MCV535 May 1 2009

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Embark on an incredible adventure through THE SMITHSONIAN as Larry Daley, the only night guard who can control the chaos when the exhibits magically awake. Larry must free his captured friends, battle historyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greatest villains, recover a magic tablet and prevent an ancient army from taking over the world...

Top mysteries and mad adventures.

Full of sparky humour and adventure.

- Jetix Magazine -

- Official Nintendo -

5/5 - Dandy Xtreme -

t 1MBZ BT -BSSZ %BMFZ JOWFOUPS bumbling night guard at the Museum of Natural History, where the exhibits come alive at night!

t "EWFOUVSF UISPVHI 14 levels within The Smithsonian, from the Federal Archives to the National Air and Space Museum, the Lincoln Memorial and many more.

t 5BLF DPOUSPM PG PVU PG UIJT XPSME vehicles - pilot the Lunar Lander, Pitcairn Autogyro and a T-Rex skeleton.

t #BUUMF IJTUPSZ T HSFBUFTU WJMMBJOT and interact with legendary historical figures, from Al Capone to Napoleon to Amelia Earhart to Ivan the Terrible and Teddy Roosevelt.

t 3FBM 4NJUITPOJBO DPOUFOU includes trivia questions, in game audio tours and factoids.

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THE MARKET FOR COMPUTER AND VIDEO GAMES

Issue 535 Friday May 1 2009 £3.25

04 Morgan speaks GAME CEO Lisa Morgan discusses why pre-owned is more important than ever

14 MCV Award winners

International Media Partner

MCV provides a detailed run-down of the winners from last week’s event

22 Moore success We speak to EA Sports president Peter Moore on the label’s achievements

Your essential guide to Nintendo’s most exciting Pokémon game so far

EVERY BUYER EVERY BRANCH EVERY INDIE EVERY WEEK

INCORPORATING

Teversham quits Xbox for Apple Erstwhile video games strategy chief joins European office of iPhone firm after 15 years at Microsoft

by Tim Ingham MICROSOFT’S XBOX strategy boss Richard Teversham has quit the firm to join arch rival Apple, MCV can reveal.

The popular exec leaves his role as senior director of

“

education-related role at the iPod creator’s European office.

Teversham had worked at Microsoft for over 15 years. He held the role of Xbox director for platform and marketing between 2005 and 2007 before becoming strategy boss.

We thank Richard for his valuable contribution to the Xbox business. We are seeking a replacement.

Microsoft spokesperson

business, insights and strategy for Xbox, where he reported in to European VP of the firm’s interactive entertainment, Chris Lewis.

MCV understands that Teversham has accepted an

”

A Microsoft spokesperson told MCV this week: “We can confirm that Richard Teversham, director of business, insights and strategy, has taken a new opportunity outside of Microsoft. A process

TEVERSHAM: Key Xbox exec has worked at Microsoft since 1994

is underway for recruiting his replacement.

“A 15-year veteran of Xbox and Microsoft, Richard has been an integral part of the success of Xbox in Europe and in the UK. “We thank him for his considerable and valuable contributions to the Xbox business in EMEA during his time with us, and wish him every possible future success. “ Teversham was on the Board of ISFE, which manages the PEGI age ratings. It is unclear whether he will continue in this role whilst working at Apple.

Apple told MCV in January that iPod Touch was “the future of games devices”.

Microsoft has played out a global advertising war with the US company over sales of PC and Mac computers.

Sega promotes UK bosses Gerry Berkley back in games

by Stuart Dinsey

WITH GROWTH expected to continue, Sega has promoted two of its senior management and hired a new marketing director.

Alan Pritchard steps up from UK and northern territories to full European managing director from May 1st.

At the same time, erstwhile sales director John Clark is stepping up to UK managing director. Both will report in to president and COO Mike Hayes.

Meanwhile, former Atari head of marketing Amanda

by Tim Ingham

NEW ROLES: Sega’s Clark (left) Pritchard (centre) and Farr (right)

Farr has joined Sega as UK marketing director, following a successful period running her own consultancy.

Farr replaces Tina Moore, who has now left the firm, and follows Sara Grover’s

temporary spell in charge of the department.

“The management changes mean we are better equipped to run a larger operation, with a bigger portfolio,” Hayes told MCV.

FORMER Woolworths games boss Gerry Berkley has returned to the industry four months after the retailer closed, MCV can reveal.

Berkley has been appointed trading manager for entertainment at the Shop Direct Group, which owns Littlewoods, Choice and Empire Stores.

In February, Shop Direct bought the rights for the Woolworths name, which it has since used to launch Woolworths.co.uk.

Berkley left Woolworths in December last year, after the much-loved family retailer went into administration.

He was previously responsible for buying both books and video games at Woolworths, and was a prominent member of the MCV Retail Advisory Board.

PERSONNEL 32 RETAIL BIZ 35 NEW RELEASES 43 HIGH STREET 44 CHARTS 46

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[LEADER] FINALLY, A CHANGE4GOOD HAVE YOU seen the new national Change4Life TV ad? The one with the kid jiggling on a dancemat in order to stay healthy?

No, most other people in the industry haven’t either – judging by MCV’s weekly ring/email round.

Then again, you having witnessed it isn’t the most important legacy this plasticine parable will have.

Neither, thankfully, is the soon-to-be morbidly-obese kid sitting with a games pad that kicks it off.

(Although this time, the Change4Life crew at least used a generic-looking controller. Was someone just a little frightened by previous murmurings of Sony’s legal team, perhaps?).

No, the most lasting impact the ad will have will be the fact that you made it happen.

When the British Heart Foundation, Diabetes UK and Cancer Research teamed up with Change4Life to suggest gaming alone caused morbid obesity last month, you could hear the uproar from here to, well: BBC Radio 5, BBC Radio 4, The Daily Mail, The Evening Standard, The Times, Metro, Private Eye, The Guardian…

MCV has cruelly been accused of being both hysterical and self-congratulatory over our so-called ‘campaign’ to see justice done – and the subsequent blanket national media coverage achieved. Which is fine. We can take it. Only problem: it wasn’t MCV’s doing. It was EA’s. And Sega’s. And Konami’s. And Codemasters. And Atari’s. And Sony’s...

Without these voices, those few frames of a Morph lookalike prancing about on Dance Dance Revolution which mean so much wouldn’t exist.

Credit, of course, goes to ELSPA for the diplomacy and behind-the-scenes negotiation with the Department of Health that finalised the deal. But their words would have had far less impact if this put-upon industry didn’t finally say: “Enough is enough.”

The Government thought that we were an easy target they could blame complicated issues on without reprisal. Thanks to the bravery of so many of you, that’s no longer the case. Let’s keep it that way.

CRUMBLING EMPIRE CRASHES OUT IN DISGRACE When MCV broke the sad story of Empire Interactive’s demise last Friday, we weren’t to know just how much of a ‘story behind a story’ our comments board was about to unveil.

Believe us, we don’t like to be the ones telling staff they’re going to lose their jobs. It’s not a nice feeling.

And it’s not our role.

So the fact that a company email confirming Empire’s fate only went round to employees after our NewsFlash seems an absolute disgrace. The fact these same men and woman weren’t paid for eight weeks before this ugly kiss-off is even worse.

No wonder parent Silverstar is dragging its feet over confirming redundancies. Unfortunately for the US firm, the anger of these ex-employees doesn’t look like it’s going to die down anytime soon. tim.ingham@intentmedia.co.uk

GAME wards off the ‘We are the best’ says Morgan as retailer reveals record financials

by Michael French THE SUPERMARKETS might be marking their territory in games, but a confident GAME has said it is ‘constantly evolving’ to take on any increased competition.

The comments came from CEO Lisa Morgan after the GAME Group posted record end-of-year results last week,

“

comparable ‘stunning performance’ in 2008. She added that the GAME and Gamestation chains were the best retailers placed to take advantage of the demographic explosion in the industry.

“We have a fantastic and perfectly placed product proposition within our stores,” said Morgan when asked about the increasing pressures facing

We have a perfectly-laced product proposition. We are able to appeal to a broad range of consumers.

Lisa Morgan, GAME

flying in the face of the recession that is squeezing the rest of the UK High Street.

The group reported turnover at £1.97bn for the year ending January 31st – a 32 per cent gain on the previous year. The firm also managed a 67 per cent jump in profit before taxation at £126.2m.

Morgan told MCV that the Group’s success came in line with the UK games market’s

”

retail in 2009. “As we all know, the UK video games market last year saw stunning performance. And GAME within that, particularly in the UK with our dual brand strategy, is able to appeal to a broad range of consumers.”

On the competition, she said: “Because we are a specialist in this market, and because that is all we do, we are always watching the market

Tories call on MCV readers THE CONSERVATIVE Party’s Creative Industries Task Force, which examines ways in which the Government can ensure the UK remains a leader in video game development, has asked MCV’s readership to send it their thoughts on the industry’s future.

The review looks to ‘make Britain a global hub for content creation and distribution’ and is led by former BBC boss Greg Dyke. Others on the taskforce include Eidos veteran Ian Livingstone and shadow Ministers Jeremy Hunt and Ed Vaizey. It comes in reaction to the Government’s Digital Britain report from last year.

Shadow Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt backs Britsoft

Livingstone told MCV: “The Government has failed the games industry on the basis of skills, production tax credits, IP protection and even with helping to change the perception of games.

“I was delighted to join this taskforce. In Hunt and Vaizey we have two shadow Ministers who want to help the games industry prosper. This is an opportunity for us to unite and have input into the potential next government’s manifesto.”

Hunt added: “The Digital Britain process has been strong on analysis but weak on action.

With music, film, games and TV industries in the top three worldwide, now is the chance to turn Britain into the world's creative and digital hub.”

The Tory review began on April 20th.

To read Ian Livingstone’s full letter, turn to page 55

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competition Pre-owned data released for the first time Morgan acknowledges the competition is attracted to games, but is confident that GAME and Gamestation can take on all-comers

WILL THIS HALT A PREOCCUPATION WITH PRE-OWNED? GAME also detailed the size of its trade-in games business for the first time last week, saying that it accounted for 18 per of its turnover – or £353m – in FY08, with a gross margin of 38 per cent across second-hand.

This move to transparency might help stem any ill-feeling towards pre-owned games from publishers: the stat proves that 82 per cent of the retailer’s sales come from new stock.

“Pre-owned is of growing importance in our business and we thought it was important now to be transparent in order for our partners to better understand our business model,” said CEO Lisa Morgan.

“We consider pre-owned is a key component of our customer offer. Trade-in is probably more important today than at any other point in time.”

and the competition. I think it’s really important that you never become complacent – you need to have a compelling offer that is evolving constantly to ensure you are looking after customers better than anyone else. It will always be competitive because it is an attractive market to be in.”

She added: “We are best placed to take advantage of that market growth.”

Morgan reiterated the group’s cautious optimism for the year ahead, pointing out that the robust games market is “still performing really well” and could once again buck trends in 2009.

She said: “We have to be cautious given the wider issues in the market – but at the same time we have a good geographical spread, we have a customer offer that lends itself to today’s consumer extremely well and we are working hard to drive overall group profitability.

“So we are cautious but confident in the year ahead – the industry is still performing really well.”

Reeves: The UK [PRE ORDERS] leads the world TOP 10 RETIRING SCEE president David Reeves believes that the UK’s studios are creating more innovative, impressive titles than their US and Japanese equivalents.

The industry stalwart told MCV in an exclusive interview this week that he leaves Sony full of confidence that the industry has a rosy future.

Reeves retires from Sony today, after 15 years service at the platform holder.

“The industry has such a great future, and particularly in the UK,” he told us. “I would say the UK is going to be ahead of both the US and Japan in terms of creativity within two years. That’s if it’s not there already.”

Reeves joined Sony in 1995, overseeing the launch of PlayStation and established the brand in Europe. He moved back to the UK in 1999 as SVP for sales and marketing – securing an 82 per cent market share for the

UFC 2009 UNDISPUTED PS3 THQ

2. inFAMOUS PS3 ..................................................SONY

3. UFC 2009 UNDISPUTED 360 ....................................................THQ UK games studios rule the world, says Reeves

PlayStation brand in PAL territories, with over 102 markets reporting to him.

He became SCEE president in 2004.

In an exclusive interview on his time at Sony, Reeves told MCV that his most difficult time at the firm came around the launch of PS3 two years ago.

“PlayStation 3 launched after the competition, after other regions and at a high price,” he said.

“But we’re starting to come up trumps now.”

To read our full interview with David Reeves, please turn to page 12

4. THE SIMS 3 PC ........................................................EA

5. WII SPORTS RESORT WII ............................................NINTENDO

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

7. GHOSTBUSTERS 360 ..................................................ATARI

8. GHOSTBUSTERS PS3 ..................................................ATARI

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

10. OPERATION FLASHPOINT 2: DRAGON PC........................................CODEMASTERS Week ending April 25th Source: SHOPTO.COM

[MARKET VALUE]

ELSPA ‘delighted’ by new Govt ad £15.8m ELSPA has expressed its joy over the Government’s new Change4Life TV ad, which praises the role of active games as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Change4Life’s previous print ad drew fire from games industry companies such as EA, Sega, Codemasters and Atari. It depicted a young boy playing a console under the tagline: ‘Risk an Early Death.

Just Do Nothing.’

The new Change4Life TV ad, which aired last Friday, urges families to make sure their kids have 60 ‘active’ minutes each day, and gives camera time to ‘games in which require kids to move about’.

DANCING HAPPY: New Government ad shows that ‘active’ video games can play a key role in the healthy lifestyle of children

Director general of ELSPA Mike Rawlinson told MCV: "We have been working with the DoH for some time and are delighted that the Minister listened to what we had to

say. Games can be a part of a healthy lifestyle.”

ELSPA held discussions with the Department of Health and the three NGOs involved in the offending print

ad – Cancer Research, Diabetes UK and the British Heart Foundation – following its publication last month.

Minister for public health Dawn Primarolo added: “Active video games, where kids need to jump up and down or dance about as part of the game, are a great way to get kids moving more.

“Little bits of activity like this, throughout the day can easily add up to the 60 active minutes kids need. But our survey shows that at the moment our kids just aren’t getting up and about enough.”

The new ad was created by Aardman Animations.

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

£31.8m

£24.8m

£15.8m

1,306,014 Units

1,118,632 Units

758,122 Units

Week Ending April 18th

Week Ending April 25th

0 Week Ending April 11th

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

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Square says Japanese rivals have missed cheap route into Europe Wada thinks that pressure is on rivals Payback expected by 2012 Phil Rogers to run Eidos as subsidiary

EIDOS MAY have cost over £84m, but Japanese companies could be forced to pay even more for inferior targets in the US and Europe.

That is the view of Square Enix global president and CEO Yoichi Wada, following his company’s successful swoop for the onetime darling of Britsoft. The firm, which also owns Taito, is desperate to increase sales outside of Japan.

“

“The Japanese market has stagnated,” Wada told MCV. “We want to be the leaders and to do that we need to improve in the US and Europe.

“We are a perfect match with Eidos. Other companies will not be able to find such a good arrangement.

“Could Capcom now merge with Take 2? Absolutely not. It would not work and they would always be arguing.

Eidos is a missed opportunity for our rivals.”

Could Capcom now merge with Take 2? Absolutely not.

Eidos is a missed opportunity for our rivals.

Yoichi Wada, Square Enix

Eidos revenues will swell the group immediately to total annual sales of well over £1 billion. However, Wada’s ambition is to compete at the very top of the global publishing business, with the likes of Electronic Arts and Activision Blizzard, in terms of size.

“

by Stuart Dinsey

Eidos chief executive Phil Rogers will run the company as an independent subsidiary, whilst Japan considers if any surgery is required.

“We are happy with this marriage and of course you always think your bride is the most beautiful woman in the world,” added Wada.

Phil Rogers (right) will run Eidos independently as Wada (left) looks to increase Square’s UK and US sales

“But let’s just say that our bride has a bit of a cold at the moment.”

Square expects Eidos IP such as Tomb Raider and Hitman to help drive the

company forward and offer a return on its investment quickly.

“We would not have taken this decision to buy Eidos unless we thought that we could get our investment back

within two to three years. If we had thought it would take five years, for example, then we wouldn’t have made the acquisition.”

Eidos: 020 8636 3000

Damnation to rejuvenate shooter genre PUBLISHER Codemasters has vowed to ‘breathe new life’ into the overpopulated shooter market, with its steam-punk action title: Damnation.

The game, which is being developed by Blue Omega, is scheduled to hit shelves on May 22nd on PS3, 360 and PC. And Codemasters is confident that the game’s open world environments and vertical and acrobatic gameplay will appeal to action fans tired of the same old experience.

“The shooter genre has been done to death by games,” said brand manager Leon Sanders.

“In the past, gamers will have shot everything from evil Nazis to crazy space marines, both from a third and first person viewpoint. The one thing that has always remained the same is the corridor-like, one-dimensional plain that is always offered to the player.

“Damnation literally turns this idea on its head. With its mix of verticality, frenetic gun fights, daredevil acrobatic stunts and steam-punk styling, we expect Damnation to genuinely excite fans of the popular, but overcrowded, shooter genre.”

Codemasters is also ensuring awareness for Damnation is high, with a dedicated print, online and in-store marketing push.

“In terms of marketing, we have a print advertising campaign running in both specialist and consumer media, which runs parallel with an online campaign that includes seeding across a broad range of key networks,” added Sanders.

“In-store we have partnerships planned for purchase incentives, in-game item give-aways, and in-store presence through POS.” Damnation will be backed by an online, in-store and print campaign

Codemasters: 01926 814132

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HOTLIST

DSGi running scared of Best Buy ChartTrack boots retailer off panel as firm hides sales figures from new competitor

by Tim Ingham DSGI HAS locked down its sales figures on core products as it looks to hide vital information from emergent retail giant Best Buy – leaving GfK-ChartTrack with no choice but to ban the firm from its panel.

The retailer, which owns PC World, Currys and Dixons, told GfK-ChartTrack last week that it could only submit ten per cent of its weekly sales data, and that it would not release any information about PC hardware, software and peripherals.

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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.

DSGi didn’t want people knowing the sales of their core product. We’ve had to drop them from our panel.

John Pinder, GfK-ChartTrack

However, GfK-ChartTrack told MCV that fellow retailers have been warned and are satisfied with its decision.

GfK-ChartTrack MD John Pinder told MCV: “DSGi has a new policy about restricting

DSGi is concerned that releasing sales data would leave the firm ‘exposed’ to rivals such as Best Buy

”

data to external agencies. They only wanted to give us around ten per cent of their data, which was for areas in which they’re not very strong.

“They didn’t want people knowing the sales of their core

product. We can’t allow retailers to pick and choose what they show us – otherwise we’ll end up with a chart of the worst-selling products rather than the bestselling. We’re obviously disappointed we have had to drop them from our panel as they’re well known in games.”

MCV contacted DSGi to ask if their decision had been a direct reaction to Best Buy’s

imminent arrival in the UK. An official spokesperson said that the retailer did not comment on “rumour and speculation regarding our commercial relationships.”

However, a source close to DSGi admitted that the firm felt “exposed” by the figures – and that it was concerned by Best Buy’s ability to monitor its weekly sales.

DSGi: 0870 850 3333

Mega marketing push for new Pokémon THE LATEST Pokémon game will attract new and established fans when it arrives on May 22nd, according to Nintendo.

Pokémon Platinum has already shifted 2.4m copies in Japan, and the format-holder expects the evergreen franchise to repeat the success in the West. Platinum features a number of new features, and arrives after the successful debut of the Nintendo DSi. “The huge success of Nintendo DS and now Nintendo DSi with a combined install base over nine million will open the Pokémon franchise up to a new audience that may never have experienced Pokémon games

in the past,” said Nintendo’s senior product manager for DS James Honeywell.

“We aim to make Pokémon accessible to this audience and hopefully we will gain new fans in the process.

“Overall this will be one of our biggest releases this year, with full year-long promotional activity planned,” he added.

“We hope that with the launch of the greatest Pokémon game

so far that we can open this series of games to a much wider audience and ensure its success for the next ten years.”

A two week preorder campaign has recently run on TV, driving awareness over six weeks before the release date. A variety of retailers are also boasting key promotional merchandise as an incentive to those ordering the game in advance.

“This unprecedented sort of activity will ensure a successful launch for Platinum,” continued Honeywell.

Plus, an even bigger twoweek campaign aimed at housewives and kids on all multichannel and major terrestrial stations will also run on TV during launch, backed with a wide-reaching online campaign.

Nintendo also expects to run another of its popular summer tours for Pokémon fans later this year.

“Our planned activity for Pokémon Platinum is not just limited to the launch period,” added Honeywell.

May 2009 X360, PS3, PS2, Wii Guitar Hero’s most explosive game yet!

Take to the stage as Metallica, with the band fully motion captured, and on some of their most iconic stages. With 28 of Metallica’s definitive tracks, plus 20 guest acts - and with the new ‘Expert+’ mode, that supports 2 bass pedals, you can drum like Lars or play as the full band. This May, rock with Metallica to an explosion of metal!

Out Now NDS and PS2 Pack your bags and grab your keys... you’re about to race in cities around the world, where style matters more than anything else! Take control of street-racing competitions, from London to Paris, from the Hills to the ‘Hood. Pimp out your ride with brand new customisations and equipment upgrades... and rip up the road!

Nintendo: 01753 483700

Activision.com

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Lionsgate eyes up publishing role Film distributor targets casual games market New third party deals in the works after Saw agreement

by Christopher Dring LIONSGATE is set to join the ranks of movie companies working in the games industry, by producing casual titles based on the firm’s popular TV and film IP. The independent movie distributor is responsible for hit franchises including Crank, Rambo and Saw, and is

“

but one deal we’re working on involves digital casual and mobile gaming.

“I think a lot of our film and television properties have the potential to reach out to the casual gaming crowd, as this is an area of gaming that is continuing to grow and grow.

“We are always looking for new revenue streams, to be based on new IP we have

We are looking at how we can leverage the properties that Lionsgate owns in the world of video games.

Curt Marvis, Lionsgate

looking to establish relationships with video game developers and publishers.

“We are examining how to leverage the existing IP we have copyright over and placing it into the world of video games,” said Lionsgate’s president of digital media Curt Marvis.

“I’m less convinced there is a market for console games,

”

ownership of. We are an active observer of the games business. We haven’t made any decisions as of yet, but we are keenly interested in the games space. And we look to develop more in that area as we go forward.”

Lionsgate’s popular movie horror franchise Saw is set to arrive via Konami later in the year on 360 and PS3.

CRANKING UP ITS AMBITION: Lionsgate digital boss Curt Marvis (left) is keen to make money from the likes of movie Crank (above)

However, Marvis isn’t convinced tie-in video games are always a recipe for success: “I don’t believe movie properties necessarily translate into a good game,” he said.

“Gamers only care about the game, they don’t care if it’s based on a hit film or not. So

console movie-based titles haven’t seen the success many people may have expected.

“But I think this isn’t true of casual gamers, who are perhaps more interested in games based on movies.”

Lionsgate Entertainment: 001 310 449 9200

Creative agency Fluid expands and rebrands DESIGN & advertising agency Fluid has refreshed its corporate image and boosted its website, as it expands its workforce.

The Birmingham firm works with the likes of Sony Entertainment, Capcom, Warner Bros Interactive, EA Games, Codemasters and Sega on creative campaigns. Recent promotions it has worked on include House of the Dead Overkill, F.E.A.R 2, Batman LEGO and MadWorld.

It has adopted the new mantra ‘never not creating’ to complement its refreshed image.

“It’s not necessarily about change so much – rather a continual process of

evolution,” explains Fluid creative director James Glover.

“Even when you’re a wellestablished company, I believe it’s crucial to take the time to thoroughly examine your practice, to ensure you remain fresh and relevant to the current climate.

“We’ve got a vast amount of experience and a fantastic inhouse creative team, and we feel our new website and rebrand is more reflective of this combination.

“It’s about offering an honest representation of what your company stands for at that moment in time, and for us it’s summed up in our new ethos, ‘never not creating’.

“This notion of expertise combined with a fluid approach that produces endless possibilities.”

The firm has recruited a new communications and development manager, Josie Davis, to oversee the rebrand and assist with the expansion.

“As a creative agency it’s easy to forget that communication is a huge part of developing the effectiveness of the business,” added Glover.

“Josie will be working strategically to ensure the industry is aware of the work we produce and the global capabilities of our infrastructure.”

Fluid: 0121 212 0121

GLOVER: Fluid boss believes his firm’s new rebrand will “offer an honest representation of what our company stands for”

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Sponsored by

Carphone Warehouse ups gameplan Mobile phone specialist to expand in-house video games offer to 40 stores this year

[IN BRIEF]

by Christopher Dring

SONY: Promising-looking PS3 title inFamous is set to arrive later this month on May 29th.

THE CARPHONE Warehouse has moved into video games retail, and plans to increase its presence ahead of the arrival of Best Buy early next year.

The High Street chain launched five of its new ‘Wireless World’ stores in November last year – and MCV understands that 40 more will be added in the UK this year.

Each store features other products to accompany the firm’s mobile phone line-up, including iPods, laptops, TVs,

“

EA: Tiger Woods 10 and EA Grand Slam Tennis will come with Nintendo’s new Wii MotionPlus accessory bundled in the box. Both SKUs with MotionPlus will retail for £49.99. Meanwhile, EA has confirmed that Double Fine Productions’ upcoming Xbox 360 and PS3 outing Brutal Legend will be released in the UK on October 16th.

There will be 30 or 40 Wireless World stores coming over the next financial year – selling games and consoles.

Carphone Warehouse

consoles and video game software and peripherals.

“We have been offering consoles with certain mobile phone contracts for some time, but more recently we have been selling console hardware,

A DYING BREED?: Some traditional Carphone Warehouse stores will be refitted with the chain’s new ‘Wireless World’ concept

”

some games, laptops and even flat screen TVs in certain larger stores, such as our Westfield store,” explained a Carphone Warehouse spokesperson.

“There will be about 30 to 40 of these new Wireless

World stores coming over the next financial year – a mixture of brand new sites and refits on existing stores.

“As our store concepts evolve we will broaden the range of our products, which will include game consoles and game sofware.”

Last year The Carphone Warehouse was boosted following a £1 billion deal

with Best Buy, which saw the American chain acquire 50 per cent of the business.

As a result of the deal, Best Buy is preparing to open 30 stores in the UK throughout 2010. A Carphone Warehouse insider told MCV that these would offer a ‘strong presence’ for video games.

Carphone Warehouse: 0845 604 1207

Nintendo: HMV event could be huge NINTENDO reckons that HMV and UKeSA’s June expo Game On! could be the largest consumer games event of 2009.

The comments came as the format holder pledged to exhibit at the show, which takes place on June 20th and 21st at London’s Olympia.

Over 20,000 are expected to attend the event, which will mix an expo for publishers with an eGames tournament.

David Yarnton, GM of Nintendo UK, commented: "We are delighted to be a part of Game On! London – it’s exciting to see a UK consumer event in the Capital again this year, and we are encouraged

by the positive impact this could have on the industry.

“Nintendo UK has a lot to offer this coming year and we’re particularly enthused by

“

Chief executive of UKeSA Ray Mia added: “Nintendo are having a truly fantastic year, particularly with the launch of the new DSi. Game On!

We want to work closely with HMV to make Game On! the largest UK consumer games event this year.

David Yarnton, Nintendo

UKeSA’s inclusive policy towards all areas of gaming and how we can work closely with HMV to make this the largest consumer games event in the UK this year."

”

London attendees will have the chance to see the latest games in development for this and the massively popular Wii.” HMV this week detailed the costs for those consumers

planning to attend. The event costs £8 a ticket, which can be bought from hmv.com and selected HMV stores. 50p from each ticket will be donated to the children’s cancer charity CLIC Sargent.

Tim Ellis, head of games for HMV, said: “Game On! London is attracting a huge amount of interest, and I’m delighted Nintendo are the latest big name to sign up. It’s shaping up to be a great event.

“It will also be an ideal opportunity to spotlight our charity partner, CLIC Sargent, and to draw attention to the role that games and gaming can have in motivating and energising young people.”

WARNER: The publisher has confirmed that it will release LEGO Rock Band on Xbox 360, PS3, Wii and DS this year. The game is targeted at the younger user, with songs such as Blur’s Song 2, Carl Douglas’ Kung Fu Fighting and Europe’s classic The Final Countdown.

MICROSOFT: A new Xbox 360 Arcade bundle has been announced. The console now includes Sega Superstars Tennis, and has a retail price of £139.99.

BETHESDA: Fallout 3 DLC packs Operation Anchorage and The Pitt will be bundled together in a retail pack for both Xbox 360 and PC formats. The bundle is priced at a bargain £14.99.

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

MOBILE.MCVUK.COM

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NEWS

EA zones in on market share UK boss Ramsdale talks up new releases – and sets sights on Activision Blizzard with renewed sales push Will Freeman THE PAST YEAR was ‘not great’ for Electronic Arts – and the firm is gunning to grab back market share from rivals Activision and Ubisoft this year.

That’s according to UK boss Keith Ramsdale, who has boasted of EA’s ‘amazing lineup’ for the next 12 months.

“

have an amazing line-up for FY10 – we are going to take back market share. That’s our aim and certainly our belief, and we are onto a very good start.”

EA is scheduled to release new sports titles such as EA Sports Tennis and EA Sports Active this summer.

Speaking at EA’s Spring Showcase, Ramsdale said that

We have an amazing line-up for FY2010. It’s our aim and belief that we are going to take back market share.

Keith Ramsdale

“FY09, which I have to say thankfully has just finished at the end of March, wasn’t great for us,” he admitted.

“It’s well recorded. We feel incredibly optimistic about FY10. Thank heavens for FIFA in FY09 – it would have been worse without it. We really

Ramsdale: “FY09 was not great for us. Thank heavens for FIFA”

“We also have a vision for online as to how consumers are going to play,” he said.

“We see that consumers go and buy packaged goods versions of, let’s say FIFA, but they may well increasingly download a digital version.”

EA Sports picked up the prestigious Grand Prix prize at the MCV Industry Excellence Awards last week.

EA Sports president Peter Moore flew in to collect the gong. He paid tribute to Ramsdale’s “bold leadership” in his acceptance speech.

England star Wayne Rooney filmed a special presentation to congratulate the label on its success.

To read our interview with EA Sports President – and MCV Award winner – Peter Moore, turn to page 22

”

the company’s new strategy would involve more focus on Nintendo Wii, with a “much broader” sports offering than in previous years.

Ramsdale also revealed that since the ‘EA Sports Season 09’ kicked off players have played half a billion EA games online.

Future Publishing overhauls PC Gamer PC GAMER HAS been redesigned for its 201st issue, due out next week.

Publisher Future says the new look for its flagship PC gaming title is ‘its most

“

better reflects the wide, diverse and online-centric PC market.

Future has been careful, however, to ‘retain the unique brand of sardonic humour which made PC Gamer the

It’s important that PC Gamer not only reflects fundamental changes going on but shows leadership as well.

Richard Keith, Future

comprehensive design overhaul’ since it launched in 1994. The magazine was last redesigned in 2004.

With a new logo and ‘clean, visual-led layout’, the team behind the new design says it

”

UK’s bestselling PC games magazine’. From now on the magazine will boast an increased features slate, covering ‘everything to do with PC gaming’, including technology and hardware

trends, as well as the latest news about online worlds.

And as the traditional PC games market faces decline, the title is also widening its review remit to give indie-developed digital-only releases the same attention as traditional boxed product.

“We have a duty to our dedicated readers to produce a magazine that reflects the way they feel about their hobby,” explained Ross Atherton, editor of PC Gamer UK. “The new-look PC Gamer takes fun seriously with an adult, high-quality design that matches the mature nature of PC games. We’re never afraid to address the big issues that affect PC gamers today and tell

them what they need to know.

That said, the sense of humour that’s always been our trademark is present and correct, and we’re always ready to have a laugh at the expense of anyone who forgets that gaming is all about fun.”

Future publisher Richard Keith added: “These are exciting times for PC gaming and it’s important that PC Gamer not only reflects the fundamental changes going on but shows leadership as well.

“The monthly print title is the cornerstone of the global PC Gamer brand and the changes being made will be reflected online and across our associated brand extensions in the coming months as we

REFRESHED: The new-look PC Gamer will feature more MMO and hardware news

diversify the brand beyond it print heritage.”

Issue 201, the first to boast the new look, goes on sale on Thursday, May 7th.

Future: 020 7042 4000

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MCV INTERVIEW DAVID REEVES, PRESIDENT, SCEE

The ‘Station master moves on The Sony PlayStation stalwart – and provider of classic soundbytes – retires from Sony this week. Tim Ingham has one last chat with David Reeves…

“JOE, THE boss of my local taxi Without wishing to offend mini-cab company, told me: ‘David if ever you operators everywhere, David Reeves’ wanted a quiet life, you can come and talents may be a little wasted work for me. I know you’re a very transporting folks from Guildford to careful driver – your wife tells me so...’” Woking of a Thursday night.

He might be retiring after 15 years at A Cambridge graduate in Natural Sony PlayStation, but three minutes into Sciences, he went on to complete a our verbal kiss goodbye and David Reeves Ph.D in Chemical and Astrophysics and has already proven that he hasn’t lost his an MBA in marketing. He joined Sony ability to chuck a surreal curveball into an in 1995, setting up and managing SCEE interview when necessary. companies in Germany, Austria and Except this time, it’s not a histrionic Switzerland (Reeves recalls his team metaphor about PS3, nor a cheeky “organised everything, from the pugilistic broadside at the competition. photocopiers to the desks”).

He’s half-serious.

After overseeing the launch of “I’ve taken so many taxi rides from PlayStation and establishing the brand in Joe in the past 15 years,” he adds. “I Europe, he moved back to the UK in said to him: ‘So long as I’m on days and 1999 as SVP for Sales and Marketing – not nights, I’ll consider it.’ It’s the only securing an 82 per cent market share job I’ve been offered since announcing for the PlayStation brand in PAL my retirement. That’s the truth.” territories, with over 102 markets By laughably pondering a new career ferrying the I honestly don’t want to come public around Surrey, of back as chairman of company course, Reeves skillfully X. But I’d happily be an dismisses internet rumours linking him to a host of industry spokesperson. other posts. It’s the latest David Reeves, Sony in his armoury of tactics to backhand difficult press enquiries. reporting to him. He became president (Those of you waiting for him to of SCEE in 2004 and his midas touch announce a consultancy role at Scottish didn’t desert him – yet he also endured developer RealTime Worlds will be his most testing times. disappointed to hear that he’d never “The last three years have been quite heard of the studio until hearsay began). tough,” he admits. “Economically, we’ve had a high priced PS3 and some very WHY SO SERIOUS? strong competitors. We’re just starting As a man who can impart more sage now to see what the Government advice on this industry than most – and Ministers would call ‘green shoots’. a master of dealing with a dogmatic “In addition, PlayStation 3 launched press – Reeves has a few tips for those after the competition, after other regions industry execs who will fill MCV’s and at a high price. But we’re starting to interview pages in future. come up trumps now.”

“Do media training, and do it with Reeves says his most difficult someone who is absolutely ferocious,” he quandary was negotiating with God says. “I did it with someone called Neil himself – via the Bishop Of Manchester Bennett and he tore me to pieces several – back in 2007. Sony invoked the fury times. It was like being interviewed by of the Church of England, after the Paxman. It really worked. likeness of the city’s Cathedral popped “Oh, and don’t take yourself too up in Resistance: Fall Of Man. seriously. Believe me, even though you’re Following a number of public, upfront called ‘president’, it’s not long before discussions between Reeves and the you’re ‘former president’. I’ll probably Church, the controversy disappeared. turn up to the SCEE reception desk next Then, of course, there was month and no-one will know me. You ‘Goatgate’. In the same year, The Mail have to maintain a sense of humour.”

On Sunday screamed ‘Slaughter’ from

“

REEVES ON… THE MODERN GAMES MEDIA “The quality of the reporting within the media is really good these days.

It’s no longer sensational. It sticks to the facts, but makes it exciting. MCV could come out with something that in some ways is Guardian-ish, a little cerebral, next Friday and people would enjoy it. You and others are starting to include that sort of thing more and more and it’s great. There are a lot of people out there that really like it. I’ve never underestimated how difficult it is to try and get the answers out of us you want. I think we should change roles occasionally. Stuart Dinsey should come and work at Sony for a couple of weeks. Actually, maybe not.

Who knows what he’d find out.”

its front page – above a story slamming Sony PR for using a ‘decapitated goat’ at a ‘sickening’ party to promote God Of War in Greece.

“I wouldn’t say it was a joke, but it wasn’t far off,” Reeves recollects. “Ten days later, I was informed that it wasn’t even a real goat – it was a stuffed one.

They couldn’t even find the butcher.”

BABY, COME BACK

A daunting intellect, incredible success in the European games business and the ability to deal with unfair and pugnacious national journalists. It’s not MCV’s place to rob the world of taxicab operators, but surely a part-time industry representative role awaits?

“I think that’s a good suggestion,” Reeves affirms. “I honestly don’t want to reinvent myself and come back as chairman of company X. I’ve done that – the reason I’m retiring to do different things. There are already some very good industry spokespeople, but I’d be quite happy to do something like that if asked.”

If Reeves did take a role at, say, ELSPA, what would he feel the industry still needed to achieve?

“We require much closer dialogue with Government,” he asserts. “When we get odd hiccups or we’re blamed in the press, we need to remember there are people within the Government who understand that we are a major employer – especially for the young. It’s important we work on that relationship.”

Fifteen minutes pass in a flash, and MCV’s last ever interview with David Reeves draws to an end. We dive under the PR radar for one last question: Do you have any parting message for the UK games trade?

“Within this wonderful industry we have such a wide variety of talented people,” he says.

“Some of them are highly creative, some of them are highly emotional. As it stands, we have such a great future.

Just don’t change.”

We won’t. The place really won’t be the same without you.

Joe, taxi for Mr. Reeves please.

”

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MCV INTERVIEW DAVID REEVES, PRESIDENT, SCEE

REEVES: “We need much closer dialogue with Government”

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All Shook Up Elvis might have opened the show, but the real stars at the MCV Awards last week were the 12 different companies that took home key prizes. The event once again honoured the efforts of the UK trade over the last 12 months. Here we showcase the winners, their reactions, and highlights from the nightâ&#x20AC;Ś

SPONSORS Event Partner Retail Category Partner

Pre-Drinks Reception Partner

Video Partner

Pre-Drinks Reception Partner

Games Publisher Award Partner

Drinks Reception Partner

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MCV 01/05/09 15

GRAND PRIX: EA SPORTS

“This is the first time I have been to this event, having got the magazine for several years and seeing the photographs… all of which have been censored by the time it gets to me.

This event is a fabulous event, and I wish we had something like this in the US. I really want to thank everyone from our console partners at Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft, and obviously our retail partners in the UK. I’d like to thank the bold leadership of Keith Ramsdale at Electronic Arts UK. Most of all I’d like to thank the 1,400 people in the EA Sports team who help develop, bring to market and sell EA Sports games. On behalf of everyone at EA Sports, thank you very much.

Peter Moore, EA Sports

RAB SPECIAL RECOGNITION: ANDY YATES

“It's such a humbling experience. When I look back to when I joined Nintendo back in 1996 all the talk was about Ultra 64 – which became the N64. So I’ve seen people, consoles and retailers come and go, but what hasn’t changed is my love for Nintendo, and my respect and passion for the industry.

I thank the Retail Advisory Board for this award, it’s very special. Those of you who know me will know how proud I am to be standing on stage tonight.

Andy Yates, Nintendo

ONCE AGAIN the MCV Industry Excellence Awards intro video – featuring a number of well-known faces from the UK trade – has gone down a storm on YouTube.

Search for ‘MCV Awards 2009’ to find the video itself. Thanks to PMA for their great work.

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RETAIL

Sponsored by

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STAR STORE RETAIL INNOVATION STORE MANAGER ONLINE RETAILER HIGH STREET RETAILER ONLINE RETAILER PLAY.COM

RETAIL INNOVATION HMV GAMERBASE

STORE MANAGER MIKE BARNES AND PEARL ROBINSON

“Thanks for the Award, we have a really great team here. And here is to winning the award next year as well.”

Nick Simpkins, Play.com

HIGH STREET RETAILER GAME

“There’s a lot of people we’d like to thank, most of you know who you are. But I’d like to dedicate the award to the man who was there at the beginning, the ex-director general of ELSPA Roger Bennett.”

Dominic Mulroy, HMV

STAR STORE GAMESTATION: BIRMINGHAM NEW STREET

“We’re thrilled to win. Our aim is always to have a shop which customers love to come in and come back to.

However, we couldn’t do this without the great team we have at Oxford Street; they help us make the store a special place to work and shop.”

Mike Barnes & Pearl Robinson, GAME Oxford Street

“On behalf of the teams, I’d like to thank all the publishers for their support over the last year. I’d also like to congratulate the commercial teams and all the teams behind GAME that have made this possible.”

Tricia Brennan, GAME

“I’m the store manager and I’d like to thank everyone at Birmingham New Street for all their hard work. This is much appreciated, thank you very much.”

Lee McLaughlin, Gamestation

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MCV 01/05/09 19

PR AND MARKETING l

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PR TEAM GAMES CAMPAIGN NEW GAME BRAND MARKETING TEAM MARKETING INNOVATION PR TEAM NINTENDO

GAMES CAMPAIGN WII FIT

MARKETING TEAM NINTENDO

“I would really like to thank MCV and the judges. I’d also like to thank the team at Red and the rest of the UK team.”

Rob Saunders, Nintendo

NEW GAME BRAND

“We are very surprised. We’d like to thank all the teams involved – and Louise Redknapp for getting up the duff and doing our campaign on the cheap.”

Rob Lowe, Nintendo

LITTLEBIGPLANET

MARKETING INNOVATION NEW XBOX EXPERIENCE

“Thank you very much.

Thanks to all the teams and thank you to Sony UK for supporting us.”

Siobhan Reddy, Media Molecule

“I want to thank the team in Redmond and all the developers who worked on the project. And thanks to all who voted for us.”

Mo Farley, Xbox

“Thank you very much everyone. A real nice surprise. We’re a woman down, because Dawn [Paine] has had a lovely baby boy.

Thanks to PR and most of all our wonderful sales team.”

James Honeywell, Nintendo

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UK DEVELOPMENT TEAM DISTRIBUTION TEAM GAMES PUBLISHER SALES TEAM SALES TRIUMPH UK DEVELOPMENT TEAM ROCKSTAR NORTH

DISTRIBUTION TEAM CENTRESOFT

PUBLISHER ACTIVISION

“Thanks to all those who voted for us – and to the guys at Rockstar North who I am proud to acccept the award for on their behalf.”

Neil Stephen, Rockstar Games

“We want to say a big thank you to our publishing partners, retail partners, and to all those back in Birmingham who couldn’t make it. Thank you.”

Margaret Pearson, Centresoft

SALES TEAM SEGA

SALES TRIUMPH FALLOUT 3 – BETHESDA SOFTWORKS

Sponsored by

“Thanks ladies and gentleman. This is a great honour. The industry has had a challenging year so this is pretty gratifying in that context. We’d like to thank our staff; the integration with Blizzard was a challenge, and I think everyone played a great role. Especially sales, marketing, some unsung heroes in the finance team, and all our retail partners. It was much appreciated.”

Andrew Brown, Activision

“We are absolutely delighted by this, it is fantastic. Thank you to everyone who voted for us, everyone at Sega, Centresoft, all the retailers – and most of all the retail team and Clare Hawkins.”

John Clark, Sega

“We're accepting this on behalf of Todd Howard at Bethesda’s games studio. So thanks to MCV and the family at Golden Square who made this possible.”

Paul Oughton, Bethesda

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MCV INTERVIEW PETER MOORE, PRESIDENT, EA SPORTS

A man for all seasons EA Sports president Peter Moore was recently in the UK to pick up the Grand Prix accolade at the MCV Awards and host a series of events introducing titles such as EA Sports Active, FIFA 10, Tiger Woods 10 and EA Grand Slam Sports Tennis to the industry. He also found time to talk to Dave Roberts…

What would you pick out as the highlights, either in terms of strategy or products, from your first 18 months at EA Sports?

Strategy-wise I think what Wii was doing was a challenge to us, but you’ll see that the next round of products has a very strong focus on that format.

We’ve also really ramped up what we’re offering online and through DLC. I’m very proud of Active, I pushed hard for Tennis, as well, so I’m very pleased with that, and pleased that we have all the Grand Slam tournaments in it.

But mostly I’m proud of the quality of our games. Whether it was justified or not, there were question marks in that area, and last year every franchise had Metacritic increases of between two and six points.

Can you tell us how big EA Sports is as a standalone business, and what sort of growth you’re experiencing at the moment?

We’re proud of the fact that we’ve been a billion dollar business for quite a while, and the growth will come from new business. We have our core business, which is FIFA and Madden, but the growth will come from new IP, and we have a lot of that lined up.

Fight Night we count as new business because it’s not iterative, and we’ve just shown Fight Night 4 and got a great reaction. Active has a huge opportunity to be, right out of the traps, a very large and sustainable business.

Tennis, well, it’s the first time EA’s ever done tennis. It’s also the first time John McEnroe has ever been in a game.

Tell us about the shift in emphasis that’s seen you prioritise Wii. You can’t ignore the guy who’s got half the business now. So we’ve had to adapt our franchises and our messages.

We’ve been used to using graphics as the selling point for the latest FIFA or Madden. The Wii can’t deliver that, but we’ve come to learn how to adapt to the motion. We had a slow start and maybe we were leading on Xbox 360 and PS3 a few years ago and not paying enough attention to the Wii. Tiger, EA Sports Active and Tennis will have a strong focus on the Wii. Both Active and Tennis are exclusive – although Tennis will be on Xbox 360 and PS3 later in the year.

We’ve built teams now that have Wii experience, they’re probably working on their third iteration of Wii What do you think is games and we’ve learnt We had a slow start on Wii, behind that? some hard lessons about maybe we were leading on We put a real focus on how to make our licenses Xbox 360 and PS3. But that’s getting all of our engines and our gameplay relevant all about to change. up to speed, getting our to the Wii consumer.

Peter Moore, EA Sports PS3 games up to 60fps, It’s not about the detail spending more time on in the shirts and being able polish. But perhaps most importantly we It’s also important that we have all four to smell the grass anymore. It’s about listened to feedback from the consumer; grand slams in there. And we’re fortunate having fun and how the games feel. making sure we put in feature sets that that Nintendo’s working closely with us resonated with them. with Wii MotionPlus. We’d do well with How did Active come about and FIFA’s probably the best example: Be the Wii Remote, but MotionPlus gives it how important do you think it will A Pro, 10 vs 10, more recently FIFA that extra axis of sensitivity, plus we’re become for EA Sports?

Ultimate Team as a download; those able to bundle it with the game and give I’m very proud of Active. And I’m very things are basically the dev guys reacting a discount that makes it half price. cognisant of some of the abuse gaming to what consumers are saying to them.

Active is the one that I’m probably gets, particularly here in the UK – And that ties into something else I’m most bullish about and which I think people saying games are bad for you, really proud of, which is how we talk to will give us the most growth. especially in the tabloid press and most our consumer. Two or three years ago at Then of course we’re only 12 months especially the Daily Mail. So it will be EA Sports we treated development as a away from a World Cup year, which we important from that point of view. dark art. Maybe three months out we’d always have great fun with.

Active is also the first game that I was let some screenshots be seen, but then The other aspect is online. FIFA around for its creation. It’s been very it was a massive launch when everything Ultimate Team generated millions of interesting to think about how EA was announced and shown at once. dollars and nobody else has just hosted Sports starts talking to female consumers.

Now we’re encouraging the developers their 500 millionth game within their This is more than a new franchise. I to talk and listen throughout the brand. Sport is competitive and call it a new platform. We’re delighted process. If you go on our forums you collaborative, it has to be online and as it doesn’t canabilise our existing will see healthy debates raging 24 hours you have to update the content. We business. I’m not making a FIFA consumer a day, 365 days a year between our have the greatest to gain online and the choose between products. This is a wife, consumers and our development teams. growth we’ve seen is showing that. girlfriend, mother market.

“

”

We spent a lot of time on how to build that brand architecture. It’s bigger than a product, it’s bigger than a brand.

In the teeth of a recession, having a personal trainer in a box at $59.95 is a really good deal.

Think of expansion packs: a sportspecific version, core-abs workout, yoga.

And we can build and release other peripherals around it. But we wanted a core fitness product first.

We’re also announcing new retail channels for this over the coming weeks.

Where can we go with our brand? Stay tuned on that, and think along the lines of this is more than a game.

You must have been delighted with the FIFA ’09 story…

The team did a great job. They doubledowned and went early on a new engine that was way ahead of what our competitor was doing. And whilst that was expensive three years ago, I think it put us 18 months ahead of them. It was too big a business not to invest in, and in the last year we sped past our rival.

But, I’ve worked for a Japanese company, I know what the pride level is and I know how they can apply development resources. Commercially we have raced ahead, that is true. We have put some distance between us, but they’re still in the rear view mirror.

Was tennis the last big gap in the EA Sports portfolio?

When I came in we started talking about it, but we wanted to get the grand slams and that hasn’t been done in a long time. It was crucial to get Wimbledon in and complete the set. We did that and then we looked at it and thought, what would be the magic little edge? And we decided John McEnroe was, so we aggressively went after him.

Virtua Tennis ships before us, but we think we’ve got an advantage with the grand slams, we’ve got an advantage with McEnroe and we’ve got an advantage because we’ll be bundling MotionPlus.

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MCV INTERVIEW PETER MOORE, PRESIDENT, EA SPORTS What do you think of the idea that the days of proprietary boxes are numbered, and the future being Cloud-based offerings like OnLive?

The current consoles are something of a hybrid, with hard drives as well as disc drives, but discs aren’t going to disappear yet. OnLive is unproven, but it’s an intriguing concept and we’ve stuck our hand up and said ‘we’re interested’.

Your old Sony adversary Phil Harrison said recently that he thinks the generation being born around now will never purchase physical media. Do you agree?

He’s probably right. Whether it’s five or ten years from now, our grandchildren will laugh at the fact that we used to buy a disc with data on it and add it to a collection of lots of other shiny discs.

Finally, who’s been the sports star you’ve most enjoyed meeting?

Probably Tiger. Some of them you meet and you can see how they get their reputation and some of them you’re surprised by. With Tiger, nobody has been more impressive or professional and on a global basis there’s no bigger star.

AN ALL-STAR SQUAD EA Sports Active Wii May 22nd EA Sports leaves its comfort zone with its new female-targeted fitness franchise.

EA Grand Slam Sports Tennis Wii, 360, PS3 June 12th EA’s first foray into the tennis sim includes all grand slams, Wii MotionPlus and John McEnroe.

Tiger Woods 10 PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, X360 July 3rd Expectations are high for the Tiger Woods sequel following the success of last year’s title.

Fight Night 4 PS3, 360 June 26th EA photorealistic boxing experience returns and features legendary boxer Mike Tyson.

Madden NFL 10 Wii, 360, PS3, PS2, PSP August The latest Madden races into town this August, with a big focus on online innovation.

FIFA 10 TBA FIFA 2009 sold over 10 million copies, so watch out for the soon-to-be-announced sequel.

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DA Y

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Entertainment Industry’s Annual

Charity Golf and Spa Day

G O LF

AWARDS DINNER in association with Games Aid

EVENT TIMINGS

GOLF & SPA DAY PARTICIPANTS INCLUDE

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 - 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 - 22:15 Speeches and Awards 22:15 - TBC

Comedian

01:00

Bar Closes

The Grove Golf Club, Chandlers Cross, Herts 14th May 2009 The 2009 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!

If you are interested in sponsoring or participating, contact Richard Stickler on 01279 822832 or at richards@gem.co.uk

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.

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MCV 01/05/09 25

MCV INTERVIEW JOHN CLARK, SEGA UK SALES DIRECTOR ALAN PRITCHARD, SEGA EUROPE NORTH MD

x THE SEGA EMPIRE: Pritchard (right) and Clark (left) have enjoyed strong sales during the first half of 2009

Sega’s superstars Sega UK’s sales team claimed an MCV Award last week after impressive performances from House of the Dead and Empire: Total War. Christopher Dring speaks to Sega UK’s Alan Pritchard and John Clark about what retail can look forward to over the next six months…

Looking back at your first quarter, what would you say were the highlights for Sega?

Alan Pritchard: Without a doubt Empire: Total War. The sell-through in the first weekend made this the fastest selling Total War game to date and consequentially took it to No.1 of the All Formats Charts.

We have also seen good solid performances from Sega Mega Drive Collection on PS3 and Xbox 360 and House of the Dead: Overkill on Wii.

“

John Clark: Our performance has been great. We’re in the top six publishers without launching a multi-format title.

Maintaining catalogue sales and delivering strong new releases continues to provide a healthy platform for us.

Why did you release your latest software in the first quarter as opposed to the traditional key periods of Easter and Christmas?

AP: Sometimes it can be advantageous to avoid the cluster of titles pre-Christmas

JC: The first quarter allows a solid release schedule to breathe. Christmas and Easter are not only high footfall periods but are campaign heavy.

February and March releases allow for improved shelf visibility.

The PC market is in decline.

But when titles like The Sims hit shelves, they can still command strong sales.

Empire: Total War was a big hit upon release.

Why do you feel the game has managed to be such a success Alan Pritchard, Sega when other PC titles have struggled? and going head-to-head against so many AP: It is a fact that the PC market is in triple-A annualised releases that account decline. In 2008 there were a number for so much of the pre-Christmas sales. of triple-A PC titles that didn’t materialise.

The cost of media can also be less in When games like The Sims, Total War February and March, which can also and Football Manager do hit the shelves help gain an increase in awareness they are still able to command strong and mindshare. sales compared to the previous iterations.

”

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MCV INTERVIEW JOHN CLARK, SEGA UK SALES DIRECTOR ALAN PRITCHARD, SEGA EUROPE NORTH MD With regards to Empire we should also not discount the appeal of the franchise, the depth and quality of the game (review scores averaging 95 per cent) plus the additional content that was available to drive pre-orders.

JC: There are a very small number of ‘event’-style PC titles. Critical acclaim and commercial success doesn’t always go hand-in-hand but, when you have a strong franchise coupled with compelling content the chances of success are increased.

The success of House of the Dead shows that there is an adult contingent on Wii. And with so many adult titles on the horizon, do you feel this market could grow during the latter half of 2009?

AP: There is certainly a reasonably healthy proportion of the Wii market that has an appetite for more mature titles. We will need to see the outcome

“

performance of new IP with high cost development budgets. The development team behind Bayonetta at Platinum Games formerly worked on the Devil May Cry series, so ensuring awareness is high with the Devil May Cry fanbase will be key to Bayonetta’s initial success.

JC: New IP will always be risky, and as technology develops and costs increase, the risk does not reduce. Bayonetta as a new IP is underpinned by a proven, successful developer and a proven, successful publisher. If the content succeeds it’ll be great for the industry as it should inspire developers to drive creativity and for publishers to support it.

Aliens Vs. Predator is a big name next-gen FPS. Could this be Sega’s answer to Halo or Call of Duty?

AP: We are really excited about this product. It’s a superb licence and we are working with a world class developer, so watch this space.

There is virtually no area of retail untouched by change, from supply routes, structures to new retailers.

John Clark, Sega

of further releases to ascertain if the growth continues or whether it is the same consumers purchasing these titles.

JC: It’s more about having the right game on the right platform at the right time. We’re committed to offering broad choice to consumers and our portfolio reflects this.

Looking ahead at your upcoming line-up, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is the clear headliner. How key has this franchise become for Sega?

AP: We are aiming for this to be the No.1 Christmas title for 2009.

JC: Thankfully we’re not a ‘one game’ publisher but, if we were it’s a great game to have.

New IP has been a risky business for publishers. How vital are titles like Bayonetta to the continued growth of the games industry?

AP: Many publishers including ourselves have had issues with the

”

JC: There has been a great level of coverage in the press so far for this title since its initial announcement, which is really encouraging. Obviously we will be supporting Alien vs. Predator with a triple-A campaign.

The retail landscape is evolving all the time, with retailers coming and going and buyers moving around.

What are your thoughts on games retail in 2009, and what developments most interest you?

JC: There is virtually no area of retail or distribution untouched by change: supply routes, ownership, personnel and structures, new initiatives, new retailers and so on.

Add to this the current economy and you’d be pushed to find comparable periods over the last ten years. What is Sega most interested in? There is no single entity, our commitment to release games with broad appeal continues and so our approach to support wide availability at retail will continue. What is happening at retail means that we too must evolve. It is a great challenge.

COMING SOON… VIRTUA TENNIS 2009 May 29th The latest in the popular tennis series boasts Wii MotionPlus support, and impressive online options. Read more about Sega’s new sports sim on page 36.

THE CONDUIT June 26th A lot of hype surrounds High Voltage’s visually impressive first person shooter, which claimed numerous awards at last year’s E3 expo.

LET’S TAP Summer Developed by the creative minds at Prope, Let’s Tap is an intuitive and inventive Wii party game that’s already garnering plenty of critical praise.

BAYONETTA Late 2009 Sega’s latest new IP comes from the talent behind Devil May Cry and Resident Evil, and is sure to delight hardcore and action gamers alike.

PLANET 51 November 2009 With the film and game being worked on by two sister studios, this is by no means your typical kids movie tie-in. Look out for both at the end of the year.

MARIO AND SONIC AT THE WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES Christmas 2009 The last Mario and Sonic has sold well over two million units and is the biggest third party Wii title. Could its sequel be this year’s Christmas No. 1?

ALIENS VS. PREDATOR Q1 2010 The Rebellion-developed FPS allows gamers to play as human, Alien or Predator. The game is set to be one of the first big next-gen hits of 2010.

VANCOUVER 2010 2010

Beijing 2008 is Sega’s most successful 360 and PS3 title, and the publisher will follow that up next year with its official Winter Olympics tie-in.

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MCV 01/05/09 29

FRANCHISE FOCUS: GHOSTBUSTERS

Who ya gonna call?

As one of the world’s most beloved film franchises celebrates its 25th anniversary, James Batchelor takes a look at why bustin’ still feels good enough to warrant a major video game release…

GAME ON: Atari has already heavily promoted its Ghosbusters title at trade and media events

THE 1980S spawned hundreds of movie franchises that have faded into the obscure realm of nostalgic memory.

Despite initial bursts of success, very few have achieved the following, the renown and the ongoing popularity of Ghostbusters.

The cry of “who ya gonna call?” is still recognised today, parodied by the likes of 118118 and Citroen in commercials, and the films are regularly shown on television – a sign of the public’s love for reliving the classic series.

The reasons for the films’ legacy are numerous, including the comic timing and chemistry of its main cast, that theme tune, the unique presentation of a family friendly film with one foot in the horror genre. Sony Picture’s vice president of licensing Mark Caplan also attributes the success to the franchise’s simple premise.

“The popularity stems from the strong original

“

theme: regular guys coming together to save the world from ghosts – what better ‘play pattern’ could there be?” he says. “The amount of people still committed to the franchise is amazing.”

Ghostbusters is also set to make its mark on the modern games industry with the release of Atari’s Ghostbusters: The Video Game.

“In this time of celebration around the franchise, the game is being released on We have been working June 19th, and it’s being closely with the movie guys released in conjunction to ensure everyone is talking with Sony Pictures’ Blu-Ray version of the about Ghostbusters in June. movie,” says Atari’s vice John Galloway, Atari president for the UK 2009 marks the 25th anniversary of and Ireland John Galloway. “Sony the original film. In addition to the Pictures have a heavyweight campaign movie’s debut on Blu-Ray and various planned, which will incorporate the new major licensing video game into their advertising agreements, and cross-promotional activities – and vice versa.

“We have been working closely to ensure that everyone will be talking

”

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FRANCHISE FOCUS: GHOSTBUSTERS GHOSTBUSTIN’ GAMES While Ghostbusters: The Video Game is by far and away the most advanced game to bear the licence, it is not the first time gamers have been able to don the boiler suit and proton pack: Ghostbusters (1984): The official companion game released

by Activision alongside the movie on such formats as the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Atari 2600, Master System and NES. The title saw players earning money by completing objectives around the city.

The Real Ghostbusters (arcade) (1987): Based on the cartoon series and later ported to a range of consoles, including the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum. Up to three players could work together battling waves of monsters and ghosts.

Ghostbusters II (1989): Released on a range of consoles alongside the second movie, this game followed the events and storyline of its namesake. It was later released on NES and Game Boy in 1990 with minor changes.

Ghostbusters (1990): Unrelated to the original 1984 Activision release, this Sega title was a run-and-game offering developed specifically for the Mega Drive and saw three of the original four Ghostbusters fending off an invasion from the ghost world.

The Real Ghostbusters (1993): A Game Boy release that put players in the role of Bill Murray’s character Peter Venkman. The game had a much more puzzle-orientated focus with Venkman navigating his way through a series of ghost-infested mazes.

Extreme Ghostbusters (2001): This Game Boy Colour title was the first Ghostbusters game to be based on the Extreme Ghostbusters cartoon series. Players took on the role of the new characters, each with their own abilities, and learnt to defeat and capture ghosts.

Code Ecto 1 (2002): The next entry in the Extreme Ghostbusters series was released on GBA and combined platforming and shooting with races in the iconic Ecto 1.

The Ultimate Invasion (2004) A Time Crisis-style outing on the original PlayStation, where gamers used a range of weapons to take out ghosts and monsters on a series of increasingly difficult missions.

Ghostbusters: The Game (2009) MCV readers can expect to read our in-depth look at this year’s release in two weeks’ time.

BUSTIN’ OVER THE YEARS about Ghostbusters in June. We forsee that people will be reminiscing about the movies in pubs and offices. The kids will love the experience that they’ll get from watching the newly improved version of the movie on Blu-Ray and playing the game.”

Caplan adds: “We have several licensing partners on board for the anniversary, delivering all sorts of cool products, including apparel, toys, collectables, costumes, and comic books, The public awareness surrounding Ghostbusters has always been high, but with such attention set to peak this year, it’s the perfect time to offer new

“

Ghostbusters team in a way that has never been done before.”

MAKING THE GHOST OF IT

A third Ghostbusters movie was often rumoured after the success of the first two films, and was even said to be in production at one point.

The imminent arrival of the Atari video game has once again evoked demand for further ghostbusting, although the publisher is hoping the game should go some way to satisfying the fans.

“This is essentially the third movie – it has been completely written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis and forms a

The game lets fans interact with the Ghostbusters team in a way that’s never been done before.

Mark Caplan, Sony Pictures

experiences in addition to celebrating old ones. Not only are Atari and Sony Pictures set to satisfy the appetites of established fans, they are also keen to expand Ghostbusters’ audience.

“This release will give people an opportunity to enjoy Ghostbusters in a new and exciting way, as well as introducing the property to a whole new generation,” says Caplan. “The game’s story is set up to take place two years after the second movie, so it offers fans a whole new adventure and a way to interact with the original

”

brand new chapter in the Ghostbuster series,” says Galloway.

“Never has a cast from a mega movie come back within a video game to tell a new story. We have full studio support and the key ingredients of Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Ray Parker Jr, the Ecto 1 and Alyssa Milano.”

Sony’s Caplan is optimistic about the game’s success and where it could lead.

He says: “We would hope to do more games based upon the property and inspire the making of another film.”

1984 The first Ghostbusters film appears in cinemas. It takes over $500 million in the US and becomes one of the highest grossing films of the year.

1986 The Real Ghostbusters first appears on TV. The animated series runs for five years and spawns two comic series.

1989 Ghostbusters II debuts, setting a new record for opening weekend at the Box Office. Like the first film, it becomes one of the highest grossing films of the year.

1997 Extreme Ghostbusters, a sequel and spin-off to The Real Ghostbusters, airs. It follows aspiring Ghostbusters working under an aging Egon Spengler.

2008 Ghostbusters becomes the first film to ever become officially available on a USB flashdrive.

2009 In June, Ghostbusters celebrates its 25th anniversary with the release of a Blu-Ray edition of the first film and the launch of Atari’s Ghostbusters: The Video Game.

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Sponsored by 32 MCV 01/05/09

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PERSONNEL

Sainsbury’s Gurdeep Hunjan to manage games Exec promoted to games manager Bastion’s Ward joins Warner Bros Lunch PR promotes De Souza SAINSBURYS GURDEEP HUNJAN has been promoted to games manager.

The supermarket exec already has several years of experience with the supermarket and the games industry, having previously served as Sainsbury’s DVD/games buyer.

He will now be solely responsible for video games and related products. All of the retailers’ games buyers now report to him.

Hunjan has also joined the MCV Retail Advisory Board and will be contributing key information and opinion to our editorial offering.

GAME ON: Hunjan drops DVD to manage Sainsbury’s games team

He joins other RAB members such as Asda’s head of games DUNCAN CROSS and Tesco’s games buying manager JOANNA HUNT, also a new addition to the Board.

LUNCH RAMONA DE SOUZA has been promoted from account assistant to account executive at Lunch PR. Her promotion follows a busy run-up to the Christmas sales period, which saw her working across a wide range of triple-A titles from the likes of Ubisoft and Sega, reporting to account director LUCY STARVIS. Lunch PR’s managing director DANIELLE WOODYATT said: “We have seen a real progression in Ramona’s work and ability, and are pleased to reward this with her promotion.”

BIGPOINT German firm Bigpoint continues its international expansion with the appointment of SIMON GUILD as chairman of the Board. Guild has previously served as president and CEO of MTV Networks Europe.

“I am proud to be able to support such a young and successful company,” he said.

“The innovative browser games that Bigpoint is developing and distributing have enormous international market potential and we will continue to expand in the future.”

WARNER Former Bastion exec MARK WARD has joined Warner Bros Interactive as UK PR manager, bringing 13 years of experience to the company.

He said: “This is a really exciting time to be joining Warner Bros. and with titles like Terminator Salvation, Scooby Doo, The Clique and Lego Battles, 2009 is going to be a huge year. They’re a great team and I’m looking forward to playing my part.”

“We are delighted to have Mark on board,” said WBIE UK’s head of games SPENCER CROSSLEy. “He brings a wealth of PR experience to Warner.”

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S | Disney Interactive | Konami | Nintendo of America Inc. | Atari, Inc. | Logic3 Square Enix, Inc. | Southpeak Games | TOMY | Sonic Games Inc. Namco Bandai Games America Inc. | Bethesda Softworks | Digital R | Natsume | Game Source | GrafďŹ ti Entertainment | E Games for Less KOEI Corporation | Playseats | TOMY | Eidos Interactive | CH Products C

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RETAILBIZ RECOMMENDED GAMES PRICE CHECK CHARTS NEW RELEASES FUEL Codemasters’ off-road racer screeches onto shelves

Page 36

WITH THIS ISSUE Nintendo shows off Pokemon Platinum – the update to the multi-million selling Pokemon Diamond/Pearl on Nintendo DS

VIRTUA TENNIS Sega’s flagship sports sim benefits from Nintendo’s Wii MotionPlus technology

P38

TERMINATOR: SALVATION P40 Skynet’s cyborg assassins return in this GRINdeveloped movie adaptation UFC 2009 P42 THQ brings the no-holds-barred fighting pursuit to Xbox 360 and PS3 DYNASTY WARRIORS: STRIKEFORCE P42 Koei brings the latest in its historical fantasy franchise to Sony’s PSP with this action-RPG NEW RELEASES P43 MCV publishes the full list of all the games coming to retail over the next couple of weeks HIGH STREET P44 We interview Norwich indie Spacestation and print the results of our latest onine poll

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RETAILBIZ: FUEL 36 MCV 01/05/09

King of the racing genre Codemasters releases its latest multi-terrain petrol-fuelled romper…

WWW.MCVUK.COM

by Tim Ingham

According to its creators, FUEL contains the ‘biggest racing environment ever created’. And all 5,000 square miles of it (that’s the same distance as London to central Zimbabwe, fact fans) presents players with a no-boundaries playfield inspired by America’s most awe-inspiring landscapes.

the non-stop excitement of the game that will appeal to a broad range of WHAT’S THE biggest area you’ve ever players from racing gamers to fans of driven round? The M25 on the way extreme sports and anyone in between. home? A fully fledged race track on a “One of the aspects I’m most excited company ‘team building’ weekend? about is the ability of players to free Your monied mate’s field? roam the massive environment with What about 5,000 square miles of their friends online, race against them wildly differing terrain? In and create their own races the sort of super-powered using the race editor and FUEL slots into Codemasters’ vehicle that would have throw out the gauntlet to racing portfolio in the most Chelsea Tractors their friends list. I can see ‘adrenaline rush’ category. cowering for shelter? online friends competing It’s on a truly epic scale.

We didn’t think so. It’s to create the most crazy not really possible. But we and challenging races for Edd Newby Robson, Codemasters bet you’ve fantasised about months after release.” it. And we bet most of your young male “FUEL stands out from the crowd The terrain in the game’s stunning customers have as well. with its extreme weather effects, environment ranges from deep snow to Which is why Codemasters has made massive open world and huge variety of lush forests, all presented in the a game to satisfy such a dream. And, in race experiences and vehicles to choose exceptional manner you’d expect from turn, why video games are still better from,” explains brand manager Edd the company that brought Colin McRae: than reality.

Newby-Robson. “It’s this diversity and DIRT and Race Driver: GRID to market.

“

”

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MCV 01/05/09 37

FUEL’S GOLD Codemasters has enjoyed some rare enthusiasm from UK press in reaction to previews of FUEL. 360 magazine said ‘this could be the 360’s answer to Motorstorm’, whilst PSM3 asserted that FUEL was ‘special’. Even the notoriously fussy Edge eulogised: “It’s entirely possible that FUEL will be recorded in the annals of gaming history as a dramatic leap forward.”

Communications executive Pete Webber explains: “Press have really bought into FUEL. From its announcement at Leipzig last year, through studio visits where the Asobo development team’s talent and passion really shone to ongoing hands on coverage to date, the way in which FUEL both pushes the racing genre forwards technically whilst still delivering killer gameplay has really resonated with specialist media.”

FUEL takes that standard one step further, offering motorised acceleration addicts a hi-octane experience that will get hearts racing.

“As part of the established Codemasters racing portfolio, FUEL slots right into the ‘adrenaline rush’ category – everything about the game is extreme and of epic scale and I’m fully expecting the game to go down a storm with existing Codies fans and newcomers,” adds Newby-Robson.

The sandbox environment offers a host of two- and four-wheeled carriages to tackle routes that would knacker the beefiest of everyday motors. Roadsters reach extraordinary speeds on the asphalt, monster trucks steam-roller through forests and dirt bikes scramble down mountainsides.

There are, of course, short cuts to be had for those happy to risk virtual life

SKID MARKS: FUEL offers racing fans 70 vehicles to choose from

and limb – and for real daredevils, a beautiful reconstruction of the Grand Canyon to take on.

Throw in a hazardous weather cycle and intelligent day/night tableau, and FUEL becomes a must-have title for those who like nothing less than a ‘quiet drive’.

“A 70-vehicle line including bikes, muscle cars, quads, trucks, buggies and more are perfect for competing against each other across wildly different terrain, yet all share hugely rewarding arcade handling,” explains Codemasters communication executive Pete Webber.

“Add extensive online options, including 16 player races and we’re confident we’re delivering an absolutely unique proposition.”

Codemasters is communicating and driving awareness of FUEL through a cross media campaign centred around

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lifestyle and extreme sports titles both in print and online. This will be supported by events sponsorship and a robust specialist advertising campaign.

“A large-scale PR effort will support this strategy, with some attention grabbing stunts planned,” adds Webber.

“A retail in-store campaign both on the High Street and online will feature various pre-order campaigns, front of store space and co-operative marketing opportunities.”

Expect this one to tear up the charts when it’s released later this month.

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RETAILBIZ: VIRTUA TENNIS 2009 38 MCV 01/05/09

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VIRTUAL REALITY: Sega’s latest tennis title is its most realistic yet, with full MotionPlus support for the Wii edition

Sega is set to serve up another critical and commercial ace this month with the return of its highly rated tennis sim, complete with a very special Wii edition…

by Christopher Dring TENNIS AND video games have gone hand-in-hand since Atari helped jumpstart the games industry with Pong back in 1972.

Pong was the first in a long history of classic tennis simulators, from Tennis on the NES, to Namco’s Smash Court Tennis, 2K’s Top Spin, Nintendo’s Mario Tennis, and of course the endlessly popular Wii Sports tennis.

Yet one of the most acclaimed tennis franchises is Sega’s Virtua Tennis series, which first appeared in the arcades in 1999 with a Dreamcast edition arriving a year later.

The game was a massive critical and commercial success, and spawned several sequels. The most-recent title, Virtua Tennis 3, continued the tradition of critical admiration and big sales when

“

it landed on Xbox 360, PS3, PSP and PC back in 2007.

And now Sega is set to unleash its most promising Virtua Tennis game yet: Virtua Tennis 2009, which is under development at Sumo Digital, the talented team behind last year’s hit Sega Superstars Tennis and 2007’s Virtua Tennis 3.

Retailers can expect casual and hardcore gamers to relinquish cold hard cash for a superb sports sim.

Ben Payne, Sega “Virtua Tennis is the number one tennis franchise in video games, both critically and through sales,” explains product manager Ben Payne.

“We expect our unrivalled fanbase and heritage to drive strong sales across the four different SKUs that we will be

releasing in May. It is the must have tennis title for home console owners, and we’re confident it’ll do well.”

The 2009 edition boasts a plethora of gameplay refinements and additions that are certain to excite gamers. The title contains all the new players, licences and courts a tennis enthusiast could dream of, with an updated match engine, allowing for improved volleying, service and net action.

Players set to star in Sega’s much-anticipated sequel includes Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Maria Shaparova. And they will be joined by licensed content, such as the ability to play in the Davis Cup. Virtua Tennis 2009 also features a full online mode, with web rankings and online career mode, 23 well-known players, an impressive player creation

”

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RETAILBIZ: VIRTUA TENNIS 2009 WWW.MCVUK.COM

MCV 01/05/09 39

SERVING UP SALES As one of Sega’s premier franchises, Virtua Tennis 2009 will be backed by a huge, summer marketing push, with a focus on online and TV. Online For the internet, Sega has teamed up with Eurogamer for wide ranging channel and homepage activity both during the game’s launch, and the Wimbledon tournament in June. The publisher has also worked with Sky Sports, giving Virtua Tennis a presence across its website, and not just in the tennis section of the portal.

NEW AND IMPROVED: The Virtua Tennis match engine has been upgraded, allowing for improved net moves, service and volleying.

TV As is usual for a big Sega launch, Virtua Tennis is set for its own strong TV marketing campaign. The TV ads will be 20 and 30 seconds in length, and will hit a range of sports and men’s lifestyle channels and programming. The campaign is set to begin from Monday before the title is scheduled to hit shelves, and will last for three weeks.

In-Store The company has promised “a thorough triple-A in-store channel marketing campaign” for Virtual Tennis 2009.

Outdoor: Sega is set to support its TV and online spend with outdoor activity, which is designed to drive as many consumers into stores as possible.

system, as well as 12 mini-games for either single or multiplayer action. And the Wii version is also enjoying plenty of hype, as the product is set to be the first to make use of the Wii MotionPlus.

“The all-new over the shoulder camera angle brings a totally new direction to the tennis gameplay experience,” adds Payne.

“And that’s as well as a full online gaming experience, Wii MotionPlus support and an extensive player roster.

It is the only complete tennis gaming experience out there.”

VISUAL ACE

Virtua Tennis 2009 is also an attractive game, with realistic visuals, 3D crowds, and a crisp and clear presentation. And although the Wii can’t quite handle the graphics of its Xbox 360 and PS3 counterparts, it’s still a pretty looking title, and best of all the Wii version features all the content, modes and

RELEASED: MAY 29 FORMATS: WII/360/PS3/PC PUBLISHER: SEGA DEVELOPER: SUMO DIGITAL PRICE: VARIOUS DISTRIBUTOR: CENTRESOFT CONTACT: 0121 625 3817

options that 360 and PS3 fans will come to enjoy on release, making it one of the most comprehensive Wii tennis games on the market.

When you consider the game’s massive production values, its incredible heritage and its timing to coincide with the summer (and indeed Wimbledon), then retailers can expect Virtua Tennis 2009 to be one of the first big video game releases of the summer.

Payne concludes: “With Virtua Tennis 2009, retailers can expect both casual and hardcore gamers to relinquish cold hard cash in exchange for a superb, value for money sports sim.”

SUPERSTARS: The likes of Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are all playable in Virtua Tennis 2009

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RETAILBIZ: TERMINATOR: SALVATION 40 MCV 01/05/09

RELEASED: MAY 29 FORMATS: XBOX 360, PS3, PC PUBLISHER: WARNER BROS/EVOLVED GAMES DEVELOPER: GRIN STUDIOS PRICE: £34.99 - £39.99 DISTRIBUTOR: CENTRESOFT CONTACT: 0121 625 3896

WWW.MCVUK.COM

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RETAILBIZ: TERMINATOR: SALVATION WWW.MCVUK.COM

MCV 01/05/09 41

Armageddon approaches as Skynet’s army of machines begin to wipe out humanity. In Warner Bros’ Terminator: Salvation, players take on the role of the one man who can stop them: John Connor…

by James Batchelor

third-person perspective.

That’s not to say the series’ penchant for memorable vehicle chases has been ignored – players will often be asked to man a gun turret in order to protect a rugged armoured vehicle as it speeds through the battlefield.

There is even the opportunity to don a Terminator-based mechanical battle suit and view the world from a Terminator’s point of view, complete with the classic red-tinted HUD. Of course, as with the films themselves, the human survivors aren’t the main draw. Instead, fans will be more interested in their mechanical enemies, which truly encapsulate why the Terminator franchise has become so widely loved.

“The machines are the real stars, and they are very different to anything you’ve

ARNIE ALWAYS promised they’d be back and, you know, he was on to something.

The Terminator franchise has expanded well beyond the original movie, spawning three sequels and various outings in the realms of gaming and graphic novels. Now the series returns to the silver screen in Terminator: Salvation, and what better way to prepare for the end of humanity than with a game of the same name?

Focusing once more on John Connor, the involuntary leader of the resistance against Skynet’s armies, Salvation dispenses with the prevention of Cyberdyne’s folly and the resultant disaster of Judgement Day. Instead, it tells of the war between man and the machines alluded to in the films, and the game puts players on the The ruthless Terminator frontlines. machines here are the real However, Warner Bros stars. They resemble is keen to point out the Transformers on steroids. game is not a simple Phil Lamb, Warner Bros retelling of the movie, but a new story that fans of the Terminator lore have been seen in the franchise before,” says Lamb. waiting for since the original film in the “Skynet has not yet managed to evolve ‘80s: the early stages of the war for the cyborgs to the standard of the classic survival.

‘Arnie’ T-800 but the bulkier T-600s still “It is not a straight adaptation of the have that iconic, red-eyed skeletal glare. film per se as it offers the backstory to “Other machines include the autothe film by setting it two years before in bikes, Hunter-killers and gigantic 2016,” explains Warner Bros’ product harvesters from the movie – manager Phil Lamb. which resemble Transformers on “The humans are in disarray and just steroids – as well as a number of fighting to survive in small pockets machines that have been specifically where they can: the resistance is in its developed for the game.” infancy and John Connor is just a grunt Warner has prepared an extensive – he’s not the leader yet.” marketing and PR campaign to ensure the title isn’t forgotten.

MAN VS MACHINE Its PR campaign will tie the game As Connor, players will have to take on into the coverage given to the movie. a range of missions set in the utterly Front covers have been secured on the decimated remains of Los Angeles. likes of Powerstation and Toxic Players will feel the intensity of the Magazine, with more coverage to be post-apocalyptic wastelands glimpsed in found in the special Terminator editions the films, where ammo is sparse and of key men’s lifestyle publications, such their enemies will stop at nothing to as FHM, Loaded, Total Film, Empire, terminate them, even if they are heavily and SFX. damaged or broken.

There will also be exclusive specialist The action revolves around taking on press reviews in the official magazines, hordes of Terminator machines or including Offcial PlayStation Magazine, dealing significant blows to their Official Xbox Magazine, PC Gamer defensive capabilities, largely from a and GamesMaster.

“

A large-scale radio campaign will target both national and regional radio stations, while exclusive activity has been planned for TV PR coverage, hitting key gadget, games and tech TV shows around launch.

NETWORK BREACH

Warner has also already started using social media to promote the game, with a campaign kicking off in March designed to generate hype via social media sites, forums, and comic and film fansites. Additionally, Terminator stunts have been planned to take place around London, giving customers at key retail sites the chance to sample both the game and the film.

In terms of more traditional advertising, a heavyweight TV campaign will bring ads to key sports, football and maleorientated programming, targeting the films’ fans.

National promotions have been arranged with Pizza Hut, Police Watches and ASUS computers, and retailers will be able to get FSDUs, posters and window clings for their shop floors.

“The Terminator franchise is one of the biggest film franchises ever, with every film going straight to No.1 upon release and Terminator: Salvation is definitely likely to follow that trend,” adds Lamb.

“The game itself is an extension of the Terminator brand and offers the only opportunity to be John Connor and battle the machines. It will be a must-have for sci-fi fans, movie fans and gamers alike.”

”

HASTA LA VISTA: Warner will use the Terminator: Salvation movie to promote the game

42 MCV535_final

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RETAILBIZ: UFC 2009/DYNASTY WARRIORS: STRIKEFORCE 42 MCV 01/05/09

WWW.MCVUK.COM

The mixed-martial arts organisation returns to the video game arena courtesy of WWE-developer Yuke’s…

Koei’s multiplayer-focused Dynasty Warriors delivers a rare exclusive for Sony’s PlayStation Portable....

by Christopher Dring

by Christopher Dring RELEASED: MAY 22

THE ULTIMATE Fighting Championship was set up back in 1993 to find the world’s greatest fighter, irrespective of their style.

The idea of pitting a wrestler against a karate expert or a kick boxer against a judo champion grew in popularity, and the UFC has since become a worldwide smash hit.

It is available to watch in nearly 40 countries, and in 2006 UFC topped $200 million in pay-per-view revenue, beating both WWE and boxing.

It has also secured sponsorship by leading global brands, including Hardley Davidson. And that’s not to mention the tie-in merchandise, including music CDs, action figures and, of course, video games.

FLEXING ITS MUSCLES

THQ’s latest title, UFC: Undisputed, has been created by WWE-developer Yuke’s.

However, the title isn’t simply a WWE rip-off, with a brand new fighting engine and more serious gameplay.

FORMATS: XBOX 360, PS3 PUBLISHER: THQ DEVELOPER: YUKE’S OSAKA PRICE: £49.99 DISTRIBUTOR: ADVANTAGE CONTACT: 0121 506 9585

The new engine boasts ‘innovative’ and easy-to-play controls that allows for a variety of martial arts, such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

In addition, the in-game graphics are superb, featuring stunningly photorealistic models, which even offer believable ‘real life’ ripple effects for every punch and kick.

That’s not to mention the 80 real-life UFC fighters, popular commentators, referees, trainers, Octagon arenas and Octagon girls. And of course, your typical create-a-fighter options, dynamic storylines and career mode.

And after the success of last month’s WWE Legend of Wrestlemania, it would be foolish to bet against Yuke’s creating yet another undisputed hit.

RELEASED: MAY 1 FORMATS: PSP

DYNASTY WARRIORS is one of Japan’s biggest video game franchises.

The first game arrived in 1997 as a spin-off to Koei’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and has spawned over 20 sequels and ten spin-off titles, selling nine million copies on the way.

Dynasty Warriors has developed a cult following in the UK too, and it is both this fanbase, as well as action lovers, that Koei is targeting with upcoming PSP title: Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce.

“We believe Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce is the first next-generation PSP title,” says Koei’s PR and marketing manager Mikey Foley.

“The title is something for gamers to get excited about; it really shows off the PSP’s advantages, with cutting edge graphics, real old-school depth and ad-hoc multiplay for four players.

The development budget for the game is comparable to our next-gen console titles, so all the lavish CG and intricate detail you would expect of a big

PUBLISHER: KOEI DEVELOPER: KOEI PRICE: £39.99 DISTRIBUTOR: OPEN CONTACT: 01462 476130

budget game is here. It’s a great reason for gamers to get out their PSPs again or invest in one for the first time.”

STRIKING MARKETING

Koei is pushing the title with a heavyweight online and outdoor PR and marketing push.

Koei’s marketing includes print advertising in multi-format publications and PlayStation magazines, as well as ad placements in Neo. The company has also spent much of its advertising revenue on online promotion, with site take-overs on various gaming websites, including Eurogamer.

Finally, Koei has teamed up with the MCM Expo to provide hands-on sampling opportunities to over 50,000 anime, sci-fi and gaming fans.

43 MCV535_final:43 MCV467

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RETAILBIZ: NEW RELEASES WWW.MCVUK.COM

MCV 01/05/09 43

Check out MCVUK.COM/RELEASE-DATES for more

Nintendo readies its Wii heavyweight Classic beat ‘em up franchise Punch-Out!! makes its long overdue return this month in Nintendo’s first major Wii release of the year, while Activision prepares to rock out with its latest band-specific Guitar Hero game...

TITLE

FORMAT

GENRE

PUBLISHER

TELEPHONE

DISTRIBUTOR

DS Wii PC DS PC PC DS / PC / Wii PC / XBOX 360 PC

Puzzle Kids Action Cooking Cards FPS Adventure Stealth/Action Strategy

Ubisoft Blast Mastertronic Ubisoft Mastertronic Mastertronic Deep Silver South Peak Mastertronic

0845 456 6400 0845 234 4242 0845 234 4242 0845 456 6400 0845 234 4242 0845 234 4242 0870 027 0985 0121 625 3388 0845 234 4242

Trilogy Mastertronic Open Trilogy Open Open Koch Centresoft Open

PC DS XBOX 360 DS / Wii / PS3 / XBOX 360

Action Mini-games Compilation Rhythm Action

Atari Rising Star Games Atari Konami

0121 506 9585 01582 433700 0121 506 9585 020 8987 5730

Advantage Centresoft Advantage Open

DS / Wii Wii Wii DS Wii PC DS / PC / Wii DS DS / Wii Wii / DS Wii / DS DS Wii Wii Wii Wii Wii DS PS3 / XBOX 360 Wii

RTS Puzzle Mini-games Music Sports Simulation RTS Imagine Puzzle Self-Improvement Sports RPG Sports Mini-games Racing Fighting Simulation Adventure Fighting Kids

Ubisoft Ubisoft THQ 505 Games EA Just Flight Slitherine Ubisoft Deep Silver 505 Games Oxygen Nintendo DDI DDI DDI Nintendo Deep Silver Ubisoft THQ Blast

0845 456 6400 0845 456 6400 0121 506 9585 0121 506 9585 0121 625 3388 0845 234 4242 0870 027 0985 0845 456 6400 0870 027 0985 0121 506 9585 020 8309 3600 0870 027 0985 0870 027 0985 0870 027 0985 0870 027 0985 0870 027 0985 0870 027 0985 0845 456 6400 0121 506 9585 0845 234 4242

Trilogy Trilogy Advantage Advantage Centresoft Mastertronic Koch Trilogy Koch Advantage Pinnacle Koch Koch Koch Koch Koch Koch Trilogy Advantage Mastertronic

PC Wii PS3 PC / PS3 / XBOX 360 Wii / PS3 / PS2 / XBOX 360 PC Wii DS DS DS Wii PC PSP XBOX 360 / PS3

Compilation Action Chess Racing Music Sports Self-Improvement Jump and Run Compilation Puzzle Adventure Simulation RPG Sports

JoWood DDI Deep Silver Codemasters Activision Blizzard Empire Deep Silver JoWood JoWood JoWood Zoo Digital Just Flight Rising Star Games Sega

01273 202 220 0870 027 0985 0870 027 0985 01279 822 800 0121 625 3388 0121 506 9585 0870 027 0985 01273 202 220 01273 202 220 01273 202 220 01279 822 800 0845 234 4242 01582 433700 0121 625 3388

Lace Koch Koch Gem Centresoft Advantage Koch Lace Lace Lace Gem Mastertronic Centresoft Centresoft

PC / PS3 / XBOX 360

Action

Capcom

0121 625 3388

Centresoft

MAY 8th Aqua Panic Casper's Scare School - Spooky Sports Day Devil May Cry 3 (Sold Out) My Happy Kitchen Poker Academy 2.0 (Sold Out) Rainbow Six III: Ravenshield Gold (Sold Out) Secret Files 2: Puritas Cordis Velvet Assassin Worms 4 Mayhem (Sold Out)

MAY 15th Demigod Happy Bakery Namco Museum Virtual Arcade Rock Revolution

MAY 22nd Anno Create A New World Aqua Panic Big Family Games Diva Girls: Making The Music EA Sports Active FScene X Horrible Histories: Rotten Romans Imagine Movie Star Line Rider: Freestyle Mind, Body & Soul: Nutrition Matters PDC World Championship Darts Pokemon Platinum Popcorn: Crazy Mini Golf Popcorn: Farmyard Party Popcorn: Urban Extreme Street Rage Punch-Out!!

Purr Pals Sherlock Holmes: The Mystery Of The Mummy UFC Undisputed Bob the Builder: Festival of Fun

MAY 29th 30:1 Blu-Ray Compilation Battlerage: The Robot Wars (with 3D glasses) Fritz Chess Fuel Guitar Hero: Metallica International Cricket Captain 2009 Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009 Moorhuhn: Atlantis Moorhuhn: The Pharaoh's Treasure Neighbours From Hell Story Hour Adventures/ Fairy Tales Trainz Simulator 2009 Valhalla Knights Episode 2 Virtua Tennis 2009

MAY MISC Bionic Commando

MUSTSTOCK ................................PUNCH-OUT!!

MUSTSTOCK ............GUITAR HERO: METALLICA

Released: May 22nd Format: Wii Publisher: Nintendo Distributor: Koch Contact: 0870 027 0985

Released: May 29th Format: PS3, PS2, 360, Wii Publisher: Activision Distributor: Centresoft Contact: 0121 625 3388

Nintendo’s comic brawler returns with new motion sensitive controls on Wii. The platform holder is backing the game with a typically massmarket TV marketing campaign which features father and son playing together on Punch-Out!!

Metallica has just finished a sell-out UK arena tour, and will headline the Sonosphere festival at Knebworth later this summer. And now the metal gods are inviting its fans to join them on stage in Guitar Hero: Metallica for PS2, PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii.

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RETAILBIZ: HIGH STREET 44 MCV 01/05/09

WWW.MCVUK.COM

Sponsored by

RETAIL BIZ: NEWS

[RETAIL REACTION] IS OUR INDUSTRY PROPPING UP A FAILING BRITAIN?

MCV offers a weekly digest of the latest news on the High Street...

I FIND MYSELF in an unusual scenario in 2009, and one which I’ve never been in before: looking in on the industry from the outside.

What makes this all the more interesting for me is that I can see a vibrant sector bolstered by great must-have products.

Who other than Nintendo could afford to raise the price of their product, launch a new console to huge demand and have premium-priced product continually riding high in the charts and in short supply?

You’d think all is rosy in the gaming world but amidst the fact that we (well, you now really) seemingly have a

“You might have a great business, the best products and be making a profit, but it may well be time to take your bank manager out for lunch and remind him.” recession-proof product, we have the demise of Playtime, Zavvi, Woolworths and other notable retailers on the wane.

However, it’s not the retailers that should be causing credit insurance companies the worry, but the other way around – particularly whilst world leaders free up another $500 billion to kickstart the economy, it would appear it’s not being pumped into sectors that so far offer a fairly safe bet.

So, you might have a great business, you might have the best products you’ve ever seen and, despite meagre margins, at least you’re making a profit. It may well be time to take your bank manager out for lunch and remind him, because it would seem they’re too busy paying off ex-employees.

Steve O’Brien Ex-Independent retailer, steve@arcg2.fsnet.co.uk

INDIE CHARTS - ALL FORMATS LAST WEEK

1

TITLE/FORMAT

PUBLISHER

THE GODFATHER 2 FORMAT: 360

DEVELOPER: EA PUBLISHER: EA

2

2

THE GODFATHER 2 PS3

3

4

WII FIT Wii

4

6

PROFESSOR LAYTON AND THE CURIOUS VILLAGE DS NINTENDO

5

RE

FIFA 09 360

6

8

RESIDENT EVIL 5 PS3

7

RE

8

7

9

RE

10

3

FOR UP-TO-DATE NEWS ON THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS ON THE UK HIGH STREET, CHECK OUT: WWW.MCVUK.COM/RETAIL-BIZ

MCV POLL

SHOULD SONY SWITCH TO A DOWNLOAD-ONLY BUSINESS MODEL FOR PSP?

53%

EA

YES

EA

With Sony reportedly dropping UMD in favour of digital distribution, the latest MCV online study shows opinion is divided on this decision, with a minority lead for those in favour.

CAPCOM WARNER BROS

WANTED: WEAPONS OF FATE PS3

WARNER BROS

RESIDENT EVIL 5 360

RETAILERS ‘SIGNING DEATH WARRANTS’ WITH DIGITAL GAMES Stardock chief executive Brad Wardell has told GameBiz that retailers are ‘signing their own death warrants’ in selling access to digital content.

Wardell was responding to the recent news that Sony will not be launching a UMD version of Patapon 2 in North America, but instead will release in-store coupons that provide access to the game via the PlayStation Store.

“Retailers need to be careful about this stuff,” Wardell says. “They're kind of signing their own death warrants once they push digital distribution at the store.”

NINTENDO

WANTED: WEAPONS OF FATE 360

GTA: CHINATOWN WARS DS

COST OF GAMING ON THE RISE The UK annual inflation measured by the Retail Prices Index has for the first time since 1960 today revealed that the UK economy is in a state of deflation – but video games remain one of the few categories increasing in price.

The BBC reports that the RPI fell to minus 0.4 per cent in March, down from the zero growth it reported in February. However, whilst the Office for National Statistics reported dropping prices from energy companies had forced the index down, video games joined clothes, toys and hobbies in actually increasing in cost over the previous month.

ROCKSTAR CAPCOM

Charts compiled by Game Guide/Complete EPOS Solutions. For more information about Complete EPOS Solutions call 01543 370002. For more information about the Game Guide call 01606 836347.

47% NO

Take part in MCV’s next poll at www.mcvuk.com.

ble at a l i a v All A

For more information contact sales - 01256 385 251

NINTENDO DS, IS A TRADEMARK OF NINTENDO.

THIS WEEK

LONDON RETAIL CONTINUES TO OUTPACE UK The UK capital once again defied the wider economic downturn last month with a like-for-like sales climb of 5.1 per cent in March – in contrast, the UK as a whole saw like-for-likes drop 1.2 per cent compared to the same month in 2008.

For the first quarter of 2009, London sales grew 5.8 per cent whilst national sales dropped 0.7 per cent.

“London retailers outperformed their UK counterparts by a wide margin,” BRC director general Stephen Robertson stated.

“Although March didn’t include Easter this year, it did benefit from warm sunny weather compared with last year’s snow and rain.”

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RETAILBIZ: HIGH STREET WWW.MCVUK.COM

MCV 01/05/09 45 Sponsored by

MARGIN MAKER The new AudioFX2 Extreme Gaming & Audio headset builds on the strengths of its acclaimed predecessors.

For an RRP of £34.99, consumers get a high quality, comfortable headset that are perfect for hours of gameplay, or even listening to music and watching films.

The AudioFX2 features bass-boosting force feedback technology that enables players to immerse themselves in their games more than ever.

The feedback is adjustable thanks to the in-line controls, and provides a similar experience to home theatre systems.

A detachable, flexible and noise-cancelling microphone is Teamspeak-certified and ideal for clear communication during heated online sessions.

The AudioFX2 is also compatible with DS and PSP, as well as any other portable media device, such as iPods and MP3 players. The headset comes with a battery pack that powers the force feedback for the full experience on the go.

Interactive Ideas: 0208 805 1000

DEAL OF THE WEEK

NINTENDO DS, IS A TRADEMARK OF NINTENDO.

Consumers save a little under £100 with Play.com’s latest Xbox 360 bundle, which includes a 60Gb Premium version of the console, an extra controller, Trivial Pursuit and Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box, all for £179.99.

FROM THE

What do you think of Sony’s decision to release Patapon 2 as a digital download only in the US? It seems like a lot of games are going to go towards download anyway, so it’s probably inevitable that they’ll all switch to the download format. It’s obviously a worry for those of us trying to sell a physical product, but I think it’s unavoidable in the future. We’re just going to have to adapt and change our business to a different format. That’s all you can do.

FRONTLINE This week’s Frontline interviewee is Andy Cherry, manager of The Norwich Space Station...

What are the biggest challenges facing your store?

There’s the obivious things like online retailers, but then you just have to get involved with it, by starting your own internet sales, for example. The challenge is keeping up with everybody. You just have to keep a close eye on how everyone is buying and selling, and then take on that format of business.

What makes your store unique?

The fact that we do everything ranging from 1970s games to modern day titles.

We do loads of retro stock, all the way back to the Atari consoles, and it sells really well, especially the likes of the old Sega and Nintendo stuff. Things like the Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection don’t really affect these sales too much either, most people who buy retro games are collectors: they want the game in its original format. If anything, releases like that stand to improve our sales because it reminds retro collectors how good the old games were.

What do you think will perform well over the summer?

Nothing really stands out, but if it’s got a brand name, it’s going to sell.

PRICE CHECK

LittleBigPlanet PS3, Sony

Phantasy Star Portable PSP, Sega

LOTR Online: Compilation Pack PC, Codemasters

DragonBall Evolution

Wii Music

PSP, 505 Games

Wii, Nintendo

IN STORE: HEMEL HEMPSTED £34.98

N/A

N/A

N/A

£29.99

£39.99

£319.99

£29.99

N/A

£39.99

£39.99

£29.99

N/A

N/A

£39.99

£29.97

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

£11.73

N/A

£25.33

£17.73

£29.73

£16.79

£29.79

N/A

£24.79

£28.79

£29.97

£24.97

£24.97

£24.97

£34.97

£34.99

£24.99

£9.99

£24.99

£29.99

ONLINE

TO TAKE PART PLEASE CONTACT: JAMES.BATCHELOR@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK

46,47 MCV535_FINAL:54-55 MCV525

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RETAILBIZ: RETAIL CHARTS 46 MCV 01/05/09

WWW.MCVUK.COM

Check out RETAILBIZ at WWW.MCVUK.COM

OFFICIALUKCHARTS NINTENDO DS THIS LAST WEEK WEEK

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2 3 7 6 5 9 4 8 10

[1] [FULL PRICE]

TITLE

PROFESSOR LAYTON: CURIOUS VILLAGE DEVELOPER: NINTENDO PUBLISHER: NINTENDO

PLAYSTATION 2 THIS LAST WEEK WEEK

TITLE

PUBLISHER

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

MONSTERS VS ALIENS ACTIVISION BLIZZARD FIFA ‘09 EA CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR ACTIVISION BLIZZARD PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2009 KONAMI WWE SMACKDOWN VS RAW 2009 THQ NEED FOR SPEED: UNDERCOVER EA TOMB RAIDER: UNDERWORLD EIDOS PERSONA 4 SQUARE ENIX GUITAR HERO: WORLD TOUR ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

PSP THIS LAST WEEK WEEK

TITLE

WII FIT FORMAT: WII

LAST WEEK

TITLE

2

NEW

CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK: ATHENA PS3, PC, 360 ATARI

[4]

2

THE GODFATHER II 360, PS3, PC

EA

4

3

FIFA ‘09 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP, DS, PC

EA

5

5

RESIDENT EVIL 5 PS3, 360

CAPCOM

6

6

PROFESSOR LAYTON: CURIOUS VILLAGE DS NINTENDO

7

7

MARIO KART WII Wii

NINTENDO

8

8

WII PLAY Wii

NINTENDO

9

9

COD: WORLD AT WAR 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, DS, PC

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

10

10

CARNIVAL: FUNFAIR GAMES Wii, DS

2K PLAY

11

4

MARIO & SONIC: OLYMPIC GAMES Wii, DS

12

14

DR KAWASHIMA’S BRAIN TRAINING DS

2 3 4 5

2 3 4 6

RESISTANCE: RETRIBUTION BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE FOOTBALL MANAGER 2009 PHANTASY STAR PORTABLE

6 7 8 9 10

5 9 7

NEED FOR SPEED: UNDERCOVER EA PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2009 KONAMI WWE SMACKDOWN VS RAW 2009 THQ ACTION PACK (RIVAL SWORD, DRIVER 76, R6V) UBISOFT LEGO BATMAN: THE VIDEOGAME WARNER BROS

SONY D3P SEGA SEGA

SEGA NINTENDO

13

11

GUITAR HERO: WORLD TOUR PS3, Wii, 360, PS2 ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

14

23

MY FITNESS COACH Wii

15

25

SEGA MEGA DRIVE COLLECTION 360, PS3

16

13

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

17

15

RAYMAN RAVING RABBIDS TV PARTY WII

18

19

GRAND THEFT AUTO IV 360, PS3, PC

UBISOFT SEGA

UBISOFT ROCKSTAR

19

7

BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE PS2, Wii, PSP, DS

20

18

LEGO INDIANA JONES PS3, PS2, WII, 360, PSP, DS, PC

THIS LAST WEEK WEEK

[5]

DEVELOPER: EA PUBLISHER: EA

PUBLISHER

3

PC CD-ROM PUBLISHER

DEVELOPER: NINTENDO PUBLISHER: NINTENDO

THIS WEEK

[3]

[FULL PRICE]

FIFA 09

8

1

DEVELOPER: MONKEY BAR GAMES PUBLISHER: D3P

1 RE

[2]

[FULL PRICE]

BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE

2 3 4 6 8 7 5 10 9

TOP 40ALL

PUBLISHER

DR KAWASHIMA’S BRAIN TRAINING NINTENDO GTA: CHINATOWN WARS ROCKSTAR NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. NINTENDO MYSTERY CASE FILES: MILLIONHEIR NINTENDO MARIO KART DS NINTENDO MARIO & SONIC AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES SEGA CLUB PENGUIN: ELITE PENGUIN FORCE DISNEY IMAGINE: DOCTOR DS SCRABBLE INTERACTIVE: 2009 EDITION UBISOFT

[ENTERTAINMENT - ALL PRICES]

D3P LUCASARTS

[FULL PRICE]

TITLE

PUBLISHER

1

FOOTBALL MANAGER 2009

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

EMPIRE: TOTAL WAR SEGA WOW: WRATH OF THE LICH KING ACTIVISION BLIZZARD WARHAMMER 40,00O: DAWN OF WAR II THQ COMPANY OF HEROES: TALES OF VALOR THQ THE SIMS 2: DOUBLE DELUXE EA FALLOUT 3 BETHESDA CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK: DARK ATHENA ATARI SPORE EA WOW: BATTLE CHEST ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

2 5 4 3 6 15 NEW

9 11

DEVELOPER: SPORTS INTERACTIVE PUBLISHER: SEGA

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RETAILBIZ: RETAIL CHARTS WWW.MCVUK.COM

MCV 01/05/09 47

Wii Fit has also held off competition from Atari’s action title, The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on

the ChartTrack All Formats Top 40.

Dark Athena, which had to settle for second place.

Riddick aside, there was little change in this week’s Top Ten, with the majority of titles falling in sales. The Godfather II in third place dropped 48 per cent in sales, while FIFA 2009 in fourth position saw sales slide 25 per cent. chris.dring@intentmedia.co.uk

It is the game’s ninth number one of 2009, and its 13th overall. And now Wii Fit is on course to topple the all time No. 1 record of 18 weeks, which was achieved by Eidos in 2000/2001 with Who

Wants To Be A Millionaire on PlayStation One, Dreamcast and PC.

PS3

L FORMATS Highest New Entry

21

28

KILLZONE 2 PS3

22

16

THE WHEELMAN 360, PS3

THIS LAST WEEK WEEK

Highest Top 40 Climber SONY MIDWAY/UBISOFT

23

20

MONSTERS VS ALIENS 360, PS3, Wii, DS, PC, PS2 ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

24

27

PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2009 WII, PS3, 360

KONAMI

25

12

STREET FIGHTER IV 360, PS3

CAPCOM

26

38

FOOTBALL MANAGER 2009 PC, PSP

27

30

PUZZLER COLLECTION DS

28

NEW

29

21

SEGA

31

SMACKDOWN VS RAW 2009 360, PS3, Wii, DS, PSP, PS2

RE

GEARS OF WAR 2 360

32

RE

GUITAR HERO III PS3, PS2, WII, 360

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

33

26

KUNG FU PANDA PS3, 360, Wii, PS2, PC, DS

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

34

35

NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. DS

35

24

TOM CLANCY’S H.A.W.X. 360, PS3

NINTENDO UBISOFT

RE

LEFT 4 DEAD 360, PC

37

34

MYSTERY CASE FILES: MILLIONHEIR DS

38

29

NEED FOR SPEED: UNDERCOVER

39

33

MARIO KART DS DS

THIS LAST WEEK WEEK

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

EA

1 8 4 12 3 7 9 RE

5

NINTENDO

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

SONIC UNLEASHED PS3, 360, Wii

PC CD-ROM

THQ

MICROSOFT

36

36

3 5 9 7 8 11 4

GTA: CHINATOWN WARS DS

31

40

RESIDENT EVIL 5 CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK: DARK ATHENA KILLZONE 2 FIFA ‘09 SEGA MEGA DRIVE ULTIMATE COLLECTION LITTLEBIGPLANET CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR STREET FIGHTER IV

2

THIS LAST WEEK WEEK

30

EA

NINTENDO SEGA

TITLE

DEVELOPER: EA PUBLISHER: EA

TITLE

WII FIT

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

MARIO KART WII RAYMAN RAVING RABBIDS TV PARTY MARIO & SONIC AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES GUITAR HERO: WORLD TOUR ANIMAL CROSSING: LET’S GO TO THE CITY SONIC AND THE BLACK KNIGHT PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2009 HOUSE OF THE DEAD: OVERKILL SHAUN WHITE SNOWBOARDING

PUBLISHER

MYSTERY CASE FILES: RAVENHEARST DEVELOPER: BIG FISH GAMES PUBLISHER: FOCUS WORLD OF WARCRAFT ACTIVISION BLIZZARD MYSTERY IN LONDON: JACK THE RIPPER FOCUS MYSTERYVILLE 2 GSP/AVANQUEST WOW: THE BURNING CRUSADE ACTIVISION BLIZZARD THEME HOSPITAL SOLD OUT AMAZING ADVENTURES: LOST TOMB FOCUS THE SECRET OF MARGRAVE MANOR GSP/AVANQUEST THE ORANGE BOX EA ROLLERCOASTER TYCOON 3 MASTERTRONIC

THIS LAST WEEK WEEK

ATARI SONY EA SEGA SONY ACTIVISION BLIZZARD ACTIVISION BLIZZARD CAPCOM

PUBLISHER

1 2 4 3 5 6 7 9 8 14

CAPCOM

[FULL PRICE]

DEVELOPER: NINTENDO PUBLISHER: NINTENDO

XBOX 360

[BUDGET PRICE]

PUBLISHER

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

WII

ROCKSTAR

TITLE

THE GODFATHER II

WSC REAL 09: WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPS PS3, 360, PC BLADE

UBISOFT

[FULL PRICE]

1 NEW

WEEK ENDING 25/04/09

NINTENDO UBISOFT SEGA ACTIVISION BLIZZARD NINTENDO SEGA KONAMI SEGA UBISOFT

[FULL PRICE]

TITLE

PUBLISHER

1

CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK: DARK ATHENA

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

THE GODFATHER II RESIDENT EVIL 5 FIFA ‘09 GEARS OF WAR 2 CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR LEFT 4 DEAD GRAND THEFT AUTO IV HALO WARS CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE

1 2 3 5 4 16 8 11 7

(c) ELSPA, Compiled by ChartTrack

DESPITE AN 11 per cent dip in sales, Wii Fit has secured its fourth consecutive week at the peak of

DEVELOPER: STARBREEZE PUBLISHER: ATARI EA CAPCOM EA MICROSOFT ACTIVISION BLIZZARD EA ROCKSTAR MICROSOFT ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

[SOURCE]

[ANALYSIS]

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INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION 48 MCV 01/05/09

WWW.MCVUK.COM

International Distribution Guide AUSTRALIA

DENMARK

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

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

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

Otto Group ...................................................Hamburg

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

Playcom Software Vertriebs .......................Erfurt Vitrex Multimedia Großhandel.....................Erfurt

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

ENTERTAINMENT TRADING APS AFA INTERACTIVE

Stenholm 1, 9400,

66 Hughes Street, Mile End,

Norresundby, Denmark

South Australia 5031

Phone: +45 70277640

Tel: +61 8823 41355

Fax: +45 70277650 email: sales@entertainment-trading.com Web www.entertainment-trading.com

GREECE Centric ...............................................................Athens Nortec Multimedia.........................................Athens Zegetron S.A....................................................Athens

TECHLAND Sp. z.o.o.

HUNGARY

Ul. Jana Szczyrki 12,

Antec .............................................................Budapest

E-mail: business@techland.pl

Red Ant...................................Baulkham Hills, NSW

ICELAND

AUSTRIA

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

Koch Media GmbH...............................Rottenmann

INDIA

Web: WWW.techland.pl

GATEWAY DISTRIBUTION APS TM

Gateway Distribution ApS

+45 7026 0870 (DK)

CLD Distribution S.A. .........................Fernelmont

dt@gatewaydistribution.dk www.gatewaydistribution.dk

ESTONIA Andrico ..............................................................Tallinn

FINLAND GAMEWORLD

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

Cornusbaan 1, 2908 KB Capelle A/D IJssel Tel: +31 10 298 3838 Web: rishi@gameworld.nl

FRANCE

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

+44 1279 408 665 (UK)

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

BENELUX

Phone: +48 71 354 46 10 Fax: +48 71 354 46 10

Play Art Multimedia Handels GmbH....Rankweil

BELGIUM

54-426 Wroclaw, Poland

MILESTONE INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE LIMITED Pramukh Plaza, 2nd Floor,

Chakala, Andheri East,

PLANETA DEAGOSTINI INTERACTIVE

Mumbai 400 099, INDIA.

Diagonal, 662-664, 3ª planta D,

Tel: +91 22 28203319

08034, Barcelona, Spain,

Cardinal Gracious Road,

Fax: +91 22 28203334

Tel: +34 93 492 08 89

email: distribution@milestoneinteractive.com

distributioninteractive@planetadeagostini.es

website: www.milestoneinteractive.com

www.planetadeagostini.net

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

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

EBS Benelux

INNELEC MULTIMEDIA

Lorentzweg 1

45 rue Delizy,

3752 LH Bunschoten-Spakenburg

93692 PANTIN Cedex

The Netherlands

France

Phone: +31 (0)33 201 21 00

Email purchase: f_alglave@innelec.com

Fax: +31 (0)33 201 21 01

Email export sales: g_armspach@innelec.com

E-mail: info@ebs-benelux.com

Tel: 00.33.1.48.10.55.55

Website: www.ebs-benelux.com

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

DTP ENTERTAINMENT AG GOODTONES GREAT GAMES LTD

Goldbekplatz 3-5, 22303 Hamburg, Germany

1 Alkaiou Street / Office 1 /

Tel: +49 (0)40 66 99 10 0

Engomi / Nicosia 2404 / Cyprus

Fax: +49 (0)40 66 99 10 10

tel. +357 22 666612

email: s.lass@dtp-entertainment.com

www.greatgames.com.cy

Web: www.dtp-entertainment.com

ITALY

v.2 PLAY. LDA

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

Studio Office Marquês de Pombal –

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

Avenida de Loulé nº 123 1069-152 -

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

Lisbon, Portugal

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

Tel. 00351 21 31 46 51 0

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

Fax 00351 21 31 61 12 5

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

NETHERLANDS

RUSSIA

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

Hitzona.............................................................Moscow

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

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

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

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

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

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

NEW ZEALAND Gamewizz..........................................................Albany

NORWAY Pan Vision Norway.....................................Trollasen MPX.no .......................................................Sandefjord Platekompaniet....................................................Oslo

TO ADVERTISE IN THE INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION GUIDE

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INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION WWW.MCVUK.COM

MCV 01/05/09 49

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...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

JAPAN

SERBIA

UNITED STATES

COMPUTERLAND DOO

BASCO, INC.

Kumodraska 45

VIDEO GAMES DISTRIBUTOR

11000 Belgrade, Serbia

Tel: 1-917-627-3000

Tel:+381(0)11 309 95 95

Fax: 1-718-228-4401

Fax:+381(0)11 309 95 96

Email: sales@bascodistribution.com

mail:games@computerland.rs

Web: www.bascodistribution.com

website:www.computerland.rs

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

DREAMGEAR, LLC

SOUTH AFRICA

20001 S. Western Ave.

Midigital ..............................................Johannesburg

Torrance, CA 90501

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

Phone: 310-222-5522 x 111 Fax: 310-222-5577

SPAIN

Contact: Moris Mirzadeh

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

Email: moris@dreamgear.net

Distribuciones Videográficas Digitales ....MADRID

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

USA PLANETA DEAGOSTINI INTERACTIVE

U.S. GAMES DISTRIBUTION, INC.

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

16700 Schoenborn St.

Barcelona, Spain,

#2 North Hills, CA. 91343

Tel: +34 93 492 08 89

Tel: +1 818 920 9393

distributioninteractive@planetadeagostini.es

info@usgamesdist.com

www.planetadeagostini.net

www.usgamesdist.com

UAE VIRGIN PLAY

Red Entertainment Distribution ..................Dubai

Paseo de la Castellana 9 – 11, 28046 Madrid, Spain Tel: +34 91 789 35 50 Web: www.virginplay.es

PLUTO GAMES PO Box 10705, Office 103-104

DistribucionesVideográficas Digitales ....Madrid Distribuye Palmera................................Las Palmas JC Distribuciones .............................................Getxo Shine Star, S.A...........................................Barcelona

Emirates Islamic Bank Building,Dubai, UAE. www.pluto-games.com Tel: +971 4261 8111 Fax: +971 4261 8112

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

Modern Pluto Trading LLC...............Saudi Arabia

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

NXT Global LLC .................................................Dubai

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

Pluto Derinton Games LLC............................Egypt

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

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

WITH THE Xbox 360 having passed the one million unit sales barrier in Japan last month, Microsoft has announced a fresh offensive for its console in the Far East.

At a press conference last week, the platform holder revealed that it will give away 1m Microsoft Points to Japanese gamers that can be used to buy digital content on the Xbox Live platform.

In addition, Epic’s huge Western hit Gears of War 2 is getting fully localised for release in the territory some time this summer.

Microsoft also confirmed that it currently has 31 titles lined up for release on the console in Japan this year, including the likes of King of Fighters XIII, King of Fighters Plus Sky Slate, Magna Carta 2, Samurai Spirits Shin, Garou Mark of the Wolves, O-D Beatdrop, Yosumin Live and Square Enix duo 0 Day Attack on Earth and Project Cube.

A number of localised Western-orientated titles will also be hitting the region, including Halo ODST and Mass Effect.

THE NORTH American video game market has been dealt a heavy, yet expected, blow as the latest NPD figures show year-on-year declines for March.

The US market generated a total of $1.43bn in March; a significant 17 per cent fall from the same period last year, and a slight trim from the $1.47bn achieved in February.

Year-on-year losses were fairly balanced across hardware, software and accessories. Hardware sales made a total of $456m for the month – an 18 per cent decline – while software ($793m) and accessory sales ($186m) had fallen 17 and 15 per cent respectively.

Microsoft’s Xbox 360 managed to buck trends in March by becoming the only console to enjoy a yearon-year sales boost. The Xbox 360 sold 330,000 units across North America in March; a figure which Microsoft was pleased to explain accounted for a 25 per cent year-on-year sales increase.

The system’s peers, meanwhile, all saw negative growth. Wii sales stood at 601,000 units while combined DS systems claimed 563,000 sales.

Although both results show year-on-year declines, Nintendo’s home and handheld systems once again proved to be more popular than the competition.

The PS3’s tie ratio was shown to be higher than the Wii’s, with the average number of games per console at 6.5 compared to 6.2.

NPD figures also shows that Resident Evil 5 sold over 1.5 million units across North America in March.

Capcom’s newest instalment in the undying franchise was in fact the most popular title for any single platform, with the Xbox 360 edition (938,000) even managing to outsell the lucrative Nintendo DS title Pokemon Platinum (805,000).

PLEASE CONTACT ROB.BAKER@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK

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TO ADVERTISE CONTACT ROB BAKER ON: 01992 535647 OR

DIRECTORY

DISTRIBUTION

KEY CONTACTS

CREATIVE & PROMOTIONAL SERVICES Wrapstar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0)7778 204970 DISTRIBUTION Creative Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8664 3456 DVD Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01189 215 999 Gem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01279 822800 Ideal Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01767 689 720 Logic3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01923 471 000 Meroncourt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01462 680060

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

GAMES CONSOLE REPAIR Total Console Repair Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 087 19 18 17 21 LOCALISATION Partnertrans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01753 247731 Testronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01753 653 722 Universally Speaking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01480 210621 STORE FITTINGS AMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01924 507 217 Retail Entertainment Displays. . . . . . . . . . . . 01733 239001 DISC REPAIR TDR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01202 489 500

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

DISTRIBUTION

DISTRIBUTION

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

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

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ROB.BAKER@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK DISTRIBUTION

EDITORIAL PLANNER Some of the special issues coming up in MCV, the only trade publication that covers all sectors of the market...

FRIDAY MAY 8th

LOCALISATION AND QA SPECIAL Good localisation is key as publishers look to expand their reach into emerging markets. MCV talks to the leading QA and translation specialists on the latest developments facing the sector.

FRIDAY MAY 15th

TOP 20 INDEPENDENTS Despite the fact it might have shrunk in size historically, independent retail remains an important part of the sector in the UK, with chains such as Grainger Games and CHIPS continuing to grow in the face of economic uncertainty. MCV gives a run-down of the 20 best outlets in the sector.

GUIDE TO GAMES RETAIL BUYERS We look at the leading retailers’ games buyers, profiling the key players in this sector of the industry. This ultimate guide will give publishers everything they need to know about those who play this crucial role in bringing games to shelves. Every important person making the buying decisions for every games outlet in the ever-changing retail landscape.

DEVELOP 100 MCV’s sister magazine Develop once again presents a guide to the Top 100 development studios in the world, highlighting their successes from 2008. In a break from the norm, the list has been carefully crafted by the editorial team rather than based solely on UK sales figures.

FRIDAY MAY 22nd

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

FRIDAY MAY 29th

DISTRIBUTION SPECIAL MCV takes an in-depth look at the big issues involved in the alwaysimportant distribution sector. We speak to the major players about the future of the supply chain, and how they will be tackling the challenges ahead for the distribution side of the games trade.

E3 SPECIAL It is quite simply the biggest event in the games industry’s calendar, and as the official International Media Partner for the event, we bring you a complete guide to this year’s E3 Expo. MCV looks at how the organisers have improved the 2009 event over its predecessors, and offers a round-up of what to expect from the industry’s major companies, including publishers and format holders.

FRIDAY JUNE 12th

E3 REVIEW We offer a thorough and comprehensive look back at this year’s E3 Expo, reporting on each and every revelation as well as the potential impact they will have on the industry. We cover the Big Three’s presentations and the inevitable surprises, as well as the major developments from the other crucial publishers.

FOR MORE DETAILS CONTACT:

CHRIS.DRING@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK LOGIC 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01923 471000 . . . . . . . . . . . www.uksales@logic3.com

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TO ADVERTISE CONTACT ROB BAKER ON: 01992 535647 OR DISTRIBUTION

Develop is the only dedicated publication for the UK and European games development community. It reaches over 8,000 request-only subscribers every month.

STUDIOS Blitz Games Studios. . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1926 880 000

Distributors of CD, DVD, Blu-ray, SD-Ram, Micro-SD, and lots, lots more...

X-Box 360 - Wii - DSi - PS3 new release games & accessories

Broadsword Interactive. . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1970 626299

UK Sales: ...............................01189 215 999

Denki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.denki.co.uk

European Sales: ......01189 215 916

Lightning Fish Games . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1295 817 666

sales@dvdtech.com

nDreams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44(0) 1252 375754 Razorback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.razorback.co.uk Realtime Worlds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1382 202 821

DVD TECHNOLOGY . . . . . . . . . 01189 215 999. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.dvdtech.com CREATIVE & PROMOTIONAL SERVICES

Rebellion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1865 792 201 Stainless Games . . . . . . . . . . . jobs@stainlessgames.com Strawdog Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1332 258 862

TOOLS Epic Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +1 919 870 1516 Fork Particle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00 (1) 925 417 1785 bluegfx. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1483 467 200 Natural Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0)1865 250575

SERVICES 3D Creation Studio. . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 151 236 9992 Air Edel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 207 486 6466

WRAPSTAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 7778 204970 . . . . . . . . www.wrapstar-skins.com

Air Studios. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 207 794 0660

DISC REPAIR

High Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1295 738 337 Ian Livingstone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1483 421 491 Partnertrans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1753 247 731 Philips amBX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.ambx.com Specialmove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 141 585 6491 Tsunami Music. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 207 350 2828 Universally Speaking . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1480 210 621

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 jaspreet.kandola@intentmedia.co.uk.

All subscription requests should go to mcv.subscriptions@c-cms.com

TOTAL DISC REPAIR. . . . . . . . . . 01202 489500 . . . . . . . . . www.totaldiscrepair.co.uk

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ROB.BAKER@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK GAMES CONSOLE REPAIR

DISC REPAIR

TOTAL CONSOLE REPAIR . . . . . . 087 19 18 17 21. . . . . www.totalconsolerepair.co.uk STORE FITTINGS

AMA DISPLAYS . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1924 507217 . . . . . . . . . www.ama-displays.co.uk STORE FITTINGS

RETAIL ENTERTAINMENT DISPLAYS . . 01733 239001 . . . . . . . www.reddisplays.com

TOTAL DISC REPAIR. . . . . . . . . . 01202 489500 . . . . . . . . . www.totaldiscrepair.co.uk

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TO ADVERTISE CONTACT ROB BAKER ON: 01992 535647 OR ROB.BAKER@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK LOCALISATION

DIARY DATES ‘09 From the MCV Awards to our next Pub Quiz, here are all the essential industry dates to get in your diary…

MAY LONDON MCM EXPO Saturday, May 23rd – Sunday, May 24th London, Excel www.londonexpo.com

JUNE PARTNERTRANS . . . . . . . . . . . . 01753 247731 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.partnertrans.com LOCALISATION

E3 Tuesday, June 2nd – Thursday, June 4th LA Convention Center, LA www.e3expo.com GAME ON! LONDON Saturday, June 20th – Sunday, June 21st London, Olympia Exhibition Centre www.gameonlondon.co.uk

JULY DEVELOP CONFERENCE 2009 Tuesday, July 14th – Thursday, July 16th Brighton www.develop-conference.com DEVELOP INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE AWARDS Wednesday, July 15th Brighton www.developmag.com TESTRONIC LABORATORIES . . . +44 (0) 1753 653 722. . . . www.testroniclabs.com LOCALISATION

GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE Friday, July 31st Sunday, August 2nd Leipzig, Germany www.leipziger-messe.com

AUGUST EDINBURGH INTERACTIVE FESTIVAL Monday, August 10th – Sunday, August 16th Edinburgh, Scotland www.edinburghinteractivefestival.com GDC EUROPE Monday, August 17th Wednesday, August 19th Cologne, Germany www.gdceurope.com GAMESCOM Wednesday, August 19th Sunday, August 23rd Cologne, Germany www.gamescom-cologne.com UNIVERSALLY SPEAKING . . . . . . . 01480 210621 . . . . . . . . . . . www.usspeaking.com

XBOX 360/MCV PUB QUIZ Thursday, May 21st Sway Bar, Holborn dave.roberts @intentmedia.co.uk The Xbox 360/MCV Pub Quiz is now firmly established as one of the industry’s favourite nights out.

Taking place every three months at the swanky Sway Bar in Holborn, it brings together the market’s leading publishers, retailers and media to compete for some pretty substantial prizes – and the honour of being the biggest brains in games.

MCV & XBOX 360 GAMES 5S Friday, June 12th Barnet, London www.gamesfives360.co. uk Organised in association with Microsoft’s Xbox 360, the industry’s biggest 5-a-side tournament returns.

Head to the website to register your team and fight for the chance to win £1,500 for a charity of your choice.

There will also be Xbox giveaways, courtesy of Microsoft.

This event promises to be better than every this year so we hope to see you there.

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MCV 01/05/09 55

MCV FORUM

‘Come join our Review’ Eidos creative boss Ian Livingstone has signed up to a Conservative Party taskforce, which aims to go one further than the Goverment’s Digital Britain report – by including video games...

FOLLOWING the slow decline

in manufacturing and the sudden decline of financial services, the government has identified the creative industries as the future saviour of Britain. It is estimated that within five years we will be living in a video-centric world where most information and entertainment will be available on demand. The opportunity to slice, dice and monetise Intellectual Property will escalate and business models will change as content creators take advantage of the opportunity to connect to

“

UK GDP than we do. It has failed the games industry on the basis of skills, production tax credits, IP protection and even with helping to change the perception of games. This is a shame since in reality games are as important socially, culturally and economically as music and film. They are certainly the preferred entertainment choice of today’s youth. People are enjoying playing games socially together in the living room and online.

Games are now part of mainstream culture, the new art form, that helps to define us

The Government has failed us. Video games are still the unruly step child of the creative industries.

Ian Livingstone, Eidos

consumers directly via the internet and high speed broadband. The Government’s recent Digital Britain report was their strategic plan to make this happen. The plan calls for the internet to be seen as a utility, working with ISPs; the creation, protection and exploitation of IP; media literacy and business skills in the digital space; broadband plurality, content delivery; etc.

Sadly the report made virtually no mention of video games, the often perceived unruly step-child of the creative industries. Over the years the Government has stood by and failed to support our industry whilst it has supported the film industry that contributes less to

LIVINGSTONE: Eidos’ creative boss wants MCV readers to air their views

”

as what we are as human beings. Games are generating huge revenues, contributing 0.75 per cent to UK GDP and responsible for over 22,000 jobs in the UK. The Conservative Party’s Creative Industries Task Force, led by Greg Dyke, launched on April 20th. The review will examine ways in which the Government can ensure that the UK remains an international hub for content creation and distribution. It will look beyond the Government’s Digital Britain report and look at how the creative industries can help lead Britain out of the recession.

Within that context, video games have been identified as being a major contributor to the economic future of a Digital Britain.

Shadow Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: “With music, film, video games and TV industries in the top three worldwide, now is the chance to turn Britain into the world's creative and digital hub.”

The review group, which is due to report in the autumn, will also look into how to sustain investment in UK content in the digital age, stimulate investment in nextgeneration broadband, create sustainable local media and ensure there is a skilled workforce.

Jeremy Hunt said the Conservatives’

review would “look beyond” the government's Digital Britain report, which he said was “strong on analysis but so far weak on action”.

I was delighted to be asked to join this taskforce. In Jeremy Hunt and Ed Vaizey we have two Shadow Ministers who want to help the British games industry prosper. They have promised action not just words.

This is an opportunity for the industry to come together and have input into the potential next government’s manifesto. I would welcome contributions for the review from anybody who wants to comment on any aspect of the games industry within the context of Digital Britain. It is so important that Britain creates a digital infrastructure that further benefits our content creators

and businesses. Please send your suggestions to me at ianl@eidos.co.uk.

Thank you.

Ian Livingstone

Eidos

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The likes of The Hut’s Gian Luzio and Gem’s Richard Stickler (below) were on best behaviour all night, which was obviously a disappointment for the Off The Record snappers. Luckily, the trade’s most powerful execs were up for some mayhem – not least Nintendo boss David Yarnton and Gamestation’s Martyn Gibbs (left).

Off The Record

Microsoft’s Andy Irving (right) is a lovely man with a lovely lady. So we won’t say anything smutty about us forcing him to pose with these scantily-clad Ghosbusters girls.

Instead, we’ll concentrate on the sterling work of Bethesda’s Sarah Seaby and Mastertronic’s Kirsty Payne (above), who raised a shedload of cash for charity GamesAid.

This week, Off The Record’s roving camera visits the MCV awards, where the likes of Sega, Nintendo, Gamestation and Microsoft celebrated into the night...

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MCV 01/05/09 57

PLEASE EMAIL US YOUR FUNNIEST INDUSTRY PICTURES AT

OFFTHERECORD@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK

Industry bigwigs out in force (clockwise from top to bottom): Graeme Struthers, Konami’s Pete Stone, Sega’s John Clark and Clare Hawkins, analyst Nick Parker with Chris Deering, the Nintendo boys and Warner’s Phil Lamb and Charlene Allen.

The Sega team (left) had to wait a while for their award, but when it eventually came, they made one hell of a racket. Nintendo’s James Honeywell (above) was altogether more relaxed when accepting his award – and remembered to thank Nintendo marketing boss Dawn Paine and newborn baby in his speech. A true gent.

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W IN

PO F K IVE ÉM C O OP N I PL ES AT O IN F U M

To celebrate the release of Pokémon Platinum exclusively on Nintendo DS on May 22nd, Nintendo is offering you the chance to win five copies. To be in with a shout, just answer the following question...

Which TV duo were early champions of the Pokémon craze on their Saturday morning TV show?

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• Intensive PR campaign working closely • Six week 30 second cinema advertising with Fox to target 8-14 boys/girls, campaign playing at over 500 UK CINEMAS directly before the movie hitting movie goers and 16-34 males. nearly 3 MILLION PEOPLE. • BEN STILLER’s voice and likeness used in game for authentic experience.

• Four week 30 second TV spot campaign on TOONATTIK, GMTV2, CARTOON • Fox UK will be giving the movie a NETWORK, CARTOON TOO, MASSIVE PUSH across the UK for launch

NICKELODEON, NICK TOONS, NICKSTER and CITV.

• The first movie made over £20 MILLION in the UK and became one of the BIGGEST MOVIES OF THE YEAR. • The first film is placed number 50 IN THE ALL-TIME WORLD BOX OFFICE CHART beating such films as Wall-E, Simpsons Movie and Madagascar!

• Night at the Museum 2 expected to be even bigger!

WWW.NIGHTATTHEMUSEUMGAME.COM WWW.MAJESCOEUROPE.COM For more details, POS or to place an order

call Centresoft - 0121 625 3908

Night at the Museum 2 ™ & © 2009 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved. Published and distributed by Majesco Entertainment Company. PC, Wii and 360 versions Developed by Pipeworks® Software, a Foundation 9 Entertainment Studio. DS version Developed by Fizz Factor®, a Foundation 9 Entertainment Studio. “THE THINKER” SCULPTURE BY AUGUSTE RODIN. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. Trademarks are property of their respective owners. Nintendo DS and Wii are trademarks of Nintendo. All Rights Reserved. Patents Pending.