MCV831 April 24th by Future PLC

THE BUSINESS OF VIDEO GAMES ISSUE 831 FRIDAY APRIL 24TH 2015

IN PICTURES: MCV AWARDS WE LOOK BACK AT THE WINNERS OF THIS YEAR’S AWARDS P11 ‘ABSOLUTE MADNESS’: RETAIL BEMOANS SHOOTER PILE-UP THE three biggest games of the year will all come out within weeks of one another. Last week at the Star Wars Celebration in California, EA announced that Star Wars: Battlefront will launch on November 20th. The game will compete with Halo 5: Guardians (out October 27th) and Call of Duty: Black Ops III (due out in-between those two dates). All three are tipped to be the must-have titles of 2015, but UK stores have warned that releasing them so close may put oﬀ some gamers. “Absolute madness,” one leading retail buyer told MCV. “These games will be big sellers. But releasing them so close to one another will force consumers to choose, and they may hold-oﬀ preordering. I’m excited, but with such a barren release schedule during the rest of the year, they could have spread them apart a little bit.” Tesco games buyer Jon Ferdenzi added: “It’s certainly going to be a challenge at retail, but I’d rather have too many titles released than nothing at all.”

Pre-order crisis looms as 3.4m UK gamers hold oﬀ by Christopher Dring FEWER UK consumers are pre-ordering video games, MCV can reveal. 20 per cent of UK gamers say they are either pre-ordering fewer titles, or have stopped preordering altogether. This comes from a survey conducted by Ipsos Media’s GameTrack project on behalf of MCV.

The UK is the No.1 European territory for pre-orders – but it is also seeing the sharpest decline.

Nine per cent of those surveyed said they had cut back on the number of pre-orders over the last 12 months, while 11 per cent said they had not pre-ordered anything despite doing so in the past. The data also revealed that the UK is the No.1 territory across Europe for pre-orders (23 per cent of gamers say they pre-ordered a title in the last year), but it is also seeing the sharpest decline.

The reasons cited for this drop included consumers preferring to spend money on other non-gaming items and savvy gamers choosing to ‘wait for prices to come down’. Declines in pre-orders are occurring across Europe, the survey showed. For UK, France, Germany and Spain combined, 12 per cent of gamers (10.3m) have either stopped or reduced the number of titles they have pre-ordered.

PLUS SKYLANDERS VS DISNEY VS LEGO VS AMIIBO FABLE GOES FREE-TO-PLAY

CHEAT SHEET

Market Data Mortal Kombat X and Grand Theft Auto V on PC lift the market up from last week’s slump £15m

Amiibo have sold out at many UK retailers, says Honeywell

£13.7m 475,487 units

£10m

£8.2m 297,186 units

£10.5m 338,760 units

Week Ending Week Ending Week Ending Apr 18th Apr 11th Apr 4th

UK RETAIL TOP 10

MORTAL KOMBAT X

Grand Theft Auto V

Rockstar

Battleﬁeld Hardline

FIFA 15

Bloodborne

Far Cry 4

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

Minecraft: Xbox Edition

Minecraft: PlayStation Edition

Dying Light

WARNER BROS

EA Sony

Nintendo pledges more stock after Amiibo ‘smashes’ expectations by Christopher Dring NINTENDO has admitted that the popularity of its Amiibo range took the platform holder by surprise. The toys-to-life products are sold out at most UK retailers, with pre-orders of new models being snapped up in minutes. Some retailers have even raised the price of the models to capitalise on their popularity. “Right from the outset we hoped that Amiibo would be strong, but even our expectations have been smashed,” said James Honeywell, head of consumer marketing at Nintendo UK. “With a unique line-up of iconic characters

Ubisoft Activision Blizzard Microsoft Sony Warner Bros

Middle Eastern eSports league launches by Matthew Jarvis

SPONSORED BY

PRE-ORDER TOP 10

AMIIBO GREEN YARN YOSHI (WII U)

Star Wars Battlefront (PS4)

Amiibo Light Blue Yarn Yoshi (Wii U)

Nintendo

Amiibo Pink Yarn Yoshi (Wii U)

Nintendo

Amiibo Dark Pit (Wii U)

Nintendo

Amiibo Zero Suit Samus (Wii U)

Nintendo

Amiibo Ganondorf (Wii U)

Nintendo

Amiibo Palutena (Wii U)

Nintendo

Project CARS (PS4)

Bandai Namco

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PS4)

Bandai Namco

April 24th 2015

that are loved by so many people, it really has been unprecedented. “We hope to do a better job of satisfying these needs in the future with more stock, and, while there are always going to be some times when we can’t on certain characters, I suspect that is also part of the appeal. “What we hadn’t anticipated was the number of collectors wanting to get them all – this has seen demand exceed supply in some areas. Although, if you search around, you can still ﬁnd some of the more hard-toﬁnd Amiibo sitting on shelves.” Nintendo now hopes to win over a larger number of younger fans with Amiibo.

NINTENDO EA

EUROPEAN eSports organisation EGL has announced plans to launch in the Gulf and MENA regions. The Middle East Gaming League (MEGL) arm of the group will be established in collaboration with local distributor Red Stallion Interactive. MEGL will cater to all 18 countries in the Middle Eastern market in a number of ways, including Arabic language support. The prospective local audience is estimated to be around 20 million gamers. The ﬁrst MEGL tournament is slated for launch at the beginning of July, with multiple online and physical competitions across a number of venues and cities to follow.

“We will work with EGL to make MEGL the undisputed leader in eSports in the region,” said Dr Mohamed Juman, chairman of Red Stallion Interactive. “The initial collaboration has already been very fruitful, with a bright outlook for the Middle East operation.”

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CHEAT SHEET

EA ‘still believes’ in free-to-play, despite shutting down four games by Matthew Jarvis EA has backed the free-to-play business model, despite revealing plans to shut down four of its biggest freemium games. The titles – Battlefield Heroes, Battlefield Play4Free, Need For Speed World and FIFA World – will go offline on July 14th. EA Studios boss Patrick Söderlund told fans that the games were being shut down because ‘how we play games has changed dramatically’ since their launch. But EA has insisted to MCV that this does not mean the firm is

THE EDITOR

moving away from the sometimescontroversial business model. “These changes only aﬀect those four titles; we still believe in the free-to-play model,” a spokesperson said. “Star Wars: The Old Republic continues to be a dynamic live service with a growing player base, and more new content and updates are planned for this year. In Asia, FIFA Online 3 continues to grow as well. “We are very committed to these experiences, and also exploring new concepts and ways to bring our games to more players around the world.”

PRE-ORDER? WHY BOTHER?

s it really any surprise gamers are becoming more reluctant to pre-order? Over the past 12 months, there have been several examples of games that just didn’t live up to their expectations; games that launched full of bugs, and online games that couldn’t actually connect online. We can recall at least four games released in October that had their prices cleaved in half less than a month later. Day one customers are almost treated as testers these days, used to iron out the bugs – except they have to pay over the odds for the privilege. Is this really worth that extra piece of DLC or that shiny limited edition case? Pre-order data has become crucial to the games market. It helps publishers manage stock levels, predict results and ensure they have the online infrastructure to cope with the number of people that want to play their game. In a market devoid of accurate data, preorder ﬁgures have become the best way of predicting how well a game will do. Yet the real concern in the data we’ve obtained from GameTrack is that the top reason gamers are pre-ordering fewer games is because they’re spending their money on other ‘non-gaming’ products. In other words, gamers are not excited enough to pre-order. This might sound a little hollow in the wake of reveals for the likes of Guitar Hero, Call of Duty, LEGO Dimensions and Star Wars Battlefront, but

Battleﬁeld Heroes is one of four freeto-play titles being shut down by EA

Indie GamesNation details South West store expansion plans INDIE retailer GamesNation wants to open three new stores this year. GamesNation opened its ﬁrst outlet in Paignton in 2014, and is now eyeing up locations in Torquay, Exeter and Plymouth. “We’ve been open a little over a year and it’s surpassed all of my expectations,” store owner Joe Marshall said. “Expanding is

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something that we’re looking into this year. If all goes to plan then we should hopefully have a third or even fourth store open before Christmas. “We’ve also had talks with a few companies regarding sponsorship for tournaments, We’ve seen a few venues that we like, so there’s a lot of potential if we decide to go down that route.”

Day one customers are almost treated as bug testers – except they have to pay for the privilege. where are those big game announcements we were promised? With Uncharted, Zelda and Quantum Break already pushed out of Christmas, is this year going to be another wash out? Whenever MCV asks these questions on social media, we receive a barrage of commentators naming unproven indie games such as No Man’s Sky, Rime, Below, The Witness and Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture. I am personally excited by all these games, but they’re hardly going to get gamers queuing around the block upon release. E3 might hold some of the answers. Xbox is stirring up excitement about its event, while Sony, Nintendo, EA and Ubisoft are preparing their usual June showcases. (Plus, publishing powerhouse Bethesda has a press conference for the ﬁrst time, too.) So perhaps we’re worrying too early. But in a week that has seen movies like Avengers, Star Wars, Batman vs Superman and Jurassic World steal the headlines, I can’t help but feel video games is being left behind during what has been a muted ﬁrst half of 2015. cdring@nbmedia.com

April 24th 2015

ANALYSIS TOYS-TO-LIFE SHOWDOWN

WILL ANYONE WIN

THE TOY WAR? Skylanders, Disney Infinity, LEGO Dimensions and Amiibo. The lucrative toys-tolife genre has never been more competitive and congested. But who will lose out? Christopher Dring speaks to the experts

April 24th 2015

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TOYS-TO-LIFE SHOWDOWN ANALYSIS

t’s a little known fact that the term ‘toys-to-life’ is actually an Activision trademark. The publisher coined the phrase to describe its 2011 game and toy hybrid, Skylanders, and it has since been adopted by executives at Disney, Nintendo and Warner Bros. At that time, Activision hoped Skylanders would go on to lead a new genre, but not even it could have predicted its popularity. The biggest names in entertainment are making toys-to-life games featuring Star Wars, Toy Story, Mario, Batman and Lord of the Rings. In the UK, 20.4m toys-to-life products have been sold, generating £318m. But this genre is not an excuse to print money. In 2014, toysto-life revenue declined five per cent – so the genre is facing some challenges. These are also expensive goods – starter packs range from £70 to £100 – so parents are unlikely to purchase more than one toys-to-life product. And then there’s the shelf space. This Christmas there will be a hundreds of plastic toys vying for retail attention, including LEGO, Skylanders, Disney Infinity, Amiibo, Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Make no mistake, in the battle for toys-to-life supremacy, there will be losers. But who? THE SKYLANDERS FIGHTS BACK Activision has yet to detail its 2015 Skylanders title, except to confirm there will be one. Last October, MCV criticised Activision for failing to expand the brand outside of games and suggested the franchise would decline. We stand by that analysis, but just because Skylanders’ best years may be behind it, does not mean it is about to become the understudy in its own genre. “Skylanders is the No.1 kids’ game franchise in the world and outsells all top action figure toy lines,” says Activision’s senior VP of product management Josh Taub. “The secret to our success has always been our commitment to bringing new innovation to each game, and we can’t wait to unveil what’s next. The popularity of Skylanders has been unmatched even with new entrants.” www.mcvuk.com

crossing a broad demographic, but the likes of Back to the Future more likely to excite gaming dads than children.” GAME’s toys-to-life manager Lorna Simpson adds: “LEGO Dimensions has the potential to appeal to a wider audience than the traditional toys-to-life customer – just look at how many adults buy LEGO kits. With the introduction of Marvel to Disney Infinity in 2014, the toys-to-life market is not only continuing to appeal to children but more and more older gamers, too.” LEGO Dimensions has the brands, plus a top quality developer in Traveller’s Tales. Yet its biggest

Activision boasts that Skylanders remains No.1 globally, yet in the UK it was Disney Infinity that ended 2014 on top. It will be a tough year for Skylanders, and with no recognisable characters to lean on, it will need to do what Taub said in his quote: offer something unique. DISNEY’S FORCE IS STRONG Very little is know about the third Disney Infinity game, but if Disney’s 2015 movie slate is anything to go by, it should be huge. With a new Avengers movie, two Pixar films and the anticipated new Star Wars blockbuster, there is certainly plenty of billion-dollar IP for Disney to capitalise on. Disney’s biggest challenge will be in regards to its quality. Last year’s Disney Infinity 2.0 received a mixed reaction from critics, and the publisher must ensure the game doesn’t slip critically again. But with Star Wars rumoured to be heavily involved this year, Disney Infinity has a very good chance of attracting a wider base of players, including an adult audience.

The toys-to-life market is not only continuing to appeal to children, but to more older gamers, too. Lorna Simpson, GAME

LEGO ENTERS THE FRAY Speaking of older audiences, LEGO Dimensions was announced last month with a trailer featuring an adult and no children. “LEGO games and toys have always served both young and adult audiences well,” says family gaming expert Andy Robertson. “Early excitement around LEGO announcements is usually from core gamers, but the long tale in sales comes from families and children. So, I expect we’ll see more child-focused marketing for LEGO Dimensions as it gets closer. “Content in the game that we know about also courts these two audiences with LEGO Movie, Lord of the Rings and Batman

stumbling point is its price. The game’s starter pack will set players back £100, making it the most expensive toys-to-life product. Robertson adds: “It does look like an expensive investment for families, although with the physical LEGO play aspect, comparative value is still reasonable. The biggest challenge will be persuading those already invested in Skylanders and Disney Infinity to buy another expensive plastic peripheral.” AMIIBO SURPRISE CONTINUES Nintendo sits in a unique position within the toys-to-life genre, as it’s not really a competitor at all. There is no direct game linked to

GAME’s Simpson, Family Gamer’s Robertson, Nintendo’s Honeywell and Activision’s Taub discuss the four big players in the toys-to-life market

the Amiibo toys (instead, they work with multiple Wii U and 3DS titles), there’s no portal and Nintendo has tried to position its consoles as the ‘home for toys-to-life’ – Skylanders, Disney Infinity and LEGO Dimensions are all on Wii U. Nevertheless, Amiibo has been a real success story for Nintendo since they arrived at the end of 2014. Toys are sold out nationwide, and there are even Twitter accounts set-up to help Amiibo hunters. “We hope to be able to do a better job of satisfying these needs with more stock becoming available,” says Nintendo UK head of consumer marketing James Honeywell. “What we hadn’t anticipated was the level of collectors wanting them, and this has seen demand exceed supply.” The collectible nature of Amiibo has attracted older players, too. “The core audience for Amiibo at the moment is our older fans who have the love and disposable income, but increasingly we are seeing younger fans buying into the unique gaming experiences on offer,” says Honeywell. Nintendo’s challenge is almost the opposite to the other three toys-to-life giants: it wants to take Amiibo to a younger demographic. Key to this could be the creation of more toys-to-life video games. Perhaps Nintendo could even work with Activision, Warner and Disney and get Amiibo toys in their games. Indeed, far from fearing the level of competition in the market, Nintendo seems to relish the opportunities it creates. “Competition always helps grow desire for new products categories and I’m sure that having amazing new products from LEGO and existing offerings will do so again,” says Honeywell. “I’m sure it will give our retail partners some headaches in trying to find enough space on shelf but they are very experienced in this sort of thing, so it should be a bumper Christmas.” Honeywell is right, this should be a big Q4 for toys-to-life. But exactly how big the genre is going to be will depend on where retailers place their bets and how big the publishers are prepared to go in pushing the products. April 24th 2015

DATA ANALYSIS Source Games and Charts compiled by GfK Chart-Track

DATA & RESEARCH Warner Bros’ Mortal Kombat dethrones Battlefield Hardline after four weeks at No.1 MORTAL Kombat X shot straight to No.1 in the Top 40 All Formats last week. The latest entry in WARNER BROS’ fighting series had the second biggest launch of the year to date, behind Battlefield Hardline. 61 per cent of sales of the bloody brawler were for PlayStation 4, while 38 per cent were on Xbox One. EA’s shooter was deposed from the top spot after four weeks – the longest that any release this year so far has lasted – as sales fell 34 per cent. In second place was Grand Theft Auto V. Its sales shot up 94 per cent week-on-week thanks to the launch of its longawaited PC SKU.

Had digital sales of ROCKSTAR’s crime title been taken into account, it would have overtaken Mortal Kombat X. Grand Theft Auto V was also top of the Steam global charts. Mortal Kombat X charted third. FRONTIER’s Elite: Dangerous came fourth. Meanwhile in the Xbox Live Arcade Top Ten, COFFEE STAIN STUDIOS’ comedy physics-based title Goat Simulator launches as part of MICROSOFT’s ID@Xbox scheme. It goes straight to second place. And back in the All Formats Top 40, Minecraft: PlayStation Edition returns to the Top Ten after a three week absence.

TOP 09 STEAM (GLOBAL)

01 TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09

LW N03 NEW 02 04 RE 05 09 07

GRAND THEFT AUTO V PUBLISHER: ROCKSTAR DEVELOPER: ROCKSTAR NORTH

TITLE PUBLISHER Counter-Strike: Global Oﬀensive Valve Mortal Kombat X Warner Bros Elite: Dangerous Frontier Developments Cities: Skylines Paradox Interactive Far Cry 4 Ubisoft Pillars of Eternity Paradox Interactive The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited Bethesda H1Z1 Daybreak Game Company

TOP 40 UK RETAIL 01 TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

LW 03 01 02 06 04 05 10 14 11 08 12 07 09 16 17 15 21 18 22 24 20 34 27 25 19 23 32 28 13 31 30 RE 35 33 26 40 29 38 37

MORTAL KOMBAT X FORMATS: PS4/XO/PC

April 24th 2015

DEVELOPER: NETHERREALM STUDIOS

Title Grand Theft Auto V Battleﬁeld Hardline FIFA 15 Bloodborne Far Cry 4 Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Minecraft: Xbox Edition Minecraft: PlayStation Edition Dying Light Borderlands: The Handsome Collection WWE 2K15 Forza Horizon 2 Halo: The Master Chief Collection Disney Inﬁnity 2.0 Terraria Dark Souls : Scholar of the First Sin LEGO Marvel Super Heroes Ride The Crew Evolve LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham The Last of Us Remastered Skylanders Trap Team Assassin’s Creed Unity The Order 1886 Dragon Age: Inquisition The Sims 4 Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare Destiny Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 The Sims 4: Get to Work Final Fantasy Type-0 HD Super Smash Bros Watch Dogs Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor Resident Evil: Revelations 2 Mario Party 10 The LEGO Movie Videogame The Evil Within

Week ending April 18th

WARNER BROS

Format Publisher PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Rockstar PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC EA PS4, XO, PS3, 360, 3DS, Vita, PC EA PS4 Sony PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Ubisoft PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Activision Blizzard XO, 360 Microsoft PS4, PS3, Vita Sony PS4, XO, PC Warner Bros PS4, XO 2K Games PS4, XO, PS3, 360 2K Games XO, 360 Microsoft XO Microsoft PS4, XO, PS3, 360, Wii Disney PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC 505 Games/Merge PS4, XO, PC Bandai Namco PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, Vita, DS, PCWarner Bros PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC PQube PS4, XO, 360, PC Ubisoft PS4, XO, PC 2K Games PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, Vita, DS, PCWarner Bros PS4 Sony PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, Wii, 3DS Activision Blizzard PS4, XO, PC Ubisoft PS4 Sony PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC EA PC EA PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC EA PS4, XO, PS3, 360 Activision Blizzard PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Konami PC EA PS4, XO Square Enix Wii U, 3DS Nintendo PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, PC Ubisoft PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Warner Bros PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Capcom Wii U Nintendo PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, Vita, DS, PCWarner Bros PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Bethesda

Week ending April 18th

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DATA ANALYSIS Source

TOP 10 IPAD PAID

TOP 20 INDIVIDUAL FORMAT

MORTAL KOMBAT X FORMAT: PS4

WARNER BROS

DEVELOPER: NETHERREALM STUDIOS

TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15

LW NEW NEW 01 04 02 07 03 10 05 12 06 11 08 09

Title Mortal Kombat X Grand Theft Auto V Bloodborne Grand Theft Auto V Battleﬁeld Hardline Grand Theft Auto V Battleﬁeld Hardline Minecraft: Xbox Edition Halo: The Master Chief Collection FIFA 15 Forza Horizon 2 Far Cry 4 FIFA 15 FIFA 15

Format XO PC PS4 PS4 PS4 XO XO 360 XO PS4 XO PS4 360 XO

16 17 18 19 20

13 14 17 23 30

Borderlands: The Handsome Collection Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Dying Light Minecraft: PlayStation Edition The Last of Us Remastered

PS4 XO PS4 PS3 PS4

Publisher Warner Bros Rockstar Sony Microsoft EA Rockstar EA Microsoft Microsoft EA Microsoft Ubisoft EA EA 2K Games Activision Blizzard Warner Bros Sony Sony

01 TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

MINECRAFT – POCKET EDITION DEVELOPER: MOJANG

TITLE The Chase Tipping Point Football Manager Classic 2015 Terraria Heads Up! Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 Five Nights at Freddy’s Football Manager Handheld 2015 Geometry Dash

DEVELOPER Barnstorm Games Barnstorm Games Sega 505 Games Warner Bros Scott Cawthon Scott Cawthone Sega RobTop Games

Week ending: April 12th

TOP 10 IPHONE PAID

01 TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

MINECRAFT — POCKET EDITION DEVELOPER: MOJANG

TITLE Heads Up! The Chase Monopoly Football Manager Handheld 2015 Last Voyage Angry Birds Geometry Dash Tipping Point Iron Ball Ride

DEVELOPER Warner Bros Barnstorm Games EA Sega Semidome Rovio RobTop Barnstorm Games Croco Studio

TOP 10 XBOX LIVE (UK) 01 TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

LW 05 06 08 07 03 09 10 RE RE

MINECRAFT: XBOX 360 EDITION MICROSOFT TITLE Goat Simulator SFG Soccer Avatar Warfare CastleMiner Z ApocZ Monopoly Plus Survival Games Season One Terraria Murder Miners

PUBLISHER Coﬀee Stain Studios Stir Fry Games DigitalDNA DigitalDNA Sick Kreations EA 2.0 Studios 505 Games JForce Games

Week ending: April 12th

TOP 10 GLOBAL GOOGLE PLAY

01 TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

MINECRAFT – POCKET EDITION DEVELOPER: MOJANG

TITLE Theory Test UK 2014 The Sims 3 Monopoly Flightradar24 Tomb Raider The Chase AllCast Premium Hazard Perception Football Manager Handheld

PUBLISHER Focus Multimedia EA EA Flightradar Square Enix Barnstorm ClockworkMod Focus Multimedia Sega

Correct as of April 20th

Week ending April 18th

PRESENTS

5 SECOND FACTS

Read and remember these stats so you can sound clever at the next Monday morning meeting...

10%

155,000

155m

100

This year, Gamescom will be adding an extra ten per cent to its exhibition space. This constitutes 16,000 square metres

According to research ﬁrm SuperData, Sony’s Bloodborne has sold 155,000 units digitally worldwide

US game trade body the ESA claims that 155m people play games in America

Feminist Frequency creator and game critic Anita Sarkeesian was included in this year’s Time 100 list of inﬂuential people

PDP design & manufacture the Afterglow Communicator PlayStation europesales@pdp.com

www.pdp.com www.mcvuk.com

April 24th 2015

MARKET MOVES

APPOINTMENTS

UBISOFT UNVEILS NEW-LOOK PR TEAM Payne joins EGL Board O Walton leaves GameSpot O Bowman departs Titan Books UBISOFT | The publisher has transformed its UK PR team. PR vet STEFAN MCGARRY (top) has joined Ubisoft as senior PR manager after a 12-year stint leading Sega’s PR efforts. He is looking after upcoming Tom Clancy games: Rainbow Six: Seige and The Division. Also joining as a senior PR manager is TOM GOLDBERGER (second from top), who joins from Premier

This is on top of his duties as MD and chairman of publisher Mastertronic and chair of trade body UKIE. “I am honoured and flattered to be asked to join EGL,” Payne said. “eSports is an exciting and emerging sector which promises rapid growth and plenty of fabulous opportunities. The EGL team is super talented, highly experienced and passionate.”

PR’s games team. Before that he worked on EA’s shooter titles. Goldberger will be handling the Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance and Trials franchises. This follows the departure of senior PR manager STEFANO PETRULLO (second from bottom, left) from the Assassin’s Creed publisher. Meanwhile, OLLIE COE (bottom left) has moved from Ubisoft’s PR team to its brand management team, taking on the role of junior brand manager.

ARS TECHNICA UK | The soonto-be-launched UK arm of Conde Nast’s tech site Ars Technica has hired GameSpot UK senior staff writer MARK WALTON as its gaming and hardware editor.

EGL | Industry veteran ANDY PAYNE has joined the Board of eSports firm the European Gaming League (EGL)

Walton spent five of his six years at parent company CBS Interactive working on the firm’s GameSpot brand. TITAN BOOKS | ELLA BOWMAN has left the book publisher. Bowman joined as Titan Books’ publicist in 2013. She has now moved to publisher Headline to be its publicity manager. “I will remember my time at Titan fondly, and am sure it will continue to go from strength-to-strength,” Bowman told MCV. “My departure to Headline gives me the chance to work at one of the country’s leading publishers.”

AROUND THE INDUSTRY KOCH MEDIA | Sega’s products in the Benelux region will be distributed by Koch Media going forward. “We are naturally delighted to have added the Benelux region to our existing multiterritory European deal with Sega. We look forward to representing them in the region,” said Craig McNicol, Koch’s Northern European MD. IMPELLER STUDIOS | Former X-Wing and Crysis devs David Wessman, Jack Mamais and Coray Seifert have formed a new studio called Impeller. The trio – along with 12 other members of staff – are planning on releasing a title that involves virtual reality. This game will be announced next month. NCSOFT | The MMO publisher has invested $5m in

April 24th 2015

Vancouver-based mobile startup This Game Studio. This Game Studio’s core team is comprised of former Kabam employees. DENA | Japanese publisher and Nintendo’s mobile partner DeNA has made a number of layoffs from its North American offices. In a statement, the firm said: “DeNA is continually evaluating its development operations to ensure that it’s structured in the best possible way to deliver high-quality mobile games. “As part of this process, we have decided to reshape the structure of our North American studio operations along with a reduction in workforce. We appreciate their contributions to DeNA and are grateful for the opportunity to have worked with them.”

www.mcvuk.com

EDITORIAL CONTACTS

EDITORIAL CONTACTS Christopher Dring Editor

Michael French Publisher

cdring@nbmedia.com

mfrench@nbmedia.com

Ben Parﬁtt Associate Editor

Alex Boucher Group Sales Manager

bparﬁtt@nbmedia.com

aboucher@nbmedia.com

Alex Calvin Staﬀ Writer

Conor Tallon Account Manager

acalvin@nbmedia.com

ctallon@nbmedia.com

Matt Jarvis Staﬀ Writer

Sam Richwood Designer

mjarvis@nbmedia.com

srichwood@nbmedia.com

Production Executive: Elizabeth Parker eparker@nbmedia.com

Finance Manager: Michael Canham mcanham@nbmedia.com

Head of Operations: Stuart Moody smoody@nbmedia.com

Head of Design and Production: Kelly Sambridge ksambridge@nbmedia.com

Circulation: Lianne Davey ldavey@nbmedia.com

your brand brand here here PROMOTE YOUR JOB EVERY WEEK THROUGH MCV PRINT AND ONLINE CONTACT CONOR TALON FOR MORE INFORMATION 01992 535 647 OR EMAIL CTALLON@NBMEDIA.COM

Saxon House, 6a St. Andrew Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire, England SG14 1JA Newbay Media specialises in tradededicated print and digital publishing for entertainment and leisure markets. As well as MCV, Newbay publishes Develop, PCR, ToyNews, Music Week, MI Pro, Audio Pro International and BikeBiz. It also has two onlineonly brands: Mobile Entertainment, dedicated to the growing mass market smartphone 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.

US Correspondent Erik Johnson ejohnson@nbmedia.com

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THE RETAIL ADVISORY BOARD MCV takes soundings from its Retail Advisory Board on the biggest issues in the industry. The current members are...

Charlotte Knight GAME

Steve Moore Simply Games

David Firth Shop Direct

Don McCabe CHIPS

Jon Hayes Tesco

Sarah Jasper The Hut

Gurdeep Hunjan Simon Urquhart Sainsbury’s Microsoft

Phil Moore Grainger Games

Igor Cipolletta ShopTo

Robert Lindsay Games Centre

Dermot Stapleton Get Games

Niall Lawlor GameStop

Stephen Staley Robert Hennessy Paul Sulyok Gameseek John Lewis Green Man Gaming

Phil Browes HMV

Craig Watson Dixons Retail

James Cooke Argos

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April 24th 2015

THE WINNERS MCV AWARDS 2015

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER Last week, more than 500 industry figures gathered at the MCV Awards to hail 16 different winners – including a jubilant Warner Bros

PR TEAM WB GAMES UK

SALES TRIUMPH MIDDLE-EARTH: SHADOW OF MORDOR (WB GAMES UK)

Big thanks to Premier PR who supported us. We produced some amazing campaigns thanks to them. It’s been an amazing year, and hopefully next year will be even better.

GAMES PUBLISHER WB GAMES UK

Mark Ward, Warner Bros Games UK

For any of you out there who said we couldn’t make a good Middle-Earth game, we’ve done it. This is for Monolith who made a great game and our retail partners who backed it.

Thank you very much. It’s been a long time coming – thank you all our partners – retail and distribution teams. But most of all, thanks to the staff.

Jonathan Edwards, Warner Bros Games UK

Spencer Crossley, Warner Bros Games UK

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April 24th 2015

MCV AWARDS 2015 THE WINNERS

PERIPHERALS & ACCESSORIES BRAND TURTLE BEACH

It was an honour for us to receive this award last year and so to be back again is incredible. We’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who helped us achieve this. Keith Hennessey, Turtle Beach

GAMES RETAILER GAME DIGITAL

An absolutely massive thank you to everybody. This means a lot to the guys back in the stores and in the office back in Basingstoke. Thank you very much. David Howard, GAME

MARKETING TEAM PLAYSTATION UK

NEW GAMES BRAND DESTINY (BUNGIE/ACTIVISION)

This goes to everyone on the UK team and everyone from our agency. We have a great team and this is such a great industry. Everyone on the nominee list deserved to win tonight. Thank you.

DIGITAL MARKETING TEAM ELECTRONIC ARTS

Richard Keen, PlayStation UK

I’d like to thank our UK team for driving our digital campaigns and our internal team in North America who buy on our behalf. And a special thanks to the studios for an amazing line-up.

Thank you very much. Thanks to all the panel who voted. Graciously I’d like to accept this on behalf of Bungie. We have plenty more to come so thanks very much.

Matthew Birkby, EA

Keith Cox, Activision

April 24th 2015

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THE WINNERS MCV AWARDS 2015

INDIE RETAILER GAMES CENTRE

TRADE MARKETING TEAM PLAYSTATION UK

I’d just like to say thanks. This is for all the team back at Head Office and in the stores. They’ve worked really hard to push the business forward year-on-year.

AGENCY TEAM INDIGO PEARL

Robert Lindsay, Games Centre

Thank you, this is such a massive surprise. Thanks so much for this award and to all who voted for us. I always knew I had the best team, but I guess this makes it official.

We are absolutely delighted to win this award and get this recognition from the industry we love. And to walk up and collect it in a room full people we know and admire is an amazing feeling.

Rosemary Buahin, PlayStation UK

Caroline Miller, Indigo Pearl

DISTRIBUTION TEAM CENTRESOFT

I’ve had the privilege of collecting this award several times in the past. But this year it means so much to me personally and to the company - just as much as it did the first time around. Margaret Pearson, CentreSoft

COMMUNITY TEAM GAME

What makes our community so great is the raw passion, both in-store and at a management level. They are amazing people to work with and I want to stay with them for the rest of my career. Mark Hanson, GAME

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April 24th 2015

THE WINNERS MCV AWARDS 2015

MEDIA TEAM TWITCH

EXPORT TEAM UBISOFT

As always with Twitch we’re very fortunate to work for a great company with a great product and a great community. This means a lot for us.

SALES TEAM XBOX UK

Michael Thomas, Twitch

Export is a very difficult business. We’re just lucky we have excellent retailers and distributors, a great line-up and an amazing team. Thank you to everybody.

A massive thanks on behalf of the team – this is one we have been waiting for. Thanks.

Darren Bowen, Ubisoft

Jennifer Sewell, Xbox UK

GAME CAMPAIGN DESTINY (BUNGIE/ACTIVISION)

INDIE GAMES LABEL 505 GAMES

We had incredible support from Activision, our agency and retail partners, so thank you all. But it comes down to the game that Bungie made, which was absolutely incredible.

BUYING TEAM GAME

Keith Cox, Activision

We like to let our products do the talking. So, on behalf of all of the 505 team past and present and the studios who have been on this journey over the last nine years, thanks.

Just a massive thanks to the buying team, the entire team back at GAME and an amazing thanks to your marketing and sales work. Everyone is amazing. Thank you.

Tim Woodley, 505 Games

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Jamii Layton, GAME

April 24th 2015

MCV AWARDS 2015 THE WINNERS

OUR SPONSORS

April 24th 2015

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THE WINNERS MCV AWARDS 2015

PERSON OF THE YEAR DEBBIE BESTWICK, TEAM 17

I officially have the best job in the industry. The people we work with are all everyday people. They are living the dream and so am I. My team – and the indies we’re working with - this is for you. Debbie Bestwick, Team 17

STORE MANAGER OF THE YEAR CRAIG KENNEDY, GAMES CENTRE

To know I’ve been nominated and won this – it’s a great achievement. It’s not a testament to me – but to Games Centre. Thank you very much for this – this is for you . Craig Kennedy, Games Centre

UNSUNG HERO JAMES HONEYWELL, NINTENDO UK

Thanks for this. 20 years in the industry, I know many people here have been around for as long. I’ve enjoyed every day – I’ve only worked at Nintendo. This is a huge honour. Thank you. James Honeywell, Nintendo UK

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April 24th 2015

XXX XXX INTERVIEW LIONHEAD STUDIOS

PRICELESS LEGENDS: TAKING FABLE FREE-TO-PLAY Over more than a decade of releases, action RPG Fable has taken some experimental turns, dabbling with motion controls and side-scrolling gameplay. Now, the series has turned its eye to free-to-play. Fable Legends game director David Eckelberry, product manager Ian Griffiths and Lionhead Studios business and strategy director Emmi Kuusikko tell Matthew Jarvis more

hen Lionhead Studios decided to make its latest Fable game freeto-play, it knew one thing: not everyone was going to love it. Much like Fable: The Journey’s shift to on-rails motion-controlled gameplay in 2011 and 2012 beat ‘em up Fable Heroes’ sidescrolling cartoon world, Fable Legends’ embrace of free-toplay is sure to raise eyebrows among some fans of the original Fable trilogy’s conventional open-world RPG gameplay. “Lionhead has always done innovative things with the Fable series,” explains business and strategy director Emmi Kuusikko. “Every game has been completely different to its predecessors. They don’t all cater to every single fan.” Game director David Eckelberry clarifies that going free-to-play does not mean the firm is ignoring its fans in favour of new users. “You can’t action everything players ask for, because there are millions of people on the internet and they all want different things,” he comments. “That said, we do listen to our audience – both existing fans and newcomers. “Free-to-play can be a great thing and it can be a bad thing if it’s abused or done poorly. Players were largely concerned about a fair playing field.” When announcing the freeto-play transition, Lionhead pledged that Legends could be completed ‘without spending a penny’.

April 24th 2015

“When we think of things that have been asked for, PC has had been asked and requested for a long time,” Kuusikko recalls. “Launching on both platforms lets us have as many people as possible play the game without the barriers to entry.”

Above, left to right: Lionhead’s Eckelberry, Griﬃ ths and Kuusikko say there’s huge potential for free-to-play on console

“You can get all of our content and there’s no pay walls or energy meters,” says Eckelberry. “We don’t allow the business side to affect the game that’s happening in the middle.” PC LEGENDS Lionhead is keen to prove that going free-to-play is not just about catering for newcomers – but attracting new players is, of course, a major aim. One big step in this regard is Legends’ launch on Windows 10 on the same day as its Xbox One counterpart. It even allows crossplatform multiplayer between Xbox One and PC.

00 18

A NEW AGE Free-to-play has often had a bad rap among core gamers, but the success of PC games like Dota 2 has proved that the business model can have a place outside of mobile. Lionhead hopes that Legends will help usher in a similar acceptance on PS4 and Xbox One. “There haven’t been that many free-to-play examples in the console space,” Kuusikko observes. “The previous generation of consoles really wasn’t up to service-based gaming or free-to-play. “Definitely with the newest generation of console hardware, it’s a much more viable business model. We’re trying to show what free-to-play can mean on a nextgen triple-A title.” Product manager Ian Griffiths concludes: “We’ve all seen a lot of bad examples of free-to-play. “But there’s been a lot of developments industry-wide that have shown that free-to-play can be done right and can be done fairly, and that’s where we’re trying to be.”

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INDIE INTERVIEW RELENTLESS Sponsored by

BUZZ WORDS Relentless, famous for its Buzz PlayStation 2 quiz games, abandoned consoles in 2013 in favour of mobile. Two years later, it’s coming back. Why? Alex Calvin asks studio boss Andrew Eades

or almost a decade, Relentless was the go-to studio for Microsoft and Sony looking to expand into the casual games market. “We’ve been around the block a bit,” says CEO Andrew Eades. ”We started on PlayStation 2, made the Buzz series of quiz games, which some people might still remember. “It feels like a long time ago now. We worked exclusively for Sony for a long time, then spent a few years making games for Microsoft focusing on its Kinect platform.” Relentless’ time as a console developer seemed to have come to an end in 2013 when the firm closed its console division. It decided to focus on mobile games, bringing its PS3 title Blue Toad Murder Files to smartphones and tablets. “Back then consoles were struggling,” Eades says. “They were very expensive to develop for. There was only an opportunity if you were ambitious enough to publish your own stuff – which we did on PlayStation Network. We just got the feeling that we didn’t want to be in that game anymore. “It was a diminishing market. There were fewer people going out and buying our kind of games. The PS2 era was amazing because people were playing SingStar and Buzz – those more mainstream titles. It was the end of an era, so we thought we’d move on and do mobile.” But this shift was anything but easy. “The transition to mobile was hellish,” Eades admits. “You make console games in a different way

April 24th 2015

“There are people saying the consoles were always going to do well, but it wasn’t that clear. We make really good console games. Both Sony and Microsoft have an open invitation to indie developers to come to their consoles, which I really appreciate and we wanted to do that. And we also felt that it was easier to make a console indie title than a bigger PS3 game. The opportunity was there, but we have to invest quite a bit of money to make a really great console title.”

to how you approach a mobile game. We know how to make software and games, but mobile is a bit more agile. You need smaller teams and budgets aren’t as high. “And the tech is different. If you can see the evolution from Blue Toad Murder Files, which originally launched on PS3 back in 2009, to where we are with our most recent release, The Trace, there’s been a refinement in understanding how to use the controls. On mobile it’s a touch interface rather than any kind of controller.”

The transition to mobile was hellish. You make console games in a very different way to mobile ones.

RETURN TO CONSOLE Now, Relentless has decided to return to console, and is working on a currentlyunannounced game for PS4 and Xbox One. This move was inspired by the huge sales of these platforms. “The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 have done really well, much to my surprise, and the surprise of myself and many others,” Eades explains.

Andrew Eades, Relentless Software

Relentless’ most recent game was mobile mystery game The Trace

CASUAL CONNECTION What’s more, with the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One sales already huge, Eades believes the time is approaching when developers can once again make titles for a broader market for in the console space. Games like the firm’s own Buzz. “In the next couple of years, there will be more console games aimed at a different kind of audience – one which Relentless has always been about,” Eades says. “We make games for everybody – they’re for people who want to be entertained – not necessarily just by a TV programme – but some interactive entertainment. They’re not necessarily a hardcore gamer. All our titles are aimed at that kind of person, and that’s another reason why we want to get back into console earlier rather than later.” He concludes: “It seems the cycle is going faster this time around and I’m sure there’s an opportunity for mass market content and games on console very soon.”

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MARKETPLACE

SHELF LIFE MCV speaks to Christian Le Cornu, store manager of Jersey-based Seedee Johns, about how the new Rainbow Six is breaking the pre-order trend, the beneﬁts of changing location and why he may give LEGO Dimensions a pass How has business been for you recently? It’s been phenomenal. Since the last time we spoke we’ve changed locations. Now we are near enough back on the local High Street in our local town. Is there less competiton where you are now? HMV and Blockbuster closed a year or two ago, so there’s no national competition on the island now. Just indies, like us.

PRE-ORDER CHARTS

seen a dip in the last month or two, based on the last month of trading. But the consoles are still up there and we’re still selling a surprising amount of hardware.

What has been selling particularly well? Well we’re not just a games shop – we sell CDs and DVDs as well. But in games, the triple-A titles like Battleﬁeld have been selling well. Bloodborne has done fairly well, but not as well as we thought it would.

Have you done any events for some of the bigger launches? Not recently. Pre-orders come in at the last second for us; literally the day before the game comes out we’ll have a surge. But we’ve had a few pre-orders for Rainbow

How has games hardware been performing? The PS4 is deﬁnitely the bestselling bit of hardware. We’ve

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UPLOADING The latest digital releases coming to market

SHOVEL KNIGHT

BLOCK N LOAD

WOLFENSTEIN: THE OLD BLOOD

Yacht Club Games’ retro-themed platformer has come to PlayStation

Jagex’s new Minecraft-themed online shooter launches on PC next week

The standalone expansion for last year’s The New Order is out shortly

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April 24th 2015

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MARKETPLACE

Seedee Jons Halkett Place, Jersey

Six Siege already, so we’ll probably do a launch event for that. What is your digital oﬀering like at the moment? We’re partnered with CentreSoft, so we do the download and play section for PlayStation, as well as Nintendo eShop content. We’ve just moved to digital for Xbox. That’s through Exertis, so it’s just memberships and subscriptions for now.

Phone: 01534 769 405 Facebook: facebook.com/pages/ Seedee-Jons/207169702660848 Twitter: @SeedeeJonsLtd

This year sees four toys-tolife brands come to market, alongside Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Is shelf space a concern? I was in two minds about whether or not to stock LEGO Dimensions purely because of the exuberant price of the starter pack. We are going to stock them, because we are going to be asked for them. But asking for something and then seeing how much it costs are two entirely diﬀerent things. It’s going to turn a lot of customers away.

INCOMING TITLE

WANT TO FEATURE YOUR OUTLET IN MCV? Contact acalvin@nbmedia.com or call 01992 515 303

After three delays, Bandai Namco’s graphically-impressive racing title Project CARS ﬁnally hits PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One early next month FORMAT

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April 24th 2015

BETHESDA

BETHESDA Wolfenstein, Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Dishonored – Bethesda has produced some of the most talked-about titles in games. Matthew Jarvis investigates the publisher’s impressive repertoire

IN terms of commercial and critical success, there are few publishers that can match up to the creative output of Bethesda. Founded in 1986, the company’s perhaps best-known IP, The Elder Scrolls, was established in 1994 with The Elder Scrolls: Arena. Four direct sequels followed, as well as numerous spin-offs, including last year’s The Elder Scrolls Online. The fifth entry in the Elder Scrolls series, Skyrim, shipped seven million copies worldwide within

This year could see the return of hit franchises Doom and Fallout, as well as The Elder Scrolls and Wolfenstein.

its first week of release, generating revenue of around $450 million (£306m). By mid-2013, the game had sold more than 20 million units. Launched on April 4th 2014 on PC, The Elder Scrolls Online was the top-selling game in the UK individual retail charts for the week of its release, claiming second place in the All Formats chart. The game will see a second launch on PS4 and Xbox One this June, plus transitioning to free-to-play on PC.

FALLOUT 3 TRANQUILITY LANE VAULT BOY WATCH This second-edition timepiece is based on the world of Fallout 3’s fan-favourite virtual reality simulation mission, Tranquility Lane. The watch is plated in 43mm gold ion, complemented by a genuine leather band. Inside, the hands – literally, as they take the form of Fallout 3’s Vault Boy’s arms – boast battery-powered Japanese quartz movement. The watch is protected thanks to a scratch-resistant mineral crystal lens and 30-metre water resistance. SRP: $60 (£40) Manufacturer: Bethesda Distributor: Bethesda Contact: 020 7389 1100

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DOOM PAIN ELEMENTAL SIX-INCH PLUSH

WOLFENSTEIN: THE NEW ORDER MILITARY CAP

This top displays artwork from the creepy asylum setting of Bethesda’s 2014 horror title, The Evil Within.

One of Doom’s most recognisable enemies, the Pain Elemental is more huggable than horrible in plush form.

This headgear is branded with the logo of the 2014 Wolfenstein title. Not guaranteed to protect against headshots.

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April 24th 2015

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BETHESDA Sponsored by

gaming merchandise uk

Three other enduring hit franchises created decades ago will also see a return in the near future, thanks to Bethesda. The follow-up to 2014’s Wolfenstein: The New Order – itself a continuation of the alt-history shooter IP created way back in 1981 – Wolfenstein: The Old Blood hits PC, PS4 and Xbox One on May 5th. The New Order was the 22nd-best-selling title of 2014 in the UK, and was a pleasant surprise, according to critics.

Beyond The Old Blood, Bethesda is hosting its inaugural press conference at this year’s E3 event. A reboot of horror shooter series Doom has already been announced, and the upcoming game could see some gameplay demonstrated for the first time at the show. Plus, 2015 marks five years since the last Fallout title, New Vegas – leading some observers to believe a Fallout 4 announcement may be in the works.

SKYRIM DEAD MAN’S DRINK BEER GLASS Inspired by the local tavern Dead Man’s Drink, which can be visited by The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim players exploring the virtual capital of Falkreath, this beer glass features the logo of the famous watering hole on both sides. SRP: £12.99 Manufacturer: Gaya Entertainment Distributor: Gaya Entertainment UK Contact: hello@gamingmerchandiseuk.com

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A companion publication to the 2012 game, this 212-page book includes art and text from throughout Dishonored’s world.

Tri-folded, with a coin pouch and windowed pocket, this is the ideal vessel for Skyrim fans’ Septim coins.

Fans of the post-apocalypse can gain +10 skill points thanks to these recreations of Fallout 3’s in-game collectables.

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April 24th 2015

HOT PRODUCTS

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April 24th 2015

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April 24th 2015

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INSIDER’S GUIDE

INSIDER’S GUIDE SOUNDING SWEET

DIRECTORY

WHO? Specialism: Sound recording and production Location: Tiddington, nr Stratford-Upon-Avon

Develop is the only dedicated publication for the UK and European games development community. It reaches over 8,500 subscribers every month.

Sounding Sweet’s Ed Walker discusses the audio specialist’s work with triple-A racing franchises

FOR GREAT ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES, CONTACT ALEX BOUCHER ABOUCHER@NBMEDIA.COM

Tell us about your company. Sounding Sweet is an audio post-production company, which specialises in sound for video games as well as the TV, ﬁlm and broadcast industries. Our range of services include: sound design, ﬁeld recording, technical implementation, voice recording, ISDN ADR, sound mixing, music composition, casting and localisation, to name but a few.

THIS MONTH’S DIRECTORY SPOTLIGHT: Epic Games .................................................. www.epicgames.com/careers

What is your biggest success so far? Having worked in-house on some of the biggest triple-A gaming franchises, including Forza Horizon, F1, Grid and Dirt, our biggest accomplishment to date has been leaving the security of full time employment to start a business from the ground up. We built an industry-standard recording and production facility and pushed ourselves to work outside of our comfort zones on all aspects of post-production – not just racing games and car recording, although we still do a fair bit of that. What are the biggest challenges you face? Every product and every client presents a new set of challenges, but nothing to date has proved too great to overcome. It is these fresh challenges, and keeping up with the ever-changing elements of the technology that we use, that we think keeps us ahead of the competition. We draw from our experience in the games To be included in the Develop Directory (which appears every month in Develop and now every week in MCV) contact aboucher@nbmedia.com

We apply our technical problemsolving from the games industry to the film world. industry and apply our technical problem-solving attitude to the challenges we face in the film world – and vice-versa. Tell us something about your company no one knows. Our studio is situated right in the middle of Shakespeare Country, not more than a fiveminute taxi ride from the RSC within Stratford-upon-Avon. As a result, we have entertained the likes of Patrick Stewart and David Tennant in voice recording sessions whilst they have been in the local area performing The Bard’s works.

WANT TO FEATURE YOUR COMPANY IN INSIDER’S GUIDE? PLEASE CONTACT MJARVIS@NBMEDIA.COM OR CALL 01992 515 303

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Contact: P: 01789 297 453 W: soundingsweet.com E: ed@soundingsweet.com T: @sounding_sweet

April 24th 2015

FACTFILE AUSTRALIA Sponsored by

INTERNATIONAL FACTFILE: AUSTRALIA Population: 23,810,800 Capital City: Canberra Currency: Australian dollar GDP (Per Capita): $62,822 KEY RETAILERS EB Games, JB Hi-Fi, Gametraders, Kmart, Big W, Dick Smith, Harvey Norman, Dungeon Craw

TOP DEVELOPERS Halfbrick Studios, Big Ant Studios, Tantalus Media, Panther Games

TOP DISTRIBUTORS All Interactive, Home Entertainment Suppliers Pty, Turn Left, QV Software, Five Star Games

PUBLISHERS IN THE REGION Bandai Namco, Nintendo, EA, Ubisoft, Microsoft, Sony, Activision Blizzard, 2K Games, Tru Blu Entertainment, Wargaming

AUSTRALIA has long been notorious for the costly price of games. A report from the government House of Representatives Infrastructure and Communications Committee found that of 20 recent titles, only one was priced close to its American counterpart, with the rest costing anywhere between 40 and 90 per cent more. Digital was hit even harder; some Steam titles had price tags two to three times bigger than in the US. The commission hypothesised that the relative difficulty of distribution and addition of sales tax could be reasons for the disparity. Another point of contention is the region’s censorship laws. Until late 2012, no R18+ rating existed, meaning any game exceeding MA15+ would be refused classification and effectively banned from sale. Despite the introduction of R18+, some games

deemed to be excessive in their depiction of explicit content can still be outlawed. In addition to this, Grand Theft Auto V was pulled from Target and Kmart shelves late last year, in response to a consumer petition signed by over 40,000 people. Triple-A studios have struggled in Australia. BioShock 2 developer 2K Australia was the last blockbuster studio in the region, but that closed this month. Despite this, independent and mobile firms have flourished; one example is Brisbane-based Halfbrick Studios, which created iOS hit Fruit Ninja. The region’s Labor government established a $20 million initiative titled the Australia Games Fund in 2012, which aimed to grow the country’s games development sector over three years. However, the fund was brought to a premature end in mid-2014, with $10 million left unspent.

Some Steam titles have price tags two to three times bigger in Australia than in the US.

April 24th 2015

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AUSTRALIA FACTFILE

MEANWHILE IN... CHINA Chinese iOS app downloads have overtaken those of the US for the first time, with a local preference for large-format phones the possible cause APPLE’S Asian strategy has seen Chinese iOS owners download more apps than their American counterparts for the first time, according to a Q1 report from mobile tracking firm App Annie. “China’s ascendance was primarily driven by downloads of games and photo/video apps,” the report stated. App Annie proposed that a preference for larger screens among users may have been the catalyst for the uptake, following the launch of the bigger-sized iPhone 6 and 6 Plus last year. “In Q4 2014, shipments of smartphones with screen sizes between

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ﬁve and seven inches constituted roughly 60 per cent of total smartphone shipments in China, compared to roughly 40 per cent worldwide and in the US,” it said. “Thanks to this, iPhone’s share

of the smartphone install base crossed seven per cent in 2014.” China is also growing in terms of revenue, but continues to trail behind the US and Japan.

April 24th 2015

INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION Sponsored by

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTORS IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR NEW PARTNERS OVERSEAS, THEN LOOK NO FURTHER

BELGIUM

CLD DISTRIBUTION Rue du Grand Champs 14 , B 5380 Fernelmont Belgium Tel: +32 81 83 02 02 Fax: +32 81 83 02 09 Email: infos@cld.be Web: www.cld.be home of www.dragonwar.eu & www.mawashi.eu

BRAZIL Sony Music Entertainment Brasil # 1 Physical Distributor in Brazil Rua Lauro Muller n°. 116 – 40°. Andar Salas 4001 a 4003 Botafogo Rio de Janeiro RJ CEP. 22.290-160 Tel. +55 21 2128-0771 Fax: +55 21 2128-0747 Email : rodrigo.altieri@sonymusic.com Website: www.sonymusic.com.br | www.day1e.com.br

CYPRUS

G3 GREAT GAMES LTD 4 Gregoriou Papaﬂessa Street, Oﬃce 101, Engomi, Nicosia 2414, Cyprus. Tel: +357 22 666612 Web: www.greatgames.com.cy

IRAN

SWEDEN

DC GAMES GROUP No.9, Hemmatian St., Takestan St., Sattarkhan Tehran, Iran Tel: +98-912-1014090 +98-21-44228670 Email: Bahizad@Doostan-Co.com Web: www.Doostan-Co.com

GAME OUTLET EUROPE AB PO Box 5083, S-650 05 Karlstad, Sweden Sales dept: ali.manzuri@gameoutlet.se Sales dept: andreas.lindberg@gameoutlet.se Purchase dept: hamed.manzuri@gameoutlet.se Purchase dept: david.nilsson@gameoutlet.se Web: www.gameoutlet.se

NETHERLANDS

UAE

SOEDESCO B.V. Koddeweg 13, 3194 DH Rotterdam The Netherlands Tel: +31 104722462 Fax: +31 104722893 Email: info@soedesco.com Web: www.soedesco.com

ALESAYI UNITED COMPANY Video Games Distributor in the Middle East, P.O BOX 16999 Jebel Ali Free Zone Dubai U.A.E. Tel: 00971 4 883 5960 Fax: 00971 4 883 5175 Email: marketing@alesayi.ae U.A.E. Website: www.alesayi.ae Group Website: www.alesayi.com

NORDIC WENDROS AB SWEDEN, NORWAY, DENMARK & FINLAND Jakobsdalsvägen 17 12653 Hägersten Sweden Phone: +46 8 51942500 Fax: +46 8 7466790 Email: HM@wendros.se LM@wendros.se Web: www.wendros.se

WORLDWIDE CLICK ENTERTAINMENT LIMITED Email: info@click-entertainment.com Web: www.click-entertainment.com Phone: +44 (0)203 137 3781

MCV WORLDWIDE Editorial: + 61 (0)424 967 263 Leigh.Harris@mcvpaciﬁc.com

Advertising: + 61 (0)417 084821 Joel.Vandaal@mcvpaciﬁc.com

WWW.MCVPACIFIC.COM

MORE DISTRIBUTORS AUSTRALIA AFA Interactive, Bluemouth Interactive, Five Star Games, Mindscape, Namco Bandai Partners, Turn Left Distribution BENELUX CLD Distribution, Koch Media, Gameworld Distribution B.V. CANADA E One, Importel, Just4Games, Solutions 2 Go, Vidéoglobe CYPRUS Access, Gibareio, Zilos, Nortec Multimedia CZECH REPUBLIC Cenega, Conquest, Comgad, Playman, ABC Data DENMARK Bergsala, Elpa, Impulse, Koch Media, Nordisk Film Interactive, Nordic Game Supply, PAN Vision FRANCE Big Ben, Innelec, Koch Media, SDO, Sodifa GREECE Zegatron, CD Media, Namco Bandai Partners, IGE, Nortec, Enarxis, Beacon HUNGARY CNG.hu/Cenega Hungary, CTC Trading, Magnew, PlayON, Stadlbauer ICELAND Sena, Myndform, Samfilm, Ormsson INDONESIA Maxsoft, Uptron, Technosolution IRELAND MSE Group, Baumex JAPAN Ajioka, Happinet, Jesnet NORWAY Bergsala, Game Outlet, Koch Media, Nordic Game Supply, Nordisk Film, Pan Vision POLAND CD Projekt, Cenega, Galapagos, LEM PORTUGAL Ecoplay, Infocapital, Koch Media, Namco Bandai ROMANIA Best Distribution SERBIA ComTrade, Computerland/Iris Mega, Extreme CC SPAIN Digital Bros, Koch Media, Namco Bandai Partners, Nobilis SWEDEN Bergsala, Koch Media, Namco Bandai, Nordic Game Supply, PAN Vision, Wendros, Ztorm (digital) UAE Red Entertainment Distribution, Pluto Games (LS2 Pluto), Viva Entertainment, Gameplay Entertainment, Geekay Distribution

TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SECTION PLEASE CONTACT CTALLON@NBMEDIA.COM April 24th 2015

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OFF THE RECORD

OFF THE RECORD This week, there was only one thing on our minds – the 2015 MCV Awards. Oh, and Star Wars. OUT OF THIS WORLD Well, what an MCV Awards that was. There was confetti, alien ray guns, a magician with a taste for balloons, silly string, lightsabers and the ‘hot’ pants of Curse’s Nathan Lindberg. There was even a little on-stage romance: comic host Romesh Ranganathan complimenting Dan ‘two glasses of vanilla’ Kilby as he stepped up to hand out the Marketing Team trophy on behalf of IGN. We’d say it was certainly a night to remember but, having seen the enthusiasm of the games industry for the free bar, there’s probably some people out there with their heads full of ache, rather than memories. So we’ve included some pictures of the evening to help. Want to see more? Take a look at the full album on the MCV Facebook page by visiting http://on.fb.me/1G0KHLP.

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April 24th 2015

OFF THE RECORD

THE WEEK IN 140 CHARACTERS The Tweets you might have missed in the last seven days @gamerlaw The #MCVawards are a good reminder the UK games industry employs hundreds upon hundreds of folks in sales, distribution, marketing, PR...

@gjones243 @BAFTAGames @GoldenJoysticks and now @MCVonline award wins under the old belt. #achievementunlocked #chuﬀed

Jas Purewal, Purewal and Partners Thursday April 16th

Greg Jones, 505 Games Friday April 17th

@fevington Watching the people who win the special awards shows how much you’ve got to do to be a legend in the games industry. #MCVawards2015

@Skellylicious Morning after the night before and the team newbies are yet to show their faces... #capcomtowers #MCVawards

Mike Fethers, The Hut Group Thursday April 16th

Laura Skelly, Capcom Friday April 17th

@TheRealNate Note to self: same joke twice at #MCVawards won’t work. Going to need to work on new material (as well as new trousers) for 2016!

@Shakacarnage Fantastic night last night, but I am not hungover. #MCVawards you have failed this city.

Nathan Lindberg, Curse Thursday April 16th

Gareth Williams, Premier PR Friday April 17th

@follioe Bloody hell, these #MCVawards are like buses: you get none for ages and then two come along at once!

@Joukisan Based on previous experiences, don’t call anyone, anywhere in the games industry today. #MCVawards #cocktails

Eric Folliot, Activision Thursday April 16th

Joseph Walsh, Nintendo Life Friday April 17th

@SvendJoscelyne Now that I work behind a desk most of the time, @MCVonline’s #MCVawards are like an awesome high school reunion of sorts.

@Sreadology Congrats to all winners and nominees of the #MCVawards2015! You all deserve the recognition. Retail has driven this industry.

Svend Joscelyne, Ziﬀ Davis Thursday April 16th

Sam Read, Testology Friday April 17th

GTA 4: Me and 3 others formed a convoy on 64-player server, I was in a Buzzard (used to be a Heli Pro) and they were in APCs. wasptube1 @WASP2145X Myth-hunting in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas trying WR ¿ QG %LJIRRW [' GRAND THEFT AUTO V IS FINALLY OUT ON PC. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE #GTAMEMORY OR MOMENT FROM THE SERIES? #GMGASKS

Bowling in Grand Theft Auto IV with everyone’s favorite cousin, Roman!

Robert Gleaden @Kingbobski Burying a foreman in a porta-potty with a huge construction vehicle to the tune of White Wedding.

Irfan Iskandar @Irfan__Iskandar

7KH ¿ UVW WLPH , VWDUWHG *7$ 3; my computer couldn’t even run it back then, but man was it beautiful.

Joni-Mikko Löytynoja @JonskuwithZerro

April 24th 2015

Brian Demodulated @demodulated Flying the jet across San Andreas, blasting Freebird on the radio until I crashed into a pine tree that popped in.

Collin @Zook024

7KH ¿ UVW WLPH \RX KHDUG ‘Wasted’ on the original GTA.

Alastair Robertson @Judgebredd Had to be #GTA3: using the tank to jump the bridge.

Antonio Salazar @mappedoutgamer Human hot dogs from GTA 2. Creepy, disturbing and sick, but also so weird and unrealistic it seems comical.

3U]HP\VáDZ ĩ @Drangir Walking into a club in #GTAViceCity. The game just captured the era so, so well and was far ahead of its competition. Silver Xatu @SilverXatu

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OFF THE RECORD

WHEN STARS COLLIDE The MCV Awards did happen to clash with a slightly smaller event: the Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, California. As well as causing multiple games industry members to politely excuse themselves from conversation to go and watch The Force Awakens trailer, the timing coincidence also meant that GAME Digital staﬀ attending the Celebration were able to gather a host of Star Wars fans to thank those responsible for its three MCV Award wins on the night. 2016 award winners, be warned: the bar has been raised. We expect Harrison Ford. Or, at the very least, one of the Ewoks.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

BEAT OUR CHALLENGE AND WIN AN XBOX ONE WIN GREAT PRIZES BY TAKING PART IN MCV’S #ALLFORONE COMPETITION XBOX has teamed up with MCV to run a series of new weekly challenges. Every Friday, Xbox will test gamers and pose key questions based around upcoming events. Just for industry folk and retailers, there’s a way to take part via MCV which could win you some fantastic prizes. Here’s how it works: every week, MCV will print a challenge on this page. You simply need to show us your answer - tweet it to us, email us or post on our other social feeds.

MCV XBOX CHALLENGE NO.4:

HOW TO ENTER

DEAD AND LOVING IT Open-world zombie smash hit State of Decay shuffles onto Xbox One this week, so we’re ‘dead’ excited to oﬀer another Xbox One console up for grabs. If you want to be in with a chance of winning, all you need to do is zombify yourself with whatever’s to hand – face paint, fake blood and so on – then snap a ‘selﬁe’ and send it to us using the instructions on the right. The best undead poser will win a brand new Xbox One – simple.

WIN!

O Tweet us with a picture or

video of your entry (if relevant) to @MCVonline - don’t forget to use #AllForOne with your entry. Make sure you use both! O You can also send entries to oﬀtherecord@nbmedia.com - use #AllForOne in the subject O Alternatively tell us via Facebook - you can ﬁnd us at facebook.com/MCVonline O Deadline for entries is 5pm on Monday, April 27th

HAVE YOU ENTERED ANY OF OUR PAST CHALLENGES? STAY TUNED – THE FIRST WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON www.mcvuk.com

April 24th 2015

New AAA titles. New mobile games. New distribution channels. New trends. New technologies. New players. New deals.

Your opportunity is now. Register for E3 2015 today at www.E3Expo.com to experience the best in video games and hold the future in your hands. EXPERIENCE THE EVOLUTION. Register today.