MCV 811 October 31st 2014 by Biz Media Ltd

THE BUSINESS OF VIDEO GAMES

SONY’S X-FACTOR

ISSUE 811 FRIDAY OCTOBER 31ST 2014

CAN THE SMARTPHONE RESURRECT SINGSTAR? P6

Console sales have spiked dramatically, but software sales are down

UK GAMES MARKET SLUMPS AGAIN Home console sales up over 125 per cent, but boxed games plunge 15 per cent year-on-year by Christopher Dring PS4 and Xbox One consoles are flying off shelves, but the games are not following them. UK boxed games sales this week reached just £13.6m, a figure more suited to July, not the middle of October (GfK Chart-Track figures). For the month of October, UK boxed game sales hit £78m, with just 2.23m game sold. This is a drop of seven per cent compared to the same period in 2013. Overall, boxed software sales in the UK are down by almost 15 per cent year-to-date. In contrast,

sales of home consoles are up by over 125 per cent. “I think everyone – including retailers – has been focusing on hardware,” said Shop Direct merchandiser David Firth. “The manufacturers are trying to grow the install base quickly. “We’re in a place where next-gen doesn’t have the install base yet to drive software volume and last-gen owners are not incentivised to buy titles for their ageing formats. “Finally, we are yet to see any triple-A titles on next gen at sub£40 prices. I’m sure someone will make a move soon.”

A buyer at a major games retailer added: “A lot of focus is coming on the console side. But those are low margin, we would hope for more from the software side. November looks strong, so let’s not write the year oﬀ yet.” GAME expects sales of games (digital and physical) to grow by almost £200m this year versus 2013. But it admits that the faster those consoles are sold, the better it will be for everyone. “The install base of Xbox One and PlayStation 4 is 1.8m, versus a total install base for Xbox 360 and PS4 of 14.4m, so the diﬀerence

there points to a market that is still in its infancy,” said GAME CEO Martyn Gibbs. “We are now seeing that the hardware growth is faster than we expected, which is great news because we have a bigger population to sell content too. “The most important thing is that the more people who own the console, the better.” Chart-Track director Dorian Bloch says he expects boxed game unit sales to be down ﬁve per cent for 2014, but revenue will be ﬂat, possibly even up one per cent. “There’s a way to go,” he said.

PLUS IS MOBA A GENRE? THE MOST POPULAR DOCTOR WHO GAME EVER

CHEAT SHEET

THE EDITOR

THE WEEK IN VIDEO GAM EA: HARDLINE WILL NOT REPEAT BATTLEFIELD 4 MISTAKES

AH, A COVER STORY

n June we redesigned MCV and I love pretty much everything we did – the data pages we introduced, the industry insight pages (if you want to write for us, get in touch), the new page layouts. And I’ve enjoyed our new covers. We broke every rule in the book and delivered a landscape front page. We even turned Martyn Gibbs into a Minecraft character. But we missed our cover stories. And as the market gets exciting once again, we’re bringing them back. And what better way to start than with our usual ‘The market is down, we’re all going to die’ story? It’s not quite that bad of course. but under £14m worth of games being sold in midOctober raises a few eyebrows. And although some parts of the industry will cry that digital is making up for the deficit, I won’t believe you until you start proving it with accurate, independently-verified data. So what’s happening? The obvious answer is linked to the console transition. 360 and PS3 games sales have dived, leaving Xbox One and PS4 to make up the gap. Both these consoles have sold around 2m, and that’s some way off the 15m install base of PS3 and 360. So there are not as many fans buying games (yet). And there aren’t many titles on shelves, and most of those that have come out aren’t exactly masterpieces. They’re expensive, too. These games are yet to dip below the ‘magic’ £40 mark, unsurprising considering their margins.

October 31st 2014

With so many great TV programmes around is it a surprise that people are spending less time playing games? Maybe November will mark a change. With Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed, GTA, Pokémon and Far Cry coming out, we’re set for a busy few weeks. Perhaps Christmas is starting later this year. Yet I have another theory. Games are not the only medium suffering. No album released in 2014 in the US has gone platinum, for the first time ever. Aside from The LEGO Movie and Guardians of the Galaxy, there haven’t been many stand-out box office moments, either. Yet one sector that is booming is TV. Driven by the competition created by Netflix and Amazon,the quality of TV has risen dramatically over the last 12 months. With so much great TV around, is it a surprise that people may be spending less time gaming? Next year will be interesting for the boxed games sector. Q1 in particular is looking very strong, headlined by Battlefield Hardline (more on page 14). But there will be more competition from the other mediums (particularly from movies, with Star Wars, James Bond and Avengers due). We have to make sure, to use a cliché, that we raise our game. cdring@nbmedia.com

Market Data UK boxed software sales plunge again, but November’s blockbusters could turn the market around £20m

£10m

£0m

£19.3m 449,668 units

Week Ending October 13th

£16.6m 493,041 units

Week Ending October 20th

£13.6m 438,666

Week Ending October 27th

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CHEAT SHEET

MES

ext year’s Battlefield game will not repeat the mistakes of 2013’s Battlefield 4, says EA developer Visceral Games. Battlefield 4 was beset with bugs and technical errors, which resulted in a huge fan backlash. Battlefield Hardline, the franchise’s next instalment set to arrive in Q1 next year, is being created by Dead Space creators Visceral Games. And VP and GM of the studio Steve Papoutsis says it is a priority that these mistakes aren’t repeated. “Hundreds of games have had their fun inhibited by some sort of problem. Nobody enjoys that,” he said. “Developers really try to launch bugfree games that are stable so players have a great time. What happened to Battlefield 4 was a reminder of that fact. Many games have challenges at launch. These games are incredibly complex, especially when you’re making games for five platforms. That’s a lot of work, and trying to make sure Hardline is working on all of those in a stable way is a priority for us.”

DOWN The Evil Within falls to No.3 as sales slide 62 per cent

NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR 30 UNDER 30

Our biggest stories for the week ending Oct 28th

1 Has Nintendo’s Wii U turned a corner

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The feature is open to anyone involved in the industry (not development – our sister title Develop is handling that). And we are hoping for a good split of female and male nominees. You need to be under 30 after November 28th. Anyone that hits the big three-oh prior to this is not eligible. To apply for a place, simply send a high-resolution photo of your nominee, their job title and role, and a paragraph on why they should earn a place in this year’s 30 Under 30. Email all this to CDring@ nbmedia.com before 5pm on Friday, November 14th.

MCV’S 30 Under 30 returns next month. Once again, we’re calling for publishers, retailers, media and those working in the support industries to nominate their peers, colleagues, superiors or themselves for a place on our deﬁnitive round-up of the 30 most ambitious and accomplished young men and women in the industry. 30 Under 30, in association with OPM, continues to be one of our most popular annual features and with only 30 spaces available you need to act fast to ensure your favourite rising star is featured.

UK RETAIL TOP 10

1 UP Minecraft on PlayStation shoots up the charts following a hardware bundle

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October 31st 2014

SINGSTAR’S COMEBACK

SING WHEN YOU’RE WINNING It may seem that casual gamers have abandoned the console in favour of other platforms, but Sony hopes to win them back by lowering the barrier to entry for its latest SingStar. Alex Calvin speaks to PlayStation UK about its decision to ditch the microphone

he once lucrative casual games market on consoles appears to have died. The glory days of five years ago, when Just Dance, Guitar Hero and Wii dominated the market is over. Those gamers have moved onto PCs and smartphones. But these products still boast huge brand awareness amongst a wide audience. One such title is the karaoke game SingStar – one of the original casual games hits. In its ten year history, over 26m games have been sold worldwide. “SingStar is one of our biggest licences,” says product manager Lauren Bradley. “We’ve done loads of research on it recently, including brand awareness, and it’s our second-biggest licence, behind Gran Turismo. And it’s celebrating its tenth anniversary this year.” Now Sony is back with a new entry in the SingStar series, Ultimate Party. But where the older games required the use of a microphone, this one does away with those peripherals. Fans can either use their old mics or simply download a free app to turn their smartphone into a microphone. “We’re more than aware that the party games industry certainly isn’t what it was, so we did a lot of work into finding out why that was,” Bradley continues. “It comes back to people not wanting lots of peripherals that were attached to one particular type of game.” “We have done away with using the microphone; now your smartphone becomes one, which means you don’t need any other peripherals to play it. Just the console and the game.”

October 31st 2014

PlayStation has refreshed the marketing imagery for this new SingStar

PlayStation UK PR boss David Wilson adds: “We’ve made this game simpler. Even if you love the experience of holding the mic and getting into it, if you’re in that social situation where you’ve all just come back from a night out and you want to play SingStar, everyone just ends up looking for the dongle or the USB mics. This gets rid of that. “It also makes the experience far more seamless in terms of setting the song list. In the old games you’d have to wait for a song to finish and then peruse the carousel and select your new song. Now you can do that via the app.”

Over 1.5m Europeans downloaded the free SingStar title on PS3. When they realised that they couldn’t play it because they needed a peripheral, they left.

DECLUTTERING THE GAME Ditching peripherals this time around is, in theory, a smart move for Sony. It allows gamers to access the title without the need

Lauren Bradley, PlayStation

for pricey add-ons. And Sony has evidence that it was the need for microphones that had become a deterrent to potential gamers. “Using the app microphone is going to give it longevity and turn SingStar into more of an impulse buy as well,” Bradley says. “To give you some context on that, we put SingStar out for free on the XMB for PlayStation 3 a few years ago. Over 1.5m people across Europe downloaded it and a further 1m people went onto the store. They were genuinely interested in playing SingStar. They also downloaded the free track. It was at that point when they realised they couldn’t play it because they needed some peripheral where they left it. “The numbers massively stack up, and if you take away that barrier to entry it should make it live longer.”

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SINGSTAR’S COMEBACK

Sony is working to get the current 3,000 SingStore songs on PS4

As mentioned earlier, the SingStar app does more than just work as a microphone. It can become a second screen to the game, and allows consumers to interact with the title by choosing the next track on the fly. “With the app you can make playlists,” Bradley says. “We have lots of editors. You can set it up so all your mics are synced with the game in one go. You can all edit the playlist.” And there will be quite a playlist available. The business model around SingStar relies on the music available. The title is free to download, and gamers just need to buy the music to sing to. Or they can acquire the disc version, which includes some 30 tracks. “We have over 3,000 tracks on the SingStore from the PS2 and PS3 days. We’re currently working on migrating those over to PS4. By launch a hell of a lot of them will be there and we’re prioritising in order of how many people like those tracks.

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“There might be a few at the bottom of that huge list that we haven’t got over yet as we need to do individual deals with individual record labels for PS4. The intention is to migrate all of those tracks over to PS4 so there will be a huge catalogue available. “In terms of what’s on the disc version, we’ve really tried to go for all different types of genres. There’s rock, modern indie, One Direction.”

SingStar is a highly recognised franchise within our portfolio and we want to get back to that. David Wilson, PlayStation

LET IT GO SingStar is more to Sony than just another lucrative game to sell; It’s a means to help the firm broaden out the PlayStation 4 as a whole. And Bradley believes Sony has just the song to attract a wider, and younger, demographic. “We managed to do a deal with Disney to get Let It Go from Frozen on there, which is massively going to help us broaden this title and PlayStation as a whole,” she says. “Our core fan base for PS4 up until now has been the dedicated gamers. We have this intention to

make PS4 the No.1 present this Christmas and part of that will definitely be broadening it to kids and familiy market. Having that track on there will be a really big focus for us.” Historically, casual games have never been a reason to buy a console by themselves. Particularly a machine that costs £350. But Bradley says these titles act as an incentive to potential console buyers around the festive season. “SingStar is another reason to buy a PlayStation 4,” she explains. “I’m not going to talk SingStar down but this won’t be the be-all and end-all reason to buy a PS4. There will be those that will want it for Call of Duty or FIFA, but then they buy this as a Christmas present because the entire family can enjoy it. “And while we see [fellow Q4 PlayStation release] LittleBigPlanet 3 as a core gamer’s title at its heart, it’s also another game that is going to appeal to kids as well. We are beginning to broaden.” Wilson adds: “SingStar has loads of traction with the PlayStation community. It’s a highly recognised IP within our portfolio and we want to get back to that. It’s a bit too easy to pigeonhole in terms of working for the family and kids market. “There are people who love core gaming experiences, but when they’re with their mates or their girlfriends or whoever they might have a session of SingStar. It’s something a bit more universal.” He concludes: “It legitimises purchase of a PS4 for core gamers who want to make the most of it with their friends and family.”

THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE AS well as lowering the barrier to entry for SingStar by not requiring a microphone peripheral, Sony has also refreshed the game’s imagery, both in-game and in the marketing. The last time the franchise had an image change was 2008. “The SingStar brand has become a bit stale and the look and feel of it was loads

of really good-looking people with sunglasses on posing with mics,” PlayStation UK senior product manager Lauren Bradley explains. “We tried to move away from that and tried to make it a bit more realistic. You’re meant to feel that the people that you see could be you and your mates. It’s a bit more down to Earth.”

October 31st 2014

MARKETING IN THEIR OWN WORDS

CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK

ANNA MOSTYN WILLIAMS Product marketing manager, Xbox

THIS WEEK: SUNSET OVERDRIVE

SUNSET OVERDRIVE is a high-velocity open-world shooter that delivers an arsenal of ridiculously over-the-top weapons, hyper-agility and death defying ass-kicking at a higher level. It oﬀers a huge level of customisation, a dynamic new style of gameplay as players grind and traverse the city, and awesome, unconventional weapons. There is also a depth of gameplay that lies underneath the zany colours. Sunset Overdrive is something new, fresh; a unique gaming experience, one that uses vibrant colours and crazy weapons to stand out from the crowd. We’re really excited about the potential of Sunset Overdrive to kick oﬀ a brand new franchise for Insomniac Games and Xbox One.

[INFO] Released: October 31st MICROSOFT is putting a triple-A marketing campaign behind Sunset Overdrive. The platform holder has been letting consumers get their hands on the title at expos such as EGX, as well as a series of lock-in events at GAME. The game has also received a heavyweight TV presence.

Publisher: Microsoft

Xbox has also been working closely with ‘inﬂuencers’ for the campaign. This includes YouTube personalities Ali-A and Vikkstar123, who were streaming the game two weeks prior to launch. And for the week ending October 31st, Xbox has been showcasing the title on a huge AR screen near Canary Wharf.

Developer: Insomniac Games Distributor: Exertis Contact: 01279 822 800

A LOOK BACK AT TV SUPPORT IN CONSOLE WAR HISTORY GameTime investigates how Sony and Microsoft have been using TV to ﬁght their console war Xbox One

PlayStation 4

700 EQ TVRs (Individuals)

600 500 633

400 300 200

579 461 377

401 268

223

219

100

196 105

Nov ‘13

Dec ‘13

WITH both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One rapidly approaching their ﬁrst birthdays, we’ve taken a look back at their TV activity to see how the consoles have battled it out in the latest console war. Both consoles launched in November with the Xbox One

Jan ‘14

Feb ‘14

Mar ‘14

Apr ‘14

May ‘14

Jun ‘14

Jul ‘14

consoles have deployed varied approaches to advertising. In June, Microsoft invested in showing oﬀ the core functionality of the console, with new celebrity endorsement from Aaron Paul (from Breaking Bad) in its ‘Xbox‘ On’ ad.

beating PS4 oﬀ the starting block by launching a week earlier. Both campaigns aimed to dominate screens in the lead up to Christmas in the games category, and they certainly achieved this. With their initial launch strategies behind them, both

Aug ‘14

Sep ‘14

Oct ‘14

Sony on the other hand held back its support until October (although it has been advertising PS4 software all year round). Does this mean a concentration of spend in Q4 will give them the No.1 spot, or will Microsoft prove to have deeper pockets once again.

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

October 31st 2014

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EDITORIAL CONTACTS

2014

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It’s safe to say that Sunset Overdrive is by far the most fun I’ve had on a next-gen console since they launched. Well done Xbox for daring to publish it. Christopher Dring, Editor

Alien Isolation has been stressing me out too much so I’ve been playing the strangely happy Japanese weirdness that is Danganronpa 2. Alex Calvin, Staﬀ Writer

cdring@nbmedia.com

acalvin@nbmedia.com

Loads of Forza Horizon 2, which is magniﬁcent. And some Doug Dug too. It goes without saying that I’m missing Dark Souls 2, though. Ben Parﬁtt, Associate Editor

Thanks to my buying a Dreamcast, I’ve been terrifying passengers in Crazy Taxi. Also I now know all the words to The Oﬀspring. Matt Jarvis, Staﬀ Writer

bparﬁtt@nbmedia.com

mjarvis@nbmedia.com

Publisher: Michael French mfrench@nbmedia.com

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Saxon House, 6a St. Andrew Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire, England SG14 1JA Newbay Media specialises in tradededicated print and digital publishing for entertainment and leisure markets. As well as MCV, Newbay publishes Develop, PCR, ToyNews, Music Week, MI Pro, Audio Pro International and BikeBiz. It also has two onlineonly brands: Mobile Entertainment, dedicated to the growing mass market smartphone 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.

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Special Projects: Lisa Carter lcarter@nbmedia.com

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

Charlotte Knight GAME

Steve Moore Simply Games

Jon Hayes Tesco

Ketu Patel Amazon

Sarah Jasper The Hut

Phil Moore Grainger Games

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Steve Thomas Xbite

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Robert Lindsay Games Centre

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October 31st 2014

MARKET MOVES

APPOINTMENTS

RISING STAR MARKETING EXPERT LEAVES INDUSTRY Hau swaps games for marketing agency O Former EA CEO heads up Unity O Raymond leaves Ubisoft RISING STAR GAMES | Product marketing manager YEN HAU is departing the games industry. He is taking a position at global marketing agency Isobar. “Deciding to leave Rising Star was the hardest decision I have ever had to make,” Hau told MCV. “Over the past six and a half years I have learned so much and made so many good friends, both at Rising Star and within the industry, that it’ll be tough to let go. This is a great opportunity for me to further my career and I wish everyone at Rising Star every success in the future.”

UNITY | Former EA chief executive JOHN RICCITIELLO (left) has taken over as Unity Technology’s CEO. The firm’s previous boss and co-founder DAVID HELGASON (left) is to continue working as EVP of strategy and communications. “Unity has been a hugely positive force in the games industry for years. Now it’s my incredible fortune to have the opportunity to help guide Unity going forward,” said Riccitiello. Helgason added: “I’m so proud of everything Unity accomplished in the last decade but now it’s time to look forward

to an excellent future. Our mission is an important one, so I’m incredibly happy that John has agreed to lend his formidable experience to the role of CEO at Unity.” UBISOFT | The publisher’s Toronto studio co-founder JADE RAYMOND (left) has departed. In her time at Ubisoft, Raymond worked as producer on the first Assassin’s Creed and executive producer on its sequel as well as Watch Dogs. She is being replaced by fellow founding member ALEXANDRE PARIZEAU, (above left) who will

report to Yannis Mallat, CEO of Ubisoft Montreal and Toronto. “I’ve spent ten extraordinary years at Ubisoft, and I am proud to have been part of many of the best teams in the industry making truly remarkable games,” Raymond said. “This is one of the hardest decisions of my career, but the Toronto studio is strong and on a solid path. I’m confident that now is a good time for me to transition leadership of the studio to Alex and to pursue my other ambitions and new opportunities. Stay tuned for more on what’s next for me, but for now, I’d like to thank Ubisoft for its partnership through the years, and I wish them the very best in all their next endeavours.”

AROUND THE INDUSTRY AMAZON | The retailer’s newly opened development firm Amazon Game Studios has teamed up with three esteemed developers to produce games. Elite Dangerous studio Frontier Developments is on the list, working on Tales From Deep Space. Meanwhile WayForward Technologies, the dev behind the Shantae IP and Ducktales Remastered, is working with Amazon Game Studios on touch-based action adventure title Til Morning’s Light, which is to be exclusive to Fire Phone. And Coin Dash developer Happy Tuesday is working on tower defence game CreepStorm. AMD | The PC hardware firm is cutting seven per cent of its global workforce. That figurerepresents 710 roles. These job losses will have taken effect by Christmas.

October 31st 2014

This comes as AMD admits that its Q3 revenue will possibly decline by around 16 per cent to $1.43bn. STUDIO GOBO | The Brighton-based Disney Infinity studio has opened a new office in Zurich, Switzerland. Studio Gobo is now working on a number of unannounced projects. “We have close working relationships with Disney Research Zurich as well as universities in the area, so it makes sense for us to establish Studio Gobo Zurich in order to help us continue to attract high-calibre talent,” said co-founder Tony Beckwith. “The new studio will retain the same innovative and creative culture as Gobo’s Brighton base and will be an integral part of the team working on the current projects.”

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OPINION

INSIGHT

OPINION AND ANALYSIS FROM THE BRIGHTEST MINDS IN GAMES. THIS WEEK GENERATION MEDIA’S HENRY DEGNIN EXAMINES THE MEDIA USED FOR GAMES AND CONSOLES MARKETING

ANALYSIS

THE GAMES AND CONSOLES MEDIA MIX dominance of mobile and online properties and their media habits can largely account for this trend. Combined, Midasplayer and Supercell occupy almost 30 per cent of games ad expenditure so far this year. Tellingly, both advertisers were completely absent from the Top Ten games ad spenders in the same period of 2013; a table which was dominated by ‘traditional’ players such as Activision, EA and Ubisoft. TV offers relative newcomers access to mass reach and exposure (dependent on strategy and objectives), at what can be a relatively cost-efficient investment.

HENRY DEGNIN, digital media executive at Generation Media, takes a look at how marketing for a range of games and consoles has been split across a multitude of media formats during 2013 and 2014

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Digital ad expenditure has grown 16.6 per cent year-on-year during the first half of 2014.

KING OF THE BOX Whilst higher-profile, mass audience spots are less frequent in King’s TV campaigns, its position in both the top spenders and TV advertisers says something about the volume of advertising it has

Henry Degnin, Generation Media

60% +47%

GAMES & CONSOLES MEDIA MIX YEAR-ON-YEAR

40% +17%

Year-on-Year % Change

OVER the last two years we have seen a host of new mobile and online gaming properties enter the games and consoles ad market. As we approach the busy Christmas retail period and forthcoming launches of triple-A titles, it is a good time to reflect upon how the overall media mix in games and consoles has evolved throughout this time. We are led to believe that online advertising is leading the way in the UK, with digital ad expenditure growing 16.6 per cent year-on-year during the first six months of 2014 versus the same period in 2013. New online ad opportunities are constantly emerging and evolving, especially in a space where the majority of advertisers are targeting a tech-savvy, digitally-native and highly engaged audience. Twitch, for example, has continued to experience rapid growth. This is just one of many go-to spots for gamers and advertisers alike. Despite these new opportunities, when looking at the media mix year-on-year (latest Nielsen Addynamix data), 2014 reveals a resurgence in TV advertising in terms of overall ad expenditure. When looking at the Top Ten advertisers across the same period of comparison, the rising

invested in during 2014. Over 60 per cent of all individuals in the UK have seen a King commercial at least nine times this year, with over 92 per cent of the population seeing any King commercial at least once. In contrast, Supercell has employed a similar strategy to the likes of FIFA 15 and other male 16 to 34-focused triple-A titles in their investment in high profile, mass-audience spots; over 7m UK individuals saw its ad during England’s Euro 2016 qualifier versus Switzerland. It will be interesting to see how the rest of 2014 plays out as Sony and Microsoft up the ante across the busy Christmas period. Although it would be expected that mobile and online properties do not operate on similar ad cycles as their traditional counterparts, King.com’s heaviest TV presence of 2013 was in December, proving that they are prepared to fight for share of voice.

20%

TV Internet

0% Press

Outdoor

-20% -16%

Cinema Radio

-23%

-40%

-36%

-60% -59% *Internet data reported by IAB Digital Spend survey due to limitations of Nielsen Addynamixdata capture

-80% Media

October 31st 2014

DATA ANALYSIS Source Games and Charts compiled by GfK Chart-Track

DATA & RESEARCH Minecraft: PlayStation Edition saw a sales boost this week, but it can’t beat FIFA FIFA 15 is at the top of the All Formats chart for the ﬁfth week running. This is the 18th No.1 that EA has had in the 43 weeks of the year thus far. This is up from the ten weeks that the publisher managed in 2013. In second place is Minecraft: PlayStation Edition, sales of which rose by 82 per cent week-on-week. This has been boosted by the PlayStation 4 version, which launched earlier this month. Sony brought out a PS4 bundle which included a free copy of Minecraft and FIFA 15, and this no doubt contributed to this sales boost. There were four new games in the Top 40 this week, but only one

manages to break into the Top Ten. NINTENDO’s Bayonetta 2 debuts in seventh place. Meanwhile 2K GAMES’ Civilization: Beyond Earth debuted at No.18. Digital sales of the strategy title have been impressive, too as it tops the Steam charts. Saints Row and Metro collections also appear in the Steam Top Ten thanks to a promotion on Deep Silver titles between October 24th and 28th. And the Xbox Live charts remain largely unchanged from last week, save for the release of ACTIVISION’s The Legend of Korra. It may hang around in the charts for a while as children’s games tend to enjoy a longer sales tail.

TOP 10 STEAM CHARTS

01 TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

LW 01 04 NEW RE 05 02 RE RE RE

SID MEIER’S CIVILIZATION: BEYOND EARTH PUBLISHER: 2K GAMES DEVELOPER: FIREAXIS

TITLE PUBLISHER Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel 2K Games Payday 2 505 Games Football Manager 2015 (P) Sega Arma 3 Bohemia Interactive Counter-Strike: Global Oﬀensive Valve Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Warner Bros Saint Row Ultimate Franchise Pack Deep Silver Day Z Bohemia Interactive Metro Redux Bundle Deep Silver

TOP 40 UK RETAIL 01 TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

LW 09 02 07 04 03 NEW 05 06 11 08 13 15 12 10 25 24 NEW NEW 17 26 14 19 22 23 16 21 20 28 28 18 NEW 29 32 33 27 31 37 RE 35

FIFA 15 EA FORMATS: PS4, XO, PS3, 360, Wii, 3DS, Vita, PC DEVELOPER: EA CANADA TITLE MINECRAFT: PLAYSTATION EDITION THE EVIL WITHIN DESTINY MIDDLE-EARTH: SHADOW OF MORDOR BORDERLANDS: THE PRE-SEQUEL BAYONETTA 2 FORZA HORIZON 2 ALIEN ISOLATION SKYLANDERS TRAP TEAM DRIVECLUB MINECRAFT: XBOX EDITION DISNEY INFINITY 2.0 SUPER SMASH BROS F1 2014 THE BORDERLANDS COLLECTION WATCH DOGS CIVILIZATION: BEYOND EARTH JUST DANCE 2014 PLANTS VS ZOMBIES: GARDEN WARFARE LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES NBA 2K15 GRAND THEFT AUTO V WOLFENSTEIN: THE NEW ORDER FROZEN OLAF’S QUEST THE LEGO MOVIE VIDEOGAME CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS THE SIMS 4 TOMODACHI LIFE MARIO KART 8 SLEEPING DOGS DEFINITIVE EDITION SINGSTAR: ULTIMATE PARTY THE LAST OF US REMASTERED ASSASSIN’S CREED IV: BLACK FLAG DISNEY INFINITY TERRARIA BATTLEFIELD 4 TITANFALL NINTENDO LAND SKATE 3

Week ending October 18th

October 31st 2014

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

Week ending October 25th

www.mcvuk.com

DATA ANALYSIS Source

TOP 10 IPAD PAID CHARTS

TOP 20 INDIVIDUAL FORMAT FIFA 15 EA

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

FORMAT: PS4

LW 02 13 08 05 NEW 01 03 07 10 15 09 23 06 12 14 21 NEW 24 26

DEVELOPER: EA CANDA

TITLE FIFA 15 MINECRAFT: PLAYSTATION EDITION FIFA 15 FIFA 15 BAYONETTA 2 THE EVIL WITHIN BORDERLANDS: THE PRE-SEQUEL DRIVECLUB FORZA HORIZON 2 MINECRAFT: XBOX EDITION MIDDLE-EARTH: SHADOW OF MORDOR MINECRAFT: PLAYSTATION EDITION THE EVIL WITHIN MIDDLE-EARTH: SHADOW OF MORDOR SUPER SMASH BROS DESTINY CIVILIZATION: BEYOND EARTH SKYLANDERS TRAP TEAM DESTINY

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

PUBLISHER EA Sony EA EA Nintendo Bethesda 2K Games Sony Microsoft Microsoft Warner Bros Sony Bethesda Warner Bros Nintendo Activision Blizzard 2K Games Activision Blizzard Activision Blizzard

Week ending October 25th

01 TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

MINECRAFT – POCKET EDITION DEVELOPER: MOJANG

TITLE PUBLISHER The Chase Flightradar24 – Flight Tracker Five Nights at Freddy’s Tipping Point Terraria Goat Simulator Photon Flash Player Plague Inc Goat Simulator

Barnstorm Games Flightradar24 AB Scott Cawthon Barnstorm Games 505 Games Coﬀee Stain Studios Appsverse Ndmeic Creations Coﬀee Stain Studios Week ending: October 19th

TOP 10 IPHONE PAID CHARTS

01 TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

PLAGUE INC DEVELOPER: NDEMIC CREATIONS

TITLE Minecraft– Pocket Edition Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock Heads Up! The Oﬃcial DSA Theory Test Afterlight Free Music Download Pro Construction Simulator 2014 The Chase Theory Test UK

PUBLISHER Mojang Northcube AB Warner Bros TSO Simon Filip Alfadevs Astragon Software Barnstorm Focus Multimedia

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

01 TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

FORMATS: XO, 360, PC DEVELOPER: RESPAWN ENTERTAINMENT

LW 02 NEW 03 04 05 07 08 RE 09

TITLE APOCZ THE LEGEND OF KORRA TERRARIA – XBOX 360 EDITION CASTLEMINER Z SLENDER: THE ARRIVAL WHITE NOISE ONLINE AVATAR WARFARE AVATAR SURVIVAL GAMES MOUNT YOUR FRIENDS

PUBLISHER Sick Kreations Activision Blizzard 505 Games DigitalDNA Midnight City DigitalDNA DigitalDNA DigitalDNA Stegersaurus Software

Week ending: October 19th

TOP 10 GOOGLE PLAY CHARTS

01 TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

MINECRAFT – POCKET EDITION DEVELOPER: MOJANG

TITLE Theory Test UK 2014 The Chase Flightradar24 Pro The Room Hitman Go AllCast Premium Grand Theft Auto San Andreas Five Night at Freddy’s Nova Launcher

PUBLISHER Focus Multimedia Barnstorm Games Flightradar24 AB Fireproof Games Square Enix Clockwork Mod Rockstar Scott Cawthon TeslaCoil

Week ending October 27th

PRESENTS

$544m

5 SECOND FACTS 2.4m

Correct as of October 27th

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

Amazon has posted Microsoft announced it sold CEX has rolled out bitcoin Davey Wreden, the creator operating losses of $544m 2.4m consoles in the last payments to 32 stores. This of award-winning indie for Q3 2014. One of the quarter. The platform holder follows the ﬁrm’s trial of game The Stanley Parable, main reasons for this was didn’t reveal how much of the currency in its Glasgow has announced that it has the failing Fire Phone this ﬁgure was Xbox One or store and online sold over one million units Xbox 360 www.mcvuk.com

PDP design & manufacture the Oﬃcial Microsoft licensed Xbox ONE TV Kinect Sensor Clip europesales@pdp.com

www.pdp.com October 31st 2014

BATTLEFIELD HARDLINE

TAKING THE HARDLINE The latest Battlefield title is ditching military conflict for cops and robbers combat. Alex Calvin speaks to VP of developer Visceral Games Steve Papoutsis about Hardline’s fresh new direction, the increased focus on narrative and the IP’s rivalry with Call of Duty

n years gone by the rivalry between blockbuster shooters Call of Duty and Battlefield has been fierce. And though the two aren’t launching head-to-head this time, there is an added element of spice. Because the upcoming Battlefield Hardline and Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare are both being created by the people who built the horror game Dead Space. But Steve Papoutsis, VP and GM of Visceral Games, says that the enmity isn’t all it’s cranked up to be. “You’re not the first person to ask me about Sledgehammer employees having worked at Visceral in the past,” he says. “There really isn’t a rivalry at all, because I worked with [co-founder of Sledgehammer Games] Glen Schofield going back to Crystal Dynamics; we’ve been friends for a really long time. We worked on Dead Space and other games at EA together. I have nothing but respect for Sledgehammer and what they are doing. “It is odd, though, and kind of funny. We’re both working on firstperson shooters at this point in time, but other than that I just wish them the best. I hope that studio does great things. The more great games the better.” CRIME FIGHTERS Battlefield Hardline is a departure from what we have come to expect of the series. Gone are the military figures on distant shores fighting foreign powers, replaced by a cops and robbers tale as law enforcement takes on domestic evil.

October 31st 2014

Visceral has a lot of people who are passionate about narrative and are skilled in that area. We felt that was something that could be an evolution for the Battlefield brand. Steve Papoutsis, Visceral Games

to go with the story, which is a revenge narrative.” It certainly doesn’t sound like a Battlefield game. And when you consider how big Watch Dogs, Titanfall and Destiny have been, new IP is hardly the ‘risk’ it was once thought to be. But Papoutsis says the Battlefield IP was important to the studio. “For us at Visceral we were excited about getting a chance to work on a big franchise like Battlefield. Being big fans of the multiplayer component,” he explains. “What’s cool about Battlefield and a lot of multiplayer games is

“We started making this game over two and a half years ago and the initial concept really came out of the idea of creating a game around the concept of cops and robbers,” Papoutsis says. “On the single-player side we looked at it as an opportunity to do things a bit differently. Since we were going to do something focusing on cops and criminals we initially thought that what was going to be important was that people get to experience both sides of that. That helped influence where we were going

they engage people for a really long time. People play them with their friends, it lasts a great length of time and it’s really a communitybuilding type of experience. That’s really cool for us as developers because we want to reach as many people as possible. “Having the ability to take what is a great foundation in the way of Battlefield multiplayer and put our fiction on it, put our game modes on it and expand it was super compelling and made sense for that brand. Then within the Battlefield IP, bring something in on the single player side that felt like an evolution, something that would feel fresh and full-featured for people so they didn’t feel like it was more of the same. “It just feels different. That was our thinking about being a Battlefield game. So far it’s been really interesting to be hearing the feedback from the fans and the community and media about it. For us it’s exciting as developers to get to play with the IP in that way.” SQUARE-EYED The single player for Hardline has been heavily influenced by crime dramas, and the campaign is even presented as a TV series. “We started to talk and develop the idea that a lot of TV shows and films we liked were based on crime. We thought what would be interesting was taking the concept of episodes and bringing that into our campaign. So if you thought of our single-player as a season, levels could be episodes. “What’s interesting is that if you think about film, it’s a thing

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BATTLEFIELD HARDLINE

FAILURE TO TAKE OFF

Hardline was heavily inﬂ uenced by crime dramas, says Visceral

you watch for two and a half or three hours, and that’s one chunk of entertainment. But a TV show plays out more like a series of levels. That’s interesting. Those episodes can be little contained stories that then feed into the big narrative that is the season. “That was something we were excited about, and we thought we could bring in other ideas from TV like when you stop playing the game, having the game prompt you to watch a ‘Next on’, so you can get a tease of what’s coming up next. A lot of people don’t have enough time to sit down for eight hours and play a game from start to end. People will take a break and not be able to remember where they were when they come back. “So we wanted to incorporate that idea of ‘Previously on’, so when you turn the game on you see this ‘Previously on Hardline’ segment which fills you in on the story before. Those were interesting ideas that really started

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to congeal and come together as we started working on the game.” Coming from Visceral, the studio behind the story-driven Dead Space, it’s unsurprising to see Hardline’s narrative get a lot of attention. “As a studio we’ve spent a lot of time working on third-person action games with a significant narrative component,” says Papoutsis. “We’ve got a lot of people who are passionate about narrative and are skilled with that. We felt that was something that could be an evolution for the brand as well. Bring in our approach to cinematics. And it just dovetailed right into the TV concept.”

EA has been trying to embrace the playerfirst mentality. We have the chance to hear what players think and incorporate their feedback.

PUSHING BACK Hardline was officially announced back in June at E3 2014 with an October release date. But the title was delayed until 2015 the following month after a public beta. “As gamers ourselves we’ve been to press conferences where

Steve Papoutsis, Visceral Games

Last year’s Battlefield 4 was a bit of a calamity for EA as the game was riddled with technical errors. And while Visceral Games’ VP and GM Steve Papoutsis says that is symptomatic of a complicated game, he is eager that Hardline does not repeat those mistakes. “Hundreds of games have had their fun inhibited by some bug, or some sort of problem,” he says. “Developers really try to launch bug-free games that are stable to ensure our players have a great time. What happened with Battlefield 4 was a reminder of that fact. There are many games that have challenges at launch. It’s a symptom of them being incredibly complex, especially when you’re talking about making a game for five platforms. That’s a lot of work, and trying to make sure it’s working on all of those in a stable way is completely a priority for us.”

people talk about a game but we’ve all wanted to play it then,” Papoutsis says. “We thought it would be cool to let people play the game on the day we announced it. Our other motivation was to put the game in players’ hands and get feedback. We wanted to prove that we are capable of launching a Battlefield game in a stable way. “We received a lot feedback and we weren’t going to be able to act on much of it with the way things were looking with the ship date. EA has been trying to embrace the player-first mentality, engaging with the community now we are living in a much more social world. We have the opportunity to hear what the players are saying and take that feedback and incorporate it.” He concludes: “[EA CEO] Andrew Wilson and his staff decided we should have more time to incorporate the feedback from players if we needed it.”

October 31st 2014

MOBAS INVESTIGATION

MOBA’S BATTLE TO BECOME A GENRE League of Legends and Dota 2 are two of the biggest games in the world. But aren’t they just remixes of the same game? Matthew Jarvis speaks to the studios trying to turn the MOBA into a genre

he ‘M’ in ‘MOBA’ may not stand for ‘Money’, but given the number of companies jumping on the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena bandwagon, it wouldn’t be hard to believe. With the success of League of Legends and Dota 2 continuing to grow (the average number of monthly minutes of League watched on Twitch during 2013 was up 258 per cent year-on-year, while Dota 2’s average monthly minute count rocketed 508 per cent) firms from across the gaming spectrum are launching their own take on the fast-paced competitive genre. “It’s normal that different companies try to make new games of an obviously popular genre,” observes Benjamin Lee, creative producer for mobile MOBA The Witcher Battle Arena at CD Projekt Red. “Some will just copy, others will elaborate and iterate on gameplay concepts and ideas. Others will find a completely different approach to the subject. This is how the industry develops, and, frankly, if we stop trying, we’d end up playing three or four games at the end because there would be no other genres around.” BREAKING THE MOBA MOULD Obviously going up against two of the biggest games in recent history is a tough ask. But even the big two MOBAs are very similar to one another. So developers see an opportunity to innovate. “The reason why you see the similarity in the iconic MOBA tri-lane map [the traditional MOBA level used by both Dota and League] is because of two things: either confusion around what ‘genre’ means, or really smart people on development teams that

October 31st 2014

Transformers Universe bills itself as a ‘Massively Online Tactical Action’ title

Kaeo Milker, senior producer of Heroes of the Storm at Blizzard, agrees that ‘MOBA’ refers to a diverse breadth of titles, rather than reiterations on two titles. “There’s a bunch of people making games with a very similar framework and doing their own thing with it,” he says. “Some of the dominant games have done some very similar things. We’ve come into it like we have done with other types of games; we look at a genre and say: ‘There are lots of things we like about that, there’s a lot of stuff that’s fun.’ And then we say: ‘What if we took this thing away, or changed this thing. What does that leave us with?’ We’re trying to distill the fun.”

know breaking that mould is going to be really fricking hard,” explains Dave Cerra, lead producer of EA’s MOBA Dawngate. “In a MOBA, mode is the map.” Cerra adds his belief that titles can successfully evolve the well-worn construction of Dota and League, without simply becoming lost among an ocean of ‘copycat’ games. “We should be able to break down what makes the likes of Dota and League tick in a meaningful way and build something that’s actually very different,” he says. “What I see happening in the space is a lot of recreation, and my guess as to the reasons why is because of the hell we went through to find Dawngate’s unique angle. We tried things like removing laneing, but it does a lot of things for the MOBA style of gameplay very efficiently and eloquently, so we put lanes back in the game. MOBA is a genre, and we want to do something new.”

LANDED TITLE A common tactic of games hoping to differentiate themselves is to create an entirely new sub-genre. From Deep Silver’s ‘ZOMBA’ Dead Island: Epidemic to ‘MOTA’

Transformers Universe, there’s seemingly a new acronym for each and every new entry. David Nicholson, vice president of Jagex, explains that the term ‘MOBA’ hampers new titles with the immediate challenge of taking on Dota and League. “MOTA (‘Massively Online Tactical Action’) was a neat way to try and sum up what we are making with Transformers Universe,” he says. “We didn’t want to get pigeonholed into a specific genre, nor did we want people’s expectations to be set by the acronym we used before we were able to reveal more about the game. If we had said ‘thirdperson MOBA’ people would have had some very specific views on what the game was going to be like. “‘MOBA’ means very specific things to people, and that’s driven by what’s gone before. When you say MOBA, players think of the two biggest games in the market and their expectation is defined by them. But games like Transformers Universe and others are already bringing their own angles to the genre, and I suspect we’ll see more variants as time goes on.” Peter Brolly, brand manager for Dead Island: Epidemic at Deep Silver, agrees that the future of the MOBA lies in increasing diversity. “We came up with the ZOMBA (‘Zombie Online Multiplayer Battle Arena’) acronym to distance ourselves somewhat from being classed as a pure MOBA,” he comments. “We’re testing the outer limits of the definition of the MOBA genre and wanted to reflect that in a way with the ZOMBA acronym – we’re not simply retreading old ground.”

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MOBAS INVESTIGATION

Dead Island: Epidemic is one of several MOBA-like games based on an established IP

Milker remains similarly defiant about Heroes of the Storm. “We call Heroes a ‘team brawler’ – it’s not a MOBA,” he explains. “The reason we say that is because it’s actually different. We’ve twisted it and turned the dials and decided to intentionally remove and add to things in a way that we think makes the game more fun.” IP EXPECTATIONS Many of the bigger firms creating MOBAs are utilising existing IP to entice fans of these already successful series across to the genre – Dead Island: Epidemic, Transformers Universe and Lord of the Rings spin-off Guardians of Middle-earth are just three examples. However, for others, attaching a beloved franchise is a risky move, especially when you’re trying to reinvent the MOBA. “Attractive licenses introduce constraints that are going to dictate your gameplay,” says Cerra. “If you’re trying to iterate on gameplay and do something different, the worst thing in the world is to have

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to say ‘That’s not canon, it doesn’t work in this universe’. IP will have very specific needs that won’t necessarily be best for the game.” Heroes of the Storm uses Blizzard brands. But the studio says it was also concerned about how that would impact player experience. “We intentionally started with a first map that is not a Blizzard world,” Milker explains. “If we’d taken players to a StarCraft, WarCraft or Diablo world at first, there would’ve been expectations about what that would’ve meant for gameplay. So we started off in a neutral area. There’s the opportunity for new characters and new worlds.”

If we’re right about MOBA, we get to stand on the shoulders of giants and contribute to an emerging genre.

THE START OF SOMETHING NEW With the genre evolving by the day, it’s certain that new titles will continue to redefine what makes a ‘MOBA’. “We’re going to continue to see the MOBA go from strength to strength as a recognised genre,” says Brolly. “However, what exactly constitutes a title being classed as a MOBA may shift over time, as new and innovative approaches

Dave Cerra, EA

continue to sprout up in an effort to stand out from the crowd. This is only good news for players, who will have even more choice and unique experiences to look forward to.” Brolly compares the rise of the MOBA to the explosion in firstperson shooters during the middle of the last decade, catalysed by the success of Call of Duty: “It’s a very competitive market with some established franchises with huge player bases, so just joining the party with a cookie-cutter game isn’t going to cut it. You’re going to have to bring something new to the table, which ultimately results in innovation and multiple subgenres springing up, similar to how the first-person shooter genre has sparked multiple sub-genres as the years have gone by.” Lee agrees: “League and Dota are not going anywhere but there is plenty of room for new games to push the genre in new places,” he says. “You would think that everything was said in the FPS genre and then you have something like indie title SUPERHOT, which revolutionises the whole idea. Current MOBAs are only the beginning and there is still much to explore. We hope to be one of the pioneers.” Nicholson suggests that similarities in design between shooter titles and MOBAs could even lead fatigued FPS fans to explore these titles. “The rise of MOBAs beyond hardcore gamers has been pretty exceptional,” he says. “This comes down to the ability of MOBAs to offer more depth than you’d see in FPS games – another genre that historically operates well on a single map, multiple mode set-up.” Cerra concludes by stating that the MOBA genre is the next potential goldmine for publishers, with the chance to enter on the ground floor. “MOBA is a genre – it’s not just one game with small variations over and over again; there’s room here,” he says. “Either we’re wrong, and ‘MOBA’ really is just one game – and then the market’s sewn up, because it really is just League and Dota – or we’re right, and we get to stand on the shoulders of giants and contribute to an emerging genre.” Additional reporting by Alex Calvin and Christopher Dring

October 31st 2014

QA AND LOCALISATION XXX XXX

TESTING TIMES QA and localisation is an essential but often overlooked part of the games industry. Alex Calvin catches up with some of its key players to find out what is concerning the sector

s an important part of the games industry, the QA and localisation sphere is subject to the same changes that the entire sector is experiencing. For example, the shift in the ways that games are distributed these days has been a challenge for the way QA firms operate. Where before once the game has shipped their jobs were over. Today, that’s simply not the case. “The main challenge we face is still how to operate ‘games as a service’ as all releases are now live. Even the triple-A PC and console IP require ongoing support,” says Ben Wibberley, VMC’s director of business development for games. “QA and localisation firms have had to change how they operate, specifically to exist in an embedded, agile development environment and adjust to the constant updates of content whether that is game updates or DLC.” STRETCHED THIN But QA and localisation firms aren’t just stretched into supporting games post-launch, they are also working on more platforms now than ever before, and this is testing their resources. “The main challenge we’ve observed is platform diversity. Not only do the product types differ between platforms, various hardware has different functionality features that need to be considered during every test phase,” says Harrison Baker, executive QA manager at Testology. “We’ve got console, handheld, PC, browser, Steam, Android, iOS, Amazon, VR, TV Games, toy integration, and all sorts of

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QA ﬁrms are testing games on more platforms than ever before

other platforms. Our business goes beyond video games and delves into the digital sector, generally, so we have to tackle multiple different product types within these evolving platforms. As our business grows, our biggest challenge is reacting to platform diversity while training, developing, and promoting diverse tester skillsets at the very highest industry level.” Mathieu Lachance, functionality QA manager at Babel Games is positive about these changes: “The challenges QA and localisation are facing are the same are all other sectors working with new technology. “We have to be flexible and adapting at a pace that may seem quite aggressive to other older and

QA and localisation, publishers and developers are under more strain to deliver games cheaper and in shorter time frames. Mathieu Lachance, Babel

well established industries. It’s a double-edged sword that ends up being positive for the organisations though. It allows them to offer new and better products and services every year.” Included in the high number of platforms are countless mobile devices. One way that QA firms are getting round these issues is by using simulated devices – tech that emulates the functionality of a given platform. But this hardware is somewhat divisive in the sphere. “The point of view on the quality outcome of a product regarding the use of emulation is divided,” says Lachance. “Some argue that the simulations are not an exact representation of an actual device, which could affect the final product

October 31st 2014

QA AND LOCALISATION

which can be cheaper in the long run due to device costs, plus it allows QA to do more testing using few staff when it is done effectively. Good automation will provide a good return for QA on bug yields, stress and stability testing. Bad automation, however, becomes a huge waste of money.” Baker says it’s just not worth the risk. “Emulation provides a couple of benefits: cost and time. But it does have a negative impact on the quality of testing. “We don’t emulate anything. We have over 180 devices and are committed to be market representative so our clients can rest assured. There’s way more that goes into a device compatibility phase that can only be achieved with real-device testing. We’ve had clients unable to reproduce issues we’ve found when emulating devices – critical issues are missed.” Univerally Speaking’s director Loreto Sanz Fueyo believes that actually the best solution is to use both. “Simulated devices allow games to be checked across a higher number of devices, without having to spend money on the actual devices,” she says. “This helps, but doesn’t replace testing on devices, as issues can arise from the emulator itself. In general any issues found on an emulator will need to be confirmed on an actual device. This is increasing the quality by enabling test teams to cover a large number of devices, and thereby providing broader testing to ensure a good end user experience.”

CUSTOMER SERVICE IN the second half of any given year, the demand for bug testers goes up exponentially as publishers rush to get their games in stores for the Christmas period. Many of them are on contract and find themselves our of work after a game is complete. But Testronic has decided to invest in its staff to ensure that their skills are being put to good use via its new SMART customer support service. “QA and localisation and customer service have a lot in common,” the firm’s head of customer support services Jamie McLellan explains. “We don’t want to throw away the knowledge a member of staff who bug tested a game has. We want to leverage it and provide unique customer support, by gamers, for gamers. “We will move willing staff into the team after said game is finished to ensure we can provide support. “The key for many publishers is the lack of or the poor

unexpectedly. On the other hand, having the flexibility of emulating multiple devices rapidly instead of a few in a similar timeframe could actually mean testing the potential outcome of products much more efficiently, allowing us to get through higher volumes of work than what would have been possible otherwise.” Testronic’s operations director Chris Rowley is positive on emulation: “It allows for more hardware to be used for testing,

customer service offering. We’re giving that role to the experts, we’ll control the cost and improve your quality by working smart. What we mean by that is looking at the entire customer journey, and help them to improve it. “We also want to lower the cost of customer service as well as improving the quality. Instead of just handling their contacts with no real desire to drill down into the root cause, and then spending £10m a year on customer service, we will work with them to reduce that cost by being smart. “What you get is a lot of contracted staff, who are around until the big launch in Q3/Q4. After, the requirement for the number of staff goes down until the next Q3/Q4. These people can add another string to their bow, draw on their knowledge of testing the game and work during Q1/Q2 to provide that live service support for the same game.”

Hardware emulation has cost and time benefits. But it has a negative impact on the quality of testing. Harrison Baker, Testology

HEALTH AND SAFETY As well as the plethora of devices

available now, there is a number of new technologies such as VR on the horizon. But before they get into stores, they need to be tested, and this new tech comes with potential health problems such as giving users motion sickness. “New technology that can effect the health and safety of users, employees included, is not new at all,” says Lachance. “It wasn’t that long ago that dancing games came out and, even if most people didn’t seem to realise it, some health risks needed to be taken in account for those. Having employees working multiple hours, days, weeks on these can be a risk, and every risk needs to be managed. “Appropriate candidates are found, for which health risks are minimised. Mandatory breaks at predetermined intervals are applied. And assignment flexibility ensures employees are not strained, like rotating projects.” Fueyo adds: “It is certainly an exciting time with these new technologies. We take the protection of our teams seriously. We adhere to all manufacture guidelines in the use of equipment but we take this one step further and have established regular team rotations. In addition, we have dedicated space with enough room to avoid collisions with people or equipment. She concludes: “The technology is moving in giant leaps and we are confident manufacturers are addressing any concerns that have been raised in order to ensure the maximum enjoyment while adhering to health and safety regulations.”

(Left to right): VMC’s Ben Wibberley, Testronic’s Chris Rowley, Testology’s Harrison Baker, Universally Speaking’s Loreto Sanz Fueyo and Babel’s Mathieu Lachance

October 31st 2014

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CHRISTMAS 2

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INDIE INTERVIEW DOCTOR WHO LEGACY

THE DOCTOR IS IN It’s one of the most successful Doctor Who games in history, yet many fans don’t even know it exists. Christopher Dring speaks to Doctor Who Legacy’s games designer Lee Cummings and executive producer Susan Cummings about discovery, doing free-to-play properly and the show’s 51-year history

very Saturday evening for the last ten weeks has seen The Doctor and Clara fight all sort of nasties. There’s been the halffaced man, the Daleks, the Robots of Sherwood, evil wall-painting things, a mummy, spiders on the moon, trees... And then, within 24 hours, gamers are given the chance to beat them, too. Doctor Who Legacy is a mobile and Facebook title created by Tiny Rebel Games. It’s pretty similar to gem-based puzzle/combat title Puzzle and Dragons, but filled with Doctor Who iconography. Legacy is gradually becoming the biggest Doctor Who game of all time. It launched late last year, with little to no above-the-line marketing. But the company’s persistent, weekly updates (primarily based on the show’s most recent episode) has given the game a massive uplift. “Each weekend has been through the roof for us when it comes to picking up new users from across all the platforms,” says games creator Lee Cummings. “It took us nine months to get 1m users, and then like another 10 days to get another 200,000 users. We now have 1.4m players. “We get all these emails saying: ‘Hey you just launched a new Doctor Who game.’ And we’re like: ‘No, we launched it months ago. But thank you anyway.’” Tiny Rebel CEO Susan Cummings adds: “It’s funny, there are 75 million people who watch Doctor Who, and we have over 1m of them that know about our game. It’s amazing how difficult it is to get

October 31st 2014

to a saturation point. Every week we hear from fans who claim to be lifelong Doctor Who fans, who just didn’t know the game existed.”

We dislike many aspects of free-toplay games. Five minutes in and they’re trying to get you to spend money.

FREE THINKING Legacy is a free-to-play mobile game. Yet unlike most free titles, it’s not constantly asking gamers for money – in fact, it’s one of the least intrusive freemium games I’ve experienced. And the studio says that there’s a good reason for this. “One of the very first conversations we had with the BBC is about how we wanted to build a platform and not a video game,” says Lee Cummings. “We really dislike many things about free-to-play games... There are a lot of games where you jump in and five minutes later they’re trying to get you to spend money, even though you don’t really have a clue what this game is. People find it very heavy handed. So we decided to go with an incredibly light touch; we consider the first season, the first eight hours, a sort-of extended tutorial, and you don’t see any monetisation at all. He adds: “The whole energy meter in free games is absurd from a game design point-of-view. I want nothing more than people to play this game as much as they want. An energy meter basically puts up a wall that says: ‘You’re enjoying this game? Ha. You’re paying.’ It’s horrible and there’s no real need for it. If you streamline your production processes enough, you can keep offering fresh content, and you don’t need gating. All that is there for is money, and we are happy to leave

Lee Cummings, Tiny Rebel Games

that on the table because you get a happy fanbase that way.” Susan Cummings continues: “We are a small company. We don’t have huge overheads to cover. And it was important for us that we could be with players for the long-haul and not feel the need to get as much money out of them as quickly as possible.” WHICH DOCTOR? Doctor Who has been going now for 51 years. And Tiny Rebel has gone out of its way to introduce not just modern Who stories to Legacy, but classic characters, too. It’s just added its final ‘canon’ Doctor to the game’s character roster – Tom Baker’s fourth Doctor. “When we launched we focused on the previous two seasons of the show,” says Lee Cummings. “We then started to get a lot of feedback and emails, and there were a lot of Classic Who fans who wanted classic things. So we actually redesigned huge chunks of the story from scratch to allow for that.” The ability to explore classic-era Who helps the game continue to evolve when the show isn’t on. But the developer is going further, and is even exploring the expanded ‘Who-niverse’. Tiny Rebel has already partnered with the comic books and even the DVDs in an effort to promote its title. But now it’s going further, by introducing characters and monsters from Titan Comics’ Who graphic novel series, and is starting to look at the books, too. “What is cooler than creating a new comic book, getting

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DOCTOR WHO LEGACY INDIE INTERVIEW

Doctor Who Legacy is updated almost instantly after each Doctor Who episode

permission to create a new companion for The Doctor, and then getting to see that new companion play alongside Rose and Amy and other classic companions in the game?” asks Lee Cummings. “There are some 70m Doctor Who fans worldwide. Legacy reaches only 1.4m of them (we say ‘only’, that’s obviously a massive number). So there’s clearly some way to go. But the studio appears to be doing the right thing. By not demanding constant money, releasing regular updates and speaking directly to its fans, the firm is doing everything that is expected from a modern games company. Lee concludes: “We wanted to build something that would go on for years and years and years, and can mine everything from the history of Doctor Who. “It has been the most fun project we’ve worked on. We are more proud of this than anything else we’ve done. It’s been an allconsuming project of love.”

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WHOVIANS UNITED SINCE Doctor Who Legacy launched in November 2013, Tiny Rebel has been bombarded with emails asking for help and giving feedback. Emails that Lee and Susan Cummings respond to personally, the total of which now stands at well over 4,000. By doing this, the firm has helped create a community around itself and the game. And now it even holds weekly shows on Twitch. “Our Twitch show has been the foundation of our social media,” explains executive producer Susan Cummings. “When we launched the game, this guy, Adipose, starting doing these awesome YouTube videos, and it helped newer players discover things about the game. Then he started doing something on Twitch, and he struggled to get an audience there doing something live. So we reached out to Twitch to get some help, and they did an awesome job

It’s amazing how difficult it is to get to a saturation point. Every week we hear from fans who just didn’t know the game existed. Susan Cummings, Tiny Rebel Games

in helping promote it. So we do that every Thursday.” Creative director Lee Cummings adds: “We get 20,000 to 30,000 people on the show every week. It started out as a one-hour show, then it became two-hours, now it’s almost three hours, and then these fans have an after-party in the channel afterwards for an hour to discuss what we said. It’s become a four-hour event.” Susan Cummings says: “It has fostered this idea that people know us on a first-name basis. They know what we are going through. I can’t pretend this is all a concerted effort; some of this we stumbled into. This is our first mobile game. We’ve been making games now for 15 years, mostly in the console space. So we didn’t know what to expect when we launched this game. We are learning by the seat of our pants. And that’s a good thing; we’ve done it differently because we didn’t know any other way of doing it.”

October 31st 2014

MARKETPLACE

SHELF LIFE GAME Accrington’s store manager Darren Townsend on taking on new staﬀ for the busy Christmas period and the plethora of in-store events and midnight launches the retailer has been holding for its community If our community wants us to do a midnight opening, then we will always do our absolute best to arrange them.

Tell us about your store’s team. We’re a small town store with big gaming hearts. There’s currently six permanent staﬀ now, as a couple have continued their quest and adventures at university and started families. However, there are exciting recruits incoming for the Christmas period and will be joining us this very week. We might be considered small, but we have so many diﬀerent gaming tastes. From sports, FPSs and RPG and everything

in-between, we’ve got someone to answer a question on it.

PRE-ORDER CHARTS

PRICE CHECK: ONLINE

What’s your store speciality? We pride ourselves on our customer service, and the continued engagement with our community daily. We have kids coming in after school discussing FIFA, Pokémon and catching up with WWE as well as elderly ladies visiting three or four times each week who we’ve taught to StreetPass.

What’s been your most successful event so far? There’s genuinely too many to mention – every midnight launch is our favourite. The passion that our community shows by attending one of our events, choosing our store to shop with makes it the favourite each and

TOP 10 PRE-ORDERS 1. HALO THE MASTER CHIEF COLLECTION Microsoft, XO 2. Dragon Age Inquisition EA .............................................................................PS4

RATCHET AND CLANK NEXUS

BATTLEFIELD 4

3. Sunset Overdrive Day One Edition Microsoft ..................................................................XO

CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS

4. Xbox One Sunset Overdrive White Bundle + COD Advanced Warfare Day Zero Edition Microsoft ..................................................................XO

EA, XO

Activision, PS4

5. Call of Duty Advanced Warfare Activision ..............................................................PS4

FUSE

Sony, PS3

EA, 360

N/A

£14.99

£54.99

£49.99

£13.99

£15.99

£26.96

£26.45

£6.99

£14.55

9. Captain Toad Treasure Tracker Nintendo............................................................. Wii U

£29.97

£34.97

£14.97

£15.97

10. Grand Theft Auto V Rockstar ...................................................................XO

£39.85

£37.97

N/A

£17.85

7. Call of Duty Advanced Warfare Activision .................................................................XO 8. Football Manager 2015 Sega ...........................................................................PC

UPLOADING The latest digital releases coming to market

MARIO KART 8

RACE THE SUN

ALIEN ISOLATION

F-Zero and Zelda-themed DLC is hitting the racer next month

This artsy endless runner is out on all PlayStation platforms now

The ﬁrst batch of Survivor Mode maps has snuck onto stores

OUT NOVEMBER

October 31st 2014

OUT: NOW

OUT NOW

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IN STORE

£42.99

ONLINE

£44.99

6. Murdered: Soul Suspect Square Enix..........................................................PS4

MARKETPLACE

GAME Accrington Marketgate, Accrington, Lancashire, BB5 1EW

every time. The buzz, excitement and passion of each new release – especially at midnight, gets us every time. A midnight launch followed by a full day is the best. And there are so many to look forward to now as well. What else have you been doing for your community? We had a Minecraft week with some prizes for a building challenge during October half term. We’re currently planning for

Phone: 01254 351 830 Website: www.game.co.uk

the new release titles coming out this side of Christmas, bearing in mind we’re not shy to dressup, you can expect a bunch of cosplay from us. We also had a decent FIFA 15 tournament, alongside a fastest goal competition; we’ll also be looking to do a GAME Accrington Championship. We’re more than happy to have our community tell us what they’d like from us, so if anyone reading this has any ideas, let us know.

INCOMING TITLE

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The Q4 release schedule is heating up as the launches of new Call of Duty and Ubisoft titles approach, as well as Microsoft’s deﬁnitive Halo collection FORMAT

GENRE

PUBLISHER

TELEPHONE

DISTRIBUTOR

PS4/XO

Adventure

Avanquest

01480 359 403

Open

The Walking Dead – Season Two

PS4/XO/PS3/360

Adventure

Avanquest

01480 359 403

Open

NBA Live 15

PS4/XO

Sports

0121 625 3388

CentreSoft

October 31st The Walking Dead – GOTY Edition

Lords of the Fallen

PS4/XO/PC

Action

Square Enix

0121 625 3388

CentreSoft

Sunset Overdrive

Action

Microsoft

01279 822 822

Exertis

Invizimals: The Resistance

Vita

Kids

Sony

0121 625 3388

CentreSoft

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Danger of the Ooze

PS3/360/3DS

Kids

Activision

0121 625 3388

CentreSoft

WWE 2K15

PS4/XO/PS3/360

Sports

2K Games

01279 822 822

Exertis

Invizimals: The Resistance

Vita

Kids

Sony

0121 625 3388

CentreSoft

PS4/XO/PS3/360/PC

Shooter

Activision

0121 625 3388

CentreSoft

Management

Sega

0121 625 3388

CentreSoft

November 4th Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

November 7th Football Manager 2015 Planes: Fire and Rescue

Wii U, Wii, 3DS

Kid

Bandai Namco

01215 069 590

Avantage

The Wolf Among Us

PS4/XO/PS3/360

Adventure

Avanquest

01480 359 403

Open

Tiers to Tiara 2: Heir of The Overlord

PS3

RPG

NIS America

020 8664 3485

Open

Shooter

Microsoft

01279 822 822

Exertis

Assassin’s Creed: Rogue

PS3/360

Action

Ubisoft

01279 822 822

Exertis

Assassin’e Creed: Unity

PS4/XO/PC

Action

Ubisoft

01279 822 822

Exertis

PES 2015

PS4/XO/PS3/360

Football

Konami

020 8987 5730

Open

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

PS4/XO/PS3/360/PC

Shooter

Activision

0121 625 3388

CentreSoft

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

PS4/XO/PS3/360/PC

Shooter

Activision

0121 625 3388

CentreSoft

November 11th Halo: The Master Chief Collection

November 13th

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October 31st 2014

SHOOTERS

SHOOTERS It’s little surprise that the shooter genre continues to be one of the biggest games markets in the world. Matthew Jarvis locks and loads

One only need take a look at the success of the biggest new IP launch in history – Destiny – to know that the shooter is still very much king of the console. A month after its arrival, the game continues to average 3.2 million players every day, with average game time running in at three hours a day per player. Joining Destiny in the ramp up to Christmas is the return of two behemothic franchises – Call of Duty and Halo.

Joining Destiny in the ramp up to Christmas is the return of two behemothic franchises – Call of Duty and Halo.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare developer Sledgehammer has doubled-down on the title’s appeal to competitive players – meaning pro-gaming peripherals and accessories should be on the radar of retailers. “We use the eSports community as a sounding board,” lead multiplayer designer Greg Reisdorf told MCV. “We want to bring something new, whilst not alienating the 30m people who play it religiously.”

CALL OF DUTY: ADVANCED WARFARE EARFORCE SENTINEL TASK FORCE GAMING HEADSET With separate editions available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, this headset has full-range 50mm speakers and a removable microphone. It also supports digital game and chat audio for mobile devices and PlayStation Vita. An inline amp featuring variable bass boost, master volume and mic controls is included. SRP: £79.99 Manufacturer: Turtle Beach Distributor: Exertis Contact: 01279 822 822

ARCTIC CAMOUFLAGE STEREO GAMING HEADSET STARTER KIT

CALL OF DUTY: ADVANCED WARFARE GOLDEN SOLDIER T-SHIRT

Players can chat online while hiding in a snowﬁeld with this over-ear kit.

CoD fans can represent Activision’s massive military shooter series with this ‘Advanced Wear-fare’.

Modelled on one of the monsters from 2K’s multiplayer shooter, Evolve, this Goliath statue weighs a hefty 16kg and is 29 inches tall.

SRP: £29.99 Manufacturer: 4Gamers Distributor: A4T Contact: 01204 869 230

SRP: £19.99 Manufacturer: Gaya Entertainment Distributor: Gaming Merchandise UK Contact: hello@gamingmerchandiseuk.com

SRP: $750 Manufacturer: Project Triforce Distributor: Project Triforce Contact: www.projecttriforce.com

October 31st 2014

EVOLVE: GOLIATH PREMIER SCALE STATUE

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SHOOTERS

DIRECTORY

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

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

GAMING ACCESSORIES DISC REPAIR

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DISC REPAIR

TOTAL DISC REPAIR

Tel: +44 (0) 1202 489500

October 31st 2014

Web: www.totaldiscrepair.co.uk

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DIRECTORY

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

FINK

CREATIVE

DISTRIBUTION

CLICK ENTERTAINMENT

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

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

Tel: +44 (0)203 137 3781

Web: www.ﬁnkcreative.com DISTRIBUTION

email: sales@click-entertainment.com

CURVEBALL LEISURE

Web: www.creativedistribution.co.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 1792 652521

DISTRIBUTION

SONY DADC

DISTRIBUTION

Web: www.curveball-leisure.com DISTRIBUTION

Empowering your creative business

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

www.sonydadc.com Tel: +302 1090 11900

www.mcvuk.com

Web: www.enarxis.eu

Tel: +44 (0) 207 462 6200

Web: www.sonydadc.com

October 31st 2014

DIRECTORY

GAMING ACCESSORIES

L3I

GAMING ACCESSORIES

VENOM

Accessories for use with Xbox OneÂ® Twin Battery Packs

Twin Docking Station

Includes 2 Rechargeable Battery Packs

Tel: + (0)1923 471 020

Web: www.logic3.com

ADVERTISE WITH US

WANT TO ADVERTISE IN OUR DIRECTORY? Web: www.venomuk.com Phone: +44 (0)1763 284181 Email: darren.scott@venomuk.com sam.phipps@venomuk.com tom.hodge@venomuk.com

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

Tel: +44 (0)1763 284181 October 31st 2014

Venom UK Gaming @VenomGamingUK

w w w. v e n o m u k . c o m

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INSIDER’S GUIDE

INSIDER’S GUIDE CALVINO NOIR

DIRECTORY

WHO? Specialism: Development Location: The Arch Creatives, Arch 2, The Creative Railway, Arches, Court Street, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV31 2DH

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

Rob Barnsley talks about Calvino Noir’s eponymous debut title and the challenges of a small studio

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Tell us about your company. Calvino Noir Ltd is a company set up solely to develop Calvino Noir. We may seem like a bit of a ragtag bunch, but the diversity really strengthens us as a team.

THIS MONTH’S DIRECTORY SPOTLIGHT:

What is Calvino Noir? It is a 2.5D ﬁlm-noir heist game. Special attention has been placed on capturing the noir mood through the lighting, shadows and smoke, giving a real depth to the game that will reach out and absorb the player.

Epic Games .................................................. www.epicgames.com/careers

What are the biggest challenges you face? As with any small team, the biggest challenge is time. We have a clear idea of what we want the game to be, but only a ﬁnite amount of time and resources to accomplish it. We’re more than half way through our development cycle, but there’s still a lot of features left to be added – not to mention localisation, playtesting and polish. Because we’re aspiring for the game to be the best it can possibly be with the resources we have available, it is really important for us to really draw a clear line under what is achievable and what’s not. Being objective about such a creative process and not letting your expectations and desires for the project become unrealistic is crucial. As with most development, it’s all about striking a balance. To be included in the Develop Directory (which appears every month in Develop and now every week in MCV) contact aboucher@nbmedia.com

We may seem like a bit of a ragtag bunch, but the diversity strengthens us as a team. Rob Barnsley, Calvino Noir

Tell us something about your company no one knows. We have two ska drummers in our team. How about that? Most companies don’t even have one. How did you choose your company name? Our name came out of a rigorous process involving many cups of coﬀee, countless sleepless nights and intense brainstorming sessions with top PR ﬁrms. We wanted something that was original, edgy and innovative. A real head-turner. I think we achieved that.

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

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

Contact: E: rob@calvinonoir.com W: calvinonoir.com F: facebook.com/calvinonoir T: @dan_games

October 31st 2014

FACTFILE FINLAND Sponsored by

Wholesaler and distributor of video games, consoles and accessories

INTERNATIONAL FACTFILE: FINLAND Population: 5,457,429 Capital City: Helsinki Currency Euro GDP (Per Capita): $46,098 KEY RETAILERS Anttila, CDON, Discshop, Expert, GameStop, Konsolinet, Gigantti, Puolenkuun Pelit TOP DISTRIBUTORS 3H, ALSO, Amo Oy, Koch, Nordic Game Supply, PAN-Visions

Finland is becoming one of the most important games industries in Europe. Finland is home to many massive game studios. Among the bestknown are Remedy – known for the Max Payne and Alan Wake franchises, as well as the upcoming Xbox One exclusive Quantum Break – and Bugbear, which is developing Wreckfest. The region is a hotbed that’s only getting hotter. The Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation (known as Tekes) reports that in Q1 2014, there were more than 200 companies working in the games industry. This is bolstered by a fertile environment for new companies – over 50 per cent of the firms have been established during the last few years. It’s also been a big boost to the country’s export industry; Tekes

TOP DEVELOPERS EA, Rovio Entertainment, Remedy, Bugbear, Unity, Supercell Games, Gameloft, Fingersoft, Frogmind, RedLynx PUBLISHERS IN THE REGION EA, Rovio Entertainment, Supercell Games, Gameloft, RedLynx, Ubisoft, Microsoft, Sony, Activision

says 90 per cent of Finland’s gaming production is exported. Publisher Neogames highlights the cultural acceptance of gaming in Finland as key to its prosperity. The firm adds that a roughly equal amount of companies are working on PC and console titles – 16 and 14 per cent respectively. The Finnish mobile games industry is also booming, with turnover expected to hit €1.49 billion (£1.18bn) by 2020, according to Finnish governmentbacked organisation thisisFinland. This is almost six times the €250 million (£197m) turnover of the sector in 2012, which was itself almost three times greater than three years before. The growth is thanks to Finnish powerhouse mobile studios, including Clash of Clans creator Supercell Games and, of course, Angry Birds developer Rovio.

The Finnish mobile games industry is expected to hit €1.49bn by 2020.

October 31st 2014

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FINLAND FACTFILE

MEANWHILE IN... JAPAN Monster Hunter 4G and Nintendo’s New 3DS models have got off to a flying start in the region during their first two weeks HANDHELD gaming continues to prosper in Japan, with new software and hardware shifting in huge numbers. Capcom’s latest monster-slaying sequel, Monster Hunter 4G, launched on October 11th. Since then, the 3DS exclusive has sold almost 1.9 million units in just under two weeks, according to the latest figures from Famitsu. 1.6 million of these were in the game’s first week on sale. With the help of titles like Monster Hunter 4G and former chart-topping 3DS title Yokai Watch 2, Nintendo’s latest bits of kit have also seen a great initial reception in Japan.

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The New Nintendo 3DS and the New Nintendo 3DS XL (LL in Japan) managed to shift over 300,000 units between them – 89,000 and 237,000 for the New 3DS and New 3DS

XL respectively – in two weeks. Much of the New 3DS XL’s success is down to Monster Hunter 4G, with a special hardware bundle for the game (below).

October 31st 2014

INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION