasingly pricey at £240 with Mario Kart 8. Nevertheless, Nintendo UK remains positive. It was never explicitly stated in our interview, but you got the sense that the first 12 months of Wii U have been

NINTENDO’S RETAIL MISSION

ONE of the big focuses from Nintendo this year has been increasing its routes to market. The first was its decision to launch an online store, selling Nintendo hardware, games, merchandise and accessories. “It’s important not just in being able to sell stuff, but also in terms of the insight we can generate by having a direct relationship with consumers,” says Nintendo UK boss Simon Kemp. “It informs our marketing activity and what we do through other customers, so it has benefits across the business.” The company has also been working with ‘traditional’ stores to help sell its digital games. It sells codes directly via GAME as well as indie retailers. Last month the firm announced a new tablet system so fans can buy digital content in-store.

It is still about driving hardware to Nintendo fans. And then we’ll broaden the console out to families around Christmas time. Shelly Pearce, Nintendo UK

tough on the team. But now – gradually – things feel as if they’re moving in the right direction. And with Super Smash Bros, a decent 2015 line-up and room to go on price, there remains hope that Wii U can still find an audience.

The tablet lets customers discover and purchase software. Retailers then print out a code for use on Nintendo’s eShop. It’s currently being used in the Reading branch of Smyths Toys. “One of the things we have been trying to do over the last year is look to open up new routes to market, particularly for digital content,” says Kemp. “It’s in the process of being rolled out. So far we are in one store. Obviously we want to make sure it’s working before we roll it. I looked at the operation last week and it was really slick. So now that we have the fundamentals right, we will be looking to do two things. The first is help educate consumers about this new way of buying games. Then secondly, it is rolling this out across other channels. But it will be a test period for the next little while.”

Pearce (left) and Kemp (above) say the mood around Wii U is changing

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October 17th 2014

NINTENDO’S WII U PLAN

‘WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN THE 3DS’ ANYONE thinking Wii U is taking most of Nintendo’s focus this Christmas is mistaken. Nintendo’s UK marketing director Shelly Pearce and GM Simon Kemp stressed to MCV that it’s putting significant weight behind 3DS this Christmas. “The conversations may already be about home console, but the handheld will be a really big focus for us this peak season,” says Pearce. 3DS is in a different position to Wii U. Whereas that console is still trying to reach its fans, 3DS has gone beyond that and this Q4 the firm hopes to reach out to a younger audience with the help of Super Smash Bros, Pokémon plus a range of back catalogue titles including Tomodachi Life. “We’ve been having a constant conversation with kids throughout the summer,” comments Pearce. “We had the promotion a while back with McDonalds and we had a sampling campaign through the summer with our Made For Play tour, which went to all the big family festivals. We also have a specific kids site called Made For Play, which has content specifically targeted towards them. We have also done plenty of things with kids media. So it has been a constant extensive conversation with kids throughout the summer, and the hope is that as we come into peak we will be converting a lot of those young ones into buying their first console.” CATCH ‘EM ALL 3DS’ 2014 may not quite live up to last year’s impressive sales and line-up, but it’s been a decent year for the machine. Tomodachi Life has been a permanent fixture in the Top 20 since it launched 17 weeks ago, while Super Smash Bros on 3DS sales has already sold 2.8m units worldwide. And it still has a triple-A release to come, with Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire set to arrive at the end of November. “Pre-orders for Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are doing really well at the moment. It is pre-ordering more than X and Y, so we are quite optimistic about that one,” says Pearce.

October 17th 2014

things are working really well for us. The Super Smash Bros demo was really popular and converted lots of people to purchase.”

Xxx

Kemp adds: “And that is a pattern we’re seeing globally.” Pearce continues: “With X and Y, we reignited Pokémon fans that have been playing for years. But we’ve brought in new people as well. We will be talking to Nintendo fans for these games, but also newcomers and all the kids we’ve been talking to over the summer.” Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are both remakes of 2003 GBA games, but that hasn’t diminished Nintendo’s expectations when compared with last year’s X and Y. “In terms of marketing support, this is getting a similar sized campaign to what we did on X and Y,” says Pearce. “And in terms of pre-orders it is tracking better. So from that perspective, it is at least at the level of X and Y.” Kemp adds: “A big part of the audience won’t have been around when the original Ruby and Sapphire was around. And also these games will be quite a different experience.” Nintendo’s major marketing campaign for Pokémon includes the usual TV and online media, but it’s also developed a special demo for the game, which will be made available via various media outlets, plus retailers like GAME. “That’s a big part of the campaign,” says Pearce. “We are finding that the demo versions of

Pre-orders for Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are doing really well. They’re higher than X and Y.

NEW HARDWARE Nintendo is looking to push 3DS and 2DS console sales this Q4. It has just launched a special Smash Bros 3DS XL, and has new colours of the 2DS set to arrive alongside the Pokémon titles. There’s even a special offer for new hardware consumers. Gamers that buy a 3DS or 2DS and register either Smash Bros or Pokemon will receive one of seven games, including Zelda, Mario Golf and Yoshi’s New Island. But there’s actually an entirely new hardware revision coming to market in Japan and Australia this year, which are not due over here until some point in 2015. The New 3DS and New 3DS XL are re-designed models with an improved screen, battery life, additional buttons and improved specifications. They look interesting. Yet could the fact the 3DS is being update next year not deter consumers from buying this side of Christmas? “We are really focused on 2DS and 3DS XL in the UK still,” says Pearce. “Of course there’s been some conversations about [the New 3DS models] online, but in terms of the younger audience that we are speaking to this Christmas about the hardware, it’s not had any impact at all.”

Shelly Pearce, Nintendo UK

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MARKETING

BRAND PROFILE MX VS ATV Nordic’s Nik Blower on the return of THQ’s fan-favourite oﬀ-road racing franchise MX VS. ATV is the-leading two-wheeled oﬀ-road racing game IP and has sold over 10m units. Having previously developed the series for THQ, the core at Rainbow Studios has been reunited part of Nordics’ expansion through its acquisition of many THQ IPs. After re-assembling the team and reinstating Rainbow, the path

existed. What wasn’t so well anticipated was how vocal and involved that fan base would be. Having a mountain of feedback has helped shape Supercross into what the fans wanted from the next outing. Gone are the ‘good ideas’ the fans didn’t like, back are the features the fans do enjoy – Pre-load, career mode, MX bikes and ATVs, split-screen, time trial and free practice, oﬃcially licensed bikes and riders, authentic in-game sponsors and so on. Players can also now enjoy

was set for continuing the highly successful IP with its extremely involved fanbase. There have been four games in the series – Unleashed, Untamed, Reﬂex, and Alive – as well as a PSP port of Unleashed called On the Edge. In December 2013, Nordic Games announced the ﬁfth in the series, MX vs ATV Supercross, due for release on October 28th, 2014 on Xbox 360 and PS3. With so many copies of the series in circulation, it was no surprise that a large fan base

a robust online experience with up to 12 simultaneous gamers battling it out. That’s on top of a broad range of planned DLC to ensure replay and variety, and all available from the Motoclub Depot – the series’ bespoke MX store. Thanks to Rainbow’s deep understanding of what makes a successful oﬀ-road racing series – the team are predominantly former pro-riders or current MX riders - through Supercross they will once again deliver the best oﬀ-road racing game out there.

SEPTEMBER SEES SURGE IN GAMES AND CONSOLES TV ADVERTISING This week GameTime looks at the spike in ads in the games market this August and September

2013 individual TVRs

2014 individual TVRs

Year-on-year percantage change

Individual TVRs

600

150%

400 300

200%

196%

500

250%

581 521

102%

200

467

318

400 495 245

100

196

30%

25th Aug

THE transition from August to September saw an increase in games market TV ad pressure: individual TVRs grew 78 per cent compared to the same period in 2013. The largest year-on-year increase in individual TVRs occurred in the week starting September 8th (up 196 per cent). Part of this increase

1st Sep

8th Sep

accrued in excess of 350 individual TVRs, making it the biggest TV ad campaign for the period and sector. Microsoft is continuing to support the Xbox One on TV in the UK. The campaign achieved over 300 individual TVRs during this period. September saw a ﬂurry of ﬁrms maintaining pressure at 50

can be attributed to the launch of Destiny on September 9th, with the TV campaign amassing over 100 TVRs in this pivotal launch week. Elsewhere, King re introduced Candy Crush to the market with a heavyweight TV campaign starting at the end of August. In just four weeks, this campaign

47%

15th Sep

100% 50% 00%

individual TVRs per week, something absent last September. Clash of Clans, Disney Inﬁnity and a plethora of Nintendo’s Q4 lines have been notable aspirants since E3. As the triple-A releases roll in, it’ll be interesting to monitor whether ad pressure continues to rise throughout the Christmas season.

MCV GameTime is provided by Generation Media 0207 255 4650 | www.generationmedia.co.uk

October 17th 2014

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Year-on-year percentage change

700

MARKETING

CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK THIS WEEK: THE WALKING DEAD: SEASON TWO

THE CAMPAIGN To push the second season of Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead, Avanquest has invested in ads on leading specialist games magazines and websites. In print these include Play, XOne and GamesTM, while online adverts are to appear on NowGamer.com, in addition to some science-ﬁction and fantasy websites. This is in addition to PR activity across the specialist games media.

Furthermore, Telltale has been ensuring that fans are aware of the physical retail release over its social media feeds on Facebook and Twitter. Trailers have also been uploaded to its YouTube channel to drive excitement.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS STEVE ALLISON SVP of Publishing, Telltale Games: As the winner of over 90 Game of the Year awards, the success and quality of the ﬁrst game really speaks for itself. We have created a massive following of loyal fans across the globe who are all eagerly awaiting the second season. There’s a huge customer base waiting to get their hands on the game and now that it’s available on both next gen formats, the potential is even greater for retailers who really get behind it. Judging by the way it’s preordering currently, coupled with the enormous success of Season One last year, we’re conﬁdent it will be a huge success. The timing of the release, which coincides with the latest season premier on TV, is also key to the sales performance. Our games are player driven tailored narrative experiences, which put the

consumer in the middle of a story they control. The story you experience in The Walking Dead Season Two is driven by the choices that you make. Because of that, the journey you experience could be very diﬀerent from someone else’s.

[INFO] Released: October 31st Publisher: Avanquest Software Distributor: Open Contact: 01480 359 403

4 1 0 2 . 0 1 28.

MARKET MOVES

APPOINTMENTS

PLAYSTATION UK BOLSTERS MARKETING TEAM Three new hires for SCE UK O Clay departs VG247 O New chair for IGDA Scotland board SCE | PlayStation UK has made a number of new hires to its marketing team. JOE PALMER (pictured, above) and TOM WHITAKER (pictured, left) join the platform holder as software product managers. Whitaker previously worked for six years at media planning agency MediaCom on the EA account. His first title will be The Order 1886. Palmer comes to PlayStation after four years at Lionsgate Films, overseeing digital media

group of hires we are set for another year of continued growth and innovation.”

and ad creative on the likes of The Expendables and The Hunger Games. His first games will be LittleBigPlanet and Bloodborne. And NEIL MCKEOWN (pictured, below left) joins as digital manager, and will be responsible for the likes of PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now. McKeown joins from digital marketing and ad agency VML London where he worked on Xbox campaigns. “We are thrilled to be bringing new talent into the PlayStation business to inject fresh perspectives and increased digital expertise into the product marketing team,” said Rich Keen, head of product marketing for PlayStation UK. “It has been an incredible 10 months for PS4 since launch and with our recent

VG247 | SAM CLAY has departed the video game website. During his two years at VG247, Clay produced videos that attracted more than 50m views. “I’ve enjoyed my two years working with the VG247 team and I wish them good luck with their continued success,” Clay told MCV. “I’m going to be cracking the freelance whip until I’ve found a more permanent fixture.” IGDA | ANDREW MACDONALD (pictured right, top) has taken on the role of chair for the

Scottish branch of the International Game Developers Assocation. MacDonald replaces LUKE DICKEN (pictured, left), who leaves to take up a position at social gaming firm Zynga as a senior data scientist. In an open letter on IGDA’s website, Dicken said: “Going forwards, I will be taking a back seat advising the remainder of the Board of IGDA Scotland, and will remain on that Board until I actually leave the country. “However, we felt as a group that it made sense to begin the leadership change now.”

AROUND THE INDUSTRY UBISOFT | The publisher has opened an office in Moscow, Russia. The new locale will provide community development and support for Ubisoft in the burgeoning Russian market. The office is to be headed up by MD Olga Lazareva, who previously worked on business development in Russia for EA. “What we’ve seen throughout our time in the region is that Russian players are passionate, vocal and committed to the games they love,” said Alain Corre, executive director of EMEA, Ubisoft. “Establishing an office in Moscow demonstrates our commitment to Russian gamers, and will help us grow in lockstep with this rapidly expanding market.” FUTURE | The publisher has closed Official Nintendo

October 17th 2014

Magazine. Issue 114, in stores from October 14th, is the last issue of the publication. The Official Nintendo website is due to close on November 11th. Its staff are to be redeployed to other Future projects. “Nintendo will continue to speak directly to fans via Nintendo Direct, our social media and online channels and public events,” a statement released by Future said. ROVIO | The Angry Birds developer has announced it is to cut 130 jobs in an effort to simplify the organisation. This amounts to roughly 16 per cent of the studio’s workforce. “At Rovio we have always been innovative and forwardlooking, and to succeed we need to be the best at adapting to change,” Rovio CEO Mikael Hed said in regards to the cuts.

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With Horhog long dead, I now command half of Sauron’s army in Shadow of Mordor. My right hand man: Tarz the Poet. Matt Jarvis, Staﬀ Writer

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THE RETAIL ADVISORY BOARD MCV takes soundings from its Retail Advisory Board on the biggest issues in the industry. The current members are...

Charlotte Knight GAME

Steve Moore Simply Games

Jon Hayes Tesco

Ketu Patel Amazon

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Don McCabe CHIPS

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October 17th 2014

DATA SEPTEMBER

MONTHLY CHARTS Thanks to a number of blockbuster launches the market is starting to look more alive, but it is down when compared to last year. Alex Calvin checks out the charts for September

THIS MONTHS UPS AND DOWNS LAST MONTH’S No.1 publisher Sony falls down the rankings this month

which explains why the market is down yearon-year, as that was by far the biggest game launch in history. FIFA 15 is top of the charts and inspired EA’s return to the top of the publisher rankings. It also contributed to the ﬁrm generating over half of all revenue during the period. And Destiny helped ACTIVISION BLIZZARD’s rise up the publisher rankings. 25 per cent of all games sold in September were the publisher’s – and most of these were its brand new shooter.

INDIVIDUAL FORMATS TOP 40: SEPT (AUGUST 24TH – SEPT 27TH)

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD takes second place in the publisher rankings thanks to Destiny REVENUE is down 39.5 per cent yearon-year. GTA V launched during the period in 2013

SALES OF PC games are up this month as a result of The Sims launching during this period October 17th 2014

THE launches of FIFA 15 and Destiny made September an impressive month for retail. Yet it continues to track behind last year. £107m was made from software sales – an increase of 270 per cent month-onmonth, but a decrease of 39.5 year-onyear. Meanwhile, 2.8m units were shifted in September – up 155 per cent from August, but when compared to last year it’s a decrease of 42 per cent. Of course, last September saw the blockbuster launch of Grand Theft Auto V,

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TITLE FIFA 15 FIFA 15 Destiny FIFA 15 Destiny FIFA 15 Destiny The Sims 4 Minecraft: Xbox Edition The Last of Us Remastered Destiny Minecraft: PlayStation Edition Metro Redux Watch Dogs Hyrule Warriors Tomodachi Life Grand Theft Auto V Disney Inﬁnity 2.0 Call of Duty: Ghosts Metro Redux Titanfall Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – Ultimate Evil Edn Terraria Call of Duty: Ghosts Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare The LEGO Movie Videogame Forza Motorsport 5 Grand Theft Auto V Mario Kart 8 Madden NFL 15 Watch Dogs Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – Ultimate Evil Edn Watch Dogs Disney Inﬁnity 2.0 Skate 3 LEGO Marvel Super Heroes Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare Titanfall Infamous: First Light 14

FORMAT PS4 360 PS4 XO XO PS3 360 PC 360 PS4 PS3 PS3 PS4 PS4 Wii U 3DS 360 360 PS4 XO XO PS4 360 XO 360 360 XO PS3 Wii U PS4 360 PS3 XO PS3 PS3 360 360 PS4 360 PS4

PUBLISHER EA EA Activision Blizzard EA Activision Blizzard EA Activision Blizzard EA Microsoft Sony Activision Blizzard Sony Deep Silver Ubisoft Nintendo Nintendo Rockstar Disney Activision Blizzard Deep Silver EA Activision Blizzard 505 Games Activision Blizzard EA Warner Bros Microsoft Rockstar Nintendo EA Ubisoft EA Activision Blizzard Ubisoft Disney EA Warner Bros EA EA Sony www.mcvuk.com

SEPTEMBER DATA

ALL FORMATS TOP 50: SEPTEMBER (AUGUST 24TH – SEPT 27TH)

SOFTWARE MARKET SHARE BY PUBLISHER [UNITS] LM 02 03 04 01 04 06 07 10 14 08

TM 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

TITLE EA Activision Blizzard Nintendo Sony Ubisoft Warner Bros Microsoft Disney Koch Media Take-Two

MARKET SHARE 45.4% 24.6% 4.2% 3.4% 3.3% 2.5% 2.4% 2.2% 1.8% 1.6%

SOFTWARE MARKET SHARE BY PUBLISHER [VALUE] LM 02 03 04 05 01 06 07 14 13 08

TM 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

TITLE EA Activision Blizzard Nintendo Ubisoft Sony Warner Bros Microsoft Koch Media Disney Take-Two

MARKET SHARE 52.2% 29.5% 3.3% 2.4% 2.3% 1.5% 1.5% 1.2% 1.1% 0.9%

SOFTWARE MARKET SHARE BY FORMAT [UNITS] LM 02 01 04 03 06 05 07 09 08 10

TM 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

TITLE PlayStation 4 Xbox 360 Xbox One PlayStation 3 PC Nintendo 3DS Wii U Wii Nintendo DS PlayStation Vita

MARKET SHARE 28.4% 25.0% 19.8% 14.0% 5.0% 3.2% 2.0% 1.0% 1.0% 0.6%

SOFTWARE MARKET SHARE BY FORMAT [VALUE] LM 01 04 02 03 07 05 06 10 08 10

TM 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

www.mcvuk.com

TITLE PlayStation 4 Xbox One Xbox 360 PlayStation 3 PC Nintendo 3DS Wii U Wii PlayStation Vita Nintendo DS

MARKET SHARE 33.8% 24.0% 22.3% 11.3% 3.6% 2.3% 1.6% 0.4% 0.4% 0.3%

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

TITLE FIFA 15 Destiny The Sims 4 Watch Dogs Call of Duty: Ghosts Minecraft: Xbox Edition Metro Redux The Last of Us Remastered Disney Infinity 2.0 Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – Ultimate Evil Edn Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare Minecraft: PlayStation Edition Grand Theft Auto V The LEGO Movie Videogame Titanfall Madden NFL 15 Hyrule Warriors Tomodachi Life Terraria LEGO Marvel Super Heroes Sniper Elite III Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag Wolfenstein: The New Order Battlefield 4 Forza Motorsport 5 Skate 3 Frozen: Olaf’s Quest Mario Kart 8 FIFA 14 NHL 15 Skylanders Swap Force Rayman Legends LEGO The Hobbit Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution Infamous: First Light Disney Infinity The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Need for Speed Rivals WWE 2K14 Resident Evil 6 Fantasy Life EA Sports UFC Just Dance 2014 Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes New Super Mario Bros U Mario Kart 7 Tomb Raider Definitive Edition LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes Sonic and All Stars Racing Transformed

FORMAT PUBLISHER PS4, XO, PS3, 360, Wii, 3DS, Vita, PC EA PS4, XO, PS3, 360 Activision Blizzard PC EA PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Ubisoft PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, PC Activision Blizzard 360 Microsoft PS4, XO, PC Deep Silver PS4 Sony PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360 Disney PS4, XO, PS3, 360 Activision Blizzard PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC EA PS3 Sony PS3, 360 Rockstar PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, Vita, PC Warner Bros XO, 360, PC EA PS4, XO, PS3, 360 EA Wii U Nintendo 3DS Nintendo PS3, 360, PC 505 Games/Merge PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, Vita, DS, PC Warner Bros PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC 505 Games PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, PC Ubisoft PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Bethesda PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC EA XO Microsoft PS3, 360 EA 3DS, DS GSP/Avanquest Wii U Nintendo PS4, XO, PS3, 360, Wii, 3DS, Vita, DS, PSP, PC, PS3 EA PS4, XO, PS3, 360 EA PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, Wii, 3DS Activision Blizzard PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, Vita, PC Ubisoft PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, Vita, PC Warner Bros PS3, 360 Nintendo PS4 Sony Wii U, PS3, 360, Wii, 3DS Disney PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, PC Activision Blizzard PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC EA PS3, 360 2K Games PS3, 360 Capcom 3DS Nintendo PS4, XO EA PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, Wii Ubisoft PS4, XO, PS3, 360 Konami Wii Nintendo 3DS Nintendo PS4, XO Square Enix PS3, 360, Wii, DS Disney Wii U, PS3, 360, Wii, 3DS, Vita, PC Warner Bros Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, PC Sega

October 17th 2014

DATA ANALYSIS Source

UK CHARTS Five new games debuted in stores this week but nothing can topple FIFA 15 THERE are four major new titles in the Top Ten this week. But EA’s FIFA 15 holds the coveted No.1 spot. This is in spite of a 60 per cent decline in sales week-on-week. The highest charting new release is the frankly terrifying Alien Isolation. And the long-overdue DriveClub launches in fifth place, but it’s narrowly outsold by MICROSOFT’s rival racer Forza Horizon 2. It’s the second week on shelves for Forza, which suffered a sales drop of 54 per cent. Launching in seventh place is new Skylanders title, Trap Team. The game’s performance is significantly down compared to last year’s

Swap Force. However, this year ACTIVISION’s toys-to-life IP made its debut on tablets. And GfK Chart-Track ﬁgures do not include these, so it’s possible the game could have charted higher. Meanwhile in the Xbox Live charts, Batman Arkham Origins Blackgate – Deluxe Edition is in second place. This is thanks to the title being in Xbox’s Deals with Gold sale. In the Steam charts Shadow of Mordor is still on top. Pre-orders for new Borderlands and Civilization titles also chart, meaning these games should see decent day one sales when they launch in the next two weeks.

TOP 10 STEAM CHARTS

01 TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

MIDDLE EARTH: SHADOW OF MORDOR PUBLISHER: WARNER BROS DEVELOPER: MONOLITH

LW 03 NEW 05 06 04 09 NEW NEW NEW

TITLE PUBLISHER Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (P) 2K Games Alien Isolation Sega Counter-Strike: Global Oﬀensive Valve Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth (P) 2K Games Life is Feudal: Your Own Bitbox DayZ Bohemia Interactive Styx: Master of Shadows Focus Home Interactive Kerbal Space Program Squad NBA 2K15 2K Games

TOP 10 XBOX LIVE (UK) MINECRAFT: XBOX 360 EDITION MICROSOFT

01 TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

LW RE 04 RE 08 07 06 09 RE 10

DEVELOPER: MOJANG/4J STUDIOS TITLE BATMAN ARKHAM ORIGINS BLACKGATE – DELUXE EDITION BATTLEFIELD 1943 MORTAL KOMBAT ARCADE KOLLECTION APOCZ TERRARIA – XBOX 360 EDITION SLENDER: THE ARRIVAL CASTLEMINER Z WHITE NOISE ONLINE AVATAR WARFARE

PUBLISHER Warner Bros EA Warner Bros Sick Kreation 505 Games Midnight City DigitalDNA DigitalDNA DigitalDNA

Week ending October 13th

TOP 20 UK RETAIL FIFA 15 EA

01 TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

LW NEW 02 03 NEW 05 NEW NEW 04 06 08 07 NEW 13 09 12 10 14 18 20

FORMATS: PS4, XO, PS3, 360, Wii, 3DS, Vita, PC TITLE ALIEN ISOLATION MIDDLE-EARTH: SHADOW OF MORDOR FORZA HORIZON 2 DRIVECLUB DESTINY SKYLANDERS TRAP TEAM NBA 2K15 SUPER SMASH BROS MINECRAFT: PLAYSTATION EDITION MINECRAFT: XBOX EDITION DISNEY INFINITY 2.0 SLEEPING DOGS: DEFINITIVE EDITION PLANTS VS ZOMBIES: GARDEN WARFARE CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS THE LEGO MOVIE VIDEOGAME THE SIMS 4 GRAND THEFT AUTO V TERRARIA FROZEN: OLAF’S QUEST

DEVELOPER: EA CANADA

FORMAT PUBLISHER PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Sega PS4, XO, PC Warner Bros XO Microsoft PS4 Sony PS4, XO, PS3, 360 Activision Blizzard PS4, XO, PS3, Wii U, PS3, 360, Wii Activision Blizzard PS4, XO, PS3, 360 2K Games 3DS Nintendo PS4, PS3 Sony 360 Microsoft PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360 Disney PS4, XO, PC Square Enix PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, PC EA PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, PC Activision Blizzard PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, DS, Vita, PC Warner Bros PC EA PS3, 360 Rockstar PS3, 360, PC 505 Games/Merge 3DS, DS GSP/Avanquest

Week ending October 11th

PRESENTS

Week ending October 11th

5 SECOND FACTS

Read and remember these stats so you can sound clever at the next Monday morning meeting...

3.2m

60%

On average 3.2m people play Destiny every day, according to developer Bungie. Gamers also play the shooter 1.8 times a day.

Street Fighter producer Yoshinori Ono says that Capcom games must sell 2m copies for a sequel to be greenlit

Tech ﬁrm Samsung expects its quarterly operating proﬁt to be down 60 per cent year-on-year

PS4 and Vita title Velocity 2X has been downloaded one million times from the PlayStation Store in Europe

PDP design & manufacture the Afterglow Communicator PlayStation europesales@pdp.com

www.pdp.com October 17th 2014

www.mcvuk.com

GREEN MAN LOADED INTERVIEW

LOCKED AND LOADED Green Man Gaming is breaking into publishing and has launched a new division. Alex Calvin speaks to Green Man Loaded chief Gary Rowe

ack in February Green Man Gaming was helping independent developers. The online retailer was offering the studios a route to market, uploading their games to its store and promoting them to its PlayFire community. But now Green Man Gaming is fully committing to publishing games, opening a dedicated digital-only arm Green Man Loaded, headed up by EVP of publishing Gary Rowe. The firm aims to have its first game out around the end of this year. And it is even putting money behind developers to help them to get their concepts finished. “Green Man Loaded was born out of several years of [Green Man Gaming CEO and founder] Paul Sulyok being bombarded with developers asking for help in selling their games, if we could offer any advice,” Rowe tells MCV. “Then we started talking to developers and thought about creating a new label to help developers get to market. It’s based around the things that developers are really interested in – keeping control of their IP, help with finishing finance and being paid quickly. And they want a modern marketing team that is really good at what they do. That’s what Green Man Gaming has been doing for the last four years. We want to turn that power in favour of the developer.” A HELPING HAND That’s all very well and good, but why has the firm decided to put money behind studios? “We’ve had conversations with quite a few developers recently,

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and one common problem for them is they reach a certain point in development and don’t have the final money to get the game across the finishing line,” Rowe says. “That’s quite a typical story that we’ve been hearing over and over again. We are able to provide finishing finance for developers. “We did very well with publishing indie developers on our own channel and our own store, but actually some of the titles we are looking at are slightly larger in scope and scale and need the extra budget to give them that final QA and localisation polish. “It’s really to help developers who have the right kind of title, to bring it to market.”

Where available, we’ll pay developers on a fortnightly basis. Gary Rowe, Green Man Loaded

TRICKS OF THE TRADE Green Man Gaming is a retailer by trade. And Rowe says that makes them an ideal partner for studios. “We’re able to utilise the experience we have gathered over the last few years in selling games, which is great, and we offer a huge amount of discoverability in that way – which is a problem for a lot of developers,” he explains. He insists that creators really are coming first in this arrangement: “They’re getting access to an award-winning team that has garnered a great business profile with lots of experience, who know how to sell games. “That’s really compelling for developers. They’re getting a new breed of partner who really likes games. We’re also going to be paying developers as quickly as we can. The standard publisher model of payment quarterly isn’t compatible

with the cash flow situation. Where available, we’ll pay developers on a fortnightly basis.” IN CONTROL One other benefit Green Man Loaded will offer developers is the ability to retain the rights to their own work. “One of the conversations developers have with publishers is the desire to own the IP,” says Rowe. “We decided right from the off that we’d have a much simpler relationship with developers if they just kept the rights to the IP. “We’ll help them exploit the game on other platforms, but our primary goal is to make sure that the PC title is the best. Bringing games to consoles is definitely a plan for later down the line. We want the developer to be fully invested. If developers are working on their own IP that’s incredibly motivating for them.” He concludes: “We’re looking to widen the net in terms of developers we can reach. If a developer is sat there with a game and can’t figure out how to get to market, they should get in touch.”

October 17th 2014

THE BIG GAME ASSASSIN’S CREED

October 17th 2014

www.mcvuk.com

ASSASSIN’S CREED THE BIG GAME

ASSASSIN’S CREED

A TALE OF TWO CREEDS This year Ubisoft is releasing not one but two Assassin’s Creed games. Alex Calvin asks the publisher how it plans to ‘divide and conquer’

Release Date: November 13th Formats: PS4, XO (Unity), PS3, 360 (Rogue) Publisher: Ubisoft Developer: Ubisoft Montreal (Unity), Ubisoft Soﬁa (Rogue)

ithout fail since Assassin’s Creed II in 2009, Ubisoft has snuck a new instalment in its blockbuster historical stealthaction series onto consoles each and every year. It’s a huge series, one that – according to publisher Ubisoft – has generated a quarter of a billion pounds since it launched. But this year marks the first time the publisher has decided to split its efforts, with two different Assassin’s Creed games eagle-diving onto consoles – Unity hits PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on November 13th, with Rogue launching simultaneously for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on the same day. “Both Assassin’s Creed Unity and Assassin’s Creed Rogue bring something new to the table, as we continue to improve and re-invent our key gameplay mechanics,” Ubisoft senior

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tackle different types of missions. “In Rogue, we have particularly improved the naval gameplay: new tactics and new weapons make fighting both more fluid and more challenging.” And of course, both games also have brand new settings, storylines and heroes. “In Unity, you play as Arno, an Assassin during the French Revolution in the late 18th Century,” says Marcus. “Set in Paris, the game takes you through all the key landmarks and events Ombeline Marcus, Ubisoft of the Revolution, while you experience Arno’s story of revenge and redemption. “On the other hand, Rogue takes you to North America during the Seven Years’ War – the war just before the American Revolution. You play as Shay, a young member of

brand manager Ombeline Marcus tells MCV. “Unity, for instance, is built from the ground up for the new generation of consoles. We wanted to return to the core values of Assassin’s Creed – go back to huge, sprawling urban centres, but in a way that would help redefine what a nextgeneration urban landscape should look and feel like. “To achieve that, we have rebuilt the parkour, stealth and combat systems to give you more control over the character. New customisation elements also enable you to fully personalise the main character to suit your play style. “On top of that, Unity introduces co-op for the very first time in an Assassin’s Creed game; in addition to the single player story-driven part of the game, you will also be able to play with up to four friends to

Assassin’s Creed Unity is built from the ground up for the new generation of consoles.

October 17th 2014

THE BIG GAME ASSASSIN’S CREED

the Brotherhood who ends up switching sides and joining the Templars.” SMART ASSASSIN Last year’s Black Flag was released on both PlayStation 4/ Xbox One and PlayStation 3/ Xbox 360. Yet with Unity, Ubisoft has built something that is only possible on the newer machines. It isn’t being held back by the older hardware. “Unity has been in the making for nearly four years now. “The game has been specifically designed to take advantage of the next-gen systems,” she explains. “We also improved the AI of non-playable characters: the game can now support on-screen crowds of varying size, well above 5,000.

October 17th 2014

“This adds to the sense of scale of our setting, a beautifully rendered version of 18th-Century Paris with close to one-to-one scale buildings, and even explorable interiors and underground networks. “This is the biggest city we’ve ever built, but also the most densely populated. It’s teeming with additional gameplay opportunities outside of the main single-player campaign. “The city’s size and intricate detail, along with the massive crowds of the French Revolution, mean that this is a feat that we simply could not have done with the previous generation of hardware.

Many of our fans haven’t upgrade their hardware yet. We wanted them to still experince Assassin’s Creed, regardless of the console they own. Ombeline Marcus, Ubisoft

SO LAST GENERATION But as technically impressive as Unity is on the newer hardware,

there is still a huge install base on the PS3 and Xbox 360, and many fans of the series will still be gaming on these machines. And in contrast to its rivals who have produced downgraded version of their next-gen titles, Ubisoft has created an entirely original adventure for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in Rogue. Marcus says: “While both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One have had strong starts, the previous generation of consoles achieved very large install bases over their long life cycles. “This means many of our fans have not yet upgraded their hardware. We wanted them to still be able to experience Assassin’s Creed, regardless of the console they own.”

www.mcvuk.comJ

ASSASSIN’S CREED THE BIG GAME

Unity will see players sneak and stab their way through the already bloody French Revolution

It’s a potentially shrewd move to release an Assassin’s Creed on both console generations. It means fans will get a game specifically created for their systems. And if they happen to own both consoles – and many do – then there’s a good chance they’ll buy both. “Unity and Rogue are very different games: the storylines, the settings, the key features and game mechanics – from playing as a Templar in Rogue to co-op in Unity – will provide players with two completely different experiences,” Marcus says. “Like any game in the franchise, both games also add to the overall story of the war between Assassins and Templars. It’s possible some of our fans will indeed be interested in picking up both games in their quest to find the truth.”

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KILLING IT ASSASSIN’S CREED has always been a blockbuster franchise – it has made over a quarter of a billion pounds since it launched in 2007. But it’s about to go from big to huge. There are two triple-A games coming to consoles and PC this year, double the series’ normal output. And that’s on top of free-to-play mobile game Assassin’s Creed Identity, which snuck onto iOS earlier this month. And to back up the launch of Assassin’s Creed Unity, the publisher is putting out a browser title called Project

Ombeline Marcus, Senior Brand Manager, Ubisoft

Widow. Developed by creative agency Biff New Media and Villain and Co alongside Ubisoft, Widow is a city night walk tour of 18th century Paris, narration by actor Andy Serkis. But it’s not just games that the Assassin’s Creed series is releasing. Like so many video game properties at the moment there is an Assassin’s Creed film in the works. Originally slated for release in America on August 7th 2015, the Foxproduced movie has been delayed until 2016. Michael Fassbender of X-Men fame is taking the lead role,

October 17th 2014

PLAYSTATION® 4 GAMES

CALENDAR 2014 YOUR GUIDE TO WHAT’S ON

OCTOBER OCT

OCT

OUT NOW NBA 2K15

OCT

OUT NOW SKYLANDERS TRAP TEAM

OCT

OUT NOW DRIVECLUB

JUST DANCE 2015

OCT

OUT NOW ALIEN: ISOLATION

OUT NOW SLEEPING DOGS: DEFINITIVE EDITION

SAMURAI WARRIORS 4

OCT

OUT NOW MINECRAFT PS4 EDITION

OUT NOW THE EVIL WITHIN

SINGSTAR: ULTIMATE PARTY

OCT

OUT NOW MIDDLE EARTH: SHADOW OF MORDOR

OCT

LORDS OF THE FALLEN

NOVEMBER NOV

NOV

ASSASSIN’S CREED: UNITY

FAR CRY 4

NOV

LEGO BATMAN 3: BEYOND GOTHAM

NOV

DRAGON AGE: INQUISITION

NOV

PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2015

GRAND THEFT AUTO V

PROJECT CARS

NOV

WWE 2K15

NOV

CALL OF DUTY: ADVANCED WARFARE

LITTLEBIGPLANET 3

DECEMBER DEC

” is a trademark of the same company. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

NOV

“2”and “PlayStation” are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Also, “

THE CREW

#4ThePlayers VISIT UK.PLAYSTATION.COM/PS4/GAMES TO FIND OUT MORE AND VIEW FUTURE RELEASES

END OF THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

GAME OVER FOR THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE Last week Nintendo and Future announced that Official Nintendo Magazine is to close. In the age of social media and direct-to-consumer communication, is there still room for these kind of publications? Alex Calvin speaks to the magazine’s former writers to find out

he news last week that Future and Nintendo had decided to close Official Nintendo Magazine is a sad sign of the times. UK Nintendo magazines have come and gone over the years. The biggest casualty before now had been in 2012 when Nintendo Gamer – the successor to a long line of unofficial Nintendo mags from Future – was shut. That left just one: Official Nintendo. A magazine franchise that stretched back some 22 years (under various different names and two publishers). But as of October 14th that is it – Nintendo’s time on newsagent shelves has come to an end. “This means the end of what I firmly believe was the best, and most entertaining, source of coverage on Nintendo games – coverage that is sorely lacking on multi-format publications,” says former games editor Chris Scullion. It’s a sentiment shared by former ONM writer and current Official Xbox news editor Joe Skrebels: “The closure of ONM means Nintendo fans have lost a place to revel in their favourite games, as opposed to simply react to them

platform holders are increasingly trying to reach consumers via YouTube and their own blogs. Nintendo, Sony and Xbox all have their own media services. The latter duo still have official magazines. But do even they need to keep them going anymore?

as they appear,” he says. “I’m not saying web outlets can’t do this. They just very rarely do – yet – leaving little for the kind of fan who cares about those minute details.” The magazine’s former deputy editor Martin Mathers adds: “It’s the end of an era; the death of something fans grew up with and studied religiously. It’s a sad loss – an inevitable one, but still a sad one.”

There’s no better place to engage than with like-minded readers than in official magazine communities.

GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT If ONM still had a place for Nintendo’s dedicated fanbase, then why close it? “We have lots of channels to talk to our consumers, with Nintendo Direct and all our social media outlets and websites, and, of course, Miiverse,” explains Nintendo’s UK marketing director Shelly Pearce. “We will still keep talking; we have lots to talk about, and there are many ways for us to do that.” Pearce’s point is backed by the rapid decline of print magazines. Earlier this year, ONM’s circulation fell by over 26 per cent to 18,743. As this reader decline becomes commonplace, publishers and

Dan Dawkins, Future

“Yes,” insists editor-in-chief of Future’s games department Dan Dawkins. “There’s no better place to engage than with like-minded readers than in official magazine communities. I mean, it’s not like everyone is lucky enough to go to, say, the pub with people who all share their passion for PS4 or Xbox, so the magazines are a great rallying point. Our journalists are keen to

share their experiences, helping to shape the agenda of debate and critiquing Sony or Microsoft as appropriate. There’s none more valuable, or oft damning, advice than that from those you love. You critique because you care.” But Mathers admits that from a platform holder perspective, the role of the ‘Official Mag’ has been diminished. “When the likes of Sony and Nintendo have a direct line to the people they want to attract, having an official voice really isn’t required,” he states. DIRECT ACTION Pearce above highlights Nintendo’s Direct video service, held by the firm several times a year, which features new announcements and interviews with developers. But ONM did more than that, journalists insist. “Directs are about as exciting as Christmas, but I would argue they fall into that generalised pattern of forward-thinking game reportage,” says Skrebels. “They’re certainly more personal than your gardenvariety press releases. But official magazines offer the space and

Former ONM writers. Above left to right: Chris Schilling, Chris Scullion, Dan Dawkins, Joe Skrebels, Martin Mathers, Steve Hogarty and Tom East October 17th 2014

www.mcvuk.com

END OF THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

looking commercial perspective that leaves them no room to celebrate Nintendo’s uniquely massive past, which is something ONM did admirably and frequently, especially during those dark months when there were absolutely no Wii games to talk about.”

October 14th marked the release of the last ever issue of ONM (above). How the magazine used to look (right)

staff expertise that allows for more open thinking around a console and company’s games.” Former ONM online editor Tom East adds: “Nintendo Direct is completely different to ONM. While fans can get announcements and see Nintendo’s new games via Nintendo Direct, they won’t get any critical analysis of these games. Nor will any of Nintendo’s developers or producers have to answer any tough questions in interviews.” There’s been a long-held belief that official magazines have to support the company that’s backing them. But the truth is these titles have autonomy, and look after their readers first. “ONM was never shy of giving a game a kicking if it deserved it, and that’s what’s still needed,” says Scullion. “Like all magazines, part of its role was to be a consumer guide, and as brilliant as the Nintendo Directs are, their lack of negativity means they’re clearly more promotion than criticism.” Freelancer Chris Schilling adds: “Official magazines aren’t simply about parroting a corporate message. They act as a useful filter, and that’s taken away when mags like ONM die.

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“Social media channels are essentially tailored towards generating excitement about future games. With official publications you have a broader remit – ONM had plenty of retro coverage each month, for example, and spent a lot of time looking at interesting and creative efforts from the fan community.” Former ONM deputy editor Steve Hogarty agrees and goes further. He states that corporate-run video services and blogs follow whatever the company’s marketing strategy may be at the time. The independently-run magazines – even the official ones – could deviate and offer their audiences something extra. “The more bullshit filters you can slot between players’ eyes and these direct-to-consumer marketing pipelines the better,” he says. “Official magazines will always toe the line to some extent, but they’re more capable and less afraid of biting the hand that feeds them. “For now Nintendo Direct lacks the critical insight that ONM offered – that ability to expertly frame things in the grander context of Nintendo’s rich history. Nintendo’s social media channels are locked into this forwards-

The more bullshit filters you can slot between players’ eyes and direct-toconsumer marketing pipelines the better. Steve Hogarty

INDIE LOSS What’s more, official magazines could and often did champion the little guy. “Its official status aside, what was important about ONM was that its single format nature allowed it to cover every major release, including eShop titles, the majority of which are ignored by multi-format publications,” says Scullion. “Nintendo is naturally more keen to push its own stuff on social media, meaning third-party or indie stuff is briefly mentioned but not given triple-A levels of coverage. ONM had the space to give each game the subjective coverage it deserved, so I believe its loss will have an impact on some indie developers currently working on Wii U and 3DS titles.” Of course, there are still places to access this kind of editorial. Sites such as Go Nintendo, Nintendojo, N-Europe and Nintendo Life all offer coverage of games that otherwise wouldn’t get a look in. But with falling readership, a number of independently run fan sites, Nintendo Direct, Miiverse, social networks, Iwata Asks and Nintendo’s own websites, it seems ONM just wasn’t worth the investment. You can’t blame Nintendo for deciding to call it a day in this area. But that doesn’t mean the magazine didn’t play a role within the company’s community. The publication supported Nintendo, but it serviced the company’s fans first and foremost. It didn’t tell them a game was great when it wasn’t. It didn’t fill every line with marketing rhetoric and preorder ‘call to actions’. It wasn’t written by corporate executives in suits. This was a magazine for fans, by fans, with exclusive access to Nintendo. Hopefully that’s something the decisions makers behind Official Xbox and Official PlayStation will remember in the years to come.

October 17th 2014

MARKETPLACE

SHELF LIFE Marc Doley, senior sales of GAME Telford, chats to MCV about making the news thanks to the store-bursting launch of Grand Theft Auto V and why cauliﬂower makes a good fancy dress implement choices. We want everyone to go home with something they want to play. We don’t see it as customers and staﬀ; it’s just all of us together.

Tell us about your team. There are 11 of us and we are all gamers. That is one thing we’re sure of. Steve is the daddy and has been gaming for over 30 years. You would think he’d be good by now. Ryan is the MMO master and has played them all, but still ends up back on Warcraft. I’m Marc and I’m normally all over FIFA, but Destiny has now turned my eye. Although, now that FIFA 15 is out...

Simon is our wrestling impresario and is usually in some sort of chokehold on the shop ﬂoor. Devan, George and Jamie are our personal Team Rocket and know Pokémon inside out.

PRE-ORDER CHARTS

PRICE CHECK: NORWICH

What’s been your favourite event to host? It has to be the amazing GTA V midnight launch that saw over 800 gamers come through the doors. You could taste the excitement in the air. Nights like that only come once a generation

What’s your store’s speciality? It’s all about the gamers for us. We are proud that we get chosen every day by customers to share their adventures and we believe it’s because they trust us to help them make the best

TOP 10 PRE-ORDERS 1. SUPER SMASH BROS + GAMECUBE CONTROLLER ADAPTOR Nintendo, Wii U 2. The Evil Within Inc The Fighting Chance Pack DLC Bethesda ...............................................................PS4

BURNOUT PARADISE NEED FOR SPEED: HOT PURSUIT

3. Wii U GameCube Contoller Super Smash Bros Ed Nintendo............................................................. Wii U 4. Grand Theft Auto V Rockstar ................................................................PS4

Xbox 360, EA

GRAN TURISMO 6

Microsoft, XO

Sony, PS3

EA, PS3

£11.98

N/A

£29.99

£45

N/A

£26.99

£42.99

£15.98

£14.69

£17.49

£39.85

9. Super Smash Bros Nintendo............................................................. Wii U

£16.99

N/A

£29.99

£42.99

10. Call of Duty Advanced Warfare Inc Advanced Arsenal Activision ........................................................... PS4

£15.97

N/A

£29.97

£34.97

6. The Evil Within Inc The Fighting Chance Pack DLC Bethesda ..................................................................XO

IN STORE

5. Bayonetta 2 Inc Bayonetta 1 Nintendo............................................................. Wii U

FORZA MOTORSPORT 5

7. Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 (PES) Day 1 Edition Konami ...................................................................PS4

UPLOADING The latest digital releases coming to market

October 17th 2014

ONLINE

8. Borderlands Pre Sequel Inc Shock Drop Slaughter Pit 2K ............................................................................ 360

DEADCORE

FUNK OF TITANS

POSTAL 2: PARADISE LOST

5 Bits Games’ unique plaforming FPS has hopped onto PC

This blaxploitation-cross-Greek mythology mashup is set to hit Xbox

An expansion for the decade-old shooter will blast onto PC soon.

OUT: NOW

OUT: 2014

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MARKETPLACE

GAME Telford Telford Shopping Centre, 40 Southwater Way, Telford

if you are lucky. We even made the local newspapers. With the next-gen GTA V launch near, we are looking forward to doing it again. What’s the best thing about dropping by your store? Well, I’m not sure it’s the best thing, but walking in and ﬁnding out what Steve is dressed up as. He has no shame, and we all appreciate that; he has been everything from Lara Croft to a

Phone: 0871 594 0066 Twitter: @GAMETelford

Last of Us clicker by strapping cauliﬂower to his head. Do you engage with the local community at all? We are always hosting game nights and tournaments – everything from Minecraft in-store to a Destiny Fireteam online. Our next big thing is a regular Pokémon Tournament, followed by a WWE 2K15 link-up with our local pro-wrestling company Shropshire Wrestling Alliance.

INCOMING TITLE

WANT TO FEATURE YOUR OUTLET IN MCV? Contact acalvin@nbmedia.com or call 01992 515 303

The latter half of October sees a ﬂood of games hit shelves, ranging from sci-ﬁ strategy title Civilization: Beyond Earth to rhythm sequel Just Dance 2015 FORMAT

GENRE

PUBLISHER

TELEPHONE

DISTRIBUTOR

PS3/360/PC

Shooter

2K Games

01279 822 800

Exertis Gem

October 17th Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel F1 2014

PS3/360/PC

Racing

Codemasters

01215 069 590

Advantage

MXGP: The Oﬃcial Motocross Video Game

PS4

Racing

PQube

0121 625 3388

CentreSoft

Winx Club: Saving Alfea

3DS/DS

Kids

Bandai Namco

01215 069 590

Advantage

Wii U

Action

Nintendo

01753 483 700

Open

October 24th Bayonetta 2 Civilization: Beyond Earth

Strategy

2K Games

01279 822 822

Exertis

Disney Magical World

3DS

Life-simulation

Nintendo

01753 483 700

Open

Fantasia: Music Evolved

XO/360

Rhythm

Disney

0121 625 3388

CentreSoft

Just Dance 2015

PS4/XO/Wii U/PS3/360/Wii Rhythm

Ubisoft

01279 822 822

Exertis

Need for Speed Rivals Complete Edition

PS4/XO/PS3/360/PC

Racing

0121 625 3388

CentreSoft

Power Rangers Super Mega Force

3DS

Kids

Bandai Namco

01215 069 590

Advantage

Samurai Warriors 4

PS4/PS3/Vita

Action

Tecmo Koei

01462 476 130

Open

Shadow Warrior

PS4/XO

Action

Bandai Namco

01215 069 590

Advantage

PS3/360

Racing

Nordic Games

01256 391 209

Open

Vita

Kids

Sony

0121 625 3388

CentreSoft

October 28th MX vs ATV Supercross

October 29th Invizimals: The Resistance

October 31st The Walking Dead – GOTY Edition

PS4/XO

Adventure

Avanquest

01480 359 403

Open

The Walking Dead – Season Two

PS4/XO/PS3/360

Adventure

Avanquest

01480 359 403

Open

NBA Live 15

PS4/XO

Sports

0121 625 3388

CentreSoft

Lords of the Fallen

PS4/XO/PC

Action

Square Enix

0121 625 3388

CentreSoft

Sunset Overdrive

Action

Microsoft

01279 822 822

Exertis

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October 17th 2014

RACING

RACING This Q4 is a new season for racing games, with big titles like Forza Horizon 2, DriveClub, F1 2014 and The Crew hitting the grid. Matthew Jarvis buckles up and hits the gas

THE lights are green for a new convoy of racing games to hit retail this Q4 – and there’s a bootload of tie-in merchandise and accessories available. Analytics firm Flurry states that the primary audience for mobile racing games is male players aged between 25 and 30. Around 30 per cent of the audience are female. These figures actually make the genre slightly more gender-neutral than other

The racing genre is more gender-neutral than segments such as shooter and strategy titles.

segments such as shooter and strategy titles. This improved gender balance provides an opportunity to capture the interest of multiple demographics, by stocking a range of products from wheels through to clothing. There is also a wide breadth of racing game sub-genres on offer to consumers – spanning ultra-realistic simulators such as Gran Turismo, open-world arcade racers like Forza Horizon and

THRUSTMASTER T300 RS OFFICIAL FORCE FEEDBACK WHEEL The T300 is built upon a 1080-degree force feedback base, which delivers realistic force eﬀects to players – whether they’re skidding down rough tracks or slamming into rival cars. Compatible with PS4, PS3 and PC, the wheel is accompanied by metal accelerator and brake pedals. SRP: £329.99 Manufacturer: Thrustmaster Distributor: Entatech Contact: 0333 101 1000

PLAYSEAT EVOLUTION BLACK

GRAN TURISMO COLLECTION RACER JACKET

MARIO KART RADIO CONTROL KART

This ultra-realistic racing seat is ideal for driving simulator enthusiasts looking to recreate the feeling of sitting in a race car.

Virtual drivers can look the part with this stylised premium racer jacket, emblazoned with the Gran Turismo logo.

Mario Kart fans can bring the fun of the game into reality with this range of licensed remote-control characters.

SRP: £359 Manufacturer: Playseat Distributor: Playseat Contact: www.playseat.com

SRP: £89.10 Manufacturer: Musterbrand Distributor: Musterbrand Contact: service@musterbrand.com

SRP: £19.99 Manufacturer: Nintendo Distributor: Nintendo Contact: 0345 60 50 247

October 17th 2014

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RACING

DIRECTORY

MCV DIRECTORY KEY CONTACTS Sony DADC ............................................ +44 (0) 207 462 6200

CREATIVE Fink ................................................................. info@ﬁnkcreative.com

GAMING ACCESSORIES DISC REPAIR

L3I............................................................................+ (0)1923 471 020

Total Disc Repair ..................................+44 (0) 1202 489500

Venom ............................................................... +44 (0)1763 284181

DISTRIBUTION Click Entertainment ............................ +44 (0) 203 137 3781 Creative Distribution ......................+44 (0) 20 8664 3456 RATES

Curveball Leisure ................................... +44 (0) 1792 652521

£70 per two column box (100mm x 75mm). To run weekly for a minimum of 1 year. Please phone for other size and/or position requirements.

Enarxis Dynamic Media ............................. +302 1090 11900

DISC REPAIR

TOTAL DISC REPAIR

Tel: +44 (0) 1202 489500

October 17th 2014

Web: www.totaldiscrepair.co.uk

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DIRECTORY

ENQUIRIES CONOR TALLON Tel: 01992 535647 ctallon@nbmedia.com

FINK

CREATIVE

DISTRIBUTION

CLICK ENTERTAINMENT

Artworking Mastertronic Brand Identity Ukie Localisation Rising Star Games Advertising BBFC Website Design Deep Silver Exhibition Bethesda Illustration Appynation Digital Media IntentMedia Charity GamesAid Banners & Takeovers Konami Packaging Design Just Flight Email: info@ﬁnkcreative.com CREATIVE DISTRIBUTION

Tel: +44 (0) 208 6643456 ENARXIS DYNAMIC MEDIA

Tel: +44 (0)203 137 3781

Web: www.ﬁnkcreative.com DISTRIBUTION

email: sales@click-entertainment.com

CURVEBALL LEISURE

Web: www.creativedistribution.co.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 1792 652521

DISTRIBUTION

SONY DADC

DISTRIBUTION

Web: www.curveball-leisure.com DISTRIBUTION

Empowering your creative business

Tel: +44 207 462 6200 games@sonydadc.com

www.sonydadc.com Tel: +302 1090 11900

www.mcvuk.com

Web: www.enarxis.eu

Tel: +44 (0) 207 462 6200

Web: www.sonydadc.com

October 17th 2014

DIRECTORY

GAMING ACCESSORIES

L3I

GAMING ACCESSORIES

VENOM

New officially licensed product coming soon Rechargeable Battery Pack

SERIOUS ABOUT GAMING SERIOUS ABOUT ACCESSORIES

Tel: + (0)1923 471 020

Web: www.logic3.com

Fully recharges the DUALSHOCK®4 wireless controller for up to 20 hours of gameplay. Sleek, contemporary design fits securely to the DUALSHOCK®4 wireless controller.

ADVERTISE WITH US

WANT TO ADVERTISE IN OUR DIRECTORY?

Web: www.venomuk.com Phone: +44 (0)1763 284181 Email: darren.scott@venomuk.com sam.phipps@venomuk.com tom.hodge@venomuk.com

CALL CONOR TALLON ON 01992 535647 OR EMAIL HIM AT CTALLON@NBMEDIA.COM

Tel: +44 (0)1763 284181 October 17th 2014

Venom UK Gaming @VenomGamingUK

w w w. ve n o m u k . co m

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INSIDER’S GUIDE

INSIDER’S GUIDE KOKO DIGITAL

DIRECTORY

WHO? Specialism: Marketing development Location: IC2 Keele Business Park, Keele, ST5 5NH

Develop is the only dedicated publication for the UK and European games development community. It reaches over 8,500 subscribers every month.

Contact: P: +44 (0)844 800 7137 E: hello@kokodigital.co.uk T: @kokodigital F: facebook.com/kokodigital

Stuart Howarth, director and co-founder of Koko Digital, explains how the agency sends brands viral

FOR GREAT ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES, CONTACT ALEX BOUCHER ABOUCHER@NBMEDIA.COM

Tell us about your company. We specialise in the creation of branded mobile apps, browser games and social campaigns. We’ve created games for the likes of McDonalds, BBC Top Gear, Sony Pictures, Confused.com and Red Bull – to name just a few.

THIS MONTH’S DIRECTORY SPOTLIGHT: Epic Games .................................................. www.epicgames.com/careers

What is your biggest success to date? We created an online viral game for Cancer Research UK to promote their Race for Life events across the UK. The game has now been played over 30 million times. In terms of mobile apps, we developed a game for our client DK called the DK Quiz. This game has been featured in over 58 countries on the App Store and has almost reached 1m installs. What projects do you currently have in the works? We’ve got quite a few crossplatform HTML5 Facebook apps in development. We have a new game called Uni Leap, developed for UCAS. That’s currently under review from Apple, which will also be available for Android and Facebook, as well as a standalone viral version. What are the biggest challenges you face? Our biggest challenges are often based around choosing the best platforms and/or development frameworks to suit our diﬀering clients’ objectives and budgets. To be included in the Develop Directory (which appears every month in Develop and now every week in MCV) contact aboucher@nbmedia.com

Several years ago, it was mainly Flash games that we developed, but these days we have cross-platform HTML5 browser apps with responsive layouts, dedicated mobile apps for the various app stores and many diﬀering types and depths of social app integration. How did you choose your company name? I wanted something that was easy to remember but also made our business feel like the missing ingredient to the marketing mix. We came up with the strap line of ‘Just add....’ and Koko seemed to ﬁt the mould.

WANT TO FEATURE YOUR COMPANY IN INSIDER’S GUIDE? PLEASE CONTACT MJARVIS@NBMEDIA.COM OR CALL 01992 515 303

WWW.DEVELOP-ONLINE.NET www.mcvuk.com

Our biggest challenges are based around choosing the best platforms for our clients.

October 17th 2014

FACTFILE BRAZIL Sponsored by

Wholesaler and distributor of video games, consoles and accessories

INTERNATIONAL FACTFILE: BRAZIL Population: 200.4 million Capital City: Brasília Currency: Real GDP (Per Capita): $11,080 KEY RETAILERS Abraão Games, Action Game, Game Mania, World Game, GameStore, Big Shop, Submarino

TOP DEVELOPERS 8D Games, GameBlox, Hive Digital, Uplay Mobile, Braza Games

TOP DISTRIBUTORS Alcateia, Incomp, NC Games, Rcell, Zap Games

NOTABLE GAMES FIRMS WITH A LOCAL OFFICE Ubisoft, Microsoft, Sony, Disney, GameMaxx

BRAZIL is now one of the world’s biggest games markets. Newzoo estimates that the country is the leading Latin America region for games, with revenue of $1.3bn (£0.81bn). Business resource The Brazil Business adds that 3.1 million PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii consoles have been sold to date in Brazil. Despite this, the most popular console in the region is actually the PS2 – almost half (41.2 per cent) of Brazilian households own the 14-year-old machine. Next-gen consoles have yet to sell in large quantities due to high pricing. When the PS4 launched in Brazil on November 29th 2013, the £350 console was priced at R$3,999 (£1,038). In comparison, the Xbox One had a similarly inflated cost – but ended up much closer to its price in other countries, retailing at R$2,199 (£571).

“Brazil doesn’t have the larger retailers like GameStop and GAME,” says Mauro Bossetti, partner and MD of Synthesis Group Iberia and LATAM. “Instead they have a lot of smaller retailers that have been trading for a long time. “We have large bookstores who dedicate entire sections of their stores to gaming and department stores which are beginning to show greater interest in selling games and gaming gear. “Digital games are usually cheaper and very popular. The market for physical games is mostly for the console games nowadays, though places where internet connections aren’t as reliable might still have a preference for physical PC games. “Brazil is the 11th biggest gaming market in the world, and it’s done this in a very short space of time, so the market potential is massive.”

Brazil is the 11th biggest gaming market in the world, and it’s done this in a short space of time.

October 17th 2014

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BRAZIL FACTFILE

MEANWHILE IN... JAPAN Microsoft is running a promotion alongside the launch of The Evil Within, in the hope of boosting Xbox One sales in the region WHEN Microsoft launched the Xbox One in Japan last month, it didn’t fare so well. The console sold just north of 23,000 units in its ﬁrst week on sale, according to Famitsu – less than half of the 60,000 sales seen by the Xbox 360 in its ﬁrst two days in the region. However, Microsoft hopes to turn its fortunes around with a new promotion centred on a new horror game from Japanese game legend Shinji Mikami, The Evil Within. Japanese gamers who buy the game, called Psycho Break in the country, alongside an Xbox One will receive a 5,000

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yen (£29) discount – almost covering the cost of the 7,300 yen (£42) title. Microsoft has previously pushed the Xbox One edition of the game by running a large outdoor

advert at Japanese games event TGS in September. Meanwhile, Sony has fought back with a pair of PS4 models emblazoned with artwork from the game.

October 17th 2014

INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION