THE BUSINESS OF VIDEO GAMES ISSUE 871 FRIDAY MARCH 25TH 2016
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WHAT IS YO-KAI WATCH©? ONLY YOU CAN SEE THE MYSTERIOUS, MISCHIEF - MAKING YO - KAI THAT HIDE ALL AROUND US!
WHAT ARE YO-KAI? After selling millions and being a cultural phenomenon in Japan, YO-KAI WATCH© is coming to the UK for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. Hundreds of Yo-kai wander around our world, invisible to most. And when something goes wrong in our everyday life, it’s often because of a Yo-kai in a mischievous mood...
EXPLORE & DISCOVER! In the YO-KAI WATCH© game, you will travel across a vast landscape, from mountain back roads to bustling city streets, meeting lots of different people and even some Yo-kai that will ask you for help.
TITLE: PLATFORM: GENRE: RELEASE DATE: RATING: PLAYERS: DEVELOPER:
YO-KAI WATCH© Nintendo 3DS RPG 29th April 2016 PEGI 7 1-2 Level-5
© 2016 LEVEL-5 Inc. Nintendo 3DS is a trademark of Nintendo. © 2016 Nintendo.
REALITY SHOW
THE BUSINESS OF VIDEO GAMES
SONY, DEVELOPERS AND RETAIL ON PLAYSTATION VR AT GDC
ISSUE 871 FRIDAY MARCH 25TH 2016
UK gamers trust specialist media more than YouTubers GameTrack data reveals 83 per cent of gamers trust the likes of IGN, Edge and GameSpot O But official trailers are more influential than independent media by Christopher Dring THE specialist press is the most trusted source for video games opinion in Britain. Data from Ipsos Connect’s GameTrack shows that 83 per cent of gamers have faith in specialist games media like Eurogamer and GameSpot, more than they trust any other form of gaming outlet. This includes YouTubers and other video bloggers, which are trusted by 71 per cent of UK gamers. Advertising is trusted by 60 per cent, while official trailers and developer websites are both
trusted by 75 per cent of gamers. Mainstream media, such as newspapers, command a 70 per cent rating, while social media streams were trusted by 61 per cent of players. The data will come as reassurance to the traditional press, which has seen its standing in the games media eroded by the popularity of YouTube videos and Twitch streams. Across Europe (France, Spain, Germany and Britain), the figures are a little lower. 75 per cent of gamers in these four European countries say they trust specialist
media, versus 61 per cent for YouTubers. Advertising is only trusted by 44 per cent of European gamers. However, when it comes to influence, the figures are quite different. In the UK, 68 per cent say that specialist media impacts their decisions versus 67 per cent for YouTubers and video bloggers. But it is official trailers (75 per cent) and advertising (72 per cent), which have the biggest influence on gamers’ opinions. For the data, GameTrack spoke to 8,317 gamers, including 2,107 from the UK.
67% The percentage of gamers who are influenced by YouTubers and video bloggers
ADVERTISING
SPECIALIST MEDIA
NEW SPAP
YOUTUBER
TRUST LEVEL 60%
TRUST LEVEL 83% POPULARITY
5.7M
INFLUENCE
68%
ERS
POPULARITY INFLUENCE TRUST LEVEL
71%
POPULARITY 42.8M INFLUENCE
N/A 72%
TRUS
T LEV EL 7 0% POPU LARIT Y 1.8 6M INFLU ENCE 51%
67%
PLUS CAN PC SAVE THE XBOX? MILES JACOBSON’S ROLLERCOASTER YEAR
NEWS
Sony considering PlayStation VR PS VR could become the ‘must bundles for European markets have’ Christmas gift of 2016 by Christopher Dring PLAYSTATION VR may yet be bundled with the Move and the PS Camera in Europe. Last week, Sony announced that its headset will launch in October for £350. The PS VR requires the PlayStation Camera to operate, and also makes use of the Move controllers. A bundle with these products is available in the US, but there was no news as to whether this will be coming to European markets. Speaking to MCV shortly after the announcement, European president Jim Ryan suggests there will be some bundles come October, and
has defended the absence of the Camera from the base unit. “Europe is a delight to work in, but it is complicated, fragmented and challenging from a logistical perspective,” he explained. “It is complicated by the fact that the install base of both PlayStation Camera and PlayStation Move numbers in the many millions. So we don’t want to load the box with these things, when in some cases our consumers already own them. “We just need to get into the detail of what our SKU configurations are. What retailers might do, because UK retailers love nothing better than to create a bundle. I have to work it through country-by-country, retailer-by-retailer... it is messy, but it is eminently solvable.”
By Alex Calvin UK retailers have tipped PlayStation VR to have a Christmas akin to Wii’s first year on sale. Stores were responding to the news that PlayStation VR will arrive in October for £349, with 50 games due before the end of the year. “The price point means it’s far more accessible than customers were anticipating but of course the true cost with the controller and camera added on is getting expensive,” ShopTo’s head of commercial Alison Fraser said. “October is a perfect release month for the early adopters to create the excitement for the gifting season. It could feel similar to the Wii’s first Christmas when it was the must-have present. PlayStation VR’s price point and brand will make it a success for core console customers and the more casual gadget fans who have trust in the brand.” The Hut Group’s head of games and tech Mike Fethers added: “PlayStation VR seems
to be the front runner for the normal consumer, without needing an expensive PC build and having access to a great catalogue of current and future first-party content helps significantly.
This could feel similar to the Wii’s first Christmas when it was the must-have present. Alison Fraser, ShopTo
“Sony has excelled itself by announcing this early and showing who’s working with them for VR content. It’ll build a decent level of hype.” Games Centre boss Robert Lindsay believes the PS4 install base gives it an edge: “Sony’s trump card is the PS4 and, with the publisher support it will no doubt have, the competition will struggle to match.”
Frontier completes self-publishing transformation by Christopher Dring ELITE DANGEROUS creator Frontier Developments says it has no plans to make games for anyone else ever again. The firm, who has made games for the likes of Microsoft, Atari and Amazon, is readying the release of Planet Coaster – a game it considers its second selfpublished franchise (after Elite). “Once we publish Planet Coaster, we will be 100 per cent self-published,” said Frontier’s
March 25th 2016
He continued: “About six years ago, we decided we wanted to be self-published. We have done some amazing work with Microsoft, but we were always doing that with an eye on parting company. We were very professional until the end – we always tried to deliver more than what was asked for us. “But it is a nice reward for all the teams, who have stuck by during some challenging development times so that we can make games for ourselves.“
creative director Jonny Watts. “The transition is almost complete. “Publishers form a really strong part of quality control. When The Beatles was making the best music, you had John Lennon and Paul McCartney sort of being antagonistic in the creative process. A publisher is almost your conscious, so not only have we had to grow our publishing department, but also from a creative point-of-view, we have to keep challenging ourselves. We don’t want to be complacent.”
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NEWS
Devs warn Xbox over PC plans By Alex Calvin LEADING games developers insist Microsoft’s plan to combine the worlds of Xbox One and PC will only work if they don’t try to ‘close’ the PC platform. The firm recently outlined its strategy for the Universal Windows Application (UWA) framework, which lets developers release projects on both Windows 10 and Xbox One easily. Speaking to MCV, Epic boss Tim Sweeney says the concept is good, but depends on Microsoft’s long-term intentions. Currently, games using the UWA framework can only be bought via the Windows Store, which has attracted criticism. “It’s a great idea – I could write one programme once and ship it on desktop, phone, console
THE EDITOR
and not have to deal with porting effort,” he said. “The pessimistic view is that Windows is going to make a series of changes to the way things work, which disadvantages competing stores and will give the Windows Store such an advantage that all relationships between developers, consumers and publishers have this Microsoft build-in imposed on them.” PC development veteran Cliff Harris added: “I hate anything that represents a move towards a closed system with one company as gatekeeper.” But not everyone is so pessimistic: “I like the idea of the audience for your game isn’t just Xbox’s install base,” said game designer Dan Pearce. Read more about Microsoft’s PC plans on page 16
PLAYSTATION SHINES AT GDC BUT XBOX LAYS DOWN FRESH CHALLENGE
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t was a triumphant GDC for Sony. PlayStation VR was the talk of San Francisco, and the firm’s return to game industry dominance is looking more assured with every passing press conference. But there was one question that the platform holder didn’t have an answer to last week, and one that was cannily placed into the minds of the media by its closest competitor. Xbox’s announcement that it will allow for cross-platform play - not just with PC but PS4 as well - was latched upon by gamers worldwide. But it was a sneaky announcement. There’s no indication that PlayStation will allow for such a thing. Andrew House, Shuhei Yoshida and the PlayStation PR team carefully fended off the questions at GDC, but that won’t be the end of it. The truth is, cross-platform gameplay doesn’t benefit PlayStation. One of the most popular reasons as to why gamers choose one console over another, is that their friends own the same machine. That’s why both Microsoft and Sony were so quick to cut the price to get their install bases up as quickly as possibly. Whoever takes the early lead tends to keep it. PS4 took that lead. Its install base is fast approaching 40m and that success is just breeding more success. However, if Xbox One and PS4 players can suddenly play together, then it doesn’t matter which machines their friends
Microsoft’s Quantum Break will launch on both Xbox One and Windows Store.
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PRE-ORDER TOP 10
1
UFC 2 (PS4)
2
Valkyria Chronicles Remastered (XO)
3
UFC 2 (XO)
4
Ratchet & Clank Inc. The Bouncer DLC (PS4)
5
Dark Souls III (PS4)
6
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Launch Edition (PS4)
7
No Man’s Sky (PS4)
Sony
8
Quantum Break (XO)
Microsoft
9
New Super Mario Bros. U + Luigi U Selects (Wii U)
Nintendo
10
The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD Selects (Wii U)
Nintendo
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EA
Sega EA Sony Bandai Namco Sony
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The truth is, crossplatform gameplay doesn’t benefit PlayStation. own. PlayStation would lose the strategic advantage its superior sales has provided it. It means PlayStation must make a choice: does it take the sensible business option and refuse Xbox’s move? Or does it prove that its ‘For the Players’ mantra is more than just a marketing slogan, and open its system up? It’s a difficult decision, although based on Sony’s recent track record, you’d imagine it’ll make the right choice. CONSUMERS TRUST YOU. WHO KNEW? So we went with the cover angle this week that more gamers trust specialist media than YouTubers. We thought that was a surprising fact in today’s climate. But actually, according to the IPSOS data, almost every form of games media is trusted by consumers – whether that’s official blogs, YouTubers, magazines, specialists sites, trailers, national newspapers, radio shows, and so on. In a post-Gamergate world, where journalists are scrutinised constantly in comments threads, that’s quite reassuring to read. cdring@nbmedia.com
March 25th 2016
INTERVIEW JIM RYAN, PLAYSTATION
PlayStation rescues VR dream at GDC Sony dominated yet another major event last week with the news that its PlayStation VR headset will be out in October for £349. Is the VR revolution back on? Christopher Dring analyses the market and speaks to European boss Jim Ryan
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t’s become almost predictable. PlayStation turns up to major games industry event, invariably steals all the headlines, and leaves its rivals wondering what exactly they can do to stop them. Not that the team always has to work that hard. Much like the PS4 vs Xbox One battle of E3 2013, Sony attended GDC in San Francisco last week on the back of some spectacular own goals from its competition. GDC was all about VR – almost embarrassingly so – but excitement has abandoned this new technology in recent weeks. First came the eye-watering £500 price tag that Oculus had slapped on its Rift headset, and then that was made to appear almost reasonable by HTC’s £689 asking price for its Vive product. VR had suddenly become the playground of the uber-rich and uber-high-end PC gaming crowd. That was until Sony announced that its PlayStation VR headset will retail for £350 – a price tag that will still hurt the wallet of even the more affluent gamer, but is nevertheless affordable to those that have a few games to trade-in. “I am extremely comfortable with the RRP,” PlayStation’s European chief Jim Ryan tells us. “These are obviously decisions that we think about hugely, we always do. We always try to represent good value in our pricing, and we think we have done that with PlayStation VR.”
special bundle that includes these products. What’s stopping that coming to Europe? “Europe, as you know, is a delight to live in, a delight to work in, but it is complicated, fragmented and challenging from a logistical perspective,” explains Ryan. “It is slightly messy, but we just need
owners that currently lacks access to a PlayStation Camera, you’ll need one of those and it’s not included in the box. Players may want to use the Move controllers, too, which can be used for certain titles. Those are also not included. Both Move and Camera have been available for some years, and according to Ryan, they are owned by ‘many millions’ of PS4 owners. So it’s understandable that Sony would not force people to buy them, however, the US has a
to get into the detail of what our SKU configurations are, and what retailers might do – because UK retailers love nothing better than to create a bundle. I have to work it through country-by-country, retailer-by-retailer... it is messy, but it is eminently solvable.” The other piece of news to emerge from GDC is the
People are becoming prepared to get into this. Nobody wants to be late to the party. Jim Ryan, PlayStation
CAMERA, ACTION £350 is not the whole price. If you’re one of the many PS4
March 25th 2016
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JIM RYAN, PLAYSTATION INTERVIEW
PlayStation VR will cost £349 in the UK, and according to PlayStation’s Ryan, the tech will be profi table
release date: PlayStation VR will be released globally in October. A slight delay from its previously planned ‘first-half of 2016’ release window. “[October] is when we have an alignment between the appropriate amount of hardware to put into the market and the proper number, and quality, of games to launch with,” insists Ryan. But will there be enough stock? Following the announcement, some stores had immediately sold out of their initial batch of headsets. “It’s hard to tell,” Ryan admits. “The news overnight on pre-orders is extremely encouraging, but I’d be very wary about extrapolating how we’ll do through to launch based on less than 24 hours. “I would say that the early preorders has surpassed our initial expectations. So that suggests demand, and therefore day one, might be quite significant.” VIRTUALLY HERE There are a lot of unknowns about virtual reality. There is excitement
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PUBLISHERS ON-BOARD
in the market and those that have played it will tell you that it is genuinely an impressive experience. But will it warrant the price? And has the excitement from the media extended to the consumers? It’s difficult to predict. It will come down to the marketing in many ways. Ryan says the industry shouldn’t expect ‘the OXO tower’ – which is a reference to one of the many expensive stunts Sony adopted when launching the PS4 – but that PlayStation is “taking this very seriously.” “The marketing mix is going to be very different to anything we have done before,” he concludes. “One thing that we observe very clearly and very consistently, is that people only really get this once they try it. Experiential activity is going to play a part that is far greater than anything we have done before. The marketing will definitely be there, and it will definitely be meaningful, it will just take a rather different form to what we’ve done previously.”
ONE of the concerns surrounding VR last year was the lack of major third-party support. There may be over 200 developers working on VR games, but outside of Ubisoft, the triple-A publishing giants were adopting a ‘wait and see’ strategy. There was no game from EA or Activision or Take-Two. So it was reassuring to see at GDC that EA is working on a Star Wars: Battlefront experience for PlayStation VR, while the likes of 2K and Warner Bros are also working on projects.
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Not to mention pretty much every major Japanese publisher. “I think as things move from being rather abstract R&D projects, into something that has crystallised as real, with a release date and price, then confidence to make an investment in it increases,” explains Jim Ryan, the PlayStation head of Europe. “People are becoming prepared to get into this. Nobody wants to be late to the party.” He adds: “And I am pretty sure that there will be a number of other publishers that will be looking at those names and thinking: ‘I don’t want to be last.’”
March 25th 2016
PLAYSTATION VR THE DEVELOPERS
What do the developers think of PlayStation VR? There are some 230 developers working on PlayStation VR games. Christopher Dring asks some of them if Sony’s new headset is powerful enough to change the world
Simon Harris Executive Producer, Supermassive Games THE announcement of PlayStation VR at this price point is clearly a strong bid from Sony to establish an entry point for VR gaming experiences that are recognisable to established consumers. In terms of delivering a proposition for their millions of existing PS4 consumers, it’s within reach for those interested in early adoption. With the reaction to the preorder campaign, for all three devices, already showing that consumers are voracious about getting their hands on VR devices, it’s clear that Sony is keen to remain competitive against the other two PC-based devices. Having a defined consumer base that can all get a VR ready set-up without significant
Frank Vitz Creative Director, Cryengine
initial investment in upgrading hardware is an advantage. As a developer with two announced titles for the launch, we can confirm that there is definitely enough power within the machine to create incredibly immersive and visually impressive VR experiences, which deliver to the HD fidelity that gamers expect.
WE have had Cryengine running with PlayStation VR for a while now and, with some optimisation and careful planning of assets, we’re reaching a solid 60 frames per second. That means effectively rendering 120 frames per second, one for each eye, at the usual high fidelity level that Cryengine can provide. Based on first-hand experience with our own projects, such as Robinson: The Journey, we know that the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR are very capable of running good VR. Sony’s positioning, and the package of headset and console
are very attractive. Many users own a PlayStation 4 already and only have to get the headset, which makes it much more accessible and it will definitely have an impact on the market.
Artur Janik Technical Producer, Techland Ben Tester PR & Community Manager, Wales Interactive THE PSVR is a great addition to the quality VR market and whilst it may not be quite as powerful as the Rift or Vive, I do think it’s of a quality that will exceed expectations from consumers, especially when you compare the price difference to its competitors. The fact that it has the attachment to the PlayStation 4, which has sold around 36 million consoles worldwide, is hopefully a sure sign that virtual reality could finally become mass-market. Sony has taken their first step to breaking out of the
March 25th 2016
WHEN it comes to performance and concerns for the future of VR as a whole, a lot of this actually hinges on developers. Personally, we know that for a VR title to work on a specific piece of hardware, we have certain performance criteria in place, and so you have to work with that in mind and just push on. So many people want VR to be a success because it really adds something special, so as developers we need to help ensure VR doesn’t turn into another hardware fad like 3D TVs did to some extent. At Techland, we’re still eagerly testing the waters on multiple fronts. We currently
virtual barrier that is your TV. I now wonder how long it will be until the limitations of the PlayStation Camera will become the next barrier that needs breaking out of.
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have a small team putting the finishing touches on a project with full VR integration, which we will be unveiling quite soon, and we’re continually letting multiple teams freely branch off and tinker around with ideas and VR hardware.
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THE DEVELOPERS PLAYSTATION VR
Sylvain Cornillon CTO, Bossa Studios. THE magic of VR is not only in hyperrealism as games like Job Simulator and Fantastic Contraption have proven. So the PS4 definitively has the power to run compelling VR experiences. The Sony VR demos like The London Heist also proved that graphical quality can be achieved in framerate with a bit more effort. With a fixed hardware and an approval process, PSVR experiences are probably going to be the most consistent and reliable. It can be a great entry in the market, even though console development is still harder for small developers
Jason Kingsley CEO, Rebellion and there might be fewer risky experiments. In a way, PSVR stands in a market of its own at a remarkably low price point for the quality of the product that will be delivered.
WE’VE already said that we want to make Battlezone for multiple VR platforms, but we’ve been lucky to work especially closely with Sony on PlayStation VR. We’ve got no issues with the power of the hardware at all - really the onus is on the developers to make comfortable and immersive VR games through their own tech and design. In development terms you have to forget some conventional wisdom. With Battlezone, for example, we had hit a rock solid 120MHz reprojection right from the earliest builds. You can’t just optimise closer and closer to launch. The GDC announcement was really exciting. I think
Tim Woodley SVP Global Brand and Marketing, 505 Games SONY’S contribution to establishing VR as the next industry paradigm can’t be understated. It is always quicker for a new technology to be adopted if there are multiple manufacturers driving the market and Sony, as a trusted name in consumer electronics among the mainstream, have the production and marketing muscle to play a major role. As Andrew House said at GDC, Sony has the wind of momentum in their sails with the PlayStation 4 approaching a global install base of 40m homes worldwide. Convincing these early adopters to fork out $400 to augment their existing PS4 experience is obviously an easier sell than the more expensive alternatives. I trust Sony to take this responsibility seriously and ensure that PSVR is every bit as compelling and pleasurable an experience as the higher end solutions, even if the tech is towards the lower-end. I
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we all felt that sub-£400 was going to be the price point for early VR adopters on consoles, and knowing PlayStation will put its weight behind the platform this Christmas is really reassuring for independent studios like us.
Simon Gardner CEO, Climax
think if we learnt anything from the last paradigm - the Wii, Kinect and Move motioncontrol era – it is that quality of gaming experience isn’t necessarily predicated on the quality of the tech. This could be another big moment for our industry, and the last thing we need is for the mass market - or at least the console early adopters to have a less than optimal experience in this ‘greenshoots’ period and therefore reject this latest and most promising attempt at VR yet.
Darren Williams VP Marketing, Harmonix Music Systems
PLAYSTATION VR will be the most accessible and numerous tethered device, and its place in the living room will mean it will be accessible to a much wider audience even if just casually. Provided the games and experiences are built for it and adhere to Sony’s strict guideline requirements, then there is no reason to worry about performance.
I DON’T think there’s ever been any question that VR will appeal to the enthusiast PC audience, and now with Sony making their move, it builds further confidence that VR can gain a foothold in the broader mainstream as well. We’re excited at the options both as VR developers and VR fans.
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March 25th 2016
CHEAT SHEET
UP & DOWN
Market Data UFC 2 and Pokkén Tournament can’t match The Division’s launch week sales
£20m
FAR CRY Primal falls three places to No.5 as sales dip 37 per cent
£19.3m 478,485 units
£30m £10m
£11m 316,902 units
£7.8m 256, 678 units
Week Ending March 5th
Week Ending March 12th
UFC 2’S Week One sales were 53 per cent higher than 2014’s original UFC’s
Week Ending March 19th
EVENT CALENDAR MARCH 2016 .................................................................................. INSOMNIA 57 The NEC Birmingham, Birmingham Friday, March 25th – Monday, March 28th Q Multiplay’s Insomnia eSports event returns to Birmingham’s NEC Q Featuring pro-gaming events and the UK’s biggest LAN party Q Counter-Strike, Rocket League, DOTA 2 and League of Legends tournaments to be played Q Consumers can also check out the latest games in the Exhibition Hall Q In addition, Insomnia 57 features the Indie Zone, Retro Zone and more GADGET SHOW LIVE 2016 NEC, Birmingham Thursday, March 31st - Sunday April 3rd Q The UK’s largest consumer tech event returns for the eighth time at Birmingham’s NEC
Q The brand new LGF is a collaboration between UKIE, Film London and the Mayor of London Q Five summits have already been announced, on VR, audio, finance, eSports and culture EGX REZZED Tobacco Dock, London Thursday, April 7th – Saturday, April 9th Q Gamer Network’s indie-focused event returns to London’s Tobacco Dock Q Consumers can try the latest games, from the big blockbusters to hits from smaller teams BAFTA GAME AWARDS Tobacco Dock, London Thursday, April 7th Q Celebrating the best games of the last twelve months Q Taking place at London’s Tobacco Dock
MAY 2016 ..................................................................................
APRIL 2016 .................................................................................. LONDON GAMES FESTIVAL London Friday, April 1st – Sunday, April 10h
March 25th 2016
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INTERFACE St Mary’s Church, London Thursday, May 5th Q MCV and Develop’s indie networking and investment event returns this May
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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
PLAYSTATION VR WILL COST £349 AND LAUNCHES IN OCTOBER
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Sony announced at an event at last week’s GDC that its PlayStation VR hardware will set UK consumers back £349 and is due for an October release. That price tag does not include a PlayStation Camera, which is required to track the headset.
Kotaku reports that Sony is working on a new version of PS4 featuring improved GPU and 4K resolution game support
279m
@kezamacdonald PlayStation VR for £349 is a GREAT price.
@PatrickDane My very biggest worry for PlayStation VR is a question of support. Sony has a super bad track record of supporting anything, if it doesn’t take off. Patrick Dane, Bleeding Cool Tuesday, March 15th
Keza MacDonald, Kotaku UK Wednesday, March 16th
@ScottishColin PlayStation VR surprises all with a price point that doesn’t kill it before it’s even arrived.
@JeffGrubb Messaging for PlayStation VR seems tough. From zero, you’ll need to buy three other things to make it work for a total of around $850.
Colin Macdonald, All4Games Tuesday, March 15th
Jeffrey Grubb, GamesBeat Tuesday, March 15th
@Michael_French £350 PlayStation VR in October - I’m more keen to see if/how Oculus, HTC etc react over the next few weeks.
@_JakeTucker Seeing a big PlayStation VR list of developers going around. The one developer still yet to declare is Hello Games. Where’s No Man’s Sky VR? Jake Tucker, Pocket Gamer Tuesday, March 15th
Michael French, Games London Tuesday, March 15th @justicar Playstation VR is £349. The goggles are literally more expensive than the system itself.
Since it debuted in Japan 20 years ago, the Pokémon series has sold over 279 million units worldwide
30 Oculus has revealed that 30 games will launch alongside its Rift headset
$300m Runescape firm Jagex is in talks over a proposed buy-out by Chinese mining company Shandong Honda
$330m The Division is the fastestselling new IP in history, Ubisoft has announced. The title generated $330m in five days
@xeroxeroxero PlayStation VR price is big news. Makes VR affordable and not the pursuit of the ultra hardcore enthusiast.
PS4 Bluetooth Communicator - PDP Design and manufacture the PS4 Bluetooth/USB Communicator
europesales@pdp.com
Glenn White, EA Tuesday, March 15th
Peter Willington, Auroch Digital Tuesday, March 15th
www.pdp.com
GAMESAID THIS WEEK .................................................... PLAY YOUR PART BECOME A MEMBER AMBASSADOR TRUSTEE WWW.GAMESAID.ORG
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LONDON MARATHON
GAMESAID GOLF DAY
STAND UP FOR GAMESAID
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Next month, Warner Bros PR and GamesAid trustee Cat Channon is running the London Marathon to raise money for the charity. The 26.2 mile endurace race is taking place on April 24th and donations can be made via the platform JustGiving.
The annual GamesAid golf and spa day returns on July 14th. Since its debuts in 2008 the event has raised more than £375,000. Tickets can be booked on golfandspaday.com or by contacting Keeley Munden at keeley2703@hotmail.com.
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Games industry comedy night Stand Up For GamesAid returns to London’s Comedy Store on May 9th. The event will be hosted by GamesAid patron and comedian Imran Yusuf. Tickets are available on thecomedystore.co.uk and cost £15
March 25th 2016
MARKET MOVES
APPOINTMENTS
The Pokémon Company evolves its PR team Enticknap and Bryant join the UK team O Hilton to run Sumo’s new studio O Future strengthens commercial team THE POKÉMON COMPANY | The firm behind the monster-catching series has just added two names to its PR team. First, RICHIE ENTICKNAP (above left) has been hired as video game PR manager. He joins from Curve Digital, where he held the same position for ten months. Before that, Enticknap had been the PR and community officer at UKIE for more than two years. JONNIE BRYANT (above) has also joined the company as senior PR manager for Europe. Bryant has been working in the video games industry for over 13
March 25th 2016
of experienced and new talent dedicated to creating the highest quality gaming experiences,” said Hilton. “Working closely with the Sumo studios in Sheffield and Pune, the Nottingham studio will build on the technical and creative excellence that Sumo is well known for.”
years. He has had several senior PR positions at Jagex, Blizzard, Vivendi and Take-Two. SUMO DIGITAL | Industry veteran KARL HILTON has joined Sumo Digital, where he will be running the company’s new UK studio in Nottingham. Hilton has previously been Crytek’s managing director for the UK for five years. He created his own development studio, Free Radical Design, in 1999. Known for the TimeSplitters franchise, the company was then acquired by Crytek in 2009. “We are looking to create a state of the art studio in Nottingham and will build a team
FUTURE | The media giant has announced two senior appointments to its commercial and sales team. Joining from Time Inc. where he worked for 16 years, MATT DOWNS (above left) is now Future’s director of agency
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sales. He will be in charge of all aspects of agency relationships and trading. JOHN BURKE (bottom, left) has also been hired as head of tech partnerships, a newly created role for Future. He will be responsible for creating and increasing Future’s partnerships with tech brands. Burke previously worked at The Telegraph Media Group. Commercial sales director CLARE DOVE commented: “We are delighted that Matt and John have joined us at this extremely exciting time. Both bring a huge wealth of experience to the team that will undoubtedly help expand Future’s growth and help us maintain our position as the UK’s leader in tech publishing.”
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WEEKLY SALES CHARTS
WEEKLY CHARTS THE DIVISION is at the top of the charts again for its second week. Ubisoft’s sales for the title decreased by 73 per cent week-on-week. Meanwhile, two very different fighting games claimed the second and third spots this week. EA Sports UFC 2 debuts at No.2, with first week sales surpassing the previous instalment in the series by 53 per cent. And in third place is Nintendo’s Pokkén Tournament, which is the first Pokémon spin-off to launch on Wii U. Pre-Easter sales allowed a few games to perform very well this week, such as Bethesda’s Fallout 4, which gained 14 places with sales rising 69 per cent. Little Orbit’s Kung Fu Panda: Legendary
Legends also re-enters the charts at No.33 thanks to an impressive 91 per cent increase in sales. The third Kung Fu Panda movie came out on March 11th, which probably boosted the sales. Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 also re-enters the ranks, at No.34, with sales rising 58 per cent. Over on Steam, The Division and Chucklefish’s Stardew Valley still lead the listings. Unknown Worlds’ Subnautica re-enters Steam’s charts at No.6, following the launch of an update for the title on March 16th. In the meantime, there’s nothing new in the mobile charts, which are still dominated by Supercell and Mojang titles.
GLOBAL STEAM CHARTS (UNITS)
01 TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09
LW 03 RE 04 06 RE 08 07 09
TOM CLANCY’S THE DIVISION DEVELOPER: UBISOFT PUBLISHER: UBISOFT
TITLE Stardew Valley Ark: Survival Evolved The Culling Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Subnautica Grand Theft Auto V Factorio Hitman
PUBLISHER Chucklefish Studio Wildcard Xaviant Valve Unknown Worlds Rockstar Wube Square Enix
TOP 40 UK PHYSICAL RETAIL 02
01
TW 01 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 NEW NEW 03 02 04 07 05 06 08 12 14 27 10 13 16 15 18 28 20 17 21 24 19 11 30 25 22 23 09 32 26 RE RE 36 RE RE 31 38 RE
04
05
Title Format Publisher Tom Clancy’s The Division PS4, XO, PC Ubisoft EA Sports UFC 2 PS4, XO EA Pokkén Tournament Wii U Nintendo Call of Duty: Black Ops III PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Activision Blizzard Far Cry Primal PS4, XO, PC Ubisoft FIFA 16 PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC EA Grand Theft Auto V PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Rockstar Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 PS4, XO, PC EA LEGO Marvel’s Avengers PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, PC Warner Bros Forza Motorsport 6 XO Microsoft Minecraft: Xbox Edition XO, 360 Microsoft LEGO Jurassic World PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, Vita, PC Warner Bros Fallout 4 PS4, XO, PC Bethesda Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege PS4, XO, PC Ubisoft Assassin’s Creed Syndicate PS4, XO, PC Ubisoft Minecraft: Story Mode PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Telltale Games/Avanquest Minecraft: PlayStation Edition PS4, PS3, Vita Sony Star Wars Battlefront PS4, XO, PC EA Just Cause 3 PS4, XO, PC Square Enix WWE 2K16 PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC 2K Games Rise of the Tomb Raider XO Microsoft Disney Infinity 3.0 PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360 Disney Knack PS4 Sony Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Konami Heavy Rain & Beyond Two Souls Collection PS4 Sony Killzone: Shadow Fall PS4 Sony Destiny: The Taken King PS4, XO, PS3, 360 Activision Blizzard Street Fighter V PS4, PC Capcom Halo 5: Guardians XO Microsoft The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD Wii U Nintendo Terraria PS4, XO, PS3, 360, 3DS, Vita, PC 505 Games Mortal Kombat XL PS4, XO Warner Bros Kung Fu Panda: Legendary Legends PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, PC Little Orbit Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 PS4, XO, PS3, 360 Konami LEGO Marvel Super Heroes PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, Vita, PC Warner Bros LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, PC Warner Bros Football Manager 2016 PC Sega Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection PS4 Sony Deadpool PS4, XO, PS3, 360 Activision Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer 3DS Nintendo
Source: Steam, Period: March 14th to 20th March 25th 2016
03
Source: UKIE/GfK Entertainment, Period: Week ending March 19th 14
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WEEKLY SALES CHARTS
UK IPAD PAID
01 TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
LW 07 RE 02 06 NEW 05 10 RE RE
UK IPHONE PAID
(UNITS)
01
MINECRAFT: POCKET EDITION DEVELOPER: MOJANG
Title Charlie and Lola: I’ve Won! The Room Three Assassin’s Creed Identity Terraria Myths of the World: The Heart of Desolation Goat Simulator Geometry Dash Bloons TD 5 HD Playtime With Blaze and the Monster Machines
TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
Developer BBC Worldwide Fireproof Games Ubisoft 505 Games Big Fish Coffee Stain Studios RobTop Games Ninja Kiwi Nickelodeon
LW 03 05 04 06 07 09 02 08 RE
(UNITS)
MINECRAFT: POCKET EDITION DEVELOPER: MOJANG
Title Heads Up! Plague Inc. Football Manager Mobile 2016 Monopoly Game Bloons TD 5 The Chase Assassin’s Creed Identity Geometry Dash Lumino City
Source: UKIE/Refl ection, Period: March 7th to March 13th
Source: UKIE/Refl ection, Period: March 7th to March 13th
UK IPAD GROSSING (REVENUE)
UK IPHONE GROSSING (REVENUE)
01
01
TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
LW RE 03 01 07 06 08 07 05 10
CLASH OF CLANS DEVELOPER: SUPERCELL
Title Clash Royale Candy Crush Saga Game of War - Fire Age Candy Crush Soda Saga Hay Day Mobile Strike Candy Crush Jelly Saga Boom Beach Gummy Drop!
TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
Developer Supercell King Machine Zone King Supercell Epic War King Supercell Big Fish
LW 01 02 03 06 07 08 09 05 RE
CLASH ROYALE DEVELOPER: SUPERCELL
Title Clash of Clans Candy Crush Saga Game of War - Fire Age Mobile Strike Candy Crush Soda Saga Candy Crush Jelly Saga 8 Ball Pool Kendall and Kylie Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes
Source: UKIE/Refl ection, Period: March 7th to March 13th
UK IPHONE FREE (UNITS)
01
01
LW 03 NEW 05 06 07 04 09 10 RE
CLASH ROYALE DEVELOPER: SUPERCELL
Title Stack Dragon Land Color Switch Piano Tiles 2 Faily Brakes Dream League Soccer 2016 Candy Crush Jelly Saga Merged! WordUp
TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
Developer Ketchapp Social Point Marc Lejeune Cheetah Technology Spunge Games First Touch Games King GramGames PlaySimple Games
Source: UKIE/Refl ection, Period: March 7th to March 13th www.mcvuk.com
Developer Supercell King Supercell Epic War King King Miniclip.com Glu Games EA
Source: UKIE/Refl ection, Period: March 7th to March 13th
UK IPAD FREE (UNITS)
TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
Developer Warner Bros Ndemic Creations SEGA EA Ninja Kiwi Barnstorm Games Ubisoft RobTop Games State of Play
LW 03 02 NEW 04 05 09 08 RE 10
STACK DEVELOPER: KETCHAPP
Title Clash Royale Color Switch Colourin - The free colouring in book quiz game for adults Faily Brakes Piano Tiles 2 Two Dots Thumb Drift Twisty Wheel Kendall and Kylie
Developer Supercell Marc Lejeune Poptacular Spunge Games Cheetah Technology Playdots SMG Studio Tastypill Glu Games
Source: UKIE/Refl ection, Period: March 7th to March 13th 15
March 25th 2016
NEWS ANALYSIS
How PC can save the Xbox It’s been a challenging first two years for Xbox One. Now Microsoft is bringing a number of console titles to Windows 10, and unifying its PC and Xbox ecosystem. Is the platform holder reducing its console focus? Alex Calvin speaks to the experts
F
or all the challenges Microsoft has faced in the story of Xbox One, there’s no denying that the tech giant has been open to change. Its latest push on the gaming front is to unite its Windows 10 and Xbox One ecosystem with UWP – its new Universal Windows Platform. This will see developers making games using the Universal Windows Application (UWA) framework, which allows developers to make a game that will work on both Windows 10 and Xbox One with little in the way of issues. “I like the idea of one big platform and knowing that the audience for your game isn’t just Xbox’s install base – it’s everyone,” BAFTA-winning developer Dan Pearce says. “Your game can reach many more people with minimal effort.” Epic’s Tim Sweeney adds: “In terms of developer proactivity and ease of porting, it’s a great idea – I could write one programme once and ship it on desktop, phone, console and not have to deal with less porting effort. That’s a valuable idea. “You see some elements of that in Apple’s ecosystem where they have the same low-level operating system kernel between iOS and Mac but the higher level layers on top are entirely different. Microsoft’s approach is the completion of that train of thought and is valuable. And that will prove useful as new families of devices are introduced, such as HoloLens.” CLOSED OFF But the idea has its critics. To many, UWP represents Microsoft attempting to close off the currently-open PC ecosystem. If the firm’s plans for UWP go forwards
March 25th 2016
Rise of the Tomb Raider launched as an Xbox-exclusive in November, but came to PC in January
in their current state, consumers will only be able to get UWAs from Microsoft’s own Windows Store. PC development veteran Cliff Harris even believes the idea of the UWA is flawed. “I hate anything that represents a move towards a closed system with one company as gatekeeper, and I equally hate any system that tries to imply that a game is a game, and not in any way dependent on the platform,” he explains. “The kind of system dreamt up by people in suits in boardrooms who think ‘one platform for all games’ have never played Eve Online on a phone, or Angry Birds on a 2560 res monitor. Different platforms are different, why does this upset people so much? It’s fine.” Sweeney adds: “The pessimistic view is that Windows is going to make a series of incremental changes to the way things work with these forced updates, for example, which disadvantage
At its core, UWP is a great idea. But we need to be prepared to prevent Microsoft from attempting to close PC down. Tim Sweeney, Epic Games
16
competing app stores, and places like Battle.net or Steam, to give Windows Store such an advantage that all commerce and relationships between developers, consumers and publishers have this Microsoft build-in imposed on them. “There’s another possibility and that’s the generous view that UWP brings great improvements to the Windows platform in ensuring that no one app can take over the system and does a great world of good to make Windows software trustable and avoid malware. And it does that while retaining the PC’s status as an open platform. You could obtain these UWP programmes from the Windows Store, Steam, Battle.net or anywhere else. If Microsoft takes that direction, we’ll be wholehearted supporters of that. At its core, UWP is a great idea, it’s worthy of our support. We just need to be prepared to prevent it from being a Trojan Horse for Microsoft to close down PC.” THE DEATH OF XBOX? In trying to unify its Windows 10 and Xbox businesses, Microsoft has released a number of its console-exclusive titles on PC. The firm has recently revealed that Quantum Break, previously announced as an Xbox Oneexclusive, would launch on PC on the same day (and is only available on Windows Store). Meanwhile, upcoming titles such as Sea of Thieves and Halo Wars 2 are launching on both Xbox One and PC. As a result, there are now fewer reasons to purchase an Xbox One, something that Xbox boss Phil Spencer himself has even admitted in an interview with Polygon. Could Microsoft be winding down its console focus?
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NEWS ANALYSIS
(From left to right): Epic’s Sweeney, Four Circle’s Pearce, Positech’s Harris and Contact Sales’ Stallibrass
“Clearly Microsoft has sat down and thought about its presence in the console market,” Contact Sales MD Robert Stallibrass says. “But I don’t feel it is giving up on Xbox One. Microsoft is aware of the challenges, is facing up to them, and is working very hard to get to the top spot.” Pearce adds: “Obviously Xbox One isn’t selling as well as PS4, and I can see how it would make sense for Microsoft to double down and go: ‘OK, rather than trying to sell the Xbox to people, let’s try and sell Microsoft platforms to people’. A good way to do that is to sell people Windows 10 and some people on Xbox One simultaneously by saying say: ‘hey, these games are from Microsoft or Xbox. If you have one of our devices, you can get this cool content’. “I can see why that would make a lot of sense to say: ‘If Xbox isn’t selling as well as the PS4, if we push Windows 10 and PC a bit more, maybe we update the Xbox or release a new Xbox, then we can get people hooked on these IPs, we can get people hooked on these franchises via PC and then make a more stable push with
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Xbox’. A lot of it might be about retaining players. It’s not so much that they’re trying to back out of the console race, they are always going to be quite dedicated to that, but it’s about retaining players who maybe bought PS4s and not Xbox Ones and saying: ‘you have a PC, right? Why not play Quantum Break, see how you find it’. It’s a good way of keeping Microsoft’s exclusives part of the conversation for people who aren’t part of that Xbox One install base.” But Positech’s Harris feels this is a temporary measure. “Microsoft has Windows 10, and it wants people to embrace it, and whenever it does this, it has to find a way to give people a reason to care about a new operating system,” he explains. “Once Windows 10 is established, I think that trend may well reverse.” Even if this is temporary, Microsoft has the future of its console business to think of. Releasing its line-up of consoleexclusives on Windows 10 serves as a reminder to the massive PC audience that Microsoft does have a strong stable of IP. And it opens up a possible new market for Xbox to sell consoles to.
OFF THE MARK BY creating a closed system like Universal Windows Platform, some critics have said that Microsoft hasn’t understood the appeal of the PC space. This is a sector that thrives on being open, where fans can fix broken games with patches from the community, where users create mod content and where consumers are able to tinker with the inner workings of products. “PC is so naturally open. But it’s not going to be the first time that someone has come to an open platform with a closed alternative that has a list of benefits,” Ten Second Ninja developer Dan Pearce says. “The best example of that is Apple – it did that so long ago and it really works for them because after you’ve had so many viruses on your PC, someone coming up to you and saying: ‘the Mac just doesn’t have that problem’ can be a really big selling point. “You do get so much content from all over the place on PC because it is so open, and that’s very appealing for a lot of developers. Lots of them are fine with UWP so long as the
17
benefits are good enough. If Microsoft has tools that enable devs to make a game and release it on Windows Store and Xbox, that could be really appealing for some people. A lot of it is about ease of use and what benefits Microsoft offers beyond it just being an arbitrary exclusivity thing.” And though at the moment it appears that UWP won’t allow mods, this may not matter as much as some might think. “Indie games thrive on mods, and a few big titles like Skyrim really embrace them,” Positech’s Cliff Harris says. “But its worth remembering that games like Call of Duty and Football Manager are not heavily mod dependent. People who care about modding including me – will hate UWP, but I suspect it’s sadly a vocal minority.” And Contact Sales MD Robert Stallibrass points out that this situation is open to change. “The lack of modding is a current situation but it would not surprise me if the system in the future was made slightly more open,” he predicts.
March 25th 2016
MCV AWARDS INTERVIEW MILES JACOBSON
Fantasy football 22 years ago, Miles Jacobson entered Sports Interactive and landed his dream job working on Championship Manager. In the wake of his Person of the Year prize at the 2016 MCV Awards, he discusses his future in video games and looks back on a rollercoaster year
What does it mean for you to win the Person of the Year award? It is incredibly humbling to be honoured by the industry in this way – there are so many amazing people in games, so to be recognised by the award is very special. How would you evaluate 2015? A rollercoaster! Some real highs, with great sales and receptions for Football Manager 2015, 2016 and Football Manager Mobile. The launch of Football Manager Touch on iOS and Android proves that the mobile market can bear double-digit pricing. But then the disappointment of the Football Manager Online launch in Korea in the latter part of last year hasn’t been great. This will be fixed by the launch of the game in China with lots of changes made. You’ve often said you view Sports Interactive as a sports company. Does that mean you feel a bit distant from video games? I love both the games industry and the football industry – and I am lucky to have been welcomed by both. There are some developers out there who look down on our work a bit because, well, it’s sport and they don’t like sport. And we make sequels, and they don’t like sequels. And we care more about gameplay than graphics – although that’s certainly less of an issue nowadays with the indie scene. I think anyone with a bit of mainstream success, even if in a niche like ours, is going to get this in any entertainment industry – some devs think working on iterative titles is both easy and boring, but to keep
March 25th 2016
Football Manager 2016 has around 650,000 registered players
improving year after year is hard and exciting. But here I am, trying to justify something that I don’t actually feel the need to justify. We make games for ourselves – and it just so happens that a couple of million people each year want to buy and play them, too. Which means we don’t have to get proper jobs. Which is awesome!
We make games for ourselves - and it just so happens that a couple of million people want to play them, too.
You’ve been an active supporter of War Child and you mentioned a special project you are putting together for them. Could you tell us more? For the last 20 years, War Child has been releasing records under the ‘Help’ banner – typically compilation albums from the hottest bands
Miles Jacobson, Sports Interactive
18
in the world. This year, it’s games’ turn. We have some of the hottest studios in the world, from 343 to Team 17, from Torn Banner to Hardlight, Creative Assembly to Curve, taking six days out of their ridiculously busy schedules to make a game for War Child, which we’re then going to release as a compilation. Originally it was just going to be for PC, but with Amazon now on board we’re looking at an Android version, too. It’ll be out in July as a digital product, although there are retail possibilities, with both merchandise and possibly digital cards. Sega is publishing, and giving 100 per cent of revenues to War Child. The aim is to not only raise significant funds for the
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MILES JACOBSON MCV AWARDS INTERVIEW
charity, but use the games to raise awareness of their work, too. What do you think it is that makes the games industry such a charitable one? With our work, we entertain and - some of us - educate, but our work helps people escape their normal lives and make them a little bit better. So the natural carry-on from that is that we’d be interested in making the world a little bit better as well. Looking back over your career, what would you say have been your defining moments? Does breaking the record for the most money taken in a lunchtime
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hour at Quick Burger count? Games-wise, I suppose it’s the risks that have worked. Moving from Eidos to Sega with a new brand, yet keeping the audience and the dev team together is probably the best known. The thing I’m proudest of though is keeping the team together – when we became part of Sega 10 years ago, there were 35 of us at the studio, and 30 of us still work together. That’s been a large part of our success. Of course, not everything has worked. But the successes have outweighed the failures. But you asked about a career defining moment? I don’t think I’ve had one yet. Hopefully that is still to come, I’ve got a few years left in me yet.
Some devs think working on iterative titles is both easy and boring, but to keep improving year after year is hard and exciting. Miles Jacobson, Sports Interactive
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You’re right, this isn’t a lifetime achievement award: what left is there for you to achieve? There’s a whole world of football fans out there who haven’t played our games. A massive, global, untapped market. Whether it’s Football Manager, Mobile, Touch or Online, there are a lot of experiences people haven’t yet had, so we have to look more global as a studio. We’ve had some success with a documentary that has been shown on TV in 50 countries now – so there are more possibilities with broadcast media. And hopefully some more books. And some new game ideas. We’ve only just begun.
March 25th 2016
THE BIG GAME DIRT RALLY
March 25th 2016
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DIRT RALLY THE BIG GAME
DIRT RALLY
In pursuit of the perfect run Codemasters is ditching the arcade experience to create the most authentic rally game yet. Marie Dealessandri speaks to Codemasters’ chief game designer Paul Coleman about this lofty ambition Release Date: April 5th Formats: PS4, XO, PC Publisher: Codemasters Developer: Codemasters Distributor: Koch Media Contact: 01256 385 200
1
8 years after the release of the first Colin McRae video game, the franchise finally comes to the new consoles. The rally driver’s name has not been used in the title since 2008’s Dirt 2, but with this new entry, Codemasters will feel it has a game to live up to his legacy. “Listening to what fans wanted, we knew that they loved previous Dirt games because they loved rally. But what was being offered wasn’t matching the true experience of the real-life sport,” says Paul Coleman, chief game designer at Codemasters, which has developed the series since the beginning. “This is the full rally experience and bringing that authenticity to the franchise makes it feel really fresh and exciting. Our ambition has always been to make it the best rally game ever made.” To achieve this, and before releasing Dirt Rally on PlayStation
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only extremely proud of, but we feel is exactly what gamers want right now.”
4 and Xbox One, Codemasters relied on PC gamers. The firm launched its brand new title on Steam Early Access in April 2015 – a surprising approach considering the fact that Dirt is already a well-established franchise. Doesn’t Codemasters already know what its fans want? “Early Access really helped us identify what players wanted out of a new Dirt game,” Coleman explains. He adds that the game has been validated over ”80 million miles of community testing during Steam Early Access.” “From how well-received our new physics model has been, to feedback on just about every facet of the game, having that testing ground to help us improve has been invaluable. It was a pretty big departure for the franchise, but that feedback and level of input that we received from the community was fundamental in creating a game that we’re not
A LONG JOURNEY The community being the driving force of this new title, Coleman points out that Dirt Rally did not need a big investment in terms of advertising: “This game has been boosted by its passionate community since its Early Access debut who have spread the word, rather than having a big campaign. “But with the console release we’re becoming much more visible and trying to get people more aware of Dirt Rally, rather than it just being something they heard about through a friend.” The game’s PlayStation 4 and Xbox One launch on April 5th is indeed a new challenge for Codemasters. Even if the team behind the Dirt franchise has an 18-years long experience in
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March 25th 2016
THE BIG GAME DIRT RALLY
Dirt Rally launches on April 5th on PS4 and XO.
developing consoles titles, moving this new entry from PC to PS4 and Xbox One required a lot of investment from the team. “We’ve been working on Dirt Rally for a long time. From its early prototype through to Steam Early Access and now onto consoles, it’s been a long journey,” Coleman admits. “Having initially been developed on PC, we had those great foundations to build from. For us, it was making sure that the fidelity of the handling was the same across all platforms. There’s some difference, such as on the Xbox One where you get the motors in the triggers that give you a little more feedback for wheel spin. But otherwise it’s about hitting 60 frames-per-second and getting a solid 1080p.” And for Codemasters’ chief game designer, it was pretty clear that console players were ready for some real rally driving: ”From feedback we’ve been receiving, I was confident that there was a real hunger from the console owners for a more challenging rally game on those systems.” “When we began on a prototype, we focused completely on what the car felt like to drive,” Coleman
March 25th 2016
explains. ‘We’re doing things more in-depth to get across the atmosphere and skill required to get behind the wheel on one of these cars.” RACING ON THE EDGE Coleman is himself a rally co-driver, a “lover of all motorsports” as he puts it. So being able to convey his passion through a screen was an aspiration and a priority. And he was not the only one. “Dirt Rally is the result of a genuine feeling at the studio that people wanted a more authentic rally gaming experience. The goal was to capture that precise essence of what makes rally unique – communicating that raw emotion of hurtling down an icy road at breakneck speed, pushing your car to the absolute limits in the pursuit of that perfect run. “We really ripped up the rulebook on this one. We created a new physics model, and from there we spent a lot of time working out exactly what was needed to make a rally game that felt like a real representation of the sport.” Coleman’s enthusiasm is quite contagious, and the chief game
We spent a lot of time working out what was needed to make a rally game that felt like a real representation of the sport. Paul Coleman, Codemasters
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designer is sure that Dirt Rally will succeed in spreading it even more. “There’s a huge crowd of discerning racing gamers out there that are looking for a more serious experience on new consoles,” he asserts. ”Dirt Rally is a focused, thrilling and challenging title, that’s not only the definitive rally game but also the definitive racing game. It not only offers something for racing fans but for all gamers, which I believe other big titles can’t.“ Making sure to target all kind of players was also dear to Codemasters’ heart: “Dirt Rally offers a challenge that appeals to all levels of gamer, but we want the game to feel as inclusive as possible from the outset. To aid in that, we’ve included a series of tutorials for the console release that ease newcomers into the experience,“ Coleman points out. “There’s some great racing games out there right now but we’re confident that Dirt Rally differentiates itself as an authentic, fun racing title and that will really resonate with gamers.” He concludes: “Dirt Rally is the only game that provides this white knuckle feeling of racing on the edge.”
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DiRT RALLY速
FREE T
For every unit of Dirt Rally purchased you will receive one special edition t-shirt while stocks last.
To place an order contact Superindie on 01183 345 736 or order online at Superindie.co.uk www.Superindie.co.uk
INSIGHT GENERATION MEDIA
ANALYSIS
TV ad spend in the lucrative toys-to-life space Generation Media’s assistant media executive JOE PHELAN investigates the growing toysto-life craze and the ad support accompanying its continued rise during 2015/16.
A
s gaming sits on the precipice of VR, it is more apparent than ever that the way we interact with gaming media is consistently evolving. Over the past few years, toys-to-life has continued its momentum and established itself as a genuine presence amongst gaming in the kids market. Of the Top Ten gaming titles in 2015, four fell into the toys-to-life category, double the number of 2014. Skylanders Superchargers achieved 2,084 children TVRs and reached over 76 per cent of kids in the UK. By making use of the kids commercial channels such as the Nickelodeon and Disney portfolios, these brands have been able to further access and influence this demographic. With titles such as Disney Infinity (which increased its ad spend by five per cent in 2015) incorporating IPs with proven track records amongst kids such as Star Wars and Marvel, the range of toys-to-life titles is more expansive than ever. When investigating how the toys-to-life sub category has managed to build and establish such an effective relationship with kids, it is essential to observe the genres heavy hitters; Skylanders, Disney Infinity, LEGO Dimensions and Anki Overdrive. Looking at the figures from the past full 12 months, Activision’s Skylanders brand boasts over
60 per cent share of voice in the sub-genre amassing a substantial 3,615 children aged four to 15 TVRs and averaging 157 TVRs over its 23 week burst. Disney Infinity and LEGO Dimensions provide alternate options for action figure-based games and still managed to reach an impressive amount of kids over the period, 74 per cent and 72 per cent respectively. Meanwhile, Anki Overdrive has provided a fresh take on the genre, with an engaging racing entry. While a console is not required to play, the physical race track is controlled purely through an app. Released in October, Overdrive delivered 686 children aged four to 15 TVRs, averaging 57 children aged four to 15 TVRs over 12 weeks. In addition, each of these toy-to-life franchises adopted 20 and 30-second TV creatives in their campaigns. While this may suggest a pattern amongst the category it is most probable that these time lengths
76 per cent of UK kids saw Skylanders Superchargers TV ads
were chosen in line with the standard practices within the industry. TOY STORY Licensed traditional toys from established game brands also received considerable TV support over the period. Pokémon is a mainstay amongst toys and games with popularity that doesn’t appear to ever fade. In 12 months, it achieved 1,993 children aged four to 15 TVRs through its range of action figures/trading cards and was able to reach 78 per cent of children. World of Warriors action figures also enjoyed a successful period, with 717 children aged four to 15 TVRs. Though it
may not have the significant investment of the Pokémon range, the campaign over this period still managed to reach 58 per cent of children. The toy-to-life train shows no signs of stopping and clearly is very TV reactive amongst children of all ages. The genre provides a stepping stone between traditional gaming and VR by integrating traditional play with toys and video gaming. The question is, when VR is openly accessible amongst consumers, will this impact the performance of toy-to-life games? Or will these games and accessories join the mountain of gaming peripherals that have been edged out by advancements in tech.
TOYS-TO-LIFE AD PERFORMANCE February 2015 - February 2016 Toys-To-Life Franchises
Children four to 15 TVRs
Creative Second Length
CH 1+ Reach
Individuals 1+ Reach
Skylanders
3,615
20” & 30”
79%
61%
Disney Infinity
1,073
20” & 30”
74%
63%
Anki Overdrive
686
20” & 30”
54%
19%
LEGO Dimensions
445
20”, 30” & 60”
72%
69%
Source: DDS/Kantar March 2016
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 March 25th 2016
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www.mcvuk.com
DODGE ROLL GAMES INTERVIEW
INDIE INTERVIEW We need guns. Lots of guns. BioWare developer Dave Crooks set up his own studio and came up with a name for his first project – Enter the Gungeon. His only problem? He didn’t actually have an idea for a game. Alex Calvin reports
L
ike many indie developers, Dave Crooks started in triple-A. After begging and pleading for an interview at the now-closed BioWare Mythic, he landed a role working on its social media. Further begging and pleading saw him join the game design team. But in 2014, EA closed the studio and Crooks opened his own company with friends and colleagues – Dodge Roll Games. Its first title is Enter the Gungeon, which launches on April 5th for PS4 and PC. The game combines elements from shoot-em-ups and roguelikes (very difficult games where levels are generated procedurally and death normally means re-starting entirely). But – unlike many projects – the actual gameplay was not the first thing the studio dreamt up. “We played this game by Vlambeer called Gun Godz with a really goofy rap song that goes: ‘I got gun for picnic/it’s gun that send texts/it’s gun that make breakfast’,” Crooks explains. “Sometime in the next 24 hours the word ‘Gungeon’ popped into my head because of that rap, and I went up to my colleague and said ‘What about a game called Enter the Gungeon?’ and he was like: ‘Yes. Now what is it?’. We had to figure it out from there. Roguelike was very much in our head at the time so it was probably going to be that.” GOING ROGUE There has been a recent resurgence of roguelike games with titles like Rogue Legacy, Galak-Z, Spelunky and Crypt of the Necrodancer. “It might be down to the Souls series and the return of the hard game,” Crooks says. “People became okay with dying more often in games. “It may also be down to live streamers. You have these channels that need tonnes of content. Most roguelikes only take an hour to complete, so streamers can do a number of one-hour sessions back-to-back. And it’s different each time, which means loads of content to feature in a stream. “The indie revolution has helped, too. Roguelikes are nice as they are procedurally generated. Small teams can make 50 enemies that devs can place in rooms or have floor tile
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The word ‘Gungeon’ popped into my head so I pitched a project called ‘Enter the Gungeon’. We figured the rest of the game out from there. Dave Crooks, Dodge Roll Games
sets that assemble themselves so they can create a great deal of re-usable content.” Though thanks to the indie revolution, there has never been more competition in the indie space. “It’s never been easier to make and release indie games,” Crooks insists. “At the end of the day, there are so many developers releasing game and there is only so much consumers can spend on games. It isn’t an apocalypse, it’s just lots of competition. There was a point where if you could get your game onto Steam, you were pretty much guaranteed a moderate level of success. But that’s not really the case anymore. Discoverability has become a lot harder.”
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Getting attention in the indie space isn’t the only challenge facing the sector. With titles like The Witness and No Man’s Sky, what indie means has changed. It is no longer confined to 2D pixel-art titles like Enter the Gungeon. “There’s going to be a division of indie developers and it’s going to be people who do stuff like The Talos Principle, The Witness and No Man’s Sky or the hobbyist developers with one or two-man teams. The section of the industry with the four-man teams is going to disappear,” Crooks says. “I imagine, going forwards, indie is either going to be near triple-A experiences with large teams or low-risk hobbyist studios. The high-risk small-to-medium sized teams are going to start to fade away because of how dangerous they are. Obviously there are going to be exceptions to the rule. But indie is being pressed into the forefront of every gamer’s mind. Some people didn’t even think about what an indie game was. They are playing Rocket League or super excited for No Man’s Sky and with all this competition people are raising the bar. That would have been raised anyway without that competition because everyone wants to drive the industry forward and make beautiful things. “I’m not sure if the idea of the indie is going to change all too much, but the indie landscape is going to change quite a bit.”
March 25th 2016
SAVE THE DATES The best networking events, the most informative conferences and the greatest awards nights from the team behind MCV
May 5th St. Mary’s Church
May 19th Hamyard Hotel
October London
TWELVE GAMES OF
October London
November London
Nov 21st The Brewery
For more information contact Conor on 020 7354 6000 or email ctallon@nbmedia.com
JUSTIN BAILEY, FIG INTERVIEW
‘This is the future of crowdfunding’ Some of the most acclaimed games developers of all time have united to create a crowdfunding and publishing platform called Fig – which allows backers to benefit from the financial success of a game. Can it take down Kickstarter? Christopher Dring asks CEO Justin Bailey
F
ig wants to revolutionise how video games are financed. The crowdfunding platform differs from Kickstarter in a number of ways. The big one is that fans/investors can actually share in the potential success of the game after it has come out. Fig also offers to support developers. The company’s board includes development legends (and Kickstarter experts) such as Tim Schafer, Alex Rigopulos and Brian Fargo, and they will support developers in marketing, PR and distribution. It sounds ambitious. Could it possibly work? We speak to CEO Justin Bailey. Fig is often referred to as a crowdfunding platform, but isn’t it more a full publishing service? We are both. Fig raises development funding for the game and co-publishes it when it is developed. Our main goal is to help developers through the entire process in order to create amazing games. Part of that includes connecting fans with developers, bringing them into the process, thereby creating a more connected relationship.
So far there’s only been two games funded via Fig. Has it been difficult to get the advantages of Fig across to users? We have only been around for a very short period of time. The last campaign was our first, and the first ever in the history of video gaming to offer unaccredited investment reservations. The advantages of Fig resonated strongly with the Psychonauts 2 campaign, which secured over $3.8m. That was an excellent stepping stone for Fig’s brand awareness.
crowdfunding is that you are able to test out ideas, aim that testing at your desired market, and receive consumer response. Anchors in the Drift is a great game in the making.
Participation in potential financial success is something fans want. It’s the next evolutionary step in crowdfunding.
One game that didn’t hit its Fig funding goal was Anchor in the Drift. What went wrong? The free-to-play games market is a difficult one. Investors prefer to wait until the game launches in order to see consumer reaction, customer acquisition costs, and monetisation. And consumers have been conditioned to playing the game first before purchasing add-ons. Those two points were the biggest disadvantages that they were unable to overcome. One of the greatest strengths of
Justin Bailey, Fig
Why is it important to offer equity to fans? It’s the next evolutionary step in crowdfunding. We have seen fans grow tired of just ‘pre-ordering’ a game they want made, helping developers to make a game, but seeing none of the financial success. Participation in potential financial success is something they want. This is the true future of crowdfunding.
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Double Fine’s founder Tim Schafer raised $3.8m on Fig to develop Psychonauts 2
27
There has been a lot of discussion around the challenges faced by the indie sector. What’s your take on the situation? Developers should be realistic. We see a lot of campaigns asking for a level of backing that just isn’t realistic. Having developed games, we know what questions to ask and can work with developers to set appropriate goals. We strive to achieve that with every Fig campaign.
Rock Band is now on Fig. What impact do you hope that will have in raising awareness? Any game from Harmonix is a big deal. We have projects from inXile Entertainment and Obsidian in the works as well as other high profile and exciting indie devs. Our line-up of offerings is crazy and Harmonix is one of the important headliners. Rock Band is one of the few franchises in the past decade to break out of the video game world into the modern consciousness. Having Rock Band associated with Fig will have a tremendous impact on brand awareness. So far you’ve only worked with US studios, are you looking to expand globally? Each country has its own laws regarding unaccredited investment. We are more than open to working with developers and investors from around the world, and we’re still exploring what makes the most sense.
March 25th 2016
MARKETPLACE
SHELF LIFE Steven Stangroom from Stans Games tells MCV about the challenge of competing with Amazon and how card games such as Magic: The Gathering generate more profit than video games How has your business been performing lately? It’s been ok, it has even been good. The Division surprised me, it sold really, really well, much better than I expected. Far Cry Primal also performed very well. But apart from these two big Ubisoft titles, it’s very short on games, there’s no real triple-A hit at all. What platform do you think will perform the best over this year? It’s definitely PlayStation 4. I often
PRE-ORDER CHARTS
get offered second-hand Xbox One. I’ve got probably ten Xbox Ones offered for every one or two second-hand PlayStation 4s. PlayStation also has a lot better titles coming out, whereas Xbox hasn’t got a lot of stuff. And I don’t do PC games anymore, there’s no profit in them whatsoever.
They’re both out in May. A lot of major games are coming out that month. What are your thoughts on this congested schedule? All these games normally come through Easter, but it’s a bit different this year. I suppose it’s because Easter is a little earlier in the year, so games are all coming in May. I would have preferred it for Easter really.
What games are you looking forward to this year? I’m personally looking forward to Doom and Uncharted 4.
I make the same amount on a pack of Pokémon cards than I do on a brand new video game.
What challenges are you facing at the moment?
Steven Stangroom, Stans Games
PRICE CHECK: TAUNTON
TOP 10 PRE-ORDERS 1. UFC 2 EA, PS4
FIRE EMBLEM: AWAKENING
2. Valkyria Chronicles Remastered Sega ........................................................................PS4
MONSTER HUNTER 4 ULTIMATE
3. UFC 2 EA ................................................................................XO 4. Ratchet & Clank Inc. The Bouncer DLC Sony.........................................................................PS4
Nintendo, 3DS
Nintendo, 3DS
Nintendo, 3DS
Nintendo, 3DS
£19.99
N/A
£39.99
£24.99
£33.99
N/A
£32.99
£29.99
£24.99
£29.99
£34.99
£24.99
9. New Super Mario Bros. U + Luigi U Selects Nintendo............................................................. Wii U
£33.95
£32.86
£30
£25.80
10. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD Selects Nintendo............................................................. Wii U
£34.90
£33.22
£33.22
£29.24
6. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Launch Edition Sony.........................................................................PS4
ONLINE
5. Dark Souls III Bandai Namco ...................................................PS4
POKÉMON OMEGA RUBY
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: TRI FORCE HEROES
7. No Man’s Sky Sony.........................................................................PS4
UPLOADING The latest digital releases coming to market
MLB THE SHOW 16
ADR1FT
FALLOUT 4’S AUTOMATRON
The baseball title is coming to PS3 and PS4’s digital stores
The long-awaited space adventure has landed on Steam’s Early Access
The first DLC for Fallout 4 is now out on PS4, Xbox One and PC
OUT: MARCH 29TH
March 25th 2016
IN STORE
8. Quantum Break Microsoft ..................................................................XO
OUT: NOW
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OUT: NOW
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MARKETPLACE
Phone: 01326 211 394 Website: www.stansgames.co.uk
Stans Games 9 Berkeley Vale, Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 3PL
The problem is always Amazon. It’s cheaper for me to buy games on Amazon than it is via trade. It would be easier to barge in the games from this website than to get it from my main suppliers. What are your prospects for the year to come? I do a lot of Magic: The Gathering cards. That’s quite popular, as well as Pokémon cards. I make the same amount on a pack of Pokémon cards than I do on a
brand new game. So obviously I should probably move away from games and try other things cause there’s more profit in them. How do you think virtual reality will do? I’ve just ordered ten sets from Sony: I’m already ordering because there’s going to be a shortage, but I’m not sure how it will do. At the moment, it is definitely too expensive but there will be people wanting it, because it’s new.
INCOMING TITLE
WANT TO FEATURE YOUR OUTLET IN MCV? Contact mdealessandri@nbmedia.com or call 01992 515 303
Disney launches its new Marvel Battlegrounds Playset for Infinity 3.0 today and Ubisoft releases its racing title Trackmania Turbo, after a week of open beta FORMAT
GENRE
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April 12th Dark Souls III
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March 25th 2016
HEARTHSTONE
HEARTHSTONE Hearthstone is one of Blizzard’s biggest hits and, as a consequence, lots of related merchandise are available for fans to purchase. Marie Dealessandri takes a look at the products surrounding the phenomenon
40 million: that was the number of registered players for Blizzard’s free-to-play card game Hearthstone as of November 2015. And as Blizzard just released a brand new expansion, Whispers of the Old Gods, we can bet this number will further increase. Hearthstone is a digital game only, so retailers can find it difficult to capitalise on the phenomenon. However, there’s an easy way to satisfy the ever-growing Hearthstone’s community. From
Hearthstone generates around $20m (£14m) every month.
Battle.Net gift cards to pillows, merchandising is a good way to diversify one’s activity and to attract a PC audience that tends to stay behind its screen rather than shop on the High Street. The opportunity with Hearthstone is huge. Activision Blizzard announced last year that Destiny, Heroes of the Storm and Hearthstone combined generated over $1.25bn (£0.87bn) in revenues. In addition, a report from research
HEARTHSTONE EVIL HECKLER WOMEN’S TEE Calling someone’s mother a Murloc is clearly not a good idea – but buying a T-shirt that says it on your behalf is. Created by Jinx, this T-shirt is available for both men and women. SRP: £15.45 Manufacturer: Jinx Distributor: Gaming Merchandise UK Contact: hello@gamingmerchandiseuk.com
HEARTHSTONE HARTH STONEBREW TALKING BOTTLE OPENER
HEARTHSTONE ROSE T-SHIRT
An opener that talks when opening a bottle – because why not?
Hearthstone’s logo is all over this T-shirt, to make sure fans can identify each other.
SRP: £13.90 Manufacturer: Blizzard Gear Distributor: Blizzard Entertainment Contact: +44 20 3060 1081
SRP: £16.99 Manufacturer: Gaya Entertainment Distributor: Gaming Merchandise UK Limited Contact: hello@gamingmerchandiseuk.com
March 25th 2016
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HEARTHSTONE CARD BACK WALLET - MEN’S Apart from being a perfectly functional wallet, this accessory also features a code for a Hearthstone card pack. SRP: £17.40 Manufacturer: Blizzard Gear Distributor: Blizzard Entertainment Contact: +44 20 3060 1081
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HEARTHSTONE Sponsored by
O
gaming merchandise uk
firm SuperData published last August revealed that Hearthstone made approximately $20m (nearly £14m) from microtransactions every month. The release of the game on Android and iOS mobile platforms in late 2014 clearly boosted the title. The key to Hearthstone’s popularity is that it’s both simple and easy to learn, but also very engaging
and hard to master. Therefore, it attracts casual gamers as well as professional players. Hearthstone actually has one of the biggest eSports scenes. The prize pool for the game’s 2016 World Championship was a huge $1m. And to attract even more players, Blizzard has just signed a partnership with Thailand-based company Ini3 Digital, to bring a Thai-language version of the game.
HEARTHSTONE BOX JOURNAL This hard-cover faux-leather notebook features a couple of art inserts and comes with a bookmark so that buyers don’t lose their train of thought. It’s the perfect accessory for players to keep track of their decklists. Or write a Hearthstone fan-fiction. SRP: £13.90 Manufacturer: Blizzard Gear Distributor: Blizzard Entertainment Contact: +44 20 3060 1081
HEARTHSTONE ROSE SNAP BACK HAT
HEARTHSTONE THROW PILLOW
HEARTHSTONE HARDCOVER RULED JOURNAL
This cap keeps it simple, with an embroidered Hearthstone Rose logo. The name of the game is also written on the back.
Thanks to this Hearthstone-inspired pillow, fans can now re-decorate their homes accordingly.
Insight Editions just released this finely crafted journal, which includes artwork from Hearthstone.
SRP: £19.66 Manufacturer: Jinx Distributor: Gaming Merchandise UK Contact: hello@gamingmerchandiseuk.com
SRP: £17.40 Manufacturer: Blizzard Gear Distributor: Blizzard Entertainment Contact: +44 20 3060 1081
SRP: £13 Manufacturer: Insight Editions Distributor: Insight Editions Contact: j.hamilton@insighteditions.com
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March 25th 2016
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TRADE BODY UKIE
DEAD GOOD MEDIA Tel: +44 (0)7780 600 728 www.deadgoodmedia.com ........................................................................................................
Tel: +44 (0) 207 534 0580 www.ukie.org.uk ........................................................................................................
STUDIO DIVA
PUBLISHING
Tel: 0117 214 0404 www.studiodiva.co.uk ........................................................................................................
FUNBOX MEDIA LTD
FLUID Tel: +44 (0)121 212 0121 www.fl uidesign.co.uk ........................................................................................................
KENNEDY MONK Tel: 0207 636 9142 www.kennedymonk.com ........................................................................................................
Tel: +44 (0) 114 278 7100 www.uberagency.com/ ........................................................................................................
info@funboxmedia.co.uk www.funboxmedia.co.uk ........................................................................................................
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES & RECRUITMENT
Tel: +44 (0) 208 664 3456 www.creativedistribution.co.uk/ ........................................................................................................
DC GAMES GROUP Tel: +971-50-9287220 www.Doostan-Co.com ........................................................................................................
INCOMM Tel: 01489 588 200 www.incomm.com ........................................................................................................
Tel: 0207 688 6789 www.oklogistics.de ........................................................................................................
PLAY DISTRIBUTION info@playdistribution.com www.playdistribution.com ........................................................................................................
WHOLESGAME info@wholesgame.com www.wholesgame.com ........................................................................................................
Tel: + 44 (0) 8701 600 504 www.audiomotion.com ........................................................................................................
OPM RECRUITMENT
QA & LOCALISATION, PAYMENT & SOLUTION
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OK MEDIA LTD
AUDIOMOTION
UBER
RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION & MANUFACTURING
Tel: +44 [0] 1206 214421 http://opmjobs.com/ ........................................................................................................
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RAGTAG DEVELOPMENTS LTD
GAMING MERCHANDISE UK LTD
Tel: +44 (0)1295 817617 www.ragtagdev.com ........................................................................................................
hello@gamingmerchandiseuk.com www.gamingmerchandiseuk.com ........................................................................................................
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LA MARQUE ROSE Tel: +33 1 43 14 88 00 info@lamarquerose.com ........................................................................................................
Tel: +49 (0) 89 / 210 205 70 http://www.r-control.de/ ........................................................................................................
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PERFORMANCE DESIGNED PRODUCTS LTD
Tel: +44 (0) 1480210621 www.usspeaking.com ........................................................................................................
Tel: +44 (0) 1789 297453 www.soundingsweet.com ........................................................................................................
Tel: 01628 509 047 www.pdp.com ........................................................................................................
EXEQUO Tel: +1 425 279 7855 sbonfi ls@exequo.com ........................................................................................................
Tel: 01622 845 161 www.limedistribution.co.uk ........................................................................................................
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COMPANY PROFILE /
RAGTAG DEVELOPMENTS LTD KEY CONTACTS:
ADDRESS: Innovation Centre Mewburn Road Banbury OX16 9PA
Rich Hancock Creative Director contact@ragtagdev.com
RAGTAG DEVELOPMENTS LTD is an independent, award-winning, interactive software development studio based in Oxfordshire, specialising in high-end interactives, apps, games and the use of video game technology in other business sectors. In 2012 Ragtag were proud to win an innovation award for an in-development internal project which is going live later this year. The core team consists of 4 professional developers with a combined games industry experience of over 60 years. Their expertise covers all major mobile, desktop, server, web and console technologies, using an in-house custom graphics engine. The same technology is being used to power the soon to be released amazeballz pool game, for which Ragtag is building an online community to help shape future content. The game will be available on desktop, mobile and TV platforms, with a beta version playable via the website. • Pick up and play 3D Pool – intuitive, fast and fluid • Real cue interaction – feels like playing pool for real • Dynamic challenge system to test your skill level • Play on iOS, Android, PC, OS X, and tvOS • Cross platform competition via play by mail • US 8-Ball, 9-Ball, UK 8-Ball, 6-Ball, and Crazy-Pool • Customise your own blank canvas environment • Shot replay system with slow motion and reverse play To get involved visit www.amazeballzgame.com
THE BUSINESS OF VIDEO ISSUE 859 FRIDAY DECEMBER
GAMES
4TH 2015
ISSUE 860 FRIDAY DECEMBER 11TH
2015
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS COMPANY AND MANY MORE ONLINE NOW AT:
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INDIE THICK OF IT
N SHAHID AHMAD ON 10 YEARS PLAYSTATION’S DEV CHAMPIO
BESTWICK TAKES US THROUGH 25 YEARS SONY P16 ATDEBBIE OF TEAM17
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UK RETAIL SPEAKS OUT 55%
70%
believe PS4 will rule next year (above top),
Twist think virtual reality is doomedUKIE’s SuperData’s van Dreunen
(above middle) and Reflection’s Leksell (above)
ack are bdig Charts ital e y’r the time, And this
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19%
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picked Uncharted 4 as their most anticipated game of 2016
DIRECTORY
WHO?
INSIDER’S GUIDE AUDIOMOTION
Specialism: Motion captured animation Location: Audiomotion Studios Ltd, London Road, Wheatley, Oxford OX33 1JG
Contact: W: www.audiomotion.com P: 08701 600 504 E: info@audiomotion.com
Brian Mitchell, Audiomotion’s director and co-founder, discusses Quantum Break and the state of motion capture Tell us about your company. Audiomotion is Europe’s leading motion capture service provider. We are a multi-award winning studio, specialising in the provision of motion-captured animation to the game development, film and television industries. Our multistage studio also houses the largest performance capture stage in Europe. What are the biggest challenges your business faces? The most challenging aspect of our work is recreating the client’s vision,
which involves some big sets, complex builds, intricate cut scenes and in-game moves. Our work on Quantum Break involved multiple high action stunts and sequences. We created a large capture volume which enabled us to capture the elaborate high falls and leaps the client required. The results were very impressive and you can see straightaway that the moves are going to look fantastic in the game. There’s a lot more to performance capture then people think. It takes a whole team to build a fully realised character that viewers can
emotionally identify with. As games are becoming more realistic we are expanding the services we offer to suit our clients’ needs. What are the trends in the games industry affecting you? Everyone is talking about virtual reality right now, so we’re excited to see where it goes. We are currently working with several companies to integrate different tech, and we are finding more of the smaller games companies are getting involved and finding new and interesting ways to apply the technology.
DISC REPAIR
TOTAL DISC REPAIR
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DIRECTORY
ENQUIRIES CONOR TALLON Tel: 02073 546000 ctallon@nbmedia.com
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INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION
GLOBAL DISTRIBUTORS IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR NEW PARTNERS OVERSEAS, THEN LOOK NO FURTHER
BELGIUM
CLD DISTRIBUTION Rue du Grand Champs 14 , B 5380 Fernelmont Belgium Tel: +32 81 83 02 02 Fax: +32 81 83 02 09 Email: infos@cld.be Web: www.cld.be home of www.dragonwar.eu & www.mawashi.eu
BRAZIL Sony Music Entertainment Brasil # 1 Physical Distributor in Brazil Rua Lauro Muller n°. 116 – 40°. Andar Salas 4001 a 4003 Botafogo Rio de Janeiro RJ CEP. 22.290-160 Tel. +55 21 2128-0771 Fax: +55 21 2128-0747 Email : rodrigo.altieri@sonymusic.com Website: www.sonymusic.com.br | www.day1e.com.br
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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
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UAE
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
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
WORLDWIDE CLICK ENTERTAINMENT LIMITED Email: info@click-entertainment.com Web: www.click-entertainment.com Phone: +44 (0)203 137 3781
MCV WORLDWIDE Editorial: + 61 (0)424 967 263 Leigh.Harris@mcvpacific.com
Advertising: + 61 (0)417 084821 Joel.Vandaal@mcvpacific.com
WWW.MCVPACIFIC.COM
MORE DISTRIBUTORS AUSTRALIA AFA Interactive, Bluemouth Interactive, Five Star Games, Mindscape, Namco Bandai Partners, Turn Left Distribution BENELUX CLD Distribution, Koch Media, Gameworld Distribution B.V. CANADA E One, Importel, Just4Games, Solutions 2 Go, Vidéoglobe CYPRUS Access, Gibareio, Zilos, Nortec Multimedia CZECH REPUBLIC Cenega, Conquest, Comgad, Playman, ABC Data DENMARK Bergsala, Elpa, Impulse, Koch Media, Nordisk Film Interactive, Nordic Game Supply, PAN Vision FRANCE Big Ben, Innelec, Koch Media, SDO, Sodifa GREECE Zegatron, CD Media, Namco Bandai Partners, IGE, Nortec, Enarxis, Beacon HUNGARY CNG.hu/Cenega Hungary, CTC Trading, Magnew, PlayON, Stadlbauer ICELAND Sena, Myndform, Samfilm, Ormsson INDONESIA Maxsoft, Uptron, Technosolution IRELAND MSE Group, Baumex JAPAN Ajioka, Happinet, Jesnet NORWAY Bergsala, Game Outlet, Koch Media, Nordic Game Supply, Nordisk Film, Pan Vision POLAND CD Projekt, Cenega, Galapagos, LEM PORTUGAL Ecoplay, Infocapital, Koch Media, Namco Bandai ROMANIA Best Distribution SERBIA ComTrade, Computerland/Iris Mega, Extreme CC SPAIN Digital Bros, Koch Media, Namco Bandai Partners, Nobilis SWEDEN Bergsala, Koch Media, Namco Bandai, Nordic Game Supply, PAN Vision, Wendros, Ztorm (digital) UAE Red Entertainment Distribution, Pluto Games (LS2 Pluto), Viva Entertainment, Gameplay Entertainment, Geekay Distribution
TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SECTION PLEASE CONTACT CTALLON@NBMEDIA.COM www.mcvuk.com
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March 25th 2016
FACTFILE IRELAND
INTERNATIONAL FACTFILE: IRELAND Population: 4,677,000 Capital City: Dublin Currency: Euro GDP (Per Capita): $50,155.3 KEY RETAILERS GameStop, ShopTo, Amazon, Argos, Littlewoods, Harvey Norman, Smyths Toys, HMV, Gamesnash, CeX, Button Bash Gaming, Expert Ireland KEY DISTRIBUTORS Exertis, CentreSoft, Click Entertainment, Meroncourt, VIP Computers, Link Distribution, MSE Group, Baumex, CMS Distribution, KamaGames
IRELAND is the 41st biggest video games market worldwide. The country generated over $170m (£119) in revenues in 2015, according to data firm Newzoo. This represents a decline, as the Irish industry ranked No.32 in 2014. That year, Ireland generated more than $179m (£126m). Updated figures on the Irish games industry are scarce. A study by former games industry researcher Jamie McCormick pointed out that Irish gamers had spent €206m (£161m) on physical games in 2014, which was an improvement over 2013 and its €185m (£144m). A few years ago, the Irish video games industry was one of the most promising ones. A 2011 report by Forfás – a now defunct national advisory board – stated that Ireland was then “perfectly placed to play a leading role in Europe’s video games industry” and 2,500 jobs were supposed to be
March 25th 2016
TOP DEVELOPERS Riot Games, Bioware, Zynga, bitSmith Games, Digit Game Studios, SixMinuteGames, Rocket Rainbow, Fierce Fun, Frogwares, Gambrinous, Story Toys, Demonware PUBLISHERS IN THE REGION Riot Games, EA, Activision Blizzard, Zynga, Zenimax, Microsoft
The Irish games industry generated $170m in 2015. created within the industry in the following years. But in 2012, the closure of PopCap in Dublin – with the loss of 96 jobs – was a blow for the Irish industry. The same year, in Cork, Blizzard also cut 200 positions and Big Fish closed, cutting another 90 jobs. Since then, indie developers are particularly blooming in the country and a few names have strengthened the local games scene, such as Digit Game Studios (the biggest developer in Ireland), SixMinutesGames – created by former members of PopCap – and Galway-based Rocket Rainbow.
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IRELAND FACTFILE
MEANWHILE IN... CHINA Shandong Honda, a Chinese company which mines iron and copper, wants to buy Cambridge-based firm Jagex, the creator of RuneScape CHINESE mining company Shandong Honda is in talks to buy RuneScape developer and publisher Jagex. “Jagex has entered into a non-exclusive, nonbinding arrangement for a potential acquisition,” the UK firm confirmed in a statement. “The negotiations surrounding the acquisition are ongoing and it remains very much business as usual for the company.” Jagex added that the discussions were still “in an early stage”. “We must stress that they may – or may not – materialise into anything. However, should they come to fruition, it
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would potentially allow us access to the Asian marketplace to a high level.” The story was first reported by the Financial Times, which stated that Shandong Honda
had acquired Jagex for $300m (around £206m). This was then refuted by Jagex. Shandong Honda is known in China for mining iron and copper.
March 25th 2016
OFF THE RECORD
OFF THE RECORD This week, MCV runs the Boaty McBoatface meme into the ground (Google it if you haven’t heard of it) BATTLEBORNY MCBATTLEBORNFACE 2016’S felt a bit relentless in terms of the number of games being released. And while this week has given us a bit of a breather, things don’t look like they’re easing up any time soon. Chief among the big names on the horizon is 2K’s multiplayer shooter Battleborn, which was present and correct at the MCV Awards earlier this month. As is evidenced by the UK games industry’s best and brightest doing their ‘thang’ at the event’s Battleborn photo area.
March 25th 2016
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OFF THE RECORD
DIVORCEY MCDIVORCEFACE VIEWERS of Twitch streamer Ara_Gaming came in for a bit of a shock recently when the channel returned to the air after a three-month hiatus with a completely different streamer at the helm. So what, you may think? Well, the reason regular host Sarah had been replaced was that she’d spent the last three months
divorcing her husband. And as part of the settlement, he was awarded her Twitch channel, which was owned by an LLC set up in both of their names. So Sarah has now been replaced with Crystal, who is the (former) husband’s cousin. Viewers were perhaps understandably a little miffed by the change and gave poor
MAKE-A-WISHY MCMAKE-A-WISHFACE
WOULD YOU RATHER FIGHT ONE HORSE-SIZED DUCK OR 100 DUCK-SIZED HORSES?
BEN COLLINS (as in, one of the fellas who used to play Top Gear’s The Stig) and F1’s Max Chilton have been recruited by Activision to help promote seven Skylanders Superchargers toys in conjunction with the wonderful Make-A-Wish foundation. The toys will be auctioned off to the highest bidder, with proceeds being handed over to the charity. Activision recently teamed up with the Light It Up Blue campaign, which is designed to raise awareness of autism, too. Top marks you lot – we hope other publishers follow your lead.
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Crystal a bit of a hard time as she played Stardew Valley. It’s even been claimed that Sarah has been blocked from streaming completely for five years as part on a non-compete clause. There’s also a little uncertainty about whether Twitch’s T&C’s actually allow for such a transfer, so expect plenty of drama in the days and weeks ahead.
Ian Livingstone (Apologies for publishing the wrong quote last week – THIS is what Ian actually said!) Back in the pre-video game era, I used to play a game called Ogre by Steve Jackson Games. To clear up the confusion, this was the American Steve Jackson, not my Games Workshop co-founder Steve Jackson. Ogre was a two-player game in which one huge cybernetic super tank (the Ogre) fought loads of much smaller armoured vehicles and infantry. I mostly won playing the Ogre, and for that reason I would rather fight a hundred duck-sized horses.
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March 25th 2016
OFF THE RECORD
Nope. Price is still too high.
Pre-ordered to have the luxury of deciding later.
harley9699 @harley9699 I’m very interested in it but I worry about how much support it really will get over the years. I’ll be buying one though.
VR is going to be a colossal failure... again.
3 ɓ /$<67$7,21 95ɕ $55,9(6 7+,6 2&72%(5 $7 ² :+$7 $5( <285 7+28*+76" :,// <28 %( *(77,1* ,192/9('" #GMGASKS
Warruz @Warruz Absolutely no interest in VR whatsoever. If exclusive software turns out to not be gimmicky, I ‘might’ change my mind.
Paul Evans @AuthorD 1080p shared for both eyes isn’t enough. This is just an overpriced Google Cardboard.
Dan @LeTHaLMiGRaiNe
Tiger General @SplendidMaChao Probably not
Philip Pack @DjFIL007
Remember 3D TVs? And Kinect for Xbox? Revolutionary, yet pretty much redundant tech...
If the rumours are true about PS4.5 count me out. Willing to pay £350, but not for an upgraded machine on top.
Chris Pearce @chrispearceuk
Aryav Bharali @MineshaftBam I’ll wait for more games and apps available and I’ll QHHG WR WU\ LW ¿ UVW
Stuart @STUA12T
Romain F. @Zakeryo
CONTACTS Christopher Dring
Kelly Sambridge
Andrew Wooden
Editor cdring@nbmedia.com
Head of Design and Production ksambridge@nbmedia.com
Content Director awooden@nbmedia.com
Ben Parfitt
Elizabeth Newton
Conor Tallon
Associate Editor bparfitt@nbmedia.com
Production Executive enewton@nbmedia.com
Senior Account Manager ctallon@nbmedia.com
Alex Calvin
Sam Richwood
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Staff Writer acalvin@nbmedia.com
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Senior Account Manager lmcDiarmid@nbmedia.com
Marie Dealessandri
Michael Canham
Sarah Goldhawk
Staff Writer mdealessandri@nbmedia.com
Finance Manager mcanham@nbmedia.com
Account Manager sgoldhawk@nbmedia.com
Stuart Moody
Charlotte Nangle
Head of Operations smoody@nbmedia.com
Account Manager cnangle@nbmedia.com
Please address all enquiries to: Newbay Media, MCV, Saxon House, 6a St. Andrew Street, Hertford, SG14 1JA. Printed By: Pensord, Tram Road, Pontllanfraith, Blackwood, NP12 2YA
Saxon House, 6a St. Andrew Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire, England SG14 1JA
© Newbay Media 2016 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without the express prior written consent of the publisher. The contents of MCV are subject to reproduction in information storage and retrieval systems.
MCV is a member of the Periodical Publishers Association. For the 12 months ending December 2009, MCV had an average weekly net circulation of 8,045. MCV’s circulation is 100 per cent named and zero per cent duplicated.
Newbay Media specialises in tradededicated print and digital publishing for entertainment and leisure markets. As well as MCV, Newbay publishes Develop, PCR, ToyNews, Music Week, MI Pro, Audio Pro International and BikeBiz. It also has two onlineonly brands: Mobile Entertainment, dedicated to the growing mass market smartphone sector, and Licensing.biz, for everyone in the global licensing industry. It also runs a number of events including the MCV Industry Excellence Awards, the London Games Conference and the Games Media Awards.
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ISSN: 1469-4832 Copyright 2016
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 Sainsbury’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
Editorial: 01992 515303 | Advertising: 0207 354 6000 | Fax: 01992 535648 ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS United Kingdom £150 l Europe £175 l Rest of the World £250 To order your subscription via Visa, Mastercard, Switch or AMEX or to make changes to your subscription details, contact mcv.subscriptions@c-cms.com or call 01580 883848.
March 25th 2016
42
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DISCOVER THE FRANCHISE
THE STORY BEGINS! One summer day in the town of Springdale, a painfully average boy, Nate, sets out to collect insects for a school science project. Instead of bugs, though, Nate ½RHW E PSYH QSYXLIH =S OEM REQIH ;LMWTIV ;LMWTIV gives Nate a Yo-Kai Watch, a device that lets humans see the normally invisible Yo-kai. Nate uses the watch to investigate mysteries around town, convincing Yo-kai to give up their hijinks and instead use their powers for good.
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YO-KAI WATCH© will be released for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems on the 29th April 2016.
© 2016 LEVEL-5 Inc. Nintendo 3DS is a trademark of Nintendo. © 2016 Nintendo.
OUR BEST VALUE AND MOST ROBUST CONSOLE
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Designed with affordability in mind Nintendo 2DS™ plays all your favourite Nintendo 3DS™ games without the 3D feature. The perfect console for younger kids and entry-level gamers.
Enjoy an even more immersive YO-KAI WATCH© gaming experience with bigger screens on new Nintendo 3DS™ XL.
For more info check: Nintendo.co.uk © 2016 LEVEL-5 Inc. Nintendo 3DS is a trademark of Nintendo. © 2016 Nintendo.