MCV848 September 18th by Future PLC

OFFICIAL VIDEO GAME

THE BUSINESS OF VIDEO GAMES ISSUE 848 FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18TH 2015

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Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies, and are used under license from Microsoft. “2”, “PlayStation”, “Ã” and “À” are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “Ø” is a trademark of the same company. “Blu-ray Disc™” and “Blu-ray™” are trademarks of the Blu-ray Disc Association. Dolby and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. DTS® is a registered trademark and DTS Digital Surround™ is a trademark of DTS, Inc. Pro Evolution Soccer® 2016 ©2015 Konami Digital Entertainment KONAMI is a registered trademark of KONAMI CORPORATION. “Pro Evolution Soccer” is a registered trademark of Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. SCEE, 10 Great Marlborough Street, London, W1F 7LP. Published by Konami Digital Entertainment BV. Developed by Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. ll UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Super Cup names, logos and trophies are the property, registered trademarks and/or copyright of UEFA. All rights reserved. adidas, the 3-Bars logo, the 3-Stripe trade mark and Climacool are registered trade marks of the adidas Group, used with permission. The use of images and names of the football players in this game is under license from FIFPro Commercial Enterprises BV. Copyright FFF © Official Licensee of the FIGC The FIGC logo is a registered trade mark of the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio Producto Oficial Licenciado RFEF Liga BBVA 15/16 Product under Official License from the La Liga www.laliga.es © 2002 Ligue de Football Professionnel ® Officially Licensed by Eredivisie C.V. and Stichting CAO voor Contractspelers © S.L.B. Producto Oficial. Official Licensed Product of A.C. Milan Official product manufactured and distributed by KDE under licence granted by Soccer s.a.s. di Brand Management S.r.l. Photo by Aflo All other copyrights or trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are used under license. Made in Austria. All rights reserved.

THE BUSINESS OF VIDEO GAMES

FIGHTING FIT

ISSUE 848 FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18TH 2015

CAPCOM’S EUROPEAN TEAM ON ITS 2015 COMEBACK P06

Publishers have learnt nothing from broken game fiasco, warn bug testers Rush to meet Q4 release dates will result in more games failing to meet expectations by Alex Calvin MAJOR games this Christmas could launch with crippling bugs, just like in 2014. That’s the warning from leading games testing firms, who insist too many publishers have not learnt their lessons from Q4 last year, which saw a number of titles arriving with game-breaking issues, such as Halo: The Master Chief Collection, DriveClub and Assassin’s Creed Unity. “The run up to this Christmas will be no different to the last one,” Pole to Win localisation director Chris Rowley warned. “Console games are expensive to develop, so missing a street date is not an acceptable situation to a publisher. Day One patches have become the norm over the last few years to try and address this, but the reality is that it often takes several patches where a title is significantly behind schedule.” Babel’s functionality QA director Mathieu Lachance added: “We’ll see

many games launching with large errors and bugs. It’s impossible to release a flawless game. “In some cases, delaying a game can have a more devastating impact on the game and studios themselves than what quality concerns could have. It then becomes a balance between quality expectations and financial risk.” Universally Speaking QA manager James Cubitt says that there has been some improvement from game creators, but it’s still not enough. “It is getting better, but far from solved,” he told MCV. “People need to stop seeing delays as a bad thing, both companies and the user base. The number of companies that just squeeze QA testing into the remaining period, without sufficient time to then fix the issues and re-test, is hurting their own titles in the long run.”

(From left to right): Babel’s Lachance, Pole To Win’s Rowley and Universally Speaking’s Cubitt predict another Q4 of buggy game launches

Sega, Curve and Ripstone back Digital Counts campaign THE ﬁrst publishers have added their support to MCV’s call for more digital download data. The Digital Counts campaign launched three weeks ago, calling on publishers and digital retailers to share their ﬁgures in-order to create an accurate games chart. Currently, only games sold in boxes are included in the charts, prompting us to no-longer run a Top 40 in the magazine.

Two weeks ago, major media brands including Eurogamer, IGN, GameSpot, Kotaku, Videogamer and GI.biz backed the campaign. And now Sega, Curve and Ripstone have also pledged their support, with more publishers to join the campaign next week. “Ripstone fully supports the Digital Counts campaign and we urge other publishers to do the same,” said Phil Gaskell, the ﬁrm’s

creative director and co-founder. “As the industry changes we have to change with it, and a more open and honest approach to information like this can only benefit everyone.” Curve publishing director Simon Byron added: “We rely on anecdotes to put our performance into context and monitor the business. It’d be wonderful to see an official solution offering access to market-wide data that we could trust.”

PLUS KONAMI ON PES’ COMEBACK TOYS, LICENSING AND MERCHANDISE

NEWS

‘Pre-order problems could deter the most valuable consumers in the industry’ by Matthew Jarvis CONSUMERS who pre-order spend twice as much on games as the average player. Research ﬁrm Kantar Worldpanel says that consumers who pre-order spend – on average - £235 on games a year. The statistic acts as a warning to publishers following recent consumer dissatisfaction over pre-order issues. These have included games not working as intended, overly complex pre-order programmes, stock of Splatoon being stolen from a truck, with no replacements made available. Warner Bros cancelling its Batman Arkham Knight: Batmobile Edition, and widespread errors around preordered copies of Metal Gear Solid V and Super Mario Maker by GAME.

“It is critical that retailers make the pre-ordering experience a positive one for consumers, particularly given how valuable these consumers are,” Fiona Keenan, Kantar’s UK strategic insight director, told MCV. “In the last year they spent £235 on games, more than double that of the average games consumer – clearly any negative experiences should be avoided at all cost.” However, she adds, “whilst the recent pre-ordering issues we’ve seen in the market may deter consumers from pre-ordering in the future, it’s highly unlikely that they’ll deter consumers from actually buying games.” Pre-orders are currently a £145m business. The vast majority of pre-orders (65 per cent) take place online, said Kantar.

The Batmobile Edition of Batman: Arkham Knight was cancelled

The Hut Group reorganises games and tech team with new recruits ZAVVI’S parent company The Hut Group has restructured its games and tech team, with key new recruits. Former senior buyer Mike Fethers will lead the new team as head of technology and games. He is joined by Martyn Plant, who has been appointed junior buyer. Plant has been part of The Hut Group for four years, previously as part of its marketplace team. Kate Livingston is the team’s new graduate buyer, while former games buyer Deen

Konami convinced Pro Evolution Soccer can catch up with FIFA

Olokodana has moved internally to manage the group’s white label websites. As a part of the merger between tech and games, Sam Philips has joined as technology buyer. “We’ve seen incredible growth this year within games and we’re making sure the team are in a position to continue this growth,” said Fethers. “Merging the tech and games team allows us to leverage our supplier base and make the most of our experienced team.”

KONAMI says it is closing the gap between its PES series and EA’s football blockbuster, FIFA. Speaking to MCV, the publisher said it wants to be the industry leader in terms of soccer titles. Reviews for PES 2016 are now out, with critics praising the title. “We’re deﬁnitely catching up with FIFA,” product manager Adam Bhatti (pictured) said. “And we have to be respectful about that. We have to keep closing that gap. In a couple of years we’ll clearly lead again. But we have to convince a lot of people.” He continued: “There are things we can’t control like licences, but in terms of presentation, visuals, we want to be industry leading.” Konami marketing exec Jon Edwards added: “We are

(From left to right): Olokodana, Fethers, Livingston, Plant and Phillips

September 18th 2015

delighted with the positivity shown to PES 2016. We’ve always had utter belief in its quality, but with the ﬁrst reviews hailing it as the best football game of all time, it is fantastic to see others celebrating its advances.” You can read more about PES 2016 on Page 12.

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NEWS

THE LEADER

Worst August in 19 years for UK games retailers by Christopher Dring SALES of physical games in the UK generated just £22.5m last month, the lowest ﬁgure for an August since the mid-1990s. It is the 14th worst month in UK games industry history – 12 of which took place during 1996 and 1997. The only month in recent memory to reach lower than £22m was July 2013. This is GfK Chart-Track ﬁgures, which does not factor in digital sales of games due to the industry’s reluctance to share data around download games. Therefore this number does not

include the sales of games such as Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture, Volume, Beyond Eyes, Her Story and Rocket League. Three of those games were made in Britain, and it was actually a strong month for UK-made games overall. There were six boxed British games in the Chart-Track Top Ten, LEGO Jurassic World (No.1), Batman: Arkham Knight (No.2), Grand Theft Auto V (No.3), Rare Replay (No.5), Minecraft: Xbox Edition (No.9) and F1 2015 (No.10). You can read more about the recent surge in British made games on page 20.

THE KING IS DEAD

know, right? What a reign... A superb figurehead... Remarkable work holding that family together... An unflappable leader. The hyperbole has been a bit ridiculous, if I’m honest. But what can we learn from the record-breaking rule of HRH Elizabeth II? It’s this: you can bang on about welcoming change and seeing eras come and go, but what really counts in life is commitment. Commitment is different to change because it’s a human thing. You choose to dedicate yourself to something. Change isn’t always good, welcome or necessary. It sometimes comes about for the sake of it, but also because something has failed, or as a by-product of something else. You don’t see it coming half the time, because it is inhuman. Take for example the first MCV news stories I ever wrote: Dame Edna hosting the InDin; Acclaim defending BMX XXX; the debut of new IP Splinter Cell. Only one of these remains, and it’s not the outrageous tits-on-a-bike game. I reckon Ubisoft’s stealth game was primarily sustained through the persistence of its staff. Changes in the games market are or will make many people obsolete – media, publishers, distributors, retailers. The market’s growing but the industry is shrinking. I’ve learned that much in my time on MCV. But most importantly: I’ve learned that the committed people that change tries to stamp on often survive.

Digital games like Rocket League could not contribute to the market value in August

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THE BIG GAME PES 2016

September 18th 2015

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PES 2016 THE BIG GAME

PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2016

Evolve or die After years of struggling to compete with football giant FIFA, Konami says that its Pro Evolution Soccer series is closing the gap, at least in terms of quality. But how has it managed this? And what role has the Latin America market played in the series’ comeback? Alex Calvin reports

Release Date: September 18th Formats: PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Publisher: Konami Developer: PES Productions

or years, Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer has played second fiddle to EA’s behemoth FIFA franchise. The latter sells millions in its first week alone and has a list of licences the length of the average football pitch, while PES took a dip in terms of both popularity and quality during the last console generation. Then last year’s PES 2015 surprised many gamers and critics with its quality. It proved that PES might be down, but it certainly was not out. “Just as easily as we lost everybody, we can gain them back,” European product manager Adam Bhatti says. “It requires the same amount of time for us to create a quality product. Last year was a bit of a surprise. If you go that long without

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success, you don’t expect it to happen that quickly. It was great, but we still need to convince a lot of people because they haven’t tried PES. We need to convince people to give it a go and try it. That’s what’s really important.” He continues: “Our aim is to continue to look at where people criticise us. There are things we can’t control like licences, but in terms of presentation, visuals, we want to be industry-leading. “PES on the PlayStation 2 was iconic, and – even though it was better – FIFA still sold more because of all the licences, but we were still selling a heck of a lot as well. And we had the respect. People saw us as the de facto football game, the one with the better visuals, the better animations, the better gameplay. Right

now, we have the better gameplay. But do we have the better modes, do we have the better animation? These are questions that everybody is asking. The aim is that in a year or two’s time the answers will be: yes. That’s the ambition.” SHOW, DON’T TELL Konami has a history of talking its PES franchise up. But this year it feels it has something truly special (and the critics appear to agree). So Konami has been letting fans get hands-on with a demo. “We want the consumers to make the choice, we want the fans to play the game and really believe in what we are saying,” Bhatti says. “It’s really easy for me to try and tell you Adam Bhatti, Konami what is great and what is not,

There are things we can’t control, like licences. But in terms presentation, we want to be industry-leading.

September 18th 2015

THE BIG GAME PES 2016

Konami’s Bhatti says that players are more responsive in PES 2016

but consumers need to make that choice and feel the improvements.” Bhatti continues: “What’s new is the whole presentation. We’ve made a huge number of tweaks with the player control, the responsiveness. There are three times more animations, we’ve got a brand new Master League and there’s a brand new collision system.” TOP DOG FIFA might be the leading football game in many markets, but PES has managed to retain its presence in some emerging territories. “Since the times of Winning Eleven [PES was called Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer briefly in the Americas], Argentina, Chile and Brazil have been strong

September 18th 2015

markets,” Konami’s international director of football, Erik Bladinieres, says. “Seven years ago we opened an office in Latin America because of that strength. We saw that we needed to do more for that market. “We started to support the game a lot more and bring in those other consumers. We were ahead of our competition and we got Brazilian leagues, many teams from all those countries, and started to make investments, getting them personalised things – such as the commentators in the local languages. We have Spanish from Mexico, Spanish from Chile, Spanish from Argentina, all with local commentators. That, combined with full interaction and integration with the communities, is why we are ahead of our competition.”

Latin America was a taste of success. It was a test to see if that kind of localised strategy would work. Erik Bladinieres, Konami

This strategy of targeted local content has influenced Konami’s overall direction for the PES franchise. “Latin America was a taste of success,” Bladinieres explains. “It was a test to see if that kind of strategy would work, and now that’s what we are doing globally. “Now in Europe we are trying to gain back some land little-by-little. And you will see a full three-year strategy in place as to how to do this globally. Last year we started it by refreshing the brand. Now things are very specifically done to impact each market. There’s many things we have done and it’s a full global strategy about how to win back share. Latin America was the beginning of that.” PES 2016 is coming to PS4, Xbox One and PC, as well as PS3 and 360 - unsurprising given

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PES 2016 THE BIG GAME

Brazil’s Neymar da Silva Santos Jr is the cover star of this year’s PES

that the series has mass market appeal and those older machines have huge install bases. But Bhatti questions whether they are actually still being used. “Are people still playing their PS3 and 360? That’s what concerns me,” he says. “You have the huge install base, but is it active? I’m sure Sony and Microsoft have those figures and they’ll want to keep them close to their chest, but for us it’s a market. We were one of the last publishers to launch games on PlayStation 2. We tend to stay on to the end.” And in some territories, PS3 and 360 SKUs are crucial: “I was in Madrid and one of the press guys said to me that we didn’t know the market,” Bhatti recalls. “I asked why, and he said that we had been communicating all

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about PlayStation 4 and Xbox One when it was PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 market. Less than half the people are hearing what you are talking about. It’s really important to look at it market-by-market. It’s different for the UK and US and certain parts of mainland Europe where everyone has gravitated towards the new consoles.” And the firm is certainly confident that it is closing in on market leader, FIFA – at least in terms of quality. “We’re definitely catching up,” Bhatti says. “And we have to be respectful about that. We can’t say that we have just suddenly overtaken them in one year. We have to keep closing that gap. Hopefully in a couple of years we’ll clearly leading again. But we have to convince a lot of people.”

LICENCE TO THRILL PES might lack the sheer quantity of licensing that EA manages to accumulate each year, but it has one that would make FIFA jealous. This year it renewed its licensing deal with UEFA, part of which is having the rights to Euro 2016. “We have a great relationship with UEFA. We really have and that’s something that we are building on,” product manager Adam Bhatti explains. “The Euro licence is a huge statement. It’s not in PES 2016, but it’s something that the fans want. We get a lot of stick from people saying we don’t have the licences. But we always say to people that as soon as something comes up, trust me, we are going to go for it. This is the first one –

hopefully the first of many more to come.” So is Konami planning a separate Euro 2016 title for next year, much like FIFA used to do with its World Cup games? “We actually don’t know what we are doing with it yet, so I can’t comment,” Bhatti says. “Who knows what it could be? But it’s great that we’ve got it. EA always brings out a special World Cup game and we’ve always found the consumer to be quite split on that. You might bring in some new people who might only ever buy tournament games, but there aren’t a lot of those. Then there are people who want to just buy one game a year and we have to be very careful about how we think about those things.”

September 18th 2015

Fu L n G ive- din 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

The UK’s only interactive content marketplace is back

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VIDEO GAME MERCHANDISE

Merch ado about gaming Geek culture is no longer a niche – from T-shirts to tea towels, showing off your passion for a games brand has become a booming business. Matthew Jarvis speaks to masters of merchandise from across the sector to catch up with the latest trends

t’s never been cooler to be a geek. From characters on TV shows such as The Big Bang Theory to successful YouTubers and British comedians like Phill Jupitus and Ed Byrne, clothing and accessories inspired by the virtual world can now be seen everywhere – and on anyone. Walk down a T-shirt aisle in Tesco or H&M and you’re just as likely to find references to Sega and Nintendo as you are mainstream brands like Coca-Cola. “Hoodies, T-shirts, bags and caps are categories that have always worked well with consumers in the past five years,” says Michiel de Ruyter, online marketeer at Bioworld Europe. “Other categories that do well are small accessories like wallets, keychains and necklaces. There is also an increasing demand for more specialty items like bathrobes and leggings.” But it’s not only shirts and smaller products that are in vogue – more expensive items are proving just as popular. “We’ve seen a small, yet noticeable, shift away from lowticket apparel such as T-shirts to higher-priced, higher-quality items,” acknowledges Phil Rolls, buying manager for specialist distributor Gaming Merchandise UK. “Hoodies, with a typical RRP of around £40, and a faux-leather Arkham Knight jacket, retailing at around £70, have been particularly good performers this year. “Manufacturers seem to be prepared to take a few more risks in the categories they are entering; glassware, jewellery and cosplay accessories – such as our own PayDay 2 face masks – have performed unbelievably well.”

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Dan Long, co-founder and head of communications at Insert Coin, adds that video game clothing has become much more fashionable, too – going beyond a simple logo on a shirt and reflecting trends in the wider industry. “We’ve found that gamers still really want sleek, subtle designs, but there’s a definite move towards retro styling too – not just in the actual games, but in the garments representing them, too,” he explains. “There have been a lot of milestones this year – PlayStation’s 20th and Rare’s 30th anniversaries spring to mind – and these have helped promote a swell in nostalgia for classic games and fashion.” TIE-IN FIGHTERS The rising ubiquity of video game merch has presented new challenges for firms. Ken Goodisson, marketing director at toy manufacturer Jakks Pacific, comments upon the drive to create games products that stand in from an evercrowded market. “As long as it sticks close to the licence and doesn’t take it off in a tangent – as long as it respects the licence and is relevant to it, then it seems a right thing to do,” he says. “Four-inch action figures are a good example of that, where you can take all the characters from Nintendo and give somebody the opportunity to collect across the universe of those particular characters. Then, for the collectors, the serious guys, the guys who have the money to spend, there are 20-inch versions of those characters.”

More expensive products have taken off in recent years

We’ve seen a shift away from low-ticket apparel to higher-priced, higher-quality items. Phil Rolls, Gaming Merchandise UK

Models continue to sit among the most popular categories for merchandise collectors, as brands such as Play Arts Kai and Kotobukiya are able to attract older enthusiasts with deeper pockets than the kids audience traditionally associated with toys. “The large figures around £30 – often highly-detailed characters such as Link that have been around for a good 20 years – are targeting

September 18th 2015

VIDEO GAME MERCHANDISE

INDIE VOGUE ALTHOUGH triple-A efforts are obvious focal points for merchandise firms, the growing popularity of indie titles could mean a future gold rush for products based on smaller-budget games. “A collective effort from publishers, manufacturers and retailers is needed to fully exploit what is undoubtedly a massive opportunity,” says Gaming Merchandise UK buying manager Phil Rolls. “Indie studios don’t necessarily have the resources to dedicate the man hours needed to see through the introduction of a range of quality products. The onus is on everyone to remove as many of the barriers to entry as possible.” Dan Long, co-founder and head of communications at Insert Coin, concurs. “There’s definitely a market for merchandise inspired by games of all shapes and sizes,” he explains. “It isn’t the size – or even the amount of units sold – that impacts on the popularity of related merchandise, but the passion behind it. Indeed, people playing indie games are often more engaged and invested. They want to represent as much as possible, and merchandise is the perfect way for them to do it.” Bioworld Europe online marketeer Michiel de Ruyter observes that increasing investment in the indie sector has expanded the potential for add-ons items. “To develop merchandise for a game you need to have a minimum amount of fans and only a percentage of these fans will buy products based on the game,” he says. “Sometimes games start as indie but as soon as they get more than normal attention you see companies like Sony and Microsoft pick them up and change them into triple-A titles.”

September 18th 2015

manufacturers and licence holders put their heads together and resolve this as soon as possible.” Long says that this ties in to a wider need to actually listen to the people playing games. “It’s always important to remember and understand that gamers really know their onions,” he says. “You have to research and look into what individual audiences like and want to see. To be honest, the best way is simply to ask them.” Sarah DeFoor, VP of sales and operations at accessories specialist KontrolFreek, agrees, stating that products must be much more than a cheap cash-in. “Players are becoming more and more invested in games and their culture,” she observes. “Franchises like Call of Duty become ‘badge brands’ that players want to identify with. The brand says something about them as a gamer and as a person. “Players spend a lot of time within a game’s universe. Merchandise allows dedicated fans and players an opportunity to bring a piece of that virtual universe into their physical worlds, and represent their favourite franchise.”

those 25-and-up collectors who are big fans and have the money as well,” explains Goodisson. “If you look at the demographic, quite a majority of them are single; they’ve got cash because they don’t have families and such. The same goes for Star Wars as well – we have the everyday price point 20-inch figure, but then you can have your 31-inch and 48-inch figures as well – price points go all the way up to £100. “We do tailor as much as possible to collectors, but at the same time they’re appealing to kids.” MERCH STILL TO BE LEARNED Game merchandise may be thriving as of late but, much like the industry as a whole, it hasn’t been without its recent challenges. “A particular frustration is the licensing approval process,” reveals Rolls. “We’d like to see the industry as a whole working to ensure availability of merch at or, preferably, prior to the release date of key titles. “If the item doesn’t hit day one, and your game doesn’t cut the mustard, merchandise sales will be, at best, negligible – no matter how compelling the offering is.” de Ruyter adds his concern that merchandise produced quickly in an effort to cash-in could turn some consumers away from investing in such products. “There are still a lot of manufacturers making subquality products which damages the general feeling around merchandise. One of the biggest challenges is to convince the bigger retailers that the quality of the items is very good and the demand for merchandise is very high.” Rolls continues that, in line with the growing discussion of female representation in games, merch manufacturers need to push for further diversity in their products. “With one or two exceptions, the dearth of products available for girls and women is frankly embarrassing,” he criticises. “We hear so much about how girls form an increasingly sizeable and important tranche of the gaming market, yet the range of apparel available is nowhere near reflective of this. We hope that

From top to bottom: Insert Coin’s Long, Bioworld’s de Ruyter, Gaming Merchandise UK’s Rolls and KontrolFreek’s DeFoor

CHRISTMAS CRACKERS Dresses made of meat, old crisp packets and bin bags have all been paraded down catwalks around the fashion world, and it may often seem that gaming merchandise trends are as unpredictable and mysterious. So what is it that players actually want? “We’re increasingly seeing that teambased games, whether its traditional team deathmatchtypes such as Counter-

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VIDEO GAME MERCHANDISE

Strike, MOBAs such as Dota 2 and League of Legends, or even MMORPGs like Elder Scrolls Online, are attracting more widespread merchandise offerings,” suggests Rolls. “The common denominator is a ‘display of loyalty’ – players will attach themselves to a team, character, class and so on and merch themselves to the point where they’re almost wearing a team uniform.” The ultimate form of brand loyalty is often seen in those that dress up as their favourite game characters. “Cosplaying is mushrooming,” enthuses Rolls. “Franchises such as PayDay and Dota lend themselves to ‘accessorising’ in a way that makes cosplay simple yet authentic. We expect to see a proliferation of this category over the coming 12 to 18 months.” It’s probably little surprise to hear that Star Wars is set to rule the merchandise galaxy this Q4, as Goodisson forecasts. “You’ll see a lot of games, apparel and toys coming together to create a huge world for Star Wars around the movie,” he predicts. “You’ll see retail space for toys, even in the grocers, open up immensely in November and December. It will definitely be a Star Wars year this year, and Frozen is still strong as well. Kids are very fickle, there’s no doubt about it, but as long as the proposition is still good and

there’s still a consumer need for it, it will still remain strong.” Back with the core gaming audience, Rolls believes that 2015’s blockbuster franchises will inspire a hunger for branded products – but adds that quirky items may see viral popularity, too. “It’s no secret that Fallout, Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed and Halo are all franchises that will explode in Q4,” he says. “There is some amazing product out there. Oh, and you won’t be able to move for geeky Christmas jumpers this year.” de Ruyter agrees: “Q4 2015 will be jam packed with big games and there will be a lot of lifestyle products to back this up. During Q4, Assassin’s Creed and Call of Duty products always perform really well. This year we also have Fallout 4, which has the potential to outsell them both. “With Uncharted 4, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Dark Souls 3 and Zelda’s 30th anniversary you know the first half of 2016 will be big, too.” There are also products set to emerge targeted at nascent games trends such as the burgeoning eSports sector and YouTubers, as DeFoor reveals. “By creating products with and for personalities like Ali-A, TmarTn or Clayster, or pairing merchandise with products and setups that pros use, retailers can generate a good bit of interest around a product,” she advises.

ON THE RIGHT SOUNDTRACK GREGORY Ferraiolo, VP of licensing and business development at Sumthing Else Music Works, discusses the growing demand for video game scores released on CD and vinyl.

TRENDY BUSINESS From bathrobes to books, the merchandise market continues to expand, reeling in an ever-devoted audience of fans. “More and more firms are becoming aware of the power of their brands – and the vital role that merchandise can play with communities,” Long states. “People want to engage with their favourite franchises in a more meaningful way – it is a hugely valuable part of the modern industry.”

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“Demand for game music has gone way up, to the point where labels are now continually trying to break into the game soundtrack business – whereas five years ago they had little to no interest. “As for the evolution of game music sales, soundtracks will continue to sell well. The trick is to have the ability to sell and market the soundtrack alongside the game in some format, whether that’s a digital download card inside the game or perhaps even the inclusion of vinyl in the game’s collector’s edition.

“Although physical music sales have declined over the past several years, game soundtracks perform well because they’re also collectibles. As a result, dedicated soundtrack collectors still demand CDs because fans enjoy having something tangible they can listen to and display to their friends. “When selecting what music to release physically, a game’s popularity is very important, as is the composer who created the score. For example, Assassin’s Creed is a huge franchise with a very loyal fan base and the music is fantastic, so releasing these titles on CD is a must. We also know from composer Jesper Kyd that his fans have been requesting a CD release of his scores for a long time.”

September 18th 2015

THE BRITISH DIGITAL RENAISSANCE

Made in Britain This summer saw the release of a number of big-selling digital-only UK-made titles, including Sam Barlow’s Her Story, Mike Bithell’s Volume, The Chinese Room’s Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture and Size Five’s The Swindle. Alex Calvin talks to these creators about the British digital games renaissance

o truly call something a trend, at least three things along a similar theme need to occur. This proves that individual events were not simply random. And one trend this summer is that British indies sure know how to make a digital smash hit. Over just a few weeks we had the launches of Size Five’s The Swindle, Mike Bithell’s Volume, The Chinese Room’s Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture and Sam Barlow’s Her Story. “It does feel like there’s been a few significant titles out this summer and that’s really great,” The Chinese Room’s creative director Dan Pinchbeck says. “There are loads of UK studios and teams out there - in reality a lot of those are working with mobile titles, so having a few bigger console titles hit in a short space of time might feel a bit like a renaissance, but there’s always been a lot of great teams out there making terrific games. We’re just part of the body of work.”

September 18th 2015

on,” Barlow explains. “Now the time is right. You’ve had a wave of medium-sized developers going under or transitioning, and people being set free or digging into redundancy packages; as well there’s the second wave of work from the indies who rode

Her Story developer Sam Barlow adds: “It’s been in the works for a while – there’s a whole part of the UK industry that has been in that traditional mid-tier, and as that business has dried up, it’s seemed like digital is a place that those efforts can be repurposed. These have a scale of idea, or a range of budgets, that don’t make sense for the traditional boxed product route. “So it’s taken a while, but it feels like we’re there now. We have mature marketplaces on PC and mobile where your audience is almost entirely digital. And the console manufacturers are embracing this new world and providing support for digital releases as a way to freshen up the sparse triple-A schedules.”

The tax breaks which have come in make our investment in games feel smarter. Mike Bithell

the first XBLA and Steam wave. Of the games you mention, with the exception of mine, those are all titles by developers who made waves on digital earlier - Thomas Was Alone (Mike Bithell), Dear Esther (Chinese Room) and Ben There, Dan That (Size Five) - so you’re looking at developers who know digital intimately, who’ve

BRITISH BORN But what in particular has brought along this sudden slew of Britishmade digital releases? “The UK has always been home to the ‘bedroom coder’ mentality and so that’s always there as a component of whatever is going

matured as the world around has caught up with them.” Volume creator Mike Bithell adds: “It continues to become easier and cheaper to produce polished games. Folks who had hits in that 2010 to 2013 indie boom had the financial safety net and publicity to double down and make something bigger, and we’re seeing that investment pay off. It’s worth noting that the games industry tax breaks which have come in make that investment feel even smarter.” Size Five’s Dan Marshall says that there’s a good reason for this sudden surge in digital hits. “Honestly, I think quite a lot of this all just has a single answer: timing,” he explains. “If I’d pushed, I probably could have had The Swindle ready May/June, but then there’s E3 and you don’t want to launch near E3 because all the journos are away and no one will pay attention to you. Then there was Batman, and you want to give everyone a few weeks to finish that and start looking out for the next

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THE BRITISH DIGITAL RENAISSANCE

THE BRITS OF SUMMER This last few months has seen a slew of high-quality Britishmade titles - and the critics have loved them... (Above right, clockwise from bottom left): Marshall, Bithell, Barlow and Pinchbeck

thing, and then suddenly you’re into July. Then there was a window before Metal Gear Solid comes out, and it’s all downhill to Christmas with a lot of big hitters taking up everyone’s time. It’s sensible to try and avoid releasing in the run up to Christmas.” SUMMER DRY PERIOD Marshall’s theory holds some water, because these games certainly benefitted from a sparse summer. Little in the way of physical releases hit stores during July and August. The boxed games market even hit a 19-year low in the last week of August. “The lack of physical releases means there’s a chance to get noticed, or get decent storefront placement, which is the absolutely critical thing,” Pinchbeck says. “There’s a good little window for digital titles in the summer it seems. Obviously we’ll have to wait and see how the games all perform, it’s early days for that, and in terms of business sustainability,

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Project CARS – Metacritic Score: 83 The crowd-funded new racing IP launched on PS4, Xbox One and PC in May, and sold 1m copies globally in its first month on shelves. LEGO Jurassic World – Metacritic Score: 75 The latest title from Traveller’s Tales was themed around blockbuster film Jurassic World, and spent most of the summer at No.1.

visiblity and renaissance are nice, but we’ve all got bills to pay.” Bithell adds: “Summer is a great period to launch a game without a massive marketing budget. I can’t compete with the noise of a triple-A launch, so releasing in a period away from that helps. Platform holders are also keen to

Batman: Arkham Knight – Metacritic Score: 87 Rocksteady’s latest Batman game had the best Week One sale of any title in the UK this year. Her Story – Metacritic Score: 91 Sam Barlow’s first indie project was murder mystery, Her Story, which came to PC and iOS in June and sold 100,000 units in its first month. F1 2015 – Metacritic Score: 85 Codemasters new F1 title made its debut on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, as well as PC, in July with a brand new game engine.

The lack of physical releases in the summer means there’s a chance to get noticed as an indie.

The Swindle – Metacritic Score: 74 Size Five’s first console title was a procedurally-generated heist title, and has come to PS4, Xbox One, Wii U, PS3 and Vita. Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture – Metacritic Score: 78 From Portsmouth-based The Chinese Room, PS4 title Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture was the best-selling release on PSN in August. Volume – Metacritic Score: 71 Mike Bithell’s acclaimed stealth-themed follow-up to Thomas Was Alone hit PS4 and PC last month.

Dan Pinchbeck, The Chinese Room

find good games to get behind in those months, so that’s a big help.” But no matter what the scientific reasons are, it’s clear that UK indie development is maturing, and that the digital market is inspiring a renaissance for British-made games.

Rare Replay – Metacritic Score: 85 To celebrate the heritage of one of the UK’s most prolific studios, Microsoft re-released 30 of its titles during August. Tearaway Unfolded – Metacritic Score: 82 Media Molecule has brought a remixed and updated version of Vita classic Tearaway to the PlayStation 4.

September 18th 2015

INDIE INTERVIEW FREEJAM

Robot wars Developer Freejam took every kid’s dream – building a battling robot – and turned it into hit free-to-play PC title Robocraft. Two years after launch, Matthew Jarvis checks in with CEO and game director Mark Simmons

rom The Terminator to Titanfall, it’s impossible to escape the impending robot apocalypse. Droids have long held a special place in the public conscience – just look at the recent excitement surrounding the reveal of a toy based on upcoming Star Wars gizmo BB-8. So it’s perhaps little surprise to find that a game allowing players to put together their very own mechanical marvel has proved to be a hit. That title is Robocraft, the first free-to-play effort from Portsmouth-based studio Freejam. Launched in April 2013, the DIY droid-battling MMO has since passed one million subscribers. “With Robocraft, we wanted players to be able to build a robot along creative and engineering principles, and send it into action,” recalls Mark Simmons, Freejam CEO and director for the game. “We were inspired by LEGO and Meccano, where you can build practically anything from all the different components.” UNDER CONSTRUCTION Somewhat fittingly for a game that involves constant tweaking and rebuilding in pursuit of perfection, Robocraft itself remains in the midst of creation. It has been in Steam Early Access for the last two years, with a full release planned for early 2016. “Our pre-alpha launch was a single-player version with robot building and a simple battle arena,” Simmons says. “We wanted to evolve the game with the community. After adding multiplayer, we’ve been expanding

September 18th 2015

Robocraft has more than one million subscribers

every few months with new gameplay based on internal or community ideas.” Early Access has come under much discussion, with some critics arguing the service has been devalued by games that are unfit even for the inprogress platform. “Our launch on Steam was amazing: it’s a really slick and easy platform and partner to work with, fantastic for player feedback and insights,” Simmons weighs in. “Perceptions are polarising – early adopters get that an Early Access game is in development, while the player majority expect polish, stability, no bugs, no dramatic changes. What’s amazing is how quickly a community can go from understanding early adopters to a large, demanding majority.”

A community can quickly go from understanding early adopters to a large, demanding majority. Mark Simmons, Freejam

‘FUN’ IN FUNDING As Freejam’s moniker suggests, the studio has dedicated itself to a free-to-play philosophy.

However, players can sign up for ‘Robocraft Premium’, a monthly subscription that provides faster levelling-up and gathering of the in-game RP currency, which is used to buy new parts. Simmons says that offering such a service helped the game to avoid the ‘payto-win’ pitfalls of many free-toplay mobile and PC titles. “Since we knew from the start we wanted to evolve Robocraft closely with the community, it made sense to go free-to-play asking for funding support up front didn’t seem right,” he explains. “Our players have responded positively to Robocraft Premium, appreciating that it’s a time saver that benefits everyone. “Free-to-play is proven as a valid model; it’s appreciated by players and is an effective solution for developers.” CRAFTY BUSINESS Robocraft is just one of the myriad construction titles to have emerged in the wake of Minecraft’s success. But with build-it-yourself games becoming commonplace, is it a trend set for eventual exhaustion or a bold new step for the games industry as a whole? “It’s a zeitgeist, for sure,” retorts Simmons. “I’d go further and suggest that player-created content is now a cornerstone for any successful game. Not only as a core in-game feature, but with modding, services like Steam Workshop and other facilities for creating and sharing, too. It’s a whole other level of shared engagement between content and the consumer, that only gaming can offer.”

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OPINION

INSIGHT

Child’s Play Generation Media senior account manager ALEX SMITH explains how targeted kids advertising campaigns are on the rise, and which companies are driving this trend

resulting in a games market share of 42 per cent of all kids equivalent TVRs delivered. Comparing this to their peak in 2010 when the company was still benefitting from the success of the Wii, Nintendo recorded TV ad market shares of over 48 per cent against kids four to 15 over the same time period. Nintendo’s strong investment year-to-date spans 18 TV campaigns that have had, on average, more backing than the 14 TV ad campaigns over the same period last year. With a strong lineup over the coming months (Star Fox Zero and Super Mario Maker to name a few), Nintendo is primed to be a considerable player across Q4 in the face of competition from multi-platform competitors. But Nintendo is not the only firm vying for the all-important younger audience. When examining consolidated TV (BARB) data for 2015 year-to-date, there appears to be an increase in the number of campaigns in the games arena that are aimed at children as more look to benefit from cash-rich children (with a total spending

onsolidated TV data yearto-date (Jan to Aug 2015) reveals an increase in children’s focused TV advertising from the games market. When looking at the total games TV ad market, children are 29 per cent more likely to view a games ad than the population average. This has increased year-on-year, with the 2014 figure for the same period standing at 12 per cent. Despite penetration rates stalling in recent years, Nintendo is one of the most popular hardware brands with children. One of the UK’s largest consumer surveys, Youth TGI, reports that 56 per cent of kids aged seven to 14 own either a Wii or Wii U, with 49 per cent owning a DS model. With games such as Tomodachi Life and Animal Crossing, Nintendo continues to focus a proportion of its efforts on the audience of girl gamers. Its console penetration increases to 60 per cent in the audience of girls aged seven to 14. This is driven by Nintendo’s handhelds, with over half of the girls asked owning a form of DS. Despite these differences, when asked if Nintendo was ‘Cool’, both sexes agreed (58 per cent of girls vs 63 per cent of boys), suggesting that the brand still resonates with both audiences. With growing confidence in its 2015 line up, Nintendo has increased its TV advertising output by 10 per cent year on year-to-date,

Despite there being more devices than ever, TV is still the most costeﬀective way of reaching children. Alex Smith, Generation Media

power of over £8bn per year amongst five to 16 year olds). GOING MOBILE It’s not only console gaming however, with the proliferation of mobile devices. As a result of seeing penetration rates of these devices reaching 50 per cent of households, we have seen mobile gaming enter the fray. Animaljam’s heavyweight approach to TV advertising has amassed over 1,100 kids equivalent TVRs year-todate, reaching 57 per cent of kids aged seven to 14 at least once. Activision’s Skylanders continues to show strong support across kids commercial channels year-to-date, with Trap Team’s push currently the fourth largest TV campaign in terms of kids equivalent TVRs. Despite there being more devices than ever before, TV is still the most cost-effective way of reaching a mass children’s audience. It is no wonder then that advertisers targeting a younger demographic are choosing to reach them so prominently via this traditional medium in games.

TOP 10 CHILDRENS GAMES AND CONSOLES ADVERTISERS 2015 YEAR-TO-DATE POSITION

CAMPAIGN

CH EQ TVRS

MARKET SHARE

Tomodachi Life

1,203

Animaljam.com

1,101

Game of War

1,080

Skylanders Trap Team

987

Pokémon

966

World of Warriors

956

Animal Crossing

735

Splatoon

717

Mario Party 10

567

Dragon Mania

506

Total

7,246

45%

16,064

100%

TOTAL EQUIVALENT CHILDREN’S TVRS YEAR-TO-DATE

Sources: DDS BARB September 2015, Youth TGI.

Generation Media is a Media Planning and Buying ﬁrm focused on the leisure and entertainment markets. You can contact the company on 0207 307 7900.

September 18th 2015

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THE GOLDEN JOYSTICKS INTERVIEW

Hunting for Gold Last year, the Golden Joysticks broke the record for the number of votes in a games awards show, with 9m people putting their voices forward. But can this year’s event top that? MCV speaks to Future’s games editor-in-chief, Dan Dawkins

This is the 33rd Golden Joysticks. How have the awards changed during this time? Well, I don’t think Jetpac will win Ultimate Game of the Year like it did in 1983. Obviously, so much has changed, but I’m probably not best placed to answer – I was a child begging my parents for a ZX Spectrum when the Golden Joystick Awards began 33 years ago. What hasn’t changed is that the world loves games and wants to celebrate them. Golden Joysticks is the world’s longest running gamer-voted awards show and continues to be its biggest. The most significant changes for 2015 are that we’re hosting the voting on GamesRadar+, which has already had a huge impact on the exposure of the show and the volume of votes; and that we’re looking to be more ambitious with our plans for streaming the event, which is entering its second year at Indigo at the 02. Last year, the Golden Joysticks became the biggest games award show in the world with 9m votes cast. What are your expectations for this year? In the tradition of all great sequels, I’m sure we want to be bigger and better, but it’s most important to reflect gamers’ changing tastes and celebrate the brilliant people who make the games we love. Some of the most-nominated titles this year are rather niche. Bloodborne is in nine categories, while Her

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9m people voted in last year’s Golden Joysticks – a record for a games event

Story is in eight. What does this say about modern gaming culture? Bloodborne is a niche game that has sold through more than one million copies, so that feels like a pretty comfortable niche to inhabit. It’s well-documented that gaming has never been more diverse, with the democratising effect of tablet and mobile releases, plus traditional gaming consoles embracing new models like free-to-play, episodic gaming, and DLC; plus the rise of genres like MOBAs, indie, MMOs... I played as much New Star Soccer as PES 2015 last year, and don’t see them in direct competition. It’s just a fantastic, diverse and – I hope – more inclusive time to play games.

An awards show needs to reflect the diversity of modern gaming. That’s a hugely challenging task. Dan Dawkins, Future

You have added in some new categories such as eSports Icon, while an award for family games is making an appearance for the first time since 2009. You’ve also brought back platform-specific awards. Why is this? An awards show needs to reflect the diversity of modern gaming and the varied tastes of its audiences. That’s a hugely challenging task, but I hope recognising eSports stars, alongside the games that make loved ones of all ages smile over a shared experience, is a step in the right direction. It’s an opportunity to celebrate games that only appear on one platform, which – by virtue of their exclusivity – may never win a broader category, but are richly deserving of recognition.

September 18th 2015

MARKETPLACE

SHELF LIFE Martin Culmer of Chester-le-Street’s Video Gaming 24/7 on why pre-owned PS3s have been selling well and why he thinks Star Wars Battlefront will beat Call of Duty: Black Ops III as the biggest game of the year How has business been for you recently? It hasn’t been too bad. We’ve been ticking over steadily. We did pretty nicely with Metal Gear Solid V last week, that sold very well. I imagine you’re happy now the quiet summer release window is over. Deﬁnitely. It’s starting to pick up now. Summer wasn’t too bad, the odd bits and pieces dribbled down. Now is a good time though.

PRE-ORDER CHARTS

mostly used for advertisement now as we had a few problems. We promote through social media to get people into the stores, but we also sell on Amazon and eBay. We probably make about ten per cent of our sales through those platforms.

How did you keep business up during the summer? The main thing was handheld consoles. They always do well over the summer because of the kids on holidays. We also use a lot of social media to remind people of any releases that are coming out and any oﬀers we have on the go.

Is there anything in particular that sells well over Amazon and eBay? Mainly it’s retro stock. We get quite a lot of retro stock traded in.

What proportion of your sales come from your website? Sales mostly come from our physical store. Our website is

Based on pre-orders, I’d say Call of Duty will be the biggest game of the year. But Battlefront is being talked about lots. Martin Culmer, Video Gaming 24/7

PRICE CHECK: BATH

TOP 10 PRE-ORDERS 1. FIFA 16 Bethesda, PS4

2. Fallout 4 Bethesda ..................................................................PS4

FIFA 15 PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2015

3. Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection Sony............................................................................PS4 4. Fallout 4 + Fallout 3 Bethesda .....................................................................XO

EA, XO

Konami, PS4

Nintendo, 3DS

Activision, 360

£17

£19

£27.99

£27.49

£24.80

£28.45

£57.57

£29.24

£17.99

£30

£29.99

9. FIFA 16 + Pre-order DLC EA ................................................................................PS4

£39.99

£20.99

£17.99

£29.99

10. Amiibo ROB Nintendo................................................................ Wii U

£27.99

£24

£20

£25.70

6. Super Mario Maker + Artbook + Amiibo Nintendo................................................................ Wii U

ONLINE

5. FIFA 16 EA ...................................................................................XO

SKYLANDERS TRAP TEAM – STARTER PACK

ANIMAL CROSSING: NEW LEAF

7. Call of Duty: Black Ops III Activision Blizzard ...............................................PS4

UPLOADING The latest digital releases coming to market

BEYOND EYES

SECRET PONCHOS

THE SWINDLE

Team17’s latest release casts players as a blind girl and is out on PS4 now

The Western PVP shooter is ﬁnally hitting PC at the end of September

Dan Marshall’s roguelike heist title has snuck onto Nintendo’s Wii U

OUT: NOW

September 18th 2015

IN STORE

8. Star Wars Battlefront + Pre-order DLC EA ................................................................................PS4

OUT: SEPTEMBER 29TH

OUT: NOW

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MARKETPLACE

Video Gaming 247 134 Front St, Chester-le-Street, County Durham, DH3 3AY

Phone: 0191 387 5620 Website: videogaming247.co.uk Twitter: @joy_stix

How has your hardware performed lately? Pre-owned PS3s have been selling well. Maybe that’s been driven by the success of the PS4. People who have bought a PS4 and want to try some of the PS3 games they didn’t play when they had a 360.

doing a midnight launch for Call of Duty. We did an early opening for FIFA last year which was quite successful. People want to pick up their games before school or work.

Are you planning any launch events for some of the bigger games coming out? At the moment we’re looking at

What do you think is going to be the biggest launch this year? On pre-orders I would say Call of Duty. But Battlefront is being talked about lots. Pre-orders haven’t come in for that yet, but they’ll deﬁnitely come.

INCOMING TITLE

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

A new entry in Activision’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series launches next month alongside a brand new iteration of the Rock Brand franchise FORMAT

GENRE

PUBLISHER

TELEPHONE

DISTRIBUTOR

Forza Motorsport 6

Racing

Microsoft

01279 822 800

Exertis

Sepember 18th

Pro Evolution Soccer 2016

PS4/XO/PS3/360/PC

Sports

Konami

0121 625 3388

CentreSoft

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PS4/XO

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01256 391209

Open

The Golf Club Collector’s Edition

PS4/XO

Sports

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01256 385 200

Koch Media

PS4/XO

Strategy

Deep Silver

01256 385 200

Koch Media

September 22nd Blood Bowl 2

September 24th Ether One

PS4

Adventure

Soedesco

01902 861 527

Pavilion

FIFA 16

PS4/XO/PS3/360/PC

Sports

01216 253 388

CentreSoft

Tower of Guns

PS4/XO/PS3/360

Shooter

Sodesco

01902 861 527

Pavilion

PS4/XO/Wii U/PS3/360

Toys-to-life

Activision Blizzard

01216 253 388

CentreSoft

PS4/XO/Wii U/PS3/360

Toys-to-life

Warner Bros

01216 253 388

CentreSoft

Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer

3DS

Kids

Nintendo

01753 48 3700

Open

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5

PS4/XO/PS3/360

Skating

Activision

01216 253 388

CentreSoft

Darksiders 2 Deathinitive Edition

PS4

Action

Nordic Games

sales@nordicgames.at Open

Rock Band 4

PS4/XO

Music

Mad Catz

01216 253 388

September 25th Skylanders Superchargers

September 29th LEGO Dimensions

October 2nd

October 6th

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CentreSoft

September 18th 2015

TABLETOP GAMES

TABLETOP GAMES The TV screen isn’t the only place to ﬁnd innovative gameplay and gripping multiplayer. Matthew Jarvis gets physical with the ﬁnest board and card games out there

IT’S not long now until battered copies of Monopoly and Scrabble are extracted from dusty cupboards in anticipation of Christmas family gatherings. You might think tabletop games a thing of the past in an age where more teenagers ask for Battlefield than Boggle, but a new wave of innovative board and card games are proving that hypothesis wrong. In fact, the latest data from market tracker NPD states that games and puzzles are up eight

Board and card games have grown by 10 per cent in value during 2015 – outpacing the entire toy market.

per cent in value so far in 2015 – outpacing the total toy market by three per cent. Physical games in particular have exploded in popularity this year, rocketing 10 per cent. One major player in the sector’s expansion has been Kickstarter. The crowdfunding platform has been host to several high-profile campaigns for board and card games. These include Exploding Kittens, a card game from former Xbox game designers Elan Lee and

EXPLODING KITTENS The most-backed game in Kickstarter history, Exploding Kittens was created by two former Xbox game designers and the artist behind the popular Oatmeal online comic. It is a card game adaptation of Russian Roulette, albeit with the eponymous ﬂammable felines. Players draw a card each round, with Kitten cards resulting in instant death – but they can stave oﬀ their demise using a variety of surreal defusal tools and actions. SRP: $20 (£13) Manufacturer: Exploding Kittens Distributor: Exploding Kittens Contact: info@explodingkittens.com

CINELINX

MAGIC: THE GATHERING ORIGINS DECK BUILDER’S TOOL KIT

ECLIPSE

Dominoes for ﬁlm buﬀs, Cinelinx challenges players to connect actors, directors and movies together. Kevin Bacon is the card to beat.

Card collectors wanting to get started with iconic game Magic: The Gathering can kickstart their deck with this set.

This expansive sci-ﬁ title pits players against each other in a battle for control of the galaxy, complete with spaceship models.

SRP: $25 (£16) Manufacturer: Cinelinx Media Distributor: Cinelinx Media Contact: orders@cinelinx.com

SRP: £14.99 Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast Distributor: Esdevium Games Contact: sales@esdeviumgames.com

SRP: £69.99 Manufacturer: Asmodee Distributor: Esdevium Games Contact: sales@esdeviumgames.com

September 18th 2015

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TABLETOP GAMES Sponsored by

gaming merchandise uk

Shane Small. The card game raised $8.8 million (£5.7m), becoming the third-biggest Kickstarter to date. Tabletop games are also breaking into the virtual space. Digital card game Hearthstone remains a huge success for Blizzard, while Bethesda will launch its own take on the formula, The Elder Scrolls: Legends, later this year. Meanwhile, some games IPs are transitioning the opposite way: Bioshock and XCOM have both seen board game adaptations.

Christmas is unsurprisingly the biggest time for tabletop games, with NPD saying 64 per cent of sales are made in Q4 – 41 per cent in December alone. With a recent Barclaycard and Yes2Chess survey of children aged between seven and 14 (82 per cent of who also play video games) revealing that two thirds would like to try chess or board games, games retailers would do well to pull up a seat at the flourishing tabletop market.

DRAGON PUNCH Inspired by ﬁghting video games such as Street Fighter, Dragon Punch takes the fast-paced blow-byblow action and turns it into a frantic two-player card game which can be played in 10 minutes. Players attempt to outmanoeuvre one another, carefully timing their attacks, positioning their defences and trying to land a knock-out hit. Designed to be played on the go, with no need for a table or playing surface, the pack consists of 21 cards with a varied roster of characters and number of powerful attacks. SRP: £7 Manufacturer: Most Mondays Distributor: Level 99 Games Contact: tapper@level99games.com

PATHFINDER ADVENTURE CARD GAME: RISE OF THE RUNELORDS BASE SET

STAR WARS ARMADA

SPECTER OPS: SHADOW OF BABEL

Distilling Pathﬁnder’s complex RPG mechanics down to an engaging card game, this handy kit is a campaign-in-a-box.

Armada sees two players take the controls of miniature forms of Star Wars’ most famous spaceships and dogﬁght in space.

Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell fans will ﬁnd a stealth game ﬁt for their tabletop in this sneaky four-on-one multiplayer title.

SRP: £49.99 Manufacturer: Paizo Publishing Distributor: Esdevium Games Contact: sales@esdeviumgames.com

SRP: £79.99 Manufacturer: Fantasy Flight Games Distributor: Esdevium Games Contact: sales@esdeviumgames.com

SRP: $49.95 (£32) Manufacturer: Nazca Games Distributor: Plaid Hat Games Contact: mail@plaidhatgames.com

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September 18th 2015

HOT PRODUCTS

DIRECTORY

WHO? Specialism: Accessories and peripherals Location: Solution House, Sandon Road, Therﬁeld, Herts, SG8 9RE

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

Venom sales director Tom Hodge talks about the ﬁrm’s upcoming move into the world of PC peripherals

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

Tell us about your company. Venom is a UK company that designs, manufactures and sells gaming accessories. We develop peripherals for both our Venom brand and our range of PlayStation licensed products. Our aim is always to build high quality accessories, at the right price, that enhance the consumer’s gaming experience.

THIS MONTH’S DIRECTORY SPOTLIGHT: MHT TV GAME................................................................. gerry@mhtgame.com

What successes have you seen recently? We launched our ﬁrst Arcade Stick for PS3 and PS4 earlier this year. We hit a great RRP and the product feedback has been fantastic from both tournament and casual players. With future software releases we expect the product to keep going from strength to strength. It won’t be the last Arcade Stick from Venom. What are you currently working on? We have a PC range launching later this year. Building on the Venom brand, the new range will deliver quality, functionality and desirability. PC gaming is a natural progression for Venom that we are conﬁdent consumers will love. Of course, we won’t forget our heritage, with new console accessories also due for a Q4 release. 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 expecting a very busy Q4 backed up by some major software releases. What are you looking forward to over the next 12 months? As the base of hardware grows in the market, so does the need for great accessories. We are expecting a very busy Q4 backed up by some major software releases. How did you choose your company name? Venom has been around for 16 years; the name was originally chosen to portray the company’s mission for market strength, power and assertiveness. People often comment on how strong the brand is, as it resonates with gamers.

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Contact: W: venomuk.com E: tom.hodge@venomuk.com P: 01763 284 181

September 18th 2015

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

Total Disc Repair ..................................+44 (0) 1202 489500

Venom ............................................................... +44 (0)1763 284181

DISTRIBUTION Click Entertainment ............................ +44 (0) 203 137 3781 Creative Distribution ......................+44 (0) 20 8664 3456 RATES

Curveball Leisure ................................... +44 (0) 1792 652521

£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.

Enarxis Dynamic Media ............................. +302 1090 11900

DISC REPAIR

TOTAL DISC REPAIR

Tel: +44 (0) 1202 489500

September 18th 2015

Web: www.totaldiscrepair.co.uk

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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

Tel: +44 (0) 208 6643456 ENARXIS DYNAMIC MEDIA

Web: www.ﬁnkcreative.com

Tel: +44 (0)203 137 3781

DISTRIBUTION

email: sales@click-entertainment.com

CURVEBALL LEISURE

Web: www.creativedistribution.co.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 1792 652521

DISTRIBUTION

SONY DADC

DISTRIBUTION

Web: www.curveball-leisure.com DISTRIBUTION

Empowering your creative business

Tel: +44 207 462 6200 games@sonydadc.com

www.sonydadc.com Tel: +302 1090 11900

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Web: www.enarxis.eu

Tel: +44 (0) 207 462 6200

Web: www.sonydadc.com

September 18th 2015

DIRECTORY

GAMING ACCESSORIES

L3I

GAMING ACCESSORIES

VENOM

Power Up! Twin Docking Station

Twin Docking Station

Tel: + (0)1923 471 020

Web: www.logic3.com

ADVERTISE WITH US

WANT TO ADVERTISE IN OUR DIRECTORY? Web: www.venomuk.com

Venom UK Gaming @VenomGamingUK

Phone: +44 (0)1763 284181 Email: darren.scott@venomuk.com tom.hodge@venomuk.com

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

Tel: +44 (0)1763 284181 September 18th 2015

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 VENOM

DIRECTORY

WHO? Specialism: Accessories and peripherals Location: Solution House, Sandon Road, Therﬁeld, Herts, SG8 9RE

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

Venom sales director Tom Hodge talks about the ﬁrm’s upcoming move into the world of PC peripherals

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

THIS MONTH’S DIRECTORY SPOTLIGHT: MHT TV GAME................................................................. gerry@mhtgame.com

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: venomuk.com E: tom.hodge@venomuk.com P: 01763 284 181

September 18th 2015

FACTFILE INDONESIA Sponsored by

INTERNATIONAL FACTFILE: INDONESIA Population: 255,461,700 Capital City: Jakarta Currency: Rupiah GDP (Per Capita): $3,534 KEY RETAILERS DraKuli, GS Shop, GameShop, PSE Gameshop

TOP DISTRIBUTORS IAH Games, Maxsoft

TOP DEVELOPERS Agate Studios, Elventales Games, Toge Productions, Altermyth, Jotter Productions

PUBLISHERS IN THE REGION Square Enix, Boomzap Entertainment, Qeon Interactive, IAH Games, Gemscool, Lyto, Megaxus

ALTHOUGH it has a thriving development community, Indonesia continues to struggle with the high cost of games. The Asian country is home to more than 80 developers, with the vast majority concentrating on mobile and browser titles. These include Agate Studio, which earlier this year was voted the most desirable workplace in Indonesia in a survey held by development hub Dicoding, with 11 per cent of respondees wishing to work at the outlet. While local business has seen success, foreign games firms have struggled to break into the region. Japanese publisher Square Enix was forced to close its Indonesian Smileworks studio after just 18 months of operation, citing poor results as the driver behind the close. The publisher added that it would adopt a new strategy for the country, seeking partnerships with local games businesses.

Similarly, in 2012, UK-based Antix Labs launched its Player digital games distribution service in Indonesia. However, as of 2015, the company as a whole had been dissolved. According to the International Monetary Fund’s 2014 statistics, Indonesia has the 118th-biggest GDP in the world with a per capita value of $3,534, putting it in the bottom 40 per cent of countries. Due to the high cost of video games, the region has continued to struggle with piracy. As recently as 2012, Xbox 360 games were sold for as little as Rp.20,000 (92p), with the latest 2014 Video Games in Indonesia report from market analyst Euromonitor stating that “piracy is still a significant factor hampering the growth and success of video games” and observing that both local retailers and consumers are happy to continue supporting pirated games.

Piracy is a problem in the region; Xbox 360 games are sold for as little as 92p.

September 18th 2015

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INDONESIA FACTFILE

MEANWHILE IN... DENMARK The very ﬁrst global Dota 2 tournament, The Defense, is returning with a live television broadcast on Danish screens BEFORE The International came The Defense, the ﬁrst international Dota 2 online competition. The tournament was conceived in 2011 by eSports organisation joinDOTA and ran for four seasons, before taking a two-year hiatus. Now the event returns, complete with a $75,000 prize pool and games that will be shown live on Danish television. Over the course of ten weeks, local channel TV 2 ZULU will broadcast select matches with native language commentary courtesy of former professional Dota 2 players and joinDOTA analysts Jacob ‘Maelk’

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Toft-Andersen and Troels ‘SyndereN’ Nielsen. “At TV 2 ZULU we focus on the most trending themes among our young viewers,” said Sune Roland, head of TV at ZULU. “eSports is the fastest growing

sport in the world, and we would like to create a show where our audience can experience the world of eSports in a Danish setting and with Danish commentators.”

September 18th 2015

INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION Sponsored by

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

BELGIUM

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

CYPRUS

SWEDEN

G3 GREAT GAMES LTD 4 Gregoriou Papaﬂessa Street, Oﬃce 101, Engomi, Nicosia 2414, Cyprus. 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

UAE

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

WWW.MCVPACIFIC.COM

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

TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SECTION PLEASE CONTACT CTALLON@NBMEDIA.COM www.mcvuk.com

September 18th 2015

OFF THE RECORD

OFF THE RECORD This week, Activision held a star-studded, sky-high launch party for Destiny: The Taken King, while Final Fantasy struck up a tune TOUCH THE SKY The Leadenhall Building in London played host to Activision’s blockbuster shooter Destiny earlier this week. The publisher took the game and its new expansion, The Taken King, to the 42nd ﬂoor of the 225m glass ‘cheesegrater’ on the one-year anniversary of the title. Special guests included developers from studio Bungie and prominent members of the Destiny community who were all able to get an early taste of The Taken King. That’s on top of English boxing legends Anthony Joshua, Amir Khan and Chris Eubank Jr.

SIMPLY SYMPHONIC The music from Square Enix’s Final Fantasy series came to the Barbican Centre in London last weekend, as the London Symphony Orchestra performed rearrangements of Final Fantasy V, VIII, IX and XIII tunes. Composer Nobuo Uematsu gave an enlightening talk before the Final Symphony II show, and was surprised to be awarded during the encore with a Guinness World Record for the most-performed video game music in history. An award worthy of the iconic victory fanfare, we reckon. All together now...

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September 18th 2015

OFF THE RECORD

%ORRGERUQH )LUVW OHYHO

...*slowly looks at Sonic 2 for the Genesis*....

Harry Balzania @bottygerjoe Hearthstone, at least once a day.

Batman Arkham Knight, drill. Rage Quit. Not an online game, but there was rage. Nuff said.

WHAT WAS THE LAST THING TO MAKE YOU RAGE QUIT A GAME? #GMGASKS

Lizzy @LizzybellGaming My friend scoring a goal against us in a particularly bad match of Rocket League. DONE.

Zion Sully @ZionSully , KDYHQÂśW KDG D WUXH UDJH quit since the water trap in WKH Âż UVW 2QLPXVKD JDPH It almost ruined the series for me.

Rob Allen @TheMasterPrawn

Binary Trader @BinaryMiner $ ERVVÂż JKW LQ (YRODQG Was too tired to recognise its pattern and blamed it for being too unforseeable. :D

Sandy AJ @TokyoPopRocks

When playing online MotoGP a couple years back. I was running extremely fast times and getting blown away by cheat codes.

Getting blown up by an airdrop in H1Z1 in the middle of nowhere!

Shawn Davis @teamarmageddon2

Vaultoffel @MirrorsPotato 6KRYHO .QLJKW , ZDV streaming my practice run RI WKH LFH OHYHO DQG P\ WUROO friend decided to message me on Steam... non-stop.

Tyler Puryear @23mrtbone

DemonDragonMaster @DemonDragonMast

CONTACTS Christopher Dring

Kelly Sambridge

Michael French

Editor cdring@nbmedia.com

Head of Design and Production ksambridge@nbmedia.com

Publisher mfrench@nbmedia.com

Ben ParďŹ tt

Elizabeth Parker

Conor Tallon

Associate Editor bparďŹ tt@nbmedia.com

Production Executive eparker@nbmedia.com

Account Manager ctallon@nbmedia.com

Alex Calvin

Sam Richwood

Laura West

StaďŹ&#x20AC; Writer acalvin@nbmedia.com

Designer srichwood@nbmedia.com

Business Development Consultant lwest@nbmedia.com

Matt Jarvis

Michael Canham

Lianne Davey

StaďŹ&#x20AC; Writer mjarvis@nbmedia.com

Finance Manager mcanham@nbmedia.com

Circulation ldavey@nbmedia.com

Erik Johnson

Stuart Moody

US Correspondent ejohnson@nbmedia.com

Head of Operations smoody@nbmedia.com

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THE RETAIL ADVISORY BOARD Charlotte Knight GAME

Steve Moore Simply Games

Jennifer Johnson Don McCabe Shop Direct CHIPS

Jon Hayes Tesco

Sarah Jasper The Hut

Gurdeep Hunjan Simon Urquhart Sainsburyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Microsoft

Dermot Stapleton Niall Lawlor GameStop Get Games

Phil Moore Grainger Games

Igor Cipolletta ShopTo

Phil Browes HMV

Robert Lindsay Games Centre

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

Craig Watson Dixons Retail

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September 18th 2015

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