MCV571 January 22nd 2010

THE INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

Friday January 22 2010 £3.25

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THE MARKET FOR COMPUTER AND VIDEO GAMES

Issue 571 Friday January 22 2010 £3.25 12 2009 CHARTS:

05 Green for Go MCV lifts the lid on new digital pre-owned games outfit Green Man Gaming

FULL ANALYSIS

Publisher league tables, the full year’s top 50 and much more

08 Sony gets fired up

14 Who has the WoW Factor?

Format-holder plans bigger share of the shooter genre with new PS3 title MAG

Our MMO genre focus explores whether any other publisher can topple Warcraft

09 Ode to Cologne

27 Retail Biz

Organisers of Gamescom detail plans for 2010 as early registration opens

Our comprehensive product guides focus on BioShock 2 and many more

EVERY BUYER EVERY BRANCH EVERY INDIE EVERY WEEK

INCORPORATING

BBC regenerates game plan Broadcaster’s commercial division Worldwide wants to turn key IPs into DS, Wii, iPhone and online games

by Michael French AFTER SPENDING YEARS sat on the fence, the BBC is returning to games in a big way, MCV can reveal.

Via its commercial arm BBC Worldwide, the broadcaster is courting both publishers and developers to turn Doctor Who, Top Gear, In The Night Garden and many more into games for all audiences.

No stone will go unturned: the BBC wants to see its brands on iPhone and Facebook as much as it wants to see them on DS and Wii. “We are open to conversations with anybody in games about all kinds of business models to see how

“

WHO DARES WINS: Access to key BBC IP such as Doctor Who is up for grabs to smart developers say Neil Ross Russell (right) and Dave Anderson (far right)

“Outside of Disney we have the most well-known line-up of children’s characters around the world.”

Outside of Disney we have the most well-known line-up of children’s characters around the world.

Neil Ross Russell, BBC Worldwide

we can extract more value,” said Neil Ross Russell, MD of children’s and licensing.

BROADCASTER HIRES GAMES BOSS, TOO

”

It’s a big about-turn for the broadcaster. The BBC closed its Multimedia division in 2005

after sales crashed in its boxed product business, subsequently aborting an attempt to get a PS2 game of spy thriller Spooks off the ground.

“We’ve been reactive to the market in the last few years,” explained Dave Anderson, head of multimedia development at BBC Worldwide. “There were a few opportunistic licensing deals, but we were largely aggregating and holding on to our properties to wait and see how the market developed.”

BBC WORLDWIDE has named former EA and Yahoo exec Robert Nashak as EVP of digital entertainment as part of its games strategy reboot.

Nashak will be based in LA and reports to BBC Worldwide CEO John Smith. He previously led production at EA’s Casual Studios and also served as GM of Yahoo Games. His CV also boasts stints at Glu, Disney Online and Acclaim.

He told MCV: “BBC Worldwide has great potential in digital entertainment simply by the quality and variety of content it has to offer. I am extremely excited to be playing a leading role in realising this potential and growing its audience base, through other platforms, around the world.”

The new effort will push key kids’ IPs towards games for DS and Wii, while more long-running brands find their feet on all sorts of platforms.

But the move goes beyond just licensing out properties.

Said Ross Russell: “What we’re trying to do is build the brands here – this is not about opportunistic licensing.

If we wanted to do that we would have done more with these key brands over the last few years.”

…while ITV seeks console licensing deals

by James Batchelor IT’S NOT JUST the BBC that wants to boost its games activity.

ITV also wants to see more of its key properties on consoles after having already licensed hit shows such as I’m A Celebrity to Koch and Dancing On Ice to Ghostlight.

“We have licensed a considerable amount to digital

games including third-party work like Countdown,” ITV Studios’ licensing manager James Chubb told MCV. “I’d like to get some imaginative and highly layered logic games in the market for brands such as The Krypton Factor and The Prisoner. They both have depth and detail that lends itself to interactive, regardless of broadcast plans.

“The Krypton Factor is also a great vehicle for corporate staff training so developing this as a tool for commercial and public use gives added dimension.

Emmerdale and Bullseye also lend themselves to fun familyorientated gaming.

“Along with our other entertainment properties, we are working to bring these brands to the public via the

“

We are working to bring brands to the public via the hugely popular gaming sector.

James Chubb, ITV

hugely popular gaming sector,” he added. “We have new titles in the pipeline and a substantial back catalogue that we have put out to tender.

”

“It’s definitely an area that suits ITV’s diverse and mass interactive brands well and we are always keen to explore all gaming avenues for our brands.”

PERSONNEL 24 RETAIL BIZ 27 NEW RELEASES 33 HIGH STREET 34 CHARTS 36

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NEWS

[LEADER] LICENCE FEE TO THRILL There is a lot for the games industry to learn from the BBC’s return to games this week.

Firstly, there’s the opportunity for developers across the country.

There’s now scope for smart teams to put themselves forward with clever ideas that turn In The Night Garden into the next Wii kids’ hit, or transform Top Gear into a Facebook gaming phenomenon.

The fact that these once fiercely guarded IPs are available as jumping off points for new games, or extensions of their established TV shows should provide inspiration to studios new and old.

From the unannounced projects already in the works that I know about (NDAs have my lips sealed, sorry), there are big things happening with how games interface with beloved BBC shows that could further help prove what a generation-defining year 2010 could be for games.

But more revealing is this: our cover story shows a company that once couldn’t hack it in games re-opening a dialogue with our industry.

We’ve all heard the talk from Hollywood studios that they want back into gaming’s good books. Now local Big Media on UK turf is doing the same thing.

Neil Ross Russell and Dave Anderson are smart people – they talk at length about the power of their properties and the opportunity in games, and they know what will and won’t be right for the inevitable games spun off of Doctor Who and Top Gear.

However as our full interview next week will show, this new BBC move is almost an admission of guilt.

In the past five years, gaming has splashed right over the tipping point into wider acceptance, but the BBC was nowhere to be found.

The UK company that prides itself on prestige cross-platform content was too busy licking its wounds over the demise of CD-ROM – eventually, all it could manage was a paltry Top Trumps Doctor Who game.

This new move isn’t about the value of the established IPs up for grabs – it’s about the value the games market can offer to established IPs.

RUB OF THE GREEN ANOTHER FIRM looking to challenge industry convention emerged this week in the form of Green Man Gaming.

The firm’s very business plan will be startling to some – it certainly has split opinion amongst our team. And the service isn’t even live yet.

Green Man Gaming’s intriguing idea is that it can pioneer the idea of second-hand digital content.

It’s virtually unheard of, and given its mix of digital and pre-owned elements could be doubly contentious. I’m still not convinced. It might be a bit to soon to try and unite some already fast-changing areas with the even younger digital retail sphere.

But whether you buy into it or not, at least it shows there are companies out there – founded in the UK, no less – that are trying new things to find compromises between tricky topics.

Michael.French@intentmedia.co.uk

‘World of Warcraft will not be beaten’ New MMO onslaught will not unseat Warcraft, says online giants

Developers doubt the wealth of high profile MMOs due this year will dethrone WoW

MMO SPECIALISTS have told MCV that predicting the fall of World of Warcraft is ‘futile’.

Blizzard’s title is the world’s most lucrative MMO, raking in over $100 million a month.

And rival developers admit that even when there are some big name MMOs on the horizon – such as Star Wars: The Old Republic, APB, DC Universe Online and Star Trek

“

resilient against the test of time, not only because it’s a great game but also because it’s turned into somewhat of a popcultural phenomenon.

“Predicting success or failure in the MMO segment is dangerous, but I think it’s safe to say that World of Warcraft will be around for a long time.

Based on the numbers reported

by Blizzard so far, it will

WoW has proven to be incredibly resilient against the test of time. It will be around for a long time.

Erling Ellingsen, Funcom

Online – none of them will beat Warcraft’s huge installed base.

“No game will topple World of Warcraft,” commented Cryptic Studios’ COO Jack Emmert.

“Many companies try to replicate Warcraft’s gameplay, but that’s just silly. If someone wants WoW, they’ll play WoW.” Funcom’s director of communications Erling Ellingsen added: “The game has proven to be incredibly

”

probably take a while before their subscriber level falls significantly.”

Jagex COO Rob Smith agrees: “2010 will see the release of a number of hardcore space and science fiction MMOs such as Star Wars and Star Trek Online.

“These games are unlikely to topple the likes of World of Warcraft from their throne, at least in the short term.”

Blizzard is set to release a new World of Warcraft expansion into retail this year called Cataclysm.

The firm has told MCV it hopes the add-on will shake-up the Warcraft universe by refining the established game.

“We look at game development as an iterative process, and we’re continually polishing World of Warcraft and building on what we’ve done in the past,” the company’s production director J. Allen Brack told MCV. “Just to give you one example: World of Warcraft: Cataclysm gave us an opportunity to go back to the game’s original zones and update them dramatically.

“Cataclysm is also shaking up the game in other ways, with new features and races added, altered landscapes, new zones, new professions, new dungeons, and new raids to ensure that the game offers all of our players something new and exciting.”

For more on the future of the MMO genre, head over to our special feature on page 14

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NEWS

Green Man Gaming to unlock the digital pre-owned market TOP 10

[PRE ORDERS]

Digital platform to feature trade-in functionality New retail proposition revealed

FINAL FANTASY XIII

by Christopher Dring

PS3 SQUARE ENIX

A NEW PC digital platform is on the way that will allow consumers to sell back their download purchases.

Green Man Gaming is due to arrive in March, with over 400 titles available at launch.

“

“Pre-owned is pretty good for the consumer and encourages them to buy the latest releases. So publishers do get some small benefit from the current pre-owned market. The trade-in sector monetises games

We’re not offering a white label solution. What we are proposing will benefit everyone in perpetuity.

Gian Luzio, Green Man Gaming

The service’s customers can trade back their games for discounts on future purchases.

The firm will then re-sell that game code to another customer for a ‘pre-owned’ price, with publishers and content owners getting a cut of the profit.

“Previously the minute you had paid your money and downloaded your game it had no re-sale value,” said Green Man Gaming COO Gian Luzio.

“This is expensive for the gamer and does not encourage them to try new genres.

”

products into online stores.

And the company insists that this is no white label service.

Luzio said: “We are offering to integrate digital product seamlessly into their current retail proposition and pay royalties in perpetuity on sales.

“I come from a retail background and I’ve seen several digital platforms, but I’ve never been excited enough to implement their proposition.” www.greenmangaming .com

for the consumer and allows them to afford the latest release.

“What we are proposing is something where everyone benefits in perpetuity.

Everytime that game is sold and re-sold, the publishers and content owners will receive royalties.”

Green Man Gaming is also set to work with retailers and other partners worldwide, to integrate digital

2. MAG: COLLECTOR’S EDITION PS3 ..........................................SONY

3. GOD OF WAR III PS3 ..........................................SONY

4. HEAVY RAIN PS3 ..........................................SONY

5. MASS EFFECT 2 360 ..............................................EA

6. BIOSHOCK 2: LIMITED EDITION 360 ....................................2K GAMES

7. MAG: MASSIVE ACTION PS3 ..........................................SONY

8. ALIENS VS PREDATOR 360 ..........................................SEGA

9. BIOSHOCK 2 360 ....................................2K GAMES

10. TATSUNOKO VS CAPCOM WII........................................CAPCOM Week ending January 18th Source: SHOPTO.COM Turn to page 35 for more pre-order charts from leading online retailers

UK SOFTWARE SALES MONITOR Your weekly guide to the UK games software market…

UK games software sales fell 16 per cent last week, down to £22.9 million, while unit sales tumbled 17 per cent to 1,134,810.

Just Dance was the biggest sales driver of the week, more than doubling its sales and taking the No.1 spot from Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in ChartTrack’s All Formats Top 40.

The arrival of EA’s new co-operative shooter Army of Two: The 40th Day also boosted sales, with the game placing in fourth.

Only a handful of releases are due next week, including Capcom’s Dark Void, so sales may continue to slide next week.

However, the arrival of key titles such as MAG and Mass Effect 2 on January 29th are expected to lift sales for retail.

[WEEKLY MARKET VALUE] Week Ending January 16th 2010

£22.9m

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

80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10

In a surprise turn of events, surprise hit Just Dance ended Modern Warfare 2’s nine-week winning streak

0

£60.1m

£27.4m

£22.9m

2,921,913 Units

1,363,130 Units

1,021,329 Units

Week Ending January 2nd

Week Ending January 9th

Week Ending January 16th

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Ubisoft plans major games blitz More established franchises to return this year Line-up of Natal and PS3 wand games due before Xmas

by James Batchelor UBISOFT IS set to build on 2009 with a blockbuster lineup of established franchises, new IP and unique motionsensing projects.

The publisher has highlighted Splinter Cell: Conviction, Ruse and Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands as key releases for the first half of the year and promised there

“

We are still to announce a number of significant titles that we know will arrive in the next 12 months.

Murray Pannell, Ubisoft

are several more potential hits in the works.

“With a strong line-up of great games and a commitment to pushing our franchises into the broader entertainment arena, we are confident 2010 will be a stellar

“We are also really excited to see how we can maximise the opportunities that the new motion-sensing gaming technologies will present us later in the year.”

In December, the publisher confirmed it is currently working on ten titles for Microsoft’s Project Natal, with up to five additional projects in development for Sony’s PlayStation 3 motion controller.

Ubisoft ended last year on a high with strong sales of its blockbuster Assassin’s Creed II, which has now sold over six million copies worldwide.

Last week, the French publisher announced a followup will be released by the end of the year.

Ubisoft also triumphed in this week’s All Formats Chart when surprise Wii hit Just Dance became the unlikely title to end Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s nine-week streak at No.1.

year for us,” Ubisoft’s UK marketing director Murray Pannell told MCV. Pannell conceded that this year will be “a very competitive time with most major publishers scheduling some pretty big titles.” But he remains confident that Ubisoft’s 2010 portfolio will be able hold its own, thanks to a few upcoming surprises.

He said: “We’re still to

”

announce a number of significant titles that we know will arrive in the next 12 months, so rest assured there will be a great mix of established franchises and new IP that will hit across the range of current generation consoles.

Ubisoft’s Pannell expects 2010 to be a stellar year for the publisher

Ubisoft: 01932 578000

PS3 guns for first-person shooter market SONY BELIEVES it can grow its presence in the FPS market, with the arrival of online multiplayer blaster MAG. The ambitious title is due for release on PS3 next week, and allows 256 players to battle it out online at the same time. It joins Sony’s other bigname first-person shooters Killzone and Resistance.

UK product manager Phil Lynch told MCV: “MAG is a very important IP for us and definitely a key exclusive for PlayStation 3.

“It’s a real statement of intent from us to engage fans of first person shooters everywhere. With the successful Resistance franchise

along with Killzone 2 and now MAG, we feel we are a viable choice for gamers looking to get that and much more from their games console.”

The first-person shooter genre boasts some of the

“

“Our sales expectations for MAG are high,” said Lynch.

“Thanks to the massive success of titles like Modern Warfare, Killzone 2 and Resistance, the FPS is more accessible to everyone.”

MAG is a real statement of intent from us to engage fans of firstperson shooters.

bestselling titles of all time and Sony is confident that MAG can match its rivals, as well as building on the success of previous PS3 FPS hits.

Phil Lynch, Sony

”

Lynch added that Sony is working hard to maintain the standard of first party PS3 titles, which has been raised by the likes of Uncharted 2.

MAG (Massive Action Game) is Sony’s first major PS3 release of the year, and allows for 256 gamers to play online at the same time

He said: “Our first-party games portfolio is getting stronger and stronger with every release, with extremely positive Metacritic scores across the board and various awards honours.

“So our community has justifiably high expectations for everything we take to market, but MAG will definitely be one of the many tipping points for those who haven’t got a PS3.”

Sony: 020 7859 5000

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Rising Star signs classic Japanese beat ‘em up Samurai Shodown Sen Publisher to grow its Xbox 360 portfolio with SNK brawler ‘We’ll take on Street Fighter,’ says MD Defries

by James Batchelor RISING STAR has won the publishing rights to Samuari Shodown Sen – the latest entry in the long-running fighting franchise.

The title is an Xbox 360 port of the arcade game of the same name, and is the eleventh entry in the classic

“

to arrive – with possibly the best-looking fighting game on next-gen home consoles.

“It’s also our first title from SNK Playmore, so it’s a massive deal for us, and we will be supporting it with a heavyweight PR and marketing campaign.

“Street Fighter has been ruling this genre for ages. A

Street Fighter has been ruling this genre for ages, but now a new challenger has entered the arena.

Martin Defries, Rising Star

SNK series. Rising Star also believes the game has the potential to take on Capcom’s classic Street Fighter franchise.

“This is a key release for Rising Star Games,” said the publisher’s managing director Martin Defries.

“It will mark Rising Star Games’ entry into the arcade fighting genre, and what a way

Samurai Shodown Sen is due to arrive on Xbox 360 in the spring

”

new challenger has entered the arena.”

Samurai Shodown Sen is also Rising Star Games’ first release for Microsoft’s console – along with Way Of The Samurai 3, which was published as part of the firm’s partnership with Gamebridge.

“We are looking to expand our portfolio beyond that of

Nintendo products this year and what better way to do that than starting the year off with a well-respected franchise,” commented product manager Yen Hau.

“What we do for the rest of the year will be built upon the experiences we gain from the releases of both Samurai Showdown Sen and Way Of The Samurai 3, so it is vital

that we gather as much information on this section of the market as we can.”

Samurai Shodown Sen is due for release this spring.

Rising Star: 01582 433700

Peripherals giants end distribution agreement ACCESSORIES specialist Bigben Interactive and its UK distributor Venom will end their distribution agreement next month.

Venom will now focus on expanding its own-brand and licensed game and mobile phone accessories, whilst Bigben will release its range of products directly. The distribution agreement will come to an end on Wednesday, February 3rd.

“Venom has been a great partner for us over the last four years and we thank them

for all of their hard work and commitment in bringing our products to market”, said Bigben chairman Alain Falc.

“

“With the help of Bigben products we have managed to grow our business by 500 per cent in the past three years.

With the help of Bigben products we have managed to grow our business by 500 per cent in three years.

Simon Dawson, Venom

“We wish them every success for 2010 and beyond.”

Venom’s commercial director Simon Dawson added:

Bigben and Venom have enjoyed a prosperous relationship over the last three years

”

“We feel our future as a supplier to the gaming industry is now best secured by continuing to expand our own

brand. While our partnership with Bigben has served us both well, it is now important for each of us to concentrate on promoting our own respective businesses.”

Bigben Interactive is based in Lesquin, France and has

been a big success in mainland Europe. The manufacturer’s range of peripherals includes official licensed DS accessories, and the company also distributes video games in European territories.

Venom: 01763 284181

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EA UK plots digital growth after Cancer Research tie-up EA Store promotion hits 600 Cancer Research stores nationwide ‘New releases will drive momentum’

by Christopher Dring EA’S DIGITAL STORE has seen a huge uptake in downloads since it kicked off a promotion with Cancer Research earlier this month.

The publisher is offering 10 per cent off its digital products to anyone who donates to Cancer Research in the UK.

“

demographic into their stores both to donate and purchase items,” EA’s digital commerce marketing manager for Europe and Asia, Shane Bellamy, told MCV. “It’s early days and while we’ve seen a healthy number of people redeeming coupon codes, we’re waiting for more data to see how it’s also

Digital distribution of PC games is growing exponentially in a market which is seeing decline.

Shane Bellamy, EA

The offer is being promoted through Cancer Research’s 600 UK charity shops.

“We are looking to drive more traffic and introduce new people to the idea of digital downloads, and Cancer Research UK are looking to drive a younger audience

”

benefited Cancer Research in terms of footfall and donations.

“At the moment both ourselves and Cancer Research UK are very pleased with how people have been responding and we see this as the first in a number of tie-ups between the two of us.”

BELLAMY: EA’s e-commerce boss for Europe and Asia says all digital outlets will see strong sales in 2010

EA expects 2010 to be a growth year for the download of PC games.

Bellamy added that he is also looking at other tie-ups to promote the EA Store.

“Digital distribution of PC games is growing exponentially

in a market which is seeing decline. EA Store, along with partners like IGN and Steam are leading the charge to drive not just full game downloads on PC, but also a convenient way of getting additional content too.

“We’ve also got some excellent titles coming up in 2010 with Mass Effect 2, Command & Conquer 4 and Bad Company 2, so we’re expecting the Store and all digital stores to grow stronger.”

EA: 01483 463000

…as 1C sees $1m digital Christmas sales RUSSIAN PUBLISHER 1C made $1m in revenue from digital sales over Christmas, the firm has told MCV. The revenue was generated through December and the New Year.

1C’s key titles also proved to be big sellers digitally even when shops were closed – 14,000 copies of Kings Bounty: Armored Princess were sold between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. Kings Bounty is only available to buy digitally, and 1C was running a special $9.99 offer on Christmas Day through digital distribution platform Steam.

And following on the game’s digital success, 1C has teamed up with Focus Multimedia with the intention of releasing a boxed copy of Kings Bounty into retail.

“

proper game in huge numbers by purchasing it over the digital networks, based on word of mouth and pure product quality,” 1C International publishing

Retail will never die. But it needs to be pro-active, and be less eager to drop platforms quickly.

“We like to think of ourselves as a sort of gaming version of Rage Against The Machine, whereby real gamers, away from the casual purchase, have bought into a

Darryl Still, 1C

”

director Darryl Still told MCV. Still believes that these numbers are proof that the PC games market is still healthy in the UK, and that retailers shouldn’t be so quick to ditch

STILL GOING STRONG: 1C’s publishing boss says PC gaming retains its power through digital

PC games: “There is a huge disparity between the consumer demand – which is proven to be there through the amount of people that are buying it digitally – and the way it is being handled on the High Street.”

“I think retail is getting out of the PC market too quickly. The digital sales we are receiving shows that there is still an enthusiastic audience out there.

“Retail will never die. But it will need to be pro-active, and be less eager to drop platforms where there is still demand.”

1C: 01923 432632

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Gamescom grows for big showing in August New online area added as trade show opens registration early

South Peak: 020 3176 0417

UBISOFT: The publisher has lowered its financial projections for its third quarter, due to a slowdown in the DS market, slow back catalogue sales and strong competition from triple-A titles. As a result, Ubisoft has delayed Splinter Cell: Conviction and Ruse back into its next financial year.

These titles will now release some time after April.

NINTENDO: Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver will be released in the UK on March 26th. Both games will be bundled with the special Pokéwalker pedometer accessory.

South Peak sponsors TNA tour SOUTH PEAK is sponsoring the TNA Maximum Impact Tour to promote its upcoming handheld wrestler, TNA Impact: Cross The Line.

The PSP and DS game will be promoted via leafleting at the wrestling show currently touring the United Kingdom.

The publisher has also arranged competitions with local press close to the venues and national press, including The Sun Online and the Daily Record.

This marketing campaign will be supported by targeted online ads and site takeovers on leading wrestling and gaming portals, YouTube and the Google Video Network.

Additional advertising and advertorials are also planned to appear across a wide range of wrestling and men’s lifestyle magazines.

South Peak’s European PR manager Rob Burman said: “We’re extremely excited to let TNA, wrestling and general fighting fans get to grips with this fantastic portable grappler.”

TNA Impact: Cross The Line is due for release on February 19th.

Sponsored by

by Christopher Dring THE BUILD up to this year Gamescom has begun – and exhibitors are being invited to sign up at special early prices.

The trade fair takes place in Cologne on Wednesday, August 18th and will run until Sunday, August 22nd.

Prospective exhibitors are already being encouraged to visit the Gamescom website and sign up while organiser Koelnmesse prepares for 2010’s show.

Plans for this year include widening the focus to include online and browser games according to Olaf Wolters, MD

of the German Trade Association of Interactive Entertainment Software.

“This year, much will revolve around the online sector in our industry,” he said.

“We intend to take this development into account at this year's Gamescom with the new thematic area dedicated to online and browser games.”

Deals on travel and hotels are now live at gamescomcologne.com/travelservice.

Koelnmesse has kick-started the call for attendees earlier than last year to grow visitor numbers further.

“The demand for exhibition space is very high, new

exhibitors are joining in and some exhibitors are extending their exhibition area,” explained Koelnmesse MD Oliver P. Kuhrt.

“Gamescom is fixed in the international show calendars, and exhibitors have started their trade fair planning far earlier and more decidedly than last year.

“Gamescom is the biggest business and innovation platform of the entire industry.

“Only here the entire market of interactive entertainment meets, from developer to publisher and trade to consumer.”

EIDOS: A BBFC listing suggests a Game Of The Year edition of Batman: Arkham Asylum is on the way. The new version has not yet been dated.

SEGA: Sonic & Sega AllStars Racing and Napoleon: Total War will both hit UK shelves on February 26th.

LUCASARTS: Highly anticipated BioWare MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic is scheduled for release in spring 2011.

BBC: Viewing stats reveal that one in eight people using BBC iPlayer are doing so via the PS3 or Wii. Console usage of the IPTV service rose 74 per cent between November and December.

www.gamescom-cologne.com

P2 plans more Peppa Pig with Ubi ANOTHER TITLE based on the popular kids’ TV show Peppa Pig is heading to retail coutesy of P2 Games and its distributor Ubisoft.

Peppa Pig: Fun and Games is due for release on Wii and DS on March 26th. The original Peppa Pig game has become a chart mainstay after hitting DS and Wii last year.

“Our deal with Ubisoft includes both the DS and Wii versions of the follow-up and

as they have done a fantastic job of supporting the first title, we are delighted with that,”

said P2 director Peter Sleeman. “They have been a major contributor to P2 Games having a successful first year and hopefully an even better second year.”

Sleeman described the original game’s success as “remarkable”. The re-released DS version took No.1 in the format’s budget chart for 13 weeks and a Top Five position for 23 weeks.

P2 Games: 07785 231702

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NEWS

THQ confident Metro 2033 will deliver First-person shooter could rival established franchises thanks to unique source material, suggests publisher

by Will Freeman THQ CLAIMS its forthcoming thriller Metro 2033 could be as big as Call of Duty or GTA. The FPS is based on Russian novelist Dmitry Glukhovsky’s book, set in an underground post-apocalyptic dystopia.

“

“We have a uniquely immersive experience and I don’t think anyone to this date has quite delivered anything close to that.”

The novel is currently not available in English – with a translated version set to arrive next month. So THQ is bringing

It’s a challenge but it’s also an opportunity. All the biggest sellng brands in gaming tend to come from original ideas.

Huw Beynon

THQ believes this source material has helped developer 4A Games produce a unique gaming experience.

“Globally, I honestly don’t think that there is anything else out there quite like Metro 2033,” said THQ’s global brand manager Huw Beynon.

”

a relatively unknown IP to an international audience – something the publisher sees as a chance to establish a top-tier video game property.

“It’s a challenge but it’s also an opportunity,” said Beynon.

“All the biggest selling brands in gaming tend to come from

THQ is confident Metro 2033 has the potential to rival established action franchises

original IP. They were all original IP at one point. Modern Warfare 2 started with Call of Duty. Grand Theft Auto, Zelda, Mario, Fallout – all these things are top of the tree gaming IPs, and they each give you something different.

“Yes, it’s a challenge when you try and bring the first game to market. You’ve got to stand out and you’ve got to be different from other titles.

“We think the game has established that, and we’re really delighted with the launch

that we’ve had so far, in terms of the announcement we’ve put out, the trailer and the feedback that we’ve been getting.”

Metro 2033 is due on the PC and 360 in March.

THQ: 01483 767656

Tecmo Koei: Dynasty Warriors will evolve with us Publisher claims that its long-running franchise will be developed as the company looks to expand audience TECMO KOEI has pledged not to forget its Dynasty Warriors series as the publisher seeks to move into new markets.

The firm has ambitious plans to increase its share in the global games market through

“

Based on the bestselling hack ‘n’ slash PSP title of the same name, the game is due to arrive on February 19th.

“Tecmo Koei Europe is making tentative steps towards exploring new markets, but we

With Strikeforce now on new formats, we hope to see a continued upsurge of interest for Dynasty Warriors.

Will Curley, Tecmo Koei

the development of new IP. But the publisher is also intent on updating its classic franchises, which continues with the release of Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce on Xbox 360 and PS3.

”

realise that there is still a huge demand from our fans for a continuation of the Dynasty Warrior series,” TKE’s vice president of sales and marketing Will Curley told MCV.

“We hope that Strikeforce will show gamers that the Dynasty Warriors series is evolving and encompassing new ideas, while retaining those core values our fans love.”

The console game will include a wealth of new features, which the firm will be promoting to veteran fans and newcomers alike.

“Public reception to the Strikeforce game that came out on PSP was overwhelmingly positive, and I think reviewers genuinely saw something engaging in the series,” said Curley.

“With the game now appearing on new formats we hope to see a continued upsurge of interest for the

Dynasty Warriors series as Strikeforce is now centred around co-operative play.

“We are confident that sales for Strikeforce will be strong, especially with the newly implemented online multiplayer functions.”

Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce will benefit from a carefully targeted online and social media campaign.

Tecmo Koei will be communicating directly with fans through Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, as well as attending key consumer events such as Memorabillia and MCM Midlands Expo.

Tecmo Koei: 01462 476 130

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UK 2009 CHARTS

Modern times Activision had the best selling game of 2009 in Modern Warfare 2. But how did its rivals grow their market share?

Christopher Dring takes a look at another big year for the UK games industry...

EA was the big winner in 2009, courtesy of FIFA 09 and FIFA 10

2009 SOFTWARE MARKET SHARE BY COMPANY (UNITS) THIS YEAR

LAST YEAR

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2 1 5 3 4 8 6 7 9 12

–

[SOURCE]

EA NINTENDO ACTIVISION BLIZZARD UBISOFT SEGA SONY THQ TAKE 2 MICROSOFT DISNEY

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Electronic Arts has reclaimed its crown from Nintendo in terms of the number of games sold in 2009. The format-holder unseated EA in 2008, but the Californian-based publisher has hit back – with FIFA the key sales driver, supported by the firm’s vast back catalogue.

2 1 5 3 4 9 8 7 6 20

1 3 2 4 5 7 6 8

2009

–

– –

–

2008

2007

NINTENDO WII . . . . . 25.4% . . . . . 24.2% . . . . . . 11.1% XBOX 360. . . . . . . . . . 22.7% . . . . . 17.9%. . . . . . 13.8% NINTENDO DS . . . . . . 20.2%. . . . . 22.9% . . . . 20.9% PS3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16.6% . . . . . 12.5% . . . . . . 5.9% PC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.7% . . . . . . 10.7% . . . . . 18.4% PSP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.8% . . . . . . 4.9%. . . . . . . 7.8% PS2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.6% . . . . . . 6.8% . . . . . . 19.9% XBOX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.0%. . . . . . 0.1% . . . . . . . 0.8%

2009 SOFTWARE MARKET SHARE BY FORMAT (VALUE)

LAST YEAR

(c) ELSPA, Compiled by ChartTrack

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

LAST YEAR

Wii software accounted for over a quarter of the games sold during 2009, with the console’s market share increasing a percentage point.

In contrast, DS software sales fell by over 2.5 per cent during 2009.

Meanwhile, software unit sales for PC, PSP and PS2 continue to fall.

2009 SOFTWARE MARKET SHARE BY COMPANY (VALUE) THIS YEAR

2009 SOFTWARE MARKET SHARE BY FORMAT (UNITS) THIS YEAR

EA NINTENDO ACTIVISION BLIZZARD UBISOFT SEGA SONY MICROSOFT THQ TAKE 2 CODEMASTERS

In terms of software value, Activision Blizzard’s market share increased courtesy of Modern Warfare 2 – which became the third biggest selling game in UK chart history by the end of last year.

Codemasters also enjoyed a big year, rising ten places.

THIS YEAR

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

LAST YEAR

2 1 4 3 5 7 6 8

2009

–

–

2008

2007

XBOX 360 . . . . . . . . . . 28.3% . . . . . 23.2% . . . 20.6% NINTENDO WII . . . . . . 24.3% . . . . . 25.2% . . . . 14.6% PS3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.1% . . . . . . 17.5% . . . . 10.0% NINTENDO DS . . . . . . 16.4% . . . . . 19.2% . . . . 20.1% PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.6% . . . . . . 6.2%. . . . . . 9.6% PSP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.7% . . . . . . 3.7% . . . . . . . 7.1% PS2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.5%. . . . . . . 4.8% . . . . . 16.9% XBOX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.0% . . . . . . 0.0% . . . . . 0.4%

In terms of software value, Xbox 360 has unseated Nintendo by growing its market share by 5.1 per cent. PS3 was the other big winner, increasing its share by 3.6 per cent. Both Wii and DS market share is down, with DS sales dropping 2.8 per cent and the Wii down 0.9 per cent.

INDIVIDUAL FORMAT CHARTS PS2

PS3

PSP

XBOX360

1

1

1

1

FIFA 10.....................................................................................EA

MODERN WARFARE 2.............ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

2 SINGSTAR ABBA..........................................................SONY

2 FIFA 10.....................................................................................EA

FIFA 10.....................................................................................EA

COD: MODERN WARFARE 2 ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

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

2 FIFA 10.....................................................................................EA

3 COD: WORLD AT WAR.............ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

3 ASSASSIN’S CREED II ........................................UBISOFT

3 GRAN TURISMO............................................................SONY

3 FORZA MOTORSPORT 3 .............................MICROSOFT

4 BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE .................................................D3P

4 KILLZONE 2....................................................................SONY

4 RATCHET AND CLANK: SIZE MATTERS........SONY

4 ASSASSIN’S CREED II ........................................UBISOFT

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

5 UNCHARTED 2: AMONG THIEVES ....................SONY

5 LITTLEBIGPLANET .....................................................SONY

5 HALO 3: ODST ..................................................MICROSOFT

6 SINGSTAR TAKE THAT.............................................SONY

6 NEED FOR SPEED: SHIFT.............................................EA

6 TEKKEN: DARK RESURRECTION ..NAMCO BANDAI

6 COD: WORLD AT WAR.............ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

7 SINGSTAR SING-A-LONG WITH DISNEY........SONY

7 LITTLEBIGPLANET .....................................................SONY

7 GTA: LIBERTY CITY STORIES....................ROCKSTAR

7 RESIDENT EVIL 5 .................................................CAPCOM

8 SINGSTAR QUEEN.......................................................SONY

8 COD: WORLD AT WAR.............ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

8 GTA: VICE CITY STORIES.............................ROCKSTAR

8 LEGO BATMAN THE VIDEOGAME ..WARNER BROS.

9 NEED FOR SPEED: UNDERCOVER...........................EA

9 RESIDENT EVIL 5 .................................................CAPCOM

9 INVIZIMALS ....................................................................SONY

9 GTA EPISODES FROM LIBERTY CITY...ROCKSTAR

10 GTA: SAN ANDREAS .......................................ROCKSTAR

10 BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM...............................EIDOS

10 GOD OF WAR: CHAINS OF OLYMPUS..............SONY

10 LEFT 4 DEAD 2..................................................................EA

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UK 2009 CHARTS

ALL FORMATS TOP 50

1

1

CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ACTIVISION BLIZZARD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, PS3, PC, DS

2

FIFA 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, PS3, PS2, WII, PSP, DS, PSP

3

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

4

WII FIT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WII

5

WII FIT PLUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WII

6

ASSASSIN’S CREED II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UBISOFT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, PS3, DS

7

MARIO KART WII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WII

8

MARIO & SONIC AT THE WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES . . . . . . SEGA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WII, DS

9

CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ACTIVISION BLIZZARD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DS, PS3, 360, WII, PS2

10 FIFA 09. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PS2, PC, PS3, 360, WII, DS 11

NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. WII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WII

12

WII PLAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WII

13

PROFESSOR LAYTON AND THE CURIOUS VILLAGE . . . . . . NINTENDO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DS

2

14 FORZA MOTORSPORT 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MICROSOFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360 15 LEGO BATMAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WARNER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, WII, DS, PSP, PS3, PS2, PC 16 CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ACTIVISION BLIZZARD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WII, PS3, 360, PC, DS 17

NEED FOR SPEED: SHIFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PS3, 360, PC, PSP

18 RESIDENT EVIL 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CAPCOM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , PS3, 360, PC 19 DR KAWASHIMA'S BRAIN TRAINING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DS 20 MARIO & SONIC AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEGA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WII, DS 21

PROFESSOR LAYTON AND PANDORA'S BOX . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DS

3

22 HALO 3: ODST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MICROSOFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360 23 THE SIMS 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PC 24 BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EIDOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, PS3, PC 25 GUITAR HERO: WORLD TOUR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ACTIVISION BLIZZARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, PS3, WII 26 CARNIVAL: FUNFAIR GAMES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2K PLAY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DS, WII 27 GRAND THEFT AUTO IV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ROCKSTAR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, PS3, PC 28 PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2010. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KONAMI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PS3, 360, PC 29 UFC 2009: UNDISPUTED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . THQ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PS3, 360 30 LEGO INDIANA JONES: ORIGINAL ADVENTURES . . . . . . . . LUCASARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DS, WII, 360. PS3, PSP, PS2, PC 31

KILLZONE 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SONY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PS3

4

32 NEED FOR SPEED: UNDERCOVER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PSP, PS3, 360, WII, PS2 33 STREET FIGHTER IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CAPCOM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PS3, 360, PC 34 LEGO STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LUCASARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WII, DS, PS3, 360 35 MARIO KART DS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DS 36 UNCHARTED 2: AMONG THIEVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SONY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PS3 37 NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DS 38 WWE SMACKDOWN VS RAW 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . THQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, WII, DS 39 FIGHT NIGHT ROUND 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WII, 360, PS3, PSP 40 FOOTBALL MANAGER 2010. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEGA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PC, PSP 41 LEFT 4 DEAD 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, PC 42 TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 2010. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, PS3 43

5

BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D3P . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DS, WII, PS2

44 PURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DISNEY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, PS3 45 MY FITNESS COACH: GET IN SHAPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UBISOFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WII 46

GTA EPISODES: LIBERTY CITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ROCKSTAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360

47 EA SPORTS ACTIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WII 48 OPERATION FLASHPOINT: DRAGON RISING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . CODEMASTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, PS3, PC 49 GUITAR HERO 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ACTIVISION BLIZZARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, WII, PS3, PS2 50 SONIC UNLEASHED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEGA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, Wii, PS3, PS2

WII

DS

PC - FULL PRICE

PC - BUDGET PRICE

1 WII SPORTS RESORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO

1 PROFESSOR LAYTON: CURIOUS. . . . . . . NINTENDO

1 THE SIMS 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA GAMES

1 WORLD OF WARCRAFT . . . . ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

2 WII FIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO

2 DR KAWASHIMA'S BRAIN TRAINING . . NINTENDO

2 FOOTBALL MANAGER 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEGA

2 WOW: BURNING CRUSADE . ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

3 WII FIT PLUS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO

3 PROFESSOR LAYTON: PANDORA. . . . . . NINTENDO

3 FOOTBALL MANAGER 2009. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEGA

3 ROLLERCOASTER TYCOON 3 . . . . MASTERTRONIC

4 MARIO KART WII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO

4 MARIO KART DS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO

4 EMPIRE: TOTAL WAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEGA

4 AMAZING ADVENTURES: LOST TOMB . . . . FOCUS

5 NEW SUPER MARIO BROS WII. . . . . . . . . NINTENDO

5 NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO

5 COD: MODERN WARFARE 2 ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

5 THEME HOSPITAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FOCUS

6 WII PLAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO

6 POKÉMON PLATINUM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO

6 WARHAMMER: 40,000: DAWN OF WAR II . . . THQ

6 WOW: BATTLE CHEST . . . . . . ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

7 MARIO & SONIC OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES SEGA

7 MARIO & SONIC OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES SEGA

7 WOW: LICH KING . . . . . . . . . . . ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

7 AGE OF EMPIRES III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MICROSOFT

8 MARIO & SONIC OLYMPIC GAMES . . . . . . . . . . SEGA

8 CLUB PENGUIN: ELITE PENGUIN FORCE. DISNEY

8 DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA

8 MYSTERY IN LONDON: JACK RIPPER. . . . . FOCUS

9 MY FITNESS COACH: GET IN SHAPE . . . UBISOFT

9 MORE BRAIN TRAINING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO

9 THE SIMS: DOUBLE DELUXE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA

9 MYSTERY CASE FILES: RAVENHEARST . . FOCUS

10 EA SPORTS ACTIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA

10 CARNIVAL: FUNFAIR GAMES . . . . . . . . . . NINTENDO

10 THE SIMS 3: WORLD ADVENTURES . . . . . . . . . . EA

10 THE SIMS 2: MANSION & GARDEN STUFF . . . EA

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No business like

MMO business There’s no shortage of promising MMOs due for release over the next 12 months, but can any of them hope to cut into World of Warcraft’s market share?

Christopher Dring speaks to the major players to find out what the future holds for the genre…

IN DECEMBER 2008 Blizzard revealed that World of Warcraft had 11.5 million subscribers worldwide. It’s the world’s biggest MMO – certainly a far cry from the genre’s humble beginnings, when only 50 players could go online at the same time in 1991’s Neverwinter Nights.

The rise of the MMO has been astronomical. In just 15 years since Nights the genre has become the most potentially lucrative category in games. In China alone the market could be worth $5.5bn this year (according to Pearl Research).

“

Age of Conan. The game has been a moderate success, with 1.2 million copies of the game sold since its launch – although the number of subscribers to Conan pales in comparison to Warcraft.

“Creating an MMO that convinces a player to spend hundreds of hours in that game alone is a monumental challenge,” admits Funcom’s communications director Erling Ellingsen.

“Creating gameplay that ties players to your game month after month is the Holy Grail of MMO development.

We look at development as an iterative process, and we’re continually polishing World of Warcraft.

J. Allen Brack, Blizzard

Yet for all the potential, creating a world-beating MMO for the Western market is no sure thing. For every World of Warcraft or Lord of the Rings Online, there’s multiple big name MMOs that just couldn’t last the distance – such as The Sims Online and Star Wars Galaxies.

So what makes the MMO market so difficult to crack? And what does it mean for the plethora of MMOs due for release over the coming years?

One game that tried to break into the MMO market in 2008 was Funcom’s

”

“But it’s important to remember that a MMO does not require millions of players – you can operate with tens of thousands and still be a success.”

Furthermore, MMOs require a different mindset to traditional releases.

Developers need to commit significant time and money to ensure their MMO is a hit – and that includes repeatidly improving the game after release.

“MMOs are about large numbers of people interacting within a world,” comments design lead on Realtime

Worlds’ All Points Bulletin Ej Moreland “Being able to test systems thoroughly enough and understand the impact of design changes at that scope is extremely difficult and costly.

“Convincing those who handle the purse strings to take a significant risk on an unproven formula and be patient with it is a difficult undertaking.”

THE NEW MMO CHALLENGERS

All Points Bulletin Due: Spring

Star Wars: The Old Republic Due: Spring 2011

Guild Wars 2 Due: 2011

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Due: 2010

Star Trek Online Due: February 5th

Realtime Worlds’ upcoming blaster is one of the more unique MMOs due for release this year. The game is a teambased affair and pits law enforcement against organised crime in a Grand Theft Autostyle world.

BioWare – developer of the successful Knights Of The Old Republic series – is behind one of the most anticipated MMORPGs on the list. The new Star Wars game has 12 fulltime writers working on it, and boasts full voice acting.

The sequel to NCsoft’s Guild Wars has been in the pipeline for sometime. The subscription-less original was a big hit thanks to its accessible gameplay, so much is expected from the sequel. A closed beta is expected this year.

The third expansion to the world’s biggest paid-for MMO boasts two new races, redesigned sectors and achievements. Based on the response to 2008’s Wrath of Lich King, expect this to be the PC release of the year.

Cryptic Studios is set to release its Star Trek MMO early next month. The game combines third person action with space combat, and the retail special edition contains a t-shirt, map, postcards, 30-day timecard and more.

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GENRE FOCUS: MMOS

THE WARCRAFT FACTOR

The sheer popularity of World of Warcraft poses a further challenge for developers looking to break into the sector Blizzard’s RPG remains the most popular paid-for MMO on the market, and its rivals have had a challenging time enticing players away.

“World of Warcraft has captured the

entire monthly subscription market,” says Cryptic Studios’ COO Jack Emmert.

“There’s little room for other games to succeed in that environment. To compound it, companies try to replicate WoW’s gameplay. That’s silly. If someone wants WoW, they’ll play WoW.” And Blizzard is not a developer to rest on its laurels either. This year

expansion pack World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is set for release, and the firm is using the new expansion to significantly update the original game.

“We’re constantly striving to understand what elements of the game are working well and what aspects can be improved,” explains World of Warcraft production director J. Allen Brack.

World of Warcraft remains the most popular paid-for MMO in the West

DC Universe Online Due: 2010

Final Fantasy XIV Due: 2010

Dust 514 Due: TBC

Allods Online Due: Q1 2010

Lego Universe Due: 2010

DC Comic nuts have been eagerly awaiting Sony Online’s MMO, which is due to arrive later this year. The game will feature Superman, Batman, Captain America and their associated villains, including The Joker (above).

The game was announced during Sony’s E3 press conference last year, and was greeted with gasps from the assembled media. Final Fantasy XIV is currently due for release on PlayStation 3 and PC.

Eve Online has been a real success for developers CCP Games, and now the firm is working on console-based spinoff Dust 514, which is a MMO first person shooter. The game will use a micro-transaction business model.

The free-to-play MMO is nearing release and is available to play in beta form.

The fantasy title is developed

by Russian studio Astrum Nival, and reportedly cost $12 million to make. A record for a Russian games developer.

LEGO Interactive could well have the first real mass-market paid-for MMO on its hands with LEGO Universe. Developed by NetDevil, players get to create their own character and build whatever they want, with classic LEGO worlds available.

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GENRE FOCUS: MMOS

“We listen to our community to hone publishers have aimed directly for in on what players like and what they Warcraft’s audience, the outlook for feel isn’t fun, and we use that to help us 2010 looks remarkably different. make future design decisions.

“A game to topple WoW doesn’t have “We look at game development as an to come from the fantasy genre. Just iterative process, and we’re continually look at the success of FarmVille to see polishing World of Warcraft and building how popular casual MMOs can be.” on what we’ve done in the past.”

A CONNECTED FUTURE However, is Warcraft’s dominance So what’s next for the MMO? If under threat? Promising looking MMOs Blizzard has the PC market so sown up, such as Star Trek Online, Star Wars: The Old Republic, DC Universe and Final Fantasy The perfect MMORPG was XIV are all on the schedule. created in World of Warcraft.

Should Blizzard be worried?

We now need to look in new “No game will topple WoW,” claims Emmert directions – FPS and so forth.

“But I expect Star Trek and Jack Emmert, Cryptic Studios Star Wars to do well. The is it about time the MMO moves over to only thing that will topple WoW is time the home console? or technology.”

“Development of MMOs on consoles Wes Platt, design lead on Icarus is a hot topic, but for developers I think Studios’ MMO Fallen Earth, agrees: the real question should be whether “Considering one of the major new they need to break on to consoles at MMO titles will be World of Warcraft: present,” says Jagex’s Smith.

Cataclysm, I think it’s unlikely that “While consoles have become more anyone will dethrone WoW except for popular, their user bases remain far WoW,” he says. outstripped by the number of PCs and “There are MMOs coming out that other internet enabled devises. have awesome potential, but WoW’s “This isn’t to say that MMOs do not pretty safely entrenched at this point.” have a future on consoles, both Xbox However, some developers have been and PS3 have good online networks that able to succeed without the need to go could support an MMO. for Warcraft’s super-hardcore audience.

“In the medium term the Facebook social game FarmVille has accessibility, usability and amassed 73.8 million users for instance, connectivity of the PC still while Jagex’ Runescape has attracted a remains better suited for wide audience by being browser-based, MMOs so I don’t think free-to-play and not quite as hardcore as MMO development on Blizzard’s RPG. consoles will be a priority Jagex’s COO Rob Smith comments: in 2010.”

“Unlike in previous years where

“

NCsoft West CEO Jaeho Lee adds: “There have been very few genuine MMOs launched for consoles.

“It’s less of an issue about controls and more about hardware and approach. The current generation is the first time we’ve seen the business models and technical capabilities in place to do the genre justice.”

There’s a few console MMOs due over the next two years, not least Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XIV and CCP's Dust 514.

But although the likes of 360 and PS3 have the internet capabilities to support an MMO, there are still challenges for the genre on consoles.

For starters, MMO players need to interact with each other, which makes a microphone or keyboard a requirement.

The submission process can also make things difficult. Some developers update their MMOs on a weekly basis, and these updates need to be cleared through the platform holder first.

So perhaps the future of the MMO isn’t in new platforms but new genres.

Some studios are looking to grow the MMO by exploring new territories – such as with team-based action game APB, CCP’s FPS Dust 514 and the rumoured Call of Duty MMO. Emmert concludes: “What’s happened is that the perfect MMORPG was made in World of Warcraft. Now we need to look in new directions – FPS and so forth, in order to succeed.”

”

COMING UP…

Global Agenda Due: February 2010

Age of Conan: Godslayer Due: TBA

Warhammer 40,000 Online Due: 2012

Hi-Rez Studios is behind this MMO third person spy shooter, which is said to combine tactical combat with sci-fi shooting action. The game is currently in its beta stage and will be released at the beginning of next month.

Funcom’s Age of Conan has had a mixed first 18 months, but the developer is not giving up on the franchise, and is preparing its first official expansion. We also wait for news of the Age of Conan Xbox 360 port.

Vigil Games and THQ will bring the action-packed world of Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 to MMO gamers on PC. Little is known about the title so far, other than it’s scheduled for 2012 and will feature vehicles.

Team-based crime shooter All Points Bulletin is just one MMO trying to branch into new genres and styles

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COMING SOON

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TERRITORY REPORT: NORDIC AND BENELUX

Fjord for thought The Nordic and Benelux regions are difficult markets for games publishers, with multiple languages and cultures. But there is still money to made in the territories. Christopher Dring investigates...

Nordic cities such as Stockholm in Sweden are home to several big name developers, such as EA DICE

THE NORDIC GAMES industry is on the rise.

In 2006, game sales in Nordic countries had barely topped €500 million. By 2008, sales of hardware and software had broken the €1 billion barrier.

Meanwhile, as the recession and a lighter release schedule had a negative impact on the world’s games markets, sales in the Nordic region held firm.

But that’s not to say the Nordic markets weren’t affected by the global economic downturn. The territory’s development sector has been particularly hard hit, with the likes of Grin closing down, while other studios are looking to decrease their overheads.

“Nordic developers are very export orientated, and have been affected by the economy,” admits Nordic Game Program’s communication director Jacob Riis “Growth has slowed. At the same time many developers are exploring the growing market for casual games and smaller titles for digital distribution on consoles, PC and smart phones.

“

“Another challenge is the competition from lower cost developers in regions with strong government support, like Canada. For Nordic developers this means streamlining operations, lowering costs, promoting their strengths internationally and developing new projects, including non-traditional genres and game platforms.”

The economic downturn has also

In terms of software, the Nintendo DS market is dead.

Everyone has an R4 card in the Benelux countries.

Rishi Kartaram, GameWorld affected the level of fully-localised games being released in the Nordic regions, too.

“Over the past three years we have seen an increase in localised content getting released, but with the downturn kicking in for real in 2009, this area has slowed down too,” continues Riis.

Many publishers choose not to localise content in the Nordic regions.

There are 25 million people living in Nordic countries, and with so many

different languages it doesn’t always make sense for firms to invest in fully translated content.

“Localising is usually not necessary for games apart from children’s titles,” says Koch Media Nordic’s general manager Martin Sirc “The main challenge is to decide if it is worth the investment to localise in to multiple languages and if so, how to fit those languages on to one box or if to go with a separate SKU for each of the Nordic languages.

“Also, due to the geographical size of the territory versus the population and the lack of true panNordic solutions in some areas, the logistics of moving goods and executing PR and marketing can be time consuming.”

However – despite the on-going challenges – the Nordic games market is growing up. Its retail sector has matured, with the likes of GAME and GameStop in the territory. Meanwhile, the industry’s trade bodies are working hard with governments and financial

”

bodies, while an official Nordic-wide chart isn’t far away either.

“The Swedish trade body MDTS and the Nordic Game program are doing a great job with the political agenda,” says Nordic Games MD Pelle Lundborg.

“I am positive that there are less tough challenges ahead, and whatever they are, the industry is now grown up enough to deal with them – similar to how ELSPA in the UK have got very organised in dealing with issues.

“To get the financial industry more involved is still tough, but things started moving in the right direction here as well during 2009. A pan-Nordic reporting – similar to Chart-Track – is soon underway and is well needed.”

MARKET STRUGGLES

In contrast to the Nordic sector, Benelux’s games market had a tough time in 2009.

Sales of video games in Benelux countries were down ten per cent yearon-year, with the global economy highlighted for the decline.

“The recession has affected the market heavily,” comments Michel van

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TERRITORY REPORT: NORDIC AND BENELUX

Elmpt, managing director of publisher and distributor Foreign Media Games.

“2009 has not been as successful a year for the market as 2008 was.

Towards the end of Q1 2009 sales were slowing down and this pattern remained the same throughout the year. So it’s been tough.”

The Benelux games industry also struggles with piracy. Console attach rates are unusually low, especially on DS where R4 flash-cards are proving to be very popular amongst consumers.

“Piracy is the biggest challenge for us,” says MD of distributor GameWorld Rishi Kartaram “The DS market in terms of software is dead. Everybody has an R4 card here.”

Foreign Media Games’ Van Elmpt adds: “A major concern has always been piracy in the Benelux region. We need to have a solid piece of legislation in place that protects a publisher’s IP against illegal downloading and distribution.”

Like the Nordic region, Benelux countries also suffer because of the

number of different languages across a relatively small population. Meanwhile, the retail sector is also quite fragmented, even within the same countries.

“In the Netherlands retail is quite concentrated, with three large retail groups dominating the scene,” explains Koch Media Benelux general manager Hans Lange.

“There are about ten national retail chains, while online sales are increasing rapidly as well.

“In Belgium the retail situation is much more fragmented. First of all we are dealing with a country that has two – fairly distinct – language territories. 60 per cent of the Belgian population is Dutch speaking and 40 per cent is French speaking.

“This in itself has led historically to a fragmented retail landscape. There are a number of small chains that operate in the Dutch speaking part only, and a number that operate in the French speaking part only. And there are some that operate nationwide with the

The Facts:

NORDIC Population: 25,382,411 Countries: Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden Currencies: Euro, Icelandic Krona, Norwegian Krone, Swedish Krona, Faroese Krona, Danish Krone Distributors: Gateway Distribution APS, Koch Media, Sena, Panvision, MPX.no, Platekompaniet, Massemedia AS, Bergsala, Game Outlet, Siba AB Retailers: Rusta, GAME, GameStop, CDon, MediaMarkt, ToysRUs, Discship, Tilt, Merlin, Ica, Stockmann, Ginza, Coop, Gekås, Webhallen, Rautakirja, F-Group, Elkjöp/Elgiganten, Clas Ohlson

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TERRITORY REPORT: NORDIC AND BENELUX

necessity to buy both Dutch and French versions of a single product when the game is localised.”

The Facts:

BENELUX Population: 27,466,500

ADVANTAGE BENELUX Countries: Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemberg Currency: Euro Distributors: Koch Media, Horelec, CLD Distribution, EBS-Benelux, Gameworld, Micromedia, Favour Games, Rigu Sound Retailers: bol.com, Bart Smit, Free Record Shop, Game Mania, fnac, Dynabyte, Dreamland, 12game, Media Boetiek

Despite the challenges, some game companies are thriving in Benelux. The development sector in particular is on the rise, with colleges and universities offering a wider range of game courses.

“The territory has seen a large upswing over the past few years as far as games go,” explains Iceberg Interactive’s CEO Erik Schreuder.

“A lot of new developers have emerged and schools are now offering decent game design educations.

“However, there are no special arrangements for developers or publishers to get any help on fundraising, or tax benefits, or anything like that.”

Meanwhile, other video game companies feel Benelux’s mix of cultures and people provides a huge advantage to any company looking to set up in the region.

“If you want to work on a worldwide basis then Benelux is a great place to publish games,” continues van Elmpt.

“In Benelux you will find some very talented commercial people. Also, as it is a very small territory, we are used to exporting to other countries. This means that our overseas sales teams are highly experienced.

“Furthermore, we are open minded, flexible and very interested in how the local mechanics can be streamlined to work for a chosen market. Benelux people also tend to be very direct – what you see is what you get, and I think a lot of people find this refreshing.”

Atari Benelux general manager Menno Eijck adds: “Benelux is a very interesting market due to its mix of cultures and languages.

“Multinational companies like IKEA use Benelux as a test market for their latest products.

“As IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad says: If you can sell something in Benelux you can sell it everywhere.”

Step up with Venom

Contact your Venom Account Manager now to find out more: 01763 284181 Email: joe.hurry@venomuk.com dan.miles@venomuk.com or david.davies@venomuk.com Nintendo® and WiiTM are registered trademarks of Nintendo of America Inc. The names of actual products and companies mentioned may be the trademarks of their repective owners.

These products are manufactured and distributed by Venom Limited.

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TERRITORY REPORT: NORDIC AND BENELUX NORDIC MARKET VALUE GROWTH (E MILLION)

NORDIC INSTALLED BASES, OCT 2009

3m

1.2bn

2.6m

SOFTWARE

2.5m

1bn

2m

800m

1.5m

600m

HARDWARE

e1.006bn e904m

e563m 1.2m

400m

1m 680k

630k

700k

e323m

e421m

e111m

e142m

e580m

e688m

e324m

e318m

2007

2008

200m

430k

500k

e434m

0

0

2005

PS2

DS

PSP

360

PS3

WII

2006

SALES SPLIT BETWEEN MARKETS (APROX)

SOFTWARE SALES BY SECTOR PC 20%

Handheld 8%

NORDIC MARKET OVERVIEW Chris Stanton-Jones of emerging market specialists Catapult Business Solutions provides us with a detailed run-down of the Nordic video games market…

The Nordic games market is expected to be flat year-on-year.

The first two quarters were the hardest and the MDTS (Sweden trade association) reported that in Sweden game sales were down five per cent in unit terms and 10 per cent down in value terms. Trading in Q3, however, was much improved and elevated the overall cumulative years performance.

The Danish games market appears to be achieving greater growth than the other territories. In the first seven months of 2009, Danish software sales rose three per cent year-on-year. By comparison, the Swedish software market for the period went up one per cent while sales fell one per cent in Norway.

600m

software business with over 55 per cent of the market value.

The PC market is still large but no longer dominates the sector, and its value share is now down to 18 to 20 per cent. PlayStation 2 software sales are down dramatically year-on-year but still sizeable and outselling DS and PSP

“It is difficult to track the market properly with no official sell-through data in Norway and Finland. This should be a priority for the Nordic games industry.”

All formats are close both in terms of installed base and week-on-week sales.

It will be a fascinating contest to see who might emerge as a leader. These three formats now dominate the

2008 - E511 millon 2009 - E461 million

400m

End of 2009 installed base market share:

300m 200m

Wii - 51% market share PS3 - 26% market share 360 - 23% market share

100m

2008

2009

data in Norway and Finland. This should be a priority for the Nordic games industry to solve.

Last year there was no major change in the retail landscape although Media Markt – a relatively new entrant to the Nordic market – are reported as one of the chains that has increased their market share the most.

There has been no significant change in retail’s buying behaviour or terms with suppliers as a result of the financial crisis.

formats combined. DS is the largest selling console although it might be starting to reach its peak.

It is difficult to track the market properly with no official sell-through

BENELUX MARKET OVERVIEW

SOFTWARE SALES:

500m

0

In terms of share by region, Sweden is the largest market, with about 40 per cent share, and Finland is the smallest with about 17 per cent.

In terms of hardware, after a slow start to 2009, PS3, Wii and Xbox 360 have all shown considerable growth and momentum since their price reductions.

51% Wii

23% 360 26% PS3

According to Screen Digest forecasts, video game sales in Benelux fell ten per cent year-on-year in 2009 – down from €511 million to €461 million.

The firm also says software unit sales had fallen seven per cent yearon-year.

The biggest decline was on handheld consoles, with DS,

PSP and GBA game sales down six per cent in 2009. However, unit sales for Wii, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 games increased by nine per cent year-on-year.

Wii continues to dominate the sector, accounting for 51 per cent of home console owners in the Benelux region.

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Publishing ͻ Distribution www.kochmedia.com

KOCH CREATIVE _MCV.indd 1

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PERSONNEL

Centresoft hires Gerry Berkley Distributor recruits retail veteran Unity Technologies’ double appointment EasyJet CCO joins GAME board CENTRESOFT The UK distributor has appointed GERRY BERKLEY as consumer fulfilment sales manager.

Berkley’s appointment follows a stint at Shop Direct, where he was tasked with increasing the firm’s share in the entertainment industry.

He has worked in retail for 28 years, and has gained years of experience in the games industry. His previous positions include general manager of games at Blockbuster, trading manager of games and books at Woolworths, games manager at HMV and games product manager at Virgin.

Industry stalwart Berkley boasts decades of experience

“I am delighted to welcome Gerry to the team,” said commercial director Margaret Pearson. “He brings with him a huge amount of industry knowledge and experience and will be a great asset.”

UNITY BRETT SEYLER and STEFFEN TOKSVIG have both joined the company’s ranks.

Seyler leaves his position at InstantAction for the role of vice president of strategy, while Toksvig joins from Hitman developer IO Interactive to become development director.

“Unity Technologies has shown impressive foresight by investing early in technology for both browser and mobile

games, which are now the most exciting segments in the industry,” said Seyler.

“The team here not only has great ideas, but a proven capacity to execute, so I think it’s fair to expect big things in the future.”

Toksvig said: “Unity is probably the most exciting place in the industry to be.

What the team has achieved so far is fantastic and it does not stop here.”

GAME Notable EasyJet exec DANA DUNNE has joined the GAME Group board as its new non-executive director.

Dunne currently serves as the airline’s chief commercial officer. He has succeeded JeanPaul Giraud, who completed two terms of office and stepped down after six years on the Group board.

“I am pleased to join the GAME Group board at such an interesting time for the video games industry,” said Dunne.

“GAME Group is expanding and developing its customer offer across a number of new channels, interwoven with its successful international store portfolio. I look forward to helping the Group achieve all of its ambitions.”

ORDER NOW FROM CENTRESOFT 0121 6253817

www.supermonkeyballstepandroll.com Š SEGA. SEGA, the SEGA logo and Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll are either registered trademarks or trademarks of SEGA Corporation. Trademarks are property of their respective owners. Wii is a trademark of Nintendo. All Rights Reserved.

www.sega.co.uk

MCVAwards2010_wk4:Layout 1

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Tune in to the best in the business RETAIL Star Store Online Retailer Independent Retailer (under 30 stores) High Street Chain Supermarket

PEOPLE & INDUSTRY UK Development Team Distribution Team Sales Triumph Sales Team Games Publisher

PR & MARKETING Peripherals & Accessories Brand Game Creative (single ad execution - any media) PR Team Trade Marketing Team New Game Brand Game Campaign Marketing Team

SPECIAL AWARDS MCV Retail Advisory Board: Special Recognition Grand Prix

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RETAILBIZ RECOMMENDED GAMES PRICE CHECK CHARTS NEW RELEASES

DADDYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BACK...

Return to the world of Rapture, Little Sisters and Big Daddies as 2K Games hotly anticipated BioShock 2 finally arrives...

P28

SEGA DS RPG RANGE P30 Bleach: The 3rd Phantom, Phantasy Star Zero and Infinite Space arrive on DS SUSHI GO-ROUND P31 The popular Miniclip game journeys to Wii and DS shelves FFCC: THE CRYSTAL BEARERS P31 Square Enix takes the Final Fantasy series into the action adventure genre MX VS ATV REFLEX P32 THQ refines off-road racing for the latest entry in its popular franchise NEW RELEASES P33 MCV provides a comprehensive list of all upcoming releases in the UK

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RETAILBIZ: BIOSHOCK 2 28 MCV 22/01/10

2K Games unleashes one of the most highly anticipated titles of the year as gamers return to the city of Rapture…

WWW.MCVUK.COM

by James Batchelor IT WAS ONE of the key blows to Q4 2009 when its original release date slipped, but now BioShock 2 is one of the key titles that makes the next few months the biggest first quarter in our industry’s recent history.

As one of the most successful new IPs of the last decade, the BioShock name has gone from risky proposition to guaranteed retail gold – and 2K Games’ upcoming first-person shooter is only the second entry in the series.

BioShock 2 has been on gamers’ lips since the original’s credits began to roll.

Speculation was rife as to when and where the next game would be set, and the resultant horde of rabid fans have flocked to every preview, every screenshot and every trailer released

since in order to discover the answers.

For the uneducated, the original BioShock was a chillingly atmospheric, narratively rich and high quality firstperson shooter.

The game was set in Rapture, a vast underwater city constructed as a utopia

“The BioShock name has gone from risky new IP to guaranteed retail gold in time for the second entry in the series.” that was left ruined by both its own greed and a devastating revolution.

The sequel takes players back to Rapture’s sunken ruins, with a brand new storyline set ten years after the events of the original. An unknown villain has been kidnapping girls from

America’s Atlantic coastline and bringing them to Rapture. Now it’s up to players to find out what is going on.

Gamers take on the role of the very first Big Daddy, the colossal soldiers of the BioShock world, as they explore the city in search of these girls.

Given the twisting plot of the original, it’s a safe bet that all in not as it seems and players will be hooked on finding answers to the game’s mysteries and seeing how these troubling events fit in with the original storyline.

Playing as a Big Daddy means the gameplay has changed slightly since the original BioShock, but undoubtedly for the better.

Players will be stronger than the first game’s protagonist, but that doesn’t mean the sequel will be any easier. In addition to the usual psychotic splicers

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RETAILBIZ: BIOSHOCK 2 WWW.MCVUK.COM

MCV 22/01/10 29

‘SHOCK TACTICS As 2K’s biggest title of the quarter, BioShock 2 will benefit from a massive and comprehensive marketing campaign to ensure maximum awareness among fans of the original and newcomers to the franchise by the time the game hits shelves on February 9th. The publisher has said this will be a multi-million pound campaign covering numerous forms of media.

and other Big Daddies, there are new, far more powerful enemies to contend with this time around.

A key addition is the ability to dual wield weapons and Plasmids, the genetically-engineered superpowers that led to Rapture’s downfall. Combining these abilities with the standard guns will allow players to be much more creative and experimental in how they dispatch their enemies.

Perhaps the most significant feature that has been added for BioShock 2 is the multiplayer mode.

Crucially, fans will be pleased to see this mode is set before the fall of Rapture. Every arena will give them a unique look at the iconic environments of both the original single-player campaign and its sequel before they were devastated by war.

Far from being the standard FPS deathmatch, the ability to use Plasmids and Tonics from the main game to enhance their character will give gamers a new advantage in the heat of a firefight.

Players earn experience points as they play, unlocking new weapons, Plasmids and Tonics that can be used to create hundreds of different combinations.

The different offensive and defensive capabilities of these chemicals means gamers can create a customisable multiplayer character setup that suits their style of play.

BioShock 2 is one of the biggest games hitting retail this year – a fact supported by 2K Games’ decision to hold a simultaneous worldwide launch for this title – and on a non-traditional release day (February 9th; a Tuesday).

The high regard the publisher holds this

RELEASED: FEBRUARY 9 FORMATS: XBOX 360, PS3, PC PUBLISHER: 2K GAMES DEVELOPER: 2K MARIN 2K AUSTRALIA 2K CHINA DIGITAL EXTREMES PRICE: VARIOUS DISTRIBUTOR: GEM CONTACT: 01279 822800

title in is further backed up by the hype building behind it, proving this faith is well-founded.

The legacy of the original and the subsequent anticipation that has been growing over the last year or so means there is a substantial established audience eagerly waiting for this, so expect it to fly off the shelves when it arrives next month.

Key to the marketing efforts will be a major TV component, with spots running across a multitude of terrestrial and satellite channels, including Channel 4, Sky Sports, E4, Sky Movies, ITV 2, ITV 4, Sky 1, 2 and 3, Film 4, MTV, Channel 5 and more.

Online advertising will focus on high-impact creative to grab webbrowsers’ attention with a video preroll. Site takeovers have also been planned for leading specialist destinations, such as GameSpot, IGN and Eurogamer.

The game has been the subject of plenty of coverage within the UK’s specialist gaming press, gaining heavy exposure through cover features.

2K Games has also managed to secure a significant amount of high profile mainstream coverage, with editorial in major lifestyle and national publications including FHM and The Sun.

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RETAILBIZ: SEGA DS RPG RANGE 30 MCV 22/01/10

WWW.MCVUK.COM

Sega caters to RPG fans’ appetites with a trio of DS titles that promise something for everyone…

by James Batchelor

BLEACH: THE 3RD PHANTOM RELEASED: FEBRUARY 12 FORMATS: DS PUBLISHER: SEGA DEVELOPER: TOM CREATE PRICE: £29.99 DISTRIBUTOR: CENTRESOFT CONTACT: 0121 625 3388

INFINITE SPACE RELEASED: SPRING FORMATS: DS PUBLISHER: SEGA DEVELOPER: PLATINUM GAMES NUDE MAKER PRICE: £29.99 DISTRIBUTOR: CENTRESOFT CONTACT: 0121 625 3388

PHANTASY STAR Ø RELEASED: FEBRUARY 12 FORMATS: DS PUBLISHER: SEGA DEVELOPER: SEGA PRICE: £29.99 DISTRIBUTOR: CENTRESOFT CONTACT: 0121 625 3388

THE RPG GENRE has always been hugely popular on handhelds, and the DS is home to scores of quality (and lengthy) titles in this space.

Now Sega has a trio of titles that will keep fans of levelling-up and turn-based combat more than happy for the next few months.

Arriving side by side on February 12th is Bleach: The 3rd Phantom and Phantasy Star Ø.

While the former is fantasy and the latter is sci-fi, they both offer adventures in which young heroes with large hairdos battle with monsters and demons.

More importantly, both have an established fanbase eagerly waiting for these new outings.

“Bleach: The 3rd Phantom and Phantasy Star Ø are the latest additions to two highly regarded and long-running

“

“People were coming up to us who have played these games for over ten years, so it was very gratifying to see them excited and positive about the latest instalments.

“Fans have grown up with these games, and we want them to grow old with them too.”

INFINITY AND BEYOND

If Bleach and Phantasy Star are still not enough to get hungry RPG enthusiasts interested, they may well appreciate Infinite Space.

As the third of four titles encompassed

by Sega’s deal with Platinum Games, this new IP already has the prestige required to stand out on shelves.

“Infinite Space is a collaboration between the creative minds of Nude Maker – of Steel Battalion fame – and Platinum Games, and as such we have high expectations for the quality of the

Fans have grown up with these games and franchises, and we want them to grow old with them too.

Kate Billingham, Sega

franchises,” says marketing and PR executive Kate Billingham.

“Because both series have garnered such a dedicated following of fans of the years, we know expectations run very high. We’re confident both titles will bring fans everything they know and love, as well as some great new gameplay experiences that keep the franchises enthralling and fresh.”

The 3rd Phantom is a first for the Bleach games, taking the series into the strategy-RPG genre to create a fresh experience. The game follows an allnew storyline written by Tite Kubo, the creator of the hugely popular Bleach manga, which is certain to grab the attention of committed fans.

Meanwhile, Phantasy Star Ø marks the debut of the Sega RPG series perhaps best known for its online outings.

Sure enough, this is reflected in the DS version, which features a multiplayer mode catering for up to four players – either over a local wireless connection or via Wi-Fi. “When we previewed both of these titles at the MCM Expo in London, we were really pleased with public reception,” says Billingham.

”

product,” says senior product manager Ben Walker.

“Platinum Games has a rich history of producing critically acclaimed games.

Their most recent release, Bayonetta, was universally well received around the world and we firmly believe Infinite Space will deliver a rich, entertaining and genre-defining experience.”

Infinite Space is a sci-fi RPG that puts players in command of a fleet of starships. As they explore the galaxy and battle with enemy armadas, they can design up to five vessels of their own using over 100 ship blueprints and over 200 customiseable modules.

The game boasts a real-time tactical battle system and a single-player campaign that promises to last over 70 hours. Should players master this, they can test their starships against those over other gamers via the wireless twoplayer mode.

“The game has reviewed strongly in Japan and we expect a similar performance in the UK,” says Walker.

“By occupying a space which has little representation, we believe Infinite Space will be received as a breath of fresh air by both strategy and role-playing fans.”

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RETAILBIZ: SUSHI GO-ROUND/FINAL FANTASY WWW.MCVUK.COM

MCV 22/01/10 31

South Peak’s restaurant simulator cooks up something special for casual Wii and DS owners…

Square Enix takes its flagship Final Fantasy series in a new direction with The Crystal Bearers on Wii…

by James Batchelor

by James Batchelor FROM COOKING MAMA to Diner Dash, food is a popular theme for casual games. Perhaps it’s something everyone can relate to, perhaps it allows developers to break down challenges into (literally) bitesize chunks – whatever the reason, meals make money in gaming.

So South Peak is understandably excited about its upcoming Miniclip’s Sushi Go-Round.

The game is based on the popular mini-game of the same name from Miniclip, one of the world’s largest online game sites, which has been played more than 60 million times.

As with its online counterpart, the Wii and DS game puts players in charge of a sushi restaurant and tasks them with growing the outlet into a successful enterprise by keeping wave upon wave of customers happy.

They will be required to remember orders, buy and prepare ingredients, cook and present meals and finally process payment before welcoming in the next batch of hungry people.

Good performances will not only impress the visiting sushi connoisseurs and guarantee their future custom, it will also improve gamers’ revenues enough to unlock purchasable improvements to the restaurant itself.

RELEASED: MARCH 5 FORMATS: WII, DS PUBLISHER:SOUTH PEAK DEVELOPER: ASYLUM ENTERTAINMENT PRICE: VARIOUS DISTRIBUTOR: CENTRESOFT CONTACT: 0121 625 3388

The retail edition of Sushi Go-Round also recreates the cute and colourful art style of the original, ensuring that not only will it be a delight to the eye, it will also stand out on Wii and DS shelves.

The popularity of the Miniclip version also means plenty of consumers will instantly recognise the brand.

FISHY BUSINESS

As you would expect, the Wii version’s charm lies in its intuitive control scheme, which uses the motion sensitive capabilities of the Remote to recreate a sushi chef’s actions in the kitchen.

Players will find themselves chopping, flipping and stirring raw fish and rice dishes as they try to create the best meal possible.

The DS version also has a few tricks up its sleeve, thanks to DSi-specific features. Handheld gamers will be able to take pictures of anything from people to pets using the device’s built-in camera and transform them into customers that will appear in the ingame restaurant.

RELEASED: FEBRUARY 5 FORMATS: WII

WHILE ALL eyes are on the impending arrival of Final Fantasy XIII, it’s important to remember the franchise has plenty to offer outside of the main series.

Arriving a little over a month before its bigger brother, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers seeks to try something new with the tried and tested RPG property.

The game is the first action adventure title under the Final Fantasy umbrella, dropping the typical turn-based system for more active real-time combat.

Players take on the role of a young crystal bearer named Layle and takes on an open world structure that lends itself towards exploration and a more intriguing vein of puzzle solving.

The game also simplifies the series’ trademark labyrinth of menus but continues to tell a strong story.

As a result, The Crystal Bearers is one of the most accessible Final Fantasy titles to date and the addition of Wii controls helps to widen the game’s appeal for a broader audience.

UK product manager Grant Tasker says: “With extensive development from some of the world’s leading content creators, The Crystal Bearers is the most user-friendly, intuitive and technically ambitious Final Fantasy experience for a Nintendo system yet,

PUBLISHER: SQUARE ENIX DEVELOPER: SQUARE ENIX PRICE: £34.99 DISTRIBUTOR: OPEN CONTACT: 01462 476 130

and as such we expect great feedback from fans and reviews to match.”

CRYSTAL CLEAR

Thanks to the legacy of the Final Fantasy series, The Crystal Bearers is already blessed with an established, large and active fanbase and Square Enix has been communicating with this audience since the game was first announced.

The publisher has also prepared an extensive advertising campaign to entice newcomers and Nintendo fans, with a range of ads appearing across relevant magazines and websites. This includes a four-page cover gatefold in Official Nintendo Magazine.

“We fully expect this to perform in line with our expectations,” says Tasker.

“We have put together a solid PR campaign for this title and our target audience has a healthy appetite for quality titles on this format.

“Coupled with our strong PR campaign and anticipated reviews, retailers should feel confident about The Crystal Bearers.”

32 MCV571_final

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RETAILBIZ: MX VS ATV REFLEX 32 MCV 22/01/10

WWW.MCVUK.COM

THQ’s long-running and popular racing series brings more intense off-road thrills to gamers next month…

by James Batchelor WHILE SOME prefer more traditional racing, many gamers prefer something much more brutal and challenging. As a sub-genre, off-road racing has gathered a dedicated following over the years and THQ’s MX vs ATV is the leadng franchise for catering to this audience.

For the long-running series’ latest instalment, the publisher has focused on bringing an enhanced experience to the more powerful consoles and the handheld platforms.

The console editions of Reflex deliver realistic off-road racing thrills, while the handheld editions recreate its key features for gamers on the go.

“The MX vs ATV franchise has sold over seven million units to date and we fully expect MX vs ATV Reflex to significantly add to that figure,” says product manager Mark Fisher.

“The game has always been well received amongst the hardcore MX fans, especially in America and we can see the sport starting to gain mainstream awareness in the UK. The Red Bull X Fighters event hosted in London in the summer is a good example of how the

sport is reaching new consumers and gaining mainstream awareness.”

TEST YOUR REFLEXES

with players forced to race across raging rivers and swampy everglades. Thanks to the new terrain engine ticking away beneath the game’s bonnet, these driving surfaces boast a level of detail never before seen in the series before.

The key addition is the Rider Reflex mechanic, which uses the dual analog sticks to control the rider more directly, The game has already beyond simply steering launched to critical acclaim in left and right. Players the US and we fully expect can now make their the same reception here. driver lean in to help their vehicle make Mark Fisher, THQ tighter turns.

They will need to use this to physically The handheld versions have also been wrestle their vehicle across the track to enhanced since the previous iteration of avoid potential hazards and more difficult MX vs ATV, boasting their own versions areas of terrain. This is important enough of the Rider Reflex system and enhanced given the rough, dangerous environments physics mechanics.

MX vs ATV fans will be used to, but “The game itself is a huge improvement becomes even more crucial thanks to on the previous MX vs ATV title and the the new real-time track deformation. first true foray onto the current The circuit beneath gamers’ tires will generation of consoles,” says Fisher. now change realistically according to “We are confident that Reflex will how vehicles pass over it. Too many appeal to a broad range of consumers, buggies or bikes tearing up a particularly from hardcore to mainstream racing muddy spot will make that area more fans, as it has true universal appeal. difficult to traverse on the next lap.

“The game has already launched in Other environmental hazards will America to critical acclaim amongst make things even more challenging, media and consumers alike and we fully

“

expect the game to be just as well received in the UK and across Europe.”

With a fanbase already established by previous MX vs ATV releases, THQ plans to maintain awareness of the newest entry among this audience through its promotional efforts.

A marketing campaign has been running for weeks, calling out to loyal followers and newcomers alike across a range of media.

“Marketing has been focused on engaging hardcore and mainstream off-road racing fans while also raising awareness amongst the grassroots motocross fans,” says Fisher.

“Our research highlighted that sampling is key and as such we made a significant investment publishing the Xbox Live and PSN playable demo over the holiday period.”

”

RELEASED: FEBRUARY 5 FORMATS: 360, PS3, PSP, DS PUBLISHER: THQ DEVELOPER: RAINBOW STUDIOS PRICE: VARIOUS DISTRIBUTOR: ADVANTAGE CONTACT: 0121 506 9585

33 MCV571_final:43 MCV467

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RETAILBIZ: NEW RELEASES WWW.MCVUK.COM

MCV 22/01/10 33

Check out MCVUK.COM/RELEASE-DATES for more

MAG mobilises as January ends Sony’s ambitious FPS MAG arrives on shelves next week, alongside the latest Vs Capcom beat ’em up lashing out on Wii. Also approaching release is BioShock 2, Dante’s Inferno, Star Trek Online, The Princess and the Frog and more...

TITLE

FORMAT

GENRE

PUBLISHER

TELEPHONE

DISTRIBUTOR

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

Simulation Action/Adventure Strategy FPS Simulation FPS RPG/Action Fighting

Just Flight Ubisoft Zushi Zushi Excalibur Publishing Sony EA Capcom

0845 234 4242 01279 822 800 01279 822 800 01279 822 800 01869 338833 0121 625 3388 0121 625 3388 0121 625 3388

Mastertronic Gem/Trilogy Gem Gem Open Centresoft Centresoft Centresoft

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

Action/Adventure Action/Adventure Action Action RPG Simulation Strategy RPG/Action Simulation Strategy Casual Racing Casual Casual FPS Survival Horror MMORPG Action/Adventure Casual Casual Simulation

D3Publisher D3Publisher Zushi EA Tecmo Koei Nintendo Excalibur Publishing Square Enix First Class Simulations Slitherine Zushi THQ S.A.D S.A.D bitComposer Konami Atari Disney Interactive S.A.D S.A.D Excalibur Publishing

0208 222 9700 0208 222 9700 01279 822 800 0121 625 3388 01462 476 130 0870 027 0985 01869 338833 020 7324 5200 01869 338833 0870 027 0985 01279 822 800 0121 506 9585 01582 436043 01582 436043 0870 027 0985 0208 987 5706 0121 506 9585 0121 625 3388 01582 436043 01582 436043 01869 338833

Namco Bandai Namco Bandai Gem Centresoft Open Koch Open Open Open Koch Gem Advantage PlayV PlayV Koch Open Advantage Centresoft PlayV PlayV Open

PC / PS3 / XBOX 360

FPS

2K Games

01279 822 800

Gem

PSP DS PS3 / XBOX 360 DS PC PSP DS PC DS DS PS3 PC

Adventure Puzzle Fighting Action Simulation Action / RPG Music Casual/Adventure Puzzle/RPG RPG RPG Strategy

Zushi Rising Star Games Zen United Sega Excalibur Publishing Rising Star Games Disney Interactive Mamba Games Ubisoft Sega Square Enix Excalibur Publishing

01279 822800 01582 433700 0121 625 3388 0121 625 3388 01869 338833 0121 625 3388 0121 625 3388 01273 202220 01279 822 800 0121 625 3388 01462 476 130 01869 338833

Gem Centresoft Centresoft Centresoft Open Centresoft Centresoft Lace Gem/Trilogy Centresoft Open Open

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

Mystery Action Adventure RPG Action Mini-games Casual/Adventure RTS

Capcom Sega City Interactive Excalibur Publishing Tecmo Koei D3Publisher Mamba Games Slitherine

0121 625 3388 0121 625 3388 0845 362 7769 01869 338833 01462 476 130 0208 222 9700 01273 202220 0870 027 0985

Centresoft Centresoft Trilogy Open Open Namco Bandai Lace Koch

JANUARY 29th 767-200/300 Arthur And The Revenge Of Maltazard BC Kings Exodus From The Earth Forklift Truck Simulator MAG: Massive Action Game Mass Effect 2 Tatsunoko Vs Capcom Ultimate All Stars

FEBRUARY 5th Astroboy Ben 10: Alien Force: Vilgax Attacks Chicken Blaster Dante's Inferno Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days Endless Ocean 2 Farewell to Dragons Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers Flight Deck 6 History Engineering an Empire Egypt Jig-a-Pix: Love is...

MX vs AV Reflex Mystery Cookbook Natalie Brooks: Secrets Of Treasure House S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat Silent Hill: Shattered Memories Star Trek Online The Princess And The Frog The Treasures Of Mystery Island Titanic Mystery UK Truck Simulator

FEBRUARY 9th BioShock 2

FEBRUARY 12th Adventures To Go Animal Kororo BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger Bleach: The Third Phantom Driving Simulator Half Minute Hero Jonas Memento Mori Might And Magic: Clash Of Heroes Phantasy Star Zero Star Ocean: The Last Hope International Theatre Of War: Afrika Corps

FEBRUARY 19th Ace Attorney: Miles Edgeworth Investigates Aliens vs Predator Art Of Murder Blood Of Europe Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce Family Party: Winter Fun Ghosts Pirates of Vooju Island History Great Battles: Medieval

MUSTSTOCK ...............................................MAG Released: January 29th Format: PS3 Publisher: Sony Distributor: Centresoft Contact: 0121 625 3388

Standing for Massive Action Game, Sony’s MAG is a promising multiplayer-driven first-person shooter that boasts support for up to 256 players simultaneously.

Taking online deathmatches to new heights, the game puts players in command of an army of other gamers.

MUSTSTOCK ...............TATSUNOKO VS CAPCOM Released: January 29th Format: Wii Publisher: Capcom Distributor: Centresoft Contact: 0121 625 3388

Universes clash in this upcoming beat-’em-up up from Capcom. The publisher’s own Street Fighter characters team up with Viewtiful Joe, Mega Man and more as they battle with various familiar faces from the world of Tatsunoko’s animations.

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RETAILBIZ: HIGH STREET 34 MCV 22/01/10

WWW.MCVUK.COM

Sponsored by

POLL IS THERE STILL A MARKET FOR MATURE WII TITLES?

REVIEW SCORES MCV provides the most important average review scores of the last few days – all sourced from Metacritic...

84%

Darksiders PS3, THQ

Yes 34%

No 66%

79%

76%

75%

68%

MX Vs ATV Reflex, 360, THQ

Army of Two: 40th, 360, EA

Phantasy Star Zero, DS, Sega

Touchmaster 3, DS, Warner Bros.

The poor sales performance of mature titles on the Wii such as MadWorld and Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles has been discussed regularly over the last year.

However, in recent weeks, the likes of Sega and Capcom have shown their faith in the potential of a more hardcore Wii market to be dwindling.

It turns out the participants of the latest MCV online survey are inclined to agree with these publishers. Two thirds were convinced that there is no longer a viable market for mature titles on the platform, while 34 per cent remain hopeful.

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

*Metacritic scores correct at the time of going to press

MARGIN MAKER INDIE CHARTS - ALL FORMATS 1

2

THIS WEEK

LAST WEEK

3

4

5

TITLE/FORMAT

1

BAYONETTA FORMAT: 360

PUBLISHER

DEVELOPER: PLATINUM GAMES PUBLISHER: SEGA

2

NEW

DARKSIDERS 360

THQ

3

RE

JUST DANCE Wii

UBISOFT

DARKSIDERS PS3

4

NEW

5

1

COD: MODERN WARFARE 2 360

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

6

5

COD: MODERN WARFARE 2 PS3

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

7

3

COMMAND & CONQUER: RED ALERT 3 PC

THQ

8

RE

WII FIT PLUS Wii

9

RE

FOOTBALL MANAGER 2010 PC

10

4

AntiGrav releases the latest fighting stick from notable Japanese manufacturer Hori, this time designed for Wii. The controller matches the white and blue Nintendo colour scheme and boasts all the features a gamer could want for a more arcade-style beat-‘em-up experience.

As well as quality arcade components adding to the stick’s authenticity, the device boasts an easy-to-use button layout. There are also Turbo settings for every input device, which will give gamers an advantage in combat.

The fighting stick is powered by plugging it into the Wii Remote.

Antigrav: 01932 454 929

DEAL OF THE WEEK

EA NINTENDO

NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. WII Wii

SEGA NINTENDO

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.

"I'm looking for the perfect job with an award winning publisher."

"According to this OPM have loads of those."

GAME is offering a saving of £60 when customers pick up and Xbox 360 Elite with Forza 3 and Bayonetta or James Cameron’s Avatar for £199.99.

OPM Response Ltd Tel: +44(0)1206 21 44 21 www.opmjobs.com

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RETAILBIZ: HIGH STREET WWW.MCVUK.COM

MCV 22/01/10 35 Sponsored by

PRICE CHECK [PRE ORDERS] Bayonetta 360, Sega

LittleBigPlanet PSP, Sony

TOP 10

Darksiders PS3, THQ

Just Dance Wii, Ubisoft

Zelda: Spirit Tracks DS, Nintendo

£39.71

£37.71

£22.71

£27.71

N/A

£44.99

£39.99

N/A

£29.39

£29.39

2. HEAVY RAIN

£39.99

£39.99

£24.99

£32.99

£24.99

3. MAG: COLLECTORS EDITION

£42.99

£39.99

£29.99

£32.99

£24.99

4. GOD OF WAR III

FINAL FANTASY XIII

IN STORE: WARRINTON

PS3 SQUARE ENIX PS3 ......................................................................SONY PS3 ......................................................................SONY PS3 ......................................................................SONY

5. MASS EFFECT 2

360 ..........................................................................EA

6. MAG: MASSIVE ACTION

ONLINE

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

£39.99

£39.99

£17.99

£29.99

£17.99

£33.89

£33.89

N/A

£26.89

£19.98

£39.97

£39.97

£29.99

N/A

£22.97

£37.99

£37.99

£24.99

£29.99

£17.97

7. ALIENS VS PREDATOR

360 ......................................................................SEGA

8. BIOSHOCK 2

360 ................................................................2K GAMES

9. SPLINTER CELL: CONVICTION

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

10. DANTE’S INFERNO

PS3 ..........................................................................EA Week ending January 15th Source: SHOPTO.COM

FROM THE FRONTLINE

“We tend to stick to pre-owned stock because you make absolutely naff all on new releases.”

This week, MCV speaks to Alan Davidson from Halifax’s GameSave…

How good have your sales been over the holidays?

Probably about 50 per cent down on 2008. Some things are just not selling as well as they used to. The DS is on a downward spiral, what with the R4 cards – especially with these market guys we’ve got near us.

What are your biggest challenges?

We’ve got a Tesco and an Asda near here, so we stick to pre-owned because you make absolutely naff all on new releases – except when they’ve got an offer on and we can buy all their stock.

Another thing we’ve introduced is a printing side, and that’s balancing things out.

[PRE ORDERS]

TOP 10 MASS EFFECT 2 360 EA

2. STAR TREK: ONLINE - GOLD EDITION

PC ........................................................................ATARI

3. MASS EFFECT 2

PC ............................................................................EA

4. FINAL FANTASY XIII

PS3 ............................................................SQUARE ENIX

5. BIOSHOCK 2: SPECIAL EDITION

360 ................................................................2K GAMES

6. BATTLEFIELD BAD COMPANY 2

PC ............................................................................EA

7. MAG Have you noticed any change in your customers?

Oddly, people aren’t buying new games.

If you put a game at full price with a ‘new’ sticker, no one buys it. If you put a pre-owned sticker on it, they will.

Don’t ask me why – it’s bizarre.

d 1 m

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

8. GRAN TURISMO 5

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

9. ALIENS VS PREDATOR

360 ......................................................................SEGA

10. SPLINTER CELL: CONVICTION

360 ..................................................................UBISOFT Week ending January 15th Source: PLAY.COM

36,37 MCV571_FINAL:54-55 MCV553

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RETAILBIZ: RETAIL CHARTS 36 MCV 22/01/10

WWW.MCVUK.COM

Check out RETAILBIZ at WWW.MCVUK.COM

OFFICIALUKCHARTS NINTENDO DS THIS LAST WEEK WEEK

[1] [FULL PRICE]

TITLE

NEW SUPER MARIO BROS.

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

DR KAWASHIMA’S BRAIN TRAINING NINTENDO MARIO KART DS NINTENDO PROFESSOR LAYTON: PANDORA’S BOX NINTENDO MARIO & SONIC: WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES SEGA NINTENDO: CROSSWORD COLLECTION NINTENDO PROFESSOR LAYTON: CURIOUS VILLAGE NINTENDO ZELDA: SPIRIT TRACKS NINTENDO TAKE A BREAK’S PUZZLE MASTER UBISOFT MORE BRAIN TRAINING NINTENDO

3 5 4 2 6 7 8 11 9

DEVELOPER: NINTENDO PUBLISHER: NINTENDO

PLAYSTATION 2 THIS LAST WEEK WEEK

TITLE

PUBLISHER

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2010 KONAMI COD: WORLD AT WAR ACTIVISION BLIZZARD TRANSFORMERS: FALLEN ACTIVISION BLIZZARD WWE SMACKDOWN VS RAW 2010 THQ SINGSTAR MOTOWN SONY HARRY POTTER: HALF-BLOOD PRINCE EA BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE D3P GTA: THE TRILOGY ROCKSTAR DISNEY SING IT: POP HITS DISNEY

PSP THIS LAST WEEK WEEK

[2]

1

2

WII FIT PLUS Wii

1

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

4

[3]

[4]

LITTLEBIGPLANET

2 3 4 5

2 3 4 5

FIFA 10 GRAN TURISMO GTA: CHINATOWN WARS ASSASSIN’S CREED: BLOODLINES

6 7 8 9 10

7 6 8 9 10

TITLE

NINTENDO ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

ARMY OF TWO: THE 40TH DAY 360, PS3, PSP

5

4

WII SPORTS RESORT Wii

6

8

DARKSIDERS 360, PS3

THQ SEGA

EA NINTENDO

7

5

BAYONETTA 360, PS3

8

6

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

9

10

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

10

7

ASSASSIN’S CREED II 360, PS3

EA

UBISOFT

11

9

NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. WII Wii

NINTENDO

12

12

MARIO KART WII Wii

NINTENDO

13

23

BORDERLANDS 360, PS3, PC

14

13

FORZA MOTORSPORT 3 360

15

11

MARIO & SONIC: OLYMPIC WINTER Wii

SEGA

16

15

BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM 360, PS3, PC

EIDOS

17

20

WII PLAY Wii

18

24

FOOTBALL MANAGER 2010 PC

19

21

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

19

PES 2010 360, PS3, PC

1

2K GAMES MICROSOFT

NINTENDO

20

THIS LAST WEEK WEEK

[5]

DEVELOPER: SCE CAMBRIDGE STUDIOS PUBLISHER: SONY

PUBLISHER

NEW

PC CD-ROM PUBLISHER

DEVELOPER: UBISOFT PUBLISHER: UBISOFT

2 3

[FULL PRICE]

1

FORMAT: Wii

LAST WEEK

DEVELOPER: EA CANADA PUBLISHER: EA

TITLE

JUST DANCE

THIS WEEK

[FULL PRICE]

FIFA 10

2 4 3 5 7 6 12 20 8

TOP 40ALL

PUBLISHER

1

[ENTERTAINMENT - ALL PRICES]

SEGA WARNER BROS KONAMI

[FULL PRICE]

TITLE

PUBLISHER

FOOTBALL MANAGER 2010 DEVELOPER: SPORTS INTERACTIVE PUBLISHER: SEGA

EA

2

2

THE SIMS 3

SONY

3

4

COD: MODERN WARFARE 2

ROCKSTAR

4

3

THE SIMS 3: WORLD ADVENTURES

UBISOFT

5

5

EMPIRE: TOTAL WAR

STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT: SQUADRON LUCASARTS FOOTBALL MANAGER 2010 SEGA JAMES CAMERON’S AVATAR: THE GAME UBISOFT PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2010 KONAMI F1 2009 CODEMASTERS

6

9

BORDERLANDS

7

6

WOW: WRATH OF LICH KING

8

7

DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS

EA

9

10

GRAND THEFT AUTO IV

ROCKSTAR

10

8

LEFT 4 DEAD 2

EA ACTIVISION BLIZZARD EA SEGA 2K GAMES ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

EA

36,37 MCV571_FINAL:54-55 MCV553

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Page 2

RETAILBIZ: RETAIL CHARTS WWW.MCVUK.COM

MCV 22/01/10 37

Just Dance that had the power to knock Activision Blizzard’s Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 from the top spot of the All Formats chart.

The Wii title saw a 114 per cent increase in sales, preventing the bestselling shooter from racking up a tenth week at No.1.

Just Dance originally debuted at No.100 but has steadily climbed over the last seven weeks. It

PS3

L FORMATS

THIS LAST WEEK WEEK

Highest New Entry

21

28

GRAND THEFT AUTO IV 360, PS3, PC

22

26

PEPPA PIG: THE GAME Wii, DS

ROCKSTAR P2 GAMES/UBISOFT

23

18

GTA: EPISODES FROM LIBERTY CITY 360

24

17

UNCHARTED 2: AMONG THIEVES PS3

25

22

WWE SMACKDOWN 2010 360, PS3, Wii, DS, PS2, PSP

THQ

26

32

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

THQ

27

16

NEED FOR SPEED: SHIFT 360, PS3, PSP, PC

28

33

NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. DS

29

27

COLIN MCRAE: DIRT 2 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, DS

CODEMASTERS

30

34

OPERATION FLASHPOINT 2 360, PS3, PC

CODEMASTERS

31

25

LEFT 4 DEAD 2 360, PC

32

RE

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

LUCASARTS

33

35

DR KAWASHIMA’S BRAIN TRAINING DS

NINTENDO

TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 10 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP

ROCKSTAR SONY

NINTENDO

34

40

35

RE

LEGO INDIANA JONES 2 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PC, DS, PSP LUCASARTS

36

39

LEGO STAR WARS: SAGA 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PC, DS, PSP LUCASARTS

37

RE

EA

EA SPORTS ACTIVE Wii

38

29

39

RE

PURE 360, PS3, PC

40

RE

SEGA MEGA DRIVE ULTIMATE 360, PS3

EA

TEKKEN 6 360, PS3

PC CD-ROM THIS LAST WEEK WEEK

NAMCO BANDAI DISNEY

TITLE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

CHAMPIONSHIP MANAGER 2010

PUBLISHER

DEVELOPER: BLIZZARD PUBLISHER: ACTIVISION BLIZZARD EIDOS

COMMAND & CONQUER: FIRST DECADE

EA

ASSASSIN’S CREED SNIPER: ART OF VICTORY

UBISOFT CITY INTERACTIVE

MYSTERY IN LONDON: JACK THE RIPPER MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR X HIDDEN MYSTERIES: BUCKINGHAM WORLD OF WARCRAFT BEJEWELLED TWIST

ARMY OF TWO: THE 40TH DAY DARKSIDERS ASSASSIN’S CREED II BAYONETTA UNCHARTED 2: AMONG THIEVES FIFA 10 JAMES CAMERON’S AVATAR BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM NEED FOR SPEED: SHIFT

5 4 3 2 6 9 8 7

DEVELOPER: INFINITY WARD PUBLISHER: ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

FOCUS MICROSOFT

GSP/AVANQUETS ACTIVISION BLIZZARD FOCUS

EA THQ UBISOFT SEGA SONY EA UBISOFT EIDOS EA

[FULL PRICE] TITLE

PUBLISHER

1

WII SPORTS RESORT

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. WII NINTENDO MARIO KART WII NINTENDO MARIO & SONIC AT THE OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES SEGA YOUR SHAPE UBISOFT F1 2009 CODEMASTERS JAMES CAMERON’S AVATAR UBISOFT RESIDENT EVIL: THE DARKSIDE CHRONICLES CAPCOM GUITAR HERO: METALLICA ACTIVISION BLIZZARD TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 10 EA

2 3 4 5 7 9 10 14 13

DEVELOPER: NINTENDO PUBLISHER: NINTENDO

XBOX 360

[BUDGET PRICE]

WOW: BATTLE CHEST

2 3 5 4 6 17 14 7 12

SEGA

PUBLISHER

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

THIS LAST WEEK WEEK

EA

TITLE

COD: MODERN WARFARE 2

NEW

WEEK ENDING 16/01/10

[FULL PRICE]

1

WII

EA

is the first No.1 for Ubisoft since Tom Clancy’s Rainbox Six: Vegas 2 back in March 2008.

Modern Warfare 2 has slipped to third, after Nintendo’s Wii Fit Plus managed to hold onto second place.

Electronic Arts’ Army Of Two: The 40th Day is the only new entry to make it into the Top 40, taking fourth place.

James.Batchelor@intentmedia.co.uk

THIS LAST WEEK WEEK

[FULL PRICE]

TITLE

1

ARMY OF TWO: THE 40TH DAY

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2 FORZA MOTORSPORT 3 BAYONETTA DARKSIDERS ASSASSIN’S CREED II BORDERLANDS GTA: EPISODES FROM LIBERTY CITY JAMES CAMERON’S AVATAR FIFA 10

1 3 2 4 5 10 6 8 7

(c) ELSPA, Compiled by ChartTrack

IN A SURPRISING turn of events, it was Ubisoft’s

PUBLISHER

DEVELOPER: EA MONTREAL PUBLISHER: EA ACTIVISION BLIZZARD MICROSOFT SEGA THQ UBISOFT 2K GAMES ROCKSTAR UBISOFT EA

[SOURCE]

[ANALYSIS]

38,39 MCV571_final:Layout 1

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INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION 38 MCV 22/01/10

WWW.MCVUK.COM

International Distribution Guide AUSTRALIA

FRANCE

ISRAEL

SINGAPORE

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

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

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

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

AUSTRIA

ITALY

SOUTH AFRICA

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

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

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

Play Art Multimedia Handels GmbH....Rankweil

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

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

BELGIUM

INNELEC MULTIMEDIA

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

45 rue Delizy,

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

SPAIN

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

93692 PANTIN Cedex, France

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

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

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

Email purchase: f_alglave@innelec.com

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

BENELUX

Email export sales: g_armspach@innelec.com Tel: 00.33.1.48.10.55.55

NETHERLANDS

Distribuciones Videográficas Digitales ....MADRID

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

EBS-Benelux...........................................Bunschoten Gameworld BV............................Capelle A/D Ijssel

GAMEWORLD

SUPREME FACTORY

Cornusbaan 1, 2908 KB Capelle A/D IJssel

439 avenue de la Gare

Tel: +31 10 298 3838

84470 Chateauneuf de Gadagne

Web: rishi@gameworld.nl

Email : xavier@supremefactory.com Phone : 0033 432 751 165 Fax : 0033 432 751 160

EBS Benelux

GERMANY

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

PLANETA DEAGOSTINI INTERACTIVE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3752 LH Bunschoten-Spakenburg

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

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

The Netherlands

Playcom Software Vertriebs .......................Erfurt

Phone: +31 (0)33 201 21 00

Vitrex Multimedia Großhandel.....................Erfurt

Website: www.ebs-benelux.com

GREECE

www.planetadeagostini.net

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

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

Fax: +31 (0)33 201 21 01

distributioninteractive@planetadeagostini.es

NORWAY

Lorentzweg 1

E-mail: info@ebs-benelux.com

Barcelona, Spain, Tel: +34 93 492 08 89

POLAND

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

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

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

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

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

ul. Jana Szczyrki 12,

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

GOODTONES GREAT GAMES LTD 1 Alkaiou Street / Office 1 /

ICELAND Sena ................................................................Reykavik

Engomi / Nicosia 2404 / Cyprus tel. +357 22 666612 www.greatgames.com.cy

DENMARK

TECHLAND Sp. z o.o.

INDIA

PO Box 5083

E-mail: business@techland.pl

S-650 05 Karlstad, Sweden

Web: www.techland.pl

Phone: +46 54 854750

Phone: +48 71 354 46 10

Fax: +46 54 854759

Fax: +48 71 354 46 10

E-mail: info@gameoutlet.se

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

RUSSIA

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

SERBIA

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

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

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

UNITED STATES

+44 1279 408 665 (UK)

www.gatewaydistribution.dk

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

SWITZERLAND

Gateway Distribution ApS +45 7026 0870 (DK)

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

Noviy Disk .......................................................Moscow Vellod...................................................................Mitishi

dt@gatewaydistribution.dk

Website: www.gameoutlet.se

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

GATEWAY DISTRIBUTION APS

GAME OUTLET EUROPE AB

54-426 Wroclaw, Poland

COMPUTERLAND DOO Kumodraska 45 11000 Belgrade, Serbia

BASCO, INC.

Tel:+381(0)11 309 95 95

VIDEO GAMES DISTRIBUTOR

Fax:+381(0)11 309 95 96

Tel: 1-917-627-3000

mail:games@computerland.rs

Fax: 1-718-228-4401

website:www.computerland.rs

Email: sales@bascodistribution.com Web: www.bascodistribution.com

TO ADVERTISE IN THE INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION GUIDE

38,39 MCV571_final:Layout 1

18/1/10

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Page 2

INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION WWW.MCVUK.COM

The International Distribution Guide is dedicated to promoting companies outside of the UK. If you are looking for new customers overseas, then look no further...

MCV 22/01/10 39

INTERNATIONAL NEWS USA

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

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

NINTENDO signed a new deal with leading US rental giant Netflix that adds the company’s movie streaming service to Wii. The service is due to go live some time this spring. Once active, Wii owners will be able to access a variety of films and TV shows whenever they want.

Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said: “From day one, we always had other capabilities within the console. [This deal] is a continuation of an effort to bring more and more entertainment to consumers who interact with the Wii.” Netflix is already available on the Xbox 360 and PS3 in the US. All Wii users will require a special software disc in order for the service to work.

Tel: 00971 4 883 5960 Fax: 00971 4 883 5175 E-Mail: marketing@alesayi.ae U.A.E. Website: www.alesayi.ae Group Website: www.alesayi.com

PLUTO GAMES PO Box 10705, Office 103-104 Emirates Islamic Bank Building, Dubai, UAE www.pluto-games.com Tel: +971 4261 8111 Fax: +971 4261 8112

Modern Pluto Trading LLC...............Saudi Arabia NXT Global LLC .................................................Dubai Pluto Derinton Games LLC............................Egypt Red Entertainment Distribution ..................Dubai

Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment has laid of staff at its three studios located near Seattle.

Roles at Monolith, Snowblind and Surreal were made redundant to reduce overlap and move the teams towards shared resources.

The firm’s full statement explaining the decision said: “We are committed to growing Warner Bros. in the game space and will be retaining robust teams in our Seattle studios.

“We have been moving towards sharing certain resources across the studios and have also been reallocating resources to align talent with our development needs.

“Unfortunately, we had a few too many resources in certain functions and some positions were eliminated in this process.

“Our plan is to continually review staffing needs and as future projects evolve we would expect to see the studios grow.”

Stats from Nielsen Research claim that 52 per cent of US PSP owners are female. This compares to 49 per cent of Wii owners.

Looking at the region overall, 45 per cent of active gamers are also said to be female.

Other data claimed that 73 per cent of all American households

now own a gaming device, with 54 per cent of this group owning a console.

Nielsen also claimed that the Xbox 360 ranks top when it comes to minutes used, claiming 23.1 per cent of all total game time.

The ever-strong PS2 was next in line with 20.4 per cent, followed

by Wii with 19 per cent.

JAPAN

THE OFFICIAL Ninety-Nine Nights II website confirmed that the hack ‘n’ slash sequel will be released in Japan on Xbox 360 this spring.

Unlike the first game, which was a first-party Xbox 360 title, Konami has stepped in to handle publishing duties for the sequel.

There has also been a change in development duties, with Microsoftaffiliated Japanese studio Feelplus taking on the role vacated by the first game’s joint developer Phantagram.

The original title’s publisher Q Entertainment also remains involved with the sequel.

There’s still no official date for a UK and European release.

Capcom has questioned the viability of collaborating with Western developers. It said its deal with fallen Swedish studio Grin “demonstrated the difficulty” of outsourcing projects to third parties outside of its native market of Japan.

The international publisher said in an investor Q&A that it would change the way it handles thirdparty partnerships, and that the firm will delegate new IP projects primarily to its Japanese studios.

“Overseas companies may be used mostly to develop titles for existing game series with wellestablished characters and universal themes,” said the firm.

Capcom had signed an agreement with independent developer Grin to create a number of multiplatform titles – such as Bionic Commando.

After poor sales of this title, Grin buckled under financial pressure and closed its doors last August.

PLEASE CONTACT ROB.BAKER@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK

40,41 MCV571_final

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YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO SERVICE COMPANIES

sourcebook WWW.INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK/SOURCEBOOK

creative and promotional SErvices 3DI Tel: 0845 4582898 www.threedi.net

Indigo Pearl Tel: +44 (0)20 8964 4545 www.indigopearl.com

The Audio Guys Ltd Tel: +44 (0) 1788 565230 www.theaudioguys.co.uk

AN.X Ltd. Tel: 020 7785 7156 www.anxagency.com

JR DESIGN Tel: +44 (0) 7824 506436 www.joeryandesign.co.uk

The Pixel Tel: 0800 043 1040 www.thepixel.com

Ark VFX Ltd. Tel: 0114 268 4999 www.arkvfx.net

Media Safari PR Tel: +44 (0)1225 471 202 www.mediasafari.co.uk

Über Tel: 0114 278 7100 www.uberagency.com

Barrington Harvey Tel: +44 (0)1462 456780 www.bhpress.co.uk

More Creative Tel: 020 7561 6010 www.morecreative.co.uk

uk distribution and logistics

Bastion Tel: +44 (0)20 7421 7600 www.bastion.co.uk

Multiplay Tel: +44 (0)20 7100 1337 www.multiplay.co.uk

Gfk Chart-Track Ltd Tel: +44 (0) 20 8741 7585 www.chart-track.com

Parker Consulting Ltd Tel: 07771571639 www.parkerconsulting.biz

Dilute Recordings Tel: 01483 306834 www.diluterecordings.com

PMA Marketing Tel: 020 7483 0568 www.pmamarketing.com

Eye-D Creative Ltd Tel: +44 (0)20 7407 1440 www.eye-dcreative.co.uk

RAINBOW PRODUCTIONS Tel: +44 (0)20 8254 5300 www.rainbowproductions.co.uk

FEREF Tel: +44 (0)207 292 6330 www.feref.com

RealtimeUK Tel: 01772 682 363 www.realtimeuk.com

FINK Creative Ltd Tel: 01480 302350 www.finkcreative.com

Richard Jacques Studios Tel: 07831 756977 www.richardjacques.com

Fluid Tel: +44 (0)121 212 0121 www.fluidesign.co.uk

Shorewood.Blueprint Tel: 020 7183 9666 www.shorewood-blueprint.com

Freeform.London Tel: 020 7183 6664 www.freeformlondon.co.uk

Side Tel: +44 (0) 207 631 4800 www.side.com

Frontroom Tel: 020 7384 5400 www.frontroom.com

SKYSKRAPER® Tel: +44 (0)20 7252 3288 www.skyskraper.net

Game Frontier Ltd Tel: 0870 420 2424 www.gamefrontier.com

Studio CO2 Tel: +44 (0) 1483 414 415 www.studioco2.com

Discstribution Tel: + 44 (0) 845 4308735 www.discstribution.com EntaTech Tel: 0333 101 1000 www.entaonline.com Gem Tel: 01279 822822 www.gem.co.uk Meroncourt Europe Ltd Tel: +44 (0) 1462 680060 www.trade.meroncourt.co.uk Trilogy Logistics Ltd Tel: 0845 456 6400 www.trilogy-uk.com

international distribution ComputerLand doo Tel: +381 11 309 95 95 www.computerland.rs CURVEBALL LEISURE Tel: 01792 652521 www.thegamecollection.net Funtastic Tel: +61 3 9419 5444 www.funtastic.com.au GameStreamer, Inc. Tel: 001-813-527-0383 www.gamestreamer.net

LO

TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS

40,41 MCV571_final

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Page 2

In association with

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

LOCALISATION QA AND TESTING

legal services

4-Real Intermedia GmbH Tel: +49 (0) 69809088 - 0 www.4-real.com

Orange Studio Tel: +39 051 588 04 50 www.orangestudio.it

Harbottle & Lewis Tel: +44 (0)207 667 5000 www.harbottle.com

Absolute Quality Tel: +44 (0)141 220 5600 www.absolutequality.com

Partnertrans Tel: +44 1753 247731 www.partnertrans.com

Marriott Harrison Tel: +44 (0)20 7209 2000 www.marriottharrison.co.uk

ANAKAN GmbH Tel: +49 (0) 30531420450 www.anakan.de

PlayableGames Tel: 020 7421 6487 www.playablegames.net

software development

Babel Tel: 01273 764100 www.babelmedia.com

Testronic Laboratories Ltd Tel: +44 (0)1753 653722 www.testroniclabs.com

Cenega Poland Sp.Zo.o Tel: +48 22 574 2578 www.cenega.com

Universally Speaking Tel: +44 1 480 210621 www.usspeaking.com

Enzyme Labs Tel: +1 (450) 229-9999 ext.312 www.enzyme.org

U-TRAX Tel: +31 30 293 2098 www.utrax.com

ChaYoWo Games Tel: +1 917.650.0010 www.chayowogames.com Crytek UK Tel: +44 115 949 0808 www.crytek.com Data Design Interactive Tel: +44 0 1384 44 79 00 www.datadesign.uk.com xaitment GmbH Tel: +49 (0) 6897-600 80-0 www.xaitment.com

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

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

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

Technicolor Tel: 0208 987 7829 www.technicolor.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pinpoint Consumer Elec.

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

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

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TO ADVERTISE CONTACT ROB BAKER ON: 01992 535647 OR

DIRECTORY

DISTRIBUTION

KEY CONTACTS

DISC REPAIR ELM-DIGITALIA UK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0845 6436021

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DISTRIBUTION Creative Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8664 3456 Curveball Leisure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01792 652562 Discstribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0845 430 8735 Gem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01279 822800 GLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01708 725742 Ideal Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01767 689 720 Logic3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01923 471 000 Meroncourt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01462 680060 The Producers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 7774 672891

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GAMES CONSOLE REPAIR Total Console Repair Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . 087 19 18 17 21 GAMING ACCESSORIES Pinpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01606 558 428 LOCALISATION Partnertrans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01753 247731 Testronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01753 653 722 Universally Speaking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01480 210621

CURVEBALL LEISURE . . . . . . 01792 652526 . . . . . . . simonbrown@googlemail.com DISTRIBUTION

STORE FITTINGS AMA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0113 2311030

For further online advertising information please contact

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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 JANUARY 29th

DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SECTOR GUIDE From Steam to Direct2Drive, we take a look at the key players in the ever-growing PC digital distribution space. We speak to these leading companies and gain an insight into where the sector is heading as it continues to establish its role in the future of gaming.

HOW TO WIN AN MCV AWARD As excitement builds for this year’s MCV Industry Excellence Awards, we provide the definitive breakdown to the awards themselves. Every category is detailed, explaining what qualities the award recognises, who is elligible and – most importantly – how you can lobby for your business to earn a coveted place in the running.

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 5th 2010

IN-GAME ADVERTISING Certain companies have been talking up the value of in-game advertising for years, but is the sector ever really going to take off? In MCV’s detailed analysis, we will investigate the sector, speak to the leading players in the market and discuss where the revenue stream is expected to flow in the future.

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 19th 2010

GAMES MEDIA FOCUS MCV analyses the latest statistics from the Audit Bureau of Circulation, looking at the highs and lows for the games media’s biggest players.

We speak to leading figures from the industry about any major developments, the challenges the sector faces, and their predictions for the rest of 2010.

FRIDAY FEBURARY 26th 2010

RUSSIAN TERRITORY REPORT Despite being one of the largest countries on the planet, Russia’s games industry is still in an ongoing state of development. In the latest of our Territory Reports, we speak to the major players in this region about how the games industry is driven and maintained, while also looking at the key problems these companies face.

GENRE FOCUS: RTS After last year’s strong line-up of real-time strategy titles, including Empire: Total War, Halo Wars and Dawn Of War II, we look at what 2010 holds for the genre. We offer a glimpse of the hottest upcoming RTS games, including Command & Conquer 4, Napoleon: Total War, Starcraft 2 and Dawn Of War II: Chaos Rising, as well as speak to the publishers behind these titles. We also discuss the future ofhe genre and the challenges that face new strategy releases.

FRIDAY MARCH 5th 2010

QA & LOCALIZATION As the emerging markets of the world continue to develop, growing ever closer to the likes of Europe, the US and Japan, localisation becomes increasingly important to publishers hoping to release the next global hit. MCV talks to leading QA and localisation specialists on the latest developments facing the sector and the biggest advances seen in the last year.

FOR MORE DETAILS CONTACT: LOGIC 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01923 471000 . . . . . . . . . . . www.uksales@logic3.com

CHRIS.DRING@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK

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TO ADVERTISE CONTACT ROB BAKER ON: 01992 535647 OR DISTRIBUTION

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

STUDIOS Epic Games ...................................................+1 919 870 1516 nDreams...........................................................01252 375754 Realtime Worlds ...............................+44 (0) 1382 202 821 Razorback ...........................................www.razorback.co.uk Stainless Games.......................jobs@stainlessgames.com

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

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The Producers offer a full supply chain management service covering manufacturing, warehousing, fulfilment and distribution Save money - Pay in £ not € - Flexible Inventory

To be included in the Develop Directory (which appears every month in Develop and every week in MCV) contact katie.rawlings@intentmedia.co.uk.

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

Contact Rob Gross on: +44 (0)7774 672891 – rob.gross@theproducers.co.uk

THE PRODUCERS . . . . . . . . . . (0) 7774 672891 . . . . . . . . . . . www.theproducers.co.uk

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ROB.BAKER@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK DISTRIBUTION

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LOCALISATION

DIARY DATES ‘09 From the MCV Awards to our Games Developer Conference, here are all the essential industry dates to put in your diary…

FEBRUARY CASUAL CONNECT EUROPE Wednesday, February 10th – Friday, February 12th Hamburg Congress Centre, Germany europe.casualconnect.org DICE SUMMIT 2010 Wednesday, February 17th – Friday, February 19th Red Rock Casino, Las Vegas, US www.dicesummit.org MIDLANDS MCM EXPO 2010 Saturday, February 20th – Sunday, February 21st Telford International Centre www.mcmexpo.org

MARCH GDC 2010 Tuesday, March 9th – Saturday, March 13th Moscone Convention Center, San Francisco, US www.gdconf.com

JUNE

MCV INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2010 Thursday, April 22nd The Brewery, London kathryn.humphrey@ intentmedia.co.uk The biggest night in the UK games industry’s calendar returns to The Brewery in 2010, and will once again feature awards split across three main categories; Retail, PR and Marketing, and People and Industry.

A whopping 650 representatives from all corners of the UK games trade will be attending this essential games industry event that gives credit to the industry’s most deserving execs.

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

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

AUGUST GAMESCOM Wednesday, August 18th Sunday, August 22nd Cologne, Germany www.gamescom-cologne.com

LOCALISATION

Quality Matters At Testronic Labs, we help you produce great quality games.

For us, quality means a game that exceeds the expectations of the players, a game that works on every platform and reads right in every language, a game that’s just right for its audience.

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Testing on all major console, PC and iPhone platforms Functionality testing Translation and localisation Localisation testing PC compatibility Compliance testing MMO performance testing Usability / focus group testing New Player Experience (NPE) testing

For further information, please contact sales-tl@testroniclabs.com www.testroniclabs.com

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

PARTNERTRANS . . . . . . . . . . . . 01753 247731 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.partnertrans.com

GDC 2010 Tuesday, March 9th – Saturday, March 13th Moscone Convention Center, San Francisco, US www.gdconf.com

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

The biggest developer event in the world brings together the development community to connect, share techniques and showcase the hottest upcoming technology.

This year’s GDC will no doubt follow convention with a heaving line-up of talks by industry luminaries, networking opportunities thanks to the packed roster of sponsored parties and a massive expo floor that covers both the Moscone North and West halls.

UNIVERSALLY SPEAKING . . . . . . . 01480 210621 . . . . . . . . . . . www.usspeaking.com

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MCV 22/01/10 47

MAILBOX The ongoing switch to digital distribution means the PC market will eventually shed boxed product, according to 1C’s Darryl Still

‘Publishers caused PC slowdown’ Following 1C’s recent comments on the lack of retail support for boxed PC games, and that the market will be gone by 2011, MCVUK.com commenters believe publishers are also responsible for the sector’s decline…

THE PROBLEM with the PC market is not just retail’s lack of support. Publishers need to give a reason to stock the games.

Working for several smaller PC publishers, I’ve seen a great deal of sub-standard products dressed up as games.

You can’t just release a game and expect retail to just put it on the shelves.

There is room for PC gaming but the products have to be unique, well presented.

Triple-A titles on PC can generally be found on console as well, with a few exceptions.

Games like Football Manager show that if you have a great product it will sell. Publishers just need to work harder.

The responsibility lies with the publisher to seek out the very best product and to market it accordingly in order to keep PC boxed product alive.

Anon

PC GAMES are dying for two simple reasons.

Firstly, PCs are too complex and expensive for most people to go beyond web browsing – they can cost more than all three consoles combined.

“

profit within the first week or two (before the game becomes dated), and then move on.

It also allows retailers like GAME to sell below RRP and still make a profit, knowing they can make the money back

Publishers are trying to force a business model and a very high price on a customer base that will not accept it.

MCVUK.com commenter

And secondly, you can’t trade them in when they are complete, which makes them expensive.

Like it or not, pre-owned is not the ‘destructive force’ touted so frequently, but is in fact what makes this industry tick.

It allows publishers to charge initial high prices for a game and recover the entire production costs – plus make a substantial

”

up from the pre-owned aisle.

PC games are usually set at RRP or higher due to a lack of a pre-owned option.

Many people will not spend more than a tenner on a new release if it cannot be traded back in. Publishers are trying to force a business model and a very high price on a customer base that is not prepared to

accept it, and they don’t. The market will always win.

Martin

FIRSTLY, THE article does not claim PC games are dead. It states clearly that there is a large demand for them that is not being supplied by retail.

And you can easily trade in PC games. Have you never looked at Amazon’s excellent reseller opportunities?

More importantly, let me further clarify my prediction that the PC market will be completely digital by 2011.

I’m referring to the tipping point. The point in time where more than 50 per cent of a company’s PC revenue would be gained digitally, and in this respect I think 2011 is not a far fetched estimate at all.

Frankly, 1C are at that point now outside Russia and Germany (where PC retail holds stong).

In the UK and the North American markets, we’ve certainly gained more than 50% of our PC revenue over this Christmas by way of downloads.

Darryl Still, 1C Publishing

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

MOBILE.MCVUK.COM

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PIC OF THE WEEK

It may be a common misconception that gamers do nothing apart from sitting around blasting aliens, but let it not be said that they don’t do so for a bloody good reason. In the wake of the Haiti quake, the likes of Sega, PopCap, Bungie, Zynga, and more have all come up with their own way to help raise money for its victims…

FROM THE ARCHIVE

[May 12th, 2000]

We take a trip down memory lane, looking at past news stories and other events...

NEWS: Electronic Arts is going to release all of its PC products in DVD style boxes from now on, ditching those far-too-roomy cardboard boxes forever. It eventually encourages the rest of the industry to take the same approach.

Eidos snaps up the rights to Who Wants to be a Millionaire? A few years later, it would be more interested in the ‘Buddy Can You Spare a Dime’ licence.

3DO has ‘stormed’ into profit. Its full year financials are ‘sparkling’, showing revenues of $122.2m and a small profit of $0.2m.

Sparkling? Who wrote that?

[CHARTS] ALL FORMATS WWF Smackdown ............THQ PLAYSTATION WWF Smackdown ............THQ N64 Pokemon Stadium...Nintendo PC The Sims ................................EA GAME BOY COLOUR Metal Gear Solid ........Konami PEOPLE: Rob Cooper replaces Graham Chambers as UK MD of Ubisoft, and Yash Chada gets promoted at Planet Distribution. Lastly,

David Gardner will take GAME BOY MONO increased responsibility for Pokemon Red ............Nintendo EA’s ‘online activity’ (Well, we didn’t really know what to call it back then).

IN OTHER NEWS: This was the issue with an EA cover wrap that featured the famous Hollywood Hills sign doctored to read CHERTSEY. We were so proud.

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MCV 22/01/10 49

RETAIL ADVISORY BOARD Sega (pictured left) held a ‘H Day’: Hamburgers, Hotdogs and Hats 4 Haiti. Together the team was able to raise a total of £780.

donations in Facebook games FarmVille, Mafia Wars and Zynga Poker. Every donator recieved an exclusive limited edition in-game item.

Bungie encouraged Halo 3 and ODST players to use a Haitian-relief emblem in-game, making a $100 donation to the American Red Cross for every thousand users that participated – donating up to $77,000. It also sold a special T-shirt (below) from its store, with proceeds going to the Red Cross’ recovery efforts.

Outspark offered a special ‘Help Haiti’ bundle for four of its games, with all proceeds going to Yele Haiti, a relief organisation founded by Wyclef Jean.

PopCap donated a day’s entire revenue to humanitarian group Partners in Health.

Zynga contributed $1.2 million to Haiti charities earned through microtransaction

iPhone App QuizQuizQuiz donated all of its North American-sourced revenues for a week to various Haiti charities.

Donations have also been made through Hello Kitty Online, YNK Interactive, GamingAngels.com and more…

Bungie and Outspark held special online sales for Haiti relief

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

LISA MORGAN, GAME

DUNCAN CROSS, ASDA

MARTYN GIBBS, GAMESTATION

DON MCCABE, CHIPS

TIM ELLIS, HMV

KEITH SHARPE, PLAY.COM

SARAH JASPER, THE HUT

Off The Record The industry bands together to help those caught in the Haiti earthquake, James Cameron fights back and William whips out his Wii Remote down under...

JON BIGGS, MORRISONS

AZEEM SADIQ, COMET

GRAHAM CHAMBERS, AMAZON

PETER WILLIS, DSGI YOU’RE ‘AVING A LAUGH Legendary director James Cameron isn’t happy.

The irrepressible Halo fanbase have been slamming his latest epic Avatar for looking too much like Master Chief’s outings.

So, during an interview with G4, Cameron gave a fairly valid response – though perhaps not quite as articulate as you’d hope.

“It’s like… pay attention,” he said. “If I’m referencing anything, I’m referencing the source work for Halo, which is my own stuff. I get to do that.”

Bungie has, of course, openly admitted Halo was inspired by James Cameron’s Aliens film so we figure Cameron can get away with this one.

We’re just waiting for the Native Americans to serve him a lawsuit for ripping off the story from Pocahontas.

IGOR CIPOLLETTA, SHOPTO

ANTHONY STOCKER, ARGOS

STEPHEN STALEY, GAMESEEK

JOANNA HUNT, TESCO

GURDEEP HUNJAN, SAINSBURY’S

PHIL MOORE, GRAINGER GAMES

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OFF THE RECORD

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I’m absolutely crap at it. We tried it when they were putting it together but it’s too frantic for me. The graphics are great, I love the game and I love the music. But it’s for young folk.”

Ringo Starr reveals his ‘legendary drumming’ skills don’t transfer to a quick session of The Beatles: Rock Band.

GAME OVER, GUYS? First Andy Murray, then Zac Efron, and now your average consumer. They’re all being robbed of gaming time by the unstoppable force that is the better half.

A national survey of almost 2,000 men and women claims that one in 10 relationships end because of games.

Four out of five women said their partner spent more time playing games and surfing the web than they wanted them to, with a further seven out of 10 admitting they’d had arguments about the subject.

A full 63 per cent blamed arguments and breakups on Call Of Duty, with others naming FIFA 10, GTA IV, Assassin’s Creed and Resident Evil.

This is getting out of hand. Why are there never studies that prove breakups are due to the missus spending too much time in the bathroom, or watching Big Brother on the man’s 50-inch plasma?

THE ROYAL WII Streuth! A casual flick through the Daily Mail came up with this wonderful, camera-pleasing shot of Prince William enjoying a spot of Wii while on a recent trip to Australia. While the rest of us are content to indulge in a little Wii Sports Tennis in the privacy of our own homes, the young prince is obviously in need of an audience.

And what an audience. The schoolchildren of the Redfern Community Centre are on the edge of their seats (literally in some cases) probably willing him to fail at whatever game he is playing. Come on, we all do it. Check out the two besuited men at the back (presumably bodyguards) in their thoughtful poses, either judging his technique or debating whether or not to tell him it’s a video tutorial, not his actual performance. Also observe the teachers, gritting their teeth at the inevitable insistence from the kids that they be allowed to play the Wii during lessons every day.

We will say this for the future monarch – by his composed face and confident pose, you can tell he practises. A lot.

EDITORIAL: 01992 535646

Managing Editor: Lisa Foster Lisa.Foster@intentmedia.co.uk

Advertising Manager: Lesley Blumson Lesley.Blumson@intentmedia.co.uk

Please address all enquiries to:

Editor-In-Chief: Michael French Michael.French@intentmedia.co.uk

Advertising Executive: Rob Baker Rob.Baker@intentmedia.co.uk

Deputy Editor: Christopher Dring Chris.Dring@intentmedia.co.uk

Art Director: Stuart Moody Stuart.Moody@intentmedia.co.uk

MCV, Intent Media, Saxon House, 6a St. Andrew Street, Hertford SG14 1JA.

Staff Writer: James Batchelor James.Batchelor@intentmedia.co.uk

Design: Adam Butler Adam.Butler@intentmedia.co.uk

Online Editor: Ben Parfitt Ben.Parfitt@intentmedia.co.uk

Production Manager: Suzanne Powles Suzanne.Powles@intentmedia.co.uk

Contributors: Ed Fear, Andrew Wooden, Will Freeman, Rob Crossley

Business Development: Dave Roberts Dave.Roberts@intentmedia.co.uk

ADVERTISING: 01992 535647

Contributing Editor: Samantha Loveday Samantha.Loveday@intentmedia.co.uk Circulation & Marketing: Hannah Short Hannah.Short@intentmedia.co.uk

FAX: 01992 535648 Finance Director: Hilary Cole Finance Manager: Michael Canham Michael.Canham@intentmedia.co.uk

Managing Director/Publisher: Stuart Dinsey Stuart.Dinsey@intentmedia.co.uk Telephone: 01992 535688

Printed By: Pensord, Tram Road,Pontllanfraith Blackwood, NP12 2YA

MCV is a member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation and the Periodical Publishers Association.

Membership of the ABC and PPA provides our advertising partners with confidence in our circulation statements. For the 12 months ending December 2008, MCV had an average weekly net circulation of 8,833. MCV’s circulation is 100 per cent named and zero per cent duplicated.

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS United Kingdom £150 l Europe £175 l Rest of the World £250 To order your subscription via Visa, Mastercard, Switch or AMEX or to make changes to your subscription details, contact mcv.subscriptions@c-cms.com or call 01580 883848.

SAXON HOUSE, 6A ST. ANDREW STREET, HERTFORD, HERTFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND SG14 1JA Intent Media specialises in trade-dedicated print and digital publishing for entertainment and leisure markets.

As well as MCV, Intent publishes Develop, PCR, ToyNews, Mobile Entertainment, MI Pro, Audio Pro International and BikeBiz. It also has two online-only brands: CasualGaming.biz, dedicated to the growing mass market video game sector, and Licensing.biz, for everyone in the global licensing industry. It also runs a number of events including the MCV Industry Excellence Awards, the London Games Conference and the Games Media Awards.

www.intentmedia.co.uk

ISSN: 1469-4832 Copyright 2008

MCV has an exclusive media partnership with Famitsu - Japan’s leading video games analyst and news source

Two week national television campaign featuring 20 second spots on Channel 4, Channel 5, ITV2, 4Music, E4, CITV, POP, Nickelodeon, MTV, Dave, FX, Comedy Central, Sky 1.

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An extensive three week online campaign featuring homepage takeovers and dedicated creatives.

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ossibly slick “The races are imp ts almost and the environmen iful in their poisonously beaut arcade-ish glory.”

“… there’s every ch ance this could be something we’ve never had – the PlayStation equivalent of Mario Kart.”

“Anyone who’s looking for an imaginative and invigorating take on the genre will receive exactly that.”

“All hail the return of split-screen racers”

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www.sega.co.uk © SEGA. SEGA, the SEGA logo, SONIC & SEGA All-Stars Racing and other related game titles, logos, characters and character names appearing in the game are either registered trademarks or trademarks of SEGA Corporation or have been licensed to SEGA Corporation. All rights reserved. Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft.

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