MCV533 APRIL 17TH 2009 by Intent Media (now Newbay Media Europe)

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THE INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

Friday April 17 2009 £3.25

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THE MARKET FOR COMPUTER AND VIDEO GAMES

International Media Partner

Issue 533 Friday April 17 2009 £3.25

04 Easter joy

07 Fit and healthy

UK retail basks in the sales glory of a busy Bank Holiday Easter weekend

Nintendo’s Wii Fit breaks records as it hits No.1 after major new TV push

05 Cheerio, Mr Reeves

09 Game on

PlayStation’s European president retires from the platform holder

The MCV/Xbox 360 Gamesfives football tournament returns

14 Figuring it out

10 You’ll see Saw

GfK-ChartTrack/ELSPA’s Q1 sales data is in – and we’ve got all the results

Konami UK is confident that gory movie adaptation will satisfy censors

EVERY BUYER EVERY BRANCH EVERY INDIE EVERY WEEK

INCORPORATING

Hollywood boldly goes digital… Paramount follows Warner Bros’ downloadable Watchmen tie-in with online-only game of new Star Trek film by Tim Ingham HOLLYWOOD’S flirtation with online gaming is developing into a committed relationship – with Paramount the latest Tinseltown giant to bypass retail for a major movie tie-in. The studio has created a download-only game of its new Star Trek movie – disregarding the opportunity to release a boxed product spin-off of the huge cinema release. The title will appear on both Xbox Live and PSN – and spearheads the firm’s fresh online publishing strategy, which avoids traditional retail distribution. Paramount will also release online console games based on movies Top Gun, The Warriors and Days Of Thunder this year. “We’re not doing any retail at this point as a standalone publisher,” Paramount’s senior VP of video games John Kavanagh told MCV this week. The news follows Warner Bros’ digital-only release of its Watchmen game, which complemented the blockbuster’s release last month.

ENTERPRISING: Paramount’s John Kavanagh (right) says more digital movie games will follow Star Trek

Warner’s senior VP of production and development Samantha Ryan said that releasing the title over XBLA

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that [Warner will] take to future films”. Paramount’s Kavanagh promised that the studio’s self-

We’re not going through retail as a publisher. We will consider doing big movie games ourselves online. John Kavanagh, Paramount

and PSN would stop it getting “lost” and “crammed in” at retail. She added that “it’s quite possible this is an approach

”

publishing plans would not reduce licensing opportunities for its third-party games distribution partners.

“We don’t have a strict percentage [of licensed properties], but we know our limits. Building an XBLA or PSN game is much less complicated than a triple-A retail title,” he commented. “Where we think it appropriate, we would consider doing a big movie franchise online ourselves, but we’re still very keen to keep working with our publishing partners.” The Star Trek game is due for release next month, and will cost around £10.

[OPINION] Chris Lewis, VP Interactive Entertainment, Microsoft “The breadth of opportunity at retail is not limitless. You can’t expect to get all of your titles racked and ranged anymore – real estate has a natural limiter in that regard. There’s no doubt that the online route is an option, and it’s another thing Xbox Live offers our publishing partners. It doesn’t detract from the importance of retail.”

…as retailers cling onto download dream UK RETAIL HAS told MCV that it wants to be a part of the digital revolution, following news that Amazon is selling Xbox Live Arcade game codes in the US. Key UK retailers have told MCV that they would be ‘very interested’ in selling digital games through their websites. However, Microsoft and Nintendo have told MCV they have no plans to bring similar offers to Europe.

“The Amazon programme is only in the US,” VP of

“

replicate it in Europe. But as an industry, we can’t stand still.

We are very interested in selling digital games codes. We hope Microsoft and others will make it happen. Igor Cipolletta, ShopTo

European marketing for Xbox David Gosen told MCV. “It’s a test programme at this stage, and we have no plans to

”

“Retail is the cornerstone of the video games business and will continue to be. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be

new business models. We’re just opening it up to a much broader audience.” Despite not bringing the promotion to Europe, UK head of Xbox Neil Thompson has told MCV that Microsoft is committed to making retailers “a part of the Xbox Live ecosystem”. A Sony spokesperson commented: “With regard to the Microsoft initiative, we have already done something similar in the

UK. When people bought the 160GB PS3 SKU it came with vouchers that enabled users to download PSN games.” Play.com’s CEO Stuart Rowe and GAME COO Terry Scicluna have both expressed a desire to work alongside digital companies. And ShopTo’s Igor Cipolletta said this week: “We hope that Microsoft and others will allow us to sell digital titles. We are very interested in offering it to our customers.”

PERSONNEL 23 RETAIL BIZ 25 NEW RELEASES 33 HIGH STREET 34 CHARTS 36

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NEWS

[LEADER] FAREWELL TO AN OLD FAVOURITE SO IT’S GOODBYE to David Reeves who, as we explain opposite, is retiring from SCEE at the end of the month. I’ve interviewed him four or five times, and he has always come across as one of the smartest management types you find high up in the hierarchy. Sure, in a PR sense, some of his comments might have seemed a bit ‘mad scientist’ – but the man’s got a PhD in chemical and astrophysics, so he’s entitled to as many Johnny Ball moments as he wants. He was instrumental in building the PlayStation business from its very debut, and is a straight talker. Journalists would be hard pressed to find someone at a similar level in the corporate machine with the same willingness to go off message. He knows when to give honest answers with no spin, and when to slip out a hype-building tease. These days, personalities like that are hard to come by. It’s going to be interesting to see how his replacement, Andrew House, helps PlayStation take the next step, and where Reeves might turn up next.

DIG THE NEW BREED As a familiar face ‘retires’, MCV yet again reports on a new breed of publisher emerging against the backdrop of this so-called recession. The EAs and THQs of this world might be staring down the barrel of an Excel spreadsheet with little red numbers in the squares – but this new wave of publishers can see an opportunity for growth in games. It includes companies usually alien to our business, like Paramount, and reinvigorated brands, such as, Majesco. South Peak, Bethesda and Codemasters probably fall under the banner, too. These businesses are run as if they are privatelyowned even when some of them have big investors or corporate parents. And they are proving themselves to be more agile and quicker to respond than the big beasts who eat up market share in the quarterly reports, like those you’ll find on page 14.

AND FINALLY, SOMEONE GETS IT Unless you watch nothing but the BBC, you couldn’t switch on the TV over Easter without seeing a few game ads. Proof, if you ever needed it, that Easter is very much our ‘second Christmas’ – as our report to the right shows. Most telling wasn’t the blanket coverage of the lovely Louise Redknapp and her promotion of Wii Fit, but furniture emporium Harvey’s use of DS-loving families as the face of its new sofa campaign. All done without Nintendo, and motivated, the chain tells us, by the desire to ‘show real people in real homes’. After March’s outrage over an ad that linked sitting on a sofa holding games hardware to death, it’s refreshing to see someone in advertising external to games judge the influence of this industry for what it is, rather than make up stuff about what it isn’t. Michael.French@intentmedia.co.uk

UK retail reports Easter 29 per cent week-on-week sales rise driven by Nintendo DS and Wii by Christopher Dring UK VIDEO game retailers enjoyed a bumper Easter last weekend, with software value up 29 per cent over the previous week. The growth occurred despite the lack of a major blockbuster release, with sales driven by the recently launched DSi and aided by intense price cutting online and on the High Street.

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ChartTrack’s Dorian Bloch added: “It was a very good Easter. Sales over the previous week were 30 per cent up in terms of volume and 29 per cent in value. The growth was driven by Wii and DS, with Wii sales up 45 per cent.” “It’s difficult to compare to last year, as Easter was much earlier and coincided with the end of the quarter, when publishers tend to release more

The hero format for Play.com was the Nintendo DS, with a phenomenal value growth of 200 per cent. Richard Chapple, Play

“Play.com’s Easter Sale started with a bang when it went live on Monday March 23rd,” explained Play’s head of marketing Richard Chapple. “Overall volume growth for us was 60 per cent year-onyear, and games had very strong growth in value too. However the hero format for us was DS with a phenomenal growth of 200 per cent year-onyear in value.”

”

titles. This year’s big titles, such as Resident Evil 5, Dawn of War, Street Fighter IV and Killzone 2, were released a long time before Easter.” Special offers over Easter included Tesco taking VAT off selected chart titles, while Gamestation reduced certain new games by 50 per cent. And as a reaction to the software bundling that was taking place on the High Street,

Morrisons cut £20 off the price of Wii and DSi hardware. “We had a great response to our press ad on the Wii and DSi hardware, which helped uplift chart and back catalogue sales over the Easter period,” said Morrison’s gaming buyer Jon Biggs. A HMV spokesperson added: “It was a very busy Easter for us, especially as our sale was on, so there were strong traffic numbers in the High Street and shopping centres. Games was a key driver for us, and it was great having DSi help to lead the way.”

DS DOMINATION: Nintendo’s handheld was the key sales driver over the Easter period

LittleBigPlanet price plummets THE PRICE of acclaimed PS3 title LittleBigPlanet has tumbled to around £10, six months after it was released. The Media Moleculedeveloped title has an SRP of £44.99, but can be found at online retailers – including DVD.co.uk – for £10.89, while Play and Amazon have the title on sale for £12.99. The aggressive discounting has even seen the game dip below the price of its official strategy guide. However, Sony feels the reduced cost can make the product more attractive to new customers. “In general the retail environment is very tough at

present, but the positive consequence is that when consumers are feeling the need to monitor their spending there are still some attractive deals to be had if people shop around,” said a Sony spokesperson. “It is commonly accepted that in times of economic hardship, people value their entertainment. And the multiple hours of entertainment value represented in a video game can makes games a more attractive purchase, especially at a discounted price.”

LittleBigPlanet was greeted to positive press when it was released last year, achieving a Metacritic average of 95. And Sony revealed earlier this month that the game has reached two million global users. LittleBigPlanet also makes revenue through DLC, with new costumes and add-ons made available on a weekly basis. LittleBigPlanet has since become a new franchise for Sony, with a PSP version due later this year. Sony: 020 7859 5000

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sales bonanza

[PRE ORDERS]

TOP 10

Leading stores slash prices to boost interest

THE SIMS 3 PC EA

Reeves leaves SCEE, replaced by House SCEE PRESIDENT David Reeves has announced his plans to retire from Sony at the end of the month. His successor will be Sony marketing boss and former SCEA man Andrew House. Reeves leaves after almost 15 years helping build the PlayStation brand across the launches of the PSone, PS2, PSP and PS3. He joined SCEE in 1995. Reeves commented: “It has been a wonderful ride with PlayStation. I want to thank all of those people who have supported SCEE and me personally in the past 14 years; you have been magnificent. Good luck to everybody at SCEE and everybody who continues to support us.”

House takes over on May 1st. He joined the firm in 1990, working in Sony Japan’s communications team for five years. In 1995 he was assigned to SCEI’s marketing division, becoming marketing VP at SCEA a year later. By 2000 he also ran SCEA’s Third Party Relations and Developer Support divisions. He then took the CMO role in 2005. “I’m delighted to return to the PlayStation fold and excited to take on this new challenge,” said House. “I believe there is huge potential for further growth of our business in the Europe countries, particularly in the area of networked entertainment.”

Majesco goes direct in Europe THOUGHT the DS and Wii markets couldn’t get more competitive? Think again. MCV can reveal that the firm responsible for ‘discovering’ Cooking Mama will soon start publishing its own titles in the UK and Europe. Majesco Europe is readying over ten games that it plans to sell direct to British retailers, with the first title – a tie-in to Ben Stiller movie Night at the Museum 2 – out in May. Its American parent had published Cooking Mama in North America before licensing it to 505 Games over here – and now wants to look after its mass-market titles itself.

DUTTON: Majesco Europe boss will bring over ten titles to the UK this year

“We’ve got the best ever line up of games in our portfolio in terms of breadth, quality and potential,” European MD Jason Dutton told MCV. “We felt it was time for us to be responsible for those titles.

We’ve worked with a number of good partners but we’ve always wanted to be in charge of our own destiny.” While a number of its titles are on DS and Wii, Majesco also has 360 and digital

products in the pipeline – with more to be announced at E3. And with a UK distributor in place (which will be announced shortly), the company is now looking to find European partners also. Dutton added: “For the same reasons as going direct in the UK, we will be going direct to market throughout Europe – working with different distribution and publishing partners in each territory. “We are currently talking to a number of interested parties and actively encourage other interested distributors to get in touch as soon as possible.” Majesco: 0117 373 6151

2. RIDDICK: ASSAULT ON DARK ATHENA 360 ..................................................ATARI

3. inFAMOUS PS3 ..................................................SONY

4. UFC 2009 UNDISPUTED PS3 ....................................................THQ

5. TEKKEN 6 PS3 ..................................................ATARI

6. OPERATION FLASHPOINT 2: DRAGON 360 ......................................CODEMASTERS

7. UFC 2009 UNDISPUTED 360 ....................................................THQ

8. GHOSTBUSTERS 360 ..................................................ATARI

9. BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM PS3..................................................EIDOS

10. GHOSTBUSTERS PS3 ..................................................ATARI Week ending April 11th Source: SHOPTO.COM

[MARKET VALUE]

£31.8m 35

£24.6m

£24.8m

£31.8m

1,058,242 Units

1,116,196 Units

1,306,014 Units

Week Ending April 3rd

Week Ending April 11th

0 Week Ending March 28th

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

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GfK-ChartTrack: ‘We want digital chart this year’ UK sales monitor in discussions with ‘all relevant parties’ Group keen to organise finalised data before 2010 by Tim Ingham SALES monitor GfKChartTrack has revealed to MCV that it hopes to set up a chart of UK digital downloads by the end of this year. The company said it was in ‘active discussions’ with a number of leading providers of downloadable digital content with a view to inking a deal

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to getting their data. A lot of publishers see it as ever more important to have those digital sales tracked, alongside retail boxed model. “It’s down to negotiations now. Some companies in the space want it more than others – some are worried about releasing data that clarifies their whole position in the market.

We’re talking to all of the digital download retailers. I would hope that a chart will be ready by year end. Dorian Bloch, GfK-ChartTrack

over the next few months. MCV understands that the body is currently in negotiations with Steam, IGN/Direct2Drive, GDi, Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony with a view to gathering data on UK downloads. GfK-ChartTrack director Dorian Bloch told MCV: “We’re talking to all digital download retailers with a view

BLOCH: The GfK-ChartTrack exec says US download providers must offer data before a digital chart becomes a possibility

other people we have to get on board,” he said. “But we met a lot of people at GDC last month – and we expect to meet a lot more at the Develop Conference and even at E3.” GfK-ChartTrack this month began releasing its weekly All Formats chart on a Monday morning. The firm previously made the data publicly available on a Tuesday afternoon. “We already had the fastest video games chart in the world – but we wanted to make it available for publishers’ Monday morning meetings,” added Bloch.

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“I would hope that it will happen before the year end.” GfK-ChartTrack is having more luck negotiating with potential partners in the UK than the US – where many of the major download retailers are based. “We have the goodwill of our local publishing publishing community, but across the Atlantic there’s a whole set of

GfK-ChartTrack: +44 (0) 20 8741 7585

‘Games offer more exposure than TV’ ASSOCIATING brands and products with video games can offer companies more brand awareness amongst consumers than advertising on TV. That’s according to Marketing Week associate editor Ruth Mortimer in an opinion piece on MCVUK.com today (Thursday, April 16th). Mortimer’s piece follows a recent TV ad campaign for Harvey’s furniture, depicting families sitting on sofas playing on Nintendo DS. “The DS and Wii are very much family-focused consoles,” said Mortimer. “In some ways, the Wii has helped rehabilitate the reputation of computer games

and made them something for the whole family to do together. By showing Nintendo products in ads, Harvey’s is trying to promote the idea that it is the right place to come for

“

brand more exposure than television advertising.” Commenting on the furniture TV ad, Harvey’s marketing communications manager Karen Broderick said:

In this day and age, the top video games offer brands more exposure than television advertising.

Ruth Mortimer, Marketing Week

furniture, which fits with the way that modern families live their lives. “Brands can also benefit from appearing in games. In this day and age, the top computer games can give a

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“At Harveys we design our furniture to be used by real people in real homes. It is therefore important that we reflect this in our advertising and as such depict people using our furniture in their home in

MORTIMER: Marketing Week journo has noticed games’ value increasing for advertisers

the way families of today live.” A Nintendo spokesperson added: “We did not know that the Harvey’s ad was going to feature DS consoles and we

had nothing to do with it. But it clearly shows how video games and Nintendo DS really is becoming a part of people’s everyday lives.”

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HOTLIST

Wii Fit chart triumph fuelled by new celebrity endorsed ads Easter campaign starring ‘new mum’ Louise Redknapp has lucrative impact on consumers by Christopher Dring A NEW female-targeted ad campaign helped Wii Fit claim its eleventh GfK-ChartTrack All Formats No.1 this week – a new Nintendo record. The TV promotion features Louise Redknapp and is run in partnership with iVillage – a website which women can visit to find out more about healthy eating, getting back in shape after giving birth, and the importance of daily exercise. “Wii Fit reaches a whole new demographic of potential gamers – primarily older females – that hasn’t been accessed before,” explained senior product manager for Wii Rob Lowe. “We have used five different types of TV creative to appeal to various different audiences over the last year, along with sampling campaigns at health shows, Women’s Institute meetings and Head Office foyers. It has been a huge and

Out Now Wii Monkey Mischief is the furriest and craziest party-style game you will ever play! When the lights go out at the zoo, complete mayhem ensues! From escaping their cages, to performing crazy stunts and tricks on other zoo animals, you will travel across the zoo, competing against your friends in comical mini-games to cause the most mischief!

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This is our first completely female-targeted campaign. Louise Redknapp has been a great advocate for Wii Fit. Rob Lowe, Nintendo

varied campaign that has continued to run throughout the last year, ever since its launch in April 2008.” “This is our first ever completely female-targeted

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campaign, and we are also focusing on new mothers trying to get back into a healthy routine. Louise Redknapp genuinely loves Wii Fit, and was a great advocate

for the product – we simply captured this on camera. “We also really wanted to find a central hub where women could find out about Wii Fit within a comfortable environment – and iVillage is perfect. So far the campaign has worked very well.” To find out more on the growth of Wii Fit and the self-improvement sector, head to page 17 Nintendo: 01753 483700

Out Now PS2, PS3, X360, PC, NDS, Wii Save Earth as only a Monster can! Based on the DreamWorks Animation 3D Film, the Monsters vs. Aliens videogame puts the fate of the planet in players' hands, saving the world as only a monster can! Escape from a secret monster prison, battle inside a gaint robot, take down Gallaxhar's huge spaceship, and much more!

Capcom shines in 2009’s first quarter JAPANESE hardware and software firms ruled the UK software market in Q1 2009. According to the latest quarterly data supplied by GfK-ChartTrack/ELSPA, Capcom was the star publisher, with its PS3/360 games Resident Evil 5 and Street Fighter IV the only 2009 releases to make into the period’s All Formats Top 10. Resident Evil 5 was the best selling 360 title in Q1 – beating Microsoft's first party big hope Halo Wars. The results saw Capcom jump back into the UK’s top tenselling publisher list. The firm told MCV that its success came down to good

timing and dodging the manic Q4 2008 sales season. "We’ve seen a lot of good quality high profile games get missed over the Christmas period just simply down to the

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IV and Resident Evil 5, put a stake in the ground and built a campaign of awareness and purchase intent around it." Capcom's efforts secured it a huge chunk of market share

A lot of games suffered from the Christmas rush. We went out early this year instead. Michael Pattison, Capcom

fact that consumers only have so much disposable income to spend on video games," explained Michael Pattison, senior marketing director. "We went out early with a street date for Street Fighter

”

for the period – 4.9 per cent of the market's sales throughout the three months in value terms. It still sat behind heavyweights such as Electronic Arts and Activision, but these firms’ sales share

predominantly came from titles released in 2008. Elsewhere, Nintendo unsurprisingly scored a huge chunk of market share, as the number one publishing company and label in both unit and value terms. Its success of course had a knock-on effect for those publishing games on its hardware formats. Wii and DS formats accounted for almost half the software sold in the country – 45 per cent – during the three months to the end of March. A full run down of the ELSPA/ChartTrack charts and market share for Q1 2009 can be found on page 14

Out 1st May 2009 X360, PS3, Wii, NDS, PSP, PC Uncage Wolverine’s brutal, tragic past and discover how the ultimate weapon was created. Unleash the razor sharp adamantium claws, feral instincts and mutant regeneration power of the world’s fiercest hero.

Activision.com

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Sega serves up extensive marketing campaign as Virtua Tennis returns Publisher puts full marketing weight behind leading sports franchise to complement impending tennis buzz

SEGA IS lining up a comprehensive marketing campaign over the summer as its renowned franchise Virtua Tennis returns to shelves. Virtua Tennis 2009 will arrive on May 29th, and offers gamers a range of new features not seen in previous editions of the game, including new perspectives, enhanced online features and Wii MotionPlus support. “Virtua Tennis is the No.1 tennis franchise in video games, both critically and through sales,” said Sega’s product manager Ben Payne. “We expect our unrivalled fanbase and heritage to drive strong sales across the four different SKUs. It is the musthave tennis title for home consoles, and we’re confident it’ll do well.”

entire unique userbase – not just tennis fans.” Sega has planned a strong three-week TV campaign for the game’s release, focusing on 20-second and 30-second spots appearing on a range of sports and men’s lifestyle channels. A thorough triple-A in-store channel marketing campaign

Launching a little over a month before this year’s Wimbledon, Sega has tailored its marketing efforts to take advantage of the inevitable rising public interest in the sport that surrounds the annual event. The focus will be on a long-running online campaign.

by James Batchelor

Sega’s top tennis franchise returns on May 29th

“

We expect our unrivalled fanbase and heritage to drive strong sales across the four SKUs of Virtua Tennis 2009. Ben Payne, Sega

“We’ve teamed up with Eurogamer to have wideranging channel and homepage activity both at launch and during a certain UK-based tennis tournament in South West London at the end of June,” said Payne. “We’ve also teamed up with Sky Sports to give a strong offering to their

”

will offer a variety of POS items to retailers, while an outdoor campaign will support the online and TV ads. “Retailers can expect both casual and hardcore gamers relinquishing cold hard cash in exchange for a superb, value for money sports sim,” added Payne. Sega: 020 8995 3399

Gamestation snaps up local youth award HIGH STREET retailer Gamestation has won the Rathbone North West Employer of the Year Award. The firm’s Leigh and Chorley stores claimed the

“

most to help young people progress. “We’re delighted that our stores in Leigh and Chorley have won Rathbone’s North West Employer of the Year

Everyone at Gamestation is committed to being positive and active within their local communities. Lee Mayers, Store Manager

award, following work with the youth charity in enabling youngsters to gain a taste of the workplace. The award is designed to recognise the company that has done the

”

Award,” said Leigh store manager Lee Mayers. “Everyone at Gamestation is committed to being positive and active within their local community, and we make sure

that we do whatever we can to help give young people the tools they need to succeed. We’re really proud of our partnership with Rathbone and will continue to work closely with them in the future.” Rathbone regional director for the North Jan Pennington added: “The kinds of young people Rathbone works with have had to endure problems such as bullying and low selfesteem and so finding work can be difficult enough for them. “But now they are competing against vastly experienced people who have recently been made redundant. Gamestation is not prepared to let these youngsters become a

AWARD WINNERS: Leigh Gamestation manager Lee Mayers (right) and Rathbone trainee Kirstie Bradshaw (left) win regional accolade

forgotten generation and it is our hope that other employers follow their lead.” As regional winners, Gamestation will be short-listed for the Rathbone National

Achievers Awards in June. Rathbone is a voluntary youth organisation, which provides opportunities in education, training and employment. G’station: 020 7067 1597

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Industry soccer tournament returns to North London Gamesfives to take place at Barnet Powerleague, North London on Friday June 12th TEAMS from all over the industry will battle it out once again in this summer’s games industry five-a-side tournament. The Xbox 360 Gamesfives will take place at Barnet Powerleague in North London on Friday June 12th.

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“Hopefully this year will be as competitive as ever and another great day out for everyone to enjoy.” The tournament is open to all companies across the industry, including retailers, distributors, media and publishers.

Xbox are very excited about hosting another adrenalinepumped industry five-a-side tournament with MCV. Sam Leigh, Microsoft

Entry to the tournament is free, plus there is a free bar and a variety of prizes, medals and trophies on offer for the best teams and players. “Xbox are very excited about hosting another adrenaline pumped industry five-a-side tournament with MCV,” commented Microsoft’s Sam Leigh.

”

There are strict rules, however, to ensure that teams only use players from within their own organisations. The event lasts all day and is heavily publicised in MCV through to the tournament and beyond. Teams from across the industry can register now by pointing their browser at www.gamesfives360.co.uk.

DRING: Erstwhile staff writer is promoted to MCV deputy editor

daily basis,” said MCV’s managing editor Lisa Foster. “Chris’ promotion is well deserved and further strengthens the MCV team.” www.mcvuk.com

[IN BRIEF] EDGE: The online arm of Future’s multiformat magazine has a new editorial staff, after the previous team – headed by Colin Campbell – left the firm. Alex Wiltshire, previously deputy editor, has been made Edge Online’s editor. Tom Ivan, a regular contributor to Edge Online and its predecessor, NextGen.biz, has taken the role of news editor. XBOX 360: Microsoft has altered the terms and conditions of its three-year Xbox 360 warranty scheme to include problems related to the common E74 error. NINTENDO: The Japanese giant will launch its motionenhancing Wii MotionPlus peripheral in Europe on June 12th – six weeks before the arrival of Wii Sports Resort on July 24th.

“The Xbox team do a fantastic job with this event every year. It is a brilliant way of bringing a sense of community to the industry, but with a competitive edge,” commented MCV publisher

and Intent Media managing director Stuart Dinsey. Prizes include a £1,500 charity donation for the winning team, plus an Xbox 360 for each team member. www.gamesfives360.co.uk

MCV promotes Dring... ...as Develop expands AFTER EIGHTEEN months as staff writer, Chris Dring has been promoted to deputy editor of MCV. Dring, who is responsible for writing a wide range of content in the leading weekly B2B title including news, features and product coverage – plus providing support for MCVuk.com – takes the new role from May 1st. He will report to MCV's associate editor Tim Ingham and the games department’s editor-in-chief Michael French. “In just a short space of time Chris has become not just an invaluable member of the MCV team, but also popular and liked amongst the retailers and publishers he talks to on a

Sponsored by

MCV’S SISTER magazine Develop has appointed former Edge writer Rob Crossley as online editor. Crossley was UK online editor for the Future magazine’s Edge Online. He has also written for the likes of GamesTM, Retro Gamer and PlayStation: The Official Magazine. He joins Intent Media as part of a widening of Develop’s remit to include coverage online of the games development sector in North America and other territories around the world. “We are delighted to welcome Rob onboard,” commented editor-in-chief Michael French. “Develop

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD: The publisher’s free-roaming action title Prototype will be released on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on June 5th in Europe. KONAMI: The Japanese publisher has lifted the lid on its plans for the upcoming Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 on Xbox 360, PS3, PC, PSP and mobile phones. Alongside the Champions League, the game will now also boast the Europa League (formerly the UEFA Cup) licence.

CROSSLEY: New Develop hire

continues to go from strength to strength in both its print and online incarnations – adding Rob to the team will further support our ambitions to make it a truly global brand.” www.developmag.com

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NEWS

Konami confident Saw will be rated Publisher says it will make sure that its adult game isn’t embroiled in same legal battle as Rockstar’s Manhunt 2 by Tim Ingham KONAMI has told MCV that it is confident horror movie tie-in Saw will not fall foul of the censors when it is released in the autumn. The game takes place inside the corridors of an abandoned asylum that has been taken

“

we will ensure that the game has the appropriate rating. He added: “The market is becoming ever broader and there is plenty of room for games aimed at adults as well as more family-orientated fare.” Rockstar was caught in an epic eight-month court battle with the BBFC over the release

The market is becoming ever broader and there is plenty of room for games aimed at adults, as well as families. Peter Stone, Konami UK

over by the movie’s torturous protagonist Jigsaw – and ‘tests’ players with puzzle solving. When asked if the game risked facing the same strife with censors as Rockstar’s Manhunt 2, Konami UK general manager Peter Stone told MCV: “Saw is definitely aimed at an adult audience and

”

Konami’s video game iteration of Saw will arrive in the autumn

experience in horror games, stretching back to Silent Hill on PSOne and as recently as Silent Hill Homecoming in recent months. We have also released quite a number of games tied-in with movies over the years, so all-in-all we don't really see Saw as any great departure or change of strategy.”

of Manhunt 2, after the ratings body refused to classify the game. It was eventually cleared for release in March last year after Rockstar took the case to the High Court. Stone added: “Konami prides itself on releasing games across a broad spectrum of genres and we have a long

Konami: 0208987 5730

EEK W E H T F O N CAMPAIG OLVERINE W : S IN IG R O N X-ME CINEMA

e blockbuster of th ie ov m or aj m t The firs and is reen next month sc g bi e th ts hi year and ect of a huge PR already the subj ision . However, Activ marketing push n to mpaign of its ow ca a s ha rd za liz e-in… B -looking game ti ve si es pr im s it t suppor

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Activision Blizzard is set to capitalise on the X-men Origins: Wolverine film, with video game trailers that will be shown alongside the movie. The publisher has also extended its cinema media coverage to include other summer blockbusters, including the upcoming Star Trek movie. The campaign is aimed at broadening the game’s appeal. ONLINE AND PRINT X-men Origins: Wolverine began production before the film was even in the works, and Activision is keen to deliver the message that the game is of high quality and does not rely on the movie to sell it. The firm’s specialist print campaign for Wolverine is already

underway, and will complement its online media push. The online launch initiatives will grow closer to the Wolverine movie launch, and will be integrated with Activision’s PR activity to increase exposure. RETAIL Activision Blizzard has multiple support programmes planned for retail, as well as a variety of POS, including posters, standees and cubes. “As Wolverine is aiming to break the mould for a superhero game, we are keen to promote the title ahead of launch so have been working with retail to secure a number of support programmes,” Activision’s marketing director David Tyler told MCV. “Media expectations are for Wolverine

to be a Top 10 largest grossing box office hit of the year. We’re activating more programming as we get closer to the Wolverine movie launch to fully capitalise on the excitement around the total franchise.”

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Q1: THE OFFICIAL STATS

2009: The story so TOTAL SOFTWARE BY COMPANY (UNITS) 1

Nintendo .................................................................................13.9

2 Electronic Arts ......................................................................12.6 3 Ubisoft ......................................................................................9.9 4 Activision Blizzard.................................................................8.5 5 Sega............................................................................................6.1 6 Microsoft ..................................................................................5.3 7 THQ............................................................................................4.7 8 Sony ..........................................................................................4.6 9 Take 2.........................................................................................4.1 10 Capcom.....................................................................................3.3 WII FIT, WII PLAY and Mario Kart Wii continue to sell by the bucketload, along with Professor Layton and Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training – so it’s little surprise to see Nintendo become the top seller of Q1. Compared to the same period last year, the Japanese firm has swapped places with EA, whilst Activision, Microsoft and Capcom have all moved up the table.

TOTAL SOFTWARE BY COMPANY (VALUE) 1

Nintendo .................................................................................15.7

2 Electronic Arts......................................................................12.6 3 Activision Blizzard.................................................................9.5 4 Microsoft .................................................................................8.9 5 Ubisoft .....................................................................................8.2 6 Sega..........................................................................................5.5 7 Capcom....................................................................................4.9 8 Sony..........................................................................................4.9 9 THQ...........................................................................................3.9 10 Symantec.................................................................................3.5 NINTENDO TOPS the value table, smashing its share from Q1 last year – up from 11.5 per cent to over 15 per cent. EA has seen its share drop by over four per cent in that time, whilst Activision Blizzard’s results have grown by 2.7 per cent. Sega, Ubisoft, Microsoft and THQ have all lost over one per cent of share comparatively, whilst Capcom jumps into the Top 10.

INDIVIDUAL FORMAT CHART Wii

PLAYSTATION 3

XBOX 360

PC (ALL PRICES)

Wii Fit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nintendo

Killzone 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sony

Resident Evil 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Capcom

Football Manager 2009. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sega

2 Mario Kart Wii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nintendo

2 Resident Evil 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Capcom

2 Call of Duty: World at War . . . Activision Blizzard

2 Empire: Total War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sega

3 Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games . . . . . Sega

3 Call of Duty: World at War . . . Activision Blizzard

3 Halo Wars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Microsoft

3 Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II . . . . . . THQ

4 Guitar Hero: World Tour . . . . . Activision Blizzard

4 Street Fighter IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Capcom

4 FIFA 09. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA

4 WOW: Lich King . . . . . . . . . . . . Activision Blizzard

5 Animal Crossing: To The City . . . . . . . . . Nintendo

5 FIFA 09. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA

5 Gears of War 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Microsoft

5 C&C: Red Alert 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA

6 Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party . . . . . . Ubisoft

6 LittleBigPlanet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sony

6 Street Fighter IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Capcom

6 The Sims 2: Double Deluxe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA

7 Sonic Unleashed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sega

7 Need For Speed: Undercover. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA

7 Grand Theft Auto IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Take 2

8 Shaun White Snowboarding. . . . . . . . . . . . Ubisoft

8 Resistance 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sony

8 Guitar Hero: World Tour . . . . . Activision Blizzard

8 World of Warcraft. . . . . . . . . . . Activision Blizzard

9 The House of the Dead: Overkill . . . . . . . . . . Sega

9 Grand Theft Auto IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Take 2

9 Left 4 Dead. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA

9 Spore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA

10 Call of Duty: World at War . . . Activision Blizzard

10 Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ubisoft

10 COD 4: Modern Warfare. . . . . Activision Blizzard

10 COD: World at War. . . . . . . . . . Activision Blizzard

SEGA’S MARIO AND SONIC is still riding high in its

SONY EMULATES Nintendo’s Q1 domination of its

RESIDENT EVIL 5 goes one better on Xbox 360

A SIMILAR STORY to Q1 last year takes hold, with

third calendar year on sale – but drops down on last

own system, as Killzone outsells all others on PS3.

than it does on PS3, taking the No.1 position in the

the latest iteration in the Football Manager series

year’s No.1 position. Two first party titles, Wii Fit and

Its other big first party release, LittleBigPlanet,

top ten of Q1 sellers on the console. The highest

becoming the biggest-seller of the quarter.

Mario Kart Wii, dominate the list – two of three Nintendo titles in the Top Ten. Sega, Activision Blizzard and Ubisoft share the other spots.

continues to do well despite being released last

first-party release is Microsoft’s Halo Wars in third

Elsewhere, EA and Activision Blizzard both enjoy a

year. Capcom is the other standout performer, with

place, whilst the firm’s Gears Of War 2 claims a

trio of titles in the Top Ten, but neither firm can

two titles in the Top Ten.

respectable fifth position.

dislodge Sega from the top two positions.

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Q1: THE OFFICIAL STATS

far

The ELSPA/GfK-ChartTrack data for the first quarter of the year is in – and the industry’s not in bad shape. Tim Ingham analyses the UK’s software sales figures for the first three months of 2009...

TOTAL SOFTWARE BY LABEL (UNITS) 1

Nintendo.....................................................................................13.8

2 EA Games....................................................................................8.2 3 Sega..............................................................................................5.8 4 Microsoft......................................................................................5.2 5 Activision.....................................................................................5.0 6 Ubisoft..........................................................................................4.6 7 Sony..............................................................................................3.8 8 EA Sports.....................................................................................3.7 9 Games For Everyone.................................................................3.6 10 Capcom ........................................................................................3.3 EVEN COMBINED, the might of EA Sports and EA Games can’t undo the enormity of Nintendo’s percentage share of software sales. Sega holds onto third spot, as it did in Q1 2008 – but loses 2.6 per cent share year-on-year. Ubisoft’s Games For Everyone range climbs to ninth, after securing tenth spot last year with 2.7 per cent share.

TOTAL SOFTWARE BY LABEL (VALUE) 1

Nintendo.....................................................................................15.5

2 Microsoft .....................................................................................8.9 3 EA Games .....................................................................................8.1 4 Activision.....................................................................................6.2 5 Sega..............................................................................................5.4 6 Capcom ........................................................................................4.9 7 Ubisoft..........................................................................................4.6 8 Sony..............................................................................................4.4 9 EA Sports ....................................................................................4.2 10 Norton ..........................................................................................3.5 NINTENDO MAINTAINS the Q1 dominance it enjoyed in 2008 – but with an even more impressive result. It has seen its value share grow by over four per cent in the year. Microsoft overtakes both Sega and EA Games to take second spot – with year-on-year growth of 2.5 per cent. Capcom’s release of Resident

Evil 5 and Street Fighter 4 in the quarter sees it claim sixth spot.

PSP

PS2

ALL FORMATS TOP 10

Professor Layton & the Curious VillageNintendo

FIFA 09. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA

Wii Fit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nintendo

2 Dr Kawashima's Brain Training . . . . . . . Nintendo

2 Need For Speed: Undercover. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA

2 Ben 10: Alien Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D3P

2 COD: World at War . . . . . . . Activision Blizzard

3 Mario Kart DS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nintendo

3 Football Manager 2009. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sega

3 Call of Duty: World at War . . . Activision Blizzard

3 FIFA 09 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA

4 New Super Mario Bros. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nintendo

4 Ben 10: Alien Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D3P

4 Need for Speed: Undercover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA

4 Resident Evil 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Capcom

5 More Brain Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nintendo

5 Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . Konami

5 Tomb Raider: Underworld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eidos

5 Wii Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nintendo

6 Mystery Case Files: Millionheir . . . . . . . Nintendo

6 Lego Batman: The Video Game . . . Warner Bros

6 Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . Konami

6 Professor Layton Curious Village. . . Nintendo

7 100 Classic Book Collection . . . . . . . . . . Nintendo

7 Midnight Club: L.A. Remix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Take 2

7 Lego Batman: The Videogame . . . . Warner Bros

7 Mario Kart Wii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nintendo

8 Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games . . . . . Sega

8 WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2009 . . . . . . . . . . THQ

8 Need For Speed: Undercover . . . . . . . . . . . . EA

9 42 All-Time Classics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nintendo

9 Star Wars: The Force Unleashed . . . . . LucasArts

9 Guitar Hero: World Tour . . . . . Activision Blizzard

9 Street Fighter IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Capcom

10 Big Brain Academy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nintendo

10 Resistance: Retribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sony

10 Persona 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Square Enix

10 Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games . . Sega

THE STAGGERING supremacy of Nintendo titles on

PSP’S POSITION as a console for ‘geezers’ and

PLAYSTATION 2’S continuing popularity with kids is

WITH over 15 per cent of all cash taken by software

DS continues, taking nine of the Top Ten positions

youngsters comes up trumps for firms such as EA

evident in the best-selling software of Q1. FIFA 09

in Q1 in the bag, it’s little surprise that Nintendo has

in Q1 this year. In the equivalent quarter last year,

– which claims the two biggest sellers in Q1 with

leads, with D3P’s Ben 10: Alien Force claiming an

the biggest presence in the All Formats best-sellers

the firm claimed seven positions – only challenged

FIFA and Need For Speed. D3P, Warner Bros and LucasArts all enjoy high-flying positions with games that don’t make the Top Ten lists on other formats.

impressive second spot. Square’s Enix’s Persona 4

list. Capcom also has a healthy representation of

claims tenth spot – appealing to PS2’s more

two, rewarding its decision to break with the

significant Japan-savvy audience.

traditional seasonality of games releases.

by 505 Games and Sega. The latter’s Mario & Sonic

At The Olympic Games reappears this year.

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MCV 17/04/09 17

SELF-IMPROVEMENT GAMES

Getting better & better The self-improvement market exploded in 2008, thanks to the successful launch of titles such as Wii Fit and Cooking Guide. James Batchelor takes a look at where the sector is heading in 2009…

GAMING has gone through many changes over the years, but 2008 was most definitely when the selfimprovement and non-gaming software genre came into its own. Although traditional titles continued to break new ground and fare well commercially, any advances made were comparatively small to those made in the self-improvement market. The successful launch of games such as Wii Fit and Cooking Guide and the introduction of more practical products like Atari and Ubisoft’s driving theory test titles has expanded the scope of the genre. Meanwhile, the

“

continually strong sales of the Brain Training series inspired a significant increase in similar, less conventional games hitting the shelves. As we enter 2009, this growth shows

We are always trying to find new ways of enriching people’s lives and making people smile. Rob Lowe, Nintendo no sign of slowing. Wii Fit has consistently ridden high in the charts and the likes of recent releases My Fitness Coach and Mind Your Language have contributed in their own way to the impressive

roster of self-improvement titles that are already available. Each subsequent release proves that the demand for such products – arguably started in 2006 with the original Brain Training’s release – is hardly temporary. SHINING EXAMPLES

Having already helped to pioneer and establish this genre, Nintendo is keen to further explore the possibilities of such titles, catering to their new audience. “We are always trying to find new ways of enriching people’s lives and making people smile – and games such

”

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SELF-IMPROVEMENT GAMES

as Wii Fit, Brain Training and Cooking Guide certainly seem to do just that,” says Nintendo’s senior product manager for Wii Rob Lowe. “We’re glad that third-party publishers are also seeing success on our formats, and hope that we can all continue to find new and innovative ways to make people enjoy Wii and DS even more.” FINDING MOTIVATION

‘Self-improvement behind the scenes is the key as well’ Self-improvement isn’t just relevant to marketing best-selling software – it’s instrumental to producing it too, says Lis Welsh...

“

IN THESE difficult times of recession, when all around us companies are having to make cutbacks in staff and overheads and at the same workloads have increased due to the focus on sales and profitability, we have to ask ourselves how we can maintain levels of service and continue with the high delivery levels expected of us within this marketplace.

that which the person being mentored needs to develop. Hopefully they will emulate and learn from them. People need to be challenged and pushed to achieve and do things that take them out of their comfort zone. With the right advice and support they should come on in leaps and bounds. Don’t dwell on the screw-ups, praise their achievements. Provide coaching and feedback.

“Companies need to develop their people. Not everyone can be a superstar but everyone has greater potential inside them and can accomplish many things when given a real challenge.” It is at times like these that we need competent, well trained, experienced and reliable staff to see us through these difficult times – courage to make decisions also helps. Probably one of our industry’s greatest challenges is to rectify the under-development of its young managerial and professional staff. In my experience there is a wealth of untapped potential and when nurtured and challenged can be brought to its full potential. You don’t have to enlist in expensive training programmes or go off on ‘team building’ exercises during your own time. You simply allocate mentors to your developing talent. Choose high profile achievers within your business that have the opposite set of skills to

Companies need to develop their people. Not everyone can be a superstar but everyone has greater potential inside them and can accomplish many things when given a real challenge, the right encouragement and the support they need to succeed. Those companies that introduce ‘development’ into the foundations of their organisation will attract more talent. Hold onto it longer and perform better in the long run.

”

CONTACT Lis Welsh Search and Selections Tel No.: 01858 545355 Email: lis@liswelsh.co.uk

More and more publishers are viewing these titles as viable investments, but to drive the market forward, we need to understand the reason for the growth we’ve seen so far. “There is increasing pressure about looking good, being healthy, and generally being – or at least looking – happy,” explains Ubisoft’s UK brand manager Ombeline Wallon. “In the past few years, technology in video games has evolved so much that consoles have pretty much become part of everyday lives for a wide range of people, and this really became obvious in 2008.” Slitherine’s marketing director Marco Minoli adds: “I think it’s mainly down

“

Atari’s UK product manager Lauren Bradley points to the additional psychological benefits of these games, describing how the medium of video games frees such concepts from the pressure inherent to traditional methods for looking after your body. “It’s a much less committal way to access new forms of self-improvement, as you don’t have the same pressures or fear of failure,” she says. “Games are, on the whole, non-prescriptive and can be taken at your own pace, which is much less scary. You can be more honest with the information you give and your results as it can be private.” RECESSION-PROOF

The industry seems to be optimistic about the sector’s foreseeable future, with the general consensus that selfimprovement is a genre here to stay. Remarkably, it shows a particularly positive attitude towards the financial viability of this market. “It can be argued that self-improvement software – particularly on Nintendo formats – could be susceptible to a

More mainstream consumers are enjoying these games because they are interesting and relevant to their lives Jim Scott, Oxygen Games

to a dramatic shift towards a completely new target audience willing to have a completely different gaming experience. “New elements like social interaction, self-improvement and personal knowledge are now an integral part of our vocabulary and we need to look at our products from different angles – not solely from a pure entertainment point of view.” While this new audience is important, the fact that the mainstream appeal of video games has expanded so rapidly over the last few years is also key to the genre’s success, making it easier for publishers to raise awareness of these titles among non-gamers. “More mainstream consumers are enjoying these games because they are interesting and relevant to them and their lives,” says Oxygen Games’ CEO Jim Scott. “The games are advertised in the same places as other household brands that dominate the cereals, vitamins and yogurts sectors, as well as awareness being spread through word of mouth.”

”

reduction in family household income and confidence in the future,” says Midas’ head of sales Sam Collins. “To date, the figures suggest otherwise. It looks like the Wii is no more affected than other consoles.” “There is no reason that the selfimprovement category will be hit any more than other areas,” adds 505 Games’ senior brand manager Alex Price. “In fact, in a climate like this people may be more inclined to try selfimprovement titles.” The Stationery Office’s marketing executive Laura Searle reports that her company – which specialises in driving theory test software – has seen resilient and steady sales so far this year, proving the economic downturn has not put off learners from gaining an advantage in learning to drive. If anything, the recession makes it more important for them to study hard and pass first time, as failing and booking the test again can be a costly process.

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SELF-IMPROVEMENT GAMES

FOCUS ON: FITNESS

FOCUS ON: DRIVING

FOCUS ON: EDUCATION

Undoubtedly the major success story of 2008, Wii Fit raised the bar for all self-improvement titles that followed. Not only has it inspired publishers to explore new ideas – its concept expanded in the likes of Ubisoft’s My Fitness Coach – it also stands as a shining example of how to get those concepts to appeal to a mass market audience. “Wii Fit was a brave move into new territory for Nintendo,” says 505 Games’ Alex Price. “What it proved beyond any doubt was that consumers were not only interested in this type of content but were open to using their consoles in a new way.”

Driving theory software may have only made its handheld debut last year, and has yet to appear on consoles, but such titles have been available on the PC for many years. The Stationery Office currently publishes the only official software from the Driving Standards Agency. While this range obviously appeals to anyone learning how to drive, the firm’s Laura Searle is keen to point out it has been refined to serve another audience. “The DSA portfolio of products provides essential source material for driving and riding instructors who require the official materials to both become

While the industry is divided over whether or not current self-improvement areas, such as fitness and brain trainers, have been fully explored, several companies agree that educational titles are the natural extension of the current non-gaming boom. “Languages and indeed education have been under-exploited but the DS could lend itself to that kind of learning, with the advantages of interactivity and sounds – as has been shown on PC – as well as the portability,” says Ubisoft’s Ombeline Wallon. Lightning Fish’s CEO Simon Prytherch predicts the “integration of learning, fun and exploration as

“Wii Fit raised the bar for all self-improvment titles that followed it, inspiring publishers to explore new ideas and promote them to the mass market.”

“Driving theory software not only appeals to students and anyone else wishing to learn how to drive, they also serve the needs of instructors and trainers.”

“It is perfectly feasible that the DS could be used as a study aid for those taking exams, as well as catering for those who seek less formal qualifications.”

“It shows you can be bold,” adds Ubisoft’s Ombeline Wallon. “There is definitely the opportunity to widen the audience and engage with it if you have an innovative product that is in line with people’s interests.” Slitherine’s Marco Minoli likens Wii Fit to Guitar Hero as a successful demonstration of “creating a new device and linking it in a perfect way to a new console”. “It is all about believing in an idea and marketing it properly to that specific target audience,” he explains. “Opening new roads to explore requires courage and dedication to invest and dare to try new avenues. We should probably learn that good ideas work if they have solid ground to grow on.”

an official instructor or trainer and to ensure they are consistently up-to-date with rules of the road and testing procedures throughout their career,” she says. Avanquest has also recently released its first driving theory title, Pass Your Theory Driving Test DS, which the company has shown can be an example of how self-improvement can be connected with the real life skills – and this isn’t restricted to driving. “Publishers may also look to additional practical incentives to help push products, such as free lesson books with language software, similar to the free driving lesson worth up to £26 given away with our title,” says Avanquest’s European games director Simon Reynolds.

a great way of teaching new subjects” could see significant growth in the long term. 505 Games’ Alex Price observes that it is perfectly feasible that the DS could be used as a study aid for those taking exams such as GSCEs. The market could even cater for those seeking less formal qualifications. “Many people want to learn a new skill, but are often discouraged by having to read textbooks or attend classes,” says Avanquest’s Simon Reynolds. “This type of software removes the hassle and is more convenient due to the portability of the DS, allowing consumers to learn on the go.” While educational titles have been released in the past, the recent expansion in the gaming demographic could see the area truly take off.

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SELF-IMPROVEMENT GAMES

Similarly, Scott believes consumers will look upon games as great value for money, particularly those that are beneficial to the player, so the selfimprovement genre could stand to fare better than others. PLATFORM CHANGE

While the Wii and DS is set to continue its domination of the market, publishers are keen to see other platforms entering the fold. Development studio Lightning Fish is already working on bringing such titles to these audiences, although it recognises the challenges that need to overcome “Sony, Microsoft and other platform holders need to develop new and nonintrusive ways of interacting with their titles,” says the studio’s CEO Simon Prytherch. “It is essential to bring not only self-improvement titles, but games in general to a much wider audience.” “The Xbox 360 and PS3 have their strengths,” adds Wallon. “As their userbase widens, so does the range of

interests and passions of these users. We could see demand for self-improvement games on these platforms too.” Bradley agrees that the technology of those platforms is good enough but states that “it’s more of an attitude shift that needs to happen” before the genre can really appeal to these audiences. “Until the other platforms have penetrated the casual, female and family audiences, such titles are not going to be commercially viable on those formats,” warns Price. “With current demographics on the other platforms, a move onto these ones is not likely in the immediate future, although I wouldn’t rule it out over the next year or so.” NEW FRONTIERS

Self-improvement games and the success of key titles in 2008 has captured the imagination and attention of publishers across the board. Many are now looking to push it further. “Perhaps it will become increasingly led from a marketing perspective,”

suggests Bradley. “Games may be developed in conjunction with brands that are already well known, such as our What’s Cooking with Jamie Oliver. “The gameplay will be underpinned by the brand’s values and ideals, and will simply be part of a bigger picture.

“

daily self-improvement regime is flagging, you’ll get support from your fellow users.” But overall, the consensus is that the market stands to undergo selfimprovement of its own. PlayV’s interim managing director Luiz Ferreira believes

It’s a brand new market in itself and it has been successfully because it has been properly pioneered. Marco Minoli, Slitherine

We know this has worked in the past for celebrity-endorsed fitness DVDs.” Several firms concur that marketing and online strategies will be key to the sector’s ongoing growth. Focus Multimedia’s PR and marketing manager Grant Hughes says: “These titles lend themselves perfectly to social networking. Future titles could encourage online competition and interaction with other users. If your

”

that “only the surface has been scratched in the genre so far”. “It’s a brand new market in itself and it has been successful because it has been properly pioneered,” adds Minoli. So it is clear that the industry captured such a new audience that it needs to maintain their interest. Selfimprovement games have become so popular that publishers cannot afford to neglect them.

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