MCV546 July 17th 2009 by Intent Media (now Newbay Media Europe)

Friday July 17 2009 £3.25

THE INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

MCV Masthead:Layout 1 13/7/09 14:08 Page 1

Inside Front

NEW REL EAS ES

AUGUST 2009

GUIDE Ready Steady Cook

Wii / DS

New series starting Autumn 2009 The UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s longest running cookery show with mass market family appeal Fastest growing kitchenware range in the UK and other successful merchandise, including cook books Pick your ingredients and cook along with 1 of 5 chefs against the clock

Wii ÂŁ24.99RRP

DS ÂŁ24.99RRP

Family Fortunes

Wii / DS

Prime time TV show attracting over 5 Million viewers

OCTOBER 2009

New series starting in Autumn 2009 True adaptation of the show with commentary by Vernon Kay Play the infamous Single, Double or Big Money rounds!

Wii ÂŁ24.99RRP

DS ÂŁ19.99RRP

Countdown

Wii / DS

The show is aired 5 times a week, and has transmitted over 4600 episodes New Hosts Jeff Stelling and Rachel Riley have sent ratings soaring by 11% on Channel 4 Battle your wits playing against a virtual opponent, practice mode or with a friend Highly addictive game play!

Wii ÂŁ29.99RRP

DS ÂŁ19.99RRP

NOVEMBER 2009

The Ultimate Red Ball Challenge

Wii

The official Wii game of the popular BBC One show Total Wipeout The most watched entertainment show on Saturday, attracting 6.6 million viewers Special introduction by Richard Hammond Conquer the Total Wipeout obstacles including Sucker Punch, The Sweeper and The Big Red Balls

Wii ÂŁ29.99RRP Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here!

Wii / DS

The show ranked in the top 5 most watched TV shows in 2008 A teasing marketing campaign by ITV starts in October for the November launch Take on challenges that put your bravery, resilience and intelligence to the test Take care of the camp by surviving tasks and avoid being eliminated

OUT 2010

Wii ÂŁ29.99RRP

DS ÂŁ24.99RRP

Coronation Street

The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s longest running TV show, and a well recognised trusted brand The show consistently attracts an average of 10 million viewers Play as an undercover detective trying to solve the case from a TV episode of the show Become friends with Street characters such as; Ken, Maria and many moreâ&#x20AC;Ś

DS ÂŁ29.99RRP

ÂŠ 2009 Mindscape. READY STEADY COOK logo ÂŠ Endemol 2004. BBC logo ÂŠ and TM BBC 1996.2008 Endemol USA Inc./Endemol UK Plc licensed by Endemol International B.V. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all rights reserved. ÂŠ 2003 Endemol International B.V. / Endemol UK plc, DEAL OR NO DEAL is a registered trademark of Endemol International B.V. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; used by permission â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all rights reserved. Golden Balls logo and design ÂŠ Endemol UK Plc 2007 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; used by permission â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all rights reserved. Golden Balls registered trade marks are used under licence from Golden Balls Limited. Family Fortunes (R) FremantleMedia Ltd. Licensed by FremantleMedia Enterprises. â&#x20AC;?Countdownâ&#x20AC;? ÂŠ and format owned by Armand JAMMOT / France TĂŠlĂŠvisions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Countdownâ&#x20AC;? â&#x201E;˘ & ÂŠ Yorkshire Television 2009. Licensed by Granada Ventures Limited. All rights reserved. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m A Celebrityâ&#x20AC;ŚGet Me Out Of Here! â&#x201E;˘ & ÂŠ ITV Studios Ltd 2009. Licensed by Granada Ventures Limited. All rights reserved. Coronation St. â&#x201E;˘ & ÂŠ ITV Studios Limited 2009. Licensed by Granada Ventures Limited. All rights reserved. Trademarks are property of their respective owners. Nintendo DS and Wii are trademarks of Nintendo.

Call Sales Now on

0870 027 6504

Koch Media Ltd t 5IF #VMM 1FOT .BOPS $PVSU )FSSJBSE )BNQTIJSF 3( 1) t Tel t Fax t www.kochmedia.com

MCV WRAP5.indd 2

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THE MARKET FOR COMPUTER AND VIDEO GAMES

Issue 546 Friday July 17 2009 £3.25

04 Phil the power

14 ‘Boxing clever

Harrison crowned as a Legend at Develop Awards as Media Molecule clean up

Microsoft Studios boss Phil Spencer discusses Project Natal, Live and much more

06 You’ve been ‘ad

18 Fighting fit

Publishers told to ‘watch the violence’ by Advertising Standards Agency

MCV takes a special look at the health and fitness software market

07 Western ambition

25 Retail Biz

Namco Bandai sets sights on market share after Atari Europe takeover

We preview Activision’s Wolfenstein and Koch’s new casual range

EVERY BUYER EVERY BRANCH EVERY INDIE EVERY WEEK

INCORPORATING

Publisher price hike gets frosty reception at retail Development costs and currency pressures push game prices skywards Modern Warfare 2 RRP set at £54.99 by Christopher Dring & Tim Ingham CONSUMERS will pay more than expected for new game releases this Q4, as the weak pound and record development costs force publishers to increase trade prices. Activision has confirmed that the eagerly-awaited Modern Warfare 2 will carry a hefty RRP of £54.99 – and retailers have been warned that other publishers are likely to follow suit. Indeed, one major Japanese publisher has told MCV it has already raised trade prices once in 2009 and may be forced to do so again. “Exchange rates between the Euro and the pound are making it very difficult for publishers to show an acceptable operating margin in the UK,” THQ worldwide VP Ian Curran told MCV. “You can’t continue to trade as normal when the biggest

“

Activision has been criticised by retail for raising Modern Warfare 2’s trade price – but other publishers have defended the firm’s decision

EA: ‘NO RISE FROM US’

up and I feel this will continue across more key titles. “Also, development costs for next gen software has increased at a time when the take-up on these machines is slower than

I’m not surprised to see MW2’s price rise. I think it will happen to more key titles this year. Ian Curran, THQ

territory in Europe has seen cost of goods increase by 30 per cent due to the strengthening of the Euro. Publishers somehow need to offset this drastic increase in costs. I’m not surprised to see the [Modern Warfare 2] SRP go

”

expected and therefore the opportunity to sell more units is limited. The increase in cost of goods due to the weak pound has added to this burden, and therefore something has to happen to ensure publishers’ return on their investment.”

However, a top games buyer at one of the country’s biggest retailers said: “A couple of months ago a few publishers mentioned that they were being hammered because of the Euro. To combat this they decided that certain titles would have a higher RRP. “You can guess the reception this got from retail. The fundamental problem is that the customer will feel conned that the latest triple triple-A is £50 at retail when last year it was only £40.” Nintendo drew attention to the exchange rate problem in March, when it raised the cost price of Wii hardware. Major retailers told MCV they believed it was ‘inevitable’ that other prices would rise.

Publishing giant EA insists it will not follow Activision’s lead. A company spokesperson told MCV: “There has been no change in our trade pricing policy and there will be no change in RRP.”

THE PUBLISHER'S VIEW One UK boss of a top global publisher spoke to MCV – and defended Activision's position: “Retail moans to MCV, because they want a massive game like Modern Warfare for next to nothing. 90 per cent of a publisher’s business is done from barely 10 per cent of titles. In these tough times, these games cost a lot of money to develop – up to £50 million. With that pressure to see a return on their investment, I can sort of understand where Activision are going. If you look at the amount it costs to see a movie at the cinema or play a DVD, you

watch it once and you’re done. A £55 game of this quality is far, far better value. Will this affect consumers? I don’t think so. If a title is this good, will they spend an extra £5? Of course. You can’t blame Activision. They’re entitled to do this – they’ve invested huge amounts. I’m not sure the weak pound is the main reason for the rise. I think it’s because Activision knows they’ve spent a huge amount to offer the best entertainment, at the best value money can buy – even if they do add a fiver to the price.”

PERSONNEL 24 RETAIL BIZ 25 NEW RELEASES 32 HIGH STREET 34 CHARTS 36

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[LEADER] THE PRICE IS RIGHT WITHOUT QUESTION, Modern Warfare 2 is set to be one of the biggest games of the year. And now, following news that Activision has raised the trade price of the game, it’s set to be one of the most expensive as well. (Outside of the music peripheral games sector, that is). Is that a crime? In the eyes of some, yes. Activision played the poker face and said it doesn’t publicly discuss pricing when asked about the issue. But EA, for one, has emphatically denied it will raise prices this year. The last games company to do this – Nintendo, when it pushed up the price of the Wii hardware – blamed currency conversions for the squeeze on its costs. But will that excuse wash here? Whatever the grumbles, the fact is, Modern Warfare 2 is set to be one of the biggest games of the year – and its price now reflects that. It’s safe to assume that behind closed doors Activision staff know there are only two or three games out there for which a publisher could get away with raising the price – and it happens to own one of them. Millions of people want Modern Warfare 2. Millions upon millions of pounds have been spent on its production. And the game is said to offer an experience as gripping as its predecessor. Ergo: It’s worth more to Activision, whether or not anyone else agrees.

THE PRICE IS WRONG The problem for retail over the MW2 price isn’t just the wash of ill feeling that comes with each unit carrying a higher cost price but generating no extra revenue. (Which is a bit rich – you’re already bound to sell hundreds of thousands of units for the biggest game of the year, and you want more profit?). No, the real issue is how this could upset the perceived value of the games around MW2. If that game is £54.99, does that mean the games priced at £39.99 are worse? Of course not, but you’d forgive less discerning punters from thinking that. Tensions around pricing aren’t new in the games industry, and now the prospect of telling cashconscious punters that the year’s most wanted title will actually cost a few more quid in what’s supposed to be the tail-end of a recession isn’t going to be particularly welcome at retail. Then again, consumers swallowed the slight price increases that came with each new Harry Potter books – even when the page counts fell, meaning consumers got less content per penny. So maybe the boundaries of what consumers will tolerate on price haven’t been toyed with enough in games? Luckily, we won’t have to see such experiments play out that often. There are only a handful of games out there that a publisher could do this with, so it’s far from something that will become the norm. So while pricing is still the ultimate sensitive issue for publishers and retail – as long as no one tries their luck and thinks of trying to hike the price of secondtier games – this could just be a blip. Fingers crossed. Michael.French@intentmedia.co.uk

Phil Harrison crowned Plus Media Molecule picks up five wins at this year’s Develop Awards FIFTEEN DIFFERENT companies or individuals walked home with Develop Awards at a packed ceremony in Brighton earlier this week. Media Molecule took home five prizes – for Best New IP, Visual Arts, Technical Achievement, Best New Studio and Best Independent Developer. Phil Harrison, who signed the studio’s LittleBigPlanet

“

whose Leeds team won Best Handheld Studio while its North studio took home Best In-House Studio. Retired agent Jacqui Lyons was also given a special Lifetime Achievement Award for representing top developers since the 1980s via her company Marjacq. Meanwhile, Codemasters, secured the Grand Prix in

Other big winners included Rockstar, Playfish, Audiodesk, Lionhead and retired agent Jacqui Lyons.

during his long tenure at Sony Computer Entertainment, received the Development Legend prize in acknowledgement of his contributions to the industry through a career of 20 years and counting. Other big winners on the night included GTAdeveloper Rockstar,

”

celebration of almost 25 years at the heart of British games development and its major growth in recent years. Over 500 video games development execs attended to see the winners – which also included Playfish, Autodesk and Lionhead – collect their prizes. “This year’s

Develop Awards were fiercely contested, illustrating the rude health of the creative industry at the moment,” said Develop

MARIO & SONIC MOUNT LONDON ASSAULT

SEGA IS PLANNING to take over Trafalgar Square this October to promote the long-awaited Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games in time for the Christmas gifting period, MCV understands. It is believed that the title, due out on October 16th, will benefit from a high-profile showcase during the busy London Games Festival – which kicks off on Saturday, October 24th.

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NEWS

Develop Legend

Nominate now for the

Grand Prix award handed to Codemasters THE NOMINATIONS process for this year’s Games Media Awards is now open. You can vote for yourself or your own brand, a colleague or one of your favourite writers or titles. You can vote in as many or as few categories as you like. You don’t need to include any exposition, just send the names of who or what you’d like to be in the running at this year’s event to gma@intentmedia.co.uk. See the box below for the full list of categories. What happens next? Well, in a few weeks we will announce shortlists of roughly five finalists in each

category. A 100+ panel of judges comprising representatives of the games industry and the games media will then vote to decide the ultimate winners. The only exception to this is the Games Media Legend Award, which will be announced in splendid isolation on the night itself, but, that said, do feel free to send your suggestions. The Games Media Awards takes place at Jongleurs in Camden on Thursday October 15th. The event is sponsored by Xbox 360, New Super Mario Bros Wii, DJ Hero, F1 2009 from Codemasters, EA and Sega.

[PRE ORDERS]

TOP 10 UNCHARTED 2: AMONG THIEVES PS3 SONY

2. MODERN WARFARE 2 360 ..................................ACTIVISION

3. GRAN TURISMO 5 PS3 ..........................................SONY

4. MODERN WARFARE 2 PS3 ..................................ACTIVISION

5. PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2010 PS3........................................KONAMI

6. HALO 3: ODST 360 ..................................MICROSOFT

7. OP. FLASHPOINT: DRAGON... 360.............................. CODEMASTERS

CATEGORIES: Phil Harrison was amongst the big winners at this year’s event, receiving the Development Legend award

Games Magazine

Games Blog

Games Website

Games Broadcast or Podcast (TV, radio or online)

Specialist Games Writer (Print) Specialist Games Writer (Online)

editor-in-chief Michael French. “We salute the winners, and pat the shoulders of those who were nominated – but

everyone in the business should be rightly congratulated for what has been yet another stellar year.”

Games Coverage in a Mainstream Magazine (Please vote for the title, not an individual)

Regional Games Columnist

development pipeline for its handheld games machine. Which means that by the time Sony’s disc-less PSPgo arrives on retail shelves this October, there will be a large number of quality,

low-price PlayStation Network titles ready for download from launch. “Sony’s been working very hard to find our position in the digital marketplace,” explained Zeno Colaço, head of developer relations at SCEE. He added: “Things have changed – the best products don’t necessarily have to come from a retail box.” Over 50 European developers are already devising content for the new initiative – and Sony thinks the move will help attract a wider base of development support. Added Colaço: “On PlayStation Portable we are

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

Rising Star

9. TEKKEN 6

Games Coverage in a National Newspaper

PS3 ............................NAMCO BANDAI

(Again, please vote for the title, not an individual)

10. ASSASSIN’S CREED 2

Games Media Legend Send your nominations to gma@intentmedia.co.uk

Sony throws its weight behind digital THE SONY PSP WILL boast a revamped download store packed with affordable, digitalonly video games by the end of the year. In Sony’s latest commitment to the download space, the firm told MCV sister magazine Develop that it is streamlining the

8. HEAVY RAIN: ORIGAMI KILLER

trying to reduce the barriers to entry some developers have had in the physical goods route to market. “We’re very excited about how existing developers on other PlayStation platforms will contribute to this and how those from other mobile platforms, or even those who haven’t worked on the console before, will come to it. “This is not the start of a project, it’s an evolution to look at what other markets are doing and how consumers are changing. We’ve got a real international mix of developers working on games for PSPgo.” Sony: 020 7859 5000

PS3 ......................................UBISOFT Week ending July 10th Source: SHOPTO.COM

[MARKET VALUE]

£18.7m 25

£20.3m

£20.1m

£18.7m

851,924 Units

836,461 Units

825,244 Units

Week Ending June 26th

Week Ending July 3rd

Week Ending July 10th

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

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Easy on the violence, publishers warned Fresh ASA guidelines encourage games companies to consider ‘wider context’ of adult TV advertising by Tim Ingham PUBLISHERS need to consider the ‘wider context’ of ads for violent games if they don’t want to see them banned from TV. That’s according to the Advertising Standards Agency, which will next week release new guidance for games publishers and their ad agencies.

“

next Thursday (July 22nd), entitled ‘Advice – Video Games Advertising’. The ASA this week told MCV that less than one per cent of games advertising had been upheld as inappropriate in the last 12 months – with just an Eidos ad for Kane and Lynch and a Sega vehicle for Condemned 2 both being pulled from screens.

Depictions of violence are the main problem that we see in games advertising on TV. Esra Erkal-Paler, ASA

MCV understands that this will encourage publishers to think beyond just satisfying regulatory rules – and ask them to consider whether their creatives could still cause distress to viewers. The new guidelines – which have been constructed with help from ELSPA – will be announced at an ASA event

”

“Games has a high level of compliance to the rules – it’s certainly not an industry in crisis – but we felt we should qualify the existing guidance to help publishers avoid problems in the future,” ASA director of communications and marketing Esra Erkal-Paler told MCV. “Depictions of violence keep coming up [as the main

Eidos had a TV ad for Kane & Lynch pulled after the ASA received complaints from viewers

issue with games]. When we look at some advertising content, it’s been likely to offend and cause distress – regardless of whether it’s pre or post-watershed. “Creators of this content need to take into account the wider context of the impact

their ads have – rather than just of the bare minimum of the ASA requirements.” The event will offer games marketers expert help to avoid attracting complaints to their ads. ELSPA director general Michael Rawlinson will give a keynote speech.

The ASA’s official regulations are currently being reviewed – with changes expected to be implemented across its critera in early 2010. For more information about ‘Advice – Video Games Advertising’, email: events@cap.org.uk

Key execs signed for Edinburgh Moore returns with PLANS ARE building for August's Edinburgh Interactive Festival. Taking place on Thursday, August 13th and 14th, the two-day event will open with a keynote from EA Sports boss Peter Moore. Key names from Endemol, Playfish, Jagex, BMO Capital Markets, Turbine and German games giant Bigpoint are all signed up to talk at the event, which this year has widened its remit to include subjects like social networking. Running alongside the industry conference is the Game Play Area and Games Screenings Sessions for members of the public. These free consumer areas attract

outsource marketing

consumers from Scotland and the North of England. This year’s exhibiting publishers include Nintendo, Sony, Eidos and Disney Interactive. The event is also timed to coincide with the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, which runs

from Friday August 7th to 31st in the Scottish city. Those interested in booking a place at the event should head to www.edinburgh interactivefestival.com or contact Jodie.holdway@bhpr.co.uk

FORMER Sega marketing director Tina Moore (nee Hicks) has set up a company offering project work for companies looking to keep down their marketing overhead. Moore has held key roles at UbiSoft, Take 2, Microsoft and Sega over the past 15 years and brings a wealth of experience and contacts. The new firm taps into the increasing requirement for publishers, developers and accessories companies to outsource marketing and tightly control costs. “Some companies would rather avoid the overhead of a fully resourced in-house

MOORE: Heading up new agency

marketing team,” said Moore. “I am available to offer short or long-term project solutions, working on specific products or brands across the UK.” Contact: Tina_Moore@btinternet.com

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NEWS

HOTLIST

Namco Bandai sets sights on domination of Europe Purchase of Atari’s PAL business completed Company aims to become major global force by Christopher Dring JAPANESE giant Namco Bandai has its eye on a top five market share position in Europe, following the completion of its buyout of Atar’s PAL distribution business. The new company is tasked with growing Namco’s established franchises, including Tales of Symphonia, Tekken and Katamari, in Europe, and wants to be amongst the Top Five

“

We want to make a bigger impact on the global market. Our objective is to be a stronger global force. Olivier Comte, Namco Bandai

distributors in every region it operates in. “For some time Namco Bandai Games Europe has wanted to make a bigger impact on the European market with the objective of becoming a stronger global

Out August 14th

force in video games,” Namco Bandai Partners vice president Olivier Comte told MCV. “In the context of the successful PAL distribution relationship they enjoyed with Atari over a number of years, when the opportunity arose for them to purchase the PAL distribution operation it was something that was clearly very interesting to them. “The deal equips Namco Bandai Games Europe with all the tools they need to grow

”

their boxed goods business in all the PAL territories.” The firm has already signed several key European distribution agreements with publishers such as Bethesda and Monte Cristo, and is on the hunt for more partners.

X360, PS3, PC Wolfenstein brings the Nazi dark obsession with the occult to life with epic action and harrowing shooter combat. Move between the Nazi’s sinister reality and yours as you battle through the streets, rooftops and sewers of occupied Eisenstadt. Unleash the Nazi’s own dark powers and perverted science against them with supernatural weapons and firepower.

COMTE: Namco Bandai Partners boss wants expanding firm to become a ‘major player’ in Europe and other PAL territories

“Namco Bandai Partners’ aim is to achieve a top five distribution market share as soon as possible in all the territories where we operate,” continued Comte. “To achieve this, we will leverage the Namco Bandai portfolio and our agreements with third

party publishers such as the recent deal struck with Bethesda. We expect to be working with other publishers in the near future and will also be working hard to grow the relationships we already have.” Namco Bandai: 020 8222 9700

Out Now X360, PS3, PC BECOME ANYTHING… CHANGE EVERYTHING! You are Alex Mercer, the PROTOTYPE™, the ultimate shape-shifting weapon. With no memory and no mercy, hunt your way to the heart of the conspiracy which created you, making those responsible pay!

Natal will ‘relaunch’ 360 in 2010 MICROSOFT GAME studios boss Phil Spencer has told MCV that the new Project Natal controller will effectively relaunch the 360 when it arrives next year. Speaking to MCV in an exclusive interview, Spencer likened the arrival of the camera-based kit – which senses player movements and requires no physical games controller – to the launch of a new system. “When Natal comes out it will feel like a new generation has arrived,” he said. “I see it as like the launch of the Xbox 360 back in 2005 – there will

be a launch portfolio of games to support it.” Spencer also rubbished the idea of launching new console

“

We want consumers and developers to know that we are all going to make a huge return on that original

When Project Natal comes out, it will feel like a new generation has arrived. Phil Spencer, Microsoft

hardware onto the market, saying the format holder was happy with the positioning of the multi-SKU 360. “Consumers don’t want another $400 box right now.

”

investment in the 360 hardware – the one Microsoft made in building it, the one developers made in making games for it, and the investment consumers made in

buying it. In the current climate that’s something people are going to appreciate. “That’s why we are just adding functionality [with Natal] and broadening the console’s appeal, with the best games. The mix we have of content, software and hardware is perfect. “And it’s only year four for the 360. Look at the history of the industry, when does that happen? When before has there been a console that hasn’t peaked and is still growing in its fourth year?" Read MCV’s full interview with Phil Spencer on page 14

Out Now NDS, WII, PS2, PS3, X360, PC Join Ice Age’s unlikely herd of prehistoric pals for their wildest, wackiest, most exciting adventure yet! For the first time, play as six beloved Ice Age characters as they embark on a rescue mission across melting snow to the mysterious Dinosaur World - an all-new, fur-raising jungle of carnivorous plants, lush foliage and fierce dinosaurs.

Activision.com

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New publisher sweeps into UK US firm Mamba Games gains direct access to UK market, signs up Lace for sales and distribution services by Tim Ingham US PUBLISHER Mamba Games is to begin releasing titles in the UK, following a sales and distribution deal with Lace Digital Media Sales. The US company began copublishing with European firms after being founded by former THQ commercial director Robert Neilsen last year – but will now enjoy direct distribution in the territory. Mamba is a PC specialist publisher, but plans to branch into console formats next year, MCV understands. Its last release in Europe was The Lost Crown: A Ghost Hunting Story, copublished with Dutch firm Lighthouse in March. Commercial director at Mamba Jason Codd said: “We have had a really successful six months throughout Europe and we are now in a position to expand our portfolio and distribution networks further afield.

“The UK is a huge part of our business plan and LDMS have really impressed us with their knowledge of the market. We are excited to be working with LDMS in the UK and Ireland and we are sure that our partnership will be a success.” Independent DVD sales and distribution firm Lace Digital

“

pressure that publishers were under since the collapse of larger sales and distribution companies such as EUK and Pinnacle. He commented: “The games business is very similar to the DVD business in many ways, not least of which being the limited number of options to

Our focus and tailor-made service is unique. We’re very proud to be working with Mamba Games. Adam Lacey, LDMS

announced plans to move into the games market in February, when it signed up JoWood as its first games client. The company specialises in helping global content owners, producers and DVD publishers to release their product in the UK and Eire. MD of LDMS Adam Lacey said he understood the

”

securing a successful path into the market place. “Publishers need to know that their sales partners have the knowledge, skills and passion to deliver every time. Our focus and tailor made service is unique and we are very proud and excited to be working with Mamba.” LDMS: 01273 202220

EEK W E H T F O N G I CAMPA ESORT WII SPORTS R Nintendo’s biggest Wii release of the year is being supported by the company’s most impressive marketing campaign yet…

PRINT A major press takeover will raise awareness of Wii Sports Resort, with cover wraps appearing on Metro, Daily Star and Shortlist on the game’s day of release. Advertorials will be also used in Sport and the Observer Sport. TV/CINEMA The three-month TV campaign has already begun, which will reach the broadest possible audience. The ads are targeting 16 to 44 year-olds and will appear during all major primetime family viewing throughout the summer. The TV creative is focussed on showing off the abilities of MotionPlus. Various sporting professionals have been brought

on board to demonstrate the precision the add-on brings to Wii Sports Resort and later ads will see these stars competing to show how enjoyable the multiplayer mode will be. Ads will also be shown before Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, reaching more than 5.1 million moviegoers. ONLINE Online takeovers have been planned for all major gaming sites, including MSN, delivering more than 4.3 million impressions across the two weeks of launch. RETAIL A major sampling campaign will see a makeshift WuHu

Island touring the country, with more than ten gameplay areas. Nintendo staff will be visiting nine key locations over the summer, demonstrating MotionPlus’s capabilities and giving consumers the opportunity to get to grips with the various mini-games available in Wii Sports Resort. Meanwhile, a dual-phased POS campaign has already kicked off, starting with preawareness POS and following this up with creative focussed on the July 24th launch window. An array of POS items are available, including window posters, FSDUs, wobblers, deco cubes and more, all designed to recreate the atmosphere of WuHu Island in stores.

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Sponsored by

Bizarre: ‘Blur will reinvent racers’ Innovative IP could mimic World of Warcraft and Call of Duty sales, says racer studio by Christopher Dring DEVELOPER Bizarre Creations expects Blur to revitalise the struggling racing genre, the firm has told MCV. The new IP mixes arcade gameplay, vehicle combat and real world cars in a bid to be

“

“It is very frustrating. Many of the racing games out there are for the simulation market, which is really inaccessible for those that haven’t played a racing game for a long time. Hopefully by addressing this we can see more people play Blur, appreciate it, and we can

If this is not the racing genre’s comeback, then it will at least be the point where it does something different. Ben Ward, Bizarre Creations

more accessible to new players. And the studio’s claim follows similar assertions from Activision Publishing’s CEO Mike Griffith, who told MCV that the game will ‘do for racing what Call of Duty did for shooters’. “Why has the FPS genre and the MMO market had these massive massive games, and why hasn’t racing?” asked Bizarre’s head of studio communications Ben Ward.

[IN BRIEF] EA: Command & Conquer 4 is currently in development and will be released in 2010. Developed by Electronic Arts’ LA studio, the game will conclude the series’ Tiberium storyline. KONAMI: New Wii horror title Calling is due for release in early 2010. The game uses the Wii Remote as a mobile phone to scare players with mysterious calls as they progress through the plot.

”

push it forward. This is the start of something new.” Blur isn’t the only new racing IP designed to re-boot the racing scene. Codemasters has an extensive range of new titles on the horizon, while Black Rock and Disney’s Split Second is due early next year. “All these exciting new racers coming out is a great thing,” insisted Ward. “Competition makes for better games. It is a reinforcement

SONY: MCV understands Media Molecule is working on a LittleBigPlanet Game Of The Year edition. The title is set for release by the end of the year and will include much of the downloadable content already available for the game. Bizarre’s Ben Ward is confident Blur will revitalise the racing genre

that we’re doing the right thing in trying to reinvent the racer, with everyone else seemingly trying to do the same thing. Our business people may not agree, but it is definitely a positive thing.

“We really believe in the underlying concept of Blur. If this is not the racing genre’s comeback, then it will at least be the point where it does something different.” Activision: 020 3060 1000

Average selling price falls in ‘09 THE LATEST research from TNS Worldpanel Entertainment suggests that the average selling price for video games has fallen over the last year. In the 52 weeks ending May 24th 2009, the average price across all formats fell to £21.97, a decline of two per cent, according to the firm. The same figure for the Xbox 360 also fell over the course of the year, with an estimated year-on-year decrease of 16 per cent bringing the selling price down to £26.27. However, Microsoft’s platform

showed the smallest decline in average consumer expenditure, with the average Xbox 360 owner spending £104.57 in the last 52 weeks.

Conversely, PC games have actually seen a rise in the average selling price, up from £12.97 last year to £13.97. However, the market declined in both value and volume.

Overall expenditure for the industry rose when compared to the same time last year, as did the number of units sold. Gamers spent an estimated £1.88 billion in this period, an increase of 12 per cent, with 85.6 million games sold, up by 14 per cent. The games market saw an eight per cent penetration growth in the last year, with 20 to 25 year-olds identified as the main contributors to this increase, up by 19 per cent. Nintendo continues to be the primary driver behind the

industry, with the Wii accounting for 80 per cent of the console market’s growth. Meanwhile, the PS3 has a strong year with a 49 per cent increase in value and now represents 18 per cent of the games market’s total spend. In the retail sector, only music and video specialists, supermarkets and specified chains saw their market shares decrease. Online retailers showed the most significant increase, up from a share of 21 per cent to 25.1 per cent. TNS: 020 7160 5957

ACTIVISION: Infinity Ward’s upcoming Modern Warfare 2 has been rebranded as part of the Call Of Duty series once more. IMAGINE: NowGamer.com owner Imagine Publishing has launched NowGamer Network, a community of video games websites that expands the NowGamer.com brand and audience.

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NEWS ANALYSIS: JAPAN

THE NATURE OF THE EAST MCV columnist and celebrated industry analyst Nick Parker discusses Japan’s gaming market and the reasons behind the territory’s steady sales decline in the last 12 months... consoles which also peaked in their first or second year. The Wii launched in 2006 in Japan and peaked in 2007. It was launched in the same year in Europe but was still growing sales in 2008. However, year-todate sales show a decline in some European territories, with the largest Wii market, the UK, occupying a third of Western European unit sales, down by 29 per cent year on year to the end of June. This European fall off is primarily due to strong comparables in the same period of 2008 and stronger competition from Xbox 360 which has become more appealing to the Wii demographic as its base model price is lower than the Wii.

“

titles, three DS and two Wii (both third party). In the Top 20, 15 games were on portable devices, whilst the Wii took up three of the remaining five. The other two were on PS3 and PS2.

Wii games are not bought in the same numbers by the family demographic as core games are by core gamers.

TURNING JAPANESE The installed base of the Wii has hit over eight million in Japan – 32 per cent of homes with children. In Western Europe, its stands at 17 million – representing a 25 per cent penetration of homes with children. The slowdown of sales in Japan has been considered by some observers as a result of a saturation of homes with children, the target demographic but 32 per cent is hardly saturation. The top ten sellers in Japan in May included six DS titles (which also filled the top five positions), two PSP titles, one PS3 game (Dynasty Warriors 6) and one Wii (Wii Fit). In the next ten best sellers, there were a further four PSP

Wii games are not bought in the same numbers by the family demographic as core games are on core gaming platforms. Wii could become a family event pastime where only one or two games are required. Wii Fit has sold over three million units, just under a third of the Wii installed base.

It would be extremely unfair to suggest that the Wii is in interminable decline. Before the arrival of a Wii 1.5 in the next year, there is a robust roster of titles expected during the remaining half of the year and some way to go on price point reductions in this cycle; oh yes, and don’t forget that despite challenging trends, the Wii is still the best selling TV based console. What remains unknown is whether the ‘family gamer’ demographic is viable long term – and if it will remain hungry for more of the same software and drive hardware sales? Nick Parker is the founding partner of Parker Consulting Ltd, the industry’s foremost advisors in strategic planning, business intelligence and research. nick@parkerconsulting.biz

”

JAPAN UNIT SALES AND YEAR ON YEAR UNIT SALES COMPARISONS

(Source: Famitsu)

THERE’S A LOT of fun and games going on in Japan just now – but will the territory’s trends migrate to Europe? PSP has flip flopped with the DS over the last year to fight for bestselling hardware device, as Japan becomes the land of the handheld. The Wii has been in year-on-year decline since the middle of last year and the PS3 is finding new heart among its faithful home crowd. The resurgence over the last 18 months of the PSP in Japan just underlines the impact of high quality titles on hardware to such an extent that it was outselling the DS Lite in all of the period of 2008 until the arrival of the DSi in November. This would be unimaginable in Europe but annual sales reveal a tenacity which has lead to an installed base in this region of 14 million units. As for the PS3, it seems to be the subject of the Alice In Wonderland song: ‘Will you join the dance’. But gamers want the platform to succeed in Japan and should flock back when the price is right. The combined factors of the introduction of the DSi, a paucity of new desirable Wii software and competition from other platform vendors has seen Wii sales fall since the summer of 2008 (down 61 per cent year-on-year) in Japan. Interestingly, the Wii has mirrored the same shape lifecycle curve as the N64 and the GameCube, with the peak sales year occurring in the first or second year after launch, with a decline thereafter. In Europe, the curve has been the same shape for all of these Nintendo

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MCV INTERVIEW PHIL SPENCER, GENERAL MANAGER, MICROSOFT GAME STUDIOS

Natal attraction The Xbox 360’s new camera-based controller had a dramatic unveiling at E3 last month. But why should the industry be excited? Michael French spoke to Microsoft Game Studios head Phil Spencer to find out… Some say Microsoft ‘won’ E3 with Natal. When did work on the new device begin? We started looking at controller-less gaming about four years ago. So it’s been quite a while. The great thing about Microsoft is that we are a big software company – and almost everything in Natal is software driven. Obviously there is some hardware that enables the console to ‘see’, but the research division at Microsoft has done a lot of work on facial recognition, voice recognition, skeletal mapping – I’m talking PhD people in Cambridge and China – which has all contributed to the software powering it. We have long been committed to making this work – that is, empowering players and removing the entire concept of needing a controller – but have taken our time to find the right solution. If Microsoft is ‘a software company’ how do you strike the balance between peripheral design and software creation? For us – the people who love and play games and who make and sell them – the method is to get the creative people involved very early. That way we can make sure that the software is well developed by the time we launch the hardware; it’s a result of the strength we have by putting a strong internal base of creative leaders alongside great platform leaders. In time, we found the right platform for an ambitious software idea – and that’s something Microsoft has regularly done. I’d draw the same analogy between Halo 2 or Project Gotham Racing and Xbox Live. There’s a synergy between hardware and software which, when you get it right, truly captivates an audience. At Xbox, that’s always our strategy – in our office, I sit opposite [Xbox Live chief] Marc Whitten and we, every day,

talk about things we need to enable on the hardware to let innovative software come to the fore, be that in things we develop or the software developed by third parties. Another great example was Rare designing the Avatars for the New Xbox Experience – our efforts to maintain momentum on hardware only worked thanks to our great software innovations. The Natal camera launches towards the end of 2010 and was unveiled at E3

Sony also announced a new motion controller at E3, a different kind of controller to Natal... We don’t have a controller. We are controller-free. You are the controller. Okay, so is that the key message you need to get across to developers and publishers about why they should care about Natal? We started showing Natal to people earlier this year, and to a great reception. The thinking is that when you completely remove the need to have a controller, all you need is what is in your head. All you need is your body. We’ve put players in front of the games with a car, or a football, and told them ‘Do what you feel you need to do’. And minutes later they are playing it, kicking the ball or driving the car. There is no mapping your expectations through a device onto the screen as you would with a pad or other controller. Our catchphrase for Natal is ‘the only experience you need is life experience’. That sounds a little marketing-speak but it’s actually a core message from a design standpoint: we want to encourage people to do what they would naturally do. Lionhead’s Milo is a great example. You just walk up and talk to him. He

reacts to you, and you don’t have to think about how he might react to some ball on the end of a stick. You are the interface and that resonates extremely well.

“

With Natal there is no mapping your expectations on a pad. You’re not holding some ball on the end of a stick. Phil Spencer, Microsoft

”

Xbox boss Don Mattrick said that Natal replaces the need for a next-generation Xbox… Well, as I said, software is our heart and soul. I’ve been here 21 years and started as a programmer. We effectively reinvented the Xbox once already when we rewrote the dashboard. It’s not about trying to sell consumers a new piece of hardware at the wrong time, it’s about evolving the platform continuously. And we are going to find things, like Natal, that are hardware related to also do that. But when Natal is added to 360, which is already an online-enabled

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MCV INTERVIEW PHIL SPENCER, GENERAL MANAGER, MICROSOFT GAME STUDIOS powerful box, it starts a new generation of entertainment. So that’s no to an ‘Xbox 720’, then? Do we need to sell a new console at some point? I don’t think we ‘need’ to right now. We’ll wait until our experiences are at the right point, like we have done with the Natal camera. We’ll wait until everyone is ready for it from a software perspective. What Don was saying was that when Natal comes out it will feel like a new generation has come. I see it as like the launch of the Xbox 360 back in 2005 – there will be a launch portfolio of games to support it. And in terms of putting more hardware on the market, what else can we do? Put more memory in it? I don’t think that’s enough. We like where we are at with the box – 360 currently has a great price point. Consumers don’t want another $400 box right now. We instead want consumers and developers to know that we are all going to make a

HEY BIG SPENCER

The Natal camera senses full body movement – right down to fingers, says Microsoft

huge return on that original investment in the hardware – the one Microsoft made in building it, the one developers made in making games for it, and the investment consumers made in buying the console. In the current climate that’s something people are going to appreciate much more. That’s why we are just adding functionality and broadening the

console’s appeal, with the best games. The mix we have of content, software and hardware is perfect. And it’s only year four for the 360; look at the history of the industry, when does that happen? When before has there been a console that hasn’t peaked and is in its fourth year still growing and offering so much potential?

Phil Spencer stepped up as head of Microsoft Game Studios last year, replacing Shane Kim who took a more global business role at Xbox. He moved over after spending two years building the Microsoft Game Studios operation in Europe. “When I took the new position there were things I wanted to optimise for – it was about focus,” he tells MCV. That included cutting back and downsizing a few studio operations – to make room for the reinvigorated push around Natal: “I cut back on a few things I thought were nice, but not necessarily strategically aligned with where we were going. That meant also making investment in the areas that were important: Natal, Live and core games.” On the last point, he singles a mix of first party game, including Halo: ODST, plus third party hits like The Beatles: Rock Band and Modern Warfare 2 as key for 2009: “Even if you ignored what we showed from Natal, at E3 if you looked across our platform and at all the first and third party titles, it’s very impressive.”

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FRANCHISE PROFILE: COOKING MAMA

COOKING UP A STORM: Over two million Mama games have been sold across Europe

Mama Mia!

Since its launch the Mama brand has become a commercial smash hit, selling millions throughout the world. Christopher Dring meets Cooking Mama Ltd’s President and CEO Takeshi Nagashima to find out more about the franchise’s history – and what the future holds for the studio that created it… FORGET LARA CROFT. Mama is the games industry’s new leading lady. Since she first appeared in 2006, the domestic goddess has appeared in no less than five games – which have sold more than six million units combined across Europe and the US. The series’ commercial exploits has made Mama a household name – and resulted in big profits for publishers Taito, Majesco and 505 Games. After big sales of the first game, its developer re-branded itself Cooking Mama Ltd, with the intention of creating new titles based on the Mama brand. MAKING MAMA

The Hong Kong-based studio is a fiercely private team. The team rarely gives press interviews and has no website of its own, instead leaving the talking to its various publishers – and, indeed, Mama herself. “We are a developer company and we deliver our message to the players through our games,” explains the studio’s CEO Takeshi

Nagashima. “We don’t need to promote about innovating with the character ourselves – we use the publisher for now, and finding new ways to play with that. We just want to focus and work Mama as opposed to following the same hard on producing a good game.” formula again and again.” As a character, Mama has managed to The Mama franchise has successfully transcend the games she appears in. found a niche in an ever-diversifying When PETA criticised the series for its industry. It has benefited from Nintendo meat-based menus, the We could make use of publisher issued a release PlayStation’s motion from the character herself stating: “I would never put controller and Project Natal rat in my Ratatouille.” for future Mama games. And Mama has Takeshi Nagashima, been used in various Cooking Mama Ltd other press statements too. DS’s huge install base amongst young Yet, despite Mama’s early girls – and now the developer is looking success, surely focusing on to extend the series to new platforms. one brand is a risky MORE MAMA strategy for any developer? “I started Cooking Mama because I was “I don’t feel there’s a excited by the DS touch screen and the risk,” insists Nagashima. Wii’s controller,” explains Nagashima. “What I feel appeals is “The hardware is very important and so the Mama character. All children we’re only working on Nintendo today. all around the world love Upon saying that, I am looking at the their Mama. PlayStation motion controller and “She delivers the right Microsoft’s Project Natal. We could message to kids, and we’ll keep certainly make use of these.” using her in different games. It’s

“

There’s certainly much to look forward to for Cooking Mama Ltd. The firm is currently preparing sequels for both its Cooking and Gardening Mama games, as well as an unannounced new project. Meanwhile, the studio is also keen to bring the brand to the digital download space, and hasn’t ruled out creating an entirely new IP either. “Coming up we have Cooking Mama 3 for DS and we’re planning Gardening Mama 2,” concludes Nagashima. “We’ve also got a new Mama concept coming, which we showed to a select few at E3, for which the feedback was good. “Also, we are interested in the digital market. We planned to use the DSi Ware service for Cooking Mama 3, but haven’t been able to for several reasons. But we do plan to use the community functions in the future. “We are a very small company, and we have just the one team working on Mama concepts. However, in the future we would like to try our hand at developing some entirely new games.”

”

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FITNESS GAMES

Fighting Fit Wii Fit’s success has created an entire genre – and now more and more companies are turning to fitness games. James Batchelor speaks with leading publishers about the reasons for this genre’s impressive growth and find out how they plan to capitalise on Nintendo’s success… AS MCV REPORTED last week, Wii Fit is so far the best-selling game of 2009. And it launched over a year ago. Where other games see their sales trail off a month or so after their debut, Nintendo’s Balance Board flagship was still riding the upper echelons of the charts in the run-up to Christmas and into this year. The effect Wii Fit has had on the games industry is far from unnoticeable. As with Brain Training before it, the game has helped publishers identify a new and lucrative audience. And since the beginning of 2009 alone, retailers have seen the arrival of countless fitness

“

Active shifted a remarkable 600,000 units globally within its first two weeks on sale. So why is there such a sustained demand for these titles? “Health, fitness and well-being are always present in people’s minds as the pressure to look good increases,” explains Ubisoft’s UK brand manager Ombeline Wallon. “We can see this reflected in the sales of fitness DVDs or in the increase of gym subscriptions. “Consumers see games consoles as a new platform for them to practice and achieve

We aim to offer customers a range of products designed to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle. Roger Langford, Nintendo

titles, such as My Fitness Coach, EA Sports Active, Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum and Nintendo’s own Walk With Me. In just a year, a new market has been formed. “Wii Fit proved unequivocally that the home player is no longer always a stereotypical 14 year-old adolescent in their bedroom buying beat-‘em-ups,” says Data Design Interactive artist Rob Dorney. “Wii Fit’s continued success at retail has proved that the market is hungry for fitness products and is a lot more open-minded towards active selfdevelopment products.” A WORK OUT

Proving that Wii Fit was not a one-off hit, several of its rival titles have been met with similar success upon release. Ubisoft proudly says that My Fitness Coach: Get In Shape has sold 200,000 units since its debut, while EA Sports

”

their objectives. It’s a new way to get fit that combines many advantages, ranging from accessibility to price and flexibility. As long as the products answer people’s needs and bring something innovative, there will be an interest.” “Keeping fit has long been a trend outside of gaming,” adds Koch’s head of marketing Amy Curtin. “The ‘no pain, no gain’ attitude of the ‘80s has evolved organically into something that fits in completely with day-to-day life for some people. Having the ability to work with a known trainer, get results and the variety of workout you don’t get form a DVD – and all from the comfort of your living room without the need for expensive gym memberships – is appealing to many people. Curtin also points out that with the ongoing discussion around childhood obesity parents are looking at new ways

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FITNESS GAMES

to get their children moving. What better way than to mix exercise with one their favourite hobbies? FITNESS PLAN

With the benefits for the consumers more than apparent and the charts proving demand is high for such titles, publishers have poured more resources into this new market (see Retail Workout). And Nintendo says there is no reason to move away from this genre any time soon. “Fitness products have become very popular and are of paramount importance to Nintendo,” says product manger Roger Langford. “We aim to offer our customers a range of fitness products designed to meet the needs of everyone and help you maintain a healthy lifestyle.” Likewise, some of the biggest thirdparty publishers are upping the ante to

“

While Nintendo, Ubisoft and EA are relying on their own brands to make the most of this market, and essentially creating new household names in doing so, other publishers are using established ones to attract a wider audience. THQ, for example, has bagged the licence to popular fitness TV show The Biggest Loser, while Black Bean has joined forces with nationwide gym chain Fitness First. It’s a tactic that has worked wonders for the fitness DVD industry, which brings in actresses, singers and other celebrities to be the face of each year’s workout, and it’s likely to become a more regular occurrence as the market for fitness games develops. In fact, there are many trends from this industry that will translate to games retail. As with previous casual hits, fitness titles stand to sell well at any point of the year, free from the peaks and

With so many fitness titles set for release, expect the opening months of 2010 to be a lucrative time for retail.

establish themselves with fitness gamers. Electronic Arts has even introduced an entire division to its operations dedicated to this area. “We are very much committed to the virtual fitness segment and see the potential for continued growth,” explains Monique Gomel, director of marketing for EA Sports Active. “We have created a sub-brand to live under the EA Sports umbrella that is devoted to developing a line of virtual fitness products that fit the needs of our consumers.” Adds Ubisoft’s Wallon: “Fitness is an area of growth in the games marke. We have launched two fitness titles and have more coming for this year. Our focus is always on innovation and opportunities to widen the market, and fitness games are a part of this.”

”

troughs felt by more hardcore games that tend to rely on the busier seasons, such as Q4. At the same time, My Fitness Coach (released in June) and EA Sports Active (which arrived just before summer’s bikini season) have proven that the best time to launch is when the public’s desire to get in shape is high. So the post-Christmas lull has the potential to become a key trading period for games retailers. January and February are usually devoid of strong sellers, but not only did My Fitness Coach make its successful debut during this time, but Wii Fit also saw a significant boost. With the wealth of self-improvement titles currently due for releases by the end of the year, expect the opening months of 2010 to be just as important to this market. As the season of plenty comes to an end, consumer interest in fitness products increases, be it DVDs, games or gym memberships. If publishers can raise awareness of these games’ effectiveness, value for money and convenience, fitness games could become as synonymous with our industry as first-person shooters.

RETAIL WORKOUT There are plenty of fitness games due for release by the end of the year, so retailers would be well advised to clear plenty of shelf space as the genre really starts to take off. ACTIVE HEALTH WITH CAROL VORDERMAN Format: DS Publisher: Nintendo The sequel to recent hit Walk With Me, this DS title not only helps users monitor their regular walking activity but also advises them on a healthy diet and exercise regime. NEWU FITNESS FIRST PERSONAL TRAINER Format: Wii Publisher: Black Bean Boasting the official licences of leading gym chain Fitness First and Channel 4’s You Are What You Eat, NewU guides Wii owners through a rigorous workout. MY PERSONAL GOLF TRAINER Format: Wii Publisher: Data Design Interactive A unique take on fitness games that uses golfing, the Balance Board and MotionPlus to create a more immersive experience. Further Personal Trainer games are planned. YOUR SHAPE Format: Wii Publisher: Ubisoft Ubisoft’s newest fitness property will use a motion-sensing camera to pick up users’ movements as they workout, offering a fresh alternative to Balance Board games. EA SPORTS ACTIVE EXPANSION PACK Format: Wii Publisher: Electronic Arts The follow-up to EA’s best-selling fitness title, the expansion pack will introduce 30 new exercises, a warm up and cool down feature and a sixweek challenge mode. THE BIGGEST LOSER Format: Wii/DS Publisher: THQ Based on the popular US TV series, The Biggest Loser will mark Jillian Michaels’ second outing in games industry as she and Bob Harper aim to transform players lives. WII FIT PLUS Format: Wii Publisher: Nintendo The follow-up to the phenomenon that started it all, Wii Fit Plus will expand upon its predecessor’s work. This should at least match the early sales records made by Wii Fit.

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ASHES 2009

Beyond the boundary With top-notch celebrities, advanced gameplay and an enthusiastic publisher behind it, could Ashes Cricket 2009 be the game fans have waited 20 years for? Tim Ingham reports… WHICH SPORTS game enjoys the most impressive celebrity endorsements? Easy, right? FIFA. From Rooney to Ronaldinho, it’s got the biggest names in the biggest sport in the world. If not that, surely another of EA’s gargantuan sports properties: NFL, or NBA perhaps. And yet, if we judge these boasting rights by the sporting cognoscenti a publisher manages to draw to its games, Codemasters could well have a shout with Ashes Cricket 2009 – a title made about a very British sport, by a very British publisher. It’s got the mandatory England legend, Ian Botham, alongside today’s Brit superstar – Kevin Pietersen. (Okay, so he’s South African born, but we need all the help we can get). Then there’s the all-time world great, Shane Warne. And last but not least the classic foe – and fellow Aussie – Ricky Ponting. CREAS-ING UP

The support from these cricketing greats is a sign of how far the genre has come in its chequered history.

With the Ashes series already to do this, and that approach carried underway and hype building, right through to both the Brian Lara Codemasters reckons it could have the Cricket and EA’s games. biggest sports game of the summer on “In the last couple of years, even its hands – and the biggest cricket game more control has been added. The of all time. analogue sticks have enabled even more “For me Cricket games started on the Amiga The game looks fantastic and with Graham Gooch’s I’m sure both England and World Class Cricket,” Australia fans are going to says producer of Ashes Cricket 2009 Jamie Firth. relish the chance to take part. “Of course in those days Kevin Pietersen we were talking about one joystick with one button, so it was control over both batting and bowling. basic, but great fun. However, I think in doing this casual “As the consoles have developed, cricket-game fans may have found it a there’s been a move towards more bit too much to handle, which is what buttons, seeing more control we’re trying to address with the over what you want to control system in Ashes do: I think Super Cricket 2009. International Cricket “In the game there on the SNES are default, was the automatic controls first for the more casual

“

player, and more depth on toggles available for more advanced players.” Perhaps the biggest advancement in modern day cricket has been the rise of the Twenty20 game, which has given Codemasters extra options that previous cricket video games have never had. “Twenty20 is much closer to how the casual cricket fan wants their game to be: fast, fun and lots of big hitting,” adds Firth. “It’s basically given us that arcade game-mode in Ashes, alongside the test matches. “I know there are a lot of cynics on both sides: some prefer test and some prefer the short game. I don’t see any reason why both cannot co-exist. They are games that draw on the same sort of skill-sets in a different fashion. And that’s got to be a great thing for any fan of cricket.” Much like, it would seem, the release of Ashes Cricket 2009 this summer.

”

STARS IN THEIR EYES Kevin Pietersen “I am delighted to be involved with the official game of the Ashes. The game looks fantastic and I’m sure both England and Australia fans are going to relish the opportunity to take part in a virtual Ashes series. Representing your country in the Ashes is a huge honour and I can’t wait for it to start.”

Ricky Ponting “I think Ashes Cricket 2009 is going to be massive. There are guys all over the world playing against each other trying to re-create us playing against England at grounds like Lords. We have some bad memories from our last trip to England to play in the Ashes so we are desperate to put it right this time.”

Shane Warne “Recording commentary for the game was a lot of fun and I am really pleased with the results. It’s always good to have some banter with Beefy. I played in eight Ashes Series and it’s an amazing feeling to represent your country on the biggest stage. Hopefully Ashes Cricket 2009 will give cricket fans a taste of what that feels like.”

Sir Ian Botham “I’m sure cricket fans will have a lot of fun playing against each other. I’m very pleased to be involved in the game and hope that the people who play it enjoy the Legends Mode. In 2005 we all saw what kind of positive effect a successful Ashes series can have on the country and hopefully the boys can emulate that this year.”

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MCV INTERVIEW STEWART GREEN, MD, DDI

The Arcade game Data Design Interactive’s Popcorn Arcade range has been a phenomenal success for the publisher, and now the firm is experimenting with new software ideas, 3D development and Nintendo’s new MotionPlus accessory. Christopher Dring speaks to boss Stewart Green on the secret behind DDI’s success… Popcorn Arcade has sold over 1.5 million units worldwide. What has made this range so successful? It’s nearing two million units now. For our casual range we had extensive TV advertising last year – with eight weeks of advertising stretched out across the year. A few years ago all the major publishers were talking of 100 man teams and five years of development needed for next gen titles. We thought this was not only unnecessary but did not add up financially. We preferred a process based on smaller titles, sold at affordable prices, and every title we made would make a

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moved into new larger offices last July and we have increased our UK workforce by 20 per cent. You’ve got several Wii MotionPlus titles on the way. What are your thoughts on Nintendo’s new add-on? This is what everyone thought the Wii Controller should have been in the first place. Nintendo should make this the standard Wii controller for all new sales and we are full of innovative ideas on how we can utilise it. The one-toone feedback is wonderful to use. Our My Personal Trainer series will fully utilise the hardware, with titles that

Nintendo’s MotionPlus is what everyone thought the Wii controller should have been in the first place. Stewart Green, DDI

small but reasonable profit. So we developed a reliable fast development process and published game after game, making continuous profits on each title. So do you feel the big-budget games model is stopping the games industry from growing? The games industry is continuing to grow, with a near 20 per cent increase on last year. However, while this is our most successful year in terms of size and sales, four of the five leading publishers have lost record amounts. Many in the industry just haven’t realised that the growth is in new gamers who want different types of products. Wii Fit and Brain Training are not products the hardcore gamers think of as next-gen, yet this is what the public want. Considering your success, how has DDI been expanding? We have opened a new US office in Florida, but while much of the UK development is being lost overseas, we are still UK based, and we are continuing to expanding our UK development. We

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would not have been possible without this innovation. Is My Personal Trainer a big part of DDI’s line-up then? My Personal Trainer will bring more people into playing games. Each title in the My Personal Trainer series doubles as a sports game and a tutorial that can teach you how to play the real activity. The feedback is really accurate and there’s expert advice from the world’s best trainers on how you can improve your game. This technology would previously cost tens of thousands of pounds to buy, but we can provide the hardware and expert feedback for a fraction of this. So will each title feature its own high profile trainer? For golf we’ve got David Leadbetter. He has had 30 years of training experience and is top of the field. For tennis we’ve secured Nick Bollettieri, who is the world’s leading tennis trainer.

We’ve worked with IMG too, which is the world’s largest sporting academy, with 22 training facilities around the globe. They do golf, tennis, baseball, soccer and fitness. We are doing games on all these areas, with a top trainer in each. How would you be looking to sell these games? Can we expect to see them in sports stores? At E3 we met with Dicks, the largest golf specialist in the US. We are looking to do a deal with them to sell the game through their stores as professional training products. Would you be interested in releasing My Personal Trainer on nonNintendo formats? Possibly. The new Xbox camera is interesting. However, we are not sure it is accurate enough for Personal Trainer. At the moment, the only machine that has the hardware ready is Wii. Do you think you’ll surprise people with your new line-up? We came in early on the Wii market. We had 30 titles out in the first 12 months. The first games on a platform are never the best – especially as we were going for a casual market at a low price point.

Now we’ve had time to look at the hardware, see what the machine can do, and integrate the new accessories. You do develop your games quickly. What’s the secret behind that? Our GODS development system is similar to a car production line. Developers don’t need to keep re-inventing the code every time they make a game. No wonder it takes some companies two years to make a game. For our engines we’ve written modules and codes that are reusable and interlink with each other. And it is reliable as well. You don’t need to keep reinventing the wheel every time.

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