GO CONNECT. GO PLAY. GO ANYWHERE. PSP go. YOUR WHOLE WORLD IN YOUR HANDS TM
• World Cup Campaign: Running from 18th June-30th June.
TV
• 40 second ad in this activity - creating impact. • Campaign will run across YouTube, WebTV, 4OD, SkySports and Viacom pre-rolls.
• July - August TV campaign: 1st July-28th August. • C4, E4, Sky Sports, Sky1, Comedy Central, Music • 12th July - 2nd August. • 20 second ad - Kiss 100, Kerrang, XFM, Galaxy Network. • June - August. • FHM, Loaded, 442, Nuts, NME, PlayStation Official, Gamesmaster, Total Film, DVD and BluRay Review T3 and T3 Compact, PSM3, Edge.
• Sport, Shortlist, Guardian Guide, Times PlayList, The Sun, The Mirror, Metro.
Bus
National Press
Lifestyle Press
Radio
channels (MTV etc.), Bravo, Dave, ITV4 and Five USA.
• 9th July - 2nd August - 1500 Panels nationwide.
Trade
“‰”, “PlayStation”, “ ”, “ ” and “ ” are trademarks or registered of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. * WLAN or Broadband internet service required. Users are responsible for internet access fees. Charges apply for some content. PlayStation®Network account required. PlayStation®Network and PlayStation®Store subject to terms of use and not available in all countries and languages. Users under 18 require parental consent. Users must be 7 years or older and users under 18 require parental consent. All titles, content, publisher names, trademarks, artwork and associated imagery are trademarks and/or copyright material of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
Promotion starts 9th June
• Full POS suite including bay dressing, FSDU’s, box stickers and posters.
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THE MARKET FOR COMPUTER AND VIDEO GAMES 04 Moore speaks The EA Sports president explains why the firm must charge for online services
International Media Partner
06 THQ adds two Former D3P boss Adam Roberts and exGem exec Richard Stickler join the firm
Issue 590 Friday June 4 2010 £3.25
WITH THIS
ISSUE
A guide to one of this summer’s biggest releases – LEGO Harry Potter Years 1-4
17 MCV Interview: Namco European boss Olivier Comte reveals Namco Bandai’s European battleplan
EVERY BUYER EVERY BRANCH EVERY INDIE EVERY WEEK SPECIAL REPORT: Forget motion controllers – 3D games will offer some big surprises at the Electronics Entertainment Expo this year. But is everybody ready for the revolution? by Christopher Dring NATAL AND MOVE may be highly anticipated, but publishers have told MCV they are gambling on 3D to wow the world at this month’s E3. Nintendo will reveal its 3D handheld at the LA-based event, Sony will showcase a vast line-up of 3D titles including Gran Turismo 5, while MCV expects at least three major publishers to lift the lid on blockbuster 3D projects. Leading games firms say 3D will be used in the most advanced gaming software, rather than the lower-end casual projects currently being lined-up for Natal and Move – but 3D titles are still expected to have a mass-market reach. “What we are trying to do in the 3D space is part of a crossSony initiative,” said SCEE CEO and president Andrew House. “We’ve realised, particularly for a younger audience, that games can be an easier way for people to engage with 3D than movies. “This will be on the cutting edge of gaming for the next year or two. If Avatar taught us one thing in an age of globalisation, it’s that when consumers embrace something it moves quickly. This is definitely a wave of the future and one that we intend to ride.” Namco Bandai Partners chief Olivier Comte reckons 3D is more significant than any motion controlling device: “Natal and Move are two new
THE NEXT DIMENSION: (from left to right) House, Feder, Moore and Comte share their thoughts on 3D with MCV
tools, but I don’t think either are the next revolution of games,” he said. “I believe the next revolution will be 3D. I have tested some 3D games and I think it is a big change.”
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launched its 3D channel in April and Screen Digest estimates that over 180,000 Brits will have compatible set in their homes by 2011 – jumping to 7m by 2015.
3D will be on the cutting edge of gaming. This is definitely a wave of the future that we intend to ride. Andrew House, SCEE
3D has already helped revitalise film. In March, Cineworld cited 3D movies as the driver behind its 17 per cent increase in box office takings. The chain will now roll out an extra 102 3D screens. TV companies are also gambling on 3D to boost profits after a difficult recession. Sky
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But not everyone in gaming is immediately convinced. EA Sports has been experimenting with 3D tech but doesn’t feel it adds value to its line-up. “We are looking at 3D but there are challenges,” said EA Sports president Peter Moore. “I’ve seen a number of our games running in 3D, and
we’re learning that we can’t take the existing camera angles. You have to get lower and have depth of field to actually see it. “You’ve got to look at things differently than just porting to 3D, because 50 per cent of what you are seeing you can’t even tell it’s 3D. I’m not sure it adds value to the experience.” Take-Two CEO Ben Feder added: “The use of 3D needs to be meaningful to the gamer and publishers will need to ask questions. Will it draw players further into my world? Will it change how they interact with the game? Will it make the title more fun and keep the player engaged? The answers need to be ‘yes’ for them to fit into our strategy of being a leader in innovation and quality.”
INCORPORATING
Cloud gaming technology to transform retail by Rob Crossley THIS YEAR’S launch of online streaming service Gaikai will offer publishers and retailers a chance to outdo each other on the emerging digital battleground. And Andrew Gault, cofounder of Gaikai, says the cloud-gaming firm is in deep discussions with big names from both sides of the divide. “We’re speaking to quite a number of retailers, and none of them despise the idea we have,” Gault told MCV this week. Gaikai offers near-immediate access to demos from the click of a banner advert displayed on various websites. It was thought that publishers would be the clearest benefactor from Gaikai – allowing them to sell directly to the consumer. Yet Gault says Gaikai can provide a new, aggressive and effective online strategy for bricks and mortar retail empires. “Gaikai represents a huge change to how publishers and retailers target the market through adverts,” Gault says. “Our service means that online game demos could redirect consumers straight to a retailer’s online store. “They could even redirect straight to a webpage with an in-store discount coupon, which the player would print out and take to a shop to buy the retail edition of the game.” “Retail sees how big digital distribution is getting, and they all want to be part of it – they all have web presence, and they all want to sell online now.” The Gaikai team are now preparing to showcase the service at E3 later this month.
PERSONNEL 36 RETAIL BIZ 39 NEW RELEASES 46 HIGH STREET 48 CHARTS 50
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[LEADER] WAIT AND SEE? THE RUSH TO embrace 3D gaming as a way to reinvigorate the highgrade end of the gaming spectrum is certainly exciting. From the demos I have seen, it really can make triple-A content more compelling. And with many leaders in games psyched up for it, the industry can make a big splash with it at E3. It’s a far cry from the situation a year ago, which just left games like Avatar or early PS3 efforts to kick-start 3D’s place in games. But don’t be surprised if many air their reservations before E3 even begins. 3D is a big ask of people. And I don’t just mean the obvious concern that people don’t want to wear stereoscopic glasses all the time. While there isn’t that much of a huge impact on the bottom line when it comes to turning ‘normal’ games into 3D ones, the burden of cost falls heavily on consumers when it comes to playing them. These games need new vision hardware to run. And who in this climate, after having bought into the HD hype, is willing to buy a new 3D set?
“Could Nintendo’s efforts at the lower end of the 3D games spectrum be the key to unlocking stereoscopic games as a hot property?” I’m sure Screen Digest’s numbers aren’t that far off and that in five years millions of 3D TVs will be sold. But that’s still five years the industry will have to wait for the 3D promise to be fulfilled. In the meantime, 3D gaming might just remain the preserve of only the hardcore gamers willing to splash the cash. But perhaps Nintendo’s efforts at the lower end of the 3D games spectrum is the real key to unlocking stereoscopic games as a hot property. If played right by Nintendo, new handheld 3DS won’t just have a handy effect of rescuing the slumping DS market by introducing new hardware (hopefully with better anti-piracy elements) that consumers must upgrade to. Assuming its 3D elements are impressive enough, the 3DS can help spur consumer demand for these visually deeper games in the home, too. Nintendo’s now guaranteed mass-market reach means it has a bigger audience to make an impression on. As the 3DS includes the three-dimensional screen as standard, it could smooth out the mental leap many will need to make in justifying an upgrade for their screens at home. Of course, there are a lot of ifs there. It’s tricky to make bold predictions about devices few have seen yet without sounding like an idiot. And Nintendo is closely guarding its next handheld until E3. But broadly we can always expect Nintendo hardware to be economic in both design and price, and revolutionary in its impact. All of which sets the 3DS up as being the real driving force behind any switch to 3D gaming. Michael.French@intentmedia.co.uk
‘Online Pass gives great Peter Moore defends divisive pricing plan EA Sports says extra by Christopher Dring EA SPORTS president Peter Moore says the publisher’s controversial Online Pass allows the firm to deliver more and better digital content. Online Pass has proved divisive as it forces players who have bought a second-hand game to spend an extra $10 to unlock the online mode. Consumers that buy games new will not be affected by the initiative, which begins with Tiger Woods 11 next month.
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“Now we are looking at five million people a day on the EA Sports servers, so we have come a long way. “I look at the investment that we make in bringing digital experiences – building solid infrastructure, making sure servers stay up and offering customer support when needed. It all takes time, money and effort and we are at the cutting edge of that. “Online Pass is a way for us to frankly bring more digital experiences quicker. If it is
There is a cost to serve that we deserve to get paid for. $10 feels like a reasonable price for this service. Peter Moore, EA Sports
However Moore says that the sheer number of people using its online service every day is costly – and that secondhand sales have significantly reduced the firm’s catalogue business over recent years. “I remember getting very excited when 1,000 people came online to play NBA 2K on Dreamcast – that was a red letter day for us,” said Moore.
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going to be successful, it is up to us to create compelling, fresh, 365-days a year, digital experiences. And there is a cost to serve that we deserve to get paid for. “We used to do catalogue business, but that has diminished greatly and you can imagine why. $10 feels like a reasonable price for a game that will go on for months and months.”
EA Sports has also told MCV that its digital business has become a primary focus for the company because gamers are generally buying fewer titles than before. EA Sports’ senior VP of worldwide development Andrew Wilson added: “What our consumers are telling us, and the growth that we are seeing, is that the preference
NEW X FACTOR GAME IN THE WORKS?
A MULTIFORMAT X Factor game could be on the cards from TV production firm talkbackThames Digital. The company, which owns the rights to The X Factor and other brands including The Apprentice and Britain’s Got Talent, has told MCV it is working on “games and iPhone apps” for the shows. The firm has previously produced a 3D Grand Designs garden creator program and a Britain’s Got Talent iPhone app with footage and news from the show.
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value for money’
[PRE ORDERS]
TOP 10
charges provide better digital experiences
UNCHARTED 2: PLATINUM PS3, SONY
2. SUPER MARIO GALAXY 2 Wii ....................................NINTENDO
3. LITTLEBIGPLANET 2
Game advertising coalition formed by Dominic Sacco
GUARDING THE PASS: EA Sports’ Peter Moore and Andrew Wilson (inset) say the Online Pass is both a reasonable and necessary measure
now is not to buy lots and lots of games, but to spend more money on fewer games. “In fiscally challenging times, maybe a gamer won’t buy three games anymore, maybe they’ll buy two and spend the other $60 or £30 on extendable content, on experiences they know they love, rather than taking the risk on another product.”
Moore concluded: “On top of everyone’s mind right now is the digitalisation of our business. “FIFA has become the jewel in the crown from the perspective of being able to deliver digital experiences; it broke a lot of ground with Ultimate Team. Refreshing the experience through post-launch content will become more and more important to us.”
LEADING GAME publishers and businesses have formed an in-game advertising steering group with the Internet Advertising Bureau. The collaboration – which includes Sony, Microsoft, IGN, EA, DoubleFusion and IGA Worldwide – will work on developing and promoting ingame advertising in new titles this year such as upcoming 3D PS3 racer Gran Turismo 5. The IAB held an advertising showcase in London last week to promote in-game campaigns. Sony Europe’s head of partnership and marketing Kerry Lee told MCV: “We got
involved with the IAB because in-game advertising has a huge potential going forwards. “We have all sorts of companies coming to us with products. However some brands have already got partnerships with other companies – such as FIFA – which would exclude us from adding further partners.” Lee believes it is important to strike the correct balance of advertising in games in order to avoid frustrating players. “There has to be relevancy in for consumers. We don’t want things to look out of place. In-game advertising should enhance the game.” www.iabuk.net
PS3 ..........................................SONY
4. LEGO HARRY POTTER: COLLECTORS 360 ..............................WARNER BROS
5. CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS PS3 ....................ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
6. STARCRAFT II: LIBERTY PC ......................ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
7. STARCRAFT II: COLLECTORS ED PC ......................ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
8. CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 360 ....................ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
9. FORMULA ONE 2010 (F1) PS3 ..............................CODEMASTERS
10. ASSASSIN’S CREED: BROTHERHOOD PS3 ......................................UBISOFT Week ending: May 29th Source: SHOPTO.COM Turn to page 49 for more pre-order charts from leading online retailers
UK SOFTWARE SALES MONITOR Your weekly guide to the UK games software market… The UK games market slipped slightly this week, down seven per cent in value to £21.9 million and down two per cent in units to 860,304 games sold. Despite the dip, it is actually a strong performance for games, especially with no Red Dead Redemption-sized launch this time around. Once again Rockstar’s Wild West action title dominated the charts, while THQ’s brawler UFC 2010 also performed strongly. Results could slip further next week as there are very few new titles scheduled for release. However, there are a handful of big games scheduled for the rest of June, including Green Day: Rock Band, Super Mario Galaxy 2 and LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4.
[WEEKLY MARKET VALUE]
Total UK Software Sales Source: ELSPA/ChartTrack and Intent Media
25
Week Ending May 29th 2010
£21.9m
20
15
10
5
Red Dead Redemption was the big seller once again last week
0
£15.8m
£23.7m
£21.9m
747,040 Units
876,526 Units
860,304 Units
Week Ending May 15th
Week Ending May 22nd
Week Ending May 29th
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THQ Partners seeking tent-pole hits Publisher hunts high quality games from developers to boost new physical and digital distribution venture by James Batchelor THQ SAYS its new Partners division can help studios produce global ‘tent-pole’ hits. The publisher announced its new partnership initiative last week, which will see THQ offer a range of titles from independent developers and publishers via its online retail distribution network.
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global tent-pole hits,” Walsh told MCV. “My goal is to grow THQ partners to a point where we have a group of studios and developers that we build long term relationships with by leveraging the best of each other’s strengths.” THQ Partners will allow studios to produce and keep ownership of their IP, with the
THQ Partners is looking for all types of games but of course we want high-quality games that will be global hits. Tim Walsh, THQ
The model is akin to EA Partners, which has strong ties with the likes of Crytek, Epic Games, Valve, Insomniac, Respawn and MTV Games. The division is led by Tim Walsh, who joins from IGA Worldwide. “THQ Partners is looking for all types of games, but of course we predominantly want highquality games that will be
ROBERTS AND STICKLER JOIN THQ THQ has appointed industry veteran Adam Roberts as sales director for UK and Ireland. He joins the firm after the closure of D3P (see page 8), where he held the role of European MD. Roberts also previously worked as UK MD for Vivendi.
Meanwhile, the publishing firm has also recruited Richard Stickler as its new export sales and marketing manager. He will begin his new role on Monday, June 7th, and will manage THQ’s business within expanding export territories. He has previously worked at Gem Distribution and is also a trustee of industry charity GamesAid. “After five and a half years in distribution, I’m looking forward to a new challenge with such a great publisher,” said Stickler. “THQ has an exciting future and I cannot wait to be part of the team.”
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option of outsourcing their publishing, distribution and marketing plans to THQ. “THQ has an incredible global publishing team,” added Walsh. “Award-winning sales, marketing and distribution in all the major markets and coverage of every consumer territory.” THQ: 01483 724500
Additional reporting by Dom Sacco and Chris Dring.
PARTNERSHIP PLANS: Tim Walsh is looking for highquality games for THQ to publish
COD gets new UK Argos sees Wii web hike brand manager ACTIVISION has recruited Eric Folliot as the new UK senior brand manager for its Call of Duty franchise. Folliot will be responsible for marketing Call of Duty titles in the UK and Ireland, starting with Black Ops which launches on November 9th. He has helped with the reveal campaign which saw Black Ops take over YouTube’s homepage, directing 9.3 million viewers to the trailer. Folliot told MCV: “Call of Duty is a real passion of mine, and I look forward to growing the franchise in the UK.”
CALL OF DUTY: Folliot adds a wealth of marketing experience
Folliot has more than a decade of marketing experience having worked on leading brands such as Yorkie, Kit Kat, Orangina, Rockstar Energy Drink and Durex. Activision: 020 3060 1000
ARGOS HAS revealed that visits to its website made from Nintendo Wiis have doubled year-on-year, making it the third most popular web browsing device to the retailer. The home catalogue store said visits to Argos.co.uk from Wii consoles increased from 465,000 in 2008 to 805,000 last year. This means the Wii was ahead of all other devices excluding the iPhone, iPod Touch and PC. It proved to be more popular than all other smart phones on the market. Comparatively the iPhone and iPod Touch each generated over a million hits to the Argos
CLICK-TASTIC: Wii visits to Argos.co.uk have soared year-on-year
website. The retailer said this generated a traffic increase of over 600 per cent by the end of 2009. Last week Argos also launched its first iPhone app which allows users to browse
from 25,000 items and buy using its increasingly popular ‘Check & Reserve’ service. The retailer has also announced plans to sell the iPad from September this year. Argos: 0845 124 0044
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Codemasters talks Dirt 3 New title to borrow F1 2010 tech Publisher confident after shifting 1.7m Dirt 2 units by James Batchelor CODEMASTERS is pooling its resources to ensure that the next instalment in its highly successful Dirt franchise will trump last year’s smash hit, Dirt 2. Due to be re-released on June 9th, Dirt 2 has sold more than 1.7 million units worldwide since its launch
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major proportion of players are more casual than ever,” said Codemasters’ brand manager Edward Newby-Robson. “The racing studio is already well underway with the next project and continues to develop the EGO engine and push in-house technology to bring new consumer benefits. “Some features which have as yet not been seen in a
The racing studio is already well underway with the next project and will bring new consumer benefits.
Edward Newby-Robson, Codemasters
back in September. It is the fastest and best-selling game in the series. Codemasters reports that the game significantly expanded the franchise’s audience, and the firm will build on this for Dirt 3 in order to drive the series’ appeal even further. “We know from the stats we can pull from Dirt.net that a
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keeping the mainstream appeal that the broader range of consumers demand.” Newby-Robson went on to add that the next instalment in the Dirt franchise could borrow technology from upcoming racer Formula One 2010, thanks to the EGO engine that powers all of Codemasters’ biggest titles. “The nature of a unified engine means features developed for one franchise will benefit others, so you’ll be
seeing the dynamic effects in Formula One 2010 in future racing titles,” he said. “This sharing and some healthy competition between studios means players will reap the rewards in the next iteration of the Dirt franchise, with even more extreme environment conditions.” The Platinum version of Dirt 2 will be released for PS3 on June 9th. Turn to page 42 for our full preview. Codemasters: 01926 814132
BigBen plans global assault BIGBEN INTERACTIVE will expand heavily across the US and UK in a bid to become the world’s leading accessories giant. The French firm has enjoyed big success across Europe, but lacks a presence in the US. Meanwhile, it has yet to achieve significant market share in the UK after opening an office here in February. BigBen CEO Alain Falc told MCV: “We want to continue to expand worldwide with new innovative products. “Bigben is the market leader in most European countries and Australia but we are not in the US, nor are we very significant in the UK – and this
is very important for us to focus on. “We are number two in the world but if we have success
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off a range of products including peripheral-led games for PlayStation Move, and casual games for iPhone.
If we have success in the UK and US we’ll be number one in the world – what we’re looking for. Alain Falc, BigBen Interactive
in these two countries then we’ll be number one – which is what we’re looking for.” The peripherals specialist will underline its global ambitions by attending E3 later this month, where it will show
EA: Insomniac Games – the PlayStation studio known for the Ratchet & Clank series – has been signed by EA Partners to produce a yet-tobe-revealed Xbox 360 and PS3 title. SONY: The reason for Gran Turismo 5’s recent delays is due to the implementation of 3D and Move-compatibility in the game, according to a source close to the firm.
DIRRTY: Codies keeps faith in its Dirt franchise with a new title
Codemasters Rally Studio game will make a welcome return and, of course, it wouldn’t be a Codies game without some new surprises. “Both the brand and development teams have taken great pains to understand our racing community to ensure that future Dirt titles are built with them in mind, whilst
Sponsored by
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“There will be a lot of opportunity to make new accessories for PlayStation Move,” added Falc. “We’ll be previewing new products behind closed doors at E3 and have even developed
some games that will likely launch next year. “We have produced a range of iPhone accessories and apps including small casual games. It’s very important for us to learn from this market now as digital downloads will become key over the next few years.” BigBen has previously produced a range of popular Marvel and Hello Kitty licensed DS cases alongside PS3 peripheral packs and Wii Balance Boards. The manufacturer is keen to continue its success by launching new accessories across Europe and the US. BigBen: 07787 283 951
SEGA: Another new Sonic the Hedgehog game – titled Sonic Colours – has been announced by Sega and is scheduled for release late this year on Wii and DS. Sonic 4: Episode 1 was recently delayed to the latter half of this year. NAMCO BANDAI: The Witcher 2 will be released in Europe next year. The sequel to Namco Bandai’s acclaimed 2007 RPG will be available on PC. MCV understands the game is also being developed for consoles. GAMESAID: The games industry charity raised £50,000 at its 3rd Annual Golf & Spa Day. Proceeds will go to the Willow Foundation, Special Effects, Winston’s Wish, Action for Kids and the Royal Hospital for Neuro Disability charities. TRADEWEST: Black Bean’s SBK X has been released for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC today.
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Enslaved key to Namco’s Top 5 plan European boss hopes Ninja Theory’s newest adventure can help it become a powerful global publisher by Christopher Dring ACTION EPIC Enslaved is crucial to the realisation of Namco Bandai’s Western dream, the firm has told MCV. The company announced last year that it wants to become one of the top five games publisher worldwide.
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“We want to be a Top Five publisher in the games industry worldwide. “To be one of the key publishers in the future, we need to develop Western, nonJapanese games.” One of the titles Namco Bandai has snapped up is Enslaved, an action adventure
Enslaved is much more than a product. It is a symbol of the future of Namco Bandai. We need this type of game. Olivier Comte, Namco Bandai
But its Japanese-heavy lineup has become a barrier in trying to reach US and European audiences. So following the firm’s acquisition of Atari’s European distribution business last year, Namco Bandai has set about aggressively expanding its portfolio to feature more Western-specific titles. Namco Bandai Partners’ VP of sales, marketing and publishing Olivier Comte said: “We have set ourselves a challenge in widening the Namco Bandai portfolio.
SLAVE LABOUR: Namco Bandai will work hard to make Enslaved one of its biggest IPs
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game developed by talented Cambridge studio, Ninja Theory. “Enslaved is much more than a product, it is the symbol of the future of this company. The game looks incredible, the studio is well-known and everything is on track. “It’s important for consumers to play Enslaved because it could be the benchmark of what we have to make as a company. “In five years Enslaved should be the most important franchise for Namco Bandai. Enslaved 2 and 3 should be our
equivalent of Gran Turismo 5 or Uncharted. “We need to this type of game in each genre and a consistent profile. “Our industry is built on sequels and Enslaved is a tripleA property.” Namco Bandai: 020 8222 9700
D3P OFFICE CLOSES Namco Bandai has closed the D3P office in Cambridge. The news comes after NB acquired D3P last year. The firm has integrated all sales and marketing for titles such as Ben 10 into the main Namco Bandai European offices. D3P will continue to be the label for the publisher’s kids range. Namco Bandai Partners’ VP of sales, marketing and publishing Olivier Comte explained: “The D3P label has a very clear positioning. The D3P business has been fully integrated in Namco Bandai in Europe and will fully focus on kids product.” MCV understands redundancies have been made as a result.
Rising Star backs calls for lower prices THE INDUSTRY must develop new ways to generate revenue from video games, says Rising Star boss Martin Defries. His comments follow last month’s remarks from Namco Bandai Partners VP Olivier Comte, who told MCV that games prices are too high. He also said the industry needs more collaboration between publishers and platform holders as they search for new sources of revenue. The story provoked intense debate on MCVUK.com, and now Rising Star’s MD Martin Defries has praised Comte’s
comments, calling for more publishers to join the cause. “I applaud that Olivier has stimulated such a public debate and for his call to action by publishers,” he said. “We unquestionably need to develop a plan B. “His point that the gaming industry has merely a one shot source of revenues is a long standing concern – one that could be solved if publishers were party to some of the income generated by the tradein market. “It would appear to me that the delivery of less content at lower prices is a likely future.”
PRICE WARS: RSG boss Defries agrees that prices must be changed
Comte suggested the typical RRP for games could be lowered to £20 if gameplay length was reduced to four to five hours, but the Rising Star boss warned that games must maintain their length and quality. “If the debate polarises to merely achieving lower retail prices by combining value for money with the proposed number of gameplay hours then we’re heading in the wrong direction,” said Defries. “Any good game – or any entertainment product – is worth its weight in gold if the playing experience is enjoyable and compelling.”
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FINA REV LISTS EAL ED
TOP DOG: Comedian Rufus Hound will host the event this year
Over 80 companies from across Europe competing for key prizes at July 14th event by Michael French ONE-MAN TEAMS and giant studios will battle it out for 21 accolades at July’s Develop Industry Excellence Awards. The finalists for the summer awards show for European games developers are today unveiled (see full list, right), and over 80 companies from across Europe are competing. Nominees will vie for awards like Best New IP, Visual Arts and Technical Innovation at the event, which will be held at the Hilton Metropole Hotel in Brighton. Sony leads the charge with nine nominations for its various teams in Europe, from R&D Research to its XDev publishing support team in Liverpool. Elsewhere there are five nominations for Split/Second and its developer Black Rock, plus four apiece for Quantic Dream and Rocksteady. Top comic Rufus Hound will host this year’s event, and Autodesk has already signed up as Exclusive Drinks Sponsor.
With four new awards added in 2010, the Develop Awards seek to recognise developers of all shapes and sizes – from tiny teams, to industry giants. Now the finalists are named, an expert panel of 100 games development execs will vote on who they think should win. Develop will also name the winners of the Development Legend and Grand Prix awards on the night of July 14th. Recipients of these special prizes are chosen by Develop after soundings from the industry. Early bird rates on tickets and tables are still open – but only until June 7th – with discounts as big as £500 on tables and 25 per cent on seats. To book your place, contact Kathryn.Humphrey @intentmedia.co.uk, or call 01992 535 646. There are a number of promotional possibilities at the event that include category and award sponsorship. Contact Katie.Rawlings @intentmedia.co.uk for more information on getting involved.
THE FINALISTS CREATIVITY Best New IP Blur (Bizarre Creations) Heavy Rain (Quantic Dream) Alan Wake (Remedy Entertainment) EyePet (SCE London Studio) Backbreaker (NaturalMotion) APB (Realtime Worlds) Split/Second (Black Rock Studios) Best New Download IP Angry Birds (Rovio) VVVVVV (Distractionware) Chime (Zoe Mode) Machinariam (Amanita Design) Orbital (BitForge) Blue Toad Murder Files (Relentless Software) Joe Danger (Hello Games) Best Use of a Licence or IP Batman: Arkham Asylum (Rocksteady Games) Metro 2033 (4A Games) Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (Climax Games) Doctor Who: Adventure Games (Sumo Digital / Revolution) LittleBigPlanet PSP (SCE Cambridge) Aliens vs Predator (Rebellion) Visual Arts Machinarium (Amanita Design) Batman: Arkham Asylum (Rocksteady Games) Alan Wake (Remedy Entertainment) Heavy Rain (Quantic Dream) EyePet (SCE London Studio) Split/Second (Black Rock Studio) Audio Accomplishment Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (EA DICE) Blur (Bizarre Creations) DJ Hero
(FreeStyleGames) Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising (Codemasters) Split/Second (Black Rock Studio) Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (Climax) Batman: Arkham Asylum (Rocksteady Games) Publishing Hero Sega Sony XDev Bigpoint Microsoft Channel 4 BBC TECHNOLOGY & SERVICES Technical Innovation Heavy Rain (Quantic Dream) Sony Augmented Reality (EyePet/Invizimals) Unity Bigpoint Split/Second Hustle Kings Tools Provider Autodesk Scaleform Havok Hansoft SCE (R&D/SN Systems /PlayStation Home) Audiokinetic Dolby Engine Unity Unreal Engine 3 Gamebryo Lightspeed CryEngine Trinity Vision Services Universally Speaking Babel Audiomotion Catalyst Sheridans Testology Testronic Labs
Image Metrics Realtime UK Imagination Studios Recruitment Company Handle Natural Selection Amiqus OPM Aardvark Special Move STUDIOS Best New Studio Lightning Fish VooFoo Hello Games Six to Start Wonderland 4A Games NaturalMotion Micro Studio Startfruit Mobigame Amanita Design Binary Tweed Hello Games Tag Games Distractionware Handheld Studio Rovio Rockstar Leeds Novaroma SCE Cambridge Ideaworks Game Studios Digital Goldfish Business Development Avalanche Sony XDev Eutechnyx Blitz 1UP X2 Games – Exient NDreams In-House Studio Rocksteady Games Bizarre Creations Black Rock Studio SCE London Studio Sports Interactive Creative Assembly Codemasters
Audio Outsourcer Outsource Media UK SIDE Richard Jacques Studios Nimrod Media Mill Audio Guys High Score Productions
Independent Studio Quantic Dream Sumo Digital Remedy Entertainment Jagex Red Lynx Realtime Worlds
Visual Outsourcer SPOV TV Axis Animation
SPECIAL RECOGNITION Development Legend Grand Prix
HarryP_Poster DSP Reveal AD_2:TOY NEWS AD_A 01/06/2010 12:23 Page 1
“Mosted Wanted 5/5”
“It’s Wand-erful”
– GamesMaster
–– Official Official Nintendo Nintendo Magazine Magazine
LEGO HARRY POTTER: YEARS 1-4 software © 2010 TT Games Publishing Ltd. Produced by TT Games under license from the LEGO Group. LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Brick and the Knob configurations and the Minifigure are trademarks of the LEGO Group. © 2010 The LEGO Group. “ ”, “PlayStation”, “PS3”, “ ” and “PSP” are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Trademarks are property of their respective owners. Nintendo and Wii are trademarks of Nintendo. Windows, the Windows Vista Start button and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies, and ‘Games for Windows’ and the Windows Vista Start button logo are used under license from Microsoft. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
HARRY POTTER characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of and © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © JKR. WB GAMES LOGO, WB SHIELD:™ & © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s10)
HarryP_Poster DSP Reveal AD_2:TOY NEWS AD_B 01/06/2010 12:20 Page 1
“…LEGO Harry Potter may be the best kids game ever” –– Virgin Virgin Media Media
“Tremendously “Tremendously exciting” exciting” –– BBC BBC Radio Radio 11
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NEWS
EK E W E H T F O N IG A P CAM LAXY 2 SUPER MARIO GA One of the most loved titles of all time is getting the stellar marketing drive it deserves, including a huge TV campaign...
RELEASED: JUNE 11 FORMATS: WII PUBLISHER: NINTENDO DEVELOPER: NINTENDO EAD PRICE: £39.99 DISTRIBUTOR: OPEN CONTACT: 01753 483000
See you at E3? Babel will be in the Concourse Hall, Booth 6103, call for a meeting! Babel can help with; ·Gameplay and focus testing ·Functionality QA testing ·English Audio recording ·Localised Audio recording ·Translation ·Print ·Localisation QA testing ·Compliance QA testing ·Dedicated Natal test lab ·Submission Readiness
TV TV activity will be integral to all phases of Super Mario Galaxy 2, with advertising running pre and post-launch making it Nintendo’s biggest Mario campaign ever. Pre-launch there will be a 60-second trailer that showcases the features of Super Mario Galaxy 2. This has been shown around key event programming such as the final episode of Lost. From the week of launch the game will take over TV with massive three-week ad campaign covering terrestrial and multichannel. Accompanying this will be a separate ad for kids TV, targeting children for the summer holidays. A second burst of TV will run for two weeks in July to keep Super
Mario Galaxy 2 fresh in consumers’ minds. CINEMA A 60-second trailer will be running in Silver Spots across major cinema releases pre-launch. This trailer will also be shown on key event programming as well as on Sky Box Office. ONLINE Pre-launch, Mario will be taking over all major gaming sites, spreading the word about the release of Super Mario Galaxy 2. The creative will be a treat for all gamers and Mario fans alike. IN-STORE A huge POS campaign will feature all the greatest moments from the game.
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Shrek Forever After ™ & © 2010 DreamWorks Animation L.L.C. Shrek is a registered trademark of DreamWorks Animation L.L.C. Game © 2010 Activision Publishing, Inc. Activision is a registered trademark of Activision Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. ‘2’ , ‘PlayStation’, ‘PS3’ and ‘ ’ are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. ‘ ’ is a trademark of the same company. All Rights Reserved. Nintendo DS and Wii are trademarks of Nintendo. Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
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MCV INTERVIEW OLIVIER COMTE, VP OF SALES, MARKETING & PUBLISHING, NAMCO BANDAI
Namco Levels Up Namco Bandai showed an impressive release slate in Barcelona last month at its pre-E3 ‘Level Up’ event. Christopher Dring talks to VP of sales, marketing and publishing Olivier Comte to discuss the company’s dream of becoming a Top Five global publisher… You’re setting out a new vision for NBP in Europe. Can you summarise it for us? Namco Bandai has a vast heritage in the games industry, with Pac-Man, Soul Calibur, Ridge Racer and so on. But it has never had a strong task force in Europe. Because of this, we acquired part of Atari’s European business to form Namco Bandai Partners. We have set ourselves a challenge in widening the Namco Bandai portfolio. We want to be a major company – a top five publisher – in the games industry worldwide. But we cannot do that with the current portfolio, which is mainly focused on Japanese games. We have
Dragonball and Naruto, which are great licences that do well in some territories. But in places like the UK, we have an issue in trying to launch them.
“
business is a sign that they need and want to grow. To run 16 offices globally costs a lot – to fulfil this potential we need to have a large and good portfolio.
In five years Enslaved should be the most important franchise for Namco Bandai. Enslaved 2 and 3 should be our Gran Turismo. Oliver Comte, Namco Bandai
To be one of the key publishers in the future, we need to develop Western, non-Japanese games. The fact that Namco Bandai has made the full acquisition of Atari’s distribution
”
We want to have games for kids and we want to be in the third person shooter, real-time strategy, first-person shooter and racing market. We want to be in every genre.
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MCV INTERVIEW OLIVIER COMTE, NAMCO BANDAI PARTNERS
COMING SOON… Namco Bandai showed off some of its top titles at its pre-E3 press event in Barcelona, here is a run down of its key upcoming titles for 2010… DEMON’S SOULS Formats: PS3 Release: June 25th
DRIVING SUCCESS: Test Drive Unlimited 2 hits retail in autumn and boasts unique online MMO-like gameplay
Only available in limited quantities, Demon’s Souls is a critically acclaimed RPG.
SPLATTERHOUSE Formats: PS3, 360 Release: Q3
The gory arcade classic returns in 3D and combines beat ‘em up gameplay with buckets of blood.
ENSLAVED Formats: Xbox 360 PS3 Release: Autumn 2010
The post-apocalyptic action adventure is shaping up to be Namco Bandai’s biggest Western release of the year.
Is Enslaved a good example of your commitment to creating Western IP? For me Enslaved is much more than a product, it is the symbol of the future of this company. The game looks incredible, the studio is well-known and everything is on track. However, we need more consumer awareness. It’s important for consumers to play Enslaved because it could be the benchmark of what we have to make as a company. In five years Enslaved should be the most important franchise for Namco Bandai. Enslaved 2 and Enslaved 3 should be our Gran Turismo or Uncharted. We need to have this type of game in each genre and make a portfolio that is consistent. Our industry is built on sequels so we need to create franchises and Enslaved is a triple-A. But you still have a lot of Japanese, anime products on your slate. Are they hard to sell in Europe? In many European countries – such as France and Spain – consumers eat, sleep and live manga licences. However, the UK culture is quite different. I am convinced there is a market for these games in the UK. We know that the potential isn’t as big as it is in other territories, but there is absolutely a community in the UK for Dragon Ball and Naruto, and it is up to the UK office to work with this community. The problem is these franchises are not on UK TV anymore, so they don’t perform as well as they used to.
Going by your latest financials, is it fair to say that last year was a difficult year for Namco Bandai? Whenever a company makes losses, it is a difficult year. But I don’t think many companies in this market made profit last year – apart from maybe Activision. During this difficult time, Namco Bandai took the opportunity to make two acquisitions. One was the former distribution part of Atari, which was a major acquisition because you are buying a huge business with many offices and staff. The other was publisher D3P that has titles such as Ben 10. It was hard but it was a time when Namco Bandai moved to secure growth and a strong line-up.
“
The thing that has complicated the company is managing our inventory at retail. DS and Wii sales just stopped, and it cost our company a lot of money trying to manage that. Namco Bandai bought a distribution business for boxed product just as everyone focuses on digital. Why do this, and what are your thoughts on digital downloads? Today digital is a significant part of PC gaming. We are a Japanese company and Japanese companies are not known for PC titles. But we need to have a product on every platform – including PC – so in that sense digital will start to become more important for Namco
One of the reasons the DS collapsed is piracy, and the average quality of a DS game is very bad. Oliver Comte, Namco Bandai
What’s the future of the D3P label? D3P label has a very clear positioning. The D3P business has been fully integrated into Namco Bandai in Europe and will fully focus on kids product. And how did Namco Bandai perform in Europe specifically? We are not communicating on these figures. We are of course suffering from the market, but honestly we were very close to our forecasts.
”
Bandai. There is better margin and using a digital platform gives us direct access to the consumer. But in terms of console, it is a little bit too early to say. The only real business model for digital on consoles is DLC because the consumer will always want to have the box because it is an expensive thing. I think that today we are seeing the first big crisis of the video games industry. There is less money, there’s a
'03 "-- &/26*3*&4 1-&"4& $0/5"$5 50. ."40/ 0/
©Disney/Pixar. Trademarks are property of their respective owners. Nintendo DSi and Wii are trademarks of Nintendo. “ ”, “Playstation”, “PS3”, “ ” , and “ ” are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. Apple, the Apple logo, iPod, iPod touch, and iTunes are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. iPhone is a trademark of Apple Inc. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Product names and/or visuals shown are of product currently in development and may be subject to change.
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MCV INTERVIEW OLIVIER COMTE, NAMCO BANDAI PARTNERS
NUMBER ONE: Namco Bandai says Enslaved could become its benchmark franchise
COMING SOON… TEST DRIVE UNLIMITED 2 Formats: Xbox 360, PS3, PC Release: Autumn 2010
Atari’s open world racer features an online mode akin to MMOs.
FAMILY TRAINER: TREASURE ADVENTURE Formats: Wii Release: Autumn 2010
The third in the party game series features a full adventure mode.
AND THE REST… On top of the above, Namco’s release schedule also features Project Runway for Wii (June 18th), Dragon Ball Z: Origins 2 for DS (July 2nd), PSP flight sim Ace Combat: Joint Assault (July 30th) RPG puzzler for DS Puzzle Quest II (summer), multiformat action adventure Ben 10 Ultimate Alien: Cosmic Destruction (autumn), DS RPG Blue Dragon: Awakened Shadow (September), Xbox 360 and PS3 Manga fighter Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 (autumn), Dragon Ball Z: Raging Blast 2 for 360 and PS3 (autumn) and Dragon Ball Z Tenkaichi Tag Team for PSP (autumn). Meanwhile in 2011 retail can look forward to more titles including Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom for PS3 and 360, Inversion for PS3 and 360, God Eater for PSP and fantasy horror Knights Contract for PS3 and 360.
high level of piracy, if you go into retail you’ll see 80 per cent of the shelf is made up of second-hand. And there is now a system of new downloadable sales that is becoming very strong. I feel all the big video game companies need to join together in a worldwide summit to discuss the future of our industry. We need to discuss with the first parties about the huge difficulties behind the current retail system. It is impossible for a publisher to make money on a £15 DS game, for example. We have to sell that game to retail for lower than that price and we have to pay all the marketing, production and distribution costs. This just isn’t a viable business model. So what we need to do is discuss with first party and retail about their vision of digital sales and the future of the business. What do you think the solution is? I think that games are too expensive. With the cost of development and the retail margin, £40 is a fair price, but for the consumer it is too much. From September to December there are three new blockbusters every week, and consumers just can’t afford to buy them all. I feel a good price of a game should be around £20. But for this price we won’t be able to make a ten to 15 hour adventure. So for £20 we should offer consumers four-to-five hours of gameplay, then after that we can make
additional money by selling DLC. This is one route the industry will look to explore for sure. Has the bubble burst for the Wii and DS? It’s a tough market. DS is the most successful platform ever, but all my kids’ friends at school have a DS with an R4. They have 100 games for no money. So yes, the market has collapsed for the DS and Wii. I am very sad about this. One of the reasons the DS collapsed is piracy, it is very clear, but also it is a fantastic
“
games developed for the Japanese market, so we look at the ones we feel has potential, and as the development cost is already paid for, we just need to localise the product. We will not do this for every PSP game, but if the game’s quality is good then we will invest in it. I think it would be a mistake globally not to have a good PSP line-up. If others won’t invest in PSP, then maybe there’s an opportunity there. Square Enix and Tecmo Koei have expanded across Europe. Why are
I think that games are too expensive. After development costs £40 is a fair price, but for the consumer it is too much. Oliver Comte, Namco Bandai
machine and very easy to develop for. It was possible for three kids in a garage to make a game for it. We had a lot of product, and the average quality of a game on DS and Wii is very, very bad. So in the mind of the consumer today, to buy a DS or Wii game is to buy a game that isn’t very good. You’ve got several properties for PSP – why support this platform? We are a Japanese company and PSP is very strong in that country. God Eater has shifted 600,000 copies in Japan alone. We have quite a number of PSP
”
many Japanese publishers opening offices in Europe? There is a big difference between having a sales office in London and having a distributor in every European territory. It is very expensive to have such a large taskforce and develop enough titles to fulfil your network. And it is clear that the market isn’t heading in this direction – it is heading towards consolidation. As other companies reduce their task force and look for one big partner in Europe, that can be us. Our resource and access to retail is unmatched.
Disney_penguins Layout_Layout 1 20/05/2010 14:04 Page 1
The Penguins are back with all new missions and mini-games! Penguin: b lu C , s ie r e s e in the The ďŹ rst gam nomenon e h p a s a w , e Forc Elite Penguin DS chart e h t n o 1 # d UK alone e h It reache t in s it n u er 1/4 million It sold ov
Coming 18th June
For all enquiries please contact Tom Mason on 0121 625 3818 Š Disney. Trademarks are property of their respective owners. Nintendo and Nintendo DSi are trademarks of Nintendo.
MOTH E R LAN D.SE
I will bring
y t i l i b a t i f more pro to you and
your market!
Mikael Brodén is our Vice President
At the age of 31, Mikael has already been in the games industry for 10 years. He comes equipped with a firm will and takes great pleasure when deadlines are met. Aiming at a marathon sooner rather than later, you’re likely to find him out running in a nearby forest in the early mornings. A proud father of two, looking forward to soccer tournaments and piano lessons with his kids. “–What I have come to realize through the years as export sales manager is that our export is far from just games. It is well-working concepts and set-ups tailored for you and your profitability. Our clients saw that our solutions increased their profit and we realized that this was too good to be held within the borders of our nation. A business model that worked great in Sweden is now an array of different concepts for almost every market and every type of business.” Having a taste for wine and healthy food, Mikael gladly discuss these topics including training, and opportunities to implement Game Outlets various concepts at new markets.
Come and meet Mikael at E3! He’s a big part of our team in the Game Outlet stand, #529 in the South Hall. Game Outlet is Europe’s leading provider of overstocks and close-outs for all platforms. The company’s portfolio includes products from the world’s leading interactive entertainment developers. Working in 45 countries Game Outlet supplies the market with more than 6 000 000 games every year. Game Outlet Europe AB Switchboard +46 54 85 47 50 E-mail info@gameoutlet.se Web www.gameoutlet.se
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WHAT NEXT FOR CALL OF DUTY?
Back in Black This year’s Call of Duty title, Black Ops, is already shaping up to be one of the biggest releases of the year. James Batchelor speaks to Josh Olin of developer Treyarch about plans to top Modern Warfare 2… FOLLOWING THE phenomenal success of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is no easy task. The game smashed sales records and outperformed other major entertainment brands, such as Avatar and Harry Potter. Six months after MW2 hit shelves, the FPS still has yet to fall out of the All Formats Top 10 – despite the wealth of blockbusters that has been released since. But then again, following the original Modern Warfare was just as challenging, and Treyarch more than held their own. The studio’s 2008 hit Call of Duty: World At War more than doubled the week one sales of its predecessor and has gone on to sell over 11 million units worldwide. With such a triumph under its belt, the pressure is on for Treyarch to shine again with this year’s Call of Duty outing, Black Ops. BLACK MAGIC
Most of the pressure on the developer comes from within. The team has been pushing itself to deliver a title worthy of the Call of Duty brand that also redefines what consumers can expect from the multi-million selling series.
“We’re always trying to make the best game we can possibly make, and Black Ops really is the best title Treyarch has ever created,” says Josh Olin, the studio’s community manager. “Modern Warfare 2 was an extremely successful entertainment launch, and yeah it ratcheted the bar up for us. But every Call of Duty has done the same for the ones that follow it, so
“
publishing giants are gunning for Activision’s FPS crown this Christmas, including EA with Medal of Honor and Take-Two with Spec Ops: The Line – as well as Ubisoft’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier in early 2011. “There’s a lot of great competition,” Olin concedes. “But Black Ops is going to stand out in true Call of Duty fashion.
The situation at Infinity Ward is unfortunate but we’re still focused on our charge – to make the best game we can.
we’re just ratcheting up that bar one step further. “It motivates us to do better work, and our focus has always been on doing the best work we can, as well as pleasing the fans. “It’s a huge game. It’s got an epic, deep single-player campaign, an awesome dedicated co-operative mode and an extremely deep and rich multiplayer mode.” Black Ops won’t only have to match the success of its forebears. Several
Josh Olin, Treyarch
”
“People generally identify Call of Duty as a leading franchise for shooters in general, they see them as really well produced titles. When they see Black Ops, they’re going to see a really wellwrapped product and I think it’s going to exceed their expectations.” COLD FEAT
Another advantage Black Ops has going for it is its rarely-visited setting. With the battlefields of World War II and more contemporary conflicts, the
newest Call of Duty puts players on the frontlines of the Cold War. “The Cold War is something that hasn’t really been done in the Call of Duty series – or games in general for that matter,” says Olin. “A lot of people have this misconception about the Cold War being just that: a cold war. They believe there was no conflict. But while we were researching this, we began to learn about these deniable operations that black ops teams would go on all around the world. “We discovered these stories of key missions that struck us as fascinating gameplay possibilities, and Call of Duty: Black Ops will really capture that really awesome, intense black operations spirit of the Cold War.” Early rumours surrounding the seventh entry in the Call of Duty series suggested that Black Ops would be set in Vietnam, and while the war-torn Asian land will be present, the Cold War theme also allows Treyarch to incorporate other exotic locales. Consumers can expect to traipse through the likes of Cuba, South America, the Arctic and Russia, making Black Ops potentially the most
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WHAT NEXT FOR CALL OF DUTY?
FROM THE SHADOWS: Treyarch says Black Ops will stand out from the competition with intense operations set during the Cold War
geographically varied Call of Duty to date. But the chosen conflict doesn’t only affect the aesthetics. By putting gamers in charge of a covert operations team, Treyarch has opened the gameplay to new styles. While Olin assures that fans that they’ll still have the intense battles and actionpacked sequences the series is known for, they can also tackle each mission more strategically this time around. “It’s going to be very well paced with the covert black operations theme and we can really build the tension, so gamers understand what’s on the line: they can’t be discovered or missions will be compromised,” he explains. “But then in true Call of Duty fashion, if an alarm is tripped they’re going to have a much more explosive battle on their hands and it will be more familiar for a Call of Duty player. “The important thing is that they can play missions in two different ways: they can take the stealthy route or the run and gun, explosive approach. This variety that we’re going for is not only going to immerse players in the story that we’re trying to tell, but it’s also going to allow for a great replayability in the single-player mode.” Call of Duty is already the epitome of a mainstream success, but Treyarch’s new take on the gameplay structure opens Black Ops to an even broader
demographic, enticing those who were deterred by previous, more intense COD rollercoasters – something that stands to make this the most appealing title in the series so far. “If you look at the Call of Duty franchise and all of its past games, Black Ops really is the first of its kind,” adds Olin. “Call of Duty has done the World War thing, it’s done the modern thing, so this is a really fresh form of playing. “It’ll also be the only Cold War shooter coming out this year, so
“
With multiplayer a key selling point for Black Ops, Olin was quick to assure fans that Activision and Treyarch would not be employing a similar system to that of THQ’s UFC Undisputed 2010 and EA’s recently announced Online Pass. However, the practise of supplying a one-time code to unlock the online multiplayer is one that intrigues Treyarch. “We don’t plan to do anything like that for Black Ops, but it is interesting to see how that’s going to work out for EA and THQ,” says Olin. “It’s no secret
When people see Black Ops they’re going to see a wellwrapped product that I think will exceed expectations.”
obviously that’s going to inherently help us stand apart from the crowd.” DUTY CALLS
That’s not to say Treyarch will be straying far from the award-winning, multi-million selling Call of Duty formula. In addition to the single-player campaign, the game will once again have a variety of multiplayer options – building on everything that made World At War and Modern Warfare 2’s modes so popular – as well as a dedicated fourplayer co-operative campaign.
Josh Olin, Treyarch
”
that pre-owned game sales do pose problems for developers and publishers, so it’ll be interesting how well that works to mitigate that issue.” It’s one of many decisions that face Treyarch in the six months that lie between now and the launch of Black Ops. Given the recent headline-grabbing news surrounding Infinity Ward – the departure of former bosses Jason West and Vince Zampella and the subsequent exodus of key personnel – all eyes are currently on Treyarch to help safeguard the future of the Call of Duty franchise.
And while Olin and his colleagues are all too aware of the recent developments at their sister studio, he is keen to stress that it hasn’t resulted in any additional pressure on the production of the highly-anticipated Black Ops. “The situation at Infinity Ward is unfortunate,” Olin says. “It’s just not something we want to let distract us or that we really think about too much. “We’re still focused on our primary charge – to make the best game we possibly can – so we’re just keeping our heads down and staying focused. We’re really sprinting towards that finish line of November 9th.” With Infinity Ward’s situation inevitably drawing even more attention to Call Of Duty and its next instalment, Treyarch actually faces the ideal opportunity to further shed the ‘B Team’ image that some are all too eager to brand the studio with. Olin is confident that the studio can meet this challenge. “We’re going to let Black Ops speak for itself and let the fans judge it on its own merits.,” he said. “Call of Duty is a big franchise and I have no doubt that it’s going to be a big year for us. Black Ops is a huge game with something for everyone.” With plenty of tricks up its sleeves, it’s undeniable that Black Ops is shaping up to be one of this year’s biggest titles.
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FRANCHISE FOCUS: INTERNATIONAL CRICKET
No rest for the wicket Less than a year after it topped the charts with Ashes Cricket 2009, Codemasters is readying a new cricket blockbuster. James Batchelor asks the firm if International Cricket 2010 can live up to Ashes’ success… Ashes 2009 was one of Codemasters biggest successes last year. What do you attribute this to? Hayley Holland, Brand Director: It sounds like a bit of a cliché but it was a case of a great product, right time, right place and a highly targeted marketing campaign. And England winning kept the hype going of course. How can International Cricket 2010 follow up this success? Can it top it? Leon Sanders, Brand Manager: In many ways IC2010 represents the game we strived for with Ashes 2009. We had been prototyping new features like Action Cam and Power Stick but wanted to perfect them before releasing them to the public. We have also listened to the feedback provided by consumers last year and incorporated this into the game, along with many additional enhancements. We’re confident that it’s the most authentic and accessible cricket game yet. How will you be promoting IC 2010 to cricket fans? Leon Sanders: Thanks to the close relationship with the England and Wales Cricket Board and Cricket Australia, we have an incredible line-up of partnership activities scheduled. One of the most exciting is our game trailer being present on the big screens at all major grounds right through the summer. You’ll have cricket fans paying to watch cricket and being shown the latest game starring players they’ve come to see. There will also be a highly targeted online and community campaign and a large outdoor push.
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How will you promote it to other consumers or non-gamers? Will the success of Ashes be reflected in the marketing? Leon Sanders: We will have an extensive outdoor campaign and this is complimented by national and local radio advertising, competitions and more. One of the most exciting
CODEMASTERS UMPIRES: Brand director Hayley Holland and brand manager Leon Sanders talk Cricket
elements in the mix with IC2010 is our partnership with England all-star Stuart Broad who is endorsing the game and featuring on the cover. As well as being a key member of the successful England one day and test sides, Stuart is an avid gamer and has that elusive star appeal that will help us reach the broader audience. Codemasters has become synonymous with quality cricket games, and our creative includes the line ‘from the makers of Ashes 2009’ to make
Ashes 2009 has shown how what is regarded as a niche sporting game can break out to mainstream success. Leon Sanders, Codemasters sure fans of last year’s product are ensured of a great game. Last year’s cricket title was boosted by public interest in the actual Ashes contest. With the Twenty20 World Cup all but over, how will International Cricket fare without a major tournament to boost interest? Leon Sanders: The fact that England won the Twenty20 World Cup is obviously a huge win for us and a boost ahead of a long summer of high profile fixtures. As you will see in the creative,
this year’s game has an increased focus on the shorter forms of cricket, alongside the purist drama of test matches. We are the only game providing players with the opportunity to play-out the great moments from the World Cup, along with the major fixtures throughout the summer. It’s also worth noting that the England vs Australia one day series takes place around our release and after the crushing World Cup defeat, it’s sure to provide compelling ‘grudge match’ viewing and heightened interest around the sport.
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Codemasters is the market leader in the cricket genre and has been for years. What do you attribute this success to? Leon Sanders: I think the answer here is simple; we make the most authentic, exciting representation of the sport. Second to that we make it fun and accessible to play. Ashes 2009 has shown how, what a lot of people regard as a niche sporting game can break out to mainstream success. Hayley Holland: Codemasters has built a reputation on a steady and continuous
delivery of great quality Cricket games. However, we are not complacent – we will continue to look to improve the experience to meet and exceed our customers needs. Cricket is predominantly popular with UK consumers. How well did the Ashes perform overseas? Leon Sanders: Cricket on the Wii performed way above our expectation in Australia, something we are delighted about. To ensure IC2010 performs well in Australia again this year, the legendary Ricky Ponting will be gracing the cover of the Australian SKUs, building on our longstanding relationship with him. To appeal to fans from around the world, we feature 16 international teams. What steps have you taken to improve the overseas performance of IC 2010? Hayley Holland: We continue to work with our overseas partners to ensure we are delivering a product and marketing strategy that works for them. Again, it’s about building on the foundation we left behind with our last game and it’s a solid foundation. So the opportunity is to continually grow and that’s what we aim to do.
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INDIE PROFILE
Barking up the right tree Leading our next batch of profiles on leading UK independents is Barkman Computers, an indie with more than 20 years of experience. James Batchelor reports... [FACTFILE] FOUNDED: 1987 LOCATION: KINGSTON UPON THAMES OWNER: NICK ELLIOT STORE COUNT: ONE CONTACT: 0208 546 5941
IT’S A TESTAMENT to your business when your one and only outlet has survived longer than many of the platform holders that supplied you with products when you first set up shop. Barkman Computers has been a fixture in Kingston Upon Thames since 1987, and over the past twenty three years it has seen everything from the fall of Sega’s console business to the rise of PlayStation and Xbox. Along the way, the store has continued to do what it does best: sell games. And despite the advantages its chain rivals have, customers still rely on Barkman, for both new releases, but also for friendly customer service. Of course, the store’s founder Nick Elliot is the first to admit that, as an indie, Barkman hasn’t always been able to match the likes of GAME and HMV. Catering for every release is impractical, but through carefully selective stock management, he’s managed to turn a profit where it matters. “A lot of the time, it is a matter of availability,” he says. “One of the biggest problems we have is when national accounts have exclusive ownership, or tin boxes or additional content. On those levels we just can’t compete, but we do what we can.
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“There are a few titles that we will skip over during the course of the year if we feel they are too dominated. But at the end of the day we often have to stock them for our customers or risk reducing our presence.” Barkman Computers also stays afloat by offering a number of alternative services that appeal to loyal customers and more. The store provides custom PC builds that have proven to be
further afield,” says Elliot. “A lot of our local retail customers will browse our website, pick up products, and we just launched a new version of our site and it is working quite nicely.” The recent relaunch is further proof of how keen Elliot is to adapt with the times and keep Barkman relevant in an increasingly onlinecentric world. With digital distribution becoming more prominent within the industry, he is already looking for opportunities to adapt Nick Elliot, Barkman Computers when the need arises. “I’d certainly like to do something in popular with gamers, and even a variety digital,” says Elliot. “It would be of local businesses. For these, Barkman interesting to see what anyone could supplies a wide range of PC equipment, offer an independent who wanted to get such as printers, monitors and so forth, into that. The digital market could still which helps keep Elliot’s team busy in drive hardware sales and accessories the quiet weeks. sales for us. “But in the digital sector it should be BARKING ONLINE a premium price. If you want to buy a Like many indies, the company also has pint of milk at 3am in the morning, you a healthy presence online, with a website don’t pay the same price as you do in that works alongside the store to ensure the supermarkets. that locals are able to get all of the “The record industry makes a mistake gaming and PC products they need. in letting iTunes being so cutthroat. The “It is a key part of what we do, both retail price point in stores really should for our customers that are local and be the same price as what the publishers
It would be interesting to see what anyone could offer an independent who wants to get into digital.
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are charging for the digital version.” With Elliot expressing an interest in expanding Barkman Computers’ presence and services online, does he have any plans to build on the retail side of the business? “We have no ambitions to add anymore stores,” he says. “I’m quite happy to have the one unit and make it a destination store.” Now in its 23rd year of business, Barkman Computers is one of the UK’s longest-running games indies, and Elliot is keen to share his decades of experience with fellow indies. While Barkman stands as an example of how a store can survive anything this rapidly-changing industry can throw at it, the store’s owner still holds true to a more important message. “Look after your customers, offer great customer support and respect the customer,” he says.
TOP 20 UK INDIES MCV and Nindie.com offer a rundown of the best indie game stores in the UK.
Visit tinyurl.com/top20indies or turn to page 14 in MCV 587.
© 2009 The Codemasters Software Company Limited (“Codemasters”). All rights reserved. “Codemasters”® and the Codemasters logo are registered trademarks owned by Codemasters. “International Cricket 2010”TM is a trademark of Codemasters. The Cricket Australia logo on this product is a trade mark of, and used under licence from, the owner Cricket Australia by whom all copyright and other rights of reproduction are reserved. © 1997-2006 ECB. ECB, England Cricket, cricket ball imagery, the 3 lions logo, ECB logo and England Cricket logo are trade marks (or where relevant registered trade marks) of the ECB. The MCC Monogram is a trade mark of Marylebone Cricket Club. All other copyrights or trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are being used under license. Developed by Trickstar Games and published by Codemasters. “2”, “PlayStation”, “PS3” and “À” are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft.
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INDIE PROFILE
Simply the best As online independent, Simply Games faces different challenges to its bricks and mortar brothers, trying to stand out in a crowded retail landscape. James Batchelor reports...
[FACTFILE] FOUNDED: 1998 LOCATION: N/A OWNER: NEIL MUSPRATT STORE COUNT: ONE WEBSITE CONTACT: WWW.SIMPLYGAMES.COM
THE VIRTUAL High Street is just as challenging an arena as the real one, but it hasn’t deterred the myriad of independent firms that have strived to establish themselves online. Simply Games is one of the online independent sector’s biggest success stories. The site itself rivals web giants such as Play.com and Amazon in terms of professional appearance, service and accessibility – not bad for something run by no more than eight full-time staff and a couple of freelancers. More importantly, the site has proven to be one of the most financially successful independents, with its growth in recent years in direct contrast to the decline of some bricks and mortar indies. And the team is confident this will only improve further. “We would hope to double the business of Simply Games this year,” says Simply Games owner Neil Muspratt. “We have doubled the business last year and we did it the year before as well – which was the year I took over. So every single year we have doubled the business and I can’t see a reason why we can’t do that again this year, despite the recent downturn.” Of course, finding success online is never easy. In the relatively young world of internet retail, there are innumerable obstacles that face ambitious companies and even more competitors vying for the same goals. However,
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Simply Games focuses mostly on two threats. “There are two key challenges that have developed over the last few years,” says Muspratt. “The first challenge is price, in terms of how aggressive the pricing is and how easy it is to get good price comparison. “Added to that – and this is a compliment to all of our competitors – but even some of the independent websites are run extremely well. Therefore, it gives customers a broader range of shopping options and makes
future purchases,” he explains. “There are more and more new people coming to online retailers all of the time. “We drive our business through hardware, because once you have sold a customer a console then you have recruited a valuable person who will come back to buy further accessories and games. “In terms of hardware sales, we shift tens of thousands of units every year – and the majority of them will be to new customers. By servicing Neil Muspratt, Simply Games that first sale well, then you can hope to have that customer come back to you.” the whole internet environment even He also stresses that it’s important to more competitive. create your own offering online, not to “But equally the online sector has match that of your rivals. As with High grown significantly to support that. Street stores, there are opportunities There is a bigger pie for us all to share.” open to larger, more established companies that aren’t available to indies SIMPLY’S SLICE – the trick is to adapt and focus on what So how can Simply Games – or any online strengths an indie does have. indie, for that matter – possibly hope to “Having had 20 years of experience compete with the companies that in the games industry, it is very easy for dominate the web? Muspratt believes me to spot when there is a particular that the answers lies in the same place deal going on between a particular as High Street indies: the customers. retailer and a publisher,” says Muspratt. “Once we have recruited a customer, “Our policy is not to be the cheapest on we try and keep them and encourage everything all of the time. We select our
We select our fights carefully, and go aggressively on products if we know we can win.
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fights carefully, and go aggressively on specific products if we know we can win.” In fact, this is the single most important piece of advice Muspratt would give to fellow indies. As retail becomes increasingly crowded – both online and off – price matching on all products is no longer a surefire way to stay competitive or profitable. “The most sensible, commercial thing for an indie to do is not to try and fight every fight,” he says. “We are extremely careful when selecting the fights we want to get involved with. “There is little point in entering the arena with a product we are losing money on. We could build a volume business all day long and make no money. Our mantra is to try and make sure that everything we do we try and make money.” Which, given the site’s rate of turnover growth, has clearly been working out well for Simply Games.
TOP 20 UK INDIES MCV and Nindie.com offer a rundown of the best indie game stores in the UK.
Visit tinyurl.com/top20indies or turn to page 14 in MCV 587.
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PERSONNEL
Cross leaves Asda games next week Retail exec takes charge of baby products Gusto Games hires 11 Game Outlet gets new vice president ASDA DUNCAN CROSS will leave the supermarket’s games team on June 7th and take up a new role as head of the baby category. Cross’ role as buying manager for games will come to an end after four impressive years. Music, video and games category director FERGAL GARA said: “Under Duncan’s leadership, we’ve enjoyed a fantastic period of growth. “It is easy to forget the incredible achievements delivered over this period. We have more than doubled both sales and market share for Asda over this period. We have undertaken two
schedule as well as begin work on those earmarked for 2011,” said development director STEVE ARCHER.
Asda’s games boss Duncan Cross changes departments this month
significant supply chain moves and we have dramatically improved our in-store environment for video games. “Most importantly, Duncan has built a very strong team across the board.”
GUSTO GAMES The Ashes Cricket developer Gusto Games has hired 11 new staff. MATT MOLLOY joins as producer, while the team picks up three new animators: SEB KALEMBA, DEAN JAMES and SAM BICKLEY. PAWEL KARCZMARCZUK and RAFAEL SOLORZANO
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take up programmer roles. The team gains five new artists in the form of STUART HANSELL, MATT MINNITT, JAMES CATTERSON, SEB SQUIRES and RITCHIE MOORE. “We have managed to attract some awesome talent to the studio enabling us to complete all of our 2010 titles on
GAME OUTLET MIKAEL BRODEN has been promoted to vice president. Broden is one of the founders of European distributor Game Outlet and has worked in the industry since 2000. “I’ve been with the company since the start and I know its processes well,” said Broden. “There’s always room for improvements and to lead this work is an inspiring task.” HAMED MANZURI has also joined as head buyer.
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RETAILBIZ RECOMMENDED GAMES PRICE CHECK CHARTS NEW RELEASES
WITH THIS ISSUE We take an in-depth look at Warner’s promising family adventure game LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
COLIN MCRAE: DIRT 2 P42 Codemasters’ classic rally driving sim returns on PS3’s Platinum range DISCIPLES III P44 The PC fantasy series is revived with a third title courtesy of Kalypso Media NEW RELEASES P46 MCV provides a comprehensive list of all upcoming releases in the UK
TIGER SWINGS TO RETAIL It’s America versus Europe in EA’s latest golfing title from the P40 hugely successful Tiger Woods PGA Tour series
HIGH STREET P48 This week we check prices in Newquay and talk to Leanne Barnett from GameXchange in Stretford
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RETAILBIZ: TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 11 40 MCV 04/06/10
The 15th Tiger Woods golfing title tees off on Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii this July…
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by Dominic Sacco SAY WHAT YOU WANT about Tiger Woods’ antics off the green, but his EA licensed games are one avenue of entertainment that hasn’t caught him in the rough. He has achieved over $1bn in career earnings as well as becoming a household name, while EA’s titles have been a sales success at retail, netting the publisher more than $500m in just over ten years. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 builds on the core gameplay established by the series while adding a raft of features, namely a brand new Ryder Cup mode. “We expect a great performance at retail both at launch – which coincides with The Open – through to the Ryder Cup this October,” says EA Sports product manager Kuran Kapoor.
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“From a game mode perspective we’re excited to finally have the Ryder Cup licence. It’s been the one addition everyone has wanted and with our 24player online mode it’ll provide a lot of fun on both sides of the Atlantic.”
experience in Tiger Woods PGA Tour titles, blending realistic graphics with addictive gameplay to attract both golfers and gamers alike. Tour 11 is no different from this winning philosophy. POLISHED TO A TEE
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 is the first in the franchise to benefit from a Ryder Cup mode, allowing players to experience the exciting rivalry between the US and Europe. EA says it specifically wanted to highlight this addition as it is the most requested feature from gamers of previous Tiger Woods games. This should help shift further copies of the game when the Ryder Cup runs from October 1st to 3rd. It also echoes official tournament licenses in other EA Sports games such
We expect a great performance at retail, both at launch and through to the Ryder Cup this October. Kuran Kapoor, EA Sports The multiformat Tiger Woods PGA Tour golf franchise first teed off in 1998 and has gone on to get a new game every year since then. iPhone and browser-based PC versions were first released last year, further strengthening the brand’s broad appeal. EA Sports is well known for recreating an accurate golfing
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RETAILBIZ: TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 11 WWW.MCVUK.COM
MCV 04/06/10 41
IT’S IN THE CAMPAIGN EA is promoting Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 with a far-reaching marketing campaign, covering the following avenues:
as 2010 FIFA World Cup, Madden NFL 10 and Grand Slam Tennis. Kapoor adds: “The Ryder Cup is a unique event in the golf calendar with a much broader audience that brings a lot to the series. “This brings a brand new way for the next generation of players to experience Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11.” Other new additions to gameplay include a new shot focus mechanic, compatibility with Wii MotionPlus and a ‘Tru-View’ mode, which aims to recreate the golfers’ first-person perspective on the course. “From a gameplay perspective, the new Tru-View mode will test the hardcore golf fans,” says Kapoor. “Players will now view the ball just like the pros, so decisions with regards to spin will have to be made before the shot, as players no longer see the flight of the ball.”
Players will also be able to lead their team of golfers to glory with the ‘Online Team Play’ feature which allows two teams of 12 to go head-to-head. The Wii version is MotionPlus compatible, providing an added sense of realism and an enhanced swing mechanic which measures the point of the ball – making it possible for the player to miss it entirely if their technique is off. A career mode allows consumers to focus on four different golfer attributes, mix and match combinations of play and choose from a range of clubs. There’s even a mini-golf mode with nine and 18-hole challenges across four separate courses. SWINGING TO VICTORY
Previous Tiger Woods titles have been well received by press and players alike, with PGA Tour 09 receiving an average
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84 per cent on Metacritic and PGA Tour 10 achieving a score of 81. EA has also seen success at retail with high sales figures. In September 2008 PGA Tour 09 went straight to the top of the GfK Chart-Track All Formats Top 40, while PGA Tour 10 followed suit in July last year. With critical reception and strong performance boding well for the Tiger Woods series in the past, PGA Tour 11 looks set for similar success. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 will be released for Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii on July 2nd.
ONLINE Internet advertisements will appear on a number of golfing and gaming websites, with a re-heat around the Ryder Cup this October to draw in sports fans. TV/MEDIA A TV campaign will get underway at launch followed by a secondary drive nearer the Ryder Cup tournament in October. TRADE/POS EA says it is working closely with its retail partners to ensure Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 has a great instore presence. EVENTS The game will be promoted at the BMW Championship in Wentworth as well as The Welsh Open, The Open at St Andrews and the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor.
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RETAILBIZ: COLIN MCRAE: DIRT 2 42 MCV 04/06/10
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Codemasters’ millionselling racer gets rereleased on PS3 as a budget title in Sony’s Platinum range… by Dominic Sacco COLIN MCRAE: DIRT 2 has sold more than 1.7m units worldwide since its release in September last year – and now Codemasters is re-releasing the title on Sony’s Platinum range for PS3. Dirt 2 is an adrenaline-fuelled racer that takes rally fans and followers of other extreme sports around the world, challenging them to master some of the harshest environments ever to be traversed on four wheels. In its continuing efforts to reinvigorate the racing genre with future titles, the publisher is again providing gamers with one of the UK’s most comprehensive off-road racing experiences and recognised franchises to date – but now at a bargain price. “Built on the ever evolving in-house EGO engine, Dirt 2 succeeded in looking one of the best racing titles of 2009 while keeping the core values of solid gameplay and an immersive experience to the fore,” says Codemasters brand manager Edward Newby-Robson. “Since launch Dirt 2 has continued to receive critical acclaim from the press and players alike, maintaining a solid 87 per cent Metacritic average. “This love of the brand is reflected by an ever-growing community, with prolific Facebook groups and forums.” Not only does Dirt 2 bear the popular and Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X. A range of Colin McRae licence, it also features a game modes add to the experience, range of other brands that should widen with ‘gatecrasher’, ‘domination’, the appeal of the series Dirt 2 is the fastest and bestbeyond gamers and into the mainstream. selling game in the series so Followers of the rally far and has attracted a new world will be enticed by audience to the franchise. the chance to jump into Edward Newby-Robson, Codemasters the driver’s seat as Ken Block or other racing legends. ‘rallycross’ and ‘last man standing’ Players have access to a wide range of among multiplayer favourites. tracks around the world and classic rally Last year Codemasters put its full cars including the Subaru Impreza WRX marketing weight behind Dirt 2 with
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RELEASED: JUNE 9 FORMATS: PS3 PUBLISHER: CODEMASTERS DEVELOPER: CODEMASTERS PRICE: £19.99 DISTRIBUTOR: GEM CONTACT: 01279 822 800
the largest campaign ever used to promote one of its titles. This included a three-week TV advertising plan on channels such as Channel 4, Five and Dave, print ads and editorial coverage in specialist mags including Official PlayStation Magazine, Moto, Ride and Edge, as well as five weeks of online ads. The publisher has already formed a colossal audience with Dirt 2, and the lower price tag on the re-release will be a key factor in driving further sales this
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summer – with racing fans and casual gamers alike. Newby-Robson adds: “Dirt 2 is the fastest and best-selling game in the series so far and has attracted a whole new audience to the franchise. “We know from the stats we can pull from Dirt.net that a major proportion of players are more casual than ever before – playing on the two easiest difficulty modes and the chase camera.” Colin McRae: DiRT 2 will be rereleased in stores on the PS3 Platinum range on June 9th.
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For sales enquiries please call Mastertronic 0207 502 4450 Or email sales@mastertronic.com “2”, “PLAYSTATION” and “PS3” are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. © 2008 The Codemasters Software Company Limited (“Codemasters”). All rights reserved. “Codemasters”® is a registered trademark owned by Codemasters. “Fuel”™ and the Codemasters logo are trademarks of Codemasters. GameSpy and the “Powered by GameSpy” design are trademarks of GameSpy Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. All other copyrights or trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are being used under license. All rights reserved. © SEGA. SEGA, the SEGA logo, SEGA Superstars and SEGA Superstars Tennis are either registered trademarks or trademarks of SEGA Corporation. This product contains software technology licensed from GameSpy Industries, Inc. © 1999-2008 GameSpy Industries, Inc. GameSpy and the “Powered By GameSpy” design are trademarks of GameSpy Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Tomb Raider: Underworld © Square Enix Limited. 2008. Developed by Crystal Dynamics Inc. Published by Square Enix Limited, 2008. Tomb Raider, Tomb Raider: Underworld, Crystal Dynamics, the Crystal Dynamics logo and the Eidos logo are trademarks of Square Enix Limited. Square Enix and the Square Enix logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Square Enix Holdings Co. Ltd. Uses Bink Video. Copyright © 1991-2008 by RAD Game Tools, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
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RETAILBIZ: DISCIPLES III: RENAISSANCE 44 MCV 04/06/10
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Kalypso revives the tenyear-old turn-based strategy RPG franchise for the PC… by Dominic Sacco DISCIPLES III is the continuation of a cult PC fantasy RPG series which has sold over 2m copies worldwide. It follows on from two well received titles released in 1999 and 2002 respectively. The sequel Disciples II: Dark Prophecy achieved an average review score of 84 per cent on Metacritic, and saw three expansion packs released off the back of strong sales. Now Kalypso Media is publishing the latest title – Disciples III: Renaissance – which hopes to attract hardcore fans of the series and pull in new PC players. “This is a hugely important release not only for Kalypso but for the Disciples franchise,” product manager Dennis Blumenthal tells MCV. “Kalypso is dedicated to releasing quality, exciting, innovative and challenging titles and Disciples ticks all those boxes. “There is a massive fanbase of strategy gamers out there who are looking for something new and exciting to get stuck into, and we have the perfect game for them.” DISCIPLE REVIVAL
Disciples III has been in development for over four years and has been crafted meticulously by developers .Dat and Akella. Kalypso is planning a comprehensive marketing campaign to ensure it gets the exposure it deserves. There will be a dedicated online community drive targeting fan sites, social media groups and forums to create buzz around the launch. This will be supported by a three-month PR “The online buzz is growing day by campaign with reviews and day with trailers, screens and info competitions running across national, running across forums and communities regional, radio, gaming and sci-fi press. to raise awareness of the launch.” Kalypso also claims a range of editorial features This will be the biggest game will appear on websites in the franchise to date and alongside high-profile will provide hours and hours online adverts promoting of entertainment. the game’s release date until launch. Dennis Blumenthal, Kalypso Media Blumenthal adds: TURN-BASED DELIGHT “There is a huge dedicated online Turn-based strategy RPGs are known for community eagerly awaiting the launch addictive gameplay, customisation and of Disciples III and we are working its enthusiastic players – three things closely with them to spread all the latest that Disciples III has in abundance. news and information.
“
RELEASED: JUNE 25 FORMATS: PC PUBLISHER: KALYPSO MEDIA DEVELOPER: .DAT / AKELLA PRICE: £34.99 DISTRIBUTOR: ADVANTAGE CONTACT: 0121 506 9585
It allows gamers to select from three playable races – the Empire, the Legions of the Damned and the Elven Alliance, each with their own characters, cities, stories and endings. There are over 160 unit models and 450 pieces of weaponry, armour and artifacts at the players’ disposal, with five tiers of development for each unit. For the first time in the series Disciples III is presented in 3D, with detailed characters’ armour, weapons and artefacts. The game also features a new upgrade system which allows players to assign stats and
”
attributes to their leader units, check inventories and tweak individual skills. Both single-player and multiplayer modes return, which benefit from increased fluidity in gameplay. “Disciples III: Renaissance has been in production for a while and developers .Dat/Akella have been working hard to deliver a game which lives up to the success of the series,” says Blumenthal. “Players can expect more combat control and a wealth of upgrade options. “This will be the biggest game in the franchise to date and will provide hours and hours of entertainment.” Disciples III: Renaissance will be released for PC on June 25th.
MCV - iPad App 26/05/2010 12:50 Page 1
The biggest trade magazine, the widest reach
≥PRINT ≥DIGITAL ≥ONLINE ≥MOBILE ≥EVENTS
Launch Sponsor
Free iPad app and new PC digital edition of MCV launches Friday June 11th
46 MCV590_final
27/5/10
14:22
Page 1
RETAILBIZ: NEW RELEASES 46 MCV 04/06/10
WWW.MCVUK.COM
Check out MCVUK.COM/RELEASE-DATES for more
Mario leads summer games push Nintendo’s triple-A Wii sequel Super Mario Galaxy 2 heads a rift of new games coming this summer including Mindscape’s U-Sing: Girls Night, Warner’s LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 and Namco Bandai’s Demon’s Souls… TITLE
FORMAT
GENRE
PUBLISHER
TELEPHONE
DISTRIBUTOR
DS PSP Wii Wii / PS3 / XBOX 360 PSP PSP PSP PSP DS XBOX 360 PC PS3 PSP Wii
Platformer Racing Mini-games Music Platformer Platformer Platformer Racing Mystery Action Adventure Platformer Action Platformer
THQ Sony O Games EA Sony Sony Sony Sony THQ 505 Games Ubisoft Sony Sony Nintendo
0121 506 9585 0121 625 3388 01933 442660 0121 625 3388 0121 625 3388 0121 625 3388 0121 625 3388 0121 625 3388 0121 506 9585 0121 506 9585 01279 822800 0121 625 3388 0121 625 3388 01753 483700
Advantage Centresoft OG Int Centresoft Centresoft Centresoft Centresoft Centresoft Advantage Advantage Gem Centresoft Centresoft Open
DS PSP Wii / PC XBOX 360 / PS3 PSP Wii DS / PC / Wii / PS3 / XBOX 360 Wii
Mini-games Sports TBA Sports Action Casual Action/adventure Music
Disney Interactive Sony Funbox Media Codemasters Konami Namco Bandai Activision Blizzard Mindscape
0121 625 3388 0121 625 3388 0114 241 2250 01279 822800 0208 987 5706 0121 506 9585 0121 625 3388 01279 822800
Centresoft Centresoft Open Gem Open Advantage Centresoft Gem
PC PC PC Wii PC Wii PS3 PC PC DS DS Wii PSP / DS / PC / Wii / PS3 / 360 PS3 / XBOX 360 PC / PSP DS DS PC / PS3 / XBOX 360 DS PC / Wii / PS3 / XBOX 360 DS DS
Casual/Adventure Adventure Simulation Mini-games Simulation Fitness RPG Adventure RPG Strategy Adventure Fitness Platformer Adventure Sports Simulation Adventure FPS Action/Adventure Action/Adventure Shooter Shooter
Lace Mamba Global Lace Mamba Global Just Flight THQ Just Flight 505 Games Namco Bandai Lace Mamba Global Kalypso Media Foreign Media Games Ubisoft 505 Games Warner Games 505 Games Ubisoft Foreign Media Games Ubisoft Activision Blizzard Disney Interactive Activision Blizzard Activision Blizzard Activision Blizzard
01273 202220 0121 506 9585 0845 234 4242 0121 506 9585 0845 234 4242 0121 506 9585 0121 506 9585 0121 506 9585 0121 506 9585 0121 506 9585 01279 822800 0121 506 9585 0121 625 3388 0121 506 9585 01279 822800 0121 506 9585 01279 822800 0121 625 3388 0121 625 3388 0121 625 3388 0121 625 3388 0121 625 3388
Lace Advantage Mastertronic Advantage Mastertronic Advantage Advantage Advantage Advantage Advantage Gem Advantage Centresoft Advantage Gem Advantage Gem Centresoft Centresoft Centresoft Centresoft Centresoft
PC Wii DS Wii / PS3 / XBOX 360
MMO Music Action/Adventure Sports
EA Ubisoft Namco Bandai EA
0121 625 3388 01279 822800 0121 506 9585 0121 625 3388
Centresoft Gem Advantage Centresoft
XBOX 360
Action
Microsoft
01279 822800
Gem
JUNE 11th Beat City Gran Turismo (Platinum) Great Party Games Green Day: Rock Band Jak & Daxter: The Lost Frontier LittleBigPlanet (Platinum) LocoRoco 2 (Platinum) MotorStorm: Arctic Edge (Platinum) Nancy Drew: The Model Mysteries Naval Assault: The Killing Tide Prince Of Persia: The Forgotten Sands Ratchet & Clank: A Crack In Time (Platinum) Resistance: Retribution (Platinum) Super Mario Galaxy 2
JUNE 18th Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force: Herbert's Revenge Everybody's Tennis Free Running International Cricket 2010 Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker Project Runway Shrek: Forever After U-Sing: Girls Night
JUNE 25th 15 Days A New Beginning Battle Of Britain: Anniversary Big Beach Sports 2 Class 20 Collection Daisy Fuente Pilates Demon's Souls Deponia Disciples III: Renaissance Emergency Galaxy Racer Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 Naughty Bear Pro Cycling Tour Manager: Tour De France 2010 Sea Park Tycoon Sherlock Holmes: The Secret of Osbourne House Singularity Sonny With A Chance Transformers: War For Cybertron Transformers: War For Cybertron - Autobots Transformers: War For Cybertron - Decepticons
JULY 2nd APB Dance On Broadway Dragon Ball Z: Origins 2 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11
JULY 9th Crackdown 2
MUSTSTOCK ...............SUPER MARIO GALAXY 2 Released: June 11th Format: Wii Publisher: Nintendo Distributor: Nintendo Contact: 01753 483 700
Mario’s latest full adventure finally hits stores next week. It has already received an extraordinary response from critics with an average score of 98 per cent on Metacritic. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is set to be one of this summer’s biggest gaming releases.
MUSTSTOCK ...................U-SING: GIRLS NIGHT Released: June 18th Format: Wii Publisher: Mindscape Distributor: Gem Contact: 01279 822 800
Mindscape adds to its U-Sing karaoke franchise with Girls Night – a selection of almost 30 songs by female artists. The original saw respectable success with more than 150,000 units sold in its first eight weeks, preparing Girls Night for further sales.
MCV Mag - Develop Advert 5
26/5/10
12:06
Page 1
13 -15 JULY 2010
be inspired
Excellent Speakers. Great Networking. Top Location. Develop in Brighton - the main event for European developers – is an inspiring place to be! We can promise you a stellar line up of speakers, a choice of over 80 high quality sessions and fantastic networking opportunities with more than 1,200 international developers over the three days.
Here’s a preview of just some of the sessions: Dr. Ray Muzyka Group General Manager, BioWare Group and Senior Vice President, Electronic Arts, and Co-founder and CEO, BioWare
Dr. Greg Zeschuk Group Creative Officer, BioWare Studio Group, Electronic Arts Vice President, and Co-founder of BioWare
KEYNOTE
The superstar developers and founders of BioWare - the studio responsible for the hugely successful titles Mass Effect and Dragon Age, will be making a rare appearance in Europe as they give this year's opening keynote.
KEYNOTE
PRODUCTION
KEYNOTE
DESIGN
KEYNOTE
AUDIO
Whodunnit: Bringing Dr Who to a PC Near You Simon Nelson, BBC Vision Sean Millard, Sumo Digital Charles Cecil, Revolution
KEYNOTE
EVOLVE
User Research: Turning Design Vision into Player Reality Jerome Hagen, Microsoft Game Studio
EVOLVE
The Future IS Controller-Free Games and Entertainment George Andreas, Rare
THE DEN
Enslaved to the Story: When Ninja Theory Met Alex Garland Tameem Antoniades, Ninja Theory
THE DEN
Traditional Games Breaking into Social Networks: A View from the Frontline Louis Castle, Instant Action An Android Game Post-Mortem Chris Pruett, Google Japan A Casual Game in Every Pocket Dave Bishop, PopCap Sex, Brawls, and Magic Duels: Console Game Design Beyond the Television Screen Dajana Dimovska, Copenhagen Game Productions Lau Korsgaard, Copenhagen Game Collective Why are Games Sequels So Often Better Than Film Sequels and What This Can Teach Us About the Development Cycle Tom Rawlings & Ana Kronschnabl, Fluffylogic Dealing with Complexity Peter Hall, Crytek
The Highly Anticipated Sound Revolution Adam Levenson, Activision CODING
Vectors of Performance in Gaming Steve McCalla, Intel
Source 2.0: What To Do When You Run Out Fresh Material Ben Minto, Electronic Arts
CODING
ART
Homespun Fun - The Art of Kahoots Ricky Haggett, Honeyslug
ART
Pet Tricks – The Technical Art of EyePet James Answer, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
KEYNOTE
BUSINESS
Jagex's Indie DNA: How Jagex Did Everything Right by Doing Everything its Own Way Mark Gerhard, Jagex The Lowdown on Downloadable Content Chris Bruce, SCEE
It’s not just about the conference - after hours fun includes: Ice Breaker Drinks • GamesAid Charity Poker Tournament • Booth Crawl • Develop Industry Excellence Awards • gamesindustry.biz Party and lots more… The Main Event for European Developers
www.developconference.com International Media Sponsor
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gamesindustry.biz Member Discounts
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48,49 MCV590_final
27/5/10
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Page 1
RETAILBIZ: HIGH STREET 48 MCV 04/06/10
WWW.MCVUK.COM
Sponsored by
POLL HOW WILL SUMMER TRADING BE AFFECTED BY THE WORLD CUP?
REVIEW SCORES
54%
MCV provides the most important average review scores of the last few days – all sourced from Metacritic...
98%
Trading will be down
16% Trading will be unaffected
10%
20% It will drive non-football fans into shops
Trading will be up
Super Mario Galaxy 2 Wii, Nintendo
95% 89% 83% 75% Red Dead Redemption,
UFC Undisputed 2010,
Split/Second: Velocity,
PoP: Forgotten Sands,
PS3, Rockstar
360, THQ
360, Disney
PS3, Ubisoft
With the 2010 World Cup kicking off in South Africa on Friday June 11th, MCV asked readers whether they thought the tournament would affect trading – and if so, how. Just over half (54 per cent) believe trading will be down, due to the possibility of more people watching football matches than buying and playing games. However the other 46 per cent remained positive – with a fifth of readers
thinking the World Cup will drive nonfootball fans into shops. With EA’s 2010 FIFA World Cup game, PES 2010 and Pure Football available, as well as Exspect’s range of England-branded accessories, there is plenty for footie followers too. Finally a tenth of readers believe trading will be up, while 16 per cent think it will be unaffected by the World Cup. Take part in MCV’s next poll at www.mcvuk.com
MARGIN MAKER
*Metacritic scores correct at the time of going to press
INDIE CHARTS - ALL FORMATS 1
2
THIS WEEK
LAST WEEK
3
4
TITLE/FORMAT
5
PUBLISHER
1
RED DEAD REDEMPTION
2
NEW
RED DEAD REDEMPTION PS3
ROCKSTAR
2
NEW
RED DEAD REDEMPTION: LIMITED EDITION 360
ROCKSTAR
4
2
5
FORMAT: 360
DEVELOPER: ROCKSTAR PUBLISHER: ROCKSTAR
ALAN WAKE 360
MICROSOFT
NEW
SPLIT/SECOND: VELOCITY PS3
DISNEY
6
NEW
SPLIT/SECOND: VELOCITY 360
DISNEY
7
3
2010 FIFA WORLD CUP: SOUTH AFRICA PS3
EA
8
4
SKATE 3 360
EA
9
NEW
10
1
RED DEAD REDEMPTION: LIMITED EDITION PS3 LOST PLANET 2 360
ROCKSTAR CAPCOM
Charts compiled by Game Guide/Complete EPOS Solutions. For more information about Complete EPOS Solutions call 01543 370002. For more information about the Game Guide call 01606 836347.
This officially licensed England DSi skin hopes to capture the excitement of the World Cup by allowing gamers to fly the flag while on the move. Specifically created for the DSi, the high quality decorative skin displays England’s traditional ‘Three Lions’ emblem which easily sticks onto the front and back of Nintendo’s popular handheld device.
The skin is both removable and reusable – allowing players to show their support where they want and whenever they want. Exspect has also extended its range by offering consumers England-branded skins for the iPhone and iPod Touch, with covers for BlackBerry and laptop devices due later this year. Exspect: 01782 748 732
DEAL OF THE WEEK GAME.co.uk has bundled a Nintendo Wii with Wii Sports Resort and a copy of EA’s top-selling 2010 FIFA World Cup for just £179.99. Buyers essentially get the football game for free with a saving of £39.99.
48,49 MCV590_final
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RETAILBIZ: HIGH STREET WWW.MCVUK.COM
MCV 04/06/10 49 Sponsored by
PRICE CHECK [PRE ORDERS] Red Dead Redemption 360, Rockstar
Splt/Second: Velocity PS3, Disney
2010 FIFA World Cup Wii, EA
PoP: Forgotten Sands 360, Ubisoft
Jam with the Band DS, Nintendo
TOP 10 UNCHARTED 2: PLATINUM
IN STORE: NEWQUAY
PS3, SONY
£39.99
£34.99
£39.99
£39.99
N/A
£39.99
£34.99
£39.99
£39.99
N/A
2. UFC UNDISPUTED 2010 + 1GB USB
£39.99
N/A
£39.99
£39.99
N/A
3. SUPER MARIO GALAXY 2
£37.00
£39.70
£31.00
£39.00
N/A
4. LITTLEBIGPLANET 2
PS3 ........................................................................THQ Wii ................................................................NINTENDO PS3 ......................................................................SONY
5. CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS
PS3 ................................................ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
6. UFC UNDISPUTED 2010 + 1GB USB
ONLINE
360 ........................................................................THQ
£39.99
£39.99
£29.99
£39.99
£26.99
£34.99
£33.48
£29.93
£37.99
£28.00
£39.99
£34.99
£39.99
£37.99
£24.99
£39.91
£37.91
£29.93
£39.91
£26.91
7. ALPHA PROTOCOL
360 ......................................................................SEGA
8. STARCRAFT II: LIBERTY – LIMITED ED
PC ..................................................ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
9. CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS
360 ................................................ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
10. ASSASSINS CREED: BROTHERHOOD
PS3 ..................................................................UBISOFT Week ending MAY 28th Source: SHOPTO.COM
FROM THE FRONTLINE This week we talk to Leanne Barnett from GameXchange in Stretford…
[PRE ORDERS]
TOP 10
What makes your store unique? Our GameXchange store is huge and we focus mainly on our dedicated pre-owned section. We also have a massive customer base and don’t have any competitors in Stretford at the moment, which helps. What is the biggest challenge your store faces? Supermarkets are a big challenge simply because they’re able to sell stock so cheaply. This is especially the case with new release stock, which makes it hard to compete. However we have our own special offers on new releases and tradein discounts for certain titles too. What do you think will be the biggest selling game of the summer? There’s absolutely loads to choose from – that’s an impossible question. If I had to choose one, I’d say Red Dead Redemption has been very popular so far and has been given a lot of advertising by Rockstar, so there’s not been anything like it for a while.
SUPER MARIO GALAXY 2 WII, NINTENDO 2. THE SIMS 3: AMBITIONS
PC ............................................................................EA
“Supermarkets are a big challenge as they’re able to sell stock so cheaply, especially with new releases – this makes it hard to compete.”
3. ALPHA PROTOCOL
PC ........................................................................SEGA
4. UFC UNDISPUTED 2010 + FIGHTS DVD
PS3 ........................................................................THQ
5. UFC UNDISPUTED 2010 + FIGHTS DVD
360 ........................................................................THQ
6. STARCRAFT II: LIBERTY – LIMITED ED
PC ..................................................ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
Split/Second: Velocity also looks quite promising as well. Can motion controllers Natal and Move reinvigorate the retail market? I’d certainly like to think so – they look very promising so hopefully they’ll perform really well at retail when they’re released later in the year.
What do you think about the increasing number of publishers charging pre-owned consumers for online functionality and DLC? It’s a fair way of making sure publishers make money, but it’s not too helpful in our case. Some titles come with promo codes and you can’t use again – this doesn’t help to shift pre-owned stock.
7. ALPHA PROTOCOL
PS3 ......................................................................SEGA
8. CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS
PS3 ................................................ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
9. UNCHARTED 2: PLATINUM
PS3 ......................................................................SONY
10. CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS
360 ................................................ACTIVISION BLIZZARD Week ending MAY 28th Source: AMAZON.CO.UK
50,51 MCV590_final:52-53 MCV572
1/6/10
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Page 1
RETAILBIZ: RETAIL CHARTS 50 MCV 04/05/10
WWW.MCVUK.COM
Check out RETAILBIZ at WWW.MCVUK.COM
OFFICIALUKCHARTS NINTENDO DS THIS LAST WEEK WEEK
[1] [FULL PRICE]
TITLE
POKÉMON SOULSILVER
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
NEW SUPER MARIO BROS NINTENDO POKÉMON HEARTGOLD NINTENDO JEWEL QUEST: EMERALD TEAR GSP/AVANQUEST MARIO KART DS NINTENDO PROFESSOR LAYTON & PANDORA’S BOX NINTENDO PEPPA PIG: FUN AND GAMES P2 GAMES WARIOWARE D.I.Y NINTENDO MARIO & LUIGI: BOWSER’S INSIDE STORY NINTENDO DR KAWASHIMA’S BRAIN TRAINING NINTENDO
3 2 6 5 7 9 4 10 11
WII THIS LAST WEEK WEEK
TOP 40ALL
PUBLISHER
1
[ENTERTAINMENT - ALL PRICES]
DEVELOPER: NINTENDO PUBLISHER: NINTENDO
[2]
1
PUBLISHER
FORMAT: PS3, 360 DEVELOPER: ROCKSTAR SAN DIEGO PUBLISHER: ROCKSTAR
THIS WEEK
LAST WEEK
TITLE
2
NEW
UFC 2010: UNDISPUTED 360, PS3
[FULL PRICE] TITLE
RED DEAD REDEMPTION
[3]
PUBLISHER THQ
3
2
2010 FIFA WORLD CUP SOUTH AFRICA PS3, PSP, 360, Wii
4
3
JUST DANCE Wii
UBISOFT
5
4
WII FIT PLUS Wii
NINTENDO
6
5
SPLIT/SECOND: VELOCITY 360, PS3
7
11
COD: MODERN WARFARE 2 360, PS3, PC, DS
ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
8
9
POP: THE FORGOTTEN SANDS PS3, 360
UBISOFT
9
7
LOST PLANET 2 360, PS3
10
13
WII SPORTS RESORT Wii
DISNEY
CAPCOM NINTENDO
1
NEW SUPER MARIO BROS.
11
6
BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2 360, PS3, PC
DEVELOPER: NINTENDO PUBLISHER: NINTENDO
12
10
MODNATION RACERS PS3, PSP
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
MARIO KART WII NINTENDO 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP SOUTH AFRICA EA MONSTER HUNTER TRI CAPCOM NO MORE HEROES 2: STRUGGLE RISING STAR SONIC & SEGA ALL-STARS RACING SEGA F1 2009 CODEMASTERS MARIO & SONIC: WINTER OLYMPICS SEGA RED STEEL 2 UBISOFT COD 4: MODERN WARFARE ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
13
NEW
ALPHA PROTOCOL 360, PS3, PC
14
NEW
BLUR 360, PS3, PC
2 4 3 NEW
5 6 7 8 12
WII THIS LAST WEEK WEEK
TITLE
JUST DANCE
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
WII FIT PLUS WII SPORTS RESORT EA SPORTS ACTIVE SUPER MONKEY BALL: STOP & ROLL WII PLAY CARS: RACE-O-RAMA MONOPOLY LEGO BATMAN HANNAH MONTANA: THE MOVIE
DEVELOPER: UBISOFT (FRANCE) PUBLISHER: UBISOFT
[5]
SEGA ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
8
ALAN WAKE 360
16
18
SPLINTER CELL: CONVICTION 360, PC
17
12
SKATE 3 360, PS3
18
21
SUPER STREET FIGHTER IV 360, PS3
19
14
GTA: EPISODES FROM LIBERTY CITY PS3, PC, 360 ROCKSTAR
20
16
JUST CAUSE 2 PS3, 360, PC
THIS LAST WEEK WEEK
PUBLISHER
EA SONY
15
PC CD-ROM
[BUDGET PRICE]
1 2 3 4 7 5 8 9 11 6
[4]
EA
1
MICROSOFT UBISOFT EA CAPCOM
SQUARE ENIX
[FULL PRICE]
TITLE
PUBLISHER
FOOTBALL MANAGER 2010 DEVELOPER: SPORTS INTERACTIVE PUBLISHER: SEGA
NINTENDO
2
3
THE SIMS 3
NINTENDO
3
1
BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2
EA
4
NEW
ALPHA PROTOCOL
SEGA
5
6
C&C4: TIBERIAN TWILIGHT
NINTENDO
6
4
THE SIMS 3: WORLD ADVENTURES
THQ
7
7
SUPREME COMMANDER 2
EA EA SEGA EA EA SQUARE ENIX
EA
8
10
COD: MODERN WARFARE 2
ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
WARNER
9
5
WOW: WRATH OF THE LICH KING
ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
DISNEY
10
11
JUST CAUSE 2
SQUARE ENIX
50,51 MCV590_final:52-53 MCV572
1/6/10
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RETAILBIZ: RETAIL CHARTS WWW.MCVUK.COM
MCV 04/06/10 51
RED DEAD REDEMPTION lassoes its second week
Cup leading the pack above Ubisoft’s Just Dance,
at No.1 despite a 40 per cent drop in sales, giving
Nintendo’s Wii Fit Plus and Disney’s new racer
Take-Two its third No.1 of the year.
Split/Second: Velocity. Last year’s fastest-seller Modern Warfare 2 bounces back to No.7 after a week’s absence from the Top Ten, followed by Prince of Persia. Other new entries this week include Alpha Protocol and Blur, just shy of the Top Ten. Dominic.Sacco@intentmedia.co.uk
ahead of THQ’s newcomer UFC 2010: Undisputed, which almost matches the chart-topping success of its predecessor UFC 2009. Titles sitting in third to sixth shuffle down one place each this week with EA’s 2010 FIFA World
PS3
L FORMATS
THIS LAST WEEK WEEK
Highest New Entry
21
15
FINAL FANTASY XIII 360, PS3
22
29
LEGO BATMAN PC, DS, PS3, 360, Wii, PSP
23
19
SQUARE ENIX WARNER BROS
NEW SUPER MARIO BROS WII Wii
NINTENDO
24
23
FIFA 10 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, DS, PC, PSP
25
20
FORZA MOTORSPORT 3 360
26
17
SONIC & SEGA ALL-STARS RACING PS3, 360 Wii, DS
27
22
POKÉMON SOULSILVER DS
NINTENDO
28
37
BIOSHOCK 2 360, PS3, PC
2K GAMES
EA
[FULL PRICE] TITLE
PUBLISHER
1
RED DEAD REDEMPTION
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
UFC 2010: UNDISPUTED 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP SOUTH AFRICA MODNATION RACERS SPLIT/SECOND: VELOCITY PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE FORGOTTEN SANDS LOST PLANET 2 ALPHA PROTOCOL BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2 GTA: EPISODES FROM LIBERTY CITY
NEW
2 3 4 6 7 NEW
5 8
DEVELOPER: ROCKSTAR SAN DIEGO PUBLISHER: ROCKSTAR THQ EA SONY DISNEY UBISOFT CAPCOM SEGA EA ROCKSTAR
MICROSOFT SEGA
PSP
[FULL PRICE]
32
NEW SUPER MARIO BROS DS
NINTENDO
THIS LAST WEEK WEEK
30
27
POKÉMON HEARTGOLD DS
NINTENDO
31
25
JAMES CAMERON’S AVATAR 360, PS3, Wii, DS, PSP, PC
38
FOOTBALL MANAGER 2010 PC, PSP
33
34
MARIO KART WII Wii
1
2010 FIFA WORLD CUP SOUTH AFRICA
32
34
24
ALIENS VS PREDATOR 360, PS3, PC
35
31
GRAND THEFT AUTO IV 360, PS3, PC
36
26
IRON MAN 2 360, PS3, Wii, DS, PSP
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
MODNATION RACERS GRAN TURISMO LITTLEBIGPLANET FIFA 10 ASSASSIN’S CREED: BLOODLINES FOOTBALL MANAGER 2010 PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE FORGOTTEN SANDS DISSIDIA: FINAL FANTASY PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2010
29
37
NEW
CLASH OF THE TITANS 360, PS3
38
28
BAYONETTA 360, PS3
39
RE
JEWEL QUEST: EMERALD TEAR DS
40
RE
PURE 360, PS3, PC
PC CD-ROM THIS LAST WEEK WEEK
UBISOFT SEGA NINTENDO SEGA ROCKSTAR SEGA NAMCO BANDAI SEGA GSP/AVANQUEST DISNEY
PUBLISHER
1
NAPOLEON: TOTAL WAR
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
2 5 3 4 7
THE SIMS 3: DESIGN & HIGH-TECH STUFF
RE
DRAGON AGE ORIGINS - AWAKENING
8 13 9
ROME: TOTAL WAR
DEVELOPER: CREATIVE ASSEMBLY PUBLISHER: SEGA MYSTERY CASE FILES: DIRE GROVE WOW: BATTLE CHEST HIDDEN MYSTERIES TRIPLE PACK ASSASSIN’S CREED
DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS ALIENS VS PREDATOR
NEW
9 RE
EA FOCUS
ACTIVISION BLIZZARD GSP/AVANQUEST UBISOFT EA GSP/AVANQUEST EA SEGA
THIS LAST WEEK WEEK
PUBLISHER
DEVELOPER: EA CANADA PUBLISHER: EA
XBOX 360
[BUDGET PRICE]
TITLE
2 4 3 6 5 7
TITLE
TITLE
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
UFC 2010: UNDISPUTED 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP SOUTH AFRICA COD: MODERN WARFARE 2 ALAN WAKE LOST PLANET 2 SPLIT/SECOND: VELOCITY SPLINTER CELL: CONVICTION BLUR PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE FORGOTTEN SANDS
3 6 2 4 5 11 NEW
9
SONY SONY SONY EA UBISOFT SEGA UBISOFT SQUARE ENIX KONAMI
[FULL PRICE]
RED DEAD REDEMPTION
NEW
(c) ELSPA, Compiled by ChartTrack
The Wild West action adventure sits one place
WEEK ENDING 29/05/10
PUBLISHER
DEVELOPER: ROCKSTAR SAN DIEGO PUBLISHER: ROCKSTAR THQ EA ACTIVISION BLIZZARD MICROSOFT CAPCOM DISNEY UBISOFT ACTIVISION BLIZZARD UBISOFT
[SOURCE]
[ANALYSIS]
52,53 MCV590_FINAL
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INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION 52 MCV 04/06/10
WWW.MCVUK.COM
International Distribution Guide AUSTRALIA
ESTONIA
ISRAEL
All Interactive.................Helensvale Town Centre
Andrico ..............................................................Tallinn
Hed-Arzi......................................................Or-Yehuda
AUSTRIA
FINLAND
ITALY
Koch Media GmbH...............................Rottenmann
Panvision Oy.......................................................Turku
Cidiverte Spa ...............................................Gallarate
SOUTH AFRICA
Coop Italia..........................................Sesto F.NO (FI)
Midigital ..............................................Johannesburg
Digital Bros spa................................................Milano
Nu Metro Interactive ......................Johannesburg
Play Art Multimedia Handels GmbH....Rankweil
BELGIUM
FRANCE EMC GROUPE CASINO..........Croissy Beaubourg
SINGAPORE Replay Interactive....................................Singapore
Leader Spa.................................Gazzada Schianno Newave Italia...................................................Firenze
SPAIN
Promovideo SRL ...........................................Senago
Ardistel. S.L..................................................Zaragoza
NETHERLANDS
Distribuciones Videográficas Digitales ....MADRID
INNELEC MULTIMEDIA
EBS-Benelux...........................................Bunschoten
CLD DISTRIBUTION S.A.
45 rue Delizy,
Gameworld BV............................Capelle A/D Ijssel
ZI Noville les Bois, Rue de la Tour,
93692 PANTIN Cedex, France
Micromedia BV...........................................Nijmegen
2b 5380 FERNELMONT, Belgium
Email purchase: f_alglave@innelec.com
Favour Games..................................................Tilburg
JOWOOD ENTERTAINMENT AG
Phone: 0032 81 83 02 07
Email export sales: g_armspach@innelec.com
Rigu Sound B.V................2153 GB Nieuw Vennep
Heiligenstädterstrasse 201-203/19
Fax: 0032 81 83 02 09
Tel: 00.33.1.48.10.55.55
E-mail: infos@cld.be
Gamewizz..........................................................Albany
Web: www.cld.be Wholesaler Gaming products
NORWAY
Official Benelux distributor for
Horelec S.A............................................Bruxelles
BENELUX
NEW ZEALAND
1190 Wien, Austria Tel: +43 (0)1 37909 0 Fax: +43 (0)1 37909 1064 Web: www.jowood.com
SUPREME FACTORY
Pan Vision Norway.....................................Trollasen
Lamee Software S.L. .....................................Madrid
439 avenue de la Gare
MPX.no .......................................................Sandefjord
DistribucionesVideográficas Digitales ....Madrid
84470 Chateauneuf de Gadagne
Platekompaniet....................................................Oslo
Distribuye Palmera................................Las Palmas
Email : xavier@supremefactory.com
Massemedia AS...........................................Notteroy
JC Distribuciones .............................................Getxo
Phone : 0033 432 751 165
Pan Vision Norway..............................................Oslo
Shine Star, S.A...........................................Barcelona
POLAND
SWEDEN
CD Projekt Sp. z o.o......................................Warsaw
Bergsala AB............................................Kungsbacka
Fax : 0033 432 751 160
GERMANY Groß Electronic .......................................Rohrnbach Otto Group ...................................................Hamburg
GAMEWORLD
Playcom Software Vertriebs .......................Erfurt
Cornusbaan 1, 2908 KB Capelle A/D IJssel
Vitrex Multimedia Großhandel.....................Erfurt
Tel: +31 10 298 3838 Web: rishi@gameworld.nl
CYPRUS
GREECE
PO Box 5083
Nortec Multimedia.........................................Athens
Web: www.techland.pl
S-650 05 Karlstad, Sweden
Zegetron S.A....................................................Athens
Phone: +48 71 354 46 10
Phone: +46 54 854750
Fax: +48 71 354 46 10
Antec .............................................................Budapest
GOODTONES GREAT GAMES LTD
ICELAND
1 Alkaiou Street / Office 1 /
Sena ................................................................Reykavik
www.greatgames.com.cy
GAME OUTLET EUROPE AB
E-mail: business@techland.pl
HUNGARY
tel. +357 22 666612
ul. Jana Szczyrki 12, 54-426 Wroclaw, Poland
Centric ...............................................................Athens
Gibareio.............................................................Nicosia
Engomi / Nicosia 2404 / Cyprus
TECHLAND Sp. z o.o.
INDIA
Fax: +46 54 854759 E-mail: info@gameoutlet.se
PORTUGAL ecofilmes...............................Sao Joao Da Madeira
RUSSIA Hitzona.............................................................Moscow
Website: www.gameoutlet.se Panvision....................................................Stockholm SIBA AB ...................................................Gothenburg
Noviy Disk .......................................................Moscow
SWITZERLAND
Soft Club..........................................................Moscow
ABC Software GmbH.......................................Buchs
Vellod...................................................................Mitishi
DENMARK
SERBIA
TURKEY ARAL Import..................................................Istanbul Nortec Eurasia...............................................Istanbul
COMPUTERLAND DOO GATEWAY DISTRIBUTION APS
Kumodraska 45
Gateway Distribution ApS
11000 Belgrade, Serbia
+44 1279 408 665 (UK)
Tel:+381(0)11 309 95 95
+45 7026 0870 (DK)
Fax:+381(0)11 309 95 96
dt@gatewaydistribution.dk
mail:games@computerland.rs
www.gatewaydistribution.dk
website:www.computerland.rs
TO ADVERTISE IN THE INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION GUIDE PLEASE CONTACT ROB.BAKER@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK
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EDITORIAL PLANNER WWW.MCVUK.COM
The International Distribution Guide is dedicated to promoting companies outside of the UK. If you are looking for new customers overseas, then look no further...
UNITED STATES
MCV 04/06/10 53
UPCOMING FEATURES A glimpse at some of the special features coming up in MCV, the only trade publication that covers all sectors of the video games market... FRIDAY JUNE 11th
FRIDAY JUNE 25th
E3 2010 SPECIAL
E3 REVIEW
The biggest event in the games industry’s calendar returns and, as the offical International Media Partner for the event, MCV brings you a complete guide to this year’s E3 Expo. We look at how the organisers have improved the 2010 event over its predecessors, and offer a roundup of what to expect, including: A breakdown of the venue, including stand locations for all of the major publisher and format holders, and a schedule of key presentations. Interviews with major execs from some of the industry’s leading publishers. Industry roundtables on some of the most topical issues that face gaming and retail.
A thorough and comprehensive look back at this year’s E3 Expo, reporting on each and every revelation as well as the – potential impact they will have on the industry, We cover the Big Three’s presentations and the major developments from the leading third-party publishers.
BASCO, INC. VIDEO GAMES DISTRIBUTOR Tel: 1-917-627-3000 Fax: 1-718-228-4401 Email: sales@bascodistribution.com Web: www.bascodistribution.com
U.S. GAMES DISTRIBUTION, INC. 16700 Schoenborn St. #2 North Hills, CA. 91343 Tel: +1 818 920 9393 info@usgamesdist.com www.usgamesdist.com
UAE ALESAYI UNITED COMPANY Video Games Distributor in the Middle East P.O BOX 16999 Jebel Ali Free Zone Dubai U.A.E. Tel: 00971 4 883 5960 Fax: 00971 4 883 5175 E-Mail: marketing@alesayi.ae U.A.E. Website: www.alesayi.ae Group Website: www.alesayi.com
FRIDAY JUNE 18th
DISTRIBUTION SPECIAL
FRIDAY JULY 2nd
GUIDE TO GAMES RETAIL The games retail landscape is constantly changing, so we bring you the definitive guide to the major retailers on the market. As well as essential information on each company and a summary of its position in the industry, you’ll find a breakdown of the games buying teams identifying the key personnel and their roles.
FRANCE TERRITORY REPORT
PLUTO GAMES PO Box 10705, Office 103-104 Emirates Islamic Bank Building, Dubai, UAE www.pluto-games.com Tel: +971 4261 8111 Fax: +971 4261 8112
Modern Pluto Trading LLC...............Saudi Arabia NXT Global LLC .................................................Dubai Pluto Derinton Games LLC............................Egypt Red Entertainment Distribution ..................Dubai
As well as covering all the big E3 headlines, this week’s issue of MCV takes an in-depth look at the biggest challenges facing the always-important distribution sector. We speak to the major players – from pick ‘n’ pack specialists to multi-faceted sales and marketing behemoths – about the future of the supply chain and how they will be tackling the challenges ahead for the distribution side of the games trade.
France is one of Europe’s biggest video game territories not least because it’s home to publishing giant Ubisoft. MCV takes a closer look at how the country’s video game output is evolving and speak to the key retailers, developers and publishers on the current challenges affecting the region. We also provide a rundown of the country’s headline-grabbing efforts to thwart piracy with its strict laws and regulations.
FOR MORE DETAILS CONTACT: CHRIS.DRING@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK
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TO ADVERTISE CONTACT ROB BAKER ON: 01992 535647 OR
DIRECTORY
GAMING ACCESSORIES
KEY CONTACTS
DISC REPAIR Total Disc Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01202 489 500 DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION Green Man Gaming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 20 7135 2270 TripleACodes.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . sales@tripleacodes.com DISTRIBUTION Creative Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8664 3456 Discstribution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 845 430 8735 Gem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01279 822800 GLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01708 725742 Ideal Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01767 689720 Meroncourt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01462 680060 Universal Games Distribution (UK) Ltd . . 0208 787 7030 USD Limited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01933 227220 GAMING ACCESSORIES Logic3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01923 471 000 Pinpoint. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01606 558428 Venom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01763 284181 GAMES CONSOLE REPAIR Total Console Repair Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 087 19 18 17 21 LOCALISATION Partnertrans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01273 229030 Testronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01753 653 722 Universally Speaking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01480 210621 STORE FITTINGS AMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0113 2311030 DISTRIBUTION
Distributors of DVDs, Blu-Ray, Music CDs and Video Games
www.discstribution.com Over 100,000 Different Items to Order Online
THE NEW FORCE IN ENTERTAINMENT
DISCSTRIBUTION +44 (0) 845 430 8735 Call Kevin, Ashley, Richie or Pete Accepted Payments - Paypal - Google Checkout - Credit Cards - Bank Tranfers and 30 Day Credit Accounts
DISCSTRIBUTION . . . . . . . +44 (0)845 430 8735 . . . . . . . . . www.discstribution.com
PINPOINT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01606 558428 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.pinpointce.co.uk
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ROB.BAKER@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK GAMING ACCESSORIES
GAMING ACCESSORIES
www.venomuk.com
VX Comm’s 1 Elite Headset
TM
Pyramid Charger
Play Pack
V-Style Case
Induction Charger
Contact your Venom Account Manager now to find out more: 01763 284181 Email: joe.hurry@venomuk.com, dan.miles@venomuk.com, or david.davies@venomuk.com VENOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01763 284181 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.venomuk.com
LOGIC 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01923 471000 . . . . . . . . . . . www.uksales@logic3.com
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TO ADVERTISE CONTACT ROB BAKER ON: 01992 535647 OR DISTRIBUTION
Develop is the only dedicated publication for the UK and European games development community. It reaches over 8,000 request-only subscribers every month. STUDIOS Epic Games..........................................................+1 919 870 1516 FaceFX...................................................................+1.919.727.9624 Stainless Games .............................jobs@stainlessgames.com TOOLS Blitz Games Studios.............................+44 (0) 1926 880 000 bluegfx.....................................................+44 (0) 1483 467 200 Dolby.........................................................+44 (0) 1793 842 922 Havok .................................................................+1 415 543 4620
MERONCOURT . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1462 680060 . . . http://trade.meroncourt.co.uk DISTRIBUTION
SERVICES Amiqus ..............................................................www.amiqus.com Brand Protect ..........................................+44 (0) 1869 346160 Outso Ltd.............................................................www.outso.com Partnertrans.............................................+44 (0) 1273 229030 Testronic Labs.........................................+44 (0) 1753 653 722 Universally Speaking..............................+44 (0) 1480 210 621 COURSES Futureworks .............................................. +44 (0)161 237 7570 University of Hull ...................................+44 (0) 1482 465 951 To be included in the Develop Directory (which appears every month in Develop and every week in MCV) contact alex.boucher@intentmedia.co.uk. All subscription requests should go to mcv.subscriptions@c-cms.com
GLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01708 725742. . . . . . . . . wholesale@glsgames.com
GAMES CONSOLE REPAIR
DISTRIBUTION
TOTAL CONSOLE REPAIR . . . . . . . 08719 181721 . . . . . www.totalconsolerepair.co.uk
GEM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01279 822800 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.gem.co.uk
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ROB.BAKER@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION
DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION
Now is a great time to expand your digital business Distributors of CDkey, Epin and downloadable products.
www.tripleacodes.com
sales@tripleacodes.com
nima
DESIGN I DIGITAL I LITHO
TripleACodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . sales@tripleacodes.com DISTRIBUTION
IDEAL SOFTWARE . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1767 689720 . . . . . . . . . . www.idealsoftware.net DISTRIBUTION
CREATIVE DISTRIBUTION. . . . 0208 6643456 . . . . www.creativedistribution.co.uk
GREEN MAN GAMING . . . +44 (0) 20 7135 2270 . . . . . info@greenmangaming.com
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DISTRIBUTION
DISTRIBUTION
USD LIMITED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01933 227220. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.usdlimited.com
UNIVERSAL GAMES DISTRIBUTION (UK) LTD . 0208 787 7030 . www.unigames.co.uk
LOCALISATION
LOCALISATION
PARTNERTRANS . . . . . . . . . . . 01273 229030 . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.partnertrans.com
TESTRONIC LABORATORIES . . . +44 (0) 1753 653 722. . . . www.testroniclabs.com
LOCALISATION
STORE FITTINGS
UNIVERSALLY SPEAKING . . . . . . . 01480 210621 . . . . . . . . . . . www.usspeaking.com
AMA DISPLAYS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0113 2311030 . . . . . . . . . . . www.ama-displays.co.uk
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DISC REPAIR
DIARY DATES From the MCV Awards to our Games Developer Conference, here are all the essential industry dates to put in your diary…
JUNE E3 2010 Tuesday, June 15th – Thursday, June 17th Los Angeles Convention Centre www.e3expo.com
JULY GAME HERO Saturday, July 10th The Metrocentre, Gateshead www.gatesheaddigitalsummer.com/ game-hero.php DEVELOP CONFERENCE 2010 Tuesday, July 13th Thursday, July 15th Brighton, UK www.develop-conference.com DEVELOP INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2010 Wednesday, July 14th Brighton, UK www.develop-online.net CASUAL CONNECT SEATTLE Tuesday, July 20th – Thursday, July 22nd Benaroya Hall, Seattle, US seattle.casualconnect.org
DEVELOP INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2010 Wednesday, July 14th Brighton, UK www.develop-online.net Lobbying has already opened for the Develop Industry Excellence Awards. Now in its eighth year, the event takes place in Brighton at the Hilton Metropole, on July 14th. Anyone in the industry can nominate a studio for the awards. Simply send a 300-word pitch to developawards@ intentmedia.co.uk. Prices have also been reduced to make the event more accessible. Contact Kathryn.Humphrey@intent media.co.uk to book tables and Katie.Rawlings@intent media.co.uk to order tickets.
AUGUST GAMESCOM Wednesday, August 18th Sunday, August 22nd Cologne, Germany www.gamescom-cologne.com EDINBURGH INTERACTIVE FESTIVAL 2010 Wednesday, August 25th – Thursday, August 26th Edinburgh, Scotland www.edinburghinteractivefestival.com
SEPTEMBER TOKYO GAMES SHOW Thursday, September 16th – Sunday, September 19th Makuhari Messe, Tokyo http://tgs.cesa.or.jp/english/ MCV/XBOX 360 QUIZ Thursday, September 23rd Sway Bar, London Orlaith.Kennedy@intentmedia.co.uk
TOTAL DISC REPAIR. . . . . . . . . . 01202 489500 . . . . . . . . . www.totaldiscrepair.co.uk
MCV/XBOX 360 QUIZ Thursday, September 23rd Sway Bar, London Orlaith.Kennedy@ intentmedia.co.uk The MCV/Xbox 360 Quiz gives retailers, suppliers and the media the chance to show off their general knowledge skills in an appropriate arena for our industry – the local bar. There will be thousands of pounds’ worth of prizes up for grabs to the best performers on the night, as well as loads of top-notch booze and food. The quiz is free to enter for retailers and the media, and serves as a great networking opportunity.
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of se on... p lim iti a g mpet d fin co u’ll new o y a , age w and p s ie hi m t 3 prev o r f ay on’s E w a i self ctivis r u o ,A ar y Move e t ou on If y Stati y Pla
SIX DEGREES
OF ACTIVISION
It’s almost rude not to know someone who once worked there. This week, we start with...
1
Lauren Bradley, the UK product manager who works at Namco Bandai Partners alongside…
2
3
We’re not sure who’s ‘bright’ idea this is: the first video gamesbranded line of lingerie. Judging by their impossibly pleased grins, it could be the chaps at Rising Star, but we’re sure Simon Byron’s crew at Premier PR had a hand in it. Based on the saucy night attire of characters from last week’s No More Heroes 2, this range is available now and allows wives, girlfriends, significant others and tranvestite gamers the chance to give their gaming partner a new reason to turn the Wii off. What’s next? Lara Croft hot pants? Master Chief’s Y-fronts?
Marlene Fitzsimmons, who came to NBP during the acquisition of D3P, which was run in Europe by…
Gary Chantler, the hardcore marketing exec – no, wait, the marketing exec for hardcore (games) – now at Koch Media. He reports to…
Adam Roberts. Before his time at D3P, he ran the UK Vivendi operation, which included…
4
BRIEF ENCOUNTER
5
Amy Curtin, Koch’s head of marketing who, back when she worked at Take-Two and Rockstar, did so with…
6
Gary Sims. A product manager back in his Take-Two days, he’s now senior brand manager at… ACTIVISION
SEND YOUR PICTURES TO JAMES.BATCHELOR@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK EDITORIAL: 01992 535646 Managing Editor: Lisa Foster Lisa.Foster@intentmedia.co.uk Editor-In-Chief: Michael French Michael.French@intentmedia.co.uk Deputy Editor: Christopher Dring Chris.Dring@intentmedia.co.uk Staff Writer: James Batchelor James.Batchelor@intentmedia.co.uk Staff Writer: Dominic Sacco Dominic.Sacco@intentmedia.co.uk
ADVERTISING: 01992 535647
Online Editor: Ben Parfitt Ben.Parfitt@intentmedia.co.uk Contributors: Will Freeman, Rob Crossley, Stuart Richardson, Colin Campbell Advertising Manager: Lesley Blumson Lesley.Blumson@intentmedia.co.uk Advertising Executive: Rob Baker Rob.Baker@intentmedia.co.uk Art Director: Stuart Moody Stuart.Moody@intentmedia.co.uk
Design: Adam Butler Adam.Butler@intentmedia.co.uk Production Manager: Suzanne Powles Suzanne.Powles@intentmedia.co.uk Business Development: Dave Roberts Dave.Roberts@intentmedia.co.uk Contributing Editor: Samantha Loveday Samantha.Loveday@intentmedia.co.uk Circulation & Marketing: Hannah Short Hannah.Short@intentmedia.co.uk
FAX: 01992 535648
Please address all enquiries to: MCV, Intent Media, Saxon House, 6a St. Andrew Street, Hertford SG14 1JA. Managing Director/Publisher: Stuart Dinsey Stuart.Dinsey@intentmedia.co.uk Telephone: 01992 535688
Finance Director: Hilary Cole Finance Manager: Michael Canham Michael.Canham@intentmedia.co.uk Printed By: Pensord, Tram Road,Pontllanfraith Blackwood, NP12 2YA
SAXON HOUSE, 6A ST. ANDREW STREET, HERTFORD, HERTFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND SG14 1JA Intent Media specialises in trade-dedicated print and digital publishing for entertainment and leisure markets. As well as MCV, Intent publishes Develop, PCR, ToyNews, Mobile Entertainment, MI Pro, Audio Pro International and BikeBiz. It also has two online-only brands: CasualGaming.biz, dedicated to the growing mass market video game sector, and Licensing.biz, for everyone in the global licensing industry. It also runs a number of events including the MCV Industry Excellence Awards, the London Games Conference and the Games Media Awards.
www.intentmedia.co.uk
MCV is a member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation and the Periodical Publishers Association. Membership of the ABC and PPA provides our advertising partners with confidence in our circulation statements. For the 12 months ending December 2009, MCV had an average weekly net circulation of 8,045. MCV’s circulation is 100 per cent named and zero per cent duplicated.
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS United Kingdom £150 l Europe £175 l Rest of the World £250 To order your subscription via Visa, Mastercard, Switch or AMEX or to make changes to your subscription details, contact mcv.subscriptions@c-cms.com or call 01580 883848.
ISSN: 1469-4832 Copyright 2010
MCV has an exclusive media partnership with Famitsu - Japan’s leading video games analyst and news source
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WWW.MCVUK.COM
MCV 04/06/10 61
FROM THE ARCHIVE October 2nd, 1995 SHOW YOUR MOVE A recent in-game advertising showcase held by the Internet Advertising Bureau had a pleasant surprise for attendees: playable demos of PlayStation Move – with party, sports and gladatorial games. Also present was WipEout 3D, PES 2010 (with changing billboards), Guitar Hero and a range of EA games.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK “Our games are not designed for young people. If you're a parent and buy one of our games for your child you're a terrible parent.” Rockstar’s Lazlow Jones dismisses claims that games like Red Dead Redemption encourage more violence among young people
NEWS: Sega’s swanky, shiny offices in Cromwell Road, West London, are sold. It’s interpreted as the biggest sign of the times since Prince released the single Sign of the Times from the album Sign of the Times... Virgin continues its controversial marketing vein with the unveiling of a Command & Conquer ad featuring a gallery of ‘PREVIOUS HIGH SCORES’ which includes Hitler, Stalin, Saddam Hussein and others. What prompts complaints, however, is the inclusion of French president Francois Mitterrand (because he’d ordered the sinking of Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior?)... The first ever PlayStation TV campaign kicks off. It’s built around the newly formed protest body, Society Against PlayStation, led by Dwight P. Dibbley... The independent retail sector (and official distributors SDL and Leisuresoft) is very excited about the return of the Amiga. CHARTS: Cartridge Top 5 Primal Rage ........................................Time Warner FIFA Soccer ‘95 .............................Electronic Arts Batman Forever ..........................................Acclaim PGA Tour Golf 3 .............................Electronic Arts Brian Lara Cricket.............................Codemasters Home Computer Top 5 Player Manager 2 ................................Anco/Virgin Ultimate Soccer Manager .................Impressions Premier Manager 3.....................................Gremlin Sensible World of Soccer ......................Renegade X Wing/B Wing/Imp. Pursuit ....................US Gold AND FINALLY... A Team 17 ad for Worms: They’ve Turned shows Sony’s Phil Harrison getting a custard pie in the chops courtesy of his rivals at Sega. These were different days.
ACTIVISION STRIKES BACK Last week, the publisher invited the press to check out its E3 line-up. Sadly, embargoes prevent us from showing you some of the genuinely awesome demonstrations – all we can offer is a photo of Vader guarding the door.
MCV takes soundings from its Retail Advisory Board on the biggest issues of the day. The current members are...
GAME & Gamestation
Neil Ashurst,
Duncan Cross, Asda
Marc Spence, Best Buy
Don McCabe, CHIPS
Tim Ellis, HMV
Graham Chambers, Amazon
Danielle Fleming, DSGi
Igor Cipolletta, ShopTo
Anthony Stocker, Argos
Stephen Staley, Gameseek
Keith Sharpe, play.com
Joanna Hunt, Tesco
Sarah Jasper, The Hut
Gurdeep Hunjan, Sainsbury’s
Jon Biggs, Morrisons
Phil Moore, Grainger Games
Azeem Sadiq, Comet
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WIN
COMPETITION ®
To be in with a chance of winning yourself five copies of LEGO Harry Potter™ : Years 1-4, simply answer the following question:
Which of the following characters does not appear on the front of the LEGO Harry Potter : Years 1-4 video game packaging? ®
™
A) Harry Potter B) Ron Weasley C) Hermione Granger D) Lord Voldemort ™
™
Send your answers to harry@intentmedia.co.uk
1
2
Buy PSP ™ go. Promotion open to new PSP ™ go owners only
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This offer is not compatible with Media Go. You must be 18 or over, resident in a participating country and you must not have used your PSP™go to create or log into a PSN account before 1 April 2010. Games are subject to change. PlayStation®Network account required. PlayStation®Network and PlayStation®Store subject to terms of use and not available in all countries and languages (eu.playstation.com/terms). Broadband internet service required. Users are responsible for broadband access fees. Charges apply for some content. For full terms and conditions, see eu.playstation.com/pspgopromotion.*
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