MCV843 August 14th

THE BATTLE FOR EUROPE

International Media Partner

THE BUSINESS OF VIDEO GAMES ISSUE 843 FRIDAY AUGUST 14TH 2015

XBOX’S EU BOSS ON ITS EUROPEAN CHARM OFFENSIVE P02

Here they ‘com It may have lacked big reveals, but Gamescom’s record-breaking 345,000 visitors reminds us that consumers are desperate for new games

PLUS THE NEXT CHAPTER FOR GAME BOOKS INTERVIEW: GAME MARKETPLACE

GAMESCOM REVIEW

Six things we discovered at Gamescom 2015 Gamescom was bigger than it has ever been this year, but in terms of big reveals things were a little quieter. Christopher Dring and Alex Calvin delve behind the headlines to bring you six key takeaways from the world’s largest games event

QUANTUM BREAK IS SHAPING UP TO BE THE MOST AMBITIOUS NEW XBOX IP IN YEARS XBOX kicked-off Gamescom with Quantum Break, a game that could very well be the most ambitious project Microsoft has ever commissioned.

Created by the developer behind Alan Wake and Max Payne, Quantum Break is a sci-fi action game where time is collapsing. In-between each chapter, an optional 22-minute live-action TV episode will begin.

There are four of these episodes, which boast an all-star cast including Dominic Monaghan (Lost, Lord of the Rings), Lance Reddick (Fringe, The Wire), Sean Ashmore (The Following, X-Men) and Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones, The Wire).

“Microsoft has provided us with the opportunity to create something like this, and having an absolutely phenomenal cast of actors... it does cost money,” Sam Lake, creative director for the game, told MCV. “But we are Fins, so we are pretty frugal.”

August 14th 2015

Lake added that this investment should pay off in the long-term, as it looks to turn Quantum Break into a franchise.

“There is a lot of effort when you build a new thing in getting just the right tools and technology to create a game like this,” he said.

“What we have with things like our time powers, our stutters in time... all of that has been custom-made for just this, to make it as good as possible and to get this unique vibe. And then with the storyline – with timetravel there is a whole history you need to figure out and you need to build that world, those characters and their backstories... a lot of effort goes into building the foundation.

“In some ways, you can never get everything into that first experience. There is a lot more where that came from. We do this work always thinking that there will be more games.”

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GAMESCOM REVIEW

THE TEAM BEHIND ALIEN: ISOLATION IS MAKING THE NEW HALO WARS

HALO AND STREET FIGHTER IN MULTI-MILLION ESPORTS PUSH ESPORTS has always been a big part of Gamescom, and this year major publishers announced they would be spending millions of dollars to turn their games into the next pro-gaming hit.

During its Gamescom conference, Xbox detailed plans to transform Halo 5: Guardians into a competitive gaming staple. The firm announced the first-ever Halo World Championship, which features a $1m prize pool.

Halo developer 343 Industries

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also demonstrated dedicated eSports-friendly modes for the upcoming sci-fi shooter.

Meanwhile. Capcom wants to make its upcoming Street Fighter V the biggest player in fighting game eSports, and is aiming to have a presence at many top events to make this happen.

“A big direction for us is the eSports aspect of Street Fighter V,” UK marketing boss Antoine Molant said.

“We know that eSports is booming at the moment and

want to make sure that Street Fighter is at the forefront of that.

“Right now – in terms of fighting games – we’re not at the level of League of Legends, but that’s where we want to be. We want to be the headline name in fighting eSports games” “We have the Capcom Pro Tour - a yearly tournament we introduced last year. There are also two UK events, which are EGX and Versus Fighting. We’ll look to integrate Street Fighter V with them.”

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THE biggest bombshell dropped at Xbox’s Gamescom press conference was the reveal of Halo Wars 2.

The strategy title is being made by UK developers Creative Assembly, the team behind the Total War series and Alien: Isolation. In fact, many of the creators of the latter title are the ones working on the new Halo.

“We’ve crafted the Halo Wars team, but primarily we are able to use the Alien: Isolation developers,” said studio director Tim Heaton.

“They’re our consoleready team. It’s the perfect combination: we have great strategy knowledge, we have great PC knowledge and now we have great console knowledge because of Alien.”

Indeed, Heaton is keen to distance Halo Wars 2 from its Total War franchise, insisting that the game is not just going to be a sci-fi version of its popular PC series.

“We are absolutely using the original Halo Wars as a starting point,” he said.

“This isn’t going to be a Total War: Halo kind of game, this is Halo Wars taken to the next stage.

“We really rated Halo Wars. We think it’s something we can add to and build on. And as we’re learning about the universe, we’ve been working closely with [Halo developer] 343 Industries and that’s been a really interesting learning experience.”

August 14th 2015

GAMESCOM REVIEW

PUBLISHERS CALL TIME ON EARLY GAME ANNOUNCEMENTS LONG periods between a game being announced and released could come to an end.

There were multiple titles announced at E3 in June that would be released in a matter of months: Rare Replay, Fallout 4 and Hitman amongst them. This follows an increase in digital games being announced and launched immediately.

“To have such a long protracted period... can you maintain the excitement over that? To shorten that period is great,” said Phil Rogers, Europe and America CEO of Square Enix, who announced a new Hitman game less than six months before its due date.

“You will see more of that.

First-parties are making announcements of games you can play that night.

People are starting to expect short-term, or even instant, launches. People are focusing on launch as being just the start, whereas ten years ago, launch was the end of a long cycle. Now, that first big beat with gamers is the start of a multi-month or multi-year relationship.”

On Fallout 4’s shorter release window, Bethesda’s marketing and PR VP Pete Hines said: “We felt like if we shortened the campaign, put less of a strain on the team, the game would be much further along before we started taking about stuff, so we could show a lot more stuff rather than just vaguely referencing it. Fallout Shelter [the mobile game it unveiled and launched at E3] was the ultimate example of that. If [Fallout 4 creator] Todd Howard had his way, that is how he would do Fallout 4; he would go up on stage and say: “Here is Fallout 4 and it’s out next week.” Because every time he has to show the game, he has to put this video together or whatever.

He hates all that.”

August 14th 2015

THE HUNT FOR THE NEXT MINECRAFT IS ON UBISOFT and Wargaming are the latest companies looking to find the next Minecraft.

But both publishers are going about it in different ways.

Wargaming has launched WG Labs, a publishing service designed to help larger independent creators get their games to market. Wargaming is even looking for titles that fall outside of its usual strategy genre.

“We have launched a website where you can submit your game idea, and we would prefer to have some playable prototypes or a vertical slice, because a paper concept... there are millions of those flying around,” said Victor Kislyi, CEO of Wargaming.

“If there is an indie team, a small company or a mid-size company with an idea and playable stuff, there is a high possibility we can add value to

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that. Maybe it will be in the form of finance, technology, expertise, IP, server capacity, download capacity, publishing capacity... we are one of the few companies in the world to have literal global distribution, publishing, community management, customer support – Tokyo, South Korea, Paris, Russia, North America, Latin America – we can cover the world for anyone who has given us a good game.

“A friend of mine showed me a game a couple of years ago in Seattle. He opened his laptop and the game was this thing where you find some blocks and put them together. I thought: ‘What is this? Who will play this?’ The game, of course, was Minecraft. I wasn’t being pitched it, they were just showing me this cool concept, but I didn’t think the concept was cool. I was wrong. Nobody knows

where the next Minecraft or Flappy Bird or Candy Crush or League of Legends will come from. There is a whole world out there of people generating ideas, and with proper help those ideas might end up being the next Clash of Clans.”

Ubisoft’s Montreal studio, meanwhile, has launched a division called the Fun House; a space where any Ubisoft employee can pitch a game idea, form a small team, and build it.

Patrick Plourde, VP at Fun House, said: “If I find the next Minecraft, it will be my life’s success. But we are not trying to replicate Minecraft. It is about having a place where, if say we turned back the clock, and we had a programmer that had an idea about crafting and mining for blocks, we are able to say to him: ‘yes’ and give him a place to make it shine and realise its full potential.”

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GAMESCOM REVIEW

LOOK WHO’S TALKING...

Brendan Iribe Oculus VR

Patrick Plourde Ubisoft Fun House

Pete Hines Bethesda

Phil Rogers Square Enix

Sam Lake Remedy

Victor Kislyi Wargaming

Antoine Molant Capcom

VR WILL BE READY FOR 2016 OCULUS RIFT was amongst a raft of virtual reality advocates that have dismissed fears of a ‘VR collapse’ at Gamescom.

Virtual reality is due to hit shelves in a big way at the beginning of 2016, but commentators have suggested the industry isn’t ready. Games veteran and Network CEO Neil Young recently said there are serious obstacles for VR to overcome, while development legend Warren Spector called VR a ‘fad’.

Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe has played down fears, and says no-one is expecting VR to sell billions in its first year.

“There is this sensational aspect about VR finally coming out,” he told MCV. “For a lot of the super enthusiasts like ourselves, that moment of sensation occurred during the first two years of Oculus’ Kickstarter, to the hundreds of thousands of developer kits, and everyone is

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excited about VR and saying ‘Oh my God, it’s finally here’.

“Then it’s: ‘Okay, it’s going to be here and it’s going to ship. Now where are we really? It’s going to work, but how is it going to work? What is this? Who is this for?’ It isn’t for a billion people today – you’re not going to get a billion people in Oculus Rift when we ship in 2016. You are hopefully going to get millions, and that’s okay. That’s totally fine.

We have come down from the sensation to focus on reality and making this an incredible set of experiences inside of the Rift.

“The world is about to see that in 2016. It’s going to be very, very exciting. Then every year or so they are going to see another leap. Not necessarily in consumer VR – we’re not going to come out with a new consumer product every year, but we will have at least a new prototype for a new consumer product almost every year.

There’s more to come.”

August 14th 2015

INTERVIEW NEIL THOMPSON, XBOX

Xbox wins Cologne, but wants more of Europe Microsoft is losing the battle for Europe, so it rocked up to Gamescom in a bid to change all that.

Did it do enough? Christopher Dring speaks to new Euro boss Neil Thompson

M

icrosoft won’t use the word ‘relaunch’ but that’s essentially what it has done with Xbox One. It has already cut the price, redesigned the controller and, come November, it will have introduced a new user interface and backwards compatibility, too.

Outside of its casing, the Xbox One that gamers will be buying this Christmas will look nothing like the one launched two years ago.

“You live or die on the innovation you can bring to market on anything you do,” says EMEA boss Neil Thompson.

“What the Xbox and product teams have done an amazing job of is just bringing a ton of innovation to our platform – hardware, software services...

When you add all those elements together it can feel overwhelming – like it is a new console.

“When I used to be interviewed about Xbox 360, I would say that the 360 today will be different to the one you bought a year ago. It is exactly the same in this generation and, if anything, the pace is accelerating, because competitive pressure means that companies like us have to constantly innovate.”

BATTLE FOR EUROPE MCV spoke to Thompson shortly after Xbox’s pre-Gamescom press conference. It was an eclectic showing, flitting between console and PC, and from blockbusters like Quantum Break to indie efforts such as We Happy Few. There were eSports initiatives, DVR functionality and, erm, rain in Forza 6. That’s without mentioning the announcement of FIFA bundles and the reveal of a new Halo Wars.

Augsut 14th 2015

The changes coming to Xbox One make it feel like a new console, says Xbox’s Thompson

FIFA will automatically attract a large proportion of European gamers.

“Part of us being at Gamescom was to demonstrate we are supporting Europe, and we want to be successful over here,” explains Thompson. “It was a contentdriven show, and Europe has a lot of great development talent” He adds: “We absolutely want to win share in Europe. The games line-up we have got, the backwards compatibility, the DVR elements and so on... all of this will help us build more-and-more momentum.

“I have a genre triple-A killer title for every market in Europe.

The general trend in Europe is that Northern Europe tends to be shooter and racing territories, in mid-Europe you tend to have fans of football and strategy games, and if you go to the south it is all about social games and soccer, too. If you look at what we are offering with FIFA, if you look at our first-party shooters and racing games, plus our strategy titles, we

I have a genre triple-A killer title for every market in Europe.

Neil Thompson, Xbox

It may sound scattershot, but there was a good reason for the variety. Xbox is losing Europe to an increasingly dominant PlayStation. This a fragmented market and what appeals in France doesn’t necessarily sell in Sweden.

Microsoft was at Gamescom with the express intention of turning the tide on this situation.

PC is big across Europe, which is why PC hits Cities: Skylines, and Train Simulator were on stage. Many of the games on display were European-made (including Quantum Break, Crackdown 3, Cobalt, Homefront, Beyond Eyes, Just Cause 3, Worms, Halo Wars, Fable Legends and so on). Plus, doing anything with

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have it covered. What we have got to do a great job of is making sure all the fans in those markets understand what content is suited to them. That is the job that the teams have to get done.”

Xbox One’s Q4 line-up is unquestionably strong – Halo 5, Forza 6 and Rise of the Tomb Raider are amongst this year’s biggest games – and it’s imperative they deliver on their promise. But perhaps Microsoft’s biggest challenge will come in its third-party relationships.

Xbox has not had much luck with its third-party partnerships, whereas PlayStation has done an impressive job of making games such as Destiny appear like exclusives.

“What is important is that we tell our fanbase – and our install base on Xbox 360 – about all of the titles that are coming this holiday on Xbox,” says Thompson. “And that is both first-party and thirdparty. Just look at the bundles we do and the offerings we create, like our FIFA offer. It is really about us making sure that we are working hard with the publishers – which we do – and that we explain to our fans what all of our game content is. Yes, we love our first-party titles, and we have an amazing line-up, but we will talk about all of the games coming to Xbox One.” WINDOWS TO THE FUTURE A major part of Microsoft’s Gamescom was Windows 10. In Germany and much of Europe, PC is the most popular games platform, and Microsoft hopes its renewed push into PC can help win over fans in this arena.

“We now have this OS platform where, if developers wish to, they can now develop an app or a game

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NEIL THOMPSON, XBOX INTERVIEW

Xbox doubled-down on showcasing European-made titles during its Gamescom

across both the Xbox and Windows platforms,” states Thompson.

“The mere fact you can now do that is game-changing for the industry. It will scale very rapidly, based on what we are currently seeing; developers will get more and more excited about the creative possibilities.”

Some of Xbox One’s upcoming games, such as Fable Legends, will be made available on PC, too. It’s a bold move, because if gamers can get these titles on PC, surely it might harm sales of the console?

“No. It is all additive,” defends Thompson. “We had 14 million downloads of Windows 10 in the first 24 hours. I don’t know how many of them are Xbox users before they downloaded Windows 10, but now we have an audience that is exposed to the Xbox features, games and apps that we have. It is all about adding to game experiences.”

EUROPEAN CHARM OFFENSIVE Impressing at Gamescom was never going to be enough for Xbox.

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When asked if Xbox could be No.1 in Europe, Thompson is coy about the answer. The firm may indeed win market share, but unseating an increasingly dominant PS4 is no small feat.

Yet this was a start. Xbox will believe it had something for everyone at Gamescom, and its main aim is not to convince PS4 gamers to swap machines, but rather to encourage the millions of Xbox 360 owners that have yet to upgrade to do so.

With things like backwards compatibility and that stellar lineup, it certainly has the tools at its disposal to do just that.

“It is an amazing line-up,” concludes Thompson. “The fascinating thing is when you start to look at 2016, that is amazing as well, because you have Gears of War 4, Quantum Break, Crackdown... so we have an embarrassment of riches and I hope our fans will love them.

Now it is down to us to make that happen.”

XBOX NEWS FROM GAMESCOM CREATIVE ASSEMBLY BUILDING HALO WARS 2 The real-time strategy sequel has a new developer in UKbased Creative Assembly, famous for the Total War series.

The game is due late next year and will be for Windows 10 and Xbox One. QUANTUM BREAK OUT IN APRIL The ambitious time-bending action game from Alan Wake developers Remedy is out April 5th 2016, and features an Alist cast such as Lost’s Dominic Monaghan and The Wire’s Lance Reddick TWO FIFA 16 BUNDLES COMING 1TB and 500GB Xbox One bundles are set to hit shelves in September to tie-in with FIFA. The bundles will include the game, either a one or 12-month subscription to EA Access and three FIFA Ultimate Team loan legends.

HALO ESPORTS TOURNAMENT ANNOUNCED Xbox has announced the first-ever Halo World Championships, which will be backed by its biggest-ever investment in the pro-gaming space. $1m in prize funds is up for grabs later this year.

XBOX ONE GETS DVR FUNCTIONALITY DVR is coming to Europe on Xbox One. The subscriptionfree service is due in 2016. It lets users rewind, pause and record live TVR much in the same way as a Sky+ box.

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August 14th 2015

NEWS

NEWS THIS WEEK Take-Two: Mafia III will ‘absolutely’ be as big as BioShock and Borderlands Mafia II has sold six million units worldwide in the five years since its launch, says Take-Two CEO Zelnick

by Matthew Jarvis TAKE-TWO wants its Mafia series to sit alongside Borderlands and BioShock as one of its biggest games franchises.

The game is published by TakeTwo’s 2K division and is being created by Hanger 13, a new development unit set-up to work specifically on Mafia III – which is due to launch in 2016.

“The reaction to the reveal has been huge, actually,” Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick told MCV, referring to the game’s debut at Gamescom last week.

“We’ve had enormously positive feedback and an enormous amount of social traffic, more than

Zelnick has dismissed comparisons between Mafia III and its GTA open-world franchise

ever before, in fact. It is looking very strong, I’m very excited about it.”

Speaking during Take-Two’s latest earnings calls, Zelnick also dismissed comparisons between Mafia III and fellow open-world crime series Grand Theft Auto, saying that GTA ‘is not up for comparison to any game’.

But, he told MCV that the firm was ‘absolutely’ placing Mafia alongside Borderlands and BioShock as one of its 2K tentpole brands.

“The last one, Mafia II, sold about six million units, so it’s certainly very successful,” he revealed. “We have high hopes for Mafia III.”

‘Horror games are pushing into the mainstream’ CREEPY PS4 exclusive Until Dawn will help the horror genre march into the mainstream, says Sony.

Product manager Joe Palmer praised the resurrection of the horror game ahead of the release of the PS4 exclusive later this month.

“The horror genre is huge in the wider entertainment industry,” Palmer told MCV. “People want to be scared and games always carry the potential to be scarier than movies or novels due to their interactive nature.

Hopefully what we’re seeing is a shift towards mainstream gaming appreciation for the genre.”

Palmer added his expectation that more companies would begin to invest in scary games, after the successful horror efforts of big titles such as The Evil Within,

August 14th 2015

Resident Evil HD, Alien: Isolation and Dying Light.

“The recent success of titles like The Evil Within is encouraging and proves that there’s a healthy appetite for horror games,” he explained. “This gives companies more confidence to give horror games the attention they deserve.”

Developed by UK studio Supermassive Games, Until Dawn is the latest horror title to join industry staples such as Resident Evil and Silent Hill on PlayStation.

“PlayStation has a rich heritage of debuting and nurturing new IP and genres,” said Palmer. “Horror is very well represented with Resident Evil, Silent Hill and our own Siren.

“Until Dawn represents a twist in a genre for which PlayStation fans have proven their demand.”

Until Dawn will help the horror genre break into the mainstream, says Sony’s Palmer

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NEWS

THE EDITOR

AR is not compelling enough for consumers yet, says Oculus Augmented reality will be focused on enterprise and professional use initially, says VR firm

by Alex Calvin VR giant Oculus says that augmented reality has failed to capture the mass-market so far.

Speaking to MCV, CEO Brendan Iribe said that the reaction from consumers to AR tech such as Microsoft’s HoloLens has been ‘ok’, but that this could change in an instant.

“It’s one thing to make marketing videos, it’s another to actually try the experience and say ‘I want to buy that’,” Iribe said.

“Oculus Touch is an experience that’s ready for consumers we’re not hyping that up with marketing videos, we’re showing consumers. Most people come out saying it’s something that

BIGGEST GAMESCOM EVER WAS WHAT YOU MADE OF IT

they’d want to own, that it’s something they’d want to do a lot more of. They want experiences built around that kind of user experience. That’s ready today.

“The reaction from most people leaving AR demos is not: ‘I want to buy that as a soon as I can’, it’s: ‘I can see the potential of where it is going – one day’.

That day has not come yet.

AR will be focused more on enterprise, professional use, where they don’t mind the cost, the form factor, and can work around the small field of view.

It’s not compelling enough for mass-market consumers yet. That could change at any time. Oculus changed it with a Kickstarter. It could change at any time, but it’s not there yet.”

T

he Gamescom numbers defied the experience somewhat.

There were 345,000 visitors to the show, which is 10,000 up on last year’s figure.

There were 806 companies, a rise of 14 per cent, and 33,200 trade visitors, a more modest increase of five per cent.

But try telling that to the owners of The Corkonian pub, who are used to witnessing an onslaught of UK visitors over the week - only to see a slightly weaker invasion.

Or to the media, which saw just one game announced during Xbox’s press conference, no PlayStation presence and EA and Blizzard press events that passed with barely a headline.

One publisher only had new footage for one of its games to show the press, having not had enough time to create more video content after E3. Valve weren’t here, neither were Riot.

An industry exec told me during the show that they loved Gamescom, but it’s become a show to ‘maintain relationships’, pointing to Chinajoy as a recent, and more successful, business trip.

But the truth is that these shows are what you make of it. It is easy to get into a routine, to book the same appointments with the same people, but that’s not Gamescom’s fault. That’s yours.

MCV was forced to approach Gamescom differently this year. We had already seen a lot of these games and spoke to the execs at E3, and as that was only six weeks ago, we didn’t exactly want to see them

Oculus’ Iribe says AR offers little to the mass market

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PRE-ORDER TOP 10

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Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection (PS4)

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Until Dawn: Extended Edition (PS4)

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Gears of War Ultimate Edition + Pre-order DLC (XO)

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FIFA 16 (PS4)

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FIFA 16 (XO)

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Animal Crossing Amiibo Cards (Wii U)

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Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Day One Edition (XO)

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FIFA 16 Deluxe Edition + Pre-order DLC (PS4)

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Forza Motorsport 6 + Pre-order DLC (XO)

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KONAMI Sony Sony Microsoft

Nintendo Konami EA Microsoft

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It’s easy to book the same appointments.

But that’s not Gamescom’s fault.

That’s yours. all over again in Cologne. We only interviewed Ubisoft a few weeks back, do you really want us to do it again? And what do we ask this time?

So we had to dig a bit deeper. Sticking with Ubisoft for a moment, the company announced a new initiative around Gamescom called the ‘Fun House’ – something that the firm has launched in its Montreal studio – so we decided to sit down with the head of that department in what became a genuinely fascinating conversation about games development.

We spoke to Rare about its 30th birthday, we discovered Wargaming’s new publishing arm, we found out why the internet has fallen in love with EA’s Unravel. It was fantastic.

Gamescom takes place later in August next year. Perhaps Sony will come back with a press conference and maybe developers will have the time to create new demos to show the press. But even if they do, I will try to remember to dig beneath the surface like we were forced to do this year.

Because in my mind, Gamescom 2015 may well have been the best one yet. cdring@nbmedia.com

August 14th 2015

CHEAT SHEET

UP & DOWN

Market Data The summer quiet period continues with only £6.2m made from games this week

£10m

£6.86m 247,873 units

£5m

Week Ending July 25th

£7.1m 269,210 units

Week Ending August 1st

£6.2m 242,477 units

Week Ending August 8th

SALES OF EA’s golf title Rory McIlroy PGA Tour fell 42 per cent last week

THE ELDER Scrolls Online rises two places up the charts this week on the back of a PS4 promotion

IS VR THE FUTURE THIS WEEK?

EVENT CALENDAR SEPTEMBER 2015 ..................................................................................

LEGENDS OF GAMING LIVE Alexandra Palace, London, UK Saturday, September 5th Q Host to YouTube Legends tournament finals Q Areas include Indie Zone, Pro-Gamer Challenge and Over-18 Tournaments EGX The NEC, Birmingham, UK Thursday September 24th – Sunday September 27th Q The UK’s largest games event Q For the first time, Eurogamer Expo is taking place in Birmingham Q Organisers predict 80,000 attendees for the three-day show

YES

OCTOBER 2015 ..................................................................................

The world is about to see Rift-level VR in 2016 – it’s going to be very, very exciting.

Then every year or so they are going to see another leap.

DEVELOP LIVE Pinewood Studios, Bucks, UK Wednesday, October 7th Q Conference examining the crossover between game development and movie production Q Speakers include Her Story developer Sam Barlow, Centroid Motion Capture CEO Phil Stilgoe, Atomhawk founder Ron Ashtiani and Gobo concept artist Jenny Harder

August 14th 2015

Brendan Iribe, Oculus

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CHEAT SHEET

PRESENTS

5 SECOND FACTS

THE NEWS IN 140 CHARACTERS The Tweets you might have missed in the last seven days

Your shortcut to sounding clever in the pub, we take you around the industry in under 30 seconds

XBOX LAUNCHES EU CHARM OFFENSIVE

345,000

Xbox opened last week’s Gamescom with its press conference. Announcements and reveals included Halo Wars 2, Scalebound, Crackdown 3, Quantum Break and the Halo World Championship tournament.

The number of Gamescom attendees rose to 345,000, 10,000 people higher than 2014

159.9% @lucyjamesgames Littlefinger, Ice Man and Merry in Quantum Break?! *screams*

@RC_ephemeral Aside from a few bum notes during the Xbox Gamescom presser, the diversity of titles this year and next on both consoles is smile-inducing Robbie Cooke, Rebellion Tuesday, August 4th

Lucy James, GameSpot UK, Tuesday, August 4th

RARE TOPS THE UK CHARTS

2K SHOWS FIRST MAFIA III FOOTAGE

For the first time since 1998, a Rare-developed title made it to the top of the UK charts. Rare Replay is the firm’s first No.1 since Banjo-Kazooie on the N64.

2K Games revealed the first gameplay footage for its upcoming third entry in the Mafia series at this year’s Gamescom.

@JamesStant Delighted for my friends at Rare for reaching No.1 in the UK games charts with Rare Replay! Honoured to have spent some time at Twycross

@ultrabrilliant I can’t believe the SJWs got to Mafia, and made it so that it’s a black guy murdering people instead of an Italian.

James Stant, Frontier Developments, Monday August 10th

Andy Kelly, PC Gamer, Wednesday August 5th

@stoonami Nostalgic tears at Rare Replay being No.1. Really enjoying it apart from the SHAMEFUL omission of the Greatest Game Ever Made* *GoldenEye64 Stu Taylor, Dead Good Media, Monday August 10th

@VG_Dave I don’t know what it’s being demoed on but Mafia 3 looks gorgeous. Some amazing lighting and particle effects.

David Scammell, Videogamer, Wednesday August 5th

Publisher Konami’s profits shot up 159.9 per cent to a staggering ¥4.28bn (£22m), while revenue climbed 5.3 per cent

2m PS4-exclusive racing game DriveClub has sold two million units, developer Evolution has revealed

2016 Keiji Inafune’s upcoming retro platformer Mighty No.9 has been pushed back to 2016 from its September release date

20m Rovio has announced that Angry Birds 2 was downloaded 20m times during its first week Xbox ONE Rock Candy Wired Controller - PDP Design and manufacture the Officially Licenced Microsoft Rock Candy Wired Controller for Xbox ONE europesales@pdp.com

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WHAT’S GOING ON WITH GAMESAID ....................................................

PLAY YOUR PART BECOME A MEMBER AMBASSADOR TRUSTEE WWW.GAMESAID.ORG

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NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR GAMESAID 2015 CHARITIES NEXT WEEK

JOIN GAMES ON SONG

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The UK games industry can once again decide which charities will be receiving funds from GamesAid this year.

From August 17th to August 28th, GamesAid members can nominate organisations that they feel are deserving of receiving funds this year.

Only GamesAid members can put forward charities. To be eligible, organisations need to help disadvantaged and disabled children, and should have an annual turnover of under £5m and 30 per cent admin costs. Members should email contact@gamesaid.

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The games industry choir had its first meet and greet last week, but you can still take part by contacting gamesonsong@ gmail.com - rehearsals for the big concert start in September and all abilities are welcome.

August 14th 2015

MARKET MOVES

APPOINTMENTS

Promotions at Nintendo UK Tom Pearce and Emily Woolliscroft leave platform holder O Rubber Road picks up CentreSoft’s Taylor

Clockwise from top left: Shibaie, Horsley, Deed, Pearce, Woolliscroft and Williams

NINTENDO | The platform holder’s UK office has made a number of promotions.

PARHAM SHIBAIE rises to head of operations for the UK and Ireland, and will be reporting directly to UK GM SIMON KEMP. Shibaie joined Nintendo in 2006 as a finance and

August 14th 2015

As well as these promotions, Nintendo has confirmed that finance director TOM PEARCE and UK junior PR manager EMILY WOOLLISCROFT are leaving the company. Pearce has been with the company since 2001, joining as a finance manager and has been in his current position since 2005. He left at the end of July.

Wolliscroft was hired by Nintendo UK in 2010 having worked for a year as a PR assistant at Disney. She will depart the company in October after five years.

“We are always pleased to be able to announce and to celebrate internal promotions and offer our congratulations to Par, Ian, Stuart and Michelle.”

trade analyst, before being promoted to customer services manager in 2008. He then rose to operations manager for the UK and Ireland in 2011. Prior to Nintendo, he worked at VocaLink.

Meanwhile, MICHELLE HORSLEY is promoted to operations manager.

Horsley joined in 2009 as operations executive.

Elsewhere, IAN DEED is promoted to head of finance from his position as commercial manager. Deed joined from British Gas in 2012. He will also report to Kemp.

The final promotion is STUART WILLIAMS who becomes senior commercial finance analyst. He joined in 2013.

12

said Kemp. “At the same time we are sad to be saying goodbye to two valued members of our team and wish Tom and Emily every luck in the next stages of their careers.”

RUBBER ROAD | The games merchandise specialist has appointed LIAM TAYLOR has commercial manager.

Taylor was previously at distributor CentreSoft, where he was sales manager for national accounts and new business.

He has held sales roles at D3, Capcom, Infogrames and Hasbro Interactive during his career, too.

www.mcvuk.com

JAMES HONEYWELL, NINTENDO MCV AWARD WINNER

When dreams come true Nintendo UK head of consumer marketing James Honeywell is a true industry veteran, with a career stretching back two decades. Matthew Jarvis talks to this year’s MCV Awards Unsung Hero about landing his ultimate job

How did your career get started?

I was looking for a job during my first year at uni when fate stepped in and I saw an advert in my local paper recruiting for Nintendo; I couldn’t believe my luck. I promptly applied for a job as a customer service counsellor. I’ve never looked back.

At that time, the marketing team at Nintendo used the customer service department as a resource for understanding games, giving insights into the key features and helping to make marketing materials, like recording the gameplay footage for ads – my first TV ad was for Donkey Kong Country. We really had to know everything about the games in order to find the very best footage, plus the game skills to capture them.

Being a fan, I imported my own early copy of Pokémon Red from the US, not knowing that the marketing team were trying to figure out if this new phenomenon could work in the UK. When they heard I was playing it, and knew all about it, they asked me to move into the marketing team and advise on the campaign for six weeks. 20 years later, I’m still here.

been surprised; Brain Training is probably the campaign I’m most proud of. Bringing a product like that to completely new audiences, with diverse ads featuring Nicole Kidman and older, non-traditional gamers was very rewarding. Plus, it was also the first time my mum really knew what I did as all her friends were talking about it. I even used one of her friends in an ad as she’d become such a big fan.

New technology, experiences and audiences have meant I’ve had to keep learning new skills and ways to talk to consumers. It never stands still and I’m sure it never will.

The main thing I’ve seen is how games have grown to become the biggest entertainment industry in the world, moving from something that nerdy boys did in their bedrooms to a mainstream form of entertainment that touches almost everyone in some form. It’s amazing to see how far we’ve come and I’m humbled to think I’ve had a small part in that.

I’ve been really happy to see the indie scene flourish again – just like it did in the ‘80s and ‘90s when I first became enthralled. Seeing kids become interested in coding and produce whole new experiences makes me excited for the future.

Games have moved from being something that nerdy boys did in their bedrooms to a mainstream form of entertainment.

What have been the biggest ‘highs’ of your career?

I get to work on amazing products made by amazing people, and for that I’m immensely grateful.

The things that I’m most proud of are the ones where people have

James Honeywell, Nintendo

What has compelled you to remain employed in the games industry for two decades?

Working for Nintendo was my dream. Constant innovations in hardware and working on some of the best games ever created have made every day rewarding. Across the industry and, in fact, marketing, there is always something new to keep me coming back for more.

What game campaigns have impressed and inspired you?

There are so many, I don’t think there are enough column inches.

Working in such a vibrant industry means we’re all surrounded by fantastic campaigns that constantly push the boundaries.

What’s your top advice to prospective games marketers?

Getting a good education is a given, but never shy away from hard work. You won’t be given opportunities on a plate, you have to earn them. So always do everything you can to the best of your ability and you’ll get noticed.

How has the industry changed over the course of your career?

One of the best things about this industry is how it constantly evolves.

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What are the things that didn’t work out as you had hoped?

There are many things I’d like to have done better, and hindsight is a wonderful thing, but I only dwell on them long enough to learn from them. As long as I use mistakes to improve my decisions in the future, I don’t see them as lows.

Honeywell’s first TV ad was for 1994’s Donkey Kong Country

13

What has you most excited for the rest of this year?

Continuing to work with an amazing team at Nintendo UK on amazing new products. I couldn’t ask for more.

August 14th 2015

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

DATA & RESEARCH Rare has its first UK No.1 since 1998’s Banjo-Kazooie with Rare Replay FOR the first time since 1998, a Rare-developed game has made it to No.1 with its Xbox Oneexclusive anthology title, Rare Replay.

It’s also the first budgetprice title to be top of the UK charts since Wii Fit Plus in 2009.

With no other releases in the Top 40 this week it’s mostly the same faces in the charts. LEGO Jurassic World falls to second place with a 21 per cent sales dip, while fellow WARNER BROS title Batman: Arkham Knight drops one place to No.3 as sales fall 22 per cent.

BETHESDA’s The Elder Scrolls Online rises up two places to No.3 off the back of a price promotion

on PlayStation 4 bundles last week Elsewhere, Rocket League is top of the Steam charts for the fifth week running, while long-time Early Access darling Ark: Survival Evolved is in No.2.

And pre-orders for KONAMI’s Metal Gear Solid V were the fourth most purchased item on the Steam store last week as the game’s release date is brought forward two weeks.

COFFEE STAIN’s Goat Simulator holds onto the top spot in the Xbox 360 Live Arcade charts, while VALVE’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive comes into the Top Ten at No.7

TOP 10 STEAM (GLOBAL)

01 TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

LW 02 03 RE 04 RE RE 06 RE NEW

ROCKET LEAGUE PUBLISHER: PSYONIX DEVELOPER: PSYONIX

TITLE PUBLISHER Ark: Survival Evolved Studio Wildcard Grand Theft Auto V Rockstar Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (P) Konami Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Valve Savage Lands Signal Studios Elite: Dangerous Frontier Developments Garry’s Mod Facepunch The Witcher III: Wild Hunt CD Projekt RED Dead Realm 3BlackDot

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

RARE REPLAY FORMATS: XO DEVELOPER: RARE Title LEGO Jurassic World Batman: Arkham Knight The Elder Scrolls Online Grand Theft Auto V FIFA 15 Battlefield Hardline Rory McIlroy PGA Tour F1 2015 Minecraft: Xbox Edition Minecraft: PlayStation Edition Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Dying Light The Witcher III: Wild Hunt LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham WWE 2K15 Destiny Far Cry 4 Terraria LittleBigPlanet 3 Farming Simulator 15 Skylanders Trap Team LEGO Marvel Super Heroes Mortal Kombat X Payday 2: Crimewave Edition Disney Infinity 2.0 Splatoon God of War III: Remastered Yoshi’s Woolly World Watch Dogs Halo: The Master Chief Collection Call of Duty: Ghosts Wolfenstein: The Old Blood Super Smash Bros The Last of Us Remastered The Evil Within Bloodborne Project CARS Batman: Arkham Origins Mario Kart 8

Week ending August 8th

August 14th 2015

MICROSOFT

Format Publisher PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, Vita, PC Warner Bros PS4, XO, PC Warner Bros PS4, XO, PC Bethesda PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Rockstar PS4, XO, PS3, 360, Wii, 3DS, Vita, PC EA PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC EA PS4, XO EA PS4, XO, PC Bandai Namco/Codemasters XO, 360 Microsoft PS4, 360, VIta Sony PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Activision Bizzard PS4, XO, PC Warner Bros PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Bandai Namco/CD Projekt RED PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, Vita, PC Warner Bros PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC 2K Games PS4, XO, PS3, 360 Activision Blizzard PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Ubisoft PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC 505 Games/Merge PS4, PS3 Sony PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Koch Media PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, Wii Activision Blizzard PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, Wii, 3DS, Vita, PC Warner Bros PS4, XO, PC Warner Bros PS4, XO 505 Games PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, Wii Disney Wii U Nintendo PS4 Sony Wii U Nintendo PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, PC Ubisoft XO Microsoft PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, PC Activision Blizzard PS4, XO, PC Bethesda Wii U Nintendo PS4 Sony PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Bethesda PS4 Sony PS4, XO, PC Bandai Namco/Slightly Mad Studios Wii U, PS3, 360, PC Warner Bros Wii U Nintendo

Week ending August 8th

14

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DATA ANALYSIS Source

TOP 10 IPAD GAMES PAID

TOP 20 INDIVIDUAL FORMAT

01

RARE REPLAY FORMAT: XO

01

MICROSOFT

DEVELOPER: ROCKSTEADY

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

LW 01 04 08 07 11 03 06 05 10 17 13 16 25 08

Title Batman: Arkham Knight LEGO Jurassic World The Elder Scrolls Online The Elder Scrolls Online Minecraft: Xbox Edition Rory McIlroy PGA Tour Grand Theft Auto V F1 2015 Batman: Arkham Knight Grand Theft Auto V Battlefield Hardline Minecraft: PlayStation Edition The Witcher III: Wild Hunt Rory McIlroy PGA Tour

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

16 17 18 19 20

14 34 15 20 19

Battlefield Hardline Dying Light LEGO Jurassic World LittleBigPlanet 3 F1 2015

XO PS4 PS3 PS4 XO

Publisher Warner Bros Warner Bros Bethesda Bethesda Microsoft EA Rockstar Bandai Namco/Codemasters Warner Bros Rockstar EA Sony Bandai Namco/CD Projekt RED EA EA Warner Bros Warner Bros Sony Bandai Namco/Codemasters

Week ending August 8th

TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

MINECRAFT – POCKET EDITION DEVELOPER: MOJANG

TITLE Five Nights at Freddy’s 4 Haunted Legends Football Manager Classic 15 The Seven Second Challenge Farming Simulator 16 Build Battle Storage Hunters UK Hey Duggee: The Big Badge App Monument Valley

Week ending August 9th

TOP 10 IPHONE GAMES PAID

01

THE 7 SECOND CHALLENGE DEVELOPER: MIND CANDY

TW TITLE 02 Storage Hunters UK 03 Football Manager Handheld 15 04 Minecraft: Pocket Edition 05 Five Nights at Freddy’s 4 06 Heads Up! 07 Farming Simulator 16 08 Monopoly 09 Angry Birds 10 Fruit Ninja

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

LW 02 03 04 05 06 09 07 RE 08

DEVELOPER UKTV Interactive Sega Mojang Scott Cawthon Warner Bros Giants Software EA Rovio Halfbrick

Week ending August 9th

TOP 10 GLOBAL GOOGLE PLAY

GOAT SIMULATOR MICROSOFT DEVELOPER: COFFEE STAIN STUDIO TITLE Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition Life is Strange CastleMiner Z ApocZ Avatar Warfare Counter Strike: Global Offensive Terraria: Xbox 360 Edition Murder Miners Sonic The Hedgehog 2

PUBLISHER Microsoft Square Enix DigitalDNA Sick Kreations DigitalDNA Valve Ubisoft JForce Games Sega

Week ending August 8th

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DEVELOPER Scott Cawthon Big Fish Sega Mind Candy Giants Software Orgonite DOO UKTV Interactive BBC Worldwide Ustwo

15

01 TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

FANTASY PREMIER LEAGUE 15/16 DEVELOPER: ALL APPED UP

TITLE Minecraft: Pocket Edition Storage Hunters UK: The Game Townsmen Premium Angry Birds Star Wars Five Nights at Freddy’s 4 Football Manager Handheld 15 Bridge Constructor Terraria Scribblenauts Remix

PUBLISHER Mojang UKTV Media HandyGames Rovio Scott Cawthon Sega ClockStone Studio 505 Games Warner Bros

Correct as of August 10th

August 14th 2015

VIDEO GAME BOOKS

Pixels on page It might surprise you in the age of the YouTube video and Wikipedia article, but books based on video games have never been bigger. Matthew Jarvis asks analysts and publishers why one of the world’s newest entertainment mediums is turning to one of the oldest

“N

obody reads books now.”

It’s a common sentiment and, with paperbacks increasingly replaced by websites, e-readers and apps, it might be tempting to close the book on the traditional publishing sector.

Books may appear even more of a terminal case when it comes to games, with countless wiki sites, online walkthroughs and YouTube guides sounding the death knell.

According to market tracker Nielsen, the UK Computer Games: User Guides sector (which includes strategy guides) was worth £2.1 million in 2014, compared to £2.6 million in 2013. This 20 per cent drop in value was primarily due to a drop in the popularity of premium-priced books.

While in the short-term prospects look poor for video game books, the opposite is true when a bigger picture is acquired; since 2010, the User Guides segment has actually grown by six per cent in terms of value, with unit sales rising eight per cent.

In fact, the second quarter of 2015 outpaced that of both 2013 and 2014; User Guides and Programming titles together grew 12 per cent in terms of units during the period versus last year.

“The market has grown hugely,” observes Omar Khan, editor at Titan Books. “A few years ago, game publishing was mainly limited to strategy guides, and concept art books were pretty rare. Now, we’re working across four core categories: art books, illustrated in-universe books, novelised fiction and comic books. The studios we work with are now really in-tune with the sort August 14th 2015

titles – the Redstone, Beginner’s and Combat Handbooks, respectively.

The success of the books led Egmont to a dominant position in the market, with a 2014 value of over £10 million, versus less than £1 million for each of its competitors.

The Minecraft handbooks are an evolution of the traditional strategy guide, a form of game book that has been around almost as long as the medium itself. But brand new types of tie-in publication are emerging, too.

“Though art books still perform very well, there’s been a noticeable upswing in demand for ‘in-universe’ titles,” Khan explains.

“Narrative-led games are all about inhabiting characters, which is why in-universe books, ‘written’ by characters that fans are supremely familiar with, work so well. There’s huge scope for the narrative content in each of these books and their collectible format sets them apart from other types of books.”

of tie-in books we’d like to bring to the marketplace.”

GENRE DIVIDE One of the biggest issues facing game books is data. Or to be more specific, the confusion surrounding it.

“It’s difficult to measure the market, as books such as Minecraft and Skylanders and so on are categorised as children’s books – not gaming,” explains Scott Morton, media analyst at Nielsen Book Research.

However, some interesting points can still be drawn when the data for both sectors are combined at a title level.

For 2014, Egmont’s range of Minecraft handbooks occupied the entire Top Five best-selling video game book titles. The Official Construction Handbook was the best-selling game book of the year, generating more than £2.6 million.

In fact, the Construction Handbook is the best-selling game book since Nielsen records began in 1998, followed by three further Minecraft

04

A guide is the best merchandise a game can be accompanied by.

Frank Glaser, Future Press

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VIDEO GAME BOOKS

“Traditional paperback game guides are slowly but steadily disappearing,” observes Glaser.

“People who get stuck once in a while don’t buy game guides any more: they just look for help online.

“Having tons of additional info and features to make the books collectible and appealing even after the game has been played through is essential.”

Khan adds: “Online wikis are slowly rendering strategy guides obsolete.

“To keep physical books competitive versus the digital space, it’s truly key to include meaningful exclusive content – like limited-run slipcase editions, which feature exclusive art cards and objects signed by dev teams.

Where possible, we endeavour to work with studios to promote books with in-store signings and product launches.”

Websites have replaced physical guides as go-to assistance for many types of game. But there will always be exceptions to the rule.

“The best-selling brands for guides in the market continue to be Pokémon, Elder Scrolls and GTA, because their genres grant a high attach rate and their sales numbers are extremely high,” says Glaser. “RPGs in general are better suited for game guides due to their complexity, huge content and secret stuff to be found. FPS games, on the other hand, have a terrible attach rate – around one to

THE BEST-SELLING GAME BOOKS OF ALL TIME 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Minecraft: The Official Construction Handbook (2014) Egmont Minecraft: The Official Redstone Handbook (2013) Egmont Minecraft: The Official Beginner’s Handbook (2013) Egmont Minecraft: The Official Combat Handbook (2014) Egmont Moshi Monsters: The Moshling Collector’s Guide (2010) Penguin The Official Pokemon Handbook (1999) Scholastic Minecraft Blockopedia (2014) Egmont Moshi Monsters Fangtastic Activity Book with Stickers (2011) Penguin Moshi Monsters MonSTAR Rooms Handbook (2011) Penguin

Data courtesy of Nielsen Book Report, combines game and children’s book figures since 1998

Frank Glaser, founder and MD of Future Press, agrees that collectibility is key.

“Heavyweight, hardcover collectible game guides sell the most,” he reveals. “If a new title is listed at Amazon and it comes in hardcover and paperback editions, the former is always on top – it’s not even close. In general, art books don’t sell as much as game guides, but the market is getting bigger and there are some properties that are exceptions to this, such as Zelda: Hyrule Historia.”

MIGHTIER THAN THE PEN It is the traditional strategy guide that has been hardest hit by the growing power of the internet.

Online wikis are slowly rendering strategy guides obsolete.

Omar Khan, Titan Books

two per cent – and are only worth covering if they sell extremely well.”

THE NEXT CHAPTER It’s clear that a page had been turned for game books. What’s next? Could we see the sector embrace trends such as indies?

“If the game has enough content to merit a guide, it could absolutely be useful,” Glaser responds. “It has to make financial sense, though. A guide like Bloodborne takes five months of crunch time for ten highly skilled people, so an indie guide would require a different setup in order to work. Maybe something digital from a smaller team, that follows the spirit of being an indie studio.”

Although game books may seem archaic in the digital age, Glaser and Khan agree that they’ve never been more relevant.

“With everything transitioning to digital so quickly, game guides should be more embraced by traditional retailers,” advises Glaser.

“The necessity for people to go out and visit a physical store becomes smaller and smaller, so guides combined with a good bundle offer can bring online customers back to stores. A good strategy guide is the best merchandise product a game could be accompanied by.”

Khan concludes: “Games will only grow throughout this console generation, as will the ways that we’re able to tie into them. Who knows – perhaps we’ll get to the point of a Skyrim cookbook.”

THE BEST-SELLING GAMES BOOKS OF 2015 (SO FAR) 1. Minecraft: The Official Construction Handbook (2014) Egmont 2. Minecraft: The Official Combat Handbook (2014) Egmont 3. Minecraft Blockopedia (2014) Egmont 4. Minecraft: The Official Redstone Handbook (2013) Egmont 5. Minecraft: The Official Beginner’s Handbook (2013) Egmont Data courtesy of Nielsen Book Report

2014’S TOP GAMES BOOKS (WITHOUT MINECRAFT) 1. Skylanders Official Annual 2014 Penguin 2. Assassin’s Creed Unity Penguin 3. Angry Birds Super Interactive Annual 2015 Pedigree 4. Moshi Monsters Official Annual 2015 Penguin 5. Guinness World Records: Gamer’s Edition 2015 Guinness Publisher Group 6. Skylanders: A to Z of Skylanders Penguin 7. Pokémon Annual 2015 Pedigree 8. Angry Birds Star Wars Super Interactive Annual 2015 Pedigree Data courtesy of Nielsen Book Report

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August 14th 2015

XXX XXX GAME MARKETPLACE

All in one ‘place In its crusade to be the UK’s No.1 game shop, GAME launched its third-party Marketplace retail platform earlier this year. But what sets it apart from the likes of Ebay and Amazon? Alex Calvin speaks to Fred Prego to find out more

I

t’s been a busy 18 months for GAME. From debuting on the London Stock Exchange, to acquiring games events firm Multiplay, launching new payment schemes and even entering the technology sector with its GameTronics sub-brand.

But the firm was also bolstering its web offering with the new GAME Marketplace programme.

The concept is simple – the platform facilitates vendors to sell goods to consumers. Since its launch in March it has grown to over 100 sellers offering in excess of 100,000 products.

“The thinking behind Marketplace is the fact that, up until now, we have been a specialist retailer,” GAME’s marketing and insight director Fred Prego tells MCV. “Our background is about High Street stores – that’s what we were good at. And we were good at that because all our staff are gamers themselves; we knew what we were talking about.

When we did the website, we just showed what we had in-store, which was somewhat limited. We weren’t meeting our consumers’ needs.

“We realised there was an opportunity for us to do something different from our competitors that was true to what we stand for and that would help our website and our business to grow.”

KNOW NO LIMITS GAME Marketplace is by no means a new concept. There are already a number of platforms for selling game products,

August 14th 2015

GAME is now offering a wider range of goods though its Marketplace platform

including Ebay, Amazon and Rakuten. But Prego says that GAME’s heritage in specialist games retail sets it apart from the crowd.

“The feedback from vendors has been extremely positive so far,” Prego says. “We’re very pleased with how we are presenting our products to customers, and that the types of customers we are bringing in are very targeted.

We’ve got good merchandise and a good platform to sell. Gamers will come back to us and come back to our suppliers. That’s what our vendors are pleased with.

“The main difference from our competitors is that we are gamers and we are a specialist gaming retailer. That means that the whole proposition that we put in front of consumers is highly targeted and relevant, so they can feel like we know what we are talking about.

“When we decided to set up Marketplace, our objective was to be the number one game shop and the only place you need to

The aim of Marketplace is to answer gamers’ needs; to satisfy their insatiable need for content.

Fred Prego, GAME

00 18

go for all your gaming needs.

The key message for us is that you don’t need to go anywhere else. So far I believe it’s been a success.”

He continues that Marketplace is widening GAME’s userbase: “Almost 50 per cent of customers who have bought from Marketplace are new to GAME. Originally we launched it as a way to give our gamers a better experience. It’s more a service we are offering our consumers.

Gamers are really interested in that kind of offering; they are coming and buying from GAME. It’s an added benefit for us – when we launched we didn’t expect people to buy outside of GAME’s established customer base.”

TESTING THE WATER Marketplace allows GAME to enter new product categories. For example, the firm recently ran a promotion on retro goods, with orders fulfilled entirely by thirdparty sellers. Surely there’s an opportunity here for GAME to use Marketplace to test the water on new product lines?

“We’re always looking for new products to offer our consumers,” Prego says. “If there is demand, we want to put the product in front of customers.

We want to provide as big an opportunity as possible for our fans to buy from us. If there is an chance, we will review whether we make it an on-going part of our offering. At this stage, it’s not necessarily our objective.

“The aim of Marketplace is to answer gamers’ needs; to satisfy their insatiable need for content.”

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INDIE INTERVIEW THE TOWN OF LIGHT Sponsored by

Finding Light in a dark place As games continue to mature, more developers are tackling increasingly complex themes. LKA.it founder Luca Dalco discusses The Town of Light’s exploration of mental health with Matthew Jarvis

G

ames have grown up. It’s hard to imagine someone deconstructing the psychological processes behind Mario’s Goomba-squishing habits (probably an Oedipus complex) 30 years ago, but in 2015 there are countless articles, YouTube videos and even books about the deeper meaning behind titles, their characters and environments.

This has led to many developers venturing further into a virtual exploration of complex issues – from Papa & Yo’s allegory for childhood abuse to Never Alone’s existential examination.

Like many of its contemporaries, Italian studio LKA.it is turning to real life for inspiration. The outlet’s upcoming psychological thriller The Town of Light sees players explore a faithful recreation of the Volterra Psychiatric Hospital in Italy, with the main character going through events based on the real experiences of mental health patients during the 20th century.

“Mental illness affects a large percentage of the worldwide population,” says LKA.it founder Luca Dalco. “It is a real problem that affects so many lives, yet is carried with a stigma. Our aim is to make the player more aware of those themes, and allow them to experience a story of discomfort and internment. We have chosen to bring mental illness closer to home for the player, to make them realise it’s an issue that is more widespread than they may think.”

MIND GAMES Town of Light is far from the first game to be set in a mental institution; from Outlast to Batman Arkham Asylum, padded cells and echoing corridors are a horror staple.

August 14th 2015

The Town of Light’s setting (left) is a faithful recreation of the reallife Volterra Psychiatric Hospital (above)

“The main differentiation between Town of Light and the rest is that the location is not just a place to fill with paranormal activities or zombies – on the contrary, it’s a sad place where players will live through a credible story involving our main character,” explains Dalco.

Attention to detail is key to the game’s impact – everything, from the documents scattered on tables to the placement of each window and door, has been meticulously researched for more than two years.

“The building is near to our office so we had the chance to research everything very deeply,” reveals Dalco. “The stories in Town of Light are the outcome of long research work into mental illness and the history of institutions that treated it at the time. They are works of fantasy, but built with the aim to recreate the recurring themes connected to psychological discomfort.

“Attention to details increases the immersion; even if the smaller details are not consciously noted, they contribute equally to provide a real environment, credible and lifelike to the player’s eyes. In the game you will not find real files or real documents, but what you will find has been created to appear as

The release of more high-quality, storydriven games is a clear signal of market maturity.

Luca Dalco, LKA.it

20

credible as possible, to immerse the player in something true and real – like the reality of mental illness.”

As you might expect with a title dedicated to making its virtual world come to life, LKA.it is also considering bringing Town of Light to a different kind of headspace.

“VR makes a big difference when the immersion level is an important element of the narrative,” explains Dalco. “The feeling of exploring the environment with Oculus is really special – it’s like being there for real – and the feeling of anxiety we are trying to recreate is amplified.”

TOPIC TABOO Although games have come to mean far more than beating a high score, many topics still remain offlimits for triple-A games.

“Controversial themes are difficult to deal with, hence not favourable to be covered by those who invest a lot of money in big productions,” says Dalco.

“In terms of movies, the indie games scene is closer to the concept of art movies. The costs are lower, so you can target a smaller audience and you can – you must – risk digging deeper.”

With games continuing to encroach on the visual flair and narrative intricacy of cinematic blockbusters, Dalco believes that a new era of titles dedicated to taking games beyond simply ‘playing’ is beginning to emerge.

“The release of more highquality, story-driven games is a clear signal of market maturity,” he concludes. “The name ‘game’ seems to be really limiting for this amazing media; it is time this maturity process started. Games have enormous narrative potential, which is yet to be fully explored.”

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MARKETPLACE

SHELF LIFE Faisal Ali, owner of Manchester’s Joypad Video Games, tells MCV why he’s investing in a brand new website and moving away from selling via third-parties, and discusses his involvement with the local Street Fighter community Your website is currently under construction...

We have been working on it for a while now, but it should be live by the end of this Summer.

Why did you decide to revamp the site?

Ecommerce; we won’t be selling on websites like GAME Marketplace and Amazon. We’ll be selling direct, and using our Facebook page to promote it.

We’ve got just over 1,000 likes on

PRE-ORDER CHARTS

Hardware and software-wise, what’s been proving popular?

PS4 is the console we get constant requests for. Xbox One still has customers, but not with the same demand as we see for Sony products. The Wii U is starting to decline; it’s still an appealing product, but there’s no titles really there to attract anyone with a broader interest in gaming.

the Facebook page – real ones, not bought – so we’ve got some genuine outreach there.

Why are you moving away from selling on third-party sites?

It’s a bit of a logistical nightmare trying to get everything on eBay and manage it on various different websites. The website is mainly going to be in case we need to suddenly go digital-only, because brick and mortar may not have a definite future.

Microsoft has doubled-down in its efforts to push the Xbox One.

PRICE CHECK: STEVENAGE

TOP 10 PRE-ORDERS METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN DAY ONE EDITION Konami, PS4 2. Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection Sony.........................................................................PS4

WOLFENSTEIN: THE NEW ORDER

FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS

3. Until Dawn – Extended Edition Sony.........................................................................PS4

DISHONORED: GOTY

4. Gear of Wars: Ultimate Edn + Golden Hunter DLC Microsoft ..................................................................XO

Bethesda, 360

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£7.50

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9. FIFA 16 Deluxe Edn + FUT Premium Gold Packs EA .............................................................................PS4

£18.74

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10. Forza Motorsport 6 + Subaru WRXSTi DLC Microsoft ..................................................................XO

£23.99

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7. Animal Crossing Amiibo Cards Nintendo............................................................... 3DS

UPLOADING The latest digital releases coming to market

GALAK-Z

VOLUME

BEYOND EYES

Styled like a Saturday morning cartoon, this sci-fi shooter is out now for PS4

Mike Bithell’s second indie game hits PS4, Vita and PC next week

This indie effort sees players experience a watercolour world as a blind girl

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August 14th 2015

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22

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MARKETPLACE

Joypad Video Games 444 Barlow Moor Rd, Manchester, M21 0BQ

Have you seen interest increase since last year?

To some degree, yes. Uptake in Xbox Live has gone up – not just for Xbox One owners but 360 ones as well, thanks to the free Games With Gold.

We’ve just seen a slew of reveals at E3 and Gamescom. What caught your eye at the shows?

At E3, HoloLens was interesting to say the least. The Last Guardian and FF7 Remake, too – we have

Phone: 0161 861 0909 Website: joypadvideogames.com Facebook: facebook.com/JoypadVideogamesChorlton

a lot of customers who are oldschool gamers. We get a lot of interest in Street Fighter V because we get visitors from Manchester’s Battle Arena, which is the local Street Fighter community group.

We want to start doing some events with those guys, as well.

What are you looking forward to this Christmas?

The industry favourites really; Call of Duty and possibly Assassin’s Creed – if it doesn’t fall on its face.

INCOMING TITLE

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

After a few dry weeks, the end of August brings a flood of new titles, including Until Dawn, plus remasters of both Gears of War and Dishonored FORMAT

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PS3/Vita

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PS4

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Until Dawn

PS4

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Wii U

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PS4

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CentreSoft

September 15th Destiny: The Taken King

PS4,/XO/PS3/360

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Activision Blizzard

01216 253 388

CentreSoft

Forza Motorsport 6

XO

Racing

Microsoft

01279 822 800

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PS4,/XO/PS3/360/PC

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Konami

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PS4,/XO

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23

August 14th 2015

DESTINY

DESTINY Bungie’s blockbuster shooter is getting its greatest add-on yet in The Taken King.

Matthew Jarvis looks at the merchandise surrounding the major launch

THE biggest new IP of 2014 is about to get even bigger.

Launched last September, Activision and Bungie’s MMOcum-FPS Destiny had over 16 million registered players at the start of 2015.

Activision revealed earlier this year that, in conjunction with mobile hit Hearthstone, the games had collectively raked in more than $850 million during the previous 12 months.

The success of Destiny at retail saw the title hailed as the best

The Taken King expansion puts a focus on narrative, in response to requests of the Destiny community.

New Games Brand of 2014 at this year’s MCV Awards. The accolade joined the game’s records for most pre-ordered IP of all time and the biggest-selling new franchise in history, with more than $500 million in sales on day one.

The Taken King will be the third big expansion for Destiny, after the release of The Dark Below last December and House of Wolves in May. It’s the last part of the so-called ‘Year One’ portion of Destiny, and will see a number of

DESTINY SIGNATURE SERIES STRATEGY GUIDE This useful guide is ideal for players wanting to catch up with Destiny’s existing content in time for The Taken King’s release. It includes a complete walkthrough of the shooter’s campaign, with tips and guides for every strike. Every enemy and weapon is fully detailed, too. It also has comprehensive coverage of the game’s multiplayer modes and exclusive illustrated maps, which are only available in this guide.

SRP: £14.99 Manufacturer: Bradygames Distributor: DK Contact: sales@uk.dk.com

DESTINY RULED JOURNAL

DESTINY TRIO MAXI POSTER

TITAN MIX MATERIAL BI-FOLD WALLET

Inspired by the visuals of Bungie’s game, this writing journal is perfect for jotting down experiences in Destiny’s galaxy.

Measuring 61 by 91.5cm, this print frames three Guardians in front of a beautiful alien landscape.

Players can keep their Strange Coins and Glimmer safe with this wallet emblazoned with a Titan emblem.

SRP: £13 Manufacturer: Insight Editions Distributor: Insight Editions Contact: b.parnell@insighteditions.com

SRP: £3.99 Manufacturer: GB Eye Distributor: GB Eye Contact: uksales@gbeye.com

SRP: £13.99 Manufacturer: Bioworld Distributor: Gaming Merchandise UK Contact: hello@gamingmerchandiseuk.com

August 14th 2015

24

www.mcvuk.com

DESTINY

Sponsored by

O

gaming merchandise uk

physical and digital SKUs, including Legendary and Collector’s Editions.

The expansion puts a focus on narrative, adding to Destiny’s campaign and including new quests, enemies, locations, maps and a Raid mission. Activision says building on the title’s story and providing far more content (the pack is twice the price of its predecessors) is a response to the requests of the Destiny community.

As with the initial release of Destiny, there will be a special

PS4 bundle to commemorate The Taken King’s launch on September 15th, with a limited-edition white 500GB machine and a variety of bonus content.

The Taken King is set to excite gamers who have continued to play Destiny from its launch until now, but with such a lot on offer, old players could be drawn back to the shooter, too – making the expansion’s release the perfect time to stock up on Destiny merchandise.

ART OF DESTINY This collectible book collates Destiny’s concept art, allowing players to explore more of the sci-fi title’s universe. Its wide-ranging gallery of images includes every class, vehicle and planet, from the earliest sketches of the Guardians’ armour to ruined cityscapes on far-reaching worlds. Hundreds of sketches, illustrations, artwork, environments and more are featured.

SRP: £24.99 Manufacturer: Titan Books Distributor: Titan Books Contact: sales@titanemail.com

DESTINY - HEAVY MOULDED METAL KEYCHAIN

DESTINY: THE POSTER COLLECTION

DESTINY WARLOCK ZIPPER HOODIE

Keep losing the keys to your intergalactic spacecraft? Us too. This keyring will help keep everything in one place.

40 pages of removable posters make up this showcase of Destiny’s worlds, enemies, Guardians and vehicles.

Decorated with an orange and black Warlock logo, this zip-up hoodie will keep Destiny players safe on inhospitable planets. (Maybe.)

SRP: £4.99 Manufacturer: Bioworld Distributor: Gaming Merchandise UK Contact: hello@gamingmerchandiseuk.com

SRP: £19.99 Manufacturer: Insight Editions Distributor: Insight Editions Contact: b.parnell@insighteditions.com

SRP: £44.99 Manufacturer: Bioworld Distributor: Gaming Merchandise UK Contact: hello@gamingmerchandiseuk.com

www.mcvuk.com

25

August 14th 2015

HOT PRODUCTS

Sponsored by

HOT PRODUCTS MCV takes a look at the best accessories heading to UK retail. This week, Hori takes a TAC-tful approach to gaming on PS4 and Nintendo brings NFC to 3DS

HORI TACTICAL ASSAULT COMMANDER 4 ACCESSORIES specialist Hori has announced a new pair of peripherals designed to bring the PC gaming experience to console.

The Tactical Assault Commander (TAC) 4 is a set consisting of a wired keypad and mouse, designed to replicate the keyboardand-mouse control scheme of computer titles.

This would be of particular interest to those playing firstperson shooters at a high- or professional level, with keyboard and mouse often said to give players the edge over those using a normal controller.

Compatible with PS4 and PS3, the accessories boast a Touch Pad to recreate the touch control of the PS4’s DualShock 4 pad.

The other buttons can be programmed to suit the personal play style of gamers.

The peripherals are also backlight by LED light, providing an illuminated look.

The keyboard element of the device is a cut down version of a full keyboard, offering access to the essential keys needed to game.

Both products connect via USB, meaning latency is minimised.

[INFO] RRP: £86.35 Release Date: October 9th Distributor: Hori Contact: infoeu@hori.jp

[INFO] RRP: $19.99 (£13) Release Date: October 2nd Distributor: Nintendo Contact: 01753 483 700

NINTENDO NFC READER AND WRITER FOR 3DS WHILE Nintendo’s Wii U, New 3DS and New 3DS XL all feature integrated Near Field Communication (NFC) compatibility – required for the use of Amiibo figures and the new Amiibo cards – the platform holder’s older 3DS models don’t support NFC.

August 14th 2015

However, gamers using the 3DS, 3DS XL and 2DS can soon join in on the Amiibo action thanks to a standalone NFC dongle, set for release later this year.

The hockey puck-shaped Nintendo NFC Reader/Writer is powered by two

26

AA batteries. The device connects to the handhelds wirelessly, providing the same functionality as the later consoles’ integrated NFC. It launches in time for a new wave of Amiibo, as well as the Animal Crossing Amiibo cards.

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STUDIO DIVA

CREATIVE & PROMOTIONAL BRIDGE MEDIA GROUP Tel: 020 3283 8466 www.bridgemediagroup.com ........................................................................................................

DEAD GOOD MEDIA Tel: +44 (0)7780 600 728 www.deadgoodmedia.com ........................................................................................................

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Tel: 0117 214 0404 www.studiodiva.co.uk ........................................................................................................

LOCALISATION, QA & TESTING KEYWORDS STUDIOS GROUP Tel: +353 1 902 2730 www.keywordsstudios.com

SUPERHERO Tel: +4020 3031 6180 www.superheroscreen.com ........................................................................................................

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CLICK ENTERTAINMENT LIMITED Tel: +44 203 137 3781 www.click-entertainment.com Wholesaler and distributor of video games, consoles and accessories

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TO LIST YOUR COMPANY HERE AND ONLINE EVERY WEEK PLEASE CONTACT CTALLON@NBMEDIA.COM OR CALL 01992 535647

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT AGENCIES AND SERVICE COMPANIES MEDIA & MARKETING CURSE, INC. Tel: +1 415 856 0056 www.curseinc.com ........................................................................................................

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AN independent creative agency with over 11 years’ experience producing award-winning campaigns for the world’s most iconic video games brands.

At the heart of what we do is our passion for games. We get gaming, we get gamers and we’re proud to be players.

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FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS COMPANY AND MANY MORE ONLINE NOW AT:

DIRECTORY

MCV DIRECTORY KEY CONTACTS Sony DADC ............................................ +44 (0) 207 462 6200

CREATIVE Fink ................................................................. info@finkcreative.com

GAMING ACCESSORIES DISC REPAIR

L3I............................................................................+ (0)1923 471 020

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£70 per two column box (100mm x 75mm). To run weekly for a minimum of 1 year. Please phone for other size and/or position requirements.

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August 14th 2015

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30

www.mcvuk.com

DIRECTORY

ENQUIRIES CONOR TALLON Tel: 01992 535647 ctallon@nbmedia.com

FINK

CREATIVE

DISTRIBUTION

CLICK ENTERTAINMENT

Artworking Mastertronic Brand Identity Ukie Localisation Rising Star Games Advertising BBFC Website Design Deep Silver Exhibition Bethesda Illustration Just Flight Appynation Digital Media IntentMedia Charity GamesAid Banners & Takeovers Konami Packaging Design Just Flight Email: info@finkcreative.com CREATIVE DISTRIBUTION

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31

Web: www.sonydadc.com

August 14th 2015

DIRECTORY

GAMING ACCESSORIES

L3I

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VENOM

Power Up! Twin Docking Station

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Tel: + (0)1923 471 020

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CALL CONOR TALLON ON 01992 535647 OR EMAIL HIM AT CTALLON@NBMEDIA.COM

Tel: +44 (0)1763 284181 August 14th 2015

32

w w w. v e n o m u k . c o m

Web: www.venomuk.com www.mcvuk.com

INSIDER’S GUIDE

INSIDER’S GUIDE NOMAD GAMES

DIRECTORY

WHO? Specialism: Development and publishing Location: Summit House, 35 Church Road, Lymm, Cheshire, WA13 0QS

Develop is the only dedicated publication for the UK and European games development community. It reaches over 300,000 subscribers every month.

Don Whiteford, managing director of Nomad Games, talks about the studio’s recent move into publishing

FOR GREAT ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES, CONTACT CHARLOTTE NANGLE CNANGLE@NBMEDIA.COM

Tell us about your company.

Nomad is a blend of seasoned developers and talented newcomers. Together we are focused on bringing successful titles from the tabletop gaming space into the digital environment, extending familiar gaming experiences to new and existing audiences in new ways.

Our first major title is the classic fantasy adventure board game Talisman and its expansions.

THIS MONTH’S DIRECTORY SPOTLIGHT: Outsource Media .......................................................................www.omuk.com

What successes have you seen recently?

The take up of our Talisman expansions continues at a very high rate; we have crossed the million-unit mark for the title and its expansions, and it has achieved No.1 in its category on mobile in 85 countries.

What are you currently working on?

We are working on the next expansion for Talisman and an unannounced title that is related to that game. We are also busy setting up for publishing titles by other developers, too.

What are the biggest trends in the industry affecting you?

Improved financial position thanks to industry-focused funding and tax credits, growth in the Android market and growth in mobile markets in general.

What are you looking forward to in games over the next 12 months?

To be included in the Develop Directory (which appears every month in Develop and now every week in MCV) contact cnangle@nbmedia.com

We are focused on bringing titles from the tabletop gaming space into the digital environment.

Hopefully re-entering the console space and watching how pricing models evolve. We’re keen to see how platforms evolve and sometimes opportunities arise at those junctures.

How did you choose your company name?

As a team we have had many adventures, taking on different guises and working with different publishers. We have kept ourselves together just as a tribe does. That and the fact that our audiences are now playing games wherever they go...

Nomad Games just seemed right.

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

WWW.DEVELOP-ONLINE.NET www.mcvuk.com

Contact: W: nomadgames.co.uk E: admin@nomadgames.co.uk P: 01925 759 660 T: @nomadgames

33

August 14th 2015

FACTFILE SWEDEN Sponsored by

INTERNATIONAL FACTFILE: SWEDEN Population: 9,775,572 Capital City: Stockholm Currency: Krona GDP (Per Capita): $49,582 KEY RETAILERS Webhallen, Elgiganten, Discshop, Gamestop TOP DISTRIBUTORS Bergsala, Koch Media, Nordisk Film Distribution, Pan Vision

TOP DEVELOPERS Paradox Interactive, King, Mojang, Raw Fury Games, DICE, Avalanche Studios, Stardoll PUBLISHERS IN THE REGION Activision Blizzard, Disney, EA, Koch Media, Microsoft, Bandai Namco, Warner Bros, Nintendo

PS4 was the biggest platform ACCORDING to the Association in Sweden last year, generating for the Nordic Game Industry €25.5 million (£17.8m) in retail (ANGI), Sweden is the biggest sales revenue. Xbox One, country for games in the Nordic meanwhile, generated €6.7 region, comprising 36 per cent million (£4.7m). On average, new of games retail sales, in terms of PS4 titles cost €58.93 (£41.12), both volume and value. while Xbox One games are slightly Compared to 2013, Sweden’s cheaper at €55.98 (£39.06). The games market declined slightly average cost of a game for any last year, seeing retail sales platform is €36.32 (£25.34). revenue fall by 15 per cent, “PC is an evergreen in Sweden, despite both PS4 and Xbox One and mobile is the top grower,” experiencing massive growth says Jacob Kroon, information – 905 and 8,003 per cent, officer and respectively. PC analyst at ANGI. suffered, too, “Mobile is a very falling 21 per important factor, cent in terms of but it’s vital to retail sales value. remember that Games the industry is retailers are a growing as a rarity in Sweden. whole, and recent There are around success with 20 major brands, Jacob Kroon, ANGI mobile has led with five of these some countries accounting for to more or less abandon PC and the majority of sales. other ‘traditional’ platforms.

Swedish gamers have familiar “Sweden, on the other hand, tastes to players here in the has always had, and continues UK. FIFA 15 was the best-selling to have, a strong focus on PC game of last year in Sweden, games as a stepping stone to followed by local creation greatness across the board.”

Minecraft and GTA V.

PC is an evergreen in Sweden, and mobile is the top grower.

August 14th 2015

34

www.mcvuk.com

SWEDEN FACTFILE

MEANWHILE IN... CHINA Apple is no longer the biggest smartphone player in China, as local firm Xiaomi overtakes it in terms of market share LONG the dominant force in China’s mobile industry, Apple now has a battle on its hands.

That’s because the American tech giant has lost its market share majority in the country, with local rival Xiaomi recapturing the lion’s share of the smartphone sector.

This comes despite Apple’s recent success in the region, with the popularity of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models driving the company to record results.

But Xiaomi has seen a similarly prosperous 2015, experiencing a 48 per cent month-on-month increase in sales during June.

www.mcvuk.com

35

Xiaomi now holds 15.9 per cent of the smartphone segment, according to analyst Canalys. Meanwhile, Huawei has also leapfrogged Apple, thanks to its possession of 15.7 per cent of

the market, pushing the iPhone and iPad creator down to third. Samsung, a close competitor of Apple on Western shores, sits in fourth place.

August 14th 2015

INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION Sponsored by

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Tel: +357 22 666612 Web: www.greatgames.com.cy

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

IRAN

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

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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

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

WORLDWIDE

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

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

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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 August 14th 2015

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OFF THE RECORD

OFF THE RECORD This week, VideoGamer.com is unleashed upon the public, GAME goes to Gotham, Hamilton brings a kid’s car to life and Hyper Japan comes to The O2 ALL MILLER, NO FILLER The video wizards and professional piss-takers from VideoGamer.com brought their unique combination of games coverage, comedy and wrestling to an unsuspecting and unprepared London last month.

140 people packed out Oxford House for the VG Live event, which included a live podcast recording from the crew, followed by a Q&A session. One lucky attendee also walked away with a PS4 bundle.

Simon Miller – he of The Miller Report – invited his band, MG & The Juggernaut, to play afterwards. Luckily, unlike the site’s video content, wrestling-related stage invasions were kept to a minimum – although with a second event sure to be in the works, who knows what’s in store for the future...

The problem is that there isn’t much that distinguishes it from a high-end phone or tablet.

Had my Ouya for a day before I returned it.

Jon @tuxisagamer Until they do an overhaul, nooooooo.

)2//2:,1* 5$=(5¡6 $&48,6,7,21 2) 28<$ :( :$17 72 .12: ² '2 $1'52,' &2162/(6 +$9( $ )8785(" #GMGASKS

Only as a secondary function of an already established media player.

Matthew Arruda @F4ythi No. LOL, no.

Piggro @Dephius_Boogius Maybe on the toilet.

Big Perm @PermTrouble Pfffft hahahaha no.

Chris Fleury @QuasarZ71 Vaughn Whiskey @VaughnWhiskey

Unless Android consoles have enough horsepower to compete with Xbox & PS4, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t foresee a big future to be honest.

You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sell products if no-one knows they exist. :(

Alex @Hey_Sonny

www.mcvuk.com

Tom @ShdwCypher

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Blackwatch @B1ackwatch No.

Adam Rust @rustafur

August 14th 2015

OFF THE RECORD

SIX DEGREES OF LAURA DISNEY

THE JOKER’S ON YOU To mark June’s launch of Arkham Knight, GAME sent one fan on a unique trip to Gotham, with just one (small) catch: it was the tiny village of Gotham in Nottinghamshire, rather than Gotham City.

Kevin McDermott snapped photographic proof of his Gotham visit, posing beside the village sign dressed in full Batman garb – obviously.

“Those who think they need to visit New York or Chicago to taste the world of Gotham City are mistaken,” said Fred Prego, insight and marketing director at GAME. “We’re excited to offer a truly immersive Batman experience right here on our doorstep.”

We don’t know about you, but we wouldn’t call it a ‘fully’ immersive Batman experience unless Kevin was shot at, blown up and mentally tormented by a man dressed as a clown. Now THAT’s a prize.

HOW IS SQUARE ENIX’S PRODUCT MARKETING MANAGER LINKED TO KEVIN BACON AS A CARTOON DOG? ONLY MCV (AND GOOGLE) CAN FIND OUT

KEVIN BACON starred as animated husky Balto in the film of the same name. Another actor to lend their voice was...

...MIRIAM MARGOLYES, best known as Professor Sprout in Harry Potter. She also appeared in The Wedding Video with...

...lead man RUFUS HOUND. The comedian was recently confronted in a VideoGamer.com video by...

...The Miller Report’s own SIMON MILLER. He previously spent just shy of a year as PR manager at THQ, working alongside...

...product manager ELIZABETH BLACKMAN, who in late 2012 moved to Square Enix, coming to work with...

YOUNG DRIVER Alongside the launch of Project CARS, Bandai Namco announced a partnership with Explore Learning to give Explore’s members the chance to design a futuristic racing car.

Pro racing driver Nicolas Hamilton (yes, the brother of Lewis) had more than 8,000 entries to pick from, finally selecting 10-year-old Jack Hillery from Bristol as the winner.

Nicolas met Jack at the Explore centre in Bristol to present him with a framed picture of his design, as well as a certificate and a PS4.

Well done Jack – it’s just a shame you’ll have to wait another seven years until you can drive your design. (Hopefully they’ll have made it by then...)

August 14th 2015

...fellow THQ alumna, and current senior product marketing manager at Square Enix, LAURA DISNEY.

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OFF THE RECORD

GOING HYPER HYPER Japan came to London’s O2 arena between July 10th to 12th, with the UK’s festival dedicated to all things Japanese moving from its former home at the now-defunct Earl’s Court.

Japanese gaming giants Bandai Namco and Nintendo both had huge booths at the show, letting fans demo out their latest and upcoming games.

Of course, there were also thousands of dressed-up cosplayers, from iconic characters to the more obscure. If you can name all of the characters in the pictures opposite, we’ll give you a prize. (Not really.)

CONTACTS Christopher Dring

Kelly Sambridge

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Ben Parfitt

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August 14th 2015

Fu Li nd G ve- in Pi am st g a Ex tch es ag nd po m sh e & in ee ow c ve tin ca on stm gs se fer e en nt c e ad vic e

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