MCV582 Friday 9th April 2010 by Intent Media (now Newbay Media Europe)

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THE MARKET FOR COMPUTER AND VIDEO GAMES International Media Partner

Issue 582 Friday April 9 2010 £3.25

04 The Doctor is in

10 Reeves’ new plan

Key industry talent signed up to make free episodic Doctor Who game

New Capcom Europe COO outlines his plans for the Resident Evil publisher

05 Codemasters goes digital

14 Going 3D

CEO Rod Cousens reveals the firm’s ambitious plans for the digital space

We take a closer look at the latest visual trend sweeping the games industry

06 World Cup fever

23 Retail Biz

EA talks up its World Cup tie-in – which could be this summer’s biggest game

Our detailed product guides focus on Red Dead Redemption and more

EVERY BUYER G EVERY BRANCH G EVERY INDIE G EVERY WEEK

INCORPORATING

Food for thought in Q1 SPECIAL REPORT: Retail disappointed by lack of market growth, but industry still made £300m in just 13 weeks G 14m games sold during first three months of 2010 G Expectations high for Q4’s hardware rush by Christopher Dring The Easter sales spike last week (see graph below) couldn’t prevent Q1 2010 from failing to match 2009, with fewer consumers shopping on the High Street

IT WAS meant to be the Q1 that would save us from the slump, but a wash of quality releases have not been able to halt a games market decline. MCV research based on GfK Chart-Track data shows that the UK games market was worth £303m for the 13 weeks ending April 4th, 2010. That is a fall of 7.8 per cent when compared with the £329m earned during the comparable period last year. In terms of units, the number of games sold was down from 15.38m in 2009 to 13.79m in 2010 – a drop of 10.8 per cent. The results are disappointing for retailers, who were expecting a sales surge this Q1, driven by a blockbuster line-up on games. A number of factors – including poor weather, weak demand for Wii, and a fall in consumer spending – have knocked the market. “It’s frustrating when you consider the quality of product that’s out there,” said HMV’s head of games Tim Ellis. “It shows the impact of the economic downturn. People are making fewer impulse purchases, whilst the market is also having to compete with other popular culture categories such as technology devices, licensed products and artist merchandising. “Even things like gigs and festivals – if people are spending twice as much on this than they did five years

Halo Wars, Killzone 2

Street Fighter IV

F.E.A.R. 2

Resident Evil 5

Bayonetta, Darksiders Mass Effect 2

BioShock 2

Aliens vs Predator

Army of Two: 40th Day Sonic & Sega AllStars Racing, Heavy Rain

Just Cause 2, Battlefield: Bad Pokémon Heartgold Company 2 & SoulSilver Final Fantasy XIII

NOTE: In order to accurately represent like-for-like weeks, we have compared weeks 1-13 of 2010 with weeks 2-14 of 2009. This is due to there being 53 sales weeks last year

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My belief is this year will continue to be tough. The consumer is worried about tax and the economy. Jon Biggs, Morrisons

ago then this represents disposal income that’s heading in a different direction.

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Mass Effect 2, BioShock 2, Aliens vs Predator, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Final Fantasy

XIII, Just Cause 2 and Pokémon have all hit shelves since January – there was even a new hardware launch in the form of Nintendo’s DSi XL. That line-up outnumbers 2009’s Q1 release slate – which included the likes of Killzone 2 and Resident Evil 5 – but just hasn’t been enough to buck a downward trend.

Morrisons games buyer Jon Biggs added: “My belief is this year will continue to be tough across the market. Firstly we had the January and February consumer credit card spending hangover from Christmas, then we have the uncertainty of the economy added to questions over the future government and how that will effect the individual in terms of taxation. The consumer is worried.” The UK trade is now looking towards Q4 to halt the decline. Three new hardware launches are expected this Christmas – PlayStation Move, Project Natal and Nintendo’s 3DS. And that’s on top of a hopefully promising software line-up that includes Halo: Reach, Fable III and Gran Turismo 5. “There is already a lot of anticipation around Natal and Move and along with 3DS these products will help to broaden gaming to an even wider audience this Christmas,” commented DSGi category manager for games, Peter Willis. The Hut’s Sarah Jasper added: “We look forward to the mass market frenzy we expect to be generated by the new hardwares across all formats, and have already started planning for Christmas.” Meanwhile, Grainger Games is banking on the arrival of Natal and Move generating as much excitement as new console launches: “There is definitely a positive buzz at Grainger about Q4. We expect Natal and Move to encourage an uplift in console sales,” said sales director Phil Moore.

PERSONNEL 20 RETAIL BIZ 21 NEW RELEASES 27 HIGH STREET 28 CHARTS 30

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[LEADER] MARKET SLUMP? OR MARKET TRIUMPH? While the Wii-powered heyday of 2007 to 2008 is behind us, the suggestion Q1 2010 hasn’t hit expectations isn’t necessarily bad news. Sure, you could look at our sexy graph and asssume that even a crop of great games can’t stop the industry remaining flat, and trailing behind Q1 2009. But in the face of numerous pressures, this performance is a glass half full/half empty scenario. It certainly caused some debate amongst the MCV team before words hit the page. We all used to say that if the industry released more games in Q1 the market would benefit. Accidental timing has let us put the theory to test; some of the big Q1 games this year were actually meant to be last year’s big Q4 games. And I’d say we’ve come out of it pretty well. The High Street may not be immune to the credit crunch, bad weather, digital distribution, or whatever the next scapegoat is. But it has certainly shown its ability to stay strong in the face of them. And from a publisher’s point of view a ‘£300m in Q1’ headline really tells just part of the story. At least half of the key 2010 games we single out on the cover will be extended with paid-for DLC, a key element of a release that is just as important as the day one launch. That might be money retail just won’t see, no matter how many point cards or T-shirts you manage to associate with the latest download. But I reckon that situation is far friendlier towards retail than the tougher reality facing the likes of video and music.

WHO’S GAME? Over the last two years, a variety of developers and publishers have purportedly been trying to turn Doctor Who into a game. If you had your ear to the ground, you’d probably heard the same rumours I have. EA and Eidos have both sniffed around the rights, and failed to secure them – while both unlikely and uninspired European ones have pitched for the development contract (I’ll spare their blushes). But it makes more sense that, at a time when retail sales can be seen as a mixed bag, the BBC takes charge of the project, cherrypicks the (of course, British) talent to make it, and dodges retail. Should we be disappointed that the headline title (there are other Who games on the way, for sure) from one of the the UK’s biggest entertainment IPs shuns the traditional games industry? Hardly. If handled right by the BBC, Doctor Who: The Adventure Games could prove to be a ‘gateway game’ for an untapped audience. Retailers and publishers just need to be ready to embrace them when those players start asking for a harder fix. Michael.French@intentmedia.co.uk

First Who game is Licence fee funding new, free episodic PC and Mac title Charles by Michael French THE BBC has partnered with top industry talent to produce the first major Doctor Who game – but it won’t be available in shops. A new episodic title for PC and Mac called Doctor Who: The Adventure Games is bankrolled by the licence fee. The interactive episodes are being developed by UK studio Sumo Digital and Revolution Software’s Charles Cecil,

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want to have their own go at it,” lead writer Moffat told MCV. “Children love to make up their own episodes and invent their own monsters. The interactive quality of being inside an episode and contributing to its outcome is very appealing.” The Adventure Games will be released partly in tandem with the show and are billed as being an ‘extra four episodes’ for the 13 show run which started last week.

This might put a few people’s noses out of joint and turn things on their head a bit given that it’s free. Charles Cecil

creator of Broken Sword. They are working in close collaboration with the show’s new exec producers Steven Moffat and Piers Wenger. But as part of the its public service remit the BBC cannot charge for content – instead the games will be freely distributed every few months via the Doctor Who website. “People don’t want to just consume Doctor Who, they all

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New Doctor Matt Smith and companion Karen Gillan also lend their likenesses and voices to the project. The game was unveiled this week via a big media campaign, managed by Priemier PR, that included The Sun, Broadcast, PC Gamer and MCV sister magazine Develop. The BBC and Sumo hope to change what mass market consumers think of games.

“In game terms this really redefines the perception of what a freebie is,” said Sean Millard, creative evangelist at Sumo. “No longer will a freebie mean just some cheapy web game.” Cecil told MCV that he thinks the episodic delivery of the title can help build ‘a new form of drama’ by mixing TV and interactivity, and then encourage the show’s audience to try more games.

Develop Awards lobbying begins STUDIOS across the UK and Europe can now put themselves forward for the 2010 Develop Awards. Now in its eighth year, the awards take place on July 14th at the Hilton Metropole Hotel in Brighton. Over 500 key industry execs are expected to attend the event.

Key prizes include Best New IP, Visual Arts, Technical Innovation and Best In-House Studio (see full list below). New for this year is Best Micro Studio, an award that recognises the increasing number of small scale studios with 10 or fewer staff working on original download IPs.

WHAT’S UP FOR GRABS? CREATIVITY Best New IP Best Use of Licence or IP Visual Arts Audio Accomplishment Publishing Hero

TECHNOLOGY & SERVICES Technical Innovation Best Tools Provider Best Engine Creative Outsourcing Services Recruitment Company

Anyone in the games industry can put forward their studio, services or technology firm for the awards – or suggest companies they think should be honoured. Simply send a 300 word lobbying pitch to the Develop team via developawards@ intentmedia.co.uk.

The full list of prizes at this year’s Develop Awards… STUDIOS Best New Studio Business Development Best Handheld Studio Best Micro Studio Best In-House Studio Best Independent Studio

SPECIAL RECOGNITION Development Legend Grand Prix (Winners for these awards are chosen by the Develop team after soundings from the industry)

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NEWS

digital-only

‘Traditional publishers are set for extinction’

Cecil and Sumo handling development duty

Codemasters CEO plans digital push after Indian games firm takes 50% stake

[PRE ORDERS]

TOP 10 GOD OF WAR TRILOGY

by Christopher Dring

IT’S ABOUT TIME: BBC Vision’s Nelson (inset, left) and Charles Cecil say the titles can introduce mainstream consumers to games

“It might put a few people’s noses out of joint and turn things on their head a bit given that it’s free,” said Cecil. “But most importantly I think this can redefine what people expect of a computer game in terms of its story and really prioritise narrative as a part of the medium. That can only be a good thing.”

Simon Nelson, the BBC Vision controller who commissioned the game, added: “With Doctor Who: The Adventure Games we can hopefully get viewers to do something they’ve never done before and introduce them to new forms of content and interactivity. I hope this will help demystify gaming.”

CODEMASTERS will become a major player in the digital space thanks to a heavy-duty investment deal. Indian games giant Reliance Big Entertainment bought a 50 per cent stake in the firm earlier this week. It has a market capital of around $81 million and is already established in the MMO, online casual game and mobile spaces. Codemasters CEO Rod Cousens has told MCV that the British publisher will use the partnership to move away from traditional publishing and grow its digital offer. “A traditional games publisher with a distribution infrastructure is no longer the model. It is the model of the dinosaurs,” he said. “We have positioned ourselves well for the future. We’ve focused on franchises that are proven. We have an online infrastructure that companies far bigger than ours haven’t got – which has been extremely beneficial in terms of our alignments with

PS3, SONY

2. SUPER SF IV + T-SHIRT PS3 ......................................CAPCOM

3. RED DEAD REDEMPTION LIM ED PS3 ....................................ROCKSTAR

4. RED DEAD REDEMPTION LIM ED 360 ....................................ROCKSTAR COUSENS: “We are well positioned for the future”

Reliance. And we are now addressing emerging markets. “I think all of those aspects are points that other companies have yet to address.” The deal with Reliance is likely to see Codemasters properties – including Dirt, Grid and Cricket – appear as new online and mobile titles. “This deal secures the longterm future of Codemasters,” Cousens added. “Staff at Codemasters can walk around with their heads held high, and no-longer consider themselves this small unknown. Those that have sat in the fast lane to date, move over.” Codemasters: 01926 814132

5. SUPER SF IV + T-SHIRT 360 ......................................CAPCOM

6. SPLINTER CELL: CONVICTION + T-SHIRT 360 ......................................UBISOFT

7. GOD OF WAR COLLECTION PS3 ..........................................SONY

8. SPLINTER CELL: CONVICTION + LONG T 360 ......................................UBISOFT

9. RED DEAD REDEMPTION PS3 ....................................ROCKSTAR

10. GTA IV EPISODES PS3 ....................................ROCKSTAR Week ending: April 2nd Source: SHOPTO.COM Turn to page 29 for more pre-order charts from leading online retailers

UK SOFTWARE SALES MONITOR Your weekly guide to the UK games software market… This week’s UK software sales rose 10 per cent to £25.7 million, while unit sales were up even further, increasing 20 per cent to 1,222,138 copies sold. This performance is largely down to the Easter bank holiday weekend, with consumers hitting the shops in force. But with no big new releases on shelves, it was Ubisoft’s evergreen title Just Dance that did the business for games retailers. Sales are expected to tumble slightly next week, with only a Borderlands add-on pack on the release schedule. However, things should pick up with the arrival of Splinter Cell: Conviction on April 16th.

[WEEKLY MARKET VALUE]

Total UK Software Sales Source: ELSPA/ChartTrack and Intent Media

Week Ending April 2nd 2010

£25.7m

25 20 15 10 5

Just Dance reclaimed the UK No.1 this week – its third spell at the top of the sales charts

£20.0m

£23.3m

£25.7m

841,092 Units

1,021,965 Units

1,222,138 Units

0 Week Ending March 20th

Week Ending March 27th

Week Ending April 2nd

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World Cup title is EA’s best FIFA yet Publisher to grow FIFA fanbase with official tie-in Major ad campaign planned Free online mode revealed by Dominic Sacco ELECTRONIC ARTS expects big things from 2010 FIFA World Cup, the latest instalment in its powerhouse football series. The firm wants to follow the success of FIFA 10, which has become the highest-rated sports game of this console generation. It was released in October last

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football genre as well as deliver something fresh for existing football gamers. “We’re anticipating a strong performance for the title both around release and during the run up to the World Cup tournament this summer.” As the official game of the upcoming FIFA World Cup in South Africa, it boasts a host of

We’re anticipating a strong performance for FIFA World Cup, both at launch and during the tournament. Luke Cousens, EA Sports

year and has sold 4.5 million units worldwide. EA Sports senior product manager Luke Cousens said: “We’re delighted with the performance of FIFA 10 and believe 2010 FIFA World Cup is another great opportunity to bring in new players to the

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new features such as a twobutton control system, on-pitch tactics, online tournament mode and a faster-paced, improved EA Sports football engine – currently the marketleading engine. Cousens added: “We’re hoping these new innovations

PERFECT MATCH: EA expects FIFA World Cup to celebrate similar success to that of last year’s FIFA 10

will bring back or bring in new gamers who may have felt that the complexities of FIFA might have passed them by.” EA has a diverse marketing campaign planned for FIFA World Cup, including TV, print,

radio and online activity. The publisher has also partnered with Coca Cola Zero to further promote the game’s key features on Xbox 360 and PS3. Cousens added: “The free online feature will enable

gamers to relive crucial moments from the actual tournament hours after games have been played.” 2010 FIFA World Cup will be released on April 30th. EA: 01483 463 000

New Activision IP heats up summer AFTER A relatively quiet start to the year on the new releases front, Activision Blizzard is set to storm the High Street with two brand new IPs this summer. The publisher is also targeting its established fans with the latest title from one of its most lucrative licences. Activision is aggressively pushing titles such as power-up racer Blur, time-bending FPS Singularity and Transformers: War For Cybertron as its major releases for the season. The firm also hinted that it has a few more surprises on the way, such as the newlyannounced Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions. “We have a great slate of highly anticipated titles that

ISLE OF WIGHT CAMPAIGN TO MAKE INDIES GUITAR HEROES

NEWCOMERS: Activision will launch two new IPs this summer with Blur (left) and Singularity (right)

span a mix of genres,” said Activision’s senior brand manager Gary Sims. “There is something for everyone with the racing of Blur, the hardcore FPS in Singularity and action of Transformers. You should also look out for a couple of new title announcements from us very soon.

“As with all Activision titles we strive to innovate each title within their respective genres to ensure they have a key point of difference. “We will be marketing and driving buzz on all our titles to build anticipation for their impending launches.” Activision has recently restructured its operations,

splitting the company into four separate units. One will handle Call Of Duty, while another will deal with internally-owned IP such as Guitar Hero and Tony Hawk. A third will work on licensed properties, with World of Warcraft studio Blizzard forming the fourth. Activision: 020 3060 1000

Activision Blizzard is calling on indies to support Guitar Hero’s sponsorship of this year’s Isle of Wight Festival. Consumers who buy any Guitar, DJ or Band Hero products through participating indies throughout April will be entered into a prize draw to win VIP tickets to the festival – as will any retailers who take part in the initiative. “We wanted to expand this involvement to the independent retailers to give them a unique campaign to get behind for the Easter period,” says Keith Cox, trade marketing manager for Guitar Hero.

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Future: FirstPlay is ‘new games medium’ Future’s interactive games show gives publishers fresh opportunities to target PS3 users, says media giant by James Batchelor NEW PS3 show FirstPlay heralds a new era for games journalism, according to media giant Future Publishing. The on-console interactive video games show is the first of its kind in Europe and launched earlier this week exclusively for Sony’s console. FirstPlay brings PS3 users

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“We hope that by creating what is essentially a new medium, we’ll be able to get people engaging with games media who may not have done so before,” said FirstPlay’s publisher Richard Keith. “FirstPlay provides two very direct ways for the trade to communicate with this audience. The first is via content, whether that’s

By creating a new medium, we’ll be able to get people engaging with games media who weren’t doing so before.

Richard Keith, Future Publishing

weekly episodes that showcase new and upcoming releases. Future is hoping to drum up interest from publishers with FirstPlay’s direct access to PS3 owners, which presents unique advertising opportunities. Through FirstPlay, publishers will be able to target both core consumers and PS3 owners that don’t usually engage with traditional games advertising.

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editorial in the form of video reviews and features, or downloads such as playable demos, beta trials and DLC. “The second is advertising. There are up to six 30-second HD slots available in each episode. These are unskippable the first time they run, and are an amazingly powerful way to get TV, cinema or viral ads direct to PS3 gamers.”

CHANNEL CHAMPION: Future’s FirstPlay is the first on-console interactive games show to hit the UK

FirstPlay is the product of several years of collaboration between Sony and Future. It is a significant advance for Future’s online strategy, which to date has focused on websites.

Keith added: “We think that the benefits of on-console media are going to be obvious and we have invested a lot of time, effort and resources in developing what we think is a

new kind of media – and we’re unlikely to want to give up our lead in this area.” The first episode of FirstPlay is now available on PSN. Future: 01225 442244

Can Datel give new life to PSP? Telltale: No Monkey business for retail PROBABLY NOT, but the accessories firm has added motion control to the PSP with new peripheral Tilt FX. Datel has designed the sensor for racing, platform and puzzle gamers but is compatible with all previously released PSP games and snaps onto the side of the Sony handheld. Sony’s PSP console has faced many challenges over the last few years, including falling sales and issues over piracy – but Datel remains confident the PSP was the right platform for its sensor. The unit replaces the traditional directional pad and analogue stick gameplay with

Datel’s Tilt FX brings iPhone-style gameplay to the troubled PSP

tilt control akin to the iPhone. The firm will also make special profiles and added gameplay effects available for certain games including WipEout, Loco Roco, F1 2009 and Need for Speed. These can be downloaded from www.tiltfx.com.

Tilt FX features a highresolution three axis sensor and is compatible with the PSP 1000, 2000 and 3000. The sensor is available now with an RRP of £14.99. Datel: 01785 810 800

DEVELOPER Telltale Games has told MCV that the physical version of cult hit Tales of Monkey Island will not be sold at traditional retail. Instead, it plans to sell the disc version purely via its online site. Tales of Monkey Island was a digital release for WiiWare and PC last year. The title was released in five separate parts, and proved a critical and commercial success for the studio. Last month, the firm revealed through its website that it will release a DVD

edition of the PC game, which includes all five episodes plus bonus extras such as desktop wallpapers, concept art, trailers, developer commentary and more. A deluxe edition will also be made available, which features all of the above plus a game map, coaster, metal collectable coin, special case and other gubbins. “We’re selling the Collector’s DVD for Tales of Monkey Island on our site, but no plans – yet – to go full retail,” said a Telltale spokesperson. www.telltalegames.com

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GameSpot launches UK ad service Website’s new Trax data solution gives publishers and advertisers the power to monitor consumer interest by James Batchelor GAMESPOT is confident its recently launched Trax system can improve advertising in the UK by giving games publishers and PR agencies access to the site’s traffic data. The system allows companies to monitor the interest around each individual game’s dedicated area on the

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a significant impact on the US industry when the system first launched in 2003. “As soon as GameSpot Trax launched in the US, there was a shift almost immediately to the point now when almost all non-broadcast advertising is spent online rather than in print,” he said. “It was a massive shift in the marketplace and Trax was the

If the buzz is high on GameSpot Trax, 72 per cent of the time this translates into sales at retail.

Simon Whitcombe, CBS Interactive

GameSpot website – a quantity Trax refers to as the MetaBuzz. The service has already been a success in the US for the past seven years. The new version means that publishers and PR agencies can look at UK-specific data and buzz metrics for the first time – something that CBS Interactive’s VP of games Simon Whitcombe claims had

GAME SHIFT: CBS Interactive’s Simon Whitcombe says Trax could see more advertising budgets spent online rather than in print

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catalyst. Launching Trax now in the UK could have a similar impact on the UK marketplace.” Trax draws data from GameSpot UK’s 4.9 million monthly unique users. The service also enables companies to compare the MetaBuzz of their own products to that of similar games, or any other title they choose to monitor.

‘SPOTTING MILLIONS GameSpot has topped 4.9m monthly users in the UK, according to ABC figures from December 2009. The figures show growth of nine per cent year-on-year.

Users will even be able to spot any surge in interest that follows the release of new assets, such as trailers or screenshots, or the start of advertising campaigns – which

again can be compared to that of rival titles. “If the buzz is high on GameSpot Trax, 72 per cent of the time this translates into sales at retail,” said

Whitcombe. “If you take out Wii and DS, which have a much more mainstream focus, that number jumps into the 80 per cent range.” www.gamespot.co.uk

Retro café offers refreshing take on games retail A NEW retro games café that doubles as a retailer has opened in Cornwall, combining food and drink with gaming. The outlet is based in Falmouth and has been named

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The café is equipped with a range of consoles and arcade tables, and sells a range of refreshments from snacks to alcoholic drink in addition to its games products.

Retailers should start selling games in a better way, rather than just stacking them up along an aisle. James Dance, Loading

Loading. It was set up by local entrepreneur James Dance and specialises in games and hardware from previous generations, with customers able to play before buying.

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“The main inspiration for Loading was a music café near here – I wondered why had nobody done that with games,” said Dance. “It also helped that GameStation shut

down and Costa was replaced with concessions stands in other shops.” The ambitious retailer is already working on setting up a complementary website through which he can sell his retro products, and hopes to expand his business to multiple stores in future. Dance hopes his business model will spread and inspire other indies, filling what he sees as a niche in the market. “Games are slowly establishing themselves as a more respected medium so places should start selling them in a better way, rather than just stacking them up along an aisle,” added Dance.

NOW LOADING: James Dance was inspired by a music café for Loading, which allows consumers to eat, drink and play

“I think there is a market for something like this across the country. I’m not really competing with other games retailers – instead I’m working alongside them to complement

their newer games offerings. Hopefully I could work with a few smaller chains – maybe you’ll see Loading café concessions in other retailers.” Loading: 01326 218627

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Sony: ‘3D will be the biggest gaming revolution in years’ Platform holder’s dedicated Stereoscopic 3D Team working on a range of new projects by James Batchelor 3D GAMING will play a crucial role in the future of both Sony and PlayStation 3, with the platform holder investing heavily in stereoscopic technology. Sony Computer Entertainment’s Simon Benson, senior development manager on the company’s Stereoscopic 3D Team, has told MCV his group is working to capitalise on the recent boom in public interest around the technology. “3D gaming is very important to us and we see this as a significant long term strategy,” he said. “The fact that we have a team entirely dedicated to stereoscopic 3D gaming shows that we are taking this very seriously and we aim to lead the way wherever we can.” Sony is due to release a 3D Blu-ray player upgrade for the

James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game will be taken on tour by Ubisoft over the next few months to help promote the first wave of 3DTVs. This will call at 16 UK towns and cities. “We are working with Panasonic on a national tour to launch 3D where Avatar: The Game is used to promote 3D TVs alongside film and TV content,” said Ubisoft’s senior brand manager Phil Brannelly. Ubisoft: 01932 578 000

PS3 this summer, and it has been reported that the firm will be launching 3D games shortly after. However, plans for this have yet to be finalised. “From the gaming side of it, our goal is to support consumers with content at launch,” said a Sony spokesperson.

New Mastertronic games announced MASTERTRONIC has added two new casual PC titles to its line-up. Spirit of Wandering and Miss Teri Tales 3: Danger Next Door are both hidden object games available now at the budget price of £9.99. Neil McKenna, Mastertronic’s product director said: “These are two of our strongest hidden object titles ever. “Each significantly raises the bar in terms of quality. Spirit of

UBISOFT TO AID 3D PUSH THIS SUMMER

3D ZONE: Sony recently demonstrated a 3D version of Killzone 2

Wandering has a detailed storyline and scenario that will really appeal to core hidden object fans. “Miss Teri Tales 3 is without doubt the bestlooking title of its kind on the market, full of the developer’s trademark humour and puzzles. “In an ever more competitive market, these two excellent games have exactly what it takes to stand out from the crowd.” Mastertronic: 0207 502 4450

“With the Blu-ray launch, PlayStation content was a key part of that in terms of showing what the possibilities were, and 3D is obviously an exciting prospect for the future of technology. It gives us a chance to show what we can do. Benson added: “We believe that stereoscopic 3D is possibly

going to be the biggest revolution in gaming for many years to come. “If you think that the movie Avatar revolutionised cinema, just wait to see what 3D games will do.” Sony: 020 7859 5000

Turn to page 14 for MCV’s feature on 3D Gaming.

Now Mamba sets its sights on PS3 PUBLISHER Mamba has increased its new range of cross-platform games by signing The Pit: Dog Eat Dog. The announcement follows last week’s news that pointand-click adventure Gray Matter will become Mamba’s first Xbox 360 title when it arrives on September 24th. However, The Pit, which is scheduled for release in 2011, will be the firm’s first title to arrive on PlayStation 3, along with versions for 360 and PC. The game will be a thirdperson hack n’ slasher set in gladiator-style fighting arenas – a far cry from Mamba’s pointand-click PC titles.

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EK E W E H T F O N IG A P CAM

ONVICTION C : L L E C R E T IN L P S

Ubisoft has an extensive marketing plan in place for the latest in the Splinter Cell franchise…

RELEASED: APRIL 16 (360), APRIL 30 (PC) FORMATS: XBOX 360, PC PUBLISHER: UBISOFT DEVELOPER: UBISOFT MONTREAL PRICE: VARIOUS DISTRIBUTOR: GEM CONTACT: 01279 822 800

TV/MEDIA There will be a series of initial post-watershed teaser adverts appearing on TV, with extended 20-second and 30-second spots running throughout April. Ubisoft will target videoon-demand users on Sky Player and 4OD. It claims TV forms its core communication strategy by driving awareness with the cinematic aspects of the stealth game. RETAIL Splinter Cell: Conviction will have in-store and online offerings geared around preawareness and pre-order incentives, and a range of POS materials will appear in stores during the launch window and beyond.

PRINT Ubisoft will continue running advertising in specialist gaming press throughout April, following promotions in March. Lifestyle publications will focus more on the singleplayer experience with adverts appearing in a mixture of men’s lifestyle, sports and tech magazines. ONLINE Adverts on major gaming websites will be themed around the co-op and multiplayer aspects of Splinter Cell: Conviction. Extra online exposure for the game will also appear on mainstream news, sports, technology and men’s lifestyle sites.

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NEWS ANALYSIS: DIGITAL ECONOMY BILL

The Bill that deals with video game age ratings and IP theft is currently making its way through Parliament

CAN THE DIGITAL ECONOMY BILL REALLY WORK? The head of IP at Stevens & Bolton LLP, David Wilkinson, takes us through the Digital Economy Bill and discusses the challenges it faces and the impact it could have on the games industry… THE DIGITAL Economy Bill seeks to However, past experience has shown imposes two obligations on ISPs to help create a legal foundation that the outcome is rarely satisfactory when combat illegal downloads: safeguards and promotes the UK’s legislation is rushed through without digital, information and communications adequate parliamentary scrutiny. 1. ISPs must issue Notification Letters sectors, which together account for one Fortunately, clause 17 has since to copyright infringers where tenth of the country’s GDP. been removed in its entirety and is not infringement is reported by the The Bill is a reaction to recent likely to return either, thanks to copyright holder; and technological developments with which Conservative opposition. 2. ISPs must keep records of the current law is not equipped to deal. Clause 18, meanwhile, which came information concerning infringers and Having completed all stages in the directly from the lobbying of music may make it available in anonymised Lords, it has been passed to the industry association the BPI, gives form to copyright holders. Commons where the Second Reading copyright holders the right (enforceable has taken place, debating the general in the High Court) to demand that ISPs If illegal downloads do not diminish, principles. Line by line analysis follows restrict users from websites hosting a ISPs may be required by OFCOM to take in later stages and the Bill will be significant amount of infringing material. technical measures against specific returned to the Lords to consider the This could have serious consequences subscribers, including reducing Commons’ amendments. bandwidth and internet It is possible that the Bill may be suspensions. These rushed through before the election. measures have been However, once the election is described by some as called Parliament will spend a few draconian, since a legal days, known as the ‘wash up’ finding of copyright period, passing pipeline legislation. infringement is not required, During the wash up only and a group’s internet David Wilkinson, Stevens & Bolton unopposed bills will be passed. If connection could be severed the Bill is not passed before wash where only one individual is up begins, its future is uncertain. for sites with significant amounts of responsible for alleged infringement. user generated (and often infringing) There is no doubt, however, that the FIGHTING FILE-SHARERS content, such as YouTube. The obligations placed on ISPs, together The Bill rose to public attention when Conservatives are aligned with the with clause 18, provide increased clause 17 was dubbed undemocratic. Government regarding clause 18, protection to copyright holders, which This clause gave ministers the ability to meaning it could well survive the wash should hopefully lead to increased introduce new copyright rules through up, despite suggestions that such investment in the games sector. secondary legislation without website-blocking amounts to an parliamentary process, in particular by infringement of civil liberties. INTRODUCING PEGI amending the Copyright, Designs and P2P file sharing, made easier though The Bill also addresses the protection of Patents Act 1988, a keystone of UK IP increased connection speeds, has children, and amends the Video rights. The aim was to allow the law to resulted in lost revenue for developers Recordings Act 1984 by including games react quickly to technological advances and publishers and a drying up of within its scope. Some titles are still in mass copying of copyright material. investment in computer games. The Bill exempt from the need to be classified,

“

The Digital Economy Bill is a mix of fairly haphazard measures designed to solve existing technological issues.

”

but conditions for exemption are stringent and likely to be met by very few titles. Penalties for non-compliance include imprisonment and a fine of up to £20,000. The plan is to introduce the enhanced Pan European Games Information (PEGI) system into the UK, replacing the current system used by the BBFC. The new authority, the Video Standards Council, will classify games. The costs of producing games will increase due to fees payable for classification, extra admin involved in meeting classification requirements, and the costs of changing packaging. However, it should result in lower costs in the long term, since European distribution can be standardised. It’s hoped that PEGI will be able to provide guidance as to where the boundaries lie between classifications, since changing games before release involves expensive code editing and delays, which places a strain on smaller developers. The Bill fails to deal with other issues faced by the games industry, such as the sale of second-hand games and use of modchips. Ultimately, the Bill is a mix of fairly haphazard measures that attempt to solve existing issues which have become prominent as technology evolves. The rapidly developing nature of gaming technology means that even if the Bill becomes law, there will be an ongoing need for legislative and regulatory reform. David Wilkinson is a partner and head of IP at law firm Stevens and Bolton. For more information, contact 01483 401207 or email: david.wilkinson @stevens-bolton.co.uk.

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MCV INTERVIEW DAVID REEVES, COO, CAPCOM EUROPE

Taking Capcom into the digital age Former SCEE president David Reeves has returned to the industry as head of Capcom Europe. Michael French catches up with the man himself to find out more about his plans for the firm in the digital space… Why have you decided to return to the games industry and take your new position at Capcom Europe? When I retired from Sony, I did what I said I would do and I have been working with a lot of charities – specifically St John’s Ambulance where I am a trustee and SENSE, the deaf-blind society. But Capcom asked me to do a bit of consulting for them as they were looking at restructuring and expanding in Europe. During that process I got on with them very well and they asked me to execute the plan I had laid out for them. They also agreed I could continue to do the charity work I do now, which made it all quite attractive to me. And they are great people at Capcom, they are gamers through and through – it’s very exciting to work with them.

discs at somepoint. Does Capcom have to be ready for the change? Yes and I think the company will admit it has been a tiny bit behind the curve in that sense. But we are catching up rapidly. We plan to invest in that area not only in the technology but also the people who market those things. Does that mean an expansion of the personnel at Capcom Europe? Not necessarily – the people at Capcom are already first class. It’s just a case of pointing them in the right direction for the future. Whereas before operations were run out of the US, now it’s Europe for Europe.

Can you elaborate on the plan you laid out for Capcom? It was about what titles to go for, which countries to expand into, and how quickly we move into the era in which games are network delivered, looking at the detail of greenlight process, and to some extent the structure of the people in Europe, Middle East and Africa. Capcom has had mixed success with Western projects in the past. What’s your view on this? And what will change moving forward? with the likes of Resident Evil or Street Capcom will not change its DNA – it Fighter. But I don’t think Capcom will will be very true to the games it knows branch out into areas like social gaming it can deliver. But at the same time we or anything like that. Capcom is one of are looking for opportunities, the businesses that work with studios all particularly in the USA and Capcom has been a bit Europe, where we can make an impact with games behind the curve in the digital developed in-house but of the games space, but we are top quality.

“

Many Capcom games are developed internally, but there has been a drive to find Western games. Is this still on the agenda? I don’t work on the development side, but Capcom chooses developers that are like-minded, and we want to maintain quality and produce games for fast pranchises, or new franchises that fit

catching up rapidly.

David Reeves, Capcom over the world, but cherry picks the talent to work on games, or part of games. You mentioned that DLC is part of the strategy. What’s your plan? Capcom hasn’t been reluctant to go digital in the past – but hasn’t really embraced the model where you release

David Reeves will accelerate Capcom’s digital plans as the publisher explores the potential of DLC

a game and keep it going every three months with DLC. They need to get into that and market the great IPs that we have digitally as well as we do on disc. That’s what’s we’re looking at. Capcom has worked on updated re-releases of Street Fighter IV and Resident Evil 5, does this help bridge the gap to more DLC activity? Yes. It took them a while to embrace it – Capcom has seen how its various contemporaries in the industry have been very profitable adding DLC, or doing whole games as DLC, can be.

”

When you were at Sony, we talked a few times about digital overtaking

Will part of that involve you having to grow things like market share? Or, in the digital era, are those retail-centric market numbers not totally relevant to your plans? I think the market share in the retail trade is relevant. Our market share is currently about two per cent now and we want to double that over the next four to five years. But we have to keep pace in digital where Capcom probably doesn’t even have a two percent market share. That’s where the emphasis will have to be. We’ve seen a lot of Japanese companies expand into Europe recently. Why do you feel that is? 88 per cent of the games business is in the US and Europe combined, while 12 to 15 per cent is in Japan. So the concentration has to be in the West. What you can’t do is set up huge operations in all these European countries when you know that within five or six years time we will be in the digital era. So it has to be a very balanced approach – a similar approach to what some of the Japanese firms have taken so far. It has taken Square Enix a while to expand, for instance. A lot of those successes rely on the localisation of those titles and managing that well – something I saw can be very valuable in my time at Sony.

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MCV INTERVIEW MASAKI OYAMA, GAMES BUSINESS UNIT, SNK PLAYMORE

How SNK plans to Playmore Renowned Japanese games firm SNK Playmore has teamed up with UK publisher Rising Star Games to grow its presence in Western markets. Will Freeman speaks to both companies about the challenges ahead and their first release, Samurai Shodown Sen… What is it about the SNK brand that makes it carry such credibility and weight with consumers? Masaki Oyama, Games Business Unit, SNK Playmore: The SNK brand owes its success to its permanent search for perfection during game development, and loyal support from its fans for more than 20 years. SNK became principally synonymous with high quality games, particularly in the 2D versus fighting genre, after the release of the revolutionary NeoGeo system in 1990. Moreover, SNK Playmore has always contributed to the internationalisation of its games, allowing fans from all over the world to play and enjoy SNK’s famous series to the fullest. Whereas many video games companies have abandoned certain types of games, SNK Playmore holds true to its roots, from King Of Fighters or Metal Slug to Samurai Shodown Sen. SNK was once a console manufacturer, making the hardcore favourite Neo Geo. Are you hoping to break out of that niche? Masaki Oyama: Living up to the expectations of SNK and NeoGeo fans across the globe is a true mission for us. So yes, development can be very difficult and we do feel standards will continue to be raised in the future. However, in this sort of case when great games are made and fan expectations are met, a release can also go extremely well.

“

Samurai Shodown Sen is a key title in SNK’s Western push

the best fighter games on the market. Masaki Oyama: SNK Playmore is proud to team up with Rising Star to bring this unique title to PAL gamers. The distinctive late-Edo period backdrop, Japan-esque game art from series artist Senri Kita, a plethora of new and old characters, along with refined gameplay fine-tuned for hardcore and

SNK Playmore is proud to

What do you think will team up with Rising Star to make Western gamers buy bring this unique title to Samurai Shodown Sen? Yen Hau, Product gamers in PAL territories. Marketing Assistant, Masaki Oyama, SNK Playmore Rising Star Games: Samurai Shodown Sen is part of a legacy of titles fans of the Samurai Shodown series from one of the best beat ‘em up worldwide, is sure to please hardcore developers in the world. gamers worldwide. We are confident that players will be drawn to an established franchise as Samurai Shodown isn’t the most well as new fans becoming interested in obvious SNK title to bring to the latest instalment of what is one of Western audiences.

What motivated you to release this title over here? Masaki Oyama: Two years ago, in commemoration of Samurai Shodown’s 15th anniversary, SNK decided to produce this 3D title for arcade release. The console version was then released in December 2009 for Japan. The 2D fighting can be a difficult genre at times, especially in the West. We hope the easily accessible 3D gameplay, unique story, weapons-based gameplay and setting of Samurai Shodown Sen will help Western gamers truly appreciate this special instalment in the series.

”

Similarly, Japanese firms seem more interested in bringing games to the West that would have traditionally stayed in the East. Why is this? Yen Hau: The Western market is more receptive to Japanese games than it was

a few years ago. Games are being released that publishers would have never considered before – this is a testament to Western gamers. Gamers in the West are open-minded when it comes to what they play and that has really helped the worldwide gaming industry develop, and also given Japanese titles the audience they deserve. Samurai Shodown has a fantastic and renowned heritage. How do you plan to introduce UK customers to Samurai Shodown Sen’s status? Yen Hau: The Samurai Shodown franchise has always had its core fanbase, ever since it first appeared on the NeoGeo many years ago. Samurai Shodown Sen is one of the best-looking and most challenging in the series. It also features many fighters who have appeared in previous iterations, so it’s like coming back to see an old friend after a few years. The online challenge is also very close to a real arcade experience and we think Xbox Live is the best medium to push this through. What makes Samurai Shodown Sen a great fighting game? Masaki Oyama: Samurai Shodown Sen is different from most fighting games in the sense that all characters in the game have their own unique weapons. Depending on the character or type of weapon, the player’s attack range, speed and power will all vary considerably. We are proud of the refined gameplay in this instalment and are confident it will be a very fun and refreshing experience. The beat ‘em up genre is enjoying something of a renaissance at the moment. Why do you think that is? Yen Hau: The genre has had a few years out of the public eye. The market is currently flooded with first person shooters and a lack of any high profile fighters. Sometimes gamers just want to have fun and fight each other – virtually, of course.

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3D GAMING

Does the industry need 3D? With more Hollywood giants turning to 3D and Nintendo announcing its next handheld will be based on the technology, should games firms invest more in its own 3D projects? James Batchelor investigates… 3D HAS BECOME something of a buzz word in recent months. With most of the biggest cinema releases now launching with 3D screenings, interest in the technology has inevitably risen within the games industry. In the last year alone, we have seen the likes of Disney’s G-Force and Ubisoft’s James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game boast stereoscopic 3D modes. Even as recently as last month, Nintendo hinted at the first details of its 3D-enabled new handheld, currently named the 3DS, and Square Enix released Batman: Arkham Asylum – Game of the Year Edition, which featured TriOviz 3D glasses. There is even a 3D Gaming Summit, due to be held in Los Angeles from April 21st, exploring the impact the technology will have on our industry. Like it or not, 3D won’t be disappearing any time soon. THE RISE OF 3D

Of course, 3D gaming is nothing new. The technology has had a presence in the industry since the early days of the Vectrex, the Sega Scope 3D for Master System and the ill-fated Nintendo Virtual Boy. So why has the industry now renewed its efforts to master the third dimension? “As with film, 3D gaming just never took off, either because of consumer apathy, technical limitations or cost,” says Ubisoft’s senior brand manager Phil Brannelly. “However, today these barriers have diminished and in the last few months, a cultural shift has occurred with the release of James Cameron’s Avatar, where 70 per cent of its revenue was taken at 3D cinemas.”

“

Millions now flock to cinemas for 3D films but could we bring this experience home?

Crucially, this shift is now spreading to TV, with the new Sky 3D channel launching in the autumn and 3DTVs going on general sale in the UK this spring. With public interest higher than ever, the time is ripe for the gaming to make its own impact on the 3D scene.

own pair of 3D glasses every time I go to a trade show to save on queuing.” Bob Downing, founder and coproducer of the 3D Gaming Summit, adds: “3D has taken the gaming experience to a new level. Why? Because gaming can offer something movies cannot: the The barriers to 3D gaming experience of physical, have diminished and James participatory Cameron’s Avatar has involvement. “3D is a new brought about a cultural shift. playground upon which Phil Brannelly, Ubisoft developers can manifest “It’s quite clear that stereoscopic 3D their talent. It’s tremendously fertile is shaping up to be a revolution across territory with possibilities we can barely many areas,” says Simon Benson, senior even contemplate. It is the catalyst for development manager on Sony the next wave of creativity.” Computer Entertainment’s Stereoscopic THE EARLY ADOPTERS 3D Team. Keen not to be left behind, a number of “Everywhere you look, there seems leading publishers are already working to be 3D technology and 3D content on 3D projects – but are doing so springing up – I’m starting to carry my

”

cautiously. With 3D yet to take off in the home, firms are taking care to ensure they have a strong offering before jumping on the bandwagon. “I think a lot of publishers will dip their toes into the 3D space,” says Square Enix London Studios’ GM Lee Singleton. “It’s great to have Batman GOTY, one of the first 3D products out there – and we’re keeping close eye on how the technology develops. “We’re really interested in games that are developed for 3D right from the start. If 3D can help to shape and enhance the whole gameplay experience, that will be the moment that 3D gaming really comes of age. Right now, we’re just beginning to scratch the surface.” Sega’s MD of European development Gary Dunn adds: “Sega is known for being involved at the launch of new technology, and 3D gaming is no exception. We’re looking at various

FINDING THE RIGHT ANGLE There are a range of 3D technologies on the market at the moment. As the games industry continues to experiment with each one’s potential it will be interesting to see which, if any, will become the standard…

STEREOSCOPIC PASSIVE The most common form of 3D, this is the same technology used in cinemas for the current wave of 3D films. The glasses required are cheaper, but compatible TVs will be more expensive.

STEREOSCOPIC ACTIVE Another popular choice for developers, this is the tech best known from nVidia’s GeForce 3D Vision cards. This requires more advanced and more expensive glasses – approximately £70 per pair.

PARALLAX BARRIER This works by applying a layer on top of an LCD screen that effectively feeds separate images to each eye. Reports suggest that this is Nintendo’s technology of choice for the 3DS.

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CASE STUDY: JAMES CAMERON’S AVATAR: THE GAME Just as its big screen counterpart has been held up as a flagship example of how 3D can benefit Hollywood, so too has James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game become a leading example of how to use the technology in games. Prior to the game’s release, Ubisoft had been working with the legendary director and his team since 2006. As Cameron demonstrated how he planned to use stereoscopic 3D to enhance his film, the publisher began to understand how important it was to recreate this technology in the game. “If the universe of Avatar is the canvas on which the story is told, it was essential that we adopted these same brushstrokes to the game experience,” says Ubisoft’s senior brand manager Phil Brannelly. “So we held true to stereoscopic 3D in James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game for reasons of artistry, capturing

Cameron’s intentions for Avatar in every way possible. We did this to prove to the industry and gamers that we were able to do it, and to develop the skill set and tools within our studios to continue to work in the medium.” The title is even being used as a case study during the upcoming twoday 3D Gaming Summit, which will take place in Los Angeles in April. There, a panel of experts from a variety of industries will discuss the game’s impact and how the technology can be expected to grow. “When done correctly, the key driver behind the sales of Hollywoodlicensed games today is fulfilling the fantasy of entering that film world,” adds 3D Gaming Summit consultant John Gaudiosi. “It’s one thing to see Avatar in 3D, it’s quite another to actually explore Pandora in an immersive game.”

projects to define what this technology Sony’s Benson adds: “Sony is the only means to our brands and exploring corporation in the world that touches all whether there is any potential to create parts of the 3D eco system. We make something new using it.” anything from 3D animated movies to Naturally, larger corporations have the broadcast TV cameras that will soon the advantage in terms of resources and be used to capture the FIFA World Cup experience. Disney has already dabbled in 3D. in 3D both on the screen and in its “3D gaming is very important to us theme park attractions, while Sony has and we see this as a significant, long openly pledged its commitment to the term strategy. The fact that we have a technology. Both, unsurprisingly, have team entirely dedicated to stereoscopic shared some of this investment with 3D gaming shows that we are taking their gaming divisions, Once the initial novelty has resulting releases such as 3D Wii title, Toy Story worn off, 3D still provides Mania. enormous advantages to the “Disney Interactive gaming experience. Studios was an early Ian Bickerstaff, Sony pioneer of 3D in our family games,” says Matt Carroll, Disney this seriously and aim to lead the way Interactive Studios’ country director for wherever we can.” UK & Ireland, South Africa, Australia Even peripherals firms are getting and New Zealand. involved, such as RealView Innovations. “We felt that this added an additional The company’s V-Screen and Deep element to the gameplay that our Screen products create a pseudo-3D audience would enjoy and it would help effect for any game, and the company is immerse the player even further into the looking to develop these further. game. Looking forward, it is true to say “There’s no doubt that 3D will that these are still early days and our continue to grow in importance,” says expectation is that 3D can become a RealView’s executive director Eamonn major enhancement to gameplay.” Ansbro. “There are many opportunities

“

ANAGLYPH The traditional red and blue anaglyph glasses are slowly being phased out. TriOviz’s glasses, used for Batman GOTY, are a variation of the theory that offer less colour distortion.

ACCELEROMETER-BASED A number of iPhone games such as Word Fu use the device’s accelerometer to detect what angle the phone is being tilted at, and then calculate what angle should be displayed in game.

Ubisoft worked closely with James Cameron to recreate the director’s vision of Avatar in 3D

for various kinds of 3D technologies. Many viewers will want a good range of content, affordability, and viewing comfort over many hours. RealView has a head start in these respects.” THE EYES HAVE IT

Of course, the key to 3D gaming taking off will be mastering the technology behind it. Developers must find a way to use 3D to enhance the gaming experience and rid the feature of its ‘gimmick’ status if it is to establish itself as the right direction for the industry. “Once the initial novelty has worn off, 3D still provides enormous advantages to the gaming experience,” says Ian Bickerstaff, senior engineer on Sony’s Stereoscopic 3D team. “We tend to break these down into three main areas – improved immersion, clarity and depth perception – and we’re working to develop each one. “We’re getting there. I was trying a prototype 3D action game the other day and as I looked down from the top of a ladder, I actually experienced a brief feeling of vertigo – something that could never be experienced in a 2D game.”

”

HEAD TRACKING As seen in a DSiWare video that did the rounds when the 3DS was announced, this solution uses a camera to track the player’s head is and alter the perspective. Could Natal or Move use this technique?

Much like motion control, there are a variety of ways in which developers can create 3D visual effects (see ‘Finding the right angle’). So far, games firms have followed the example of the film industry and opted for stereoscopic 3D, a technology that many have invested heavily in. However, 3D Gaming Summit consultant John Gaudiosi warns that for 3D to really engage the public at home, the industry needs to find alternatives to the tech’s current dependency on specialised glasses. “Most experts, Hollywood creatives, and game developers I’ve interviewed agree that 3D needs to lose the cumbersome glasses to truly bring the 3D experience into homes,” he says. “With more games focusing on multiplayer experiences, owning multiple pairs of pricey glasses will not be an easy sell to the mainstream.” Even if this barrier were to be overcome, he believes that 3D technology will always be hindered by the limitations of the gaming medium. While our industry may strive to replicate the stunning effects of Avatar, Alice in Wonderland and so on, it must always be aware of games’ boundaries.

V-SCREEN RealView’s PSP peripheral that uses ‘Depth Enhancing Screen Technology’ to separate layers of the game and present any title in 3D. Deep Screen generates the same effect on monitors.

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Only time will tell if Nintendo’s 3DS proves to revolutionise the handheld market

“The only thing holding back gaming and 3D are the same limitations we see in CGI and Hollywood 3D,” says Gaudiosi. “Pixar has an endless amount of computer power and years of production to ensure that every frame looks the best it can be. “But with current consoles, there are limits to both the development time allotted, the limitations of real-time rendering, and the power of the gaming platform. As a result, Avatar will always look better in film.” THE NEXT STEP

So is 3D the be all and end all that some would have us believe? It has certainly proven to be popular and lucrative with the media-consuming public; the opening weekend for Disney’s Alice in Wonderland, for example, was the biggest 3D box office opening of all time. And yet, games publishers are being careful not to alienate consumers. While 3DTVs are due to arrive within months, widespread market penetration is not guaranteed and it’s important to continue creating games that can be enjoyed by the widest possible audience. “With Avatar: The Game, you can enjoy the experience regardless of the TV you watch it on,” says Ubisoft’s Phil Brannelly. “We think of 3D as the ‘5.1 Surround Sound’ for gaming visuals. You can have the original gaming experience without it but it is definitely heightened with it.”

Square Enix’s Lee Singleton adds: “We are focusing our efforts on solutions that are more accessible to everyone. That’s the great thing about the TriOviz solution we’ve used in Batman GOTY – everyone can experience it in 3D on a normal TV.” The most optimistic advocates of 3D gaming even believe that our industry could be just as crucial, if not more so, than that of film to increasing the saturation of 3D technology within the homes of the masses. “The console space is the key to driving early adopters, and later mainstream consumers, to upgrade those HDTVs to 3D HDTVs,” says Gaudiosi. “And Nintendo’s latest announcement of the Nintendo 3DS portable, a new handheld utilising proprietary 3D technology that does not require glasses, could have a huge impact on the future of 3D.” But for all the advances that have been made in 3D technology over the last few years, the days when all games and films will be presented in such a way are still a long way off. While the industry may not need to incorporate such a feature into each of its products just yet, now is the time when 3D technology will be pioneered. With more and more movies utilising 3D and the first signs of the technology enterting the home through 3DTVs and Sky’s 3D channel, it is clear that gaming will inevitably have to follow suit. It will be interesting to see who leads the way.

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TRADE UPDATE

We’ve come a long way ELSPA’s director general Michael Rawlinson discusses the promise of tax breaks, Byron’s progress report and the ELSPA Question Time... DO YOU remember when the only time our industry heard from Parliament was when we were being vilified? How times have changed. Here are our most recent good news stories:

RESPECT: Alistair Darling’s Budget speech was a landmark moment for the UK video games industry

After years of lobbying by the industry, the Chancellor has seen the light and agreed that a tax relief for computer games production, similar to the scheme that applies for films, is a good idea. We look forward to contributing to the consultation to establish the design of the scheme, agree the definitions and define the ‘culture test.’ In Downing Street Tanya Byron published a progress report of her original review and is asking The UK Council for Child Internet Safety to deliver results. In her paper she praised the excellent progress made by the games industry towards safety. She has also called upon the entire games industry, retailers and the Government to promote PEGI as soon as it comes into law. As an active member of the UKCCIS, we will be playing our full role in helping to deliver on the industry’s commitments. And finally, just two weeks ago, we hosted a Question Time-style event where each party spokesman for creative industries were put on the spot. I’m sure you will have read a full report on the proceedings already. I’m thrilled that these three politicians chose our event to outline their vision for the games industry, which reflects just how far we have come as an industry and as a trade association.

These three events demonstrate that our industry is now established as an integral part of our economy, culture and society. We now have the opportunity to show that we can become a key driver to growth and job creation. Production tax relief is the first step in a series of measures I believe we need in order to make this vision a

“

protect children from harmful content via PEGI. Finally, we now have MPs who ‘get’ our industry. We need to build on our links with Parliamentarians to deliver policies that will help support and grow the industry. A CHANGE OF FACE

To reflect changes in the industry our members have

Whichever party gets elected we already have a relationship with them, which will allow us to work together from day one. Michael Rawlinson, ELSPA

reality. We now need to concentrate our efforts to: A) Develop a coordinated campaign to get work for British studios B) Drive a dedicated investment fund to stimulate new IPs, and C) Show support for the Skillset accreditation scheme that will allow employers to support courses that prepare students for a job in the industry. In addition, we have to live up to our responsibilities to

”

taken the bold step to change the name and scope of the association. The UK Interactive Entertainment Association is currently being developed to become the home for all companies involved in the making, marketing and selling of interactive entertainment products and services, regardless of their form or how they are played. Moving forward we will be working hard to listen to our

members and potential members, so that we can truly reflect the industry’s views and deliver on their demands. A strong and representative association will gain the support of its partners in Government and other stakeholders, from which we will deliver real and meaningful results for all. I hope that if you are not already a member that you will seriously consider joining us now. Please give me a call; I would love to talk to you about our new vision and how you can benefit. And so for the next few weeks I’m pleased that there will be a break in our political lobbying during the election campaign. This time will allow us to progress the changes to the association that we have announced and be ready for the new Government and MPs that will return to Westminster. One thing is for sure, whichever party gets elected; we already have a relationship with them that will allow us to work together from day one. And given all the activity in the closing days of this parliament, there are lots to do.

ELSPA NEWS ELSPA: The inaugural ELSPA Question Time event at BAFTA HQ last week saw the three key political parties debate some of the biggest issues surrounding the games industry. Labour’s Tom Watson, Conservatives’ Ed Vaizey and Lib Dem Don Foster each had a chance to respond to questions surrounding piracy, game age ratings, development tax breaks, the wider media’s view on the industry, education and – briefly – Keith Vaz. The issue was probably at its most heated when Watson and Vaizey butted heads on the details surrounding game tax breaks. JAPAN SALES DATA: Early numbers from Famitsu publisher Enterbrain claims that the Japanese market suffered a slight annual decline for the fiscal year ending March 31st. However, the dip was lower than expected at just 0.6 per cent, with the total market value hitting YEN 549,060m. A sharp 6.6 per cent decline in the hardware market was the chief offender, though this was offset by a 3.7 per cent increase in software sales. The DS emerged as the best selling console with PSP in second place. Nintendo’s Wii was the best selling home console. In terms of software, Square Enix’s Dragon Quest IX was the biggest seller with 4,150,667 units. The combined sales of 3,663,655 for Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver places Nintendo’s game in second place. BYRON REVIEW: The video games industry must advertise PEGI once it comes into law, says child psychologist Tanya Byron. The author of the 2008 Byron Review congratulated the sector on a job well done in her Progress Report. But now she wants to make sure that the message of age ratings reach parents, and has recommended that the industry, retailers, Government and the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UCCIS) spend money in promoting PEGI.

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MCV 09/04/10 19

TRADE UPDATE

It’s election time FULL LIST OF MEMBERS

Disney Interactive country director Matt Carroll talks about the ELSPA re-brand and why you should get involved with the trade association...

505 Games Activision Blizzard Avanquest Software

ELECTION time is fast approaching. Do you know who you are going to vote for? Do you know what your vote is going to change? Try a radically different approach – vote for yourself! I’ve been privileged to sit on the ELSPA board for the last few years and witness how industry alignment combined with effective political engagement can get meaningful results. These results have a direct impact not only on the society we live in, but also on the future investment decisions which could create a more competitive UK games industry (not to mention more jobs). ELSPA, the UK games trade body, was in the right place at the right time to coordinate our industry at the moment politicians were looking for inspiration in policy direction and seeking greater understanding of the industry; enabling them to respond with authority on social criticism by the vocal detractors. By investing in public affairs, taking a positive stance with the Government and Parliament, and working constructively with other organisations with which we share interests, the level of dialogue achieved has been

“

CD Team

Disney’s Matt Carroll says it’s important ELSPA changes so it can represent the industry of the future

Capcom CentreSoft Codemasters Disney Interactive Studios Electronic Arts Eurogamer Fidelity Investment Services Focus Multimedia Frontier Future Publishing GAME Group Gamebridge Hasbro Intent Media Koch Media Konami Majesco Europe Mastertronic Microsoft Midas Interactive Namco Bandai Games Europe NCSoft Europe Nintendo UK Nordic Games Publishing PlayV Rising Star Games Sega Europe SCEE Sony DADC

Interactive Entertainment Association (UK IEA) represents a major shift in thinking from the ELSPA team to welcome a

It’s time for ELSPA to change and be a body that represents the diversity of the industry – now and in the future. Matt Carroll, Disney

incredible and represents a very important foundation to build upon. Just as we’ve never been more successful, now is the time for ELSPA to change. To become more than a publishers association, to be a body which represents the depth, breadth and diversity of the industry – not only of today, but more importantly, of the future. We must continue to evolve. The announcement to change the name of the organisation to The UK

CDV Software

”

more diverse membership, to develop our policies and to continue to make us a more relevant and effective industry body. The new focus and direction will ensure a prosperous future not just for our members, but for the good of the country and society at large.

A WIDER REMIT Over the next few months we will share UK IEA’s exciting new ambitions, above all to welcome new ‘non-publisher’ members that will help build a

platform of initiatives with the goal of improving the UK environment in which we all do business. We are looking to create a policy agenda that is both relevant and outward looking, develop new membership services and increase our support for a wider membership of businesses who want to be successful in the UK. Vote for yourself – by getting involved in the changing UK IEA. If you are not a publisher but think you’ve got important ideas that could help our industry grow, please contact the team. And if you’re not sure, contact the team anyway, we are interested to understand how you see the industry and what issues you believe need to be confronted. I can’t promise UK IEA will cut your taxes, stop the financial crisis or improve the NHS, but UK IEA will always

be putting our industry first and work to keep you in touch with how your vote is making a difference. If you are not an ELSPA (soon to be UK IEA) member but would like to see what our members see – sign up for the ELSPA newsletter that will give you a flavour of our activities. We look forward to hearing from you.

Square Enix THQ International Take-Two Tecmo Koei The Stationery Office Tradewest Ubisoft Warner Bros Zenimax Europe /Bethesda

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< JOIN TODAY...

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON JOINING ELSPA GO TO

WWW.ELSPA.COM

20 MCV582_final:46 MCV515

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Sponsored by

PUBLISHER

POKÉMON SOULSILVER FORMAT: DS

DEVELOPER: NINTENDO PUBLISHER: NINTENDO

NEW

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NEW

JUST CAUSE 2 360

SQUARE ENIX

JUST CAUSE 2 PS3

SQUARE ENIX

NEW

FINAL FANTASY XIII 360

GOD OF WAR III PS3

BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2 360

NINTENDO

EA SQUARE ENIX SONY

FINAL FANTASY XIII PS3

BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2 PS3

BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2 PC

SQUARE ENIX

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.

Pokémon fans are in for a treat with Hive Entertainment’s new range of collectible figurines following the release of Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver on the DS. Each individual Pokémon character is packaged in a Tomy Gacha capsule from the Pokémon Blockbuster series 1 and 2.

The figures are limited edition and include classic monsters from the games such as Dialga, Torterra and Palkia. Every capsule contains a complete evolutionary set of popular Pokémon, with up to three in each set. Hive Entertainment: 01706 242 070

DEAL OF THE WEEK HMV is offering customers an Xbox 360 Elite with Pure, Halo ODST, Lego Batman and an extra wireless controller for £199.99 – a saving of £107.96.

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RETAILBIZ: HIGH STREET WWW.MCVUK.COM

MCV 09/04/10 29 Sponsored by

PRICE CHECK [PRE ORDERS] Just Cause 2 360, Square Enix

Pokémon: HeartGold DS, Nintendo

Batman Arkham Asylum: GOTY PS3, Square Enix

Red Steel 2 Wii, Ubisoft

The Settlers 7 PC, Ubisoft

TOP 10 GOD OF WAR TRILOGY

IN STORE: BASINGSTOKE

PS3, SONY

£39.99

£34.99

£29.99

£37.71

£29.71

N/A

£32.71

N/A

2. SUPER SF IV + T-SHIRT

£39.99

£34.99

£29.99

3. SUPER SF IV + T-SHIRT

£39.99

£34.99

£39.99

£29.99

4. SPLINTER CELL: CONVICTION + T-SHIRT

PS3 ..................................................................CAPCOM 360 ..................................................................CAPCOM 360 ..................................................................UBISOFT

5. SPLINTER CELL: CONVICTION + LONG-T

360 ..................................................................UBISOFT

6. RED DEAD REDEMPTION

ONLINE

360 ................................................................ROCKSTAR

£36.99

£29.99

£34.99

£26.99

£39.99

£34.99

N/A

£34.99

£29.99

£34.32

£29.70

£35.68

£31.24

£26.73

£33.89

£29.89

£28.89

£29.89

N/A

7. GOD OF WAR COLLECTION

PS3 ......................................................................SONY

8. RED DEAD REDEMPTION

PS3 ................................................................ROCKSTAR

9. F1 2010

PS3 ..........................................................CODEMASTERS

10. F1 2010

360 ..........................................................CODEMASTERS Week ending April 2nd Source: SHOPTO.COM

FROM THE FRONTLINE This week we chat to Julian Slater from Bits and Pieces in Macclesfield…

[PRE ORDERS]

TOP 10

How has 2010 been for you so far? The market this year has been better than expected. January and February were a bit of a bust due to the snow and people staying indoors, but it’s picked up quite a lot since then. In-store we’re continuing to stock a fair range of retro titles and consoles. We also have a fully working arcade cabinet that is currently running Street Fighter Ex. How much of a threat do online retailers pose to your store? Online retailers can be a pain sometimes as they seem to be worse than the supermarkets with some silly day one release deals. However, they don’t offer trade-ins and some customers like to have a product in their hand before they part with cash. What has been performing well? And what has been underperforming? Performing well at the moment is the DSi XL, and as always the Xbox 360 consoles.

GTA: EPISODES FROM LIBERTY CITY PS3 ROCKSTAR 2. RED DEAD REDEMPTION

360 ................................................................ROCKSTAR

3. SPLINTER CELL: CONVICTION

360 ..................................................................UBISOFT

“The market this year has been better than expected, with the DSi XL performing well at the moment and Xbox 360 consoles selling.”

The PSP is currently underperforming – I just can’t seem to sell them at all at the moment, even after quite a strong Christmas with them.

4. SPLINTER CELL: CONVICTION: LIMITED ED 360 ..................................................................UBISOFT

5. MICROSOFT HARD DRIVE

360 ..............................................................MICROSOFT

6. LEGO HARRY POTTER: YEARS 1-4

WII....................................................................WARNER

What is the one thing you would change about games retail? To bring out a law that allows me to slap any customer who comes in asking for “one of those Sony 360 things”. This includes those who don’t have a clue about games and the only reason they’re buying a console is to keep up with the Jones’ or to play the latest FIFA game.

7. RED DEAD REDEMPTION

PS3 ................................................................ROCKSTAR

8. MOUNT & BLADE: WARBAND

PC ..................................................................ASCARON

9. SUPER MARIO GALAXY 2

WII ................................................................NINTENDO

10. MYSTERY TALES OF TIME TRAVEL

DS ................................................FOREIGN MEDIA GAMES Week ending April 2nd Source: AMAZON.CO.UK

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RETAILBIZ: RETAIL CHARTS 30 MCV 09/04/10

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

POKÉMON HEARTGOLD NEW SUPER MARIO BROS PEPPA PIG: FUN AND GAMES PROFESSOR LAYTON & PANDORA’S BOX MARIO & LUIGI: BOWSER’S INSIDE STORY MARIO & SONIC: WINTER OLYMPICS MARIO KART DS SONIC & SEGA ALL-STARS RACING SONIC CLASSIC COLLECTION

2 3 14 4 8 10 7 5 6

WII THIS LAST WEEK WEEK

TOP 40ALL

PUBLISHER

[ENTERTAINMENT - ALL PRICES]

DEVELOPER: NINTENDO PUBLISHER: NINTENDO NINTENDO

NINTENDO P2 GAMES NINTENDO

[2]

JUST DANCE FORMAT: Wii

DEVELOPER: UBISOFT PUBLISHER: UBISOFT

NINTENDO

THIS WEEK

LAST WEEK

SEGA

JUST CAUSE 2 PS3, 360, PC

NINTENDO

BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2 360, PS3, PC

COD: MODERN WARFARE 2 360, PS3, PC, DS

POKÉMON SILVER DS

NINTENDO

WII SPORTS RESORT Wii

NINTENDO NINTENDO

SEGA SEGA

[FULL PRICE]

[3]

TITLE

PUBLISHER

POKÉMON HEARTGOLD DS

FIFA 10 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, DS, PC, PSP

SQUARE ENIX EA ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

WII FIT PLUS Wii

NINTENDO

NEW SUPER MARIO BROS WII Wii

NINTENDO

NEW SUPER MARIO BROS WII

SONIC & SEGA ALL-STARS RACING PS3, 360 Wii, DS SEGA

DEVELOPER: NINTENDO PUBLISHER: NINTENDO

ALIENS VS PREDATOR 360, PS3, PC

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

MARIO KART WII NINTENDO SONIC & SEGA ALL-STARS RACING SEGA MARIO & SONIC: WINTER OLYMPICS SEGA F1 2009 CODEMASTERS RED STEEL 2 UBISOFT FIFA 10 EA BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE – VILGAX ATTACKS D3P RABBIDS GO HOME UBISOFT DANCING ON ICE GHOSTLIGHT

MARIO KART WII Wii

GOD OF WAR III PS3

FINAL FANTASY XIII 360, PS3

ASSASSIN’S CREED II 360, PS3, PC

FORZA MOTORSPORT 3 360

MARIO & SONIC: WINTER OLYMPICS Wii, DS

2 3 4 7 5 9 6 10 8

WII THIS LAST WEEK WEEK

TITLE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

WII SPORTS RESORT WII FIT PLUS WII PLAY MONOPOLY PEPPA PIG: THE GAME TOY STORY MANIA! MADAGASCAR: KARTZ EA SPORTS ACTIVE CARNIVAL: FUNFAIR GAMES

16 8 15

[4]

BEN 10: VILGAX ATTACKS 360, Wii, DS, PSP, PS2

HEAVY RAIN PS3

PC CD-ROM

[BUDGET PRICE]

JUST DANCE

2 3 4 6 10

PUBLISHER

THIS LAST WEEK WEEK

PUBLISHER

SEGA NINTENDO SONY SQUARE ENIX UBISOFT MICROSOFT SEGA D3P SONY

[FULL PRICE]

TITLE

PUBLISHER

FOOTBALL MANAGER 2010

NINTENDO

THE SIMS 3

NINTENDO

NAPOLEON: TOTAL WAR

NINTENDO

C&C4: TIBERIAN TWILIGHT

BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2

P2 GAMES

THE SIMS 3: WORLD ADVENTURES

DISNEY

THE SETTLERS 7: PATHS TO A KINGDOM

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

DAWN OF WAR II: CHAOS RISING

ASSASSIN’S CREED 2

2K PLAY

JUST CAUSE 2

[5]

DEVELOPER: UBISOFT (FRANCE) PUBLISHER: UBISOFT

DEVELOPER: SPORTS INTERACTIVE PUBLISHER: SEGA EA SEGA

EA UBISOFT THQ TUBISOFT UBISOFT

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RETAILBIZ: RETAIL CHARTS WWW.MCVUK.COM

MCV 09/04/10 31

UBISOFT’S JUST DANCE continues to surprise as

No.4 – thanks to retail promotions lowering its

it storms back to the top of the charts. The game

otherwise concrete RRP. The game hasn’t placed

racks up its third week at No.1 since the start of

lower than No.10 since it was released last year. EA’s FIFA 10 also returns to the Top 10 after a

Last week’s chart-topper Just Cause 2 slips to second place after a 21 per cent fall in sales, while

takes the sports title to No.8.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 holds onto third place. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 returns to the Top 5, with a 52 per cent rise in sales taking it to

Track All Formats Charts this week.

L FORMATS

THIS LAST WEEK WEEK

Highest New Entry

LEGO BATMAN PC, DS, PS3, 360, Wii, PSP

WARNER BROS

PRISON BREAK: THE CONSPIRACY 360, PS3, PC

JAMES CAMERON’S AVATAR 360, PS3, Wii, DS, PSP, PC UBISOFT

DEEP SILVER

NEW SUPER MARIO BROS DS

NINTENDO

PEPPA PIG: THE GAME Wii, DS

P2 GAMES

WWE SMACKDOWN 2010 360, PS3, Wii, DS, PSP

NEW

PEPPA PIG: FUN AND GAMES Wii, DS

P2 GAMES

GRAND THEFT AUTO IV 360, PS3, PC

ROCKSTAR

METRO 2033 360, PC

PROFESSOR LAYTON: PANDORA’S BOX DS NINTENDO

PURE 360, PS3, PC

DISNY

FOOTBALL MANAGER 2010 PC

SEGA

DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS 360, PS3, PC

COD4: MODERN WARFARE 360, PS3, PC, Wii ,DS ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

MARIO & LUIGI: BOWSER’S STORY DS

MX VS ATV REFLEX 360, PS3, DS, PSP

THQ

SEGA MEGA DRIVE ULTIMATE PS3, 360

SEGA

2K GAMES THQ

NINTENDO

1 3 6 4 5 7 8 9 RE

TITLE

SONY SONY EA SQUARE ENIX SEGA UBISOFT KOCH MEDIA

TITLE

PUBLISHER

SIMS 3: DESIGN & HIGH-TECH STUFF DEVELOPER: THE SIMS STUDIO PUBLISHER: EA ASSASSIN’S CREED

FOCUS

MURDER, SHE WROTE

FOCUS CITY INTERACTIVE

VAMPIRE SAGA: PANDORA’S BOX

FOCUS

HIDDEN EXPEDITION: DEVIL’S TRIANGLE

FOCUS GSP/AVANQUEST

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD CITY INTERACTIVE EA

THIS LAST WEEK WEEK

PUBLISHER

DEVELOPER: EA SPORTS PUBLISHER: EA

XBOX 360

[BUDGET PRICE]

THE SIMS 3: CREATE A SIM

EA ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

[FULL PRICE]

BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE: VILGAX ATTACKS LITTLEBIGPLANET ASSASSIN’S CREED: BLOODLINES JAMES CAMERON’S AVATAR: THE GAME GRAN TURISMO FOOTBALL MANAGER 2010 NEED FOR SPEED: SHIFT DISSIDIA: FINAL FANTASY MOTORSTORM: ARTIC EDGE

SNIPER: ART OF VICTORY

BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2 COD: MODERN WARFARE 2 GOD OF WAR III HEAVY RAIN FIFA 10 FINAL FANTASY XIII ALIENS VS PREDATOR ASSASSIN’S CREED II PRISON BREAK: THE CONSPIRACY

3 4 2 5 9 6 10 11 7

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

WOW: BATTLE CHEST

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

DEVELOPER: AVALANCHE STUDIOS PUBLISHER: SQUARE ENIX

FIFA 10

BIOSHOCK 2 360, PS3, PC

ROME: TOTAL WAR

JUST CAUSE 2

MASS EFFECT 2 360, PC

SHUTTER ISLAND

PUBLISHER

2 5 3 6 8 10 7 11 4

TITLE

THQ

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

[FULL PRICE]

THIS LAST WEEK WEEK

James.Batchelor@intentmedia.co.uk

PSP

DARKSIDERS 360, PS3

THIS LAST WEEK WEEK

No new entries placed in the ELSPA GfK Chart-

THQ

PC CD-ROM

three-week absense. A 70 per cent surge in sales

D3P SONY UBISOFT UBISOFT SONY SEGA EA SQUARE ENIX SONY

[FULL PRICE]

TITLE

JUST CAUSE 2

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

COD: MODERN WARFARE 2 BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2 FORZA MOTORSPORT 3 FIFA 10 ALIENS VS PREDATOR FINAL FANTASY XIII ASSASSIN’S CREED II METRO 2033 MASS EFFECT 2

3 2 6 7 8 5 10 4 18

the year with a 56 per cent rise in sales.

PS3

WEEK ENDING 03/04/10

PUBLISHER

DEVELOPER: AVALANCHE STUDIOS PUBLISHER: SQUARE ENIX ACTIVISION BLIZZARD EA MICROSOFT EA SEGA SQUARE ENIX UBISOFT THQ EA

[SOURCE]

[ANALYSIS]

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TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS

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In association with

Tel: +44 1 480 210 621 www.usspeaking.com

LOCALISATION QA AND TESTING

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manufacturing services Arvato digital services Tel: 0121 502 7800 www.arvatodigitalservices.com

OK Media Tel: +44 (0) 20 7688 6789 www.okmedia.com

DISCHROMATICS LTD Tel: 01495 243222 www.dischromatics.co.uk

Technicolor Tel: 0208 987 7829 www.technicolor.com

MPO UK Tel: +44 (0) 20 8956 2727 www.mpo-international.com

The Producers Limited Tel: 0845 234 2444 www.theproducers.co.uk

Multi Media Replication Ltd Tel: +44(0) 1264 336330 www.replication.com

Total Console Repair Ltd Tel: 08719 181 721 www.totalconsolerepair.co.uk

gaming accessorieS AntiGrav Media Ltd Tel: 01932 454929 www.antigrav-media.co.uk Hubb Accessories Tel: 01642 204343 www.playwithhubb.com I-Globe Accessories Ltd Tel: 01332 756610 www.i-ga.co.uk Logic3 plc Tel: 01923 471000 www.logic3.com

recruitment Aardvark Swift Tel: 01709 876877 www.aswift.com

Game Options Ltd Tel: +44 (0)1382 731909 www.gameops.co.uk

Pebble Entertainment GmbH Tel: +49 (231) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 477 927 0 www.pebble-entertainment.com/en

Amiqus Tel: 01925 252588 www.amiqus.com/games

Specialmove Consultancy Ltd Tel: +44 (0) 141 585 6491 www.specialmove.com

Pinpoint Consumer Elec. Tel: +44 (0) 1606 558 428 www.pinpointce.co.uk

GUIDE PLEASE CONTACT: ROB.BAKER@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK OR 01992 535647

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INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION 34 MCV 09/04/10

WWW.MCVUK.COM

International Distribution Guide AUSTRALIA

DENMARK

INDIA

RUSSIA

All Interactive.................Helensvale Town Centre

Hitzona.............................................................Moscow Noviy Disk .......................................................Moscow

AUSTRIA

Soft Club..........................................................Moscow

Koch Media GmbH...............................Rottenmann Play Art Multimedia Handels GmbH....Rankweil

BELGIUM

Vellod...................................................................Mitishi

GATEWAY DISTRIBUTION APS

SERBIA

Gateway Distribution ApS +44 1279 408 665 (UK) +45 7026 0870 (DK) dt@gatewaydistribution.dk

COMPUTERLAND DOO

www.gatewaydistribution.dk

Kumodraska 45

ESTONIA CLD DISTRIBUTION S.A. ZI Noville les Bois, Rue de la Tour, 2b 5380 FERNELMONT, Belgium Phone: 0032 81 83 02 07 Fax: 0032 81 83 02 09 E-mail: infos@cld.be Web: www.cld.be

11000 Belgrade, Serbia

Andrico ..............................................................Tallinn

Tel:+381(0)11 309 95 95 Fax:+381(0)11 309 95 96

FINLAND

mail:games@computerland.rs

Panvision Oy.......................................................Turku

FRANCE EMC GROUPE CASINO..........Croissy Beaubourg

website:www.computerland.rs

ISRAEL Hed-Arzi......................................................Or-Yehuda

Wholesaler Gaming products Official Benelux distributor for

ITALY

BENELUX

Replay Interactive....................................Singapore

SOUTH AFRICA Midigital ..............................................Johannesburg

Cidiverte Spa ...............................................Gallarate

Horelec S.A. ...........................................Bruxelles

SINGAPORE

INNELEC MULTIMEDIA

Coop Italia..........................................Sesto F.NO (FI)

Nu Metro Interactive ......................Johannesburg

45 rue Delizy,

Digital Bros spa................................................Milano

SPAIN

93692 PANTIN Cedex, France

Leader Spa.................................Gazzada Schianno

Ardistel. S.L..................................................Zaragoza

Email purchase: f_alglave@innelec.com

Newave Italia...................................................Firenze

Distribuciones Videográficas Digitales ....MADRID

Email export sales: g_armspach@innelec.com

Promovideo SRL ...........................................Senago

Lamee Software S.L. .....................................Madrid

Tel: 00.33.1.48.10.55.55

NETHERLANDS EBS-Benelux...........................................Bunschoten

GAMEWORLD

Gameworld BV............................Capelle A/D Ijssel

PLANETA DEAGOSTINI INTERACTIVE

Micromedia BV...........................................Nijmegen

Diagonal, 662-664, 3ª planta D, 08034,

Cornusbaan 1, 2908 KB Capelle A/D IJssel

SUPREME FACTORY

Favour Games..................................................Tilburg

Barcelona, Spain,

Tel: +31 10 298 3838

439 avenue de la Gare

Rigu Sound B.V................2153 GB Nieuw Vennep

Tel: +34 93 492 08 89

Web: rishi@gameworld.nl

84470 Chateauneuf de Gadagne Email : xavier@supremefactory.com Phone : 0033 432 751 165 Fax : 0033 432 751 160

EBS Benelux Lorentzweg 1 3752 LH Bunschoten-Spakenburg

GERMANY Groß Electronic .......................................Rohrnbach

NEW ZEALAND

distributioninteractive@planetadeagostini.es www.planetadeagostini.net

Gamewizz..........................................................Albany

NORWAY

DistribucionesVideográficas Digitales ....Madrid Distribuye Palmera................................Las Palmas

Pan Vision Norway.....................................Trollasen

JC Distribuciones .............................................Getxo

MPX.no .......................................................Sandefjord

Shine Star, S.A...........................................Barcelona

Platekompaniet....................................................Oslo

The Netherlands

Massemedia AS...........................................Notteroy

SWEDEN

Phone: +31 (0)33 201 21 00

Pan Vision Norway..............................................Oslo

Bergsala AB............................................Kungsbacka

Fax: +31 (0)33 201 21 01 E-mail: info@ebs-benelux.com Website: www.ebs-benelux.com

CYPRUS Gibareio.............................................................Nicosia

GOODTONES GREAT GAMES LTD 1 Alkaiou Street / Office 1 / Engomi / Nicosia 2404 / Cyprus tel. +357 22 666612 www.greatgames.com.cy

JOWOOD ENTERTAINMENT AG Heiligenstädterstrasse 201-203/19 Otto Group ...................................................Hamburg 1190 Wien, Austria Playcom Software Vertriebs .......................Erfurt Tel: +43 (0)1 37909 0 Vitrex Multimedia Großhandel.....................Erfurt Fax: +43 (0)1 37909 1064 Web: www.jowood.com GREECE

POLAND CD Projekt Sp. z o.o......................................Warsaw

TECHLAND Sp. z o.o.

GAME OUTLET EUROPE AB

ul. Jana Szczyrki 12,

PO Box 5083

Centric ...............................................................Athens

54-426 Wroclaw, Poland

S-650 05 Karlstad, Sweden

Nortec Multimedia.........................................Athens

E-mail: business@techland.pl

Phone: +46 54 854750

Zegetron S.A....................................................Athens

Web: www.techland.pl

Fax: +46 54 854759

Phone: +48 71 354 46 10

E-mail: info@gameoutlet.se

Fax: +48 71 354 46 10

Website: www.gameoutlet.se

HUNGARY Antec .............................................................Budapest

ICELAND

PORTUGAL

Panvision....................................................Stockholm

ecofilmes...............................Sao Joao Da Madeira

SIBA AB ...................................................Gothenburg

Sena ................................................................Reykavik

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...

SWITZERLAND ABC Software GmbH.......................................Buchs

TURKEY ARAL Import..................................................Istanbul Nortec Eurasia...............................................Istanbul

UNITED STATES BASCO, INC. VIDEO GAMES DISTRIBUTOR

MCV 09/04/10 35

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 APRIL 16th

FRIDAY MAY 14th

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND TERRITORY REPORT

CHINA TERRITORY REPORT

Australia has regularly made the headlines in recent months, with many of the biggest adult games having to be edited before they can be released Down Under due to the region’s lack of an 18 certificate. MCV investigates the state of the Australian and New Zealand games markets, speaking to suppliers, key industry personnel and analysts.

SELF-IMPROVEMENT AND NONGAMES SOFTWARE

Tel: 1-917-627-3000 Fax: 1-718-228-4401 Email: sales@bascodistribution.com Web: www.bascodistribution.com

U.S. GAMES DISTRIBUTION, INC.

One of the biggest markets in the Far East, China is also one that bears the most differences when compared to Western territories. We explore the challenges games publishers and format holders alike face in the region with an in-depth look at China’s growing games market. We also take a look at the major trends sweeping the region such as the rise of online gaming.

16700 Schoenborn St. #2 North Hills, CA. 91343 Tel: +1 818 920 9393 info@usgamesdist.com www.usgamesdist.com

UAE

TOP 20 INDIES

ALESAYI UNITED COMPANY Video Games Distributor in the Middle East P.O BOX 16999 Jebel Ali Free Zone Dubai U.A.E.

The success of Wii Fit Plus proved that there is still significant demand for self-improvement software and this has been further underlined by Electronic Arts’ efforts to bring its best-selling EA Sports Active brand to new platforms this year. So join MCV as we take a look at one of the industry’s least traditional, but fastest-growing genres.

Independent retail remains a thriving sector in the UK, whch chains such as Grainger Games continuing to grow. MCV gives a run-down of the 20 best independent games retailers in the UK.

FRIDAY MAY 21st

AFRICA TERRITORY REPORT

Tel: 00971 4 883 5960 Fax: 00971 4 883 5175 E-Mail: marketing@alesayi.ae

FRIDAY APRIL 30th

U.A.E. Website: www.alesayi.ae

MCV AWARDS REVIEW

Group Website: www.alesayi.com

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

MCV brings you a full report and pictoral round-up of the biggest night in the games industry calendar, which rewards the most deserving companies and attending representatives for industry excellence.

With civilisation spread thinly around this gargantuan continent, largely found on the northern and southern coasts, Africa may seem an unlikely territory for gaming. MCV details the major players and retailers in this region, as well as the unique processes by which games are published and released here.

FOR MORE DETAILS CONTACT: CHRIS.DRING@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK

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TO ADVERTISE CONTACT ROB BAKER ON: 01992 535647 OR

DIRECTORY KEY CONTACTS

DESIGN STUDIOS Fink. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01480 302352

GAMING ACCESSORIES

...bringing you all the right lines

DISC REPAIR Elm-Digitalia UK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0845 643 6021 Total Disc Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01202 489 500 DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION Green Man Gaming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 7193 6910 DISTRIBUTION BDA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0777 192 7688 Creative Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8664 3456 Curveball Leisure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01792 652562 Discstribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0845 430 8735 Gem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01279 822800 GLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01708 725742 Ideal Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01767 689720 Logic3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01923 471 000 Meroncourt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01462 680060 Universal Games Distribution (UK) Ltd . . 0208 787 7030 USD Limited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01933 227220 GAMING ACCESSORIES Pinpoint. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01606 558428

Wii Charge Station Quad

360 Intercooler TS Black

LCD / Plasma Cleaning Mitt

Classic Disc Repair System

GAMES CONSOLE REPAIR Total Console Repair Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 087 19 18 17 21 LOCALISATION Partnertrans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01273 229030 Testronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01753 653 722 Universally Speaking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01480 210621 WWE DSi Crystal Case

DS Lite / DSi / DSi XL Stylus Pack

RETAIL SERVICES Complete Epos Solutions Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . 01543 370002 General enquiries:

STORE FITTINGS AMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0113 2311030 UK Shopfitters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0844 257 8800

01606 558 428

or email: enquires@pinpointce.co.uk Road One, Winsford, Cheshire CW7 3QG www.pinpointce.co.uk Part of the Pinpoint Group PINPOINT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01606 558428 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.pinpointce.co.uk

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ROB.BAKER@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK DISTRIBUTION

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

GLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01708 725742. . . . . . . . . wholesale@glsgames.com

DISTRIBUTION

CURVEBALL LEISURE . . . . . . 01792 652526 . . . . curveballsimon@googlemail.com

GEM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01279 822800 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.gem.co.uk

DISTRIBUTION

MERONCOURT . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1462 680060 . . . http://trade.meroncourt.co.uk

CREATIVE DISTRIBUTION. . . . 0208 6643456 . . . . www.creativedistribution.co.uk

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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 nDreams...........................................................01252 375754 Razorback ...........................................www.razorback.co.uk Realtime Worlds ...............................+44 (0) 1382 202 821 Stainless Games.......................jobs@stainlessgames.com

IDEAL SOFTWARE . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1767 689720 . . . . . . . . . . www.idealsoftware.net DISTRIBUTION

TOOLS Blitz Games Studios ......................+44 (0) 1926 880 000 bluegfx ..............................................+44 (0) 1483 467 200 Crytek ........................................................+49 69219 77660 Dolby...........................................................(0) 1793 842 922

SERVICES amBX UK Ltd. ...............................................www.ambx.com Ian Livingstone..................................+44 (0) 1483 421 491 Imagination Studios..............................+46 (0) 18-106930 Onteca................................................+44 (0) 151 709 0028 Partnertrans ......................................+44 (0) 1273 229030

UNIVERSAL GAMES DISTRIBUTION (UK) LTD . 0208 787 7030 . www.unigames.co.uk DISTRIBUTION

TC Associates.................................+44 (0) 7768 883 808 Testronic Labs ..................................+44 (0) 1753 653 722 Universally Speaking .......................+44 (0) 1480 210 621 Xaitment............................................+49 6897 - 600 80-0

COURSES 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 katie.rawlings@intentmedia.co.uk. All subscription requests should go to mcv.subscriptions@c-cms.com USD LIMITED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01933 227220. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.usdlimited.com

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ROB.BAKER@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK DISTRIBUTION

DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION

LOGIC 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01923 471000 . . . . . . . . . . . www.uksales@logic3.com

GREEN MAN GAMING. . . . . . . 020 7193 6910 . . . . . . . . info@greenmangaming.com

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DESIGN STUDIOS

LOCALISATION

Design/Branding/ Advertising/ Packaging/Web

finkcreative

01480 302 352 olly@finkcreative.com www.finkcreative.com

FINK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01480 302352 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.finkcreative.com

PARTNERTRANS . . . . . . . . . . . 01273 229030 . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.partnertrans.com

GAMES CONSOLE REPAIR

LOCALISATION

TOTAL CONSOLE REPAIR . . . . . . . 08719 181721 . . . . . www.totalconsolerepair.co.uk

TESTRONIC LABORATORIES . . . +44 (0) 1753 653 722. . . . www.testroniclabs.com LOCALISATION

SUPPORT YOUR PRINT ADVERTISING WITH AN

ONLINE PRESENCE

WWW.MCVUK.COM For further online advertising information please contact

Rob.Baker@intentmedia.co.uk or call 01992 535647 UNIVERSALLY SPEAKING . . . . . . . 01480 210621 . . . . . . . . . . . www.usspeaking.com

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RETAIL SERVICES

DIARY DATES From the MCV Awards to our Games Developer Conference, here are all the essential industry dates to put in your diary…

APRIL MCV INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2010 Thursday, April 22nd The Brewery, London Kathryn.Humphrey@intentmedia.co.uk

MAY COMPLETE EPOS SOLUTIONS LTD . . . . 01543 370 002. . . . . . . . www.ggepos.com STORE FITTINGS

MONETISING MOBILE Wednesday, May 26th BAFTA, London Jodie.Holdway@intentmedia.co.uk MCM LONDON EXPO Saturday, May 29th – Sunday, May 30th ExCeL, London www.mcmexpo.net

JUNE E3 2010 Tuesday, June 15th – Thursday, June 17th Los Angeles Convention Centre www.e3expo.com

JULY

MCV INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2010 Thursday, April 22nd The Brewery, London Kathryn.Humphrey@ intentmedia.co.uk The biggest night in the UK games industry’s calendar returns to The Brewery in 2010, and will once again feature awards split across three main categories; Retail, PR and Marketing, and People and Industry. A whopping 650 representatives from all corners of the UK games trade will be attending this essential games industry event that gives credit to the industry’s most deserving execs.

DEVELOP CONFERENCE 2010 July 13th - July 15th Brighton, UK www.develop-conference.com

AMA DISPLAYS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0113 2311030 . . . . . . . . . . . www.ama-displays.co.uk UK SHOPFITTERS

DEVELOP INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2010 July 14th Brighton, UK www.develop-online.net CASUAL CONNECT SEATTLE Tuesday, July 20th – Thursday, July 22nd Benaroya Hall, Seattle, US seattle.casualconnect.org

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

UK SHOPFITTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . 0844 257 8800 . . . . . . . . . www.ukshopfitters.com

DEVELOP CONFERENCE 2010 Tuesday, July 13th – Thursday, July 15th Brighton UK www.developconference.com The Develop Conference is where the European developer community come together to learn from each other and share experiences, be inspired by renowned experts and gurus, get upto-date with the latest tools and techniques, make new contacts and catch-up with old ones. The conference will open on Tuesday, July 13 with the Develop Evolve track – showcasing the latest in emerging game markets, from mobile to social to digital to casual games.

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42 MCV 09/04/10

WWW.MCVUK.COM

MAILBOX Supermarkets such as Asda have ramped up their market share in the last year, much to the chagrin of independent retailers

‘Our number’s up’ An independent retailer laments the latest findings of the Entertainment Retailers Association, claiming the rise of supermarkets and falling prices can only spell doom for indies… IT WAS incredibly depressing to see your dismal future laid out before me in graph form. Alright, that might sound dramatic, but I’m sure the same sentiment was passing through the heads of each and every one of my fellow indies as they read the ERA analysis in last week’s issue (MCV 581, 02/04/10). Pardon the pun, but our number’s up. Let’s start with the oh-sowonderful news that supermarkets are growing their market share and increasing the number of stores that sell video games. Now, this doesn’t affect me personally because I’m already stuffed. My store happens to be almost exactly halfway between a Tesco and an Asda, and my customers openly admit they go to those stores for the newest

releases – in fact, some even ask me to match their prices, as if I’m running some sort of price guarantee scheme. Double the difference, my arse. No, I feel sorry for indies that have yet to be undercut by a supermarket. While some of my brethren are lucky enough

“

We all knew more and more supermarkets were starting to sell games, eager to get their hands on our sales (although not profits, obviously) but seeing the numbers that prove it was, as I said earlier, depressing. Speaking of profits, how on earth is anyone getting one if

How on earth is anyone making a profit if the average selling price for a game is as low as £21.34? A Disgruntled Indie

to operate in towns that don’t have a GAME or a HMV (and believe me I envy you, fellas), more often than not there’s a supermarket not too far away. If those all start selling games as well, as the ERA numbers seem to suggest, we’ll all be up a certain creek.

”

the average selling price for a game is as low as £21.34? Depending on what game it is, I can’t even get stock for that price. I expected it from the supermarkets (or ‘grocers’ as they’re listed) but to see that the computer specialists are

actually even lower than that was ridiculous – particularly given how much they bitch about supermarkets undercutting them. Obviously, I realise that preowned and back catalogue titles bring that average down because there’s still plenty of titles out there going for £40 to £50 a pop. But there still has to be a fair amount of discounting on new releases to make that figure that low. You’ve only got to look at the MCV Price Check each week to see that it’s only GAME and HMV that really stick to the RRP. Oh sure, that first page of stats was nice with Modern Warfare 2 outselling Harry Potter and games outselling music, but you could still see consumer spending and our sales value falling.

If that continues, who do you think will be the first to go under? That’s right, indies. We’ve been graphed to death. A Disgruntled Indie

LATEST NEWS STRAIGHT TO YOUR MOBILE Bookmark us in your phone:

MOBILE.MCVUK.COM

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THE

HOT

LIST

Develop 100 lists the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 100 most successful games studios based on key market data from GfK-ChartTrack Published with Develop in May and MCV on Friday May 7th See new microsite at www.develop100.com from Friday May 7th

12,000 copies plus digital edition. Additional circulation of Develop 100 at Develop Conference Brighton in July and Develop Industry Excellence Awards

>>>>>>>>>

Ad copy deadline: Monday April 19th Contact katie.rawlings@intentmedia.co.uk for advertising and sponsorship opportunities +44 (0) 1992 535 647

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,a uiz 010... Q V 2 MC ools t s F late April e h f m t -up o o r f nd ults a rou s e r the s and e ee av e h Degr w , x eek ed Si w d s Thi -stud r sta

MCV/XBOX QUIZ: THE WINNERS

TRIVIA PURSUITS Publishers, journalists, distributors and more bundled into Holborn’s Sway Bar for the first MCV and Xbox 360 Pub Quiz of the year. Strangely, the number of bottles on a team’s table in these pictures seems to often correlate with how high they placed. If you don’t booze, you lose. Ask EA.

And here they are: the winning (and losing) teams in full, named and shamed... 1. Sega 2. GameSpot 3. GAME 4. Turner Media Innovations 5. Future Publishing 6. Amazon 7. ShopTo 8. Sainsbury’s 9. D3P 10. HMV 11. Ubisoft 12. Videogamer.com 13. AGI Media 14. GLS Games 15. Hubb Accessories 16. Microsoft 17. Electronic Arts

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: Andrew Wooden, Will Freeman, Rob Crossley, 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.

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SIX DEGREES

WWW.MCVUK.COM

MCV 09/04/10 45

OF ACTIVISION It’s almost rude not to know someone who once worked there. This week, we start with... Kylie Minogue, who dueted on ‘Kids’ with...

Robbie Williams, who was personally signed to EMI’s Chrysalis label by...

SING FOR STOCK Just sing ‘n’ snap to win £2,000 worth We are giving away 50 copies of the Wii’s greatest karaoke game, We Sing (worth £2,000) to one lucky retailer. But hurry – there’s only two weeks left for you to enter.

David Dein, when announcing Dreamcast as the trophy-shy side’s shirt sponsor, although many believe the man behind the deal was Leeds-supporting...

JF Cecilon, who, as Euro boss of Sega, had a photocall with Arsenal chairman...

Giles Thomas, who was replaced as Sega’s marketing director by....

6 Alison Turner, who’s now heading up the Sky/SCEE joint venture Go!View, but in 2005 was part of the MCV Award-winning marketing team at... ACTIVISION

To be in with a chance of winning all you need to do is send a picture of you, your staff, or your customers using We Sing in your store – like this lovely photo from Saffron Waldon-based indie Game On (right). Surely you can do better? Every entry gets a free copy of the game and the best picture (and don’t you worry – we’ll print the best) will bag the full 50 copies. Head to www.wesinggame.com to upload your picture or send it to mcv@wesinggame.com

Don’t be shy: get We Singing! (Terms: competition open to all retailers, including online stores. You can enter as many pictures as you like. Limited promotion, first-come-first served, one twomicrophone+game pack per store, no cash alternative)

MCV takes soundings from its Retail Advisory Board on the biggest issues of the day. The current members are...

Lisa Morgan, GAME

Duncan Cross, Asda

Martyn Gibbs, Gamestation

Don McCabe, CHIPS

Tim Ellis, HMV

Graham Chambers, Amazon

Peter Willis, 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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FROM THE ARCHIVE October 26th, 2007

league NEWS es sector is ‘top of the a Hodge says the gam no tax breaks. Two be Culture minister Patrici will re the s say e industries’, but cialist when it comes to creativ Digital distribution spe in your face, Hodge!... r: late rs they’ll t yea f tha s hal a iler and street reta ansion and warns high oft launches the ros Mic Metaboli targets UK exp ... del mo ss ine brace the new bus es BAFTAs, suffer if they don’t em s, for £199... At the gam dle, including five title bun of the ade e Arc Gam 360 ed x Xbo Shock is nam for Wii Sports, but Bio as. istm there are three awards Chr at gre hs is gearing up for a Year... Lastly, Woolwort CHARTS ......Sega All Formats .......................................... 8 .......................................... Football Manager 200 .......Sony PS3 .......................................... n .......................................... Resistance: Fall of Ma nic Arts Xbox 360 ...............................Electro .......................................... The Orange Box ............ tendo DS .................................. Nin ss.......................................... Zelda: Phantom Hourgla PEOPLE Mike Paul Marcantonio and Hicks Jon Q... TH join ton Egling : The 360 x Xbo of becomes editor Devoy Official Magazine...Maria rner Bros. leaves Disney to join Wa

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AND FINALLY... ial fallout The post-BAFTA pictor Blumson includes MCV’s Lesley of ple cou a to up g cozyin Eddy Hollyoaks actors, Rich looking cool with horror master Clive Barker and editor of Michael French, then scaring arly cle te qui , p elo Dev es. Gat eth Gar of the life out

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