03 MCV584_final
20/4/10
13:52
Page 1
THE MARKET FOR COMPUTER AND VIDEO GAMES International Media Partner
Issue 584 Friday April 23 2010 £3.25
04 IPO for The Hut?
16 March charts
The up-and-coming online retailer’s growth strategy – including plans to go public
In-depth analysis and stats on the best-selling games and publisher successes at retail
05 Fresh blood for THQ UK
14 The rebirth of LucasArts
New faces and promotions as publisher boosts sales, marketing and PR teams
How one of the longest-running games firms regained its cred by going digital
07 Publishers Face social web
25 Retail Biz
Examining a new breed of marketing strategies for networking site Facebook
Our detailed product guides focus on Alan Wake and many more
EVERY BUYER EVERY BRANCH EVERY INDIE EVERY WEEK
INCORPORATING
Trade hails the very best Big night for Microsoft and Activision Xbox gets Grand Prix Two awards for Nintendo, but Sega scoops PR Team crown Dance double for Ubisoft HMV wins a pair Asda beats Tesco to win Supermarket prize by Michael French OVER 650 retailers, publishers, developers and distributors jammed into The Brewery in London to see 60 firms compete for key accolades at last night’s MCV Industry Excellence Awards. The big winner was Microsoft. Xbox took home both the Sales Team prize and the prestigious Grand Prix. The format-holder has driven 360 forward by championing key third-party titles, working closely with retail, and it heavily backed 2009’s biggest title, Modern Warfare 2. In fact Activision, MW2’s publisher, took home the most
prizes, winning Game Campaign for Modern Warfare 2 and overall Games Publisher. The Retail Advisory Board Special Recognition Award went to its UK senior sales director Roy Stackhouse, recognised for Activision’s faultless delivery of MW2, the biggest day one ship and no street date worries. HMV was the big winner in the retail category. Winning Star Store for its 360 Oxford Street and the overall High Street Chain prize were well deserved after 12 months that has seen the chain seriously grow market share and continue to ramp up both its range offer and in-store Gamerbase services.
Other retail winners were Asda (Supermarket), Grainger Games (Independent Retailer), and Play.com (Online Retailer). All of which meant GAME missed out in every category it was nominated – the first time the firm has gone home emptyhanded from the MCV Awards. Elsewhere, Just Dance helped Ubisoft scoop two prizes – New Games Brand and Sales Triumph. Nintendo also won two, Trade Marketing Team and Marketing Team. But for the first time in four years it lost out on the PR Team award, which went to Sega. The PR prize was voted for especially by a panel of 150 journalists.
Other marketing winners were Sony’s Game Is Just The Start campaign taking Game Creative, while Mad Catz won the inaugural Peripherals & Accessories Brand award. Meanwhile, champions in lynchpin sectors development and distribution were also honoured. Centresoft won the Distribution Team prize, and Rocksteady Studios the UK Development Team award. A judging panel of 76 senior industry executives from across the entire market chose the winners from a set of Finalists per category. A full list of judges is published under this week’s comment on page 4.
RETAIL
PEOPLE & INDUSTRY
PR & MARKETING
Star Store: HMV (360 Oxford Street)
Sales Triumph: Just Dance (Ubisoft)
Peripherals & Accessories Brand: Mad Catz
Online Retailer: Play.com
UK Development Team: Rocksteady Studios
Game Is Just The Start (Sony)
Independent Retailer: Grainger Games
Sales Team: Microsoft
New Games Brand: Just Dance (Ubisoft)
High Street Chain: HMV
Distribution Team: Centresoft
Trade Marketing Team: Nintendo
Supermarket: ASDA
Games Publisher: Activision
PR Team: Sega
Retail Advisory Board Special Recognition Award: Roy Stackhouse, Activision
Grand Prix: Microsoft
Game Creative:
Game Campaign: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision)
Marketing Team: Nintendo
PERSONNEL 22 RETAIL BIZ 25 NEW RELEASES 33 HIGH STREET 34 CHARTS 36
04,05 MCV584_final:4-5 MCV515
20/4/10
13:53
Page 1
4 MCV 23/04/10
WWW.MCVUK.COM
NEWS
[LEADER] HARD WORK PAYS OFF FOR TRADE WINNERS It is indicative of a changing market that no single company dominated this year’s MCV Awards. Retailers and suppliers have been working extra hard over the past year to stave off some genuine softness in demand. Modern Warfare 2 was a phenomenon, brilliantly executed, and was rightly rewarded last night. Our Retail Advisory Board selected Roy Stackhouse for special recognition and the wider judging panel picked out Activision as Publisher of the Year. But the surprise hit of 2010, Just Dance, also brought home two awards for Ubisoft (Sales Triumph and New Games Brand). Sega wrestled PR Team off Nintendo, but the big red one still held onto the Marketing Team and Trade Marketing prizes. HMV, after a brilliant 12 months, also won a brace and ASDA edged out Tesco in the supermarket battle. All the winners, including SCE, Mad Catz, Play, Grainger, Rocksteady and Centresoft, can look back
“Microsoft's innovation, energy and attention to detail made it a popular choice for Grand Prix.” with great pride on putting in a performance so good that it has been recognised by the entire trade. The Xbox team should be applauded for winning two big awards despite the past year not having been the strongest for first party publishing. The effort put in to keep hardware shifting at pace, despite the emergence of a more attractive PS3 proposition, is what will have edged out nearest rivals Ubisoft for the Sales Team accolade. And it is the format owner’s persistent innovation, energy and attention to detail (especially when it comes to third party licensees) that made it such a popular choice for Grand Prix. So as the hangovers kick in this morning, winners should thoroughly enjoy their moment. It all starts again at E3… Stuart.Dinsey@intentmedia.co.uk MCV AWARDS 2010: JUDGING PANEL MCV would like to thank the 76 judges who helped select this year’s winners. A broad selection of retailers, media, publishers, distributors and developers placed their votes after the Finalists had been announced: Kim Adcock (OPM Response), Dean Barrett (Bastion), James Batchelor (MCV), Owain Bennallack (Develop), Gerry Berkley (Centresoft), James Binns (Future), Dorian Bloch (GfK ChartTrack), Adam Boita (SCE), Tricia Brennan (GAME), Andrew Brown (Activision), Gennaro Castaldo (HMV), Matt Carroll (Disney Interactive Studios), Richard Chapple (The Hut), Igor Cipolletta (Shopto.Net), John Clark (Sega), Rob Cooper (Ubisoft), Rod Cousens (Codemasters), Duncan Cross (ASDA), Spencer Crossley (Warner Bros Interactive), Rosemary Dalton (Konami), Martin Defries (Rising Star), Stuart Dinsey (Intent Media), Adam Doree (Kikizo), Chris Dring (MCV), Richard Eddy (Codemasters), Tim Ellis (HMV), Amanda Farr (Sega), Lisa Foster (MCV), Martyn Gibbs (GAME), Jonathan Hales (Southpeak Interactive), Neil Handa (Gem), Simon Harvey (Barrington Harvey), Mike Hayes (Sega), Geoff Heath (Consultant), Ian Howe (505 Games), Joanna Hunt (Tesco), Tim Ingham (Future), Miles Jacobson (Sports Interactive), Andy Lane (Tandem Events), Stuart Lang (Electronc Arts), Ian Livingstone (Square Enix), Ray Maguire (SCE), Andrew Mallandaine (Turner Media), Caroline Miller (Indigo Pearl), Sadiz Naseem (Comet), Don McCabe (CHIPS), Peter Molyneux (Lionhead), Phil Moore (Grainger Games), David Neal (Centresoft), James O’Reilly (Ubisoft), Dawn Paine (Nintendo), Ben Parfitt (MCV), Andy Payne (Mastertronic), Chris Peacock (Gem), Margaret Pearson (Centresoft), Robert Price (Future), Alan Pritchard (Sega), Neil Ralley (2K Games), Keith Ramsdale (Electronic Arts), Kristan Reed (Eurogamer), Dave Roberts (Intent Media), Jon Rooke (THQ), Keith Russell (Babel Media), Dominic Sacco (MCV), Larry Sparks (Square Enix), Stephen Staley (Gameseek), Neil Stephen (Rockstar Games), Ian Stewart (Zushi), Anthony Stocker (Argos), Kelly Sumner (Intent Media), Neil Thompson (Microsoft), David Yarnton (Nintendo), Andy Yates (Nintendo), Jonathan Weinberg (Journalist), Shaun White (Electronic Arts), Jeremy Wigmore (Codemasters)
16 of the 19 awards were decided by the Judging Panel listed above. The PR Team award was exclusively decided by media (51 journalists from the October Games Media Awards database). The Special Recognition Award was voted by members of the MCV Retail Advisory Board, and the Grand Prix was chosen by the MCV team after soundings from the trade.
The Hut plans Online giant aims for £100m turnover in 2010 and wants 150 extra by Christopher Dring THE HUT GROUP has revealed plans to become a publicly listed company after securing £14 million worth of investment. The retailer secured the money last week and says it will use the cash to enter new product categories – either organically or by acquisition – so it can increase its annual turnover to £100m this year.
“
“One thing is increased public awareness. There is a trading benefit to being a public company online, not least because people get a sense of security when dealing with a PLC. “The second main thing, aside from profile, is equity. There is a collaborative culture from being a PLC and most members of our staff have some form of financial interest in The Hut.”
Floatation is the right way for us to go, because there is a trading benefit to being a public company online. Steven Whitehead, The Hut
The online giant also wants to double its staff headcount as it seeks to close the gap between itself and Amazon and Play.com. “The goal is to float,” The Hut’s mergers and acquisitions director Steven Whitehead told MCV. “The timeframe for when we do will be determined by the market and our development. It is the right way for us to go and there’s several reasons for that.
”
The Hut’s future plans include rejuvenating its white label business. The firm revealed earlier this week that it will power an entertainment site for Debenhams, and is currently developing a system that allows games and more to be sold through Debenhams’ existing web store. This removes the need for a white label site. The firm also plans to acquire businesses and enter new product categories.
FLOATING ON AIR: The Hut’s ongoing growth puts public listing and a turnover of £100m within reach
“We are looking to move into more areas that suit our established delivery platform,” continued Whitehead. “So non-perishable, fast moving consumer goods. Over and above the things we already do, we’re looking at footwear, sports goods and health and beauty.
Essential services guide returns INTENT MEDIA’S Sourcebook is back this July. The annual guide to the leading service companies operating within the European games industry will have a print circulation of 20,000 copies. An online version will be promoted all year via MCV, Develop, CasualGaming.biz PCR, and Mobile Entertainment. The sectors this year’s guide covers include: Creative/Promotional Services Gaming Accessories Distribution & Logistics International Distribution
Legal Services Localisation, QA & Testing Manufacturing Services Recruitment Software Development
The print edition will be inserted with all copies of MCV on Friday July 9th, plus relevant reader codes of Develop, PC Retail and Mobile Entertainment in August. Live distribution of the directory includes The Develop
Conference in Brighton, The Brand Licensing Show and The London Games Conference. “Sourcebook is invaluable for any games company wishing to outsource services,” said Intent Media MD Stuart Dinsey. “It’s a comprehensive resource of contact information for the industry. And this year’s guide will be better than ever before.” If you would like a listing in Sourcebook 10, please contact Rob.Baker@intentmedia.co.uk.
SOURCEBOOK 2010
04,05 MCV584_final:4-5 MCV515
20/4/10
13:54
Page 2
WWW.MCVUK.COM
MCV 23/04/10 5
NEWS
to float
THQ restructures UK marketing team
staff ahead of becoming publicly listed
“Entertainment will always remain core. It is the biggest online consumer group. And by bringing more customers to The Hut through sportswear or a nail grooming range, we hope to cross-sell our core entertainment products to them. “£100 million is our target to turnover this year. Anything
north of that is an exceptional achievement and puts us in a small category of retailers on the internet.” The Hut Group is the thirdbiggest online entertainment retailer behind Amazon and Play, having overtaken HMV online in Q4. www.thehutgroup.com
by James Batchelor THQ HAS made a number of changes to its marketing team as part of a major restructure. The publisher has hired experienced talent from other industries and firms, and promoted some of its longserving personnel. Most notably, Mich Davis has joined from Universal Pictures to take up the role of head of marketing. She boasts over 12 years of marketing experience from firms such as Universal, Hallmark, Pernod Ricard and United Biscuits. “I am thrilled to join THQ,” said Davis. “Coming from both a DVD and premium drinks brand background I hope I can bring a new perspective as well as add some fresh new ideas and synergies. “I am very excited to be working in such an exciting, challenging and fun industry with some great brands and strong franchises.” Suzanne Panter joins as senior PR manager, leaving her position at Koch Media. She has spent 11 years working in video games PR at firms such as Activision and Hasbro Interactive.
Leading the wave of promotions, Huw Beynon has been made head of global communications and will work alongside Simon Watts, who has now been named global communications manager. The publisher has also promoted Rebecca Attard to Associate PR manager. She will report directly to Panter.
[PRE ORDERS]
TOP 10 DEMON’S SOULS BLACK PHANTOM PS3, NAMCO BANDAI
2. SUPER SF IV + T-SHIRT PS3 ......................................CAPCOM
3. 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP PS3 ..............................................EA
4. SUPER SF IV + T-SHIRT 360 ......................................CAPCOM
5. RED DEAD REDEMPTION LIM ED 360 ....................................ROCKSTAR
NEW THQ TEAM: (clockwise from top left) Attard, Reader, Beynon, Watts, Panter, Warner and Davis.
6. RED DEAD REDEMPTION PS3 ....................................ROCKSTAR
7. RED DEAD REDEMPTION LIM ED PS3 ....................................ROCKSTAR
8. RED DEAD REDEMPTION 360 ....................................ROCKSTAR Emma Reader (née Fifield) has become senior product marketing manager for THQ’s childrens, family and casual games portfolios. Finally, Peter Warner is a final new addition to the team, taking on the role of marketing assistant and reporting to Reader. THQ: 01483 724500
9. 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP 360 ..............................................EA
10. LOST PLANET 2 360 ......................................CAPCOM Week ending: April 16th Source: SHOPTO.COM Turn to page 35 for more pre-order charts from leading online retailers
UK SOFTWARE SALES MONITOR Your weekly guide to the UK games software market… The UK games market has fallen to its lowest weekly value this year. Software sales fell one per cent to £17.8 million, while unit sales tumbled eight per cent to 820,548. The results come as a slight disappointment. Retail would have expected an up-turn in weekly sales due to the launch of Ubisoft’s Splinter Cell: Conviction, which is No.1 in the Chart-Track Top 40 this week. A weekend of hot weather may have been responsible for the market dip. There are a handful of releases next week, not least the heavily marketed Monster Hunter Tri. However, the following week is set to be a big one with the high profile launches of Iron Man 2, Super Street Fighter IV and 2010 FIFA World Cup.
[WEEKLY MARKET VALUE]
Total UK Software Sales Source: ELSPA/ChartTrack and Intent Media
30
Week Ending April 17th 2010
£17.8m
25 20 15 10 5
SPLINTER SELLS: Ubisoft’s long-awaited stealth action title took the top spot in this week’s charts
£25.7m
£18m
£17.8m
1,222,138 Units
892,175 Units
820,548 Units
0 Week Ending April 2nd
Week Ending April 9th
Week Ending April 16th
06,07 MCV584_final:6-7 MCV515
20/4/10
14:24
Page 1
6 MCV 23/04/10
WWW.MCVUK.COM
NEWS
Hideo Kojima spearheads UK Peace Walker campaign by Dominic Sacco KONAMI will hold a series of events featuring development legend Hideo Kojima to promote Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, the firm has told MCV. The Japanese publisher claims the upcoming release is ‘the most anticipated PSP title of all time’, and will back it with an online and print marketing campaign. Series creator Kojima will present the game to key press in advance of reviews and attend a signing event at HMV in London. Furthermore, to tie in with Peace Walker’s in-game product placement, Uniqlo has produced 10 limited edition t-shirts of the game. Kojima will also be present at a Uniqlo UK store signing on June 19th. Konami’s UK marketing manager Rosemarie Dalton said: “Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is the definitive MGS title for PSP. It doesn’t hold
Rockstar bags Bertie
GEARED TO GO: Kojima will help launch MGS in the UK
back just because it is on a handheld, and is as actionpacked and crammed with new elements as any new Metal Gear title would be. “Additions such as co-op missions and a wealth of new weaponry and gameplay
mechanics make it a stunning advance for the series, and probably the most anticipated PSP title of all time.” MGS: Peace Walker will be released on June 18th with an RRP of £29.99. Konami: 0208 987 5706
ALEX BERTIE has joined Rockstar Games as vice president of marketing. Bertie joined the company in March, leaving his position of vice president of global brand and marketing at Codemasters. He has also previously worked at Electronic Arts, where he spent five and a half years serving as marketing director. Overall, he boasts more than seven years of experience in the video games industry.
Before this, Bertie worked a three-year stint as marketing manager at Polydor, and a further four years as artist and repertoire manager at BMG. He will be based in the publisher’s New York office and will be handling the promotion of Rockstar’s forthcoming titles. The firm last week launched GTA: Episodes From Liberty City for PS3 and PC, with the game topping the PS3 charts. Rockstar: 020 7751 2565
UK market key to Black Bean expansion ITALIAN PUBLISHER Black Bean says the UK is its most important European market as it reveals its new business strategy for 2010. The firm will now release fewer, higher quality titles and focus on its racing games from Milestone and its lifestyle and family titles developed by its UK internal studios, Lighting Fish. Black Bean’s communication co-ordinator Davide Latina said: “The UK is still the biggest market in Europe so it’s a benchmark for us that we understand the trends in family, racing and lifestyle games. “The UK is definitely our core market.” Despite the firm’s commitment to the UK, it is
currently not planning to open its own sales offices over here. “Our partnership with Tradewest is absolutely fine for Black Bean at the moment,” added Latina. “As ex-Midway guys they have huge experience in terms of marketing and sales in the UK and France, and are able to manage the marketing, communication and sales strategy on behalf of us.” On-top of Black Bean’s retail releases, the firm is starting to dip its toes in the digital sector. Upcoming superbike racer SBK X will be available in two editions – standard and special. The latter will come packaged with a legendary roster, while standard owners will be able to
download this as an optional mode from Xbox Live for 800 Microsoft points. Latina added: “We are following the latest trend to allow gamers to download high-quality content to increase the game experience. “We are thinking about download-only games but nothing has been confirmed for the moment.” SBK X is the next big title for Black Bean which hits stores in late May. The firm is also due to launch its official World Rally Championship game in late September
FRESH START: Black Bean’s Latina says the Italian publisher is working on fewer, higher quality releases
Turn to Page 28 for an indepth look at SBK X. Tradewest: 0207 456 0450
06,07 MCV584_final:6-7 MCV515
20/4/10
14:24
Page 2
WWW.MCVUK.COM
MCV 23/04/10 7
NEWS
Publishers champion unique marketing power of Facebook Video game giants flock to social networking site for campaigns Developer BioWare obtains 5m followers by James Batchelor GAMES PUBLISHERS are getting behind Facebook as a major marketing tool, enabling them to interact with millions of consumers directly. The social network is becoming increasingly important to publishers’ marketing plans, from
“
500,000 following FIFA, 850,000 following EA Sports and a BioWare community of more than five million Facebook users. “We see huge value in engaging directly with the fans of all our games,” said EA’s UK PR director Simon Smith-Wright. “Many of our studios and games already boast enormous
With social media experts Playfish now part of the EA team, you can imagine how we can really grow in this space. Simon Smith-Wright, EA
Nintendo directing traffic through a Monster Hunter Facebook hub to Ubisoft inviting fans to befriend the Prince of Persia. EA has gathered particularly impressive audiences through the site, with one million people following The Sims content,
”
active communities but Facebook is also very valuable to us in growing these. And with social media experts Playfish now part of the EA team, you can imagine how we can really grow in this space.” Tecmo Koei’s community manager Chin Soon Sun added
FACE TIME: EA’s Facebook pages attract millions of the site’s users
that Facebook can even provide a cost-effective boost to compliment established marketing campaigns. “It’s free, so we don’t need to spend a huge amount of advertising cost,” he said, “All we need is to be enthusiastic, interact with them, keep them updated and we get to know each other better.” However, publishers are aware that care still needs to be taken when using Facebook or other social media. “Facebook is a sure fire way of hyping the community and spreading information and assets such as trailers on new titles,” said Namco Bandai’s head of PR Lee Kirton. “But anything you release will spread to a much broader level, so communication is important. It all needs to fit into the overall campaign and not damage any of your global relationships.”
World Cup frenzy to boost Ubi’s soccer plans UBISOFT HOPES this summer’s World Cup will help it crack the ‘polarised’ football game genre. The publisher will launch Pure Football for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC in May, which is fronted by former England captain Steven Gerrard. And Ubisoft brand manager Phil Brannelly believes that the association with Gerrard and the hype surrounding the World Cup will see the game fly off shelves throughout June and July. “Ubisoft are committed to making a name for itself in the sports genre in general and the launch of Pure Football and,
later this year, Shaun White Skateboarding, are both steps towards this goal,” he said. “We have very realistic expectations for Pure Football and will be supporting it with strategic marketing activity and promotions. “The whole furore surrounding England’s campaign this year will really whip up a frenzy in June and July, and spark interest in the game. Especially with Stevie G on the pack.” This isn’t Ubisoft’s first attempt at a football game – the publisher released
BALL GAMES: Ubi plans to break into the football sector
Academy of Champions for Wii in 2009. The genre has proved to be a particularly hard one to crack, with FIFA and PES dominating sales.
But Brannelly is confident there is still room in the market for football games that are a little different. “Pure Football is positioned as an action title alongside the
current dominant football simulation titles and offers consumers something a bit more fun and light hearted,” he added. “If you want simulation football, you have two options. If you want anything else, there is nothing. “Our ambitions are to take one step at a time in what is very much a polarised genre, with one game in particular dominating, but there is always room for other titles. “Ubisoft is very proud that Steven Gerrard put his name to Pure Football and shows Ubisoft means business.” Ubisoft: 01932 578000
08,09 MCV584_final:6-7 MCV515
20/4/10
15:31
Page 1
8 MCV 23/04/10
WWW.MCVUK.COM
NEWS
Capcom: Lost Planet 2 will make a Killing Mammoth ‘Kill Big’ marketing campaign detailed for upcoming sci-fi sequel heading to 360, PS3 and PC by James Batchelor A BLOCKBUSTER marketing campaign for Lost Planet 2 is in the works at Capcom to ensure the high-profile sequel is a success in the UK. The game is being billed as one of the publisher’s big three releases for 2010, alongside next week’s Super Street Fighter IV and the highly anticipated zombie sequel
“
Following on from the 2007 original, Lost Planet 2 once again pits players against colossal alien beings and the publisher has drawn from this to inspire its promotions. “Our campaign tagline has been ‘Kill Big’ and that’s exactly how we intend to deliver: big. Every game claims to be bigger and better than the original but in this case, that’s the reality.”
Expectations from consumers are high and we’re hoping to capture their imagination with the game’s new features. Karl Reader, Capcom
Dead Rising 2, due to hit High Street stores in Q4. “As the sequel to the millionselling Lost Planet, expectations are high,” said Capcom’s UK product and community manager Karl Reader. “Expectations from the consumer are equally high and we’re really hoping to capture the public’s imagination with the game’s new features.”
”
The aggressive slogan will be seen around the nation as part of Capcom’s takeover of phone boxes in several major UK cities. It will also be central to online ads that will appear on general lifestyle websites The Sun, Sky Sports and Spotify, as well as key gaming sites including GameSpot, Eurogamer and IGN.
BIG DEALS: Capcom has partnered with Sky Sports, LoveFilm and other sites to promote Lost Planet 2
A heavyweight TV campaign will target 16 to 34-year-old males around launch, with 30and 60-second spots running on Sky Sports during final matches of the Champions League and the Premier League. Capcom has also partnered with LoveFilm to send Lost
Planet 2’s ‘Kill Big’ message to over one million movie buffs with branded envelopes and website takeovers. In the US the publisher is also running a secondary campaign, ‘Kill Big for Charity’, which pledges to donate $20,000 to charity
once the Lost Planet 2 multiplayer demo tops one million downloads. Lost Planet 2 is due for release on Xbox 360 and PS3 on May 11th, with a PC version scheduled to follow later in the autumn. Capcom: 020 8846 2566
Polaroid enters games sector CVG posts record audience growth THE POPULAR Polaroid brand has returned to the UK with a range of new video game accessories. Polaroid – famous for its instant cameras – has a huge range of peripherals for Xbox 360, Wii, DS and PS3. These include sports packs and a sensor bar for Wii, a microphone headset and battery packs for Xbox 360, third party wireless controllers for PS3 and a dock for Nintendo DS. Accessories distribution specialist AntiGrav will handle the launch of Polaroid’s peripherals in the UK, with the first range of items due to arrive in May.
Accessories such as Polaroid’s DSi Charger will launch next month
The firm will focus on a selection of Polaroid’s Wii and DS products for the initial launch, with a full roll-out of accessories planned for later in the year. Polaroid relaunched itself at the Consumer Electronics
Show in Febuary this year, and revealed pop singer Lady Gaga as its new creative director and ‘inventor of specialty products.’ In 2008 Polaroid filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Assets are held by PLR IP Holdings. AntiGrav: 01932 454 929
OVER TWO million gamers visited Future’s CVG.co.uk last month, a year-on-year rise of 68 per cent. Future said 2,265,823 people visited the consumer website last month, while UK unique users rose 26 per cent to 639,424. The results take in the entire CVG network, which also includes the Official Xbox Magazine and Official Nintendo Magazine websites. The readership increase comes after a change in editorial focus for CVG. The site now concentrates on breaking news, with the number of stories posted on the
CVG website increasing by 37 per cent for Q1 2010. Meanwhile, Future’s Mike Jackson becomes CVG’s US news editor as he moves abroad. “I’m delighted that gamers love CVG’s return to its core competencies,” said CVG editor Tim Ingham. “As one of the original games media powerhouses, we want to reestablish CVG as the number one destination for consumer games news. “And to see such a massive rise in visitors and user comment proves that our editorial refocus is beginning to pay off.”
08,09 MCV584_final:6-7 MCV515
20/4/10
15:31
Page 2
WWW.MCVUK.COM
MCV 23/04/10 9
NEWS
Limited run for new PS3 RPG from Namco Bandai Publisher wins rights to cult game Demon’s Souls UK to get special edition only by James Batchelor NAMCO BANDAI Partners has secured the rights to publish the long-awaited PS3 hit Demon’s Souls in the UK. Having released in its home market of Japan more than a year ago, the game will finally
“
fantastic for us to finally be the ones to release it. Demon’s Souls is a great compliment to the diversity of our upcoming games slate and gives us great standout in the market.” The publisher will also handle the game’s release in Europe, the Middle East,
UK gamers have been waiting for this since February last year and it’s fantastic for us to be the ones to release it. David Miller, Namco Bandai
arrive on the UK High Street on June 25th – but only a limited number will be released. “We’re extremely excited to finally be bringing Demon’s Souls to the UK under the Namco Bandai label,” said NBP’s marketing director David Miller. “UK gamers have been waiting for this since the Japanese launch and it’s
”
Africa and Asia Pacific, following a newly signed agreement with Sony. Demon’s Souls has received critical acclaim thanks to its unique online functionality that allows players to leave hints and messages for each other in the game world. Only a special edition SKU will hit the UK, complete with boxed extras to appeal further
trade in their overstocks to us. “Our overall aim is to offer as much as we can in terms of cash for games, and we’re comfortable that the amount we’re offering for consumers is more than what the High Street stores promote.” Trade Your Games is not the first company to buy and sell pre-owned games, but it could become the first to provide retailers with an easy option of shifting unsold stock. US-based switchgames.com allows players to trade titles with each other and price their games as they wish. A spokesperson told MCV: “Today, SwitchGames is
UBISOFT: Assassin's Creed II has been awarded a Guinness World Record - for the most number of magazine covers scored by a single game. According to publisher Ubisoft, and verified by Guinness itself, the game was used as the lead story in 127 different publications in 32 countries between April 2009 and April 2010. GAMESCOM: The video games press can now register for this year's Gamescom, Koelnmesse has confirmed. Journalists just need to visit www.gamescom-cologne.com to apply.
UK SOUL: The Black Phantom Edition is an exclusive to Europe
to those who have had to wait for its European release. “To make the game a musthave for every fan out there, The Black Phantom Edition is being released as an exclusive European limited edition retail pack containing the soundtrack CD, a new artbook
and brand new strategy guide,” said Miller. “The game is completely unique – it’s one of the most challenging games in the market, which makes it all the more rewarding to play.” Namco Bandai Partners: 020 8222 9700
Pre-owned website to buy unsold stock NEW WEBSITE Trade Your Games, which buys and sells pre-owned titles, will roll out a business-to-business service so that independent video game retailers can sell excess stock. The site launched earlier this month and claims to offer consumers trade-in rates of up to 40 per cent more than High Street stores. It uses an automated system which constantly monitors the prices of 6,000 games to update its own values. Founder and director of Trade Your Games Indy Sangha told MCV: “In the near future we’d like to run a B2B offering that allows indies to
Sponsored by
JAGEX: Free-to-play MMO Runescape earned its developer-publisher Jagex over £38 million in revenues in the 12 months leading up to March 2009. That’s a profit of £18 million, according to records held at Companies House. TAKE-TWO: 2K is breathing new life into the classic XCOM series by releasing a brand new FPS based on the franchise. The game is being developed by BioShock 2 studio 2K Marin for Xbox 360 and PC. ZEN UNITED: BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger will be made available on PSP and PC in the UK this June. The game was originally released for PS3 and Xbox 360 earlier this month.
THE GAMES TRADE: Indies could sell off unwanted stock online
limited to the US – however, we plan to launch internationally in 2010. We also provide sellers with the option of donating a
percentage of their proceeds directly to video game publishers and developers.” www.tradeyourgames.co.uk
LATEST NEWS STRAIGHT TO YOUR MOBILE Bookmark us in your phone:
MOBILE.MCVUK.COM
10 MCV584_FINAL:Layout 1
19/4/10
09:26
Page 1
10 MCV 23/04/10
WWW.MCVUK.COM
NEWS
EK E W E H T F O N IG A P CAM
UTH AFRICA O S P U C D L R O W 2010 FIFA
The official tie-in to the sporting event of the summer hits retail next week, and here is what EA’s doing to promote it…
RELEASED: APRIL 30 FORMATS: 360, PS3, WII, PSP PUBLISHER: EA DEVELOPER: EA CANADA PRICE: £24.99 - £49.99 DISTRIBUTOR: CENTRESOFT CONTACT: 0121 625 3388
TV EA has booked TV ads on terrestrial and satellite channels. The advertisements will run for two weeks over the game’s launch period. TV marketing will then start again with spots during the World Cup tournament, which kicks off on June 11th. PRINT EA is targeting sports nuts with its print campaign, with activity planned for sports and national press. ONLINE A huge web marketing push will take place across gaming, sports, football, and lifestyle portals from the game’s launch until the end of the World Cup (July 11th).
EA has also teamed up with Coke Zero to offer a unique online service. Within hours of the real World Cup matches taking place, EA will recreate the events in the game so fans can replay or even change history. OUTDOOR The publisher has booked up LED advertising in football stadiums across the UK. The ads appeared last weekend (Saturday, April 17th) and will run until the end of the Premier League season. PR A significant PR campaign is underway across the national and men’s lifestyle press. Official PlayStation has also given the game a 9/10.
COMING MAY 14TH Achtung Panzer: Kharkov 1943 © 2009, Graviteam. Designed and developed by Graviteam. Published under the license of Snowberry Connection LRM Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed and published by Lace Mamba Global Ltd. All company names, brand names, trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners.
For sales contact Glenn Hayes tel: 07919 415 728 email: glenn@lm-global.net
www.gamescom-cologne.com
Largest trade fair and event highlight for interactive games and entertainment
CELEBRATE THE GAMES 18 – 22/8/2010 COLOGNE
ess: plete succ m o c a s a 2009 w gamescom countries rs from 31 o it ib h x e • 458 isitors 245,000 v n a visitors th re o •M onal trade ti a rn te in 45% untries • Approx. om 49 co fr ts s li a rn u • 4,100 jo
Koelnmesse Ltd. 4th Floor, 205/207 City Road London EC1V 1JN, Great Britain Phone: +44 20 75 66 6340 Fax: +44 20 75 66 6341 info@koelnmesse.co.uk
Gamescom_AZ_230x315_MCV_FB_GB_neu.indd 1
Mo. 16/08
Tu. 17/08
We. 18/08
Th. 19/08
Fr. 20/08
Sa. 21/08
Su. 22/08
open to all visitors
GDC exclusive day for industry professionals and the press
business area closed
26.03.2010 8:21:25 Uhr
Disney Split Second_Final
14/4/10
12:46
Page 1
.UK Y.CO T I C O DVEL N O C E PLITS S . W WW
IVERS
“D
DEL ISNEY
OST THE M
E
Disney Split Second_Final
14/4/10
12:46
Page 2
ACT CONT E S 141 PLEA RIES 121 625 7 I U Q N ON 0 ALL E FOR I TUNNEY NICK
AC
VE R I S O L XP
T E
AME G G N I
S™
YE
AME G – ” T
© Disney. “2”,“ ” and “PLAYSTATION” are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. Product names and/or visuals shown are of product currently in development and may be subject to change.
14,15 MCV584_final:Layout 1
20/4/10
13:55
Page 1
14 MCV 23/04/10
WWW.MCVUK.COM
MCV INTERVIEW DARRELL RODRIGUEZ, CEO, LUCASARTS
The reinvention of It went from a fanboy favourite to a Star Wars factory line. But now it’s using a smaller slate of games, lots of digital releases and social media to regain its cred. Michael French finds out how, under CEO Darrell Rodriguez, LucasArts has become a Force once again…
MOVING FORWARD There’s been regular suggestions that LucasArts’ properties, both adventure ones and Star Wars titles, would be a perfect fit with new interfaces. Wii, Natal, Move – they all lend themselves to point and click, or even a lightsaber. The firm already made the jump to iPhone with Monkey Island – so what’s next? Rodriguez won’t say specifically, but says the new wave of controllers does interest LucasArts. “I’m very excited by the new interfaces, either Natal, Move or iPad. It’s something we’re definitely watching and we will consider in the future. “[The regular suggestion of a lightsaber game] is one of the reasons why we are excited about it – but we’ll keep looking at it and see what we can do. No commitment to talk about now, though.”
IN THE HISTORY of video games, there are few games business brands that can raise as many mixed emotions as LucasArts. Having released over 160 games as both a developer and publisher (it signs external products, but lets partners like Activision handle the actual box shifting), on paper it should be one of the most beloved studios in existence. In some ways it is: the firm helped define the classic adventure category with games like Monkey Island and has released a number of best-selling and well-reviewed Star Wars games. But in many way it isn’t so beloved. It effectively helped kill off the adventure game genre when it didn’t become financially attractive – and it released a lot of games based on Star Wars. It was a strategy that meant the studio, after its 1990s hey day, lost its shine as no genre went unturned in the move to chase profits and turn Star Wars into everything from a respectable FPS to a kart racer. The headcount of its internal teams fluctuated in line with the over-milked licence’s fortunes. And as time went on games like LEGO Star Wars – not even developed internally – were the exception, not the rule. Not ideal for a company that Star Wars creator George Lucas set up in 1982 to experiment in the new medium of games with the then cutting edge Atari. A NEW HOPE
“
MASTER OF THE ‘ARTS: Rodriguez says a balance between digital and retail has reinvigorated LucasArts
Although LucasArts was riding high off of The Force Unleashed when former Electronic Arts LA boss Rodriguez was drafted in, these new developments – even if they are simply older Lucas efforts given new life digitally – were the first steps in shifting perceptions away from LucasArts as ‘the Star Wars company’.
We are now looking for
This was something the original IP, both internally firm’s newer CEO Darrell and externally. We’re really Rodriguez understood all to open to those oppotunities. well when he joined the Darrell Rodriguez, LucasArts company two years ago. Rodriguez may have kept a low-ish profile in the time since, “Star Wars is very important to us, but LucasArts has not. In the last year, it and we understand what makes a good has turned around its reputation amongst Star Wars game,” he says. the industry and fans with an increasingly “But now we are also looking for active digital strategy. original IP – internally and externally – Classic games have been re-released and we’re really open to those digitally for PC, while the firm has opportunities as they come along. embraced its history with Monkey “The big change is that we listen to Island for iPhone, and an original our fans. We listened to them in episodic sequel on the Wii. bringing back the old games, and
reimagining them while providing the classic ones. We have a rabid fanbase – and we want to keep them happy.” THE FANS STRIKE BACK
Keeping the fans happy has become a big issue for LucasArts while Rodriguez gradually pushes the firm into new fields and new ways of working. That doesn’t mean things like 3D, Hollywood’s latest fad (“It’s an interesting field and I saw some demos for games in 3D a while back,” he says. “But it’s something to watch and see what the opportunity is.”) Instead Rodriguez is more interested in reaching mass audiences, and the core fans, via a direct dialogue online, not box office showboating. The iPhone, XBLA and WiiWare games the firm put out last year are quite a contrast to the Lucas of old, which was reluctant to acknowledge its history let alone stretch beyond Star Wars.
”
14,15 MCV584_final:Layout 1
20/4/10
13:55
Page 2
WWW.MCVUK.COM
MCV 23/04/10 15
MCV INTERVIEW DARRELL RODRIGUEZ, CEO, LUCASARTS
EMPIRE BUILDING LucasArts’ key games for the year ahead. Boxed products are released in the UK through Activision, while digital titles are direct to consumer…
LucasArts “Digital distribution is one of our And while the firm’s two big releases pillars now,” explains Rodriguez, pointing this year may just be Star Wars sequels out that demand from its audience – LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars, drove the firm’s plans. and The Force Unleashed 2 – “I am one of those people that Rodriguez points out a number of added doesn’t think retail is going to go away, features in the games, rather than the but digital is an area that consumers incremental and arguably irrelevant actually want us to be in – so we’ll go changes provided by the overly-prolific deeper in. We’ve learnt a lot in the last line of Star Wars games in the past. year from the way we’ve used Steam, “The progress our internal team made Direct2Drive and XBLA.” from The Force Unleashed to its DLC, Twitter and Facebook have also then to the Sith Edition which packaged it become key vehicles for the firm as it into one disc, and now TFU2 – well, it’s looks to court established, lapsed and phenomenal. It looks great and plays well. also new LucasArts fans. We sold over 7m copies of the first game.” “Consumers are evolving and changing Can the sequel beat that? quickly – they want social and “It has a big fanbase and we’re accessible game and experiences. And confident they will come back. And the same goes for why we are all over we’re still in a great relationship with Twitter and Facebook – we want to talk [LEGO developer] TT Games.” to them and they expect us to be there. He adds that LucasArts “will continue It’s relevance.” to use external partners”, suggesting It seems to be working. LucasArts is at a size where When it came to talking we can be agile, and we can about XBLA game Lucidity – the first internallyrespond quickly – it’s exactly developed original where we need to be. LucasArts game since Darrell Rodriguez, LucasArts Grim Fandango in 1998 – that there are more externally-made the team first teased it through Twitter. projects to talk about soon. The game itself may end up a briefer Beyond those two titles, there’s Star note in the firm’s history, but it’s an Wars: The Old Republic – a project with example of the shift going on inside its a huge production force (and budget to publishing and development teams. match, no doubt) that will take the Meanwhile the re-release of some of franchise to MMO territory. its most treasured games has also There’s still a year to go on The Old reenergised fans. Republic, even though it was announced “We’re now reaching both new in 2008, and already LucasArts has audiences and old ones,” says Rodriguez. shopped it around at Gamescom, E3 “We have a wall of fan letters – young and other events. people write to us, as do the old timers “PR and promoting it is very important like me. The games are timeless, and refor this kind of game,” says Rodriguez. releasing them maintains that.” “The technicality of building an RETAIL FORCE MMO is a drastic undertaking – you But LucasArts isn’t switching to just don’t do it lightly.” digital content – the firm has a healthy, The Old Republic is being made by if smaller than before, slate of big EA’s BioWare Austin studio and will be budget boxed games which rely on the published by EA, too. That company’s clout of retailers. Given Rodriguez’s publishing and development teams are a view that digital isn’t going to eliminate key ally when it comes to successfully retail, it’s clear he thinks LucasArts can transferring the Star Wars IP to MMO, work in both fields. and being able to turn it into a business
“
that has the potential to challenge Blizzard’s World of Warcraft, he says. There are other keys to making a Star Wars MMO work, says Rodriguez (Sony Online Entertainment tried before with the underwhelming Star Wars Galaxies). “Our secret is story and characters. That’s something our phenomenal IP has, and a partner like BioWare is well known for. So far I’m excited by the progress The Old Republic is making – and the excitement from the industry and consumers when we’ve shown it proves it’s going to be a great game. A huge game.” LUCASARTS TODAY
Of course, story and IP isn’t the real secret weapon for LucasArts – it still is, and always will be, access to the Star Wars label. It’s a brand that can sell just about anything. Hence why it is intrinsic to the firm’s retail releases. So to everyone else in the video games space, it would seem like Lucas’ strengths are its – and its alone. But Rodriguez says there are lessons others can take from LucasArts’ transformation. The first is authenticity. When it comes to talking to fans, “passion is important,” he says. Rodriguez reckons it’s easy to tell when marketing on social networks aren’t handled with a fan’s mindset, and are treated like ‘just a job’. That extends to the way games are made, too – for Lucidity, the company shut down for a week and split its workforce into groups of five to brainstorm new game ideas. The other element is its flexibility. He says: “LucasArts is at a size where we can be agile, and we can respond quickly – it’s exactly where we need to be.” And when the two work together, LucasArts’ digital plan and direct dialogue with fans influences everything, from business strategy to production. “It’s not just a marketing thing. It really does help the way we deliver and develop our games.”
”
Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck’s Revenge Another re-release-cum-remake, offering the adventure sequel with both original and spruced up art. Available on iPhone, PC, PS3 and 360 download channels in the summer.
LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars The next game in the multi-million selling series by UK developers Traveller’s Tales, for PS3, 360, Wii, DS, PC, PSP. Due at retail in the autumn, handled by Activision.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II If the LEGO Star Wars games are for kids, Force Unleashed is for the big brothers. This sequel, published by Activision in the autumn, returns to the time between trilogies – and hopes to follow in its predecessor’s sales record of 7m units sold.
Star Wars: The Old Republic Out in early 2011 and developed by BioWare, this is LucasArts’ second attempt at turning the flagship movie series into an MMO – and so far it seems more promising than the pervious effort by SOE. EA will be handling physical distribution.
16,17 MCV584_FINAL:Layout 1
19/4/10
09:27
Page 1
16 MCV 23/04/10
WWW.MCVUK.COM
UK MONTHLY CHARTS: MARCH
EA takes March crown SOFTWARE MARKET SHARE BY COMPANY (UNITS) THIS MONTH
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
LAST MONTH
1 4 2 17 3 6 7 8 5 9
– – – –
EA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17.5% NINTENDO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.6% UBISOFT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.5% SQUARE ENIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.8% SEGA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.6% SONY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.4% ACTIVISION BLIZZARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.2% THQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.5% TAKE 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.5% MICROSOFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.7%
Bad Company 2 was comfortably the biggest title of March, but it was also a great period for Square Enix and Xbox 360. Christopher Dring takes a closer look at the monthly charts...
EA continued its February success to once again become the biggest publisher of the month. Bad Company 2 was the main sales driver for the firm. It was also a huge month for Square Enix, the publisher’s two No.1s - Final Fantasy XIII and Just Cause 2 – saw the firm leap up 13 places to fourth in terms of units sales SOFTWARE MARKET SHARE BY COMPANY (VALUE) THIS MONTH
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
LAST MONTH
1 15 3 6 4 2 7 8 5 9
– – – –
EA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.8% SQUARE ENIX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.6% NINTENDO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.5% SONY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.7% UBISOFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.5% SEGA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.0% ACTIVISION BLIZZARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.0% THQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.9% TAKE 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.8% MICROSOFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.0%
Nintendo and Ubisoft’s key sellers in March – including Wii Fit Plus and Just Dance – retailed at lower RRPs than the likes of Bad Company 2 and Final Fantasy XIII. This meant both publishers ranked lower in terms of value than they did units. Sega slipped out of the Top Five this month after its big sales in February. SOFTWARE MARKET SHARE BY FORMAT (UNITS) THIS MONTH
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
LAST MONTH
2 1 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 –
XBOX 360. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23.6% NINTENDO WII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22.0% PS3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.9% NINTENDO DS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18.2% PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.0% PSP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.5% PS2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.7% XBOX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.0%
More games were sold for Xbox 360 last month than for any other platform. There were four games for Microsoft’s machine in the March Top 5, which helped the platform displace Wii at the top of the charts. Nintendo’s console still holds on to second spot – boosted by the continued success of Ubisoft’s Just Dance.
The value of the UK games software market fell in March by seven per cent year-on-year. But it was still a great month of major releases, while EA and Square Enix both saw big gains. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 was the runaway success story of the month with most copies sold. Meanwhile, Square Enix leapt up the publisher rankings thanks to Final Fantasy XIII and Just Cause 2. Sony also had a great month. The PS3’s share of the software market is increasing, and God of War III and Heavy Rain both enjoyed big sales during March. However, not everyone could be a winner. Nintendo had three games in the Top 10
in February, but in March the firm only had Wii Sports Resort (in at No.9). The platform holder’s high profile DS releases – Pokémon SoulSilver and HeartGold – just missed out on the Top 10 managing No.11 and No.13 respectively. Sega, which released a series of big titles in February, also lost ground last month. However, Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing is showing long-tail potential. The game, which debuted at No.30 in the February charts, has jumped 20 places to No.10 in the March Top 50. Take-Two also fell down the publishing rankings as BioShock 2 tumbles from No.3 in February to No.20.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
LAST MONTH
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
– – – – – – – –
XBOX 360. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29.3% PS3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29.1% NINTENDO WII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18.3% NINTENDO DS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14.6% PC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.7% PSP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.6% PS2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.4% XBOX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.0%
It’s practically neck-and-neck between Xbox 360 and PS3 when it comes to the format that held the largest share of the software market value in March. Seven PS3 games are in the Top 50, including exclusives God of War III and Heavy Rain. However, Xbox 360 continues to lead Sony’s machine by 0.2 per cent.
[SOURCE]
SOFTWARE MARKET SHARE BY FORMAT (VALUE) THIS MONTH
(c) ELSPA, Compiled by ChartTrack
INDIVIDUAL FORMAT CHARTS PS3
PSP
XBOX 360
WII
1
1
1
1
FINAL FANTASY XIII ...............................SQUARE ENIX
FIFA 10...................................................................................EA
BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2 ...........................EA
NEW SUPER MARIO BROS WII ................NINTENDO
2 BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2 ...........................EA
2 BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE - VILGAX ATTACKS ..D3P
2 FINAL FANTASY XIII ...............................SQUARE ENIX
2 MARIO KART WII .............................................NINTENDO 3 SONIC & SEGA ALL-STARS RACING ...............SEGA
3 GOD OF WAR III ..........................................................SONY
3 LITTLEBIGPLANET ...................................................SONY
3 JUST CAUSE 2...........................................SQUARE ENIX
4 HEAVY RAIN.................................................................SONY
4 JAMES CAMERON’S AVATAR .......................UBISOFT
4 MODERN WARFARE 2...........ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
4 MARIO & SONIC WINTER OLYMPICS ..............SEGA
5 JUST CAUSE 2...........................................SQUARE ENIX
5 GRAN TURISMO..........................................................SONY
5 ALIENS VS PREDATOR............................................SEGA
5 BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE - VILGAX ATTACKS ..D3P
6 MODERN WARFARE 2...........ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
6 ASSASSIN’S CREED: BLOODLINES...........UBISOFT
6 FORZA MOTORSPORT 3............................MICROSOFT
6 F1 2010.........................................................CODEMASTERS
7 ALIENS VS PREDATOR............................................SEGA
7 FOOTBALL MANAGER 2010.................................SEGA
7 METRO 2033...................................................................THQ
7 FIFA 10...................................................................................EA
8 FIFA 10...................................................................................EA
8 DISSIDIA: FINAL FANTASY .................SQUARE ENIX
8 FIFA 10...................................................................................EA
8 RABBIDS GO HOME............................................UBISOFT
9 UNCHARTED 2: AMONG THIEVES ..................SONY
9 NEED FOR SPEED: SHIFT...........................................EA
9 BIOSHOCK 2........................................................2K GAMES
9 RED STEEL 2 .........................................................UBISOFT
10 SONIC & SEGA ALL-STARS RACING ...............SEGA
10 SILENT HILL: SHATTERED MEMORIES ......KONAMI
10 SONIC & SEGA ALL-STARS RACING ...............SEGA
10 CALL OF DUTY 4.....................ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
16,17 MCV584_FINAL:Layout 1
19/4/10
09:27
Page 2
WWW.MCVUK.COM
MCV 23/04/10 17
UK MONTHLY CHARTS: MARCH ALL FORMATS TOP 50 1
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
2
5
4
BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PC, PS3, 360 FINAL FANTASY XIII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SQUARE ENIX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, PS3 JUST DANCE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UBISOFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WII JUST CAUSE 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SQUARE ENIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PS3, 360, PC CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ACTIVISION BLIZZARD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, PS3, PC, DS GOD OF WAR III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SONY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PS3 WII FIT PLUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WII HEAVY RAIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SONY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PS3 WII SPORTS RESORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WII SONIC & SEGA ALL-STARS RACING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEGA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PS3, WII, 360, DS, PC POKÉMON SOULSILVER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DS ALIENS VS PREDATOR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEGA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PC, 360, PS3 POKÉMON HEARTGOLD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DS FIFA 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, PS3, PS2, WII, PSP, DS, PSP NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. WII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WII MARIO KART WII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WII METRO 2033. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . THQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PC, 360 BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE - VILGAX ATTACKS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D3P . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PS2, Xbox 360, Wii, DS FORZA MOTORSPORT 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MICROSOFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360 BIOSHOCK 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TAKE-TWO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PC, 360, PC ASSASSIN’S CREED II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UBISOFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, PS3, DS MARIO & SONIC AT THE WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEGA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WII, DS LEGO BATMAN: THE VIDEOGAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WARNER BROS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, Wii, PS3, DS, PS2, PSP, PC JAMES CAMERON’S AVATAR: THE GAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UBISOFT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, PS3, WII, PSP, DS, PC GRAND THEFT AUTO IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ROCKSTAR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, PS3, PC NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DS PROFESSOR LAYTON AND PANDORA’S BOX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DS FOOTBALL MANAGER 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEGA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PC, PSP UNCHARTED 2: AMONG THIEVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SONY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PS3 PEPPA PIG: THE GAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P2 GAMES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DS, Wii MARIO AND LUIGI: BOWSERS INSIDE STORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DS WWE SMACKDOWN VS RAW 2010. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . THQ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, WII, DS MASS EFFECT 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, PC C&C 4: TIBERIAN TWILIGHT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PC PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KONAMI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PS3, 360, PC PURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DISNEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, PS3, PC PRISON BREAK: THE CONSPIRACY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KOCH MEDIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, PS3, PC NEED FOR SPEED: SHIFT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PS3, 360, PC, PSP DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS - AWAKENING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ACTIVISION BLIZZARD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WII, PS3, 360, PC, DS MARIO KART DS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DS NAPOLEON: TOTAL WAR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEGA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PC MX VS ATV REFLEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . THQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, PS3, PSP, DS DARKSIDERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . THQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, PS3 THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: SPIRIT TRACKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DS SEGA MEGA DRIVE ULTIMATE COLLECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEGA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, PS3 ASSASSIN’S CREED II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UBISOFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, PS3, DS WII PLAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wii UP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . THQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, PS3, WII, DS, PS2, PSP, PC BORDERLANDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2K GAMES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, PS3, PC
DS 1
3
POKÉMON SOULSILVER ..............................NINTENDO
PC - FULL PRICE 1
BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2...........................EA
PC - BUDGET PRICE 1
THE SIMS 3: DESIGN & HIGH-TECH STUFF ....EA
2 POKÉMON HEARTGOLD...............................NINTENDO
2 FOOTBALL MANAGER 2010.................................SEGA
2 ASSASSIN’S CREED...............................................FOCUS
3 NEW SUPER MARIO BROS.........................NINTENDO
3 C&C4: TIBERIAN TWILIGHT ......................................EA
3 VAMPIRE SAGA: PANDORA’S BOX ................FOCUS
4 PROFESSOR LAYTON: PANDORA ..........NINTENDO
4 NAPOLEON: TOTAL WAR .......................................SEGA
4 HIDDEN EXPEDITION: DEVIL’S........................FOCUS
5 SONIC & SEGA ALL STARS RACING ...............SEGA
5 THE SIMS 3.........................................................................EA
5 WOW: BATTLE CHEST...........ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
6 MARIO & LUIGI: BOWSER’S STORY ......NINTENDO
6 WARHAMMER 40,000: DAWN OF WAR II......THQ
6 MYSTERY CASE FILES: DIRE GROVE..........FOCUS
7 MARIO KART DS ..............................................NINTENDO
7 SUPREME COMMANDER 2...................SQUARE ENIX
7 MYSTERY OF CRYSTAL PORTAL GSP/AVANQUEST
8 ZELDA: SPIRIT TRACKS..............................NINTENDO
8 DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS - AWAKENING..............EA
8 SNIPER: ART OF VICTORY ........CITY INTERACTIVE
9 MARIO & SONIC: WINTER OLYMPICS.............SEGA
9 ASSASSIN’S CREED II ......................................UBISOFT
9 MYSTERY IN LONDON: JACK RIPPER ........FOCUS
10 STYLE BOUTIQUE ...........................................NINTENDO
10 THE SIMS 3: WORLD ADVENTURES ....................EA
10 HIDDEN MYSTERIES: TITANIC....GSP/AVANQUEST
A digital agency of the future. Inspired Conceptual Creative
t. +44(0)20 7252 3288 e. hello@growmythoughts.com w. www.skyskraper.net tw. @skyskrapers
66B0&9B4 B B636V LQGG
Thanks to everyone for their support with this campaign. continue the growth
www.growmythoughts.com
random selection shown from LIVE screen grabs
Data harvested between 26th March and 23rd April, 2010
66B0&9B4 B B636V LQGG
20,21 MCV584_final:Layout 1
19/4/10
11:17
Page 1
20 MCV 23/04/10
WWW.MCVUK.COM
MCV INTERVIEW ANDREW JOHNSON, MD, KALYPSO MEDIA UK
Europe’s Dark horse Kalypso has had modest success on PC over the years, but now it will expand its presence on consoles, starting with 360 exclusive DarkStar One. James Batchelor speaks to UK MD Andrew Johnson to find out more… Could you give us a little detail on Kalypso’s background? How has the company evolved since its creation? Kalypso Media was founded in Germany in the summer of 2006 by industry veterans Simon Hellwig and Stefan Marcinek. It is a privately held, global independent developer, marketer and publisher of interactive entertainment software, primarily for PC and Xbox 360. A year later, Kalypso Media opened an office in the UK to further broaden its publishing and distribution reach, which was followed in 2009 by an office in the United States. As well as traditional publishing and distribution, the Kalypso Media Group is also home to Kalypso Media Digital, a UK-based subsidiary that focuses solely on global digital distribution and electronic publishing. The company also owns two development studios – Realmforge Studios and Gaming Minds Studios – and works with a number of leading independent developers. Growing from a two man operation in 2006, Kalypso Media now boasts a team that’s over a hundred strong across Germany, the UK and the US. What have some of your key successes been over the years? The Sins of a Solar Empire brand has really put us on the map. This product has performed extremely well for us and we have added such titles as Tropico 3 to strengthen our line-up.
KAL’ OF DUTY: Andrew Johnson claims Kalypso is working hard to improve its presence in the UK and on consoles
various European charts, and our aim is to continue this with new releases and our own developed titles.
How would you describe Kalypso’s We’re a relatively young firm status in the games but our goal is to expand our industry, in terms of reach into all markets over prominence, familiarity, the coming months. and so on? Andrew Johnson, Kalypso UK We are a relatively young company and our goal is to expand our reach into all markets How do you plan to expand your over the coming months, as you would presence in Europe? expect. We are not that well known at We currently have distribution partners the moment but we will continue to across Europe, Middle East and Australia expand in line with our expectations. so we will work with them to increase We have had huge success already our products’ influence in their with our titles hitting Top Five in respective markets. We also have to
“
make sure we understand local needs to be able to best exploit our titles and the opportunities available. Do you have any plans to expand your operations or market share in the UK? How will you accomplish this? Currently, we have released mainly PC titles to date, and we have been pleased with our market share. However, we have DarkStar One for Xbox 360 in development and this will help increase our share as we release on new formats. Our line-up is stronger this year, which by default should increase our
”
market share. We will also look to recruit during the year to help bolster the team and make sure we have all the bases covered. What are the key titles in your lineup for this year? Our key titles for the second half of the year will be DarkStar One: Broken Alliance for Xbox 360, Disciples III: Renaissance for PC and the return of the best-selling PC trading title Patrician IV. These three titles will really highlight Kalypso Media’s commitment to publishing top quality games and set the standard for future products. For example, DarkStar One is being developed by our own studio Gaming
20,21 MCV584_final:Layout 1
19/4/10
11:17
Page 2
WWW.MCVUK.COM
MCV 23/04/10 21
Minds and is being created in full HD 1080p for the Xbox 360, which really brings the space environments to life and adds a new dimension to the space combat in the game. Disciples III: Renaissance has been in development for a while now and has been promising some stunning new visuals combined with classic Disciples gameplay, and has definitely delivered on both. There is a huge dedicated fanbase that can’t wait for this next instalment and they are already buzzing about the launch. We are really excited to be bringing this stunning game to market. Another title we are incredibly excited about is Patrician IV, the next instalment in the best-selling franchise, which has sold over two million copies worldwide. First launched back in 1992, the Patrician brand has gone from strength to strength and is often
“
Tropico 3 enjoyed a release on Xbox 360, as will DarkStar One this summer. Do you have any plans to increase your production on consoles? Absolutely. The success of Tropico 3 globally has opened the doors to many new exciting opportunities on consoles. DarkStar One: Broken Alliance will launch in June and we will be announcing an exciting new Xbox 360 title at E3 this year. We are also in the process of evaluating new console titles and working with our own internal studios on future development projects. Watch this space. What plans do you have for the digital distribution space in the near future? We have been in the digital market now for some time and in July 2009, we started Kalypso Media Digital Ltd,
The global success of Tropico 3 on Xbox 360 has opened doors to many new exciting opportunities on consoles. Andrew Johnson, Kalypso UK
regarded as one of the most comprehensive supply and demand trading simulations out there. This fourth instalment – created at Gaming Minds Studios by some of the original Patrician’s development team – adds an all new visually stunning engine and an easier-to-use interface. The bulk of the titles you publish are RTS or strategy management sims. What is the advantage of specialising in a particular genre? There is a definite following to this style of games, and they are evergreen titles that continue to sell week after week. There is a lot of depth in our titles, which in itself helps create the fanbase by giving very good value for money in terms of depth and hours of gameplay. Our challenge – as with everyone else – is to keep these games in front of the consumer for as long as possible. Do you plan to grow your market share in other genres? Yes, we will look at other genres and IP to see if we can develop new titles. This will be dependent on the quality of title we can bring to market though.
”
headed up by Charlie Barrett from the UK office. The digital side of Kalypso is a standalone sister company and services all of Kalypso Media’s titles, as well as looking after external partners’ content in the digital space. We work closely with all the leading download services and are enjoying a healthy, growing business. Are you looking to enter other markets, either on PSP and DS or newer platforms such as the iPhone and iPad? Any plans for the Wii? Last year, we tested the mobile market by releasing an iPhone game based on the characters from one of our PC titles, Ceville. This gave us the chance to test the water for future projects we have in the pipeline, which may well have a place in the mobile market. However, we won’t be looking to publish on the handheld formats and whilst the Wii is an exciting platform, we currently have no plans to move into this market. We are focusing our publishing efforts on PC and Xbox 360 and will look to add PlayStation 3 to the Kalypso portfolio shortly.
22 MCV584_final:46 MCV515
19/4/10
16:09
Page 1
Sponsored by 22 MCV 23/04/10
WWW.MCVUK.COM
PERSONNEL
David Gosen bids farewell to Microsoft Industry veteran leaves senior Xbox exec team Promotions as games publishing team restructures at Future MICROSOFT DAVID GOSEN has left Microsoft to explore new opportunities outside of the company. He leaves his position as VP of strategic marketing for the firm’s interactive entertainment business in Europe. He joined Microsoft two years ago to head up the firm’s casual games movement. Gosen, a veteran of the games sector, has previously held senior positions such as managing director at Nintendo Europe and CEO of I-Play. “The Xbox marketing team and Live business in EMEA has made great progress over the last two years, during a
TEAM FUTURE: (left to right) Lee Nutter, Simon Maxwell and Mark Cantwell promoted as Richard Keith and Emma Parkinson depart
Gosen departs after two years of working on Xbox marketing
phase of consistent investment and innovation,” said CHRIS LEWIS, Microsoft’s EMEA VP of interactive entertainment. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank David for his contribution as a key
player in my leadership team. Looking forward, this team will continue to drive Xbox 360 to its biggest ever year overseeing the launches of Project Natal, Halo Reach and Fable III.”
Recruitment doesn't have to be a battle! With 18 years games recruitment experience, specialist skill based consultants, unquestionable reputation for excellent service and a worldwide candidate and client base, we are the company to talk to if you are looking for a new job or need new staff. We understand where you’ve come from and where you’re going. Our web site will tell you more, or give us a call for a friendly, free and confidential chat. We look forward to hearing from you. Artwork copyright of Richard Burns
OPM Response Ltd Tel: +44(0)1206 21 44 21 www.opmjobs.com
FUTURE The publisher has made a number of changes to its games team. LEE NUTTER has been promoted to publisher for print titles GamesMaster and Nitro, and will continue to look after Future’s Nintendo portfolio. Group publisher SIMON MAXWELL will now take on Future’s Xbox portfolio, while associate online publisher MARK CANTWELL assumes an interim role on Sony titles.
This follows news that publisher RICHARD KEITH will leave Future in May, while associate publisher EMMA PARKINSON will depart her full-time position and return to futher education. However, she will continue to manage the Golden Joystick Awards. “I’d like to thank both Richard and Emma for their great work for Future over the years and for all their work building the portfolios,” said Maxwell.
xx MCVxxx_v1:Layout 1
19/4/10
09:23
Page 1
Looking for a leading role? We’ve got just the part. Buying Manager and Buyer – Games Tesco Entertainment Competitive salary plus excellent benefits • Hertfordshire As a successful 21st century retailer which aims to meet all its customers’ needs, Tesco is continuously expanding into new areas. Growth in the Entertainment market is a key priority for Tesco, and the Games category is central to our plans. If you’re a Buyer looking for a chance to showcase your star quality, this fast-paced department of Games offers just the part. Joining us as a Buying Manager in our Games division, you’ll apply your extensive retail buying experience and people management skills to inspire and develop a team of talented Buyers. It’ll be down to you to influence all aspects of our Games strategy, lead on terms’ negotiations and manage a few of our key strategic suppliers. Of course, as a true team player with excellent relationship building abilities, you’re always happy to help the team when it comes to meeting and beating targets.
www.tesco-careers.com Tesco is an equal opportunities employer.
As a Buyer in the Games division, you’ll spend your time creating profitable customer-driven ranges including new releases and promotions. Day-to-day, you’ll support the team to deliver the best quality products at the most competitive prices. If you have a successful track record in buying and good negotiation skills, this is the chance for a driven and analytical team player to realise their progression ambitions in a rapidly-growing part of one of the world’s top retailers. In fact, as such a fast-moving business we are always looking for the brightest Buyers and Merchandisers to join our dynamic team. To apply, please email recruitment.hardlines@uk.tesco.com or visit www.tesco-careers.com Closing date: 7th May 2010.
gasd2010_ad_Layout 1 31/03/2010 15:47 Page 3
Entertainment Industry’s Annual
Charity Golf and Spa Day in association with Gem for Games Aid
AWARDS DINNER EVENT TIMINGS 10.30 - 12.40
Practice Range open with course pro
11.00 - 12.40
Welcome and registration
12.40 - 12.45
VPAR Scoring System Briefing
12.45 - 13.00
Shotgun briefing
13.00
Shotgun Start
19.00 - 19.30
Post-golf drinks
19.30 - 20.30
Pre-dinner drinks
20.30 - 22.00
Awards dinner
22.00 - 22.45
Speeches and awards
01.00
Bar closes
TM
The Grove Golf Club, Chandlers Cross, Herts 27th May 2010 The 2010 Annual Charity Golf and Spa event will be held at the prestigious Grove course, widely regarded as one of the finest Golf courses in Europe, having recently hosted the World Golf Championships and the 2006 American Express Championship. Test your Golf skills or relax in the Spa - all in the name of charity! Evening Awards Dinner. The event finishes with an evening awards dinner providing the perfect opportunity to tell stories from the day, congratulate the winners and join key industry figures for a beer or two whilst supporting the Games Aid cause.
If you are interested in sponsoring or participating, contact Richard Stickler on 01279 822832 or at richards@gem.co.uk
TICKET PRICES £150.00
(PER PERSON)
(TABLE OF 10)
To book acommodtation at a special discounted rate, contact the hotel at 01923 296010 Discount Prices: Standard Room - £225.00 Superior Room Single Occupancy £240.00 Quote ‘Charity Golf And Spa Day’ when booking.
So there is no excuse – come along in the evening and show your support for Games Aid!
www.gamesaid.org
OR £1250.00
www.golfandspaday.com
25 MCV584_FINAL
16/4/10
10:35
Page 1
RETAILBIZ RECOMMENDED GAMES PRICE CHECK CHARTS NEW RELEASES
SBK X P28 Black Bean’s Superbike series is back for another year courtesy of Tradewest NAUGHTY BEAR P30 The fluff will fly in 505’s inventive, comic revenge game featuring teddy bears SIN AND PUNISHMENT 2 P32 Developer Treasure is back in this Nintendo-published on-rails blaster
FINALLY AWAKE It’s been five years in the making and now, at long last, Microsoft’s psychological action thriller comes to retail P26
3D DOT GAME HEROES P32 This quirky action adventure presents retro, pixelated graphics in a 3D world HIGH STREET P34 This week MCV talks to Paul Whitfield from CHIPS’ Guisborough store and checks prices in Bristol
26,27 MCV584_FINAL
16/4/10
10:29
Page 1
RETAILBIZ: ALAN WAKE 26 MCV 23/04/10
Long-awaited action adventure title and new IP Alan Wake is set to light up the Xbox 360 market in May…
WWW.MCVUK.COM
by Dominic Sacco
between television and video games,” says Microsoft’s product marketing manager Laura Disney. “Remedy has a great history in game development and has shown their absolute commitment to delivering a triple-A product in Alan Wake.
SINGLE-PLAYER thriller games have proved to be a successful genre at retail, with the multiformat Resident Evil series and PS3’s Heavy Rain both performing well – and now Microsoft is entering the fray with Xbox 360 2010 is set to be a landmark exclusive Alan Wake. year for the Xbox brand, and The game has been in Alan Wake absolutely development for over five contributes to that. years at Remedy, the Laura Disney, Microsoft studio responsible for the popular Max Payne series, and has established a strong following “We firmly believe that gamers since its announcement in 2005. recognize this and will want to Microsoft is billing the release as a experience the game for themselves.” key title for the publisher in 2010. As a purely single-player action “Alan Wake is set to deliver an adventure experience, Alan Wake is experience that differs from anything on relying on its strong story and nightmarish the market today, by blurring the line style to grab gamers’ attention.
“
Players assume the role of Alan Wake, a crime novel author suffering from writer’s block who escapes to a small town named Bright Falls, only to experience the mysterious disappearance of his wife. Disney adds: “Alan Wake has been compared to some horror games already on the market, but for us it is definitely more about gripping narrative and a rollercoaster emotional experience, rather than typical horror elements like blood and gore.”
”
LIGHT CLUB
Armed initially only with a torch, Alan Wake can use light as a combat mechanic to oust enemies lurking in the shadows. The game throws all manner
26,27 MCV584_FINAL
16/4/10
10:29
Page 2
RETAILBIZ: ALAN WAKE WWW.MCVUK.COM
of deadly beings at the player – more at night – requiring gamers to combine strategic use of light with standard weapons to survive. Microsoft is also proud of Alan Wake’s suspenseful storyline that unveils new twists and several character revelations as players progress. In terms of core gameplay, the title blends a mixture of problem-solving puzzles, character interactions and combat with terrifying enemies. Remedy has implemented an automatic difficulty system which adapts to the player’s game style, as well as providing trickier settings for the hardcore gamer. Even weather affects characters and enemies in-game thanks to Remedy’s advanced rendering engine. This helps bring the world of Alan Wake alive, from lush forests to
MCV 23/04/10 27
quaint buildings and eerie streets and fields. Disney says: “We’re thrilled by the skill and commitment that Remedy has shown while developing the game and we absolutely believe in their talents and a studio.”
RELEASED: MAY 14
STORELIGHT
“The reaction to Alan Wake has been phenomenal and we expect the game to continue to create buzz amongst the Xbox community,” adds Disney. “2010 is set to be a landmark year for Xbox, and Alan Wake absolutely contributes to that.” With five years of development from Max Payne’s creators, a big push at retail and the backing of Microsoft as an exclusive, the game is set to perform well at retail. Alan Wake will be released for Xbox 360 on May 14th.
Focusing on older gamers with its atmospheric style bordering on horror, Alan Wake will undoubtedly appeal to fans of more mature titles. Despite being single-player only, previous titles in similar genres have seen success at retail without the need for multiplayer. Psychological FPS BioShock and crime thriller Heavy Rain both performed well following their respective releases in August 2007 and February this year.
FORMATS: XBOX 360 PUBLISHER: MICROSOFT DEVELOPER:REMEDY PRICE: £49.99 DISTRIBUTOR: GEM CONTACT: 01279 822800
WAKING THE MASSES Microsoft is launching a special edition of Alan Wake for players who have pre-ordered the title. The pack includes the following: 144-page booklet complete with a short story and FBI dossiers based on events in the game. CD featuring the complete Alan Wake soundtrack. Downloadable content including a dashboard theme and Alan Wake avatar for Xbox Live. In-game audio commentary and hints from Remedy, the game’s development team. Xbox Live token for the game’s first DLC. All the goodies are packaged in a book-style case with unique game art. The limited edition version of Alan Wake is currently priced the same as the standard edition.
28,29 MCV584_FINAL
16/4/10
17:05
Page 1
RETAILBIZ: SBK X 28 MCV 23/04/10
SBK X represents a major step forward for the motorcycle series, and publisher Black Bean says it’s the best bike racer ever…
WWW.MCVUK.COM
by Dominic Sacco SBK X is the latest in Black Bean’s official SBK World Championship motorcycle racing games and adds a raft of improved features and four-times World Superbike champion Carl Fogarty as a playable rider. The superbike video game category is unique with only two key players – SBK and Capcom’s MotoGP. This means the market in the UK is not as crowded as other genres such as action and FPS. Both publishers have put out new games in each franchise over the past few years, and SBK X’s UK distributor Tradewest is confident the latest SBK game can lead the way in sales. European brand manager Aidan Minter says: “SBK X is probably one of
“
the most exciting products we’ve worked on for quite a long time because it’s one of those games within a limited genre. “And from what we’ve seen of the competition, MotoGP’s mediocre reviews and the reaction from the forums, it
SBK X is the best bike racing game ever. We know this from the feedback we’ve been receiving from gamers. Davide Latina, Black Bean seems the game hasn’t quite lived up to expectations. This presents a really good opportunity for Tradewest and Black Bean in the UK to go up against established competition from Capcom. “The gameplay is sharp and visually it’s amazing so we’re very, very
confident about SBK X at retail. It ticks all the boxes.” SBK GIVES GAMERS XTRA
Rather than sticking with the naming pattern established from SBK 08 and SBK 09, Black Bean has opted for SBK X rather than SBK 10, as it claims the new game represents a fundamental shift forward for the series, as well as a host of new additions over its predecessors. The game gets a legendary roster of World Superbike Series riders with their own individual riding stances, career and arcade modes and 14 tracks including Germany’s world-famous Nürburgring. It also gains tweaks to physics, graphical details, revised environments and 3D spectators.
”
28,29 MCV584_FINAL
16/4/10
17:05
Page 2
RETAILBIZ: SBK X WWW.MCVUK.COM
MCV 23/04/10 29
SUPERBIKE STARS: SBK X boasts a range of new features including a legendary roster of riders old and new, a customisable career mode and improved bike physics
The new career mode allows gamers to customize their own rider, consider job offers from other superbike teams and walk around the paddock pre-race. Developer Milestone has focused on players feeling as if they’re a real rider in SBK X, after conducting extensive feedback from gamers. From the legendary roster, players are able to select Carl Fogarty – or King Carl – on his powerful Ducati 996, or jump into other saddles such as last year’s Yamaha R1 of Ben Spies. This means gamers can pit new racers against retired legends in one superbike race. “SBK X is the best bike racing game ever,” says Black Bean’s communication co-ordinator Davide Latina. “Marketing collected all the feedback from previous editions and this package is absolutely the best. We know this from the comments we’ve been
receiving from gamers and the press. The arcade mode and career mode also makes SBK X two games in one. With solid multiplayer features and a legendary roster there’s everything for gamers, racing fans, SBK and bike enthusiasts – with both casual and arcade gamers accounted for.” UK ATTACK
Two versions of SBK X are available to players – a standard and special edition of the game. The latter comes in a metal case and includes early access to the legendary roster of superbike riders. Owners of the standard edition will have the opportunity to download these extra racers and bikes a few weeks after the game’s release for 800 MS points on Xbox Live, or around £7.50. Latina adds: “The UK is still the biggest market in Europe and our core
RELEASED: MAY FORMATS: 360, PS3, PC PUBLISHER: BLACK BEAN DEVELOPER: MILESTONE PRICE: £39.99
SUPERBIKE BUZZ Tradewest claims SBK X has already got four times the coverage Capcom did with MotoGP 09/10. Here’s the full marketing details:
DISTRIBUTOR: TRADEWEST CONTACT: 0207 456 0450
market, so it’s a benchmark for us that we fully understand the trends for our racing games. “The target is to double the sales of last year’s game SBK 09 due to the improvements we introduced this year and due to the fact that our competitor is selling low numbers of its game.” With a new career mode, numerous tweaks, its own special edition and champion racer Carl Fogarty behind it, the game is aiming to hit retail positively. SBK X will be released for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC in late May.
PRINT: A series of adverts will appear in male lifestyle and specialist publications including games and biking magazines. ONLINE: Competitions will run across various websites, giving readers the chance to win three signed Carl Fogerty replica helmets. A Eurogamer takeover is planned and further promotions on PS3’s FirstPlay are in the works. DEMO: A demo of the game will come packaged with OXM and PSM, targeting racing game fans. SHOWCASE: SBK X was demonstrated to bloggers and journalists at an event in London.
30,31 MCV584_FINAL
16/4/10
10:31
Page 1
RETAILBIZ: NAUGHTY BEAR 30 MCV 23/04/10
WWW.MCVUK.COM
NAUGHTY MARKETING 505’s marketing will reflect the innovative, edgy and humorous spirit of Naughty Bear. It will centre around a three month online campaign across specialist and mainstream sites. The online campaign will be complemented by a targeted social media campaign, designed to drive pre-orders whilst raising awareness amongst online communities. Naughty Bear’s assets are perfect for an online, social environment. They include gameplay vignettes, trailers, CGI and live action virals and hilarious parodies. The vignettes consist of real gameplay footage
and each of them shows Naughty Bear performing one of his over 250 ways to be naughty. The parodies, meanwhile, highlight Naughty Bear’s take on various classic movie moments, starting with Alien – and with at least two more to come. Check them out at youtube.com/mrnaughtybear. Finally, the game has already grabbed the attention of the specialist press with CVG, Brutal Gamer and Xboxer 360 talking up the title. GameSpot dubbed the game: ‘One part Care Bears, one part Grand Theft Auto’.
RELEASED: JUNE 4 FORMATS: XBOX 360, PS3 PUBLISHER: 505 GAMES DEVELOPER: ARTIFICIAL MIND & MOVEMENT PRICE: £39.99 DISTRIBUTOR: ADVANTAGE CONTACT: 0121 506 9585
30,31 MCV584_FINAL
16/4/10
10:31
Page 2
RETAILBIZ: NAUGHTY BEAR WWW.MCVUK.COM
MCV 23/04/10 31
Hilarious, original and down-right naughty, 505 Games’ new IP could be the surprise hit of the summer… by Dave Roberts THINK BEAR, think fluffy. Add naughty and you might think cheeky. Put them together and you’ll possibly drift towards ‘loveable scamp’ territory. What you probably won’t think is ‘sociopath’. But that’s because you don’t know who you’re dealing with. Forget Paddington. Forget Rupert. And don’t even mention that soppy little Aloysius that Sebastian used to carry around Oxford in Brideshead Revisited. Naughty Bear is a very different breed of bear. Actually, he’s a product of his environment. He was shunned by the rest of the bears on Perfection Island. They didn’t invite him to a big party, and ever since then, he’s been stuffed with bad intentions and a burning desire for revenge. “A lot of the inspiration for Naughty Bear came from Saturday morning cartoons, and the idea of juxtaposing that innocence with dark humour and over-the-top violence,” says lead designer at developer A2M Ashley Pannell. “We wanted Naughty Bear to be along the lines of Friday the 13th meets Care Bears. We think the blend of syrupy cuteness and cartoon violence works because of the foundation of an innovative AI in the game, making Naughty Bear a unique, fun experience.” THE BEAR ESSENTIALS
The way Naughty Bear takes his revenge shows imagination as well as a mile-wide cruel streak. In fact, the more creative, strategic and successful the naughtiness, the more ‘naughty points’ Naughty Bear collects. He has an arsenal of weapons at his disposal, but the main ones are his wits and his drive to make the other teddy bears pay. “There are hundreds of ways to be naughty on the island, from obvious ones like smashing their stuff, stealthy ones like hiding in their cupboards and leaping out, to sneaky ones like constantly disabling their power,” continues Pannell. “Very little is scripted in Naughty Bear; this allows players to expect the unexpected with regards to all of the non-playable characters in the game.
“No play-through is the same. There are also a number of ways to raise naughty points and employ new scare tactics throughout the island. “Gamers will keep coming back to try out the DLC we will offer, but also to get more Naughty Points in order to climb the leaderboards.” Perfection Island, where the action takes place, is split into four sectors. Different areas get unlocked as Naughty Bear racks up more points and needs new outlets for his creative mischief. The environment is, in fact, so vast, and Naughty Bear’s resources so varied, that all it takes is a little imagination and the possibilities for naughtiness become truly limitless, leading to endless replayability. Despite (or perhaps because of) the bitterness, the factions, the quest for
“
revenge and the thirst for fluff, Naughty Bear is a genuinely funny game. In this respect, it may well be unique. Plenty of previous titles have aimed for funny. And missed. Others have had flashes of humour. Naughty Bear hits the chuckle zone from start to finish. At preview events, scores of retailers and journalists (not the easiest of audiences) laughed out loud in all the right places for all the right reasons. Some achievement. COMIC RELIEF
Naughty Bear is a new IP with a difference, and 505 Games is putting its full weight behind the release (see ‘Naughty Marketing’). The game certainly looks
We wanted Naughty Bear’s blend of cuteness and violence to be along the lines of Friday the 13th meets Care Bears.
BEAR BAITING: One glimpse at the artwork for Naughty Bear is all it takes to understand the humourous but mature tone of the game.
Ashley Pannell, A2M
”
promising, and it has already grabbed the attention of the specialist press. Previews on sites such as GameSpot, Xboxer 360 and Brutal Gamer have been positive, and CVG wrote: “What we saw was solid, deep and funny. It never once lost its sense of humour.” This bodes well for the game’s release, which arrives during a relatively quiet period for new games, and could well be another hit franchise for 505 that can sit alongside Cooking Mama. Naughty Bear arrives on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on Friday, June 4th.
32 MCV584_FINAL
16/4/10
10:33
Page 1
RETAILBIZ: SIN AND PUNISHMENT 2 / 3D DOT GAMES HEROES 32 MCV 23/04/10
WWW.MCVUK.COM
The Treasure-developed cult sensation comes to UK retail for the first time with the series’ Wii debut…
South Peak’s retro-themed adventure title works its old school charms on PlayStation 3 consumers…
by James Batchelor
by James Batchelor
SIN AND PUNISHMENT may not be the most recognisable brand, but there’s a substantial audience out there waiting for the upcoming sequel: Successor to the Skies. For fans, the game’s release is significant on a number of levels. Most notably, it is the first time the franchise has seen a retail launch in the UK. The original N64 title was only available in Japan, although it has since been released in the UK – to public acclaim – on Wii’s Virtual Console, paving the way for a new smash hit. Thanks to its classic gameplay and high quality, Sin and Punishment amassed a dedicated following 10 years ago and now the sequel is set to recreate that by building on the series’ strengths with a brand new storyline and enhanced visuals. “The look and feel of the game has been updated from the original and features some of the best graphics seen on Wii to date, whilst the gameplay itself still retains the elements that made the first title such a cult classic,” says Nintendo’s marketing manager Rob Lowe. SAINTS & SINNERS
Players take on the role of Kachi and Isa, two fugitives on the run in a post-
RELEASED: MAY 7 FORMATS: WII PUBLISHER: NINTENDO DEVELOPER: TREASURE PRICE: £39.99 DISTRIBUTOR: OPEN CONTACT: 01753 483700
apocalyptic world. To escape their hunters, they undergo a series of missions that see them fending off waves of enemies and colossal bosses. The on-rails gameplay of the original makes these missions an addictive challenge, where gamers must focus on their position and aim rather than navigating confusing sci-fi labyrinths. Success is dependent on racking up high kill combos and making the best use of the space available to them, whether on foot or soaring through the skies. “The original game is thought by many to be the defining shoot ‘em up title,” adds Lowe. “As well as appealing to lapsed gamers who have strong memories of the original, we also hope to attract new players who have yet to experience the challenge of Sin and Punishment.” Nintendo will be promoting the game with a multi-channel TV campaign around launch. This will focus on 30-second ads and target 16 to 34-year-old males.
3D DOT GAME HEROES has been designed to draw out the consumers whose fondest gaming memories all reside way back in the 8-bit era – and already has a cult following building behind it. “It’s not often you see this much love for a title straight from the initial announcement,” says South Peak’s European marketing director Ed Blincoe. “Consumer awareness is high, press reaction is excellent and we’ve got a hugely enjoyable game that a wide audience will enjoy – so you can see why we’ve got such high expectations.” 3D Dot Game Heroes challenges players to build their own hero from oversized pixels and journey across an equally blocky land to bring down a dark ruler. The game openly embraces its inspirations, such as the original Legend Of Zelda, and skillfully plays the nostalgia card to win over gamers who preferred old school gaming. OLD DOT, NEW TRICKS
The retro art style is key to the game’s appeal and South Peak is hoping that it will tap into the same audience that has been engaged by other recent classic outings.
RELEASED: MAY 14 FORMATS: PS3 PUBLISHER: SOUTH PEAK DEVELOPER: SILICON STUDIOS / FROM SOFTWARE PRICE: £39.99 DISTRIBUTOR: CENTRESOFT CONTACT: 0121 625 3388
“There seems to be real retro revival at the moment and 3D Dot Game Hereos is riding that wave on a pixelated surf board,” adds Blincoe. “What’s great about this is that unlike a lot of those classic 1980’s games you try to play now, 3D Dot Game Heroes is actually great fun to play, as well as looking absolutely stunning in motion. It takes all the best bits from retro games and adds a super sexy modern flourish.” Naturally, South Peak will be targeting the same core gamers that have raised 3D Dot’s profile over the last year. Site takeovers and interactive ads will appear on gaming sites such as GameSpot and IGN, with the campaign widening to include YouTube and Facebook after release. A web-based 3D Dot Game Heroes character creator will also be launched, allowing gamers to design their own hero and use it on Facebook and MSN.
33 MCV584_final
16/4/10
11:21
Page 1
RETAILBIZ: NEW RELEASES WWW.MCVUK.COM
MCV 23/04/10 33
Check out MCVUK.COM/RELEASE-DATES for more
World Cup fever hits High Street FIFA 10 is still riding high in the charts but now EA is readying its next football blockbuster to tie-in with the World Cup. Meanwhile, Capcom’s Lost Planet series and Rockstar’s Red Dead franchise make welcome returns... TITLE
FORMAT
GENRE
PUBLISHER
TELEPHONE
DISTRIBUTOR
XBOX 360 / PS3 / Wii / PSP PC Wii PS3 PSP / DS / Wii / PS3 / XBOX 360 DS PS3 XBOX 360 / PS3 PC DS
Sports Adventure Mini-games Action Action Puzzle Sports Fighting Action Mini-games
EA Mamba Games 505 Games Sony Sega Ubisoft Konami Capcom Ubisoft Nintendo
0121 625 3388 01273 202220 0121 506 9585 0121 625 3388 0121 625 3388 01279 822800 020 8987 5706 0121 625 3388 01279 822800 01753 483700
Centresoft Lace Advantage Centresoft Centresoft Gem Open Centresoft Gem Open
DS DS PC PC PC / DS Wii DS
Sports Casual Simulation Simulation Adventure Action Casual
O Games Foreign Media Games First Class Simulations Excalibur Publishing Ubisoft Nintendo Foreign Media Games
0121 625 3388 0121 506 9585 01869 338833 01869 338833 01279 822800 01753 483700 0121 506 9585
Centresoft Advantage Open Open Gem Open Advantage
PC / PS3 / XBOX 360
Action
Capcom
0121 625 3388
Centresoft
PS3 PC XBOX 360 PC PC DS / Wii PSP DS PS3 / XBOX 360
Action/Adventure Simulation Adventure Simulation Simulation Mini-Games Fighting Simulation Sports
South Peak Mamba Games Microsoft Excalibur Publishing First Class Simulations South Peak Namco Bandai Ubisoft EA
0121 625 3388 01273 202220 01279 822800 01869 338833 01869 338833 0121 625 3388 0121 506 9585 01279 822800 0121 625 3388
Centresoft Lace Gem Open Open Centresoft Advantage Gem Centresoft
Wii PC DS DS PC XBOX 360 PSP / DS / Wii / PS3 / XBOX 360 PS3 / XBOX 360 DS PS3 / XBOX 360
Fighting Simulation Adventure Music Strategy Action/Adventure Action/Adventure Action/Adventure Action/Adventure Racing
THQ Excalibur Publishing South Peak Nintendo Mamba Games 505 Games Ubisoft Rockstar Disney Interactive Disney Interactive
0121 506 9585 01869 338833 0121 625 3388 01753 483700 01273 202220 0121 506 9585 01279 822800 01279 822 800 0121 625 3388 0121 625 3388
Advantage Open Centresoft Open Lace Advantage Gem Gem Centresoft Centresoft
PC / PS3 / XBOX 360
Action
Sega
0121 625 3388
Centresoft
APRIL 30th 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Black Mirror 2 Circus Party God Of War Collection Iron Man 2 Ok! Puzzle Stars PES 2010 Platinum Super Street Fighter IV Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction WarioWare DIY
MAY 7th All Star 5-A-Side Football Classic Games Discover Great Britain German Truck Simulator Runaway: Twist of Fate Sin & Punishment 2 The Treasures of Montezuma
MAY 11th Lost Planet 2
MAY 14th 3D Dot Game Heroes Achtung Panzer: Kharkov 1943 Collectors Edition Alan Wake Demolition Simulator Hurricane V Stuka Miniclips' Sushi Go Round Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3 Petz Fantasy Skate 3
MAY 21st All Star Karate Bus Simulator 2 Famous Jam with the Band Making History 2: War of the World MorphX Prince Of Persia: The Forgotten Sands Red Dead Redemption Sonny With A Chance Split/Second: Velocity
MAY 28th Alpha Protocol
MUSTSTOCK ...................FIFA WORLD CUP 2010 Released: April 30th Format: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PSP Publisher: EA Distributor: Centresoft Contact: 0121 625 3388
The UK’s most popular sports franchise combines with this summer’s blockbuster football tournament. Retailers can expect FIFA World Cup to dominate the charts – at least until England get knocked out at the quarter finals.
MUSTSTOCK ............................LOST PLANET 2 Released: May 11th Format: PC, PS3, Xbox 360 Publisher: Capcom Distributor: Centresoft Contact: 0121 625 3388
DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO RUN THE BEST RESTAURANT IN TOWN?
OUT ON MAY 21ST
Capcom’s third-person shooter was a surprise hit when it launched in 2006, and hype for its sequel has been building since early last year. Lost Planet 2 is to feature characters from Gears of War, Resident Evil and Dead Rising, and is ideal for core gamers.
34,35 MCV584_FINAL
16/4/10
10:39
Page 1
RETAILBIZ: HIGH STREET 34 MCV 23/04/10
WWW.MCVUK.COM
Sponsored by
POLL GIVEN THE ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES, ARE YOU PLEASED WITH THE UK GAMES MARKET'S Q1 PERFORMANCE?
REVIEW SCORES MCV provides the most important average review scores of the last few days – all sourced from Metacritic...
87%
YES
31%
WarioWare: DIY, DS, Nintendo
Dragon Age: Awake, PS3, EA
NO
Splinter Cell: Conviction 360, Ubisoft
87% 82% 82% 74% Monster Hunter Tri, Wii, Nintendo
69%
Sakura Wars, Wii, Tecmo Koei
*Metacritic scores correct at the time of going to press
While various comments on MCVUK.com suggest otherwise, the industry seems to be content with the UK games market’s performance in Q1 2010. Just under 70 per cent of voters in the latest MCV online survey were happy with the £303 million the market has earned since the start of the year, boosted by the release of blockbusters such as Final Fantasy
MARGIN MAKER
XIII, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, BioShock 2 and Mass Effect 2. However, the other 31 per cent believe the results to be disappointing, especially when compared to the first months of 2009, during which UK games retailers took £329 million at tills. Take part in MCV’s next poll at www.mcvuk.com Sponsored by
INDIE CHARTS - ALL FORMATS 1
2
THIS WEEK
LAST WEEK
1
3
4
TITLE/FORMAT
5
PUBLISHER
POKÉMON SOULSILVER FORMAT: DS
DEVELOPER: NINTENDO PUBLISHER: NINTENDO
2
1
POKÉMON HEARTGOLD DS
3
7
JUST DANCE WII
Venom’s DSi Wireless Induction Charger allows consumers to charge their handheld with ease. The DSi can be placed on the device to charge the battery without the need for ports or wires. The charger features indicator lights to show the status of the handheld’s
battery, changing from red to green. The charging pad automatically cuts off power when the battery is full, making it much more electronically efficient. Originally released for the DSi, the Induction Charger is also compatible with the newly launched DSi XL. Venom: 01763 284 181
NINTENDO UBISOFT
4
3
JUST CAUSE 2: LIMITED EDITION PS3
5
5
BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2 360
6
RE
NEW SUPER MARIO BROS WII
7
6
BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2 PS3
SQUARE ENIX
NINTENDO EA
8
RE
COD: MODERN WARFARE 2 360
ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
9
RE
COD: MODERN WARFARE 2 PS3
ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
10
4
JUST CAUSE 2: LIMITED EDITION 360
DEAL OF THE WEEK
EA
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.
HMV customers receive a free copy of Ubisoft’s surprise smash hit Just Dance when they buy a black or white Wii for £159.99.
34,35 MCV584_FINAL
19/4/10
15:48
Page 2
RETAILBIZ: HIGH STREET WWW.MCVUK.COM
MCV 23/04/10 35 Sponsored by
PRICE CHECK [PRE ORDERS] Borderlands Add-on Pack 360, 2K Games
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 PS3, EA
Batman GOTY PC, Square Enix
BioShock 2 PS3, 2K Games
Ben 10: Vilgax Attacks 360, D3P
TOP 10 SUPER STREET FIGHTER IV
IN STORE: BRISTOL
PS3, CAPCOM
£14.99
£39.99
N/A
£39.99
N/A
N/A
£39.99
N/A
£39.99
£24.99
2. RED DEAD REDEMPTION LIMITED
N/A
£39.99
N/A
£39.99
£24.99
3. RED DEAD REDEMPTION LIMITED
N/A
£39.99
N/A
£39.99
N/A
4. SUPER SF IV + T-SHIRT
360 ................................................................ROCKSTAR PS3 ................................................................ROCKSTAR 360 ..................................................................CAPCOM
5. 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP
PS3 ..........................................................................EA
6. RED DEAD REDEMPTION
ONLINE
PS3 ................................................................ROCKSTAR
£11.73
£38.91
£24.91
£22.93
£23.73
£12.99
£39.99
£27.99
£24.97
£24.99
£12.97
£39.97
£24.97
£27.97
£24.97
£11.95
£38.95
£24.95
£24.95
£23.95
7. RED DEAD REDEMPTION
360 ................................................................ROCKSTAR
8. 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP
360 ..........................................................................EA
9. DEMON’S SOULS BLACK PHANTOM
PS3 ........................................................NAMCO BANDAI
10. GOD OF WAR: COLLECTION
PS3 ......................................................................SONY Week ending April 16th Source: SHOPTO.COM
FROM THE FRONTLINE This week, Nindie.com’s frontline interviewee is CHIPS Guisborough’s Paul Whitfield...
[PRE ORDERS]
TOP 10
How has the market been for you so far in 2010? The market so far this year has been fairly good. It has picked up a lot as we slowly come out of recession. There have been some big titles released over the last month or so and more to come, so hopefully things will keep improving as we go through the year.
DEMON’S SOULS BLACK PHANTOM PS3, NAMCO BANDAI 2. RED DEAD REDEMPTION
PS3 ................................................................ROCKSTAR
3. RED DEAD REDEMPTION Do you think there were too many big releases in Q1? I don’t think so. It has given customers a good choice between titles. Once completed, these can be traded in towards the next big title the customer wants to play next. How much of a threat do online retailers pose to your store? There has been online retail for a long time now. I don’t think it is too much of a threat as customers still like to have shops to browse in and talk with staff face-to-face to ask opinions and help find the products they are looking for.
360 ................................................................ROCKSTAR
4. ALAN WAKE: LIMITED ED
“There’s always an uproar about supermarkets’ selling prices for the latest releases, but nothing gets done about it.”
360 ..............................................................MICROSOFT
5. SUPER STREET FIGHTER IV
PS3 ..................................................................CAPCOM
6. MONSTER HUNTER TRI
WII ................................................................NINTENDO
7. MONSTER HUNTER TRI + CONTROLLER
WII ................................................................NINTENDO
How much of a threat do supermarkets pose to your store? We have a couple in our area but they don’t cause too much of a threat due to us doing trade-ins. They discount some of the major releases at such a ridiculous level that we have to be careful not to
over stock these titles as it become difficult to stay competitive. There’s always an uproar about supermarkets’ selling prices but nothing gets done about it, so we have to concentrate more on our specialist products and do our best to exceed our customers’ expectations.
8. 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP
PS3 ..........................................................................EA
9. SUPER STREET FIGHTER IV
360 ..................................................................CAPCOM
10. THE SIMS 3: AMBITIONS
PC ............................................................................EA Week ending April 16th Source: AMAZON.COM
OUT NOW available from Gem. for more information contact your gem account manager on 01279 822822 or visit www.gem.co.uk
36,37 MCV584_final:52-53 MCV572
19/4/10
16:10
Page 1
RETAILBIZ: RETAIL CHARTS 36 MCV 23/04/10
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 MARIO & LUIGI: BOWSER’S INSIDE STORY MARIO KART DS PROFESSOR LAYTON & PANDORA’S BOX SONIC & SEGA ALL-STARS RACING SONIC CLASSIC COLLECTION MARIO & SONIC: WINTER OLYMPICS
2 3 5 4 8 6 9 10 7
WII THIS LAST WEEK WEEK
TOP 40ALL
PUBLISHER
1
[ENTERTAINMENT - ALL PRICES]
DEVELOPER: NINTENDO PUBLISHER: NINTENDO NINTENDO
1
NINTENDO P2 GAMES NINTENDO
[2]
FORMAT: XBOX 360
DEVELOPER: UBISOFT PUBLISHER: UBISOFT
NINTENDO
THIS WEEK
LAST WEEK
NINTENDO
2
1
SEGA
3
RE
4
2
5
6
WII FIT PLUS Wii
6
3
JUST CAUSE 2 PS3, 360, PC
7
5
WII SPORTS RESORT Wii
NINTENDO
8
7
POKÉMON SOULSILVER DS
NINTENDO
9
4
COD: MODERN WARFARE 2 360, PS3, PC, DS
10
8
FIFA 10 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, DS, PC, PSP
SEGA SEGA
[FULL PRICE] TITLE
SPLINTER CELL: CONVICTION
PUBLISHER
[3]
TITLE
PUBLISHER
JUST DANCE Wii
UBISOFT
GTA EPISODES FROM LIBERTY CITY PS3, PC, 360 ROCKSTAR BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2 360, PS3, PC
EA NINTENDO SQUARE ENIX
ACTIVISION BLIZZARD EA
1
NEW SUPER MARIO BROS WII
11
9
POKÉMON HEARTGOLD DS
NINTENDO
DEVELOPER: NINTENDO PUBLISHER: NINTENDO
12
10
NEW SUPER MARIO BROS WII Wii
NINTENDO
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
MARIO KART WII MARIO & SONIC: WINTER OLYMPICS SONIC & SEGA ALL-STARS RACING RUGBY LEAGUE 3 F1 2009 RED STEEL 2 FIFA 10 RABBIDS GO HOME TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 10
2 3 4 NEW
5 7 6 9 17
WII THIS LAST WEEK WEEK
11
SONIC & SEGA ALL-STARS RACING PS3, 360 Wii, DS SEGA
SEGA
14
18
LEGO BATMAN PC, DS, PS3, 360, Wii, PSP
SEGA
15
14
ASSASSIN’S CREED II 360, PS3, PC
ALTERNATIVE
16
16
FORZA MOTORSPORT 3 360
CODEMASTERS UBISOFT
[4]
EA UBISOFT EA
TITLE
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
WII FIT PLUS WII SPORTS RESORT WII PLAY MONOPOLY EA SPORTS ACTIVE RAYMAN RAVING RABBIDS TV PARTY LEGO INDIANA JONES: ORIGINAL HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT MY FITNESS COACH: GET IN SHAPE
UBISOFT MICROSOFT
17
15
MARIO & SONIC: WINTER OLYMPICS Wii, DS
19
FINAL FANTASY XIII 360, PS3
19
25
GRAND THEFT AUTO IV 360, PS3, PC
20
17
GOD OF WAR III PS3
THIS LAST WEEK WEEK
PUBLISHER
WARNER BROS
18
PC CD-ROM
[BUDGET PRICE]
JUST DANCE
3 2 4 5 6 9 8 11 14
13
NINTENDO
SEGA SQUARE ENIX ROCKSTAR SONY
[FULL PRICE]
TITLE
PUBLISHER
1
FOOTBALL MANAGER 2010
NINTENDO
2
2
THE SIMS 3
NINTENDO
3
NEW
NINTENDO
4
3
NAPOLEON: TOTAL WAR
EA
5
5
BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2
EA
EA
6
7
MASS EFFECT 2
EA
UBISOFT
7
4
THE SIMS 3: WORLD ADVENTURES
EA
LUCASARTS
8
6
C&C4: TIBERIAN TWILIGHT
EA
9
10
DAWN OF WAR II: CHAOS RISING
UBISOFT
10
11
WOW: LICH KING
[5]
DEVELOPER: UBISOFT (FRANCE) PUBLISHER: UBISOFT
DEVELOPER: SPORTS INTERACTIVE PUBLISHER: SEGA GTA EPISODES FROM LIBERTY CITY
EA ROCKSTAR SEGA
EA THQ ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
36,37 MCV584_final:52-53 MCV572
19/4/10
16:10
Page 2
RETAILBIZ: RETAIL CHARTS WWW.MCVUK.COM
MCV 23/04/10 37
UBISOFT CONTINUES to dominate the charts this
different games take the No.1 position this year. It
week, with Splinter Cell: Conviction taking the
is also the fifth time Ubisoft has occupied the top
No.1 position.
spot in 2010.
seller Just Dance into second place, which marks the first time Ubisoft has held the No.1 and No.2 spots in the Chart-Track Top 40. Ubisoft joins a club of publishers that includes EA, Square Enix and Sony, who have all had two
PS3
L FORMATS
THIS LAST WEEK WEEK
Highest New Entry
21
12
MARIO KART WII Wii
NINTENDO
22
22
NEW SUPER MARIO BROS DS
NINTENDO
23
13
ALIENS VS PREDATOR 360, PS3, PC
SEGA
24
21
MASS EFFECT 2 360, PC
25
20
BEN 10: VILGAX ATTACKS 360, Wii, DS, PSP, PS2
EA
24
JAMES CAMERON’S AVATAR 360, PS3, Wii, DS, PSP, PC UBISOFT
27
29
PEPPA PIG: FUN AND GAMES Wii, DS
28
23
HEAVY RAIN PS3
38 28
FOOTBALL MANAGER 2010 PC
SEGA
31
26
DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS 360, PS3, PC
EA
32
34
MEGA DRIVE ULTIMATE COLLECTION PS3, 360
SEGA
33
31
WWE SMACKDOWN 2010 360, PS3, Wii, DS, PSP
THQ
34
RE
TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 10 PS3, 360, PC, PSP, WII, PS2
35
RE
ARKHAM ASYLUM - GOTY PS3, 360, PC
36
30
PEPPA PIG: THE GAME Wii, DS
EA
SQUARE ENIX P2 GAMES
37
27
MARIO & LUIGI: BOWSER’S STORY DS
38
37
THE SIMS 3 PC
39
40
MARIO KART DS DS
40
39
PROFESSOR LAYTON: PANDORA’S BOX DS NINTENDO
THIS LAST WEEK WEEK
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
NINTENDO EA NINTENDO
PUBLISHER
SIMS 3: DESIGN & HIGH-TECH STUFF DEVELOPER: THE SIMS STUDIO PUBLISHER: EA
4 5 3
SHUTTER ISLAND
RE
GRAND THEFT AUTO IV
2 6 16 8 13
ASSASSIN’S CREED
FOCUS
MURDER, SHE WROTE
FOCUS
WOW: BATTLE CHEST ROME: TOTAL WAR
DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS SNIPER: ART OF VICTORY MYSTERY CASE FILES: DIRE GROVE
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2 JUST CAUSE 2 GOD OF WAR III HEAVY RAIN FIFA 10 COD: MODERN WARFARE 2 FINAL FANTASY XIII ASSASSIN’S CREED II ALIENS VS PREDATOR
1 2 3 6 5 4 9 7 8
DEVELOPER: ROCKSTAR NORTH PUBLISHER: ROCKSTAR GAMES EA SQUARE ENIX SONY SONY EA ACTIVISION BLIZZARD SQUARE ENIX UBISOFT SEGA
[FULL PRICE] TITLE
CITY INTERACTIVE ACTIVISION BLIZZARD GSP/AVANQUEST ROCKSTAR
EA CITY INTERACTIVE FOCUS
PUBLISHER
1
FIFA 10
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
LITTLEBIGPLANET BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE: VILGAX ATTACKS ASSASSIN’S CREED: BLOODLINES GRAN TURISMO JAMES CAMERON’S AVATAR: THE GAME FOOTBALL MANAGER 2010 NEED FOR SPEED: SHIFT DISSIDIA: FINAL FANTASY STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT: ELITE SQUADRON
3 2 5 6 4 7 10 8 RE
DEVELOPER: EA CANADA PUBLISHER: EA
XBOX 360
[BUDGET PRICE]
TITLE
PUBLISHER
GTA: EPISODES FROM LIBERTY CITY
THIS LAST WEEK WEEK
ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
30
PC CD-ROM
TITLE
1
PSP
P2 GAMES SONY
BAND HERO 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, DS
[FULL PRICE]
D3P
26
29
Also out last week was Grand Theft Auto Episodes from Liberty City for PS3 and PC. The DLC pack was the biggest selling PS3 title of the week, which means it has not only re-entered the All Formats Top 40, but makes third place. chris.dring@intentmedia.co.uk
THIS LAST WEEK WEEK
SONY D3P UBISOFT SONY UBISOFT SEGA EA SQUARE ENIX LUCASARTS
[FULL PRICE]
TITLE
1
SPLINTER CELL: CONVICTION
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2 COD: MODERN WARFARE 2 JUST CAUSE 2 FORZA MOTORSPORT 3 FIFA 10 FINAL FANTASY XIII MASS EFFECT 2 HALO 3: ODST ASSASSIN’S CREED II
1 3 2 4 5 9 7 10 8
(c) ELSPA, Compiled by ChartTrack
The stealth game pushes the firm’s evergreen
WEEK ENDING 17/04/10
PUBLISHER
DEVELOPER: UBISOFT PUBLISHER: UBISOFT EA ACTIVISION BLIZZARD SQUARE ENIX MICROSOFT EA SQUARE ENIX EA MICROSOFT UBISOFT
[SOURCE]
[ANALYSIS]
38,39 MCV584_final
20/4/10
11:16
Page 1
YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO SERVI
G N I M O C
SOON
sourceb TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS GUIDE PLEASE CONTACT:
ROB.BAKER@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK OR 01992 535647
creative and promotional SErvices 3DI Tel: 0845 4582898 www.threedi.net
Indigo Pearl Tel: +44 (0)20 8964 4545 www.indigopearl.com
The Audio Guys Ltd Tel: +44 (0) 1788 565230 www.theaudioguys.co.uk
AN.X Ltd. Tel: 020 7785 7156 www.anxagency.com
JR DESIGN Tel: +44 (0) 7824 506436 www.joeryandesign.co.uk
The Pixel Tel: 0800 043 1040 www.thepixel.com
Ark VFX Ltd. Tel: 0114 268 4999 www.arkvfx.net
Media Safari PR Tel: +44 (0)1225 471 202 www.mediasafari.co.uk
Über Tel: 0114 278 7100 www.uberagency.com
Barrington Harvey Tel: +44 (0)1462 456780 www.bhpress.co.uk
More Creative Tel: 020 7561 6010 www.morecreative.co.uk
uk distribution and logistics
Bastion Tel: +44 (0)20 7421 7600 www.bastion.co.uk
Multiplay Tel: +44 (0)20 7100 1337 www.multiplay.co.uk
Gfk Chart-Track Ltd Tel: +44 (0) 20 8741 7585 www.chart-track.com
Parker Consulting Ltd Tel: 07771571639 www.parkerconsulting.biz
Dilute Recordings Tel: 01483 306834 www.diluterecordings.com
PMA Marketing Tel: 020 7483 0568 www.pmamarketing.com
Eye-D Creative Ltd Tel: +44 (0)20 7407 1440 www.eye-dcreative.co.uk
RAINBOW PRODUCTIONS Tel: +44 (0)20 8254 5300 www.rainbowproductions.co.uk
FEREF Tel: +44 (0)207 292 6330 www.feref.com
RealtimeUK Tel: 01772 682 363 www.realtimeuk.com
FINK Creative Ltd Tel: 01480 302350 www.finkcreative.com
Richard Jacques Studios Tel: 07831 756977 www.richardjacques.com
Fluid Tel: +44 (0)121 212 0121 www.fluidesign.co.uk
Shorewood.Blueprint Tel: 020 7183 9666 www.shorewood-blueprint.com
Freeform.London Tel: 020 7183 6664 www.freeformlondon.co.uk
Side Tel: +44 (0) 207 631 4800 www.side.com
Frontroom Tel: 020 7384 5400 www.frontroom.com
SKYSKRAPER® Tel: +44 (0)20 7252 3288 www.skyskraper.net
Game Frontier Ltd Tel: 0870 420 2424 www.gamefrontier.com
Studio CO2 Tel: +44 (0) 1483 414 415 www.studioco2.com
Discstribution Tel: + 44 (0) 845 4308735 www.discstribution.com EntaTech Tel: 0333 101 1000 www.entaonline.com Gem Tel: 01279 822822 www.gem.co.uk Gem Logistics Tel: 0845 456 6400 www.gemlogistics.co.uk Meroncourt Europe Ltd Tel: +44 (0) 1462 680060 www.trade.meroncourt.co.uk
international distribution ComputerLand doo Tel: +381 11 309 95 95 www.computerland.rs CURVEBALL LEISURE Tel: 01792 652521 www.thegamecollection.net Funtastic Tel: +61 3 9419 5444 www.funtastic.com.au GameStreamer, Inc. Tel: 001-813-527-0383 www.gamestreamer.net
LO
38,39 MCV584_final
20/4/10
11:16
Page 2
CE COMPANIES
In association with
ook 2010 COPY DEADLINE: FRIDAY JUNE 11th
LOCALISATION QA AND TESTING
Tel: +44 1 480 210 621 www.usspeaking.com
legal services
4-Real Intermedia GmbH Tel: +49 (0) 69809088 - 0 www.4-real.com
Orange Studio Tel: +39 051 588 04 50 www.orangestudio.it
Harbottle & Lewis Tel: +44 (0)207 667 5000 www.harbottle.com
Absolute Quality Tel: +44 (0)141 220 5600 www.absolutequality.com
Partnertrans Tel: +44 1753 247731 www.partnertrans.com
Marriott Harrison Tel: +44 (0)20 7209 2000 www.marriottharrison.co.uk
ANAKAN GmbH Tel: +49 (0) 30531420450 www.anakan.de
PlayableGames Tel: 020 7421 6487 www.playablegames.net
software development
Babel Tel: 01273 764100 www.babelmedia.com
Testronic Laboratories Ltd Tel: +44 (0)1753 653722 www.testroniclabs.com
Cenega Poland Sp.Zo.o Tel: +48 22 574 2578 www.cenega.com
Universally Speaking Tel: +44 1 480 210621 www.usspeaking.com
Enzyme Labs Tel: +1 (450) 229-9999 ext.312 www.enzyme.org
U-TRAX Tel: +31 30 293 2098 www.utrax.com
ChaYoWo Games Tel: +1 917.650.0010 www.chayowogames.com Crytek UK Tel: +44 115 949 0808 www.crytek.com Data Design Interactive Tel: +44 0 1384 44 79 00 www.datadesign.uk.com xaitment GmbH Tel: +49 (0) 6897-600 80-0 www.xaitment.com
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) – 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
40,41 MCV584_FINAL
16/4/10
10:37
Page 1
INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION 40 MCV 23/04/10
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
GAMEWORLD
NETHERLANDS
DistribucionesVideográficas Digitales ....Madrid Distribuye Palmera................................Las Palmas
EBS-Benelux...........................................Bunschoten
JC Distribuciones .............................................Getxo
Gameworld BV............................Capelle A/D Ijssel
Shine Star, S.A...........................................Barcelona
Micromedia BV...........................................Nijmegen
Cornusbaan 1, 2908 KB Capelle A/D IJssel
SUPREME FACTORY
Favour Games..................................................Tilburg
SWEDEN
Tel: +31 10 298 3838
439 avenue de la Gare
Rigu Sound B.V................2153 GB Nieuw Vennep
Bergsala AB............................................Kungsbacka
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 Gamewizz..........................................................Albany
NORWAY Pan Vision Norway.....................................Trollasen MPX.no .......................................................Sandefjord
GAME OUTLET EUROPE AB
Platekompaniet....................................................Oslo
PO Box 5083
The Netherlands
Massemedia AS...........................................Notteroy
S-650 05 Karlstad, Sweden
Phone: +31 (0)33 201 21 00
Pan Vision Norway..............................................Oslo
Phone: +46 54 854750
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
SIBA AB ...................................................Gothenburg
TECHLAND Sp. z o.o. ul. Jana Szczyrki 12, 54-426 Wroclaw, Poland
Nortec Multimedia.........................................Athens
E-mail: business@techland.pl
Zegetron S.A....................................................Athens
Web: www.techland.pl Phone: +48 71 354 46 10
Antec .............................................................Budapest
ICELAND
Website: www.gameoutlet.se Panvision....................................................Stockholm
Centric ...............................................................Athens
HUNGARY
Fax: +46 54 854759 E-mail: info@gameoutlet.se
Fax: +48 71 354 46 10
PORTUGAL
SWITZERLAND ABC Software GmbH.......................................Buchs
TURKEY ARAL Import..................................................Istanbul Nortec Eurasia...............................................Istanbul
ecofilmes...............................Sao Joao Da Madeira
Sena ................................................................Reykavik
TO ADVERTISE IN THE INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION GUIDE PLEASE CONTACT ROB.BAKER@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK
40,41 MCV584_FINAL
16/4/10
10:37
Page 2
EDITORIAL PLANNER WWW.MCVUK.COM
The International Distribution Guide is dedicated to promoting companies outside of the UK. If you are looking for new customers overseas, then look no further...
UNITED STATES
MCV 23/04/10 41
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 30th
MCV AWARDS REVIEW
games market and the major trends sweeping the region such as the continuing popularity of online gaming.
FRIDAY MAY 28th
BASCO, INC.
AFRICA TERRITORY REPORT
VIDEO GAMES DISTRIBUTOR Tel: 1-917-627-3000 Fax: 1-718-228-4401 Email: sales@bascodistribution.com Web: www.bascodistribution.com
U.S. GAMES DISTRIBUTION, INC. 16700 Schoenborn St. #2 North Hills, CA. 91343 Tel: +1 818 920 9393 info@usgamesdist.com www.usgamesdist.com
UAE
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.
SUMMER PERIPHERALS SPECIAL ALESAYI UNITED COMPANY Video Games Distributor in the Middle East P.O BOX 16999 Jebel Ali Free Zone Dubai U.A.E. Tel: 00971 4 883 5960
The accessories sector has already enjoyed a strong start to the year with the launch of the DSi XL, but what lies in store for the summer? MCV provides a detailed run down of the latest products that are set to take the retail community by storm.
FRIDAY JUNE 11th
Fax: 00971 4 883 5175 E-Mail: marketing@alesayi.ae
FRIDAY MAY 14th
U.A.E. Website: www.alesayi.ae
TOP 20 INDIES
Group Website: www.alesayi.com
Africa may seem an unlikely territory for gaming, with civilisation spread thinly around this gargantuan continent and largely found on the northern and southern coasts. MCV details the major players and retailers in this region, as well as the unique processes by which games are published and released in Africa.
E3 2010 SPECIAL
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
Independent retail remains a thriving sector in the UK, with chains such as Grainger Games continuing to grow. MCV gives a run-down of the 20 best independent games retailers in the UK.
CHINA TERRITORY REPORT 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 publishers face in the region with an in-depth look at China’s growing
The biggest event in the games industry’s calendar returns and, as the offical International Media Partner for the event, MCV brings you a complete guide to this year’s E3 Expo. We look at how the organisers have improved the 2010 event over its predecessors, and offer a roundup of what to expect, including: A breakdown of the venue, including stand locations, and a schedule of key presentations. Interviews with major execs from some of the industry’s leading publishers. An international guide detailing the leading services companies in both established and emerging territories.
FOR MORE DETAILS CONTACT: CHRIS.DRING@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK
42-47 MCV584_FINAL
19/4/10
09:31
Page 1
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
42-47 MCV584_FINAL
19/4/10
09:31
Page 2
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
DISTRIBUTION
CURVEBALL LEISURE . . . . . . 01792 652526 . . . . curveballsimon@googlemail.com
GEM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01279 822800 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.gem.co.uk
DISTRIBUTION
DISTRIBUTION
MERONCOURT . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1462 680060 . . . http://trade.meroncourt.co.uk
CREATIVE DISTRIBUTION. . . . 0208 6643456 . . . . www.creativedistribution.co.uk
42-47 MCV584_FINAL
19/4/10
09:31
Page 3
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 alex.boucher@intentmedia.co.uk. All subscription requests should go to mcv.subscriptions@c-cms.com USD LIMITED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01933 227220. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.usdlimited.com
42-47 MCV584_FINAL
19/4/10
09:31
Page 4
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
42-47 MCV584_FINAL
19/4/10
09:31
Page 5
DESIGN STUDIOS
LOCALISATION
Design/Branding/ Advertising/ Packaging/Web
finkcreative
01480 302 352 olly@finkcreative.com www.finkcreative.com
FINK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01480 302352 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.finkcreative.com GAMES CONSOLE REPAIR
TOTAL CONSOLE REPAIR . . . . . . . 08719 181721 . . . . . www.totalconsolerepair.co.uk
PARTNERTRANS . . . . . . . . . . . 01273 229030 . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.partnertrans.com LOCALISATION
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
42-47 MCV584_FINAL
19/4/10
09:32
Page 6
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…
MAY MONETISING MOBILE Wednesday, May 26th BAFTA, London Jodie.Holdway@intentmedia.co.uk
COMPLETE EPOS SOLUTIONS LTD . . . . 01543 370 002. . . . . . . . www.ggepos.com STORE FITTINGS
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 DEVELOP CONFERENCE 2010 Tuesday, July 13th Thursday, July 15th Brighton, UK www.develop-conference.com DEVELOP INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2010 Wednesday, July 14th Brighton, UK www.develop-online.net
AMA DISPLAYS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0113 2311030 . . . . . . . . . . . www.ama-displays.co.uk UK SHOPFITTERS
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
SEPTEMBER MCV/XBOX 360 QUIZ Thursday, September 23rd Sway Bar, London Orlaith.Kennedy@intentmedia.co.uk
UK SHOPFITTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . 0844 257 8800 . . . . . . . . . www.ukshopfitters.com
DEVELOP INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2010 Wednesday, July 14th Brighton, UK www.develop-online.net Lobbying has already opened for the Develop Industry Excellence Awards. Now in its eighth year, the event takes place in Brighton at the Hilton Metropole, on July 14th. Anyone in the industry can nominate a studio for the awards. Simply send a 300 word pitch to developawards@ intentmedia.co.uk. Prices have also been reduced to make the event more accessible. Contact Kathryn.Humphrey@intent media.co.uk to book tables and Katie.Rawlings@intent media.co.uk to order tickets.
MCV/XBOX 360 QUIZ Thursday, September 23rd Sway Bar, London Orlaith.Kennedy@ intentmedia.co.uk The MCV/Xbox 360 Quiz gives retailers, suppliers and the media the chance to show off their general knowledge skills in an appropriate arena for our industry – the local bar. There will be thousands of pounds’ worth of prizes up for grabs to the best performers on the night, as well as loads of top-notch booze and food. The quiz is free to enter for retailers and the media, and serves as a great networking opportunity.
48-50 MCV584_final
19/4/10
16:15
Page 1
rsta ict... a ad, x add p y e a jo u a s r o o rs f ake y a b m le and it can h F ps wa w Wii s y art nd ho g o rl F ees, a a C , gr eek ix De w s S Thi ded d stu
FOGARTY STARTS TRADEWEST’S ENGINES Tradewest Games and Black Bean geared up for the release of its upcoming motorcycle racer SBK X: Superbike World Championship by inviting legendary Superbike champion Carl Fogarty to help show off the game to the press, as well as have a go himself. Demos of SBK X were available for attendees to play, giving them a chance to see why Fogarty and Tradewest believe it to be “the best racing game ever”. Tradewest’s Aidan Minter and Phil Robinson were on hand to keep things running smoothly, with help from Black Bean’s Davide Latina and the game’s director Michele Celetti.
SEND YOUR PICTURES TO JAMES.BATCHELOR@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK EDITORIAL: 01992 535646 Managing Editor: Lisa Foster Lisa.Foster@intentmedia.co.uk Editor-In-Chief: Michael French Michael.French@intentmedia.co.uk Deputy Editor: Christopher Dring Chris.Dring@intentmedia.co.uk Staff Writer: James Batchelor James.Batchelor@intentmedia.co.uk Staff Writer: Dominic Sacco Dominic.Sacco@intentmedia.co.uk
ADVERTISING: 01992 535647
Online Editor: Ben Parfitt Ben.Parfitt@intentmedia.co.uk Contributors: Will Freeman, Rob Crossley, Stuart Richardson, Colin Campbell Advertising Manager: Lesley Blumson Lesley.Blumson@intentmedia.co.uk Advertising Executive: Rob Baker Rob.Baker@intentmedia.co.uk Art Director: Stuart Moody Stuart.Moody@intentmedia.co.uk
Design: Adam Butler Adam.Butler@intentmedia.co.uk Production Manager: Suzanne Powles Suzanne.Powles@intentmedia.co.uk Business Development: Dave Roberts Dave.Roberts@intentmedia.co.uk Contributing Editor: Samantha Loveday Samantha.Loveday@intentmedia.co.uk Circulation & Marketing: Hannah Short Hannah.Short@intentmedia.co.uk
FAX: 01992 535648
Please address all enquiries to: MCV, Intent Media, Saxon House, 6a St. Andrew Street, Hertford SG14 1JA. Managing Director/Publisher: Stuart Dinsey Stuart.Dinsey@intentmedia.co.uk Telephone: 01992 535688
Finance Director: Hilary Cole Finance Manager: Michael Canham Michael.Canham@intentmedia.co.uk Printed By: Pensord, Tram Road,Pontllanfraith Blackwood, NP12 2YA
SAXON HOUSE, 6A ST. ANDREW STREET, HERTFORD, HERTFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND SG14 1JA Intent Media specialises in trade-dedicated print and digital publishing for entertainment and leisure markets. As well as MCV, Intent publishes Develop, PCR, ToyNews, Mobile Entertainment, MI Pro, Audio Pro International and BikeBiz. It also has two online-only brands: CasualGaming.biz, dedicated to the growing mass market video game sector, and Licensing.biz, for everyone in the global licensing industry. It also runs a number of events including the MCV Industry Excellence Awards, the London Games Conference and the Games Media Awards.
www.intentmedia.co.uk
MCV is a member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation and the Periodical Publishers Association. Membership of the ABC and PPA provides our advertising partners with confidence in our circulation statements. For the 12 months ending December 2009, MCV had an average weekly net circulation of 8,045. MCV’s circulation is 100 per cent named and zero per cent duplicated.
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS United Kingdom £150 l Europe £175 l Rest of the World £250 To order your subscription via Visa, Mastercard, Switch or AMEX or to make changes to your subscription details, contact mcv.subscriptions@c-cms.com or call 01580 883848.
ISSN: 1469-4832 Copyright 2008
MCV has an exclusive media partnership with Famitsu - Japan’s leading video games analyst and news source
48-50 MCV584_final
19/4/10
16:16
Page 2
WWW.MCVUK.COM
SIX DEGREES
MCV 23/04/10 49
SING FOR STOCK
OF ACTIVISION It’s almost rude not to know someone who once worked there. This week, we start with... Dexter Fletcher, who once presented GamesMaster but was more recently seen in new comic book movie, Kick-Ass, which was cowritten by...
1
2 Jane Goldman, the strikingly buxom wife of...
Time’s almost up to win £2,000 3
Jonathan Ross, who in 2009 presented a BAFTA fellowship award to Atari founder...
You only have a few days left if you want to be in the running for 50 copies of We Sing (worth £2,000 in total). Last minute entries will be accepted until Monday, April 26th – after that, any photos sent will be solely for our amusement.
4
All you need to do is send a picture of you, your staff, or your customers using We Sing in your store. Need an example? Check out Insane Games’ Steve Walker getting into character while singing along to Lady Gaga (right). Reckon you can do better?
Nolan Bushnell, who famously turned down the seed (pip?) of what would become Apple when it was presented to him by...
5
Steve Jobs, who was once a major shareholder in Pixar, before it was bought by Disney, which now also owns Marvel, the company which first published comics featuring...
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
Spider-Man, who, when he appears in video games, does so courtesy of... ACTIVISION.
Don’t be shy: get We Singing!
6
(Terms: competition open to all retailers, including online stores. You can enter as many pictures as you like. Limited promotion, firstcome-first served, one two-microphone+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
48-50 MCV584_final
19/4/10
16:16
Page 3
E F I L F O S E M GA
>>>>>>>
, SCE UK R O we are in T C E n period IR D G t a golde a N h I w T s w KE sho g. le gamin AN, MAR for conso C N U D game of vourite ALAN r s your fa
embe you rem t game rs fi e ? g th in What’s lly enjoy tari VCS for and rea got an A playing e e w e v fi as bably th When I w Sadly, this is pro arly e s. f a o m e Christ ry I hav ve id memo might ha most viv ugh this big o h y lt m a , d arm childhoo the dead beat him I do with e m to ti re o m every s hard gave me mand wa brother sile Com ure intensity. is M . t a b p at Com for its the VCS to top on urrently you’re c e game t? th s s o t’ m a Wh ying ugh a and enjo way thro I, lf a h playing m I’ t n r II e a m W o f At the m es: God o reat gam g f o d a lo
What’ use ? bly beca all time 7. Proba ught so 9 0 2 t u o Wipe de bro Trial mo eable the Time ights to a manag n many big for me. on conclusi u e are yo ? ing gam g m in o y c la p p u to Which forward ople e g p in k se o ri most lo ally surp ed re R xcited l e ’l C it & is k C th , in GT5. I th remember being e past. eavy Rain H , II d e th n’t ’s Cre game in and I do Assassin . ing a GT nd Braid and high out play b a Alert 3 a unt of innovation es really The amo these titl eplay in m a g y lit qua
K E E W iles f E n o H i s i T v OF its Acti ace
E er wsu h a l T T : y g n n O a i QeUcan’t comment oanrtthneerms. It’s like anTnriopulnecCrown!”
d saga
War e Infinity h p t e n h o e t “W v in won ctor Jeff Brown chips reati s c a s h t i h t t s t monA’s communications dire again s a l t o h E s horse I
FROM THE ARCHIVE October 14th, 2005
lishers call NEWS on marketing Q4... Pub t is set to spend £60m is prompted by call The The UK games marke n. soo too x Xbo off the original ’t expect for Microsoft not to kill ior execs say they don 360 at X05, where sen x Xbo opping of wh ng a eili ses unv cau the Nintendogs 2007... The launch of play a major will es gam the PS3 to arrive until s say s olie hardware sales... Wo as strong 358 per cent rise in DS s it’s determined to be growth plans... HMV say sive fidently res con agg is i) its in role Games (Vivend on the High Street... VU king with bac be will it a force online as it is ich wh , f for 50 Cent: Bulletproo to be predicting great things , the game turned out ting spend. In the end rke ma UK r eve t its bigges f. more or less Salesproo CHARTS All Formats lectronic Arts FIFA 06 ............................E PlayStation 2 lectronic Arts FIFA 06 ............................E DS ........Nintendo Nintendogs ........................ PC .Electronic Arts Black & White 2 ............
THE NINTENDO NYMPHO 24-year-old
rding to You can’t make this stuff up. Acco nce Board during Amanda Flowers, falling off her Bala on her nerve ure press put has Fit Wii of on a sessi sexual arousal stent persi : PSAS her endings and given syndrome. ride buses, blend She is now a sex addict, unable to without feeling ines mach ing wash past walk soup or bo. That’s all mam l onta horiz the e the urge to danc s reported by according to the lengthy anecdote , there’s no cure. women’s weekly Love It!. And sadly off something a fall you how sure quite not e We’r can now market ndo Ninte least at but few inches tall, counselling. iage marr to e Wii Fit Plus as an alternativ
PEOPLE Nick Games industry legend an boss of ope Eur r me (for Alexander mobile of an irm Sega) becomes cha X... Future yer Pla list cia spe es gam -Tyler to run promotes James Ashton James Binns es mag portfolio while y Booker its London-based gam nt roster in Bath... Gar me ain ert ent the for er lish pub up gro es becom r... UK marketing directo joins Electronic Arts as tells AND FINALLY... eone entirely different, GB away from being som l to be fee it s doe How J Allard, who’s just a , me asking time I want you to be rs w.” yea rvie ee thr inte t “In : tha V MC forward to k with you, I’m looking number one? I’ll be fran