MCV912 March 17th by Future PLC

THE BUSINESS OF VIDEO GAMES ISSUE 912 FRIDAY MARCH 17TH 2017

MCV AWARDS 2017 ALL THE WINNERS FROM THE NIGHT AND THEIR REACTIONS

BILLION

UKIE’S MARKET BREAKDOWN PAGE 28 PLUS PLAYSTATION ACCESS ■ MASS EFFECT ■ YOGSCAST 01 MCV912 Cover_V2.indd 1

15/03/2017 17:38

NEWS PLAYSTATION ACCESS

EXCLUSIVE: PlayStation Access to depart Yogscast The team behind PlayStation Access is setting up its own creative agency, where it will continue to work on PlayStation UK’s YouTube channel in addition to other video work

Pictured, from left to right: PlayStation Access’ Rob Pearson, Nathan Ditum and Dave Jackson are to leave The Yogscast to form We Are Reach

By Katharine Byrne THE team behind PlayStation Access, PlayStation UK’s awardwinning YouTube channel, is to leave its current home at The Yogscast to form a new videofocused creative agency called We Are Reach, MCV can reveal. PlayStation Access will continue to be the team’s main focus at We Are Reach, but the move will also see them broaden its portfolio to include video work for other lifestyle brands. Helmed by Nathan Ditum, Rob Pearson and David Jackson, We Are Reach will also see the arrival of Future Publishing’s senior video editor Dan Wheeler, who will help the team launch a brand-new feature for PlayStation Access as well as improve the channel’s overall quality. “Yogscast gave us the freedom to make a real success of PlayStation Access,” Ditum told MCV. “But while we’ve had brilliant support from Yogscast, PlayStation Access has always been something we’ve managed quite independently, so this is a natural next step. March 17th 2017

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“At some point before the channel crossed the million subscriber mark we realised that not only could we do this on our own, but that we’d also built up an understanding of how YouTube in particular and social platforms in general can work smartly and organically with all kinds of brands and companies. “Our speciality is making videos that appeal naturally to audiences while supporting the aims of the companies we work with,” Ditum continued. “Access is proof that with the right editorial approach the two can go hand-in-hand, and can engage audiences more effectively than traditional advertising.” As for future projects We Are Reach are hoping to tackle, Ditum said the team is looking to work with businesses whose audiences can identify with a particular lifestyle or activity. “The potential is enormous,” he said. “What we do with PlayStation Access is really a celebration of gaming, with a focus on PlayStation in particular. The approach would work with film, fitness, cycling, DIY - anything with a shared set of experiences to draw from, and a community to build around.

Our speciality is making videos that appeal naturally to audiences while supporting the aims of the companies we work with. Nathan Ditum, We Are Reach

“We are open to working with other companies within games, but only where it fits with PlayStation Access. That’s the foundation and focus of the business and - part of the reason the channel feels as natural as it does - we’re all longtime PlayStation fans.” During the transition, PlayStation Access should continue as normal, Ditum said: “We should thank both Yogscast and PlayStation UK for helping to make the crossover so smooth. There might be some late nights putting IKEA desks together, but our audience shouldn’t be able to tell the difference.” PlayStation Access has been based at The Yogscast since 2013. Since then, the channel’s grown from 150,000 to 1.4m subscribers. Jo Bartlett, head of communications at PlayStation UK, added: “Nathan, Rob and Dave have been instrumental in the success of PlayStation Access and we’re looking forward to continuing our relationship with them as they launch their own agency. PlayStation Access has continued to go from strength to strength and we’re excited for this next chapter.” www.mcvuk.com

15/03/2017 17:21

DIGITAL VS PHYSICAL NEWS

Digital spending soars while physical shrinks over 50% in ten years By Katharine Byrne CONSUMER spending in games has increased 72 per cent between 2007 and 2016, but physical spending has fallen by 54.9 per cent during the same period, according to a new report from the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA). Boxed games are now worth less than half their value in 2007, totalling £776m, but the growth of digital spending has skyrocketed by 1,436.9 per cent during the same time period, making the digital games industry a £2.2bn business. There’s some good news to be found, though, as despite the huge increase in digital spending, physical games retailers have succeeded in securing higher consumer prices compared to their music and video retail counterparts. Over a period

where average music album prices have declined by 25 per cent, and DVD prices by over 40 per cent, games retailers saw the unit price of games increase by 18.2 per cent to reach an average of £32.84. This may be due to the introduction of a new console cycle, which has brought with it higher game prices, but the ERA says the decreasing number of games outlets has also played a role in the industry’s robust pricing structure. In 2007, there were nearly 50 per cent more physical outlets selling games than were selling music or video, but by 2016, there were more than twice as many outlets selling music and video than there were selling games. ERA research analyst Luke Butler stated: “While [music, video and games] now conduct

the vast majority of their business online, it is the games category that has embraced the channel most empathically. Over 83 per cent of games spend is derived via e-commerce channels, driven by a combination of growth in the micro-transactional world of mobile gaming, and a consumer switch away from boxed software and into direct-to-console digital distribution. He added: “The fact that games was the only entertainment retail category to record a drop in the number of shops trading last year is indicative of just how tough conditions on the High Street were. While specialist games retail is coming under heavy pressure, [...] it still commands the lion’s share of spend in the physical space with around 40 per cent of total spend in 2016 going through its tills.”

Interest in Switch high, but it’s still too expensive, says UK public By Katharine Byrne OVER half the UK population was aware of the Nintendo Switch prior to its launch on March 3rd, but only just under a third of that figure are actually interested in buying the console in the next three months, a new report from Harris Interactive has found. Unsurprisingly, awareness of the machine was highest among console gamers, at 73 per cent, but those who play games on mobile and handheld devices also scored highly, with 63 per cent of those polled saying that they knew about the device prior to launch. However, only 32 per cent of those who were aware of the console said they were interested in purchasing the console in the next three months, with 62 per cent responding they would be unlikely to buy it, or wouldn’t consider buying it at all. Just six per cent of those polled had either already bought the console or pre-ordered it. Price is the biggest barrier to buying the console, with 40 per www.mcvuk.com

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cent saying they can’t afford it right now. 32 per cent also said they were already happy with another console. 25 per cent said they weren’t into gaming enough to justify the cost of the console, while 20 per cent said they were waiting for the price to fall. However, it’s clear the nation still wants more from the Nintendo Switch, with backwards compatibility being the highest demand in the poll. 42 per cent also said they don’t think the Switch is as good as other consoles, so the device needs to live up to expectations first before it can count on success. “It’s encouraging for Nintendo to see high awareness levels and propensity to buy the console, in a market where mobile gaming continues to increase in popularity,” Harris Interactive research manager for media and entertainment Riccardo Imbriano told MCV. “However, cost and quality are the key barriers for Nintendo to overcome, as some gamers have said they can’t afford the Switch

Cost and quality are the key barriers for Nintendo to overcome. Riccardo Imbriano, Harris Interactive

or are already happy with another console. It will be a challenge for Nintendo to compete for both living room space and spending, especially when both PlayStation and Xbox are aiming to release smaller, cheaper, or more powerful devices aimed at giving core gamers an enhanced gaming experience.” He continued: “Nintendo’s success depends on its ability to appeal to gamers in the same way the Wii did by displaying innovative and fun ways to play the games and franchises they love on a new console. The Wii’s strength grew from its appeal to playing with family and friends, and Nintendo must build on the same experiences to drive adoption in homes. To persuade gamers, Nintendo must prove the Switch is as enjoyable to use as the Wii, release quality games at the correct times, and take advantage of the console’s ability to support play on the move like the 3DS, which will appeal to a wide range of gamers.” March 17th 2017

15/03/2017 17:21

NEWS BIG STORIES

PS4 GAMES COMING TO PLAYSTATION NOW

SONY has announced that a selection of PS4 titles will soon be available on its PlayStation Now service, and that they will be included as part of its existing subscription plan. Previously, the service was limited to PS3 titles, offering backwards compatibility for existing PS4 owners. More recently, Sony reduced the number of compatible PS Now devices to include just PS4 and PC. However, with the arrival of PS4 titles on the service, it means non-console owners will soon be able to play a much wider range of currentgen titles than ever before, especially if it ends up including PS4 exclusives.

WHAT THE INDUSTRY SAID...

WHAT THE PRESS SAID...

...AND WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

SONY unveiled the news on the US PlayStation blog, stating: "We’re excited to announce that PlayStation Now’s catalog is set to grow even further, as we’ll be expanding to include a new platform: PlayStation 4 games. "All of the games in the service, including PlayStation 4 games, will be included with a single PS Now subscription. We’ll share more information as we get closer to launch, so stay tuned. In the next few weeks we’ll kick off a private test with PS4 games on PlayStation Now. "If you’re an active PS Now subscriber, keep an eye on your email in case you get an invitation."

UNSURPRISINGLY, the PC community was very pleased, with Extreme Tech's Joel Hruska saying it will finally let Sony "challenge" the Xbox One's ability to stream Xbox One games to a local PC. Likewise, Ars Technica's Sam Machkovech called it "a 'Bravia' decision" while Trusted Reviews' Chris Smith said "it appears Sony's doubling down" on the service despite earlier fears PS Now might be about to collapse. However, others were more cautious, with PC Gamer's Joe Donnelly saying in his August 2016 test of the service that 60-second load times were "a bit of a bummer" and that he was "surprised to find the odd bit of macroblocking and the occasional stutter in Journey."

FOR now, PlayStation will be conducting private tests of the service with selected PS Now subscribers, so a full roll-out isn't likely to happen until later this year. When it does launch, though, we'd be surprised if Sony included key exclusives such as Uncharted 4, Ratchet & Clank, The Last Guardian and Horizon Zero Dawn straight away, as it still needs to give consumers plenty of reasons to keep buying its console rather than simply opting for its subscription service.

SWITCH GAMES TO COST MORE THAN ON OTHER PLATFORMS?

LAST month, Nintendo announced a huge line-up of titles coming to Switch this year, but it now seems the price of some of those games will be higher for Nintendo players compared to other platforms, with Tequila Works' Rime being one of the most notable titles to incur a price increase, costing £39.99 on Switch but only £29.99 on PS4, Xbox One and PC. March 17th 2017

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WHAT THE INDUSTRY SAID...

WHAT THE PRESS SAID...

...AND WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

WHEN asked about the price discrepancies in a recent Facebook Q&A stream, Nintendo of America president Reggie FilsAimé simply said: "We don't make that pricing decision" and said it was a decision that mainly laid with individual publishers. Meanwhile, Rime developer Tequila Works said that "the MSRP of the Switch version is based on development and go-tomarket costs, which can vary for each platform," implying that manufacturing costs are partly to blame for the higher prices.

IT was a report by Eurogamer's Wesley Yin-Poole that initially sparked this debate over Switch pricing, which stated that after "a bit of digging, it turns out more expensive Nintendo Switch games may not be entirely the fault of developers." He continued: "We've also heard that the cost of the cart depends on [its] size, [and] that Nintendo's policy is that Switch eShop games should cost the same as their physical versions, in a bid to keep bricks and mortar shops on-side." Ars Technica's Kyle Orland added that while cartridges "might be worth it for the benefits of portability, [it's] worth keeping in mind as [consumers] consider the pros and cons of the console."

AS a result of these potential price increases, some developers are choosing to only release their titles on the Nintendo eShop. Sumo Digital, for instance, is releasing Snake Pass as a digitalonly title for £15.99 across all platforms. "We have no issue keeping the price the same across all platforms digitally," Sumo COO Paul Porter told Eurogamer. "Indeed, it was important to us that people wouldn't be penalised by which platform they decided to purchase." As a result, we could see more digital-only indie releases on Switch, but it might also make publishers take a second look at their physical prices and opt to charge the same across all platforms, regardless of whether it's boxed or not.

www.mcvuk.com

17/03/2017 10:18

THE EDITOR NEWS

THE EDITOR WHO ARE GAMING'S FEEDER CLUBS? THE FIGURES are in for 2016. Thanks to Ukie we now have a clear overall figure for UK consumer spending. For all the details of the ups-and-downs, see page 28, but the good news is that the industry is growing as a whole. Expecting existing gamers to spend yet more money, or even to keep gaming forever, is obvious folly. A key aspect for continued growth is finding new blood to both boost revenues and replace those lost to the joys of childrearing, the grind of demanding careers, the chores of home ownership, or all three. And yes, it's been a tough couple of weeks and I just want to play Zelda! Mass Effect is looking to find new fans with its latest outing (see page 22), a sci-fi epic where early preview plays have struggled

to crack the surface in over five hours. The industry is always keen to bring new players to the party, but to appeal to existing fans it often piles on additional features and nods to previous outings Meanwhile, many online titles require huge dedication from their players. Competitive titles, from For Honor to Hearthstone, take regular practice in order to keep up with both the basic skills and the evolving metagame. With so many big titles proving to be serious time sinks or simply relying upon a pretty solid grasp of genre mechanics, just where are these new players going to come from? Where are the 'feeder clubs' for the big leagues of gaming? Well, Minecraft looks to be goose that's laying the golden egg, instilling the gaming bug

A key aspect to continued growth is finding new blood to boost revenues.

EVENTS CALENDAR

PRESENTS

5 SECOND FACTS 193,060

MARCH 2017

APRIL 2017

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EGX REZZED 2017 Tobacco Dock, London Thursday, March 30th - Saturday, April 1st ■ EGX Rezzed will give gamers the opportunity to play PC and console games before they're released, meet the creators behind these games, chat with recruiters, play board games, buy merchandise and more. ■ BioShock creator Ken Levine will headline EGX Rezzed on Thursday, March 30th.

BAFTA GAMES AWARDS 2017 Tobacco Dock, London Thusday, April 6th ■ The next British Academy Games Awards ceremony will take place on April 6th, as part of the London Games Festival.

LONDON GAMES FESTIVAL 2017 Various events across London Thursday, March 30th - Sunday, April 9th ■ Games London expect 50,000 people to attend this year's edition, after 38,000 people gathered last year. ■ The festival will open with EGX Rezzed and, like last year, will include the British Academy Games Awards, on April 6th, and the Now Play This fest, from April 7th to 9th.

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into a generation of youngsters, who should move over to a wider range games once they get the opportunity and income It's about time too, as 'the game that keeps on giving' Minecraft certainly took the sales out of other titles aimed at that market for many a year now - so it's payback for the industry as a whole. The other obvious candidate is mobile, where play might incubate a desire for something even more engaging on a bigger screen. Whether they're wholly new to gaming, or simply lapsed since childhood, the industry must find ways to bridge the gap between gaming on a device you owned anyway, and gaming on a device designed specifically for that purpose. sbarton@nbmedia.com

INSOMNIA60 Birmingham’s NEC Friday, April 14th - Monday, April 17th ■ As always, all the latest games will be there, as well as zones dedicated to VR, board games, indie titles, retro gaming, Minecraft, cosplay and a drone arena. ■ You can buy tickets on the event's website: www.insomniagamingfestival.com

The number of units The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sold in Japan during its first week

Uncharted 4 has received eight nominations for this year's BAFTA Games Awards

$22.5m

John Carmack is suing ZeniMax for allegedly missing payments of $22.5m

11%

The price of Hearthstone cards is set to rise by 11 per cent in Europe

1.4m

The number of clicks Nintendo.com sent to Amazon in the month before Switch's launch Titanfall 2 Controller - PDP Design and manufacture the Officially Licenced Titanfall 2 Controller for Xbox ONE europesales@pdp.com

www.pdp.com

March 17th 2017

17/03/2017 10:18

NEWS INTERNATIONAL IN ASSOCIATION WITH

PS4 once again the best-selling console in the US in February Sony’s PlayStation 4 remains the dominant platform in the US, according to a new NPD report, but Switch could end its reign A new report from NPD shows that Sony’s PlayStation 4 was once again the best-selling console in the US in February. This might change next month, of course, when Nintendo Switch sales register, but for now Sony continues its four-month streak as the dominant platform. PS4 hardware sales were bolstered by a strong slate of February software releases, including two exclusives in the form of Team Ninja’s Nioh on February 7th and Guerrilla’s Horizon Zero Dawn on February 28th. Likewise, the platform had exclusive virtual reality support for Capcom’s Resident Evil VII, which arrived on the last day of January. Xbox One, meanwhile, only had one major exclusive last month – the real-time strategy game Halo Wars 2, which released in the US on February 21st.

The PlayStation 4 had a strong February in Japan as well, staying at the top of Famitsu’s hardware charts for the month. Indeed, Japanese PS4 sales rose 64 per cent in the last week of February, thanks in no small part to the release of Square Enix and PlatinumGames’ Nier: Automata and Bandai Namco’s Super Robot Taisen V. Sony’s four-month reign looks certain to come to an end in NPD’s March report, though, with the arrival of the Nintendo Switch. While Nintendo hasn’t yet released any official sales figures for its new console at time of going to press, SuperData has estimated the platform has sold around 1.5m units worldwide after just ten days on sale. This is according to data aggregated from across SuperData’s partner network,

A strong month of releases kept the PS4 at No.1 in the US hardware charts

Meanwhile, Xbox One only had one major exclusive last month: Halo Wars 2.

which includes both GfK and Famitsu. The US is estimated to be the largest market for Switch, with roughly 500,000 units sold. Japan is in second place with an estimated 360,000 units, but Europe isn’t far behind, with France and the UK selling approximately 110,000 and 85,000 units respectively.

Starbreeze to publish System Shock 3 SWEDISH publisher and distributor Starbreeze has signed an agreement with OtherSide Entertainment to publish System Shock 3 on PC and other platforms. Starbreeze will pour $12m into the title, and it says it will be able to recoup 120 per cent of its full investment including marketing costs. Under the agreement, OtherSide Entertainment will retain the intellectual property relating to System Shock 3, which is currently in the early concept stages of development under the direction of industry legend Warren Spector as well as a team whose collective experience stretches

March 17th 2017

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across the original System Shock, System Shock 2, Deus Ex and Thief: The Dark Project. Meanwhile, Starbreeze’s share of revenues will become 50 per cent after its investment is recouped. “System Shock is one of those iconic franchises in the history of games that still gets my blood going and Mr. Spector is one of the founding fathers of the modern action RPG,” said Starbreeze CEO Bo Andersson-Klint. “We’re greatly looking forward to bringing System Shock 3 to players worldwide in our collaboration with OtherSide Entertainment

and Warren Spector’s team. I’ll be first in line to play”. OtherSide’s CEO Paul Neurath added: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Starbreeze for System Shock 3. They truly get games and gamers, and have been able to translate that understanding into a robust publishing business, and build thriving gaming communities around their franchises.”

www.mcvuk.com

15/03/2017 14:46

APPOINTMENTS NEWS

Three senior promotions at Sega Europe Downing, Tafler and Oliver all step up at Sega Europe ■ Sheridan joins nDreams SEGA EUROPE | The European arm of Sega has made three senior promotions to its marketing and brand teams. ANNA DOWNING has been named as Sega Europe’s new marketing director, ROWAN TAFLER steps up as head of brand for Sega’s Searchlight business, while PETER OLIVER is now head of public relations for Sega Europe. Downing was previously head of product marketing at the publisher and has worked at various roles within Sega for the

above. Previously, he was Sega Europe’s PR manager, a role he’s held for the past five years. “Sega is constantly striving to hire the best possible people, so it’s immensely satisfying that we can look within our existing pool of talent to fill three high profile positions,” said JOHN CLARK, SVP of commercial publishing for Sega Europe. “It speaks volumes about the confidence we have in our team at Sega Europe, that we were able to fill 66 per cent of vacancies in the past 12 months through internal recruitment. It reiterates our desire to nurture and develop the talented people we have working here.”

past seven years, leading the marketing, PR and community teams in both EMEA and the US for Sonic Team, Creative Assembly, Relic Entertainment, Sports Interactive, Amplitude Studios and Sega Searchlight. Meanwhile, Tafler has been promoted from his role as Sega’s senior brand manager. In his new position, he’ll be in charge of expanding Sega’s western output, including the publishing of new indie titles. More information about Sega’s Searchlight project will be announced in due course over the next few weeks. Oliver, on the other hand, will now be in charge of all EMEA and US PR campaigns and corporate communications for the same five studios outlined

NDREAMS | VR specialist nDreams has appointed DAN

SHERIDAN as its new communications manager. Most recently, he was community marketing manager at Sega Europe, but he’s also worked at Maker Studios as head of partnerships and prior to that was UK SoCOM marketing manager for EA. He also founded marketing and advertising firm Player Network. Sheridan commented: “I’m really excited to be joining [founder] Patrick [O’Luanaigh] and the nDreams team. “Having the opportunity to work in VR was very appealing and I know that my experience and skills in building new communities will be put to good use at nDreams.”

Distributed by IT World Services TEL: +44 (0)17538 21122 EMAIL: sales@itworldservices.co.uk

www.mcvuk.com

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March 17th 2017

15/03/2017 14:46

GAMES BIG RELEASES

MASS EFFECT: ANDROMEDA

DEVELOPER BioWare PUBLISHER EA DISTRIBUTOR CentreSoft

WHAT THE PUBLISHER SAID...

WHAT THE PRESS SAID...

...AND HOW WELL WILL IT DO?

ORIGINALLY announced at E3 2015 during EA’s press conference, Mass Effect: Andromeda was described by developer BioWare as “very much a new adventure. (...) You’ll be exploring an all-new galaxy, Andromeda, and piloting (a) new and improved Mako. And through it all, you will have a new team of adventurers to work with, learn from, fight alongside of, and fall in love with.” For more on Mass Effect: Andromeda from publisher EA, turn to page 22 to read our full interview with senior product manager in the UK Alice Brandvik

PREVIEWS for Andromeda are positive, but early critics seem to be more confused than anything else so far, mostly due to the game’s massive world. Trusted Reviews’ Brett Phipps said he “vastly underestimated the scale of Bioware’s next space epic” and that he “barely scratched the surface.” He added: “This game is ginormous, and is about to eat up every second you have.” Polygon’s Arthur Gies also said the 90 minutes he spent with the game were clearly not enough to see what it was all about, and that mostly he felt “deeply, hopelessly lost.“ He commented: “I didn’t have the time to acclimatize to the big shifts BioWare is bringing to the series.” That said, he still felt “tantalizing hints of potential” that made him want to “dive in and learn more.”

ANDROMEDA is EA’s first triple-A release for 2017 and, as such, the publisher has high expectations for the title. During EA’s Q3 earnings call, chief financial officer Blake Jorgensen said he expected Mass Effect: Andromeda to sell “around three million units” in its early days. Mass Effect 3 sold 900k copies in its first 24 hours back in 2012, while 2010’s Mass Effect 2 shifted 2m units worldwide in just a few days. Mass Effect: Andromeda is highly anticipated, so 3m copies in a week seems to be a fair expectation. The space game can also count on its various collector’s editions to boost sales. Likewise, EA is releasing a 10-hour trial for Andromeda for Access subscribers, which could help hesitant gamers with their buying decision.

PLATFORM(S) PS4, XO, PC PRICE £54.99 (PS4/XO), £49.99 (PC) RELEASE DATE March 23rd

DIGITAL RELEASES BYE-BYE BOXBOY!

NEUROVOIDER

LATE SHIFT

DEVELOPER: HAL Laboratory PUBLISHER: Nintendo PLATFORM(S): 3DS PRICE: £4.49 RELEASE DATE: March 23rd

DEVELOPER: Flying Oak Games PUBLISHER: Plug In Digital - Playdius PLATFORM(S): PS4, XO PRICE: £10.59 RELEASE DATE: Out now

DEVELOPER: CtrlMovie PUBLISHER: Wales Interactive PLATFORM(S): PS4, XO, PC PRICE: £9.99 RELEASE DATE: April 2017

THE final entry of the 2D puzzle-platformer is lauching on Nintendo’s eShop later this month. For the first time in the series, ByeBye Boxboy! will feature Amiibo support with players being able to use the Kirby Collection figures to unlock additional costumes. A demo featuring levels from the three entries in the series is also available for free on Nintendo’s eShop.

HAVING released on Steam last Summer, NeuroVoider is now landing on PS4 and Xbox One, with a Nintendo Switch version to release later this year. The twin-stick shooter RPG also just got an Extended Update version on Steam - whose content is available directly at launch on consoles. It includes new legendary weapons, skills, bosses, and tunes from Dan Terminus.

FMV adventure title Late Shift is coming to consoles and Steam next month, with publisher Wales Interactive also eyeing a limited retail release. This live-action thriller will give players over 180 decisions to make over the course of the game. Late Shift follows the story of a student being forced to take part in an auction house robbery.

March 17th 2017

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www.mcvuk.com

15/03/2017 15:03

BIG RELEASES GAMES

INCOMING TITLE

Big Ben Interactive’s 2Dark and Flatout 4 are both hitting shelves today, alongside NIS America’s Danganronpa 1.2 Reload FORMAT

GENRE

PUBLISHER TELEPHONE DISTRIBUTOR

March 17th 2Dark

PS4, XO, PC

Stealth

Big Ben

01462 487 373

Open

Danganronpa 1.2 Reload

PS4

Adventure

NIS America

020 8664 3485

Open

Flatout 4

PS4, XO, PC

Racing

Big Ben

01462 487 373

PQube

PS4, XO

Adventure

THQ Nordic

01279 822 800

Exertis

PS4, XO, PC

Action RPG

01216 253 388

CentreSoft

88 Heroes

PS4

Action

Rising Star Games

01215 069 590

Advantage

March 22nd This is the Police March 23rd Mass Effect: Andromeda March 24th Sudden Strike 4

PS4, PC

Strategy

Kalypso Media

01344 383 550

Open

Touhou Genso Wanderer

PS4, Vita

RPG

NIS America

020 8664 3485

Open

Toukiden 2

PS4, PC, Vita

RPG

Koei Tecmo

01462 476130

Open

Troll and I

PS4, XO, PC

Adventure

Maximum Games

01480 359 403

Maximum Games

Vikings - Wolves of Migard

PS4, XO, PC

Action

Kalypso Media

01344 383 550

Open

God Wars Future Past

PS4, Vita

Strategy

NIS America

020 8664 3485

Open

Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 & 2.5 Remix

PS4

RPG

Square Enix

01256 385 200

Koch Media

Rogue Stormers

PS4, XO, PC

Action

Soedesco

01902 861 527

Pavilion

March 31st

CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK: Flatout 4: Total Insanity DISTRIBUTOR PQube is working hand-in-hand with publisher Big Ben Interactive to bring Flatout 4: Total Insanity to the UK market and is hard at work on the marketing campaign right now. “We want to ensure a high degree of visibility for Flatout 4, so we’re working with the Gamer Network to place site takeovers on several major gaming sites,” PQube’s product manager in the UK Anne-Lou Grosbois-Favreau told MCV. “Of course, social media is always a key element of our marketing, both for advertisement and for fan engagement. We favour promoting our games through competitions and giveaways post launch for instance. We’ll also be

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running TV spots for Flatout 4 on key extreme sports programming and advertising with partners that cater to similar audiences.” The campaign won’t stop after launch date, though, with PQube planning to support the game going forward as well. “We are very confident about the quality of Flatout 4 and will be supporting the game post-launch for quite some time, through social media, PR and racing event presence,” Grosbois-Favreau continued. “While we can’t go into details at this time, rest assured that we also have some very exciting DLC plans for Flatout 4.” The title should appeal to a wide range of gamers because of its fun take on the racing genre, she added.

We have some very exciting DLC plans for Flatout 4. Anne-Lou Grosbois-Favreau, PQube

FORMAT: PS4, XO, PC RELEASED: March 17th PUBLISHER: Big Ben DISTRIBUTOR: PQube CONTACT: 01462 487 373

“Flatout 4 will definitely have a wide appeal, as you don’t have to be a hardcore racing fan to get the most out of this game. It’s an arcade racing game with a focus on fun and furious action, with a blazing sense of speed, high speed crashes and destructible environments. “It’s also safe to say that anyone looking for a fun online multiplayer experience where you compete for the high scores will find a lot to love in Flatout 4.”

March 17th 2017

15/03/2017 15:03

GAMES WEEKLY CHARTS

WEEKLY CHARTS TOP 40 UK PHYSICAL RETAIL 011

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

Title Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands Horizon Zero Dawn LEGO Worlds The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Grand Theft Auto V Nier: Automata FIFA 17 Rocket League 1-2-Switch Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare

For Honor Minecraft: Xbox Edition Resident Evil VII: Biohazard Sniper Elite 4 Forza Horizon 3 Hitman: The Complete First Season Battlefield 1 Overwatch WWE 2K17 Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Super Bomberman R Pokémon Sun Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition Just Dance 2017 Halo Wars 2 Steep LEGO Star Wars The Force Awakens Mafia III Minecraft: PlayStation Edition NBA 2K17 Fallout 4 Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege Dishonored 2 Tom Clancy’s The Division Pokémon Moon Watch Dogs 2 Mario Sports Superstars New Super Mario Bros. 2 Nioh Final Fantasy XV

Format PS4, XO PS4 PS4, XO NS, Wii U PS4, XO, PC PS4 PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC PS4, XO NS PS4, XO, PC PS4, XO, PC XO, 360 PS4, XO, PC PS4, XO, PC XO PS4, XO, PC PS4, XO, PC PS4, XO, PC PS4, XO, PS3, 360 PS4 NS 3DS PS4, XO PS4, XO, NS, Wii U, PS3, 360, Wii XO, PC PS4, XO PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360 PS4, XO, PC PS4, PS3, Vita PS4, XO, PS3, 360 PS4, XO, PC PS4, XO, PC PS4, XO, PC PS4, XO, PC 3DS PS4, XO, PC 3DS 3DS PS4 PS4, XO

Publisher Ubisoft Sony Warner Bros Nintendo Rockstar Square Enix EA 505 Games Nintendo Activision Ubisoft Microsoft Capcom Rebellion/Sold Out Microsoft Square Enix EA Blizzard 2K Games Sony Konami Nintendo Bethesda Ubisoft Microsoft Ubisoft Warner Bros 2K Games Sony 2K Games Bethesda Ubisoft Bethesda Ubisoft Nintendo Ubisoft Nintendo Nintendo Sony/Koei Tecmo Square Enix

AFTER a huge glut of sales with both the Switch and Horizon Zero Dawn launching the week before, the market maintained its Q1 momentum last week with two more big titles landing in high positions. Ubisoft will be pleased that the returning Ghost Recon franchise sniped its way straight into the number one spot. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands militarised GTA gameplay was the biggest launch of the year so far. It sold relatively equally between the two console platforms - despite the disparity in installed userbase. Some of that is undoutbtedly down to many PS4 gamers picking up Horizon Zero Dawn just the week before - but Xbox One owners seem keen for both multiplayer experiences and games with military tendencies. SECOND DAWN The exclusive Horizon Zero Dawn was shifted into second place, after it saw a respectable 60 per cent drop in sales. The second big release of the week was LEGO Worlds. It’s a decent opening for the world-builder, but it was always going to be a long-term play for Warner Bros. With practically every Switch owner already having a copy, a fall of 70 per cent in sales to fourth position isn’t too shabby for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. That’s partly due to Wii U owners coming

late to the party, with 40 per cent of sales coming from the older console in Week Two. Moving past the everpresent crime caper, at No.6 we have our third new release - Nier: Automata - which launched on PS4 only at physical retail. We can’t help but feel it’s been thrown in amongst some much bigger hitters. SWITCHES CAULDRON 1-2-Switch was the second-biggest Switch launch title and the biggest exclusive, it dropped from No.4 to No.9 retaining a healthy 50 per cent of it sales. Super Bomberman R, the other big exclusive dropped from No.7 to No.21, losing 72 per cent of its sales in the process. For Honor’s fourth week in the chart saw it slipping down to No.11. It’s another multiplayercentric title with nearparity between Xbox and PlayStation sales. It’s also just one of seven Ubisoft titles in the Top 40 - more than any other publisher. There’s a lot of largely static titles in the middle of the charts. But a few have bucked the usual trends. Resident Evil VII actually moved up a place to No.12; while Sniper Elite 4 recovered from No.19 to No.14. Halo Wars 2 is headed down, dropping to No.25 after just three weeks in the chart. Finally we have our last new entry, the 3DS exclusive Mario Sports Superstars, which premiered at No.37.

Wildlands is the second biggest launch of the Tom Clancy brand to date

Source: UKIE/GfK Entertainment, Period: Week ending March 11th March 17th 2017

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WEEKLY CHARTS GAMES

Market Data The market held up well after last week’s bumper sales. Value only dropped slightly, while unit sales actually increased

£20m

£15m £15m

£17m 438,298 units

16.3m 446,616 units

Week Ending March 4th

Week Ending March 11th

£30m £10m

£11.7m 361,881 units

£7.7m 260,284 units

Week Ending February 18th

Week Ending February 25th

GLOBAL STEAM CHARTS (UNITS)

Sponsored by

gaming merchandise uk

MARGIN MAKERS THIS WEEK: MASS EFFECT: ANDROMEDA With Mass Effect: Andromeda hitting shelves on March 23rd, Marie Dealessandri looks for the best merch releasing alongside the title

MASS EFFECT: ANDROMEDA – NEXUS UPRISING

EA’S upcoming Mass Effect: Andromeda is a great vehicle as far as merchandise is concerned. There are literally hundreds of items to choose from, with a big focus on the game’s beautiful art, leading to the publication of various books dedicated to Mass Effect’s good looks. Obviously, there’s more traditional games merch as well, such as T-shirts and apparel, with Merchoid launching a Mass Effect: Andromeda collection created by Level Up Wear.

Community manager Jessica Adams commented: “Whether you’re a FemRyder or MaleRyder, if you’re off exploring in search of a new Earth, you’re going to need some good gear. Our new range has everything you need – except the spaceship.” Gaming Merchandise UK and Insert Coin also have a massive range of products, while some exclusive items can also be purchased on BioWare’s official store.

THREE novels set in the Mass Effect: Andromeda universe are due to launch this year, with the first one, Nexus Uprising, releasing on March 28th. Written by best-selling sci-fi authors Jason M. Hough and K.C. Alexander, it takes place concurrently with the game’s story. SRP: £7.99 Manufacturer: Titan Books Distributor: Titan Books Contact: sales@titanemail.com

N7 BASEBALL CAP WITH the sun making a welcome comeback, here’s a nice baseball cap to protect you if you ever happen to take a break from playing. SRP: £17 Manufacturer: Gaya Entertainment Distributor: Gaming Merchandise UK Contact: hello@ gamingmerchandiseuk.com

GAMES POP! VINYL FIGURES – PEEBEE & JAAL HERE are two of the eight vinyl figures forming Funko’s Mass Effect: Andromeda range. There’s also Liam Kosta, three different versions of Sara Ryder, The Archon and another version of Peebee with a gun. SRP: £9.99 Manufacturer: Funko Distributor: Heo UK Contact: info@heo.com

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MERCHANDISE GAMES AI SPACE ODYSSEY T-SHIRT

PATHFINDER CIRCLE MUG

THIS T-shirt is part of Merchoid’s official Mass Effect: Andromeda apparel range, designed by trendy outlet Level Up Wear. It includes hoodies, jackets, T-shirts, leggings, socks, caps and beanie hats.

FOR every big game hitting shelves, there always seems to be a mug launching alongside it. Here’s one featuring Mass Effect: Andromeda’s Pathfinder logo. SRP: £7.99 Manufacturer: GB Eye Distributor: Gaming Merchandise UK Contact: hello@gamingmerchandiseuk.com

SRP: £22.99 Manufacturer: Level Up Wear Distributor: Merchoid Contact: 0800 652 5140

GRUNT COLLECTOR’S PLUSH THIS cuddly Grunt is the first in a range of plushes created by licensing firm Sanshee to launch alongside Mass Effect: Andromeda. SRP: $32 (£26) Manufacturer: Sanshee Distributor: BioWare Contact: info@treehousebrandstores.com

THE ART OF MASS EFFECT: ANDROMEDA – LIMITED EDITION DARK HORSE’S The Art of Mass Effect: Andromeda also comes in this limited edition version, which includes three blueprints of the Tempest exploration vessel. It launches on March 21st and is already available to pre-order. SRP: $80 (£65) Manufacturer: Dark Horse Distributor: BioWare Contact: info@treehousebrandstores.com

MASS EFFECT: ANDROMEDA PATHFINDER EDITION GAME GUIDE COMING out on March 21st, this collector’s edition of Prima’s Mass Effect: Andromeda guide is a treat for every fan of the game. It includes a gorgeous Andromeda Initiative backpack that can hold a 15-inch laptop, a Welcome Letter from the mission’s founder, Jien Garson, a full-colour map of the Andromeda galaxy, a 32-page journal with field notes and sketches about the Initiative, a DLC code, and, of course, the guide in a premium hardcover edition. SRP: £79.99 Manufacturer: Prima Games Distributor: Gaming Merchandise UK Contact: hello@gamingmerchandiseuk.com

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FEATURES MCV AWARDS 2017

THE 15TH ANNUAL

Recognising excellence within the games market

Last Thursday, MCV celebrated its fifteenth annual Awards, with 24 accolades recognising the very best in the industry. Marie Dealessandri collected the winners’ reactions PR & COMMS TEAM INDIGO PEARL

I’m shaking. It’s voted for by your peers, it’s people that really know you, and it’s lovely. We’ve won for the last two years, so I was like ‘It can’t be the third year in a row!’ It’s amazing.

AGENCY TEAM ATTENTION SEEKERS

SPECIALIST RETAILER GAME

Caroline Miller, owner

I swear I didn’t expect to win. It’s not that we don’t deserve it, it’s just there was some great competition there, so we didn’t expect to win. But we’re very, massively happy. Phil Tucker, co-founder

It’s brilliant. With over 4,000 employees, this award is for them because they make the businesses. This is our fourth year running now so we’re very proud of winning this again. Fred Prego, marketing & insight director

Whether you’re looking for your first job or next career move, we’ve got the experience and industry know-how to find the perfect role for you. Hundreds of games jobs available now at

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and w at

MCV AWARDS 2017 FEATURES

MARKETING TEAM BETHESDA

IN-HOUSE PR TEAM EA

We’re very excited. We feel really good about this. We didn’t expect it at all, so it’s great to be recognised for that. Not falling off the stage like our boss at the BAFTAs was also a highlight.

EVENTS TEAM UKIE

Sarah Seaby, European marketing & PR director

It’s a great achievement. The industry is competitive but it’s good fun. There are a lot of great companies out there, so to be recognised by your peers is always a great achievement. Shaun White, head of communications

DISTRIBUTION TEAM CENTRESOFT/ ADVANTAGE DISTRIBUTION

MEDIA TEAM IGN

I’m delighted. It means so much to the company. We’ve won previous years but every year it’s important. We never ever expect it, we just work hard to try to retain it. Margaret Pearson, director

This is amazing, we are privileged to win. It’s been a really great year and it’s fantastic to win today. The recognition is just amazing. Dan Kilby, commercial projects & marketing manager

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We do international trade events, so not your normal events that people expect to see. But there are some big events on the calendar and we help little companies that couldn’t ordinarily get there to go and promote themselves all across the world. They do lots of business there and it works for them and that’s why we got the award. Sam Collins, commercial manager

I am really proud to be working with a team led by Sam, to be able to actually enable these companies to have these opportunities because we’re a trade network and that’s what we’re about. We didn’t expect this whatsoever. We were up against projects that we’re half parent to, Games London, but they will win it next year. Dr Jo Twist OBE, CEO

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FEATURES MCV AWARDS 2017

GAMES PUBLISHER BETHESDA

We just won for the second year running; it’s a validation of all the hard work of the last seven to eight years. EXPORT TEAM UBISOFT

I’m absolutely delighted. We’ve won it before and every time it’s very special to us. There are so many good export teams out there but we do put in a lot of hard work.

Paul Oughton, sales director

It’s a long build up to this and it’s been hard work. The competition was pretty strong, and last year was very hard, so I think this award reflects the effort everyone’s put in.

Darren Bowen, UK & export sales director Alistair Hatch, head of European PR

INDIE GAMES LABEL 505 GAMES

It’s an amazing award. There were lots of good competitors up against us and it’s the second time we’ve won but nonetheless it’s an amazing award to win. Tim Woodley, SVP global brand & marketing

PERIPHERALS AND ACCESSORIES TURTLE BEACH

INDEPENDENT RETAILER GAMES CENTRE

I really appreciate this, especially in light of the strong competition. It’s a big effort from everyone in the team and we’ve been fortunate to win in the past but you never expect it.

This is the sixth time we’ve won the award but we never take it for granted, it’s so special to receive it. We always know we have a chance but we never expect it.

Keith Hennessey, European communications director

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Robert Lindsay, managing director

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MCV AWARDS 2017 FEATURES

NEW GAMES BRAND ACTIVISION BLIZZARD OVERWATCH

DIGITAL MARKETING TEAM, TRADE MARKETING TEAM, COMMUNITY TEAM, GAME CAMPAIGN PLAYSTATION UK

The MCV Awards is a great opportunity to look back on, and to celebrate, all of the hard work that’s taken place over the year. The team were thrilled to be recognised by their industry peers and to win these awards. The Best Campaign win for Uncharted 4 was particularly special to us as it’s a fitting tribute to a great franchise that has been our privilege to work on. Rich Keen, marketing director

MAINSTREAM RETAILER ARGOS

SALES TEAM XBOX

We’re really really proud, so thank you! We’re so excited. It’s been fantastic to see all the different companies recognise all the great work everyone does in this industry tonight.

I’m really proud. It’s been a great year for me and the team, we’re really happy that the partners and distributors we work with recognise this. It’s been a fantastic evening.

BUYING TEAM GAME

James Cooke, buying manager

Howard Spragg, director channel sales

We’re very pleased, so thank you very much! I’m really chuffed. The guys do a great job, we have great partnerships and it’s been fantastic, so we’re really pleased. Dave Stubberﬁeld, trading manager

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FEATURES MCV AWARDS 2017

SALES TRIUMPH NINTENDO UK

UNSUNG HERO OLLY MCGOWAN, INDIGO PEARL

We’re really grateful. The developers have been fantastic and we’re really, really pleased. Pokémon Sun and Moon have been an integral part of our portfolio so we’re very proud.

I’ve been working in the industry for 15 years, it’s such a lovely place, and I’m honoured. This is lovely, so thank you so much. I never expected something like that, ever.

Andy Yates, sales director UK & Ireland

STORE MANAGER OF THE YEAR PAUL MULHOLLAND, GAME CRAIGAVON

Olly McGowan, head of digital

I’m over the moon! It’s a real honour to accept this award, and obviously it’s not just me, it’s the team who make my job a lot easier. So I’m honoured, I really appreciate it. Paul Mulholland, manager

PERSON OF THE YEAR GAVIN RAEBURN, PLAYGROUND GAMES

It’s awesome. It’s the award of the night so it feels really good. It was a surprise when I heard about it and it’s fantastic. We had so many successes last year, we knew we had a good game with Forza Horizon 3 but I think the success we had surprised even us. Sales have been through the roof. It’s one of those years when you just have to pinch yourself. Now we’ve got the second studio we’re starting, so that’s the first game we’re working on outside of the racing genre, which is really big for us. I was told ‘Don’t swear when you’re on the stage’ but everyone’s been swearing so I’ve been missing out here but it was really good, a good crowd and a fun night. Gavin Raeburn, CEO

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The London Games Festival is an 11-day celebration of interactive entertainment across the capital, including exhibitions and showcases of the latest and most exciting new video games. We’ve got informative summits and lectures examining areas like cutting-edge virtual reality plus fun outdoor events including a live music concert and even a closing-day parade. It’s all part of an exciting new project backed by the Mayor of London to make London the games capital of the world.

@londongamesfest

Schedule Highlights EGX Rezzed 30 March to 1 April Tobacco Dock

Games Finance Market 4 April to 6 April The Grange Tower Bridge

Dear Esther Live 1 April St John’s at Hackney

BAFTA Games Awards 6 April Tobacco Dock

AI Summit 3 April Regent Street Cinema

Now Play This 7 April to 9 April Somerset House

Mixed Reality Summit 4 April Regent Street Cinema

Games Character Parade 8 April City of London

Head to www.games.london for the latest updates and to buy tickets.

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FEATURES MASS EFFECT: ANDROMEDA

Everyone’s welcome to The Andromeda Initiative With Andromeda, EA wants to extend its already huge Mass Effect fanbase and attract gamers from outside its traditional player pool. Marie Dealessandri talks to UK senior product manager Alice Brandvik about EA’s strategy for its biggest launch of the year so far

pace has always been a big theme in games, but in 2016 publishers seemed to have a renewed interest in the genre. In 2016, we had Stellaris, EVE: Valkyrie, Kerbal Space Program, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Adrift, The Solus Project, as well as continued support for Destiny, Elite Dangerous, Star Wars Battlefront and StarCraft II. And, of course, the much-talked-about No Man’s Sky. “Space travel and exploration are topics that seem to continually be top of our minds,” EA’s senior product manager in the UK Alice Brandvik tells MCV. “Particularly over the last year we’ve seen regular news stories about new discoveries in the real world, which has been perfect timing for the launch of Mass Effect: Andromeda.” The new entry in the beloved space franchise will hit shelves on March 23rd and EA intends to make good use of this persistent interest for space in the gaming community – and beyond – to market the title. “The premise of Andromeda is centred on the excitement and fear of the unknown and exploring a new galaxy, so we’ve been able to tap into a whole new avenue and audience for our marketing campaign,” Brandvik continues. “We also have a global partnership with the European Space Agency that has allowed us to send ‘potential Pathfinders’ to one of their training facilities in Cologne to learn more about real world space travel. There’s more content to come from this partnership as we get closer to launch as well.” March 17th 2017

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Marketing-wise, we can’t think of anything cooler than partnering with a real Space Agency, but Mass Effect: Andromeda has other aces up its sleeves to help attract gamers, regardless of whether they’re already fans of the series. SHOOT FOR THE STARS Andromeda is set between the events of Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3, so it should be considered a separate entity from the main series, Brandvik says. “Mass Effect: Andromeda is a fresh start for the franchise. It takes players to the Andromeda Galaxy, far beyond the Milky Way, where they’ll fight for a new home in hostile territory. The Andromeda Initiative, set up to help the search for a new home, includes various species from the Milky Way. You play as one of twin siblings Scott or Sara Ryder - joining the Pathfinder team who’s tasked with finding humanity’s new home.” One of the reasons behind this change was to attract new players to the best-selling franchise: “Whilst certain aspects of the game will feel familiar to fans of the original trilogy [such as some] species and nostalgic nods to the previous titles, the storyline, setting and characters are brand new to Andromeda. Existing Mass Effect fans are hugely passionate about the franchise and it was important for the game to feel right for them. “Having said that, players can also come into this game without any previous knowledge of the franchise and still enjoy the experience of Mass Effect: Andromeda’s cinematic storytelling that fans of BioWare games have loved for years.”

Players can come to this game without any prior knowledge of the franchise. Alice Brandvik, EA

Outside of Mass Effect’s core fan base, EA is targeting “sci-fi and RPG fans,” Brandvik adds, with storytelling being one of its key selling points. “BioWare and the Mass Effect franchise have a rich tradition of storytelling, and more than ever this is a story about the people you’re with. An intimate story in an epic new setting. “Ryder is the tip of the spear and the hope for humanity, leading a small team to discover and fight for a new home. But you and your team are the aliens – strangers in a strange land encountering new planets, species, friends and enemies. Your choices and decisions will have consequences, deciding the very fate of humanity.” 22

A SONG OF ICE AND SPACE There are other key features to look forward to in Mass Effect: Andromeda, too, such as its starry voice cast. “There’s amazing voice-over talent in the game with Clancy Brown (Alec Ryder), Fryda Wolff (Sara Ryder) and Tom Taylorson (Scott Ryder) taking leading roles,” Brandvik says. “In the UK market, there are some local accents as well, including Natalie Dormer as Dr Lexi T’Perro. “Natalie’s been a key part of our PR activity, with her involvement in the game announced a few weeks ago to a really positive reception among long-time fans and those just discovering the game.” Casting someone as globally famous as The Tudors and Games of Thrones star Natalie Dormer definitely shows EA’s will to attract players outside of Mass Effect’s traditional fanbase - maybe even outside of gaming. Despite EA placing a heavy focus on new players, though, fans of the series have not been forgotten. “It’s EA’s first triple-A launch of 2017, so there’s a significant campaign to support it,” says Brandvik. “Since N7 Day last year, we’ve been talking to core fans with social activations, preview events and interviews with key members of the development team who’ve been central in sharing the new aspects of the game. “The story and characters will be new to everyone so players won’t miss out if they haven’t engaged with a Mass Effect game before. Now is the time to dive in, and our marketing plans have several elements to help raise awareness among this new audience.” www.mcvuk.com

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MASS EFFECT: ANDROMEDA FEATURES

Mass Eï¬&#x20AC; ect: Andromeda releases on March 23rd for PS4, Xbox One and PC

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FEATURES THE YOGSCAST

Casting a wide net The Yogscast is now a full-blown media company, so Katharine Byrne sits down with CEO Mark Turpin and chief revenue officer Rich Keith to discuss the firm’s future, Twitch versus YouTube and how it walks the line between corporate and creator-led video channels

here was a time when The Yogscast was synonymous with World of Warcraft and Minecraft Let’s Play videos. Since then, however, the Bristol-based production firm has grown into a full-blown media company with multiple brands across a variety of digital platforms. Not only does it have a network of over 20 million subscribers, it’s also the home of both PlayStation Access and Xbox On. The former might be moving on to pastures new very soon (see page 2 for the full story), but the fact Yogscast’s worked with both Microsoft and Sony to produce its official YouTube channels speaks volumes about how far it’s come since its inception in 2008. Now Yogscast is looking to expand its capabilities as a fully-fledged production agency. “We remain focused on working with our talent-led channels and helping them grow and increase engagement on YouTube, while also launching our own channels into various verticals, be they board games, strategy

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games, mobile games or kids content,” Turpin tells MCV. “However, the past 18 months has also been about building out our live-streaming operation. We’ve always used Twitch for our December charity streams so it’s building on that. Our main Yogscast channel on Twitch has at least three hours of content every day and we have lots of exciting things coming for that and across other Yogscast Twitch channels.” Keith adds: “Our third priority is building out our production agency arm. Having spent the last nine

We understand the platform, what the audience expects and how to deliver it. Mark Turpin, The Yogscast

years learning through trial and error and working closely with YouTube, Twitch and others we’ve got a pretty good idea for what works in social digital video and we use that knowledge, along with our made-for-purpose studios and production team, to give an edge to our clients, be that managing and producing YouTube channels, running streams or just producing great made-for digital videos.” CORPORATE LADDER Indeed, it was that experience which played a crucial role in Yogscast obtaining contracts for both Sony’s PlayStation Access channel and Microsoft’s Xbox On. “We’ve had an amazing ride with PlayStation Access,” says Turpin. “Nathan [Ditum], Dave [Jackson] and Rob [Pearson] plus Holly [Bennett] and the PlayStation UK team have done an incredible job. When they came to us, it had about 250,000 subs and what they were looking for was support, a welcoming environment and some guidance on how the platform works. It’s now four years later with nearly 1.4m subs and Holly and the guys are bone fide, class-A YouTube stars. We’re really proud of them and what they’ve achieved with us and are looking forward to seeing where they will take the channel when they strike out on their own.” Xbox On, meanwhile, is just at the start of that process with Yogscast, and five months in, the number of minutes being watched on the channel has already seen an annual growth of over 250 per cent, says Keith. Numbers, however, are just one part of the puzzle. “It’s about the substance and style of the content the team are putting together,” he says. “Xbox

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THE YOGSCAST FEATURES A CAPTIVE AUDIENCE WITH almost a decade’s worth of experience under their belts, Yogscast’s CEO Mark Turpin and chief revenue officer Rich Keith (pictured, right) are well aware of how much audiences differ across YouTube and Twitch. “There’s definitely a difference in how the Twitch and YouTube audiences watch and behave,” says Turpin. “It’s not just the amount of time people watch on Twitch, which is incredible, it’s how they interact and become a community in a way that’s impossible on a VOD. That said, Yogscast has still had a number of surprise hits on each platform, with some even appearing on both: “A couple of our non-gaming launches this year have done amazingly well,” says Keith. “The first is High Rollers, a weekly D&D game that runs on Twitch and then gets edited for YouTube. It’s had millions of views and is hugely popular – the biggest of its kind outside the US. The other is our board games YouTube channel Games Night, which was spun out of a popular strand of Lewis & Simon’s channel with videos regularly getting a quarter of a million views for a bunch of guys playing board games.” Turpin adds: “Another nice surprise has been our long-term producer Tom Clark launching his channel at the start of this year, focusing on world building and strategy games and starting to get some very impressive views.”

On is really flying and has seen tremendous growth since we took it over and blended together a new team and brought [former Official Xbox Magazine editor] Matt Castle in to run it.” He continues: “We don’t think there’s anyone in this space that knows as much as we do about how to grow channels, make video and manage influencers and there’s a tremendous value in that for anyone who wants to build communities or simply get more people to watch and engage with their social video content.” Managing official channels for both PlayStation and Xbox is arguably quite at odds with the rest of Yogscast’s portfolio, which are all largely owned and manned by individual creators unaffiliated with specific companies. However, Turpin says that its experience on both sides of the YouTube fence is precisely what makes Yogscast so well positioned to tackle these official corporate channels. “That taps into exactly why we’re the best people to deliver these sorts of channels, because we understand the platform, what

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stream non-gameplay content from their everyday lives, as well as its new Communities feature to help aid discoverability. Then, just last month Twitch announced it’s going to start selling games and in-game content directly this spring, with streamers earning five per cent of sales that originate from their own channel pages. That’s a huge shift in the relationship between games publishers and their community of influencers, but Keith says it’s unlikely to have a direct effect on Yogscast’s future: “I don’t think it’ll have much of an impact for us as a business, however it’s an interesting experiment and shows a lot of intent from Twitch and Amazon about their plans.” For now, Twitch and YouTube hold equal weight for Yogscast: “Twitch is hugely important for us and we have exciting announcements about what we’re doing coming soon. However we remain fully committed to growing our existing YouTube channels and bringing more into the fold, whether by signing them up or launching new ones. Our Yogscast audience is extremely loyal and

the audience expects and how to deliver it,” he says. TWITCHING SIDES One of the biggest concerns for YouTube going forward, though, is the number of content creators leaving the service for Twitch. After months of concerns over falling viewing numbers, disappearing subscribers and the much debated curation of its trending content, a lot of YouTubers have been quick to voice their growing frustrations. Yogscast has felt the pinch, too, says Keith: “Our audience is still watching a lot, with average watch time on VODs at around the nine-minute mark, but there’s a lot more competition out there and the algorithm, especially on YouTube, promotes the new and the flashy over our kind of long-form rapportbased personality channels.” Of course, Twitch isn’t a perfect fit for all YouTubers, but there’s no denying the platform has become an increasingly attractive place in the wake of YouTube’s ongoing issues. In the last three months alone, it’s launched its new IRL category, where creators can

we engage with them not just on YouTube but in streams, at live events and our social channels.” Keith adds: “We’ve successfully diversified over the past three or four years so our business isn’t dependent on YouTube. We have a great relationship with the YouTube teams in the UK and the US and understand the struggles they’ve had to keep everyone – creators and viewers – happy.” For Turpin, both platforms still have room for improvement. Over the next couple of years, he predicts that “both will continue to try to find additional ways to engage audiences through empowering the creators on their platforms to create innovative content.” As for Yogscast’s future, Keith says its main priority is expanding its production agency operation: “We’re looking to work with anyone in the games and geek space looking to create timely, entertaining social digital video for whatever platform. Our services run from giving advice and direction to producing videos and streams to the full-monty of full production and channel management, as with Xbox On.”

March 17th 2017

15/03/2017 14:50

FEATURES GAMES IN NUMBERS

Games in numbers 2016 MCV partners with UK trade body Ukie to bring you the definitive overview of games spending in the UK last year, with analysis from SuperData and Kantar. Seth Barton reports

ead the headlines at the end of 2016, MCV’s included, and you might think the games industry was having a tough time of it. A number of highprofile releases struggled at retail and then Black Friday swept in and prices tumbled just weeks after release. It didn’t look pretty, but at least we now know it wasn’t representative of games spending across the UK as a whole in 2016. That’s thanks to Ukie’s consumer spend valuation, which tots up all games spending in the UK. In retrospect, with all the figures collated, we can now reveal that the UK industry grew once again last year, with total consumer spend up by 1.2 per cent to a pretty substantial £4.33bn across the software, hardware and ancillary categories. That’s a big number, so to provide some comparison the Entertainment Retailers Association calculates that the home video spend (physical and digital) amounts to around £2.3bn, while record-breaking box office figures last year in the UK added £1.3bn on top of that, for a total of £3.6bn. In that light, the games industry has a healthy upper hand, even if mainstream press coverage of both industries suggests otherwise. Let’s take a look at the various figures and see what they say about 2016 and where we’re headed in 2017. SOFTER WARE Taking the lion’s share of spending, software sales pulled in a huge £3.1bn last year. Once again there was growth in the digital segment but losses in boxed software no surprise there. However, in previous years we’ve seen the gains in digital outpace the losses in physical, but not in 2016. There was a 4.1 per cent gap between buoyant digital sales March 17th 2017

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Boxed sales were down in 2016 but GAME is diversifying into gaming arenas and more PC hardware

which includes DLC and in-game transactions, according to data from SuperData - and the losses in the boxed market - reported by GfK. That’s the first time we’ve seen a net loss between the two sets of figures to date. Joost van Dreunen, CEO of SuperData comments: “We are currently in a pivotal moment in the history of the games industry where digital distribution, including micro-transactions and full game downloads, is gradually starting to replace the traditionally physical market. We’ve seen a comparable transition in music, film, television, and books, where over time the digital component has started to play a more significant role.” At 11 per cent the growth of digital looks to be slowing, figures from 2014 and 2015 saw rises of 13.2 per cent and 17.6 per cent respectively. Over the longer term, though, Van Dreunen sees it speeding up, for now: “We see it accelerating. Over the past five years the share of full

The shift to digital will accelerate. However, while digitalization benefits the market, it’s not an infinite growth process. Joost van Dreunen, SuperData

game downloads as part of the total units sold has grown almost six-fold, indicating that a growing number of consumers are more comfortable obtaining games in that way. It is important to keep in mind, however, that while digitalisation benefits the market overall, it is not an infinite growth process and will eventually settle.” It isn’t covered in Ukie’s figures, but just how many game sales last year were digital? Van Dreuenen answers: “For console, the split is around 25 per cent 30 per cent digital vs physical, based on full game downloads.” UPWARDLY MOBILE The software segment as a whole was up, too, thanks to a strong growth of 16.9 per cent from mobile. That may be little consolation for those selling or publishing console and PC titles, but there is crossover between the two segments, especially for strategy titles. Console brands, meanwhile, notably Nintendo, have seen greater success in the www.mcvuk.com

15/03/2017 15:38

GAMES IN NUMBERS FEATURES

mobile space this year - and we’d expect to see more of the most highly-recognised gaming brands follow suit in 2017. We wondered if the increased mobile spending is at the expense of more traditional gaming platforms, or if it’s coming from an expanded gaming demographic? Van Dreunen comments: “Rather than cannibalising revenues from PC and console, mobile spending adds to the overall industry. Certainly, entertainment spending is part of a disposable budget, and instead of spending £60 on a console game, a number of mobile players will spend as much on a monthly basis. The result is not so much a decline of spending on PC and console, but the top titles claim more of overall revenues, leaving less for the mid-sized titles.” GOOD AS NEW While that small hole opening up between digital and physical sales may worry publishers, it looks like the pre-owned market is having its own inevitable shift - only this time it’s from last-gen to currentgen consoles. Figures provided by Kantar show a 3.3 per cent dip overall in pre-owned spend - no doubt affected by the shift to digital - but that’s still considerably healthier than mint boxed games over 2016. It’s the move between generations that’s the story behind those numbers. Kantar’s consumer insight director for entertainment and telecoms, Oss Robertson, explains: “In 2016 we saw current gen consoles begin to dominate pre-owned. Current gen preowned games now account for 60 per cent of pre-owned value compared to 41 per cent last year – and there were an extra 200,000 pre-owned shoppers overall. Generally, pre-owned is seeing a more delayed benefit from the introduction of a new console generation. He goes on to compare and contrast with the mint games market: “The challenges in the mint category are due to several factors. Mainly the increases in current-gen shoppers being offset by the decline in last-gen shoppers; and shoppers overall www.mcvuk.com

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buying less frequently. However, in pre-owned, the increase in current-gen shoppers has been greater than the decrease seen in last-gen. “Combine this with the more stable level of spend per shopper – pre-owned, current-gen spend per shopper has been steady at £43 per year, compared to a drop from £26 to £20 for last-gen – and pre-owned therefore doesn’t have the same extent of currentgen increases being offset by last-gen declines.” It looks as though pre-owned purchasers are more dedicated gamers, too: “The average preowned shopper is a heavier games shopper than the average mint shopper. The average pre-owned shopper spends on average £20 more per year than the average mint shopper. Thus, the pre-owned category is arguably more resilient than the mint category, due to its naturally more engaged customer base.”

SOFTWARE £3.1bn

HARDWARE £1.13bn

PRE-CIPITOUS FALL But surely the current pre-owned market is heading for choppy waters, with the shift to digital retail? Robertson agrees: “In future, we may see pre-owned overexposed to movements to digital games. 32 per cent of preowned shoppers also bought full digital games in 2016, compared to 27 per cent of mint shoppers. We also saw 12 per cent of 2015’s pre-owned shoppers just buying digital games this year. “However, at the moment, direct movements of spend from preowned to digital are still small – around two per cent of 2016’s category value, which is the same level we see in mint. So it seems that there’s more potential for pre-owned shoppers to switch to digital games, although at the moment they are bought as part of a wider repertoire. “More generally, it’s unlikely that pre-owned shoppers will completely switch to digital as there are obvious benefits that physical has over digital. The ability to gift, share or trade-in is something that digital can’t really compete with. “And there is a significant part of the games market that just buys one or two titles per year

OTHERS £100.5m

March 17th 2017

15/03/2017 15:38

FEATURES GAMES IN NUMBERS

Pre-owned saw a big transition from last- to current-gen consoles in 2016

- even among those buying for themselves. For these shoppers, the benefits of digital – such as convenience, immediate access on their consoles, and saving physical space in their homes – may not be enough to convince them into this newer format.” CONSOLATION PRIZE The story behind the hardware figures is one of a maturing console market versus a rampantly growing PC space. The console market in 2016 was getting saturated with hardware, and with both the PS4 and Xbox One proving to be highly reliable we’re not seeing the same hardware churn the Xbox 360 provided through its early to middle years. Even the new slim versions of the leading consoles weren’t popular enough to maintain sales from 2015. The release of the PS4 Pro late last year wouldn’t have had much time to affect the figures, but a full year’s sales, combined with the launch of the Switch, plus the apparently high-end Project Scorpio later this year, should see this segment of the market perk up considerably in 2017. Console accessories and peripherals look to have taken a hit last year, too, but the drop in the figures is partly down to splitting out the VR figure in this year’s report. While some of that £61m will be from Oculus and March 17th 2017

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Vive, a significant segment will come from Sony’s PSVR headset, making it practically a reclassified peripherals category. The remaining fall is probably related to the drop in console sales having a knock-on effect on sales of controllers and other extras. After many years of minor refinements, the PC graphics market had a breakthrough year with its well-overdue move to 16nm technology. That sparked a huge uplift in sales and was the main driver in the PC gaming hardware market gaining 64.3 per cent to hit £258m. The popularity of eSports will have also contributed with plenty of marketing activity around peripherals such as mice, keyboards and headsets. Despite all that, the segment is still only worth about a third of the total console hardware market - though the differentiation between products means margins are far healthier than in the cut-throat console space. MERCHY KILLING While some core gaming segments were struggling, gaming culture as a whole was on the rise. Sales of books and magazines, toys, films, soundtracks

and spend on events were up across the board. While this only amounts to a total spend of just over £100m, it looks to be a key area for further expansion in 2017 - as GAME’s investment in its Belong gaming arenas already shows. Books and magazines, while recovering to £18.4m, is still some way below its 2014 Minecraft-driven peak of £23m.

Pre-owned is seeing a more delayed benefit from the introduction of a new console generation. Oss Robertson, Kantar

Despite new hardware, console sales were down in 2016

FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING Overall, the gaming market in the UK is pretty solid. Console and PC software took a slight hit, while console hardware was significantly down, but both should bounce back this year with some huge launches already completed by March. Of course, these figures only paint the industry in very broad strokes. With Brexit bound to hit harder in 2017 and with the weakened pound affecting the price of a wide variety of goods, the key this year may not lie with details of spending within the industry but rather how well consumer confidence holds up as a whole. Thankfully, gaming has traditionally proved to be highly resistant to the kind of fiscal fluctuations that can floor other, socalled, non-essential spending. Let’s hope it proves so again. www.mcvuk.com

15/03/2017 15:38

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