MCV 815

THANK YOU TO ALL THE PLAYERS

Since

#20YearsOfPlay

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS “2”and “PlayStation” are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Also, “

OF PLAYSTATION® ” is a trademark of the same company.

WITH THIS ISSUE

THE BUSINESS OF VIDEO GAMES ISSUE 815 FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28TH 2014

A GUIDE TO THIS Q4’S BIGGEST GAMES AND THEIR MERCHANDISE

REVEALED! The most exciting rising stars of the UK video games industry PAGE 09

PLUS MCV AWARDS RETURN ON APRIL 16TH WITH NEW CATEGORIES PAGE 4

CHEAT SHEET

THE EDITOR

MCV AWARDS RETURN

z Sixteen main awards and three new special awards z Lobbying opens next week

THE FUTURE IS LOOKING BRIGHT

I

always wanted to be in 30 under 30.

In my days before MCV, when I was but a games tester working in leafy Cambridgeshire, that was one of my goals.

If I could make the list in MCV or our sister magazine Develop, it would be a significant milestone.

I am now 29. Next June, my chance to get on the list evaporates. I could cheat and put myself on the list because – whist I’m somewhat biased here – I am pretty awesome.

But when this year’s nominations came in, I saw the incredibly brilliant people – some of them not even born in the 1980s – who were all vying for one of the 30 positions on this year’s list, and I realised there was no competing with this lot.

While the results speak for themselves, there’s some really cool things about this year’s list you should be aware of.

For starters, we had a record number of people put forward, which made our jobs particularly challenging, but were a rewarding look at who exactly is working hard in the business.

Plus, there are 14 women on the final list, which is close to parity and important as it gives visibility of careers for women in the games business.

And this year those that made the final 30 did not all have roles as frontline marketers, PR people and journalists, as sometimes is the case.

We have a lot of the geniuses behind-the-scenes in the list, too.

November 28th 2014

We had a record number of people put forward for 30 under 30, which was a rewarding look at who exactly is working hard in the industry.

In fact, beyond the 30 under 30, individual recognition in general is increasingly important in the games business, which is becoming more focused on smaller teams and smaller wins that contribute to a larger whole.

That’s why last week we announced new awards for Women in Games and an accompanying Top 100 Brit List published in January.

We’ve also added three brand new and important awards for individuals to next year’s MCV Awards – Store Manager of the Year, Unsung Hero, and Person of the Year.

Like the work of the actual people in the games business, we hope these efforts contribute to a bigger whole, championing the individuals that make games a winning formula, no matter how you want to measure it – by age, by gender, or their work on the channel. cdring@nbmedia.com

RESPONDEZ SIGNS AS FIRST EVENT PARTNER CUSTOMER service outfit Respondez has signed as the first event partner for the MCV Awards.

An array of sponsorship opportunities are available to suit every kind of budget.

Contact Alex Boucher on 01992 535 646 or aboucher@nbmedia. com to find out more.

Market Data The launch of Grand Theft Auto V on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One helped the market rise hugely week-on-week £60m

£30m

£57.4m 1,486,145 units

£48.5m 1,265,418 units £36.9m 1,022,296 units

£0m

06

Week Ending November 10th

Week Ending November 17th

Week Ending November 24th

www.mcvuk.com

CHEAT SHEET

ON APRIL 16TH, 2015

TOP ONLINE STORIES THIS WEEK

z New prizes for individual efforts, agencies and indie labels z Respondez is first sponsor THE MCV AWARDS have been upgraded for next year, with new categories and recognition for individuals’ efforts.

New awards this year include nods for Buying Team, Digital Marketing Team, Agency Team, and Indie Games Label alongside hotly-contended core awards including Games Retailer, New Games Brand, and Game Campaign.

Plus, three individuals will be honoured for their service to the games business with special awards: Store Manager of the Year, Unsung Hero and Person of the Year.

The MCV Awards take place on April 16th at the London Lancaster Hotel.

Lobbying opens next week – a complete, detailed guide to the awards and how to enter for each one will be published in the issue

DOWN

MCV AWARDS 2015: THE CATEGORIES

of MCV dated December 5th and published online at MCVuk.com.

Entries will be accepted from Friday, December 5th to Friday, January 16th via MCVlobbying@ nbmedia.com.

Tickets and tables are available now - contact Jess Farnan on 01992 535 646 or email jfarnan@nbmedia.com to book your place.

Tables cost £2,950 for gold and £2,750 for standard. Individual seat prices are £285 each.

Games Retailer Independent Retailer New Games Brand Peripherals and Accessories Brand Buying Team Marketing Team Digital Marketing Team Trade Marketing Team PR Team Agency Team Community Team Distribution Team Sales Team Indie Games Label Game Campaign Games Publisher SPECIAL AWARDS Store Manager of the Year Unsung Hero Person of the Year

UK RETAIL TOP 10

Our biggest stories for the week ending Nov 25th

1 Xbox One sells 1m in the UK 2 LGC 2014: We are not the games media, says Yogscast 3 Only a quarter of Early Access games receive a full release 4 Far Cry 4 PC complainers accidentally reveal themselves to be pirates 5 GAME plans Gametronics bays and game marketplace for 2015

PRE-ORDER TOP 10

SPONSORED BY

Halo: The Master Chief Collection drops seven places to No.10

1 UP Grand Theft Auto V returns to the top spot following its launch on PS4 and Xbox One

www.mcvuk.com

GRAND THEFT AUTO V

2

Far Cry 4

3

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

ROCKSTAR

1

POKEMON OMEGA RUBY + KEYRING (3DS) NINTENDO

Ubisoft

2

Pokemon Alpha Sapphire + Keyring (3DS)

Nintendo

Activision Blizzard

3

Super Smash Bros (Wii U)

Nintendo

4

FIFA 15

EA

4

Super Smash Bros GameCube Controller (Wii U) Nintendo

5

Dragon Age: Inquisition

EA

5

Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth + Cards (3DS)

6

Assassin’s Creed Unity

7

WWE 2K15

8

LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham

9

Minecraft: PlayStation Edition

10

Halo: The Master Chief Collection

Nintendo

Ubisoft

6

Wii U GameCube Controller Adapter (Wii U)

2K Games

7

LittleBigPlanet 3 + DLC (PS4)

Warner Bros

8

Kingdom Hearts 2.5 Remix Limited Edition (PS3) Square Enix

Sony

9

The Crew (PS4)

10

Minecraft Xbox One Edition (Xbox One)

Microsoft

07

NISA Sony Ubisoft Microsoft

November 28th 2014

30 UNDER 30 Sponsored by

MCV uncovers the brightest young things currently working in games retail, publishing, events, marketing, PR and journalism – the industry’s top 30 under 30

Andy Tomlinson Policy Officer, UKIE Age: 29

Christine Teare Operations Advisor, Nintendo Age: 23

Dan Kilby Commercial Projects and Marketing Manager, IGN Age: 27

www.mcvuk.com

SINCE Tomlinson joined UKIE in 2012, he’s been responsible for putting together industry responses to more than 30 consultations and reviews from the Government. These documents are massively important in influencing policy makers. He has had the difficult challenge of cat-herding the opinions of a diverse sector and synthesising its thoughts into compelling consultation responses. His work on the Tax Breaks consultations, proving the need for the scheme, was invaluable in driving it through.

Ben Walke Community Manager, Codemasters Age: 29

TEARE has been with Nintendo for just over a year and has become an instrumental part of the UK operations team. Like a few on this list, her experience includes a stint at GAME as a member of one of its store teams, and she’s also worked in Nintendo Customer Support.

Her colleagues says she has excelled in many projects at Nintendo and now looks after all the key retail accounts to ensure stock arrives on time. Highly regarded, she boasts ‘exceptional problem-solving skills that have proved invaluable’.

Colette Barr Account Manager, Lick PR Age: 24

KILBY oversees all integrated and content-based campaigns on the Ziff Davis brands - IGN, Askmen and Ziff Davis Tech. He runs all events, heads up creative commissioning for third parties and looks after design. Over the last year he has progressed from being someone highly capable at a specific set of tasks to someone who can take on a wide variety of responsibilities and execute them brilliantly. The firm says he’s thorough, and deals efficiently and courteously with stakeholders.

David Twells Sony Category Manager, GAME Age: 28

09

WALKE joined Codemasters in 2012 and has been at the heart of the studio’s community efforts since. He handled GRID Autosport, a title that was born out of community feedback from GRID 2. Walke worked alongside the development team to shape the game, from its initial concept right through to release. He handles a global audience, acting as a face for fans and working alongside retailers and press. In addition to his community work, he presents his findings to the wider business.

BEGINNING on Official Nintendo Magazine, Barr has already made a significant impact in the world of PR. Having started as an intern, she was soon recruited full-time and her ‘passion for gaming, love of technology and vibrant personality made her a fantastic PR’.

One of her clients, Gameloft, lobbied for her en masse due to her ‘great passion, knowledge and dedication’ and the fact that any campaign she works on ‘will be completed to the highest standard with no direction or oversight required’.

TWELLS manages the Sony category at GAME. He has managed the launch of PS4, achieving market-leading hardware share. He implemented various in-store projects including ‘Get Gaming Quicker’ and the new interactive PlayStation branded section. He has secured a number of exclusives, such as the white Destiny PS4 bundle. He launched the PS Vita code-to-content download offer in the summer, and re-launched the PlayStation Brand Ambassador scheme across GAME store staff.

November 28th 2014

30 UNDER 30

Grahame Gallacher PR Account Manager, ICO Partners Age: 29

Jennifer Johnson Junior Buyer for Gaming, Shop Direct Age: 27

Katy Ellis Account Executive, Amplify Age: 21

Kirk McKeand Freelance Journalist Age: 28

November 28th 2014

GALLACHER joined ICO Partners in 2013 as a PR account executive and within a year was promoted to PR account manager. He has worked on campaigns for a number of big name clients including Hi-Rez Studios, Born Ready Games and League of Legends creator Riot Games. His latest project is the MOBA game Smite; he has been building the game’s profile across Europe and as a potential eSports product. His knowledge of eSports has made him an invaluable asset on a variety of projects.

Jack Jones Associate, Sheridans Age: 29

JOHNSON has been on the Shop Direct games team for five years and has most recently been covering the buying role. Shop Direct has more than doubled its market share over the past two years and Johnson has been a key player in making that happen.

She has built a gaming zone across all Shop Direct’s sites and is also responsible for the VeryGaming Twitter account. She’s been described as a ‘true ambassador for Shop Direct and the games industry’.

Katherine Parrott Buying Assistant, Video Games, Home Retail Group Age: 22

ELLIS began her games industry career working for GAME before entering the world of media, writing reviews for a Nintendo website. Her career really kickstarted when she became social media marketing assistant for Rising Star Games. She then started writing for Nintendo Life before becoming assistant editor for Push Square. She’s currently working as account executive at Amplify.

She’s so dedicated to games, she even offered to work on Bandai Namco’s stand at MCM Comic Con for free.

Kim Richards Presenter, Entertainer and YouTube Personality, Yogscast Age: 29

OVER the last two years, McKeand has taught himself how to write well and then has gone and been featured on some of the most prolific online gaming publications in the world – including IGN, Telegraph, Edge, Eurogamer, T3 and Videogamer.

To begin with, he applied to a few fan sites, offering his writing services and eventually getting a job for no pay.

Two years later, he won the Games Media Award for games journalist Rising Star.

Lucy James Video Producer, GameSpot Age: 23

10

NUMEROUS people nominated Sheridans’ Jack Jones – including developers Mojang, Soccer Management, Kuyan and I Fight Bears. He has helped these companies protect their brands (including Minecraft) as they look to establish them in the market. He has been described as delivering invaluable commercial and legal advice, with excellent knowledge of video game law and an approachable personality. He has been a huge boost to the independent development scene in particular.

PARROTT joined Home Retail Group last year and has already established herself as a rising star at the retailer.

Parrott handles all games accessories for Argos and also looks after some major publishers, namely EA, Ubisoft and Take-Two. That means she handled the launches of FIFA 15 and GTA V on PS4 and Xbox One, as well as Watch Dogs.

She’s also made a large contribution to Argos’ new dedicated gaming flyers, of which the High Street chain has now done three.

RICHARDS’ numbers speak for themselves. Over the last 18 months, her YouTube channel has gone from 0 to 644,591 subscribers, racking up an astonishing 59,515,808 views. Described as being hugely talented, people that have worked with Richards say that she puts in the hours and is unafraid of some hard graft. A role model to her fans and a positive influence in the industry, she’s cultivated a community of enthusiastic young gamers that shows what a great ambassador she is for the games market.

LUCY James is now a full-blown games media celebrity. Starting out as an intern at GameSpot three years ago, she went on to become a familiar face in the media, freelancing and appearing on Sky News, The Guardian, VideoGamer, GameReactor and the BBC. She was then appointed writer and presenter at games TV production company Ginx TV. She returned to GameSpot this year.

One person that put her forward said: “I’m surprised she hasn’t won this award every year.”

www.mcvuk.com

30 UNDER 30 Sponsored by

Mary Antieul Strategy Planning Manager, GAME Age: 28

Mohan Gehlot Xbox Live Games Producer, Microsoft Age: 28

Neil McClarty Marketing Director on RuneScape, Jagex Age: 29

Rosie Ghezelbash Trade Marketing Executive, PlayStation Age: 25

www.mcvuk.com

ANTIEUL is a key example of someone who has developed through the GAME business. A former store manager and executive assistant to the CEO, she has worked closely with members of the senior team to deliver key business objectives and initiatives. Antieul has recently taken on the role of strategy planning manager, working on a number of projects for GAME including the continued management of the GAME App and the launch of the new feature ‘Scan It’.

Michelle Turner PR and Marketing Manager, Ripstone Age: 29

GEHLOT produces the Xbox Live dashboard for Europe. He joined Microsoft seven years ago, initially as a digital marketing manager where he implemented the first Microsoft homepage in Silverlight outside of the US. He then worked as an online project manager for the Microsoft’s UK hardware site and Microsoft’s education website. From there he moved over to Xbox Live, where he has held several roles, including managing a team of four to implement video and music content across 17 EMEA countries.

Nadine Oehmcke Retail Manager, Dovetail Games Age: 25

MCCLARTY is a real Jagex success story, having worked his way up the chain for the past seven years. During that time, he has handled everything from billing support and digital and email marketing, right through to his current role as marketing director for the company’s flagship game, RuneScape.

Described as a strong team player who is enthusiastic and focused, he leads all marketing strategies and campaigns for the MMO as it enters its 14th year in existence.

Paul Webb Microsoft Retail Advisor, McCurrach Technology Age: 27

A rising star in the PlayStation UK office, Ghezelbash has established brilliant relations with major retailers since she took the role of trade marketing executive.

A specialist in trade digital marketing and communications, Ghezelbash is responsible for Sony’s online presence at retail as well as PlayStation Plus activity. The subscription service in particular proved pivotal during the company’s record-breaking PS4 launch, and the significance of PlayStation’s digital business has grown significantly over the last 12 months.

Sandy Man Events Manager, PlayStation Age: 26

11

AT Ripstone, Turner is in charge of all internal communications, developer relations, handling agencies, PR and marketing planning, execution, event management and media liaison (so basically co-ordinates everything the company does in releasing a game). She began her career at Disney Interactive, working on major brands like High School Musical. At Ripstone, she has been partly responsible for the success of games like Stick It To The Man, Pure Pool, Pure Chess and Flyhunter Origins.

OEHMCKE has achieved an impressive amount in two years, having risen from sales operations executive to retail manager, leading the team and spearheading the company’s third-party partnerships, which have grown by 300 per cent in her time. Oehmcke has taken on the additional responsibility of setting up and managing the company’s localisation strategy on a SKU plan of 40 products annually. Dovetail’s staff say the 25 yearold’s fearless ability to take on a seemingly endless list of tasks is ‘astounding’.

WEBB has worked as a retail expert for Microsoft for over five years, and represents the business across the North West of England. He speaks to specialists and supermarkets, offering training and designing e-learning courses amongst other responsibilities. He helped launch Xbox One and picked up a few awards in his time, including Xbox Team Player Award in 2012 and Xbox Microsoft Retail Advisor of the Year 2013. One PC World store described him as ‘the best of our many company reps’.

MAN single-handedly manages events for PlayStation UK, which covers all the game releases, hardware launches, consumer shows, parties, the PlayStation School’s Cup and third-party support.

Her most famous work over the last 12 months was the PS4 Lounge Pop-up area in Covent Garden, which held events every night for a fortnight. She also impressed during the EGX event.

Her colleagues say she ‘delivers our brands on a huge scale but never forgets the fine details’.

November 28th 2014

30 UNDER 30 Sponsored by

Sean Labode Product Manager, Sold Out Age: 26

Steph Parr Buying Executive, Green Man Gaming Age: 22

FORMER games media expert and video presenter Labode joined Sold Out this year as a product manager, having worked for the business as a freelance consultant. The boxed games publisher says that within his first months at the firm, he’s worked at ‘a professional level whilst absorbing all new skills in his first full time industry job.’ He has operated and run his own popular YouTube channel and is described as tenacious, enthusiastic and fast.

Shannon Taylor Online Marketing Manager, GAME Age: 26

JOINING the Green Man Gaming team just over a year ago, Parr has quickly become a valuable member of one of the busiest trading teams in the business. She was promoted from admin assistant to buying executive after just four months due to her love and knowledge of games, and cheery pro-active approach. Her relationships with publishers and developers, combined with her ability to drive a diverse range of promotions have made a significant difference to sales, the retailer says.

Stuart Williams Commercial Financial Analyst, Nintendo Age: 26

WILLIAMS has made a big impact at Nintendo UK since he joined in March 2013. He was nominated by colleagues as the rising star of the business that year, consistently delivering the weekly company presention of sales numbers, as well as managing the demand forecast and product allocation process across all accounts. His achievements are the more impressive as he’s studying towards his CIMA professional finance qualification and is just about to sit his final exam.

Tom Senior PC Gamer Web Editor, Future Age: 29

UNDER Senior’s watch, PC Gamer page views have double since the site’s redesign. He’s played a crucial part in upgrading hardware coverage to offer more reviews, features, and guides for PC gaming enthusiasts. PC Gamer’s reach has also expanded to 2.8m followers on Facebook and 0.5m on Twitter. He quietly produces top class previews, features and in-depth reviews. If that’s not impressive enough, he still finds time to write cover features for PC Gamer.

Stuart Saw Regional Director, EMEA, Twitch Age: 28

Thomas Brookes DirectSoft Admin, CentreSoft Age: 24

Tom Worthington PR Manager, Chillingo Age: 26

TAYLOR started her career at GAME working as a store assistant. After several temporary roles at head office, she joined the online marketing team as marketing assistant and over the subsequent three and a half years has progressed to online marketing manager. Described as dedicated, dependable, passionate and knowledgeable, her marketing campaigns aimed at the gaming community have been hugely successful. She was voted ‘Team Member of the Year’ this year.

TWITCH’S EMEA boss started his career as on-air talent for Sky in the UK before going on to work with Eurosport and DirecTV, among others. He owned two businesses, community website Crossfire and a gaming production company called QuadV. In 2009, Saw was recruited as Director of Operations for a streaming technology start-up in London. In 2012 he joined Twitch, where he has become instrumental in the growth of the live streaming firm within EMEA.

A graduate from De Montfort University, Brookes held brief roles working for InterContinental Hotels and Busy Bees before entering the games market at CentreSoft. Brookes works within DirectSoft – the firm’s direct-to-consumer offering for various etailers. He particularly works for the Shop Direct account. The firm says that Brookes’ commercial lead has made a great impact in his two years at the business. He has a phenomenal work ethic and attention to detail.

WORTHINGTON leads Chillingo’s product PR efforts and has worked on more than 150 mobile games since joining in 2012. Colleagues describe him as an ambitious, fastidious and resourceful professional. He provides guidance and PR solutions to some of the world’s most talented indie mobile developers, who praise him for delivering campaigns that integrate PR, social media and community management to drive discoverability and engagement.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Matt Wallace-Merrett – Bandai Namco, Kate Gray – Future, Samuel Roberts – Future, Dan Wheeler – Future, Aoife Wilson - Freelance Journalist, Oliver Lawrence – OJS, Daniel Thurgood – Click Entertainment, Jem Alexander – Six To Start, Richard Bearpark – IGN, Simon Haley – Capcom, Rob Pearson – PlayStation Access, Joe Bell – GAME, Daniel Fowler – GAME, Abigail Papuga – GAME, Christie Wilson – GAME, Amy Ellison – Xbox, Oliver Hindle – Bossa Studios, Jenny Bramwell – UKIE, Emily Wooliscroft – Nintendo, Sarah Moffatt – Sony, Joe Skrebels – Freelance Journalist, Chris Brooks – Jagex, Andy Esser – Jagex, Shaun Akerman – Jagex, Sam White – Green Man Gaming, Jordan Lawrence – Green Man Gaming, Nick Marshall – Mastertronic, Eamonn Vann-Harris – Avatar, Edwin Chuah - Bandai Namco Games November 28th 2014

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www.mcvuk.com

MARKETING

CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK THIS WEEK: POKÉMON OMEGA RUBY AND ALPHA SAPPHIRE

[INFO] Released: November 28th Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Game Freak Distributor: Open Contact 01753 483 700

POKÉMON Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are two of Nintendo’s biggest launches for the Q4 period.

The platform holder is planning a strong TV presence for the games, with over 500 TV viewer ratings delivered on kids TV for four weeks starting on November 17th. TV ads targeting families will be running for two weeks starting on the same date.

In mid-October an online and social media campaign started alongside the launch of the title’s demo, and this will keep running through to the end of the year.

The firm has been targeting buyers to ensure that they are aware of the games and the new 2DS transparent console bundles.

In GAME, the firm has been providing special Steelbook versions of the game, as well as in-store downloads of the rare Pokémon Diancie.

November 28th 2014

IN THEIR OWN WORDS Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire are remakes of the original Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire that launched in 2003 on GameBoy Advance.

Launching exclusively on 3DS, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire go beyond being a remake with a Pokémon X and Y visual upgrade.

The key has been to ensure that the games felt relatively fresh to long time Pokémon fans who have already played through the GBA games numerous times and surprise them.

Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire really tap into nostalgic moments but, this time, fans can experience these moments again with the addition of more new things for them to discover such as new Mega Evolutions, discovering the

VANISHA KAVIA Product Manager, Nintendo UK

14

mystery behind Primal Reversion, more legendary Pokémon than ever before and more.

For newcomers, they can discover the Hoenn region as a completely new and exciting adventure.

Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are remakes of beloved classics but also follow the really successful launch of Pokémon X and Y. With the old and new, the games have the great potential to re-engage those that played the originals, and for them to rediscover what they loved, but also to appeal to those new to the franchise.

Pre-orders are really strong globally, outpacing those of X and Y, and so our expectations for sellthrough and driving Nintendo 3DS hardware momentum are very high for launch and beyond.

www.mcvuk.com

MARKETING

BRAND PROFILE LITTLEBIGPLANET PlayStation’s Joe Palmer on the publisher’s successful creative platformer IP IN 2008, a small British studio consisting of 27 people working from an office over a bathroom supplies company unleashed a game that was to go on to become a global phenomenon.

The company was Media Molecule and the game, of course, was LittleBigPlanet, where players

The latest instalment of the series – LittleBigPlanet 3 – seamlessly continues this tradition but also lets new players access the wealth of millions of usercreated levels from the previous games, as well as being backwards compatible with existing downloadable content.

This, plus the cross-compatibility of user levels for PS4 and PS3, means that LittleBigPlanet 3 truly is a game for the players.

Long-time LittleBigPlanet fans will already be well-accustomed to

met on a blue and green planet and used hessian-based characters to play, create and share what they built with fellow gamers worldwide.

Sackboy’s first adventure was released to huge critical acclaim and soon became a best-selling PlayStation franchise.

Since LittleBigPlanet launched, its massive online community has helped create an inspirational new world of imaginative gaming, with over nine million levels to date created by users and made available for all to play.

Stephen Fry’s melodious tones as LittleBigPlanet’s loving Narrator.

In LittleBigPlanet 3, Fry is joined by his comedy collaborator, Hugh Laurie, as the voice of the world’s least skilled creator – Newton.

A trio of new characters, each with their own unique skills and abilities, team up to help Sackboy on his mission.

They effortlessly bring the option of all-new co-op play to the series, but, as with every LittleBigPlanet, it really is players’ imagination that leads the way.

OCTOBER: THE MONTH IN REVIEW This week, GameTime looks back at the TV advertising accompanying October’s biggest games

3,500

140% % Change

3,000

2014

120%

Individual TVRs

2,000

100% 130%

80%

112%

1,500 1,000

93%

-500

60%

52%

500 0

60% 40%

89%

35%

35% 11%

-5% Jan

Feb

OCTOBER is the biggest month so far this year for games and consoles advertising, in terms of individual TV viewer ratings (TVRs) accrued.

In total, 2,935 individual TVRs were recorded across the month, eclipsing October 2013’s total by more than 10 per cent.

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Elsewhere, Nintendo upped the ante with heavy support for Super Smash Bros. This campaign accrued 318 individual TVRs across October, falling narrowly behind Sunset Overdrive.

Interestingly, there were fewer brands on air this October than there

The biggest TV campaign of the month was for Microsoft’s system exclusive Sunset Overdrive, which achieved over 332 individual TVRs and an 11 per cent share of the market. Across October, over 70 per cent of UK individuals saw the commercial at least once.

Sep

Oct

20% 0% -20%

were last year (32 vs 40). However, those choosing to invest in TV were backing the medium more heavily.

2014 is proving to be a healthy year for games and consoles TV advertising, with the market up by over 51 per cent year-on-year in terms of individual TVRs accrued.

MCV GameTime is provided by Generation Media 0207 255 4650 | www.generationmedia.co.uk

www.mcvuk.com

15

November 28th 2014

% Change Year-on-Year

2,500

COMING TO MC JANUARY

THE TOP 100 WOMEN SHAPING, GROWING AND LEADING THE UK GAMES BUSINESS z Recognising the most influential female games execs in the UK

z Published January 30th, 2015 z Following on from 2013’s Top 100 Women in Games – one of MCV’s most popular web articles of all time*

z Covering development, retail, education, technology, publishing, media, services, support and more

z Lobbying and suggestions should be sent to WomenInGames@nbmedia.com (deadline December 16th)

z Voted for and selected by a panel of leading peers and games industry professionals * MCVuk.com unique visitors, March 2013: 294,889

FOR SPONSORSHIP / SALES ENQUIRIES CALL ALEX BOUCHER

CV NEXT YEAR FEBRUARY

z Honouring our Top 100 and proďŹ ling three key individuals

z Ceremony takes place midFebruary in central London

z Networking afternoon and awards event

z Awards for Creative Inspiration, Campaigner and Pioneer

z Voted for by the Top 100 and a panel of leading peers and professionals

z Top 100 in attendance with tickets for a further 100 guests on sale in December

z Sponsorship opportunities guarantee you exposure and involvement in this important campaign throughout December, January and February

ON 01992 535 647 OR EMAIL ABOUCHER@NBMEDIA.COM

MARKET MOVES

APPOINTMENTS

GREEN MAN GAMING MARKETING BOSS DEPARTS Cairns leaves the online retailer O Future makes hire to Board O Spencer moves to Rodeo Games GREEN MAN GAMING | EVP of marketing DARREN CAIRNS is leaving the retailer.

Cairns departs after two and a half years at Green Man Gaming. He joined in May 2012, first as a consultant, before becoming EVP of marketing.

Previously, Cairns held marketing roles at PlayStation, Yahoo, Three and BT. “Darren’s expertise helped Green Man Gaming’s growth during his time with us and he leaves an impressive legacy.” said Green Man Gaming CEO PAUL SULYOK. “It has been a pleasure to work with Darren and the whole team wish him great success in the future.”

Prior to his time at InSkin, he was CEO at behavioural targeting specialist Phorm for two years, and before that he spent two years as European MD for Advertising.com. He also worked at The Telegraph Group for ten years as Group managing director.

“I am pleased to welcome Hugo Drayton to the Board.

He brings with him a wealth of digital and media experience,” said PETER ALLEN, Future’s non-executive chairman.

Cairns added: “I’ve been part of something special at Green Man Gaming and it feels like the right time to use all of my collective experience on my next challenge. I wish Paul and the team the best of luck and will be supporting them all the way. I’d like to be remembered for my strategic insight, humour and immense baldness.”

FUTURE | The media giant has announced the hire of media veteran HUGO DRAYTON as a non-executive director.

This will take effect on December 1st 2014. Drayton is the CEO of advertising tech firm InSkin Media.

RODEO GAMES | QA tester MATTHEW SPENCER has joined the developer.

Spencer, formerly senior QA lead at Testology, has moved to Rodeo to be its QA lead, and will also be working on community management.

“We’re now at the stage where we need an in-house tester. It means that we can focus on content and polish rather than finding issues,” said Rodeo creative director BOB MURCH. “We also wanted someone who could talk directly to fans and run the community side of Rodeo. We’ve always tried our best, but always end up not being able to give it enough time and attention. Over the next few months, Matthew will be there to answer fan questions and help develop that area of our business.”

AROUND THE INDUSTRY MAJESCO | The games publisher has admitted that it is struggling to stay afloat, and has warned that recent losses have resulted in doubts about the sustainability of the firm.

An SEC filing shows that the company laid off staff in its development, testing, marketing and support roles on October 31st. In addition, it isn’t developing any new games for release in fiscal year 2015.

NORDEUS | The developer behind free-to-play football management sim Top Eleven has opened an office in London.

Nordeus’ UK studio will employ 15 to 20 people, who will be developing new games for the company.

It is to be headed up by former Facebook mobile games platform partnerships exec Aman Ghei.

November 28th 2014

18

BIG FISH GAMES | The social games giant has been purchased

by Kentucky-based gambling company Churchill Downs.

The horse racing and casino firm purchased Big Fish for $485m, and the acquisition is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

“We are extremely proud of the company we have built over the last twelve years.

Churchill Downs is a company with a commitment to interactive entertainment and a track record of growth and performance,” said Big Fish CEO Paul Thelen. “We believe Big Fish is now positioned to become an ever greater force in the casual, mid-core and social casino mobile and online games industry. Churchill Downs is a great cultural fit for us and we are thrilled to be joining the Churchill Downs family.”

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EDITORIAL CONTACTS

EDITORIAL CONTACTS WE ARE PLAYING...

I delved back into Pokémon with Alpha Sapphire. Still the same game they’ve been releasing every year, and therefore it’s brilliant.

Christopher Dring, Editor

I’ve been score chasing like a madman this week with Resogun, Pix the Cat and OlliOlli. My hands have turned into claws.

Alex Calvin, Staff Writer

cdring@nbmedia.com

acalvin@nbmedia.com

It’s been a bit of a Ubisoft fest, with the actually pretty decent AC Unity and the definitely very decent Far Cry 4.

Ben Parfitt, Associate Editor

Having massacred half of France in AC Unity, I took a trip back to Super Mario World.

Simple pleasures.

Matt Jarvis, Staff Writer

bparfitt@nbmedia.com

mjarvis@nbmedia.com

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November 28th 2014

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

DATA & RESEARCH Last week GTA V launched for PS4 and Xbox One, and tops the charts once again IT shouldn’t come as a surprise that Grand Theft Auto V shot straight to the top of the charts when it launched on PS4 and Xbox One. The title already holds the all-time record for revenue generated by a game in the UK, but now it is the biggest-selling game in UK history.

And it managed this feat – deposing record-holder Call of Duty: Black Ops – with its PS4 and Xbox One launch day sales alone.

Meanwhile in second place, Far Cry 4 had the biggest launch for the series to date. It also tops the Steam charts. The Far Cry IP started out as a PC-exclusive in 2004, so it’s unsurprising that the game has a strong

PC following. The series franchise pack – last week’s No.2 – remains in the Steam charts in fifth place.

Back in the All Formats Top 40, Advanced Warfare sales for the week fell by 41 per cent, with the title dropping to third place.

And this week both WWE 2K15 and Middleearth: Shadow of Mordor rose back up the chart due to the release of new SKUs. 2K’s wrestling title jumped 13 places to No.7 after being released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, while WARNER BROS’ Lord of the Rings tie-in goes from 23rd place to 11th following a launch on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

TOP 10 STEAM CHARTS

01 TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

LW 10 05 07 02 01 03 04 RE RE

FAR CRY 4 PUBLISHER: UBISOFT DEVELOPER: UBISOFT MONTREAL

TITLE PUBLISHER This War of Mine 11 Bit Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Activision Blizzard Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Valve Far Cry Franchise Pack Ubisoft Football Manager 2015 Sega Assassin’s Creed Unity Ubisoft The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth Nicilis DayZ Bohemia Interactive Rise of Nations: Extended Edition Microsoft

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

LW NEW 01 04 NEW 02 20 05 07 03 23 14 10 11 12 16 19 16 08 17 22 21 18 27 28 24 25 14 30 33 31 38 37 29 34 15 RE 36 RE RE

GRAND THEFT AUTO V ROCKSTAR FORMATS: PS4, XO, PS3, 360 DEVELOPER: ROCKSTAR NORTH TITLE FAR CRY 4 CALL OF DUTY: ADVANCED WARFARE FIFA 15 DRAGON AGE: INQUISITION ASSASSIN’S CREED UNITY WWE 2K15 LEGO BATMAN 3: BEYOND GOTHAM MINECRAFT: PLAYSTATION EDITION HALO: THE MASTER CHIEF COLLECTION MIDDLE-EARTH: SHADOW OF MORDOR MINECRAFT: XBOX EDITION DESTINY SKYLANDERS TRAP TEAM DISNEY INFINITY MARVEL SUPER HEROES THE LEGO MOVIE VIDEOGAME TOMODACHI LIFE ASSASSIN’S CREED IV: BLACK FLAG PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2015 FORZA HORIZON 2 LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES THE EVIL WITHIN SUNSET OVERDRIVE JUST DANCE 2015 FROZEN: OLAF’S QUEST THE LEGO MOVIE VIDEOGAME SUPER SMASH BROS FOOTBALL MANAGER 2015 MARIO KART 8 PLANTS VS ZOMBIES: GARDEN WARFARE THE SIMS 4 TERRARIA DRIVECLUB WATCH DOGS CALL OF DUTY; GHOSTS ALIEN ISOLATION NEW SUPER MARIO BROS 2 DISNEY INFINITY NBA 2K15 MARIO KART 7

Week ending November 22nd

November 28th 2014

FORMAT PUBLISHER PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Ubisoft PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Activision Blizzard PS4, XO, PS3, 360, 3DS, Vita, PC EA PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC EA PS4, XO, PC Ubisoft PS4, XO, PS3, 360 2K Games PS4, XO, PS3, 360, 3DS, Vita, PC Warner Bros PS4, PS3, Vita Sony XO Microsoft PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Warner Bros 360 Microsoft PS4, XO, PS3, 360 Activision Blizzard PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, Wii Activision Blizzard PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360 Disney PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, DS, Vita, PC Warner Bros 3DS Nintendo PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, PC Ubisoft PS4, XO, PS3, 360 Konami XO, 360 Microsoft PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, DS, Vita, PC Warner Bros PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Bethesda XO Microsoft PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, Wii Ubisoft 3DS, DS GSP/Avanquest PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, DS, Vita, PC Warner Bros 3DS Nintendo PC Sega Wii U Nintendo PS4, XO, PS3, 360 EA PC EA PS3, 360, PC 505 Games/Merge PS4 Sony PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, PC Ubisoft PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, PC Activision Blizzard PS4. XO, PS3, 360, PC Sega 3DS Nintendo Wii U, PS3, 360, Wii Disney PS4, XO, PS3, 360 2K Games 3DS Nintendo

Week ending November 22nd

20

www.mcvuk.com

DATA ANALYSIS Source

TOP 10 IPAD PAID CHARTS

TOP 20 INDIVIDUAL FORMAT

01 TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

01

MINECRAFT – POCKET EDITION DEVELOPER: MOJANG

TITLE Five Nights at Freddy’s The Chase Toca Nature Tipping Point Flightradar24 – Flight Tracker Monument Valley Terraria Photon Flash Player Football Manager Handheld 2014

DEVELOPER Scott Cawthon Barnstorm Toca Boca AB Barnstorm Games Flightradar24 AB Ustwo 505 Game Appsverse Sega

GRAND THEFT AUTO V ROCKSTAR FORMAT: PS4

Week ending: November 16th

DEVELOPER: ROCKSTAR NORTH

TW 02 03 04 05

LW NEW NEW NEW NEW

TITLE GRAND THEFT AUTO V FAR CRY 4 FAR CRY 4 DRAGON AGE: INQUISITION

FORMAT XO PS4 XO PS4

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

02 05 03 04 06 10 08 NEW NEW 01 NEW 12 07 NEW 14 13 19 NEW 24 09 21 NEW 28 20 NEW

ASSASSIN’S CREED: UNITY CALL OF DUTY: ADVANCED WARFARE ASSASSIN’S CREED: UNITY CALL OF DUTY: ADVANCED WARFARE CALL OF DUTY: ADVANCED WARFARE FIFA 15 FIFA 15 WWE 2K15 DRAGON AGE: INQUISITION HALO: THE MASTER CHIEF COLLECTION FAR CRY 4 MINECRAFT: XBOX EDITION CALL OF DUTY: ADVANCED WARFARE WWE 2K15 FIFA 15 LEGO BATMAN 3: BEYOND GOTHAM FIFA 15 FAR CRY 4 TOMODACHI LIFE ASSASSIN’S CREED: ROGUE MINECRAFT: PLAYSTATION EDITION DRAGON AGE: INQUISITION DISNEY INFINITY 2.0 DESTINY MIDDLE-EARTH: SHADOW OF MORDOR

PS4 XO XO PS4 360 XO 360 PS4 XO XO 360 360 PS3 XO PS4 360 PS3 PS3 3DS 360 3DS 360 360 PS4 360

PUBLISHER Rockstar Ubisoft Ubisoft EA

Ubisoft Activision Blizzard Ubisoft Activision Blizzard Activision Blizzard EA EA 2K Games EA Microsoft Ubisoft Microsoft Activision Blizzard 2K Games EA Warner Bros EA Ubisoft Nintendo Ubisoft Sony EA Disney Activision Blizzard Warner Bros

TOP 10 IPHONE PAID CHARTS

01 TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

MINECRAFT – POCKET EDITION DEVELOPER: MOJANG

TITLE The Chase Heads Up! The Official DVSA Theory Test Five Nights at Freddy’s Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock Afterlight Angry Birds Monument Valley Tipping Point

DEVELOPER Barnstorm Warner Bros TSO Scott Cawthon Northcube AB Afterlight Collective Rovio Ustwo Barnstorm

Week ending: November 16th

TOP 10 GOOGLE PLAY CHARTS

01 TW 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

MINECRAFT – POCKET EDITION DEVELOPER: MOJANG

TITLE Football Manger 2015 Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 The Chase Five Nights at Freddy’s Worms 3 Theory Test UK 2014 Tipping Point AllCast Premium Plex for Android

PUBLISHER Sega Scott Cawthon Barnstorm Games Scott Cawthon Team 17 Focus Multimedia Barnstorm Games Clockwork Mod Plex

Correct as of November 24th

Week ending November 22nd

PRESENTS

5 SECOND FACTS

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

40%

2

1/4

12

Future’s share price shot up 40 per cent in the wake of the publisher’s full year financial results

SCEA CEO Shawn Layden has suggested that PS4 has sold around double the number of Xbox One consoles worldwide

According to video game analytics firm EEDAR, only 25 per cent of Early Access games ever receive a full Steam release

Adventure game studio Double Fine has laid off 12 people after losing a publishing deal for an unannounced project

PDP design & manufacture the Official Microsoft licensed Xbox ONE TV Kinect Sensor Clip europesales@pdp.com

www.pdp.com www.mcvuk.com

21

November 28th 2014

LGC REVIEW

WHAT WE DISCOVERED AT LONDON GAMES CONFERENCE 2014 Facebook, Google, Yogscast and more delivered sage advice and astonishing statistics on the rapidly changing world of video game marketing and discovery at this year’s LGC. Christopher Dring takes a look at the best talks

BUZZFEED’S THREE TOP ‘COMMANDMENTS OF BEING INTERESTING’ BUZZFEED delivered its advice on how marketers can succeed in a social world.

The website’s associate creative director Philip Byrne revealed the firm’s ‘commandments of being interesting’ on Buzzfeed, which he says is on course to become the world’s biggest news and entertainment website.

He told attendees that 75 per cent of Buzzfeed’s traffic comes from social media. Facebook is becoming a bigger source for news and entertainment than Google, he said.

Here are Byrne’s top three commandments:

1

IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU When promoting brands on Buzzfeed or on similar sites,

there has to be a balance between the branded message you want to deliver and delivering something interesting.

2

YOU MAY NOT BE THE EXPERT Sometimes brands don’t know how to speak to their own audience. So find people or speak to people that do know.

Don’t be afraid to use other people’s content.

Facebook’s Rick Kelley said that game ads are not up to scratch on the networking site

THE VIDEO GAMES INDUSTRY IS DOING ADVERTISING ON FACEBOOK WRONG

3

DON’T GIVE A BOWLING BALL Do you remember when Homer gave Marge a bowling ball inscribed with his own name for her birthday in The Simpsons? It wasn’t for her, it was for him. Don’t stick your brand on something your audience doesn’t want.

VIDEO game advertisements on Facebook are less popular than dating ads, the social network revealed at LGC. In fact, game ads are the worst-performing on Facebook across all categories based on user feedback.

Facebook’s global director of sales for games, Rick Kelley, told attendees that there are a number of things publishers can do better without the need to spend more. These include:

1

PRECISE TARGETING Facebook wants publishers to upload their own internal data, so that it can create a custom audience to target ads at. Facebook can combine that with their data to create a lookalike audience.

Philip Byrne of Buzzfeed revealed how to capture clicks and shares

November 28th 2014

22

2

RELEVANT CREATIVE FOR THE AUDIENCE EA created a specific video just for Facebook to raise awareness of the launch of Madden. The publisher then released a personalised follow-up video the next day to anyone that watched that first video. Then they did a third ‘call to action’ ad, with a pre-order link.

3

LEVERAGE YOUR BRAND To get more attention to your title, Kelley suggests taking a page out of the book of Supercell and King, which both brand their games with a watermark. The sales boss advises publishers leverage those past hits to generate interest in their new game.

www.mcvuk.com

LGC REVIEW

ONLINE GAMES MEDIA IS UNDER THREAT THE number of gaming websites will continue to dwindle, predicts IGN owner Ziff Davis.

The firm’s international boss Geoff Inns told attendees that the demands on online media are becoming expensive, and require media owners to have deep pockets and a global reach.

Inns said that there are two primary demands from advertisers on online media firms.

They either need programmatic advertising, which is automated and targets specific users, requiring technology and

SIX THINGS EGX HAS TAUGHT US 3,300 attendees of video games consumer show EGX filled in a survey after the event. Gamer Network boss Rupert Loman revealed what was discovered from the survey. Including:

1

VR COULD BE HUGE 41.1 per cent of EGX owners said they want an Oculus Rift. The majority of these were male.

2

PS4 IS STILL DOMINANT 39 per cent of EGX visitors said PS4 was the piece of hardware that they plan to buy in the next 12 months, versus 24.1 per cent for Xbox One and 16.1 per cent for Wii U.

3

PRICE IS KEY Price is the most important factor prompting gamers to

pick between a PS4 or Xbox One, with the runner-up being exclusive games.

ANY DEVELOPER THAT IS NOT SPENDING 10% OF THEIR REVENUE ON ADVERTISING IS A FOOL

4

THE DRM DEBATE IS IN DECLINE Just one in five visitors said DRM policies matter to them.

POPULAR games analyst Nick Parker warned against publishers and developers spending less on advertising games.

In a talk that revealed incredible statistics about how money is being spent on games ads (including the fact King is the world’s biggest-spending games firm for TV advertising in the US and UK), Parker showed that the big games companies, including EA, Ubisoft and Activision, are spending a

5

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT DOESN’T MATTER The least important factor for choosing between consoles was multimedia services and exclusive content for multiplayer games.

6

HOT TIPS FOR 2014 AND BEYOND Based on that feedback, the following titles will probably see critical and commercial success: Evolve, Elite: Dangerous, the Halo Collection, Super Smash Bros Wii U and Mortal Kombat X.

smaller share of their revenue on above-the-line marketing.

“This is a worrying sign,” he said. “Anyone that is developing a game that doesn’t have an advertising budget of at least 10 per cent is a fool.”

“It’s a crowded world. You have to do something to get your head above the noise and you have to invest in marketing.”

He highlighted ads within mobile games as an effective way of reaching gamers.

UK GAMERS ARE FAR MORE SOCIAL THAN THOSE IN THE US GAMES media firm Curse revealed some major differences between the American and British games markets.

Sales boss Nathan Lindberg said that FUTHead, a site dedicated to FIFA’s Ultimate Team mode, received more page views in September than all other video game websites combined. That’s in stark contrast to the firm’s equivalent Madden website.

Using Comscore and internal data, Lindberg said that in the

Same language, different meanings; Curse’s Nathan Lindberg revealed the UK/US divide

www.mcvuk.com

technical staff. Or they are faced with demand for integrated campaigns that include bespoke, creative content, created by editorial teams.

“This is expensive. You need to hire people to do this,” said Inns.

“On the integrated side, no-one is over-staffed editorially. All of this takes investment. You have to have deep pockets to do this. But what if you don’t?

“I think we will see more games media businesses drop out over the next two to three years.”

23

US it’s all about paid media, while in the UK it’s about social.

US gamers are most likely to hear about a game via advertising, while in the UK they are more likely to discover it via friends.

“For TV and video consumption, nobody beats America, but actually Curse’s UK audience consumes more video than the US,” he added.

45 per cent in the UK learn about community sites via friends – in the US that’s just 18 per cent.

November 28th 2014

LGC REVIEW

YOUTUBE SUPERSTARS ARE NOT GAMES JOURNALISTS YOGSCAST says comparing it to the games media is a ‘category error’.

Rich Keith, GM of the hit video network, said Yogscast and other video stars - such as PewDiePie - are not the games media; they are far more powerful than that and doing a different job.

Keith revealed that 42 per cent of 8 to 16-year-olds view YouTube as the future of TV, and that 23 per cent of young people don’t watch TV at all. 39 per cent say they use YouTube to search for games.

This is born out by their own audience as well. Nearly 23 per cent don’t watch TV at all.

“Some seem to think we’ve gone from print, to digital to video... but actually that’s not what is happening,” he said.

“This is not the evolution of

media. Don’t confuse video with games media.

“Games media is about journalism. It is about talking about games and evaluating them. It’s about telling them whether to buy them or not based on their quality.

“What Yogscast and people on YouTube are doing is entertainment. It is not journalism.

That’s why what people are doing on YouTube is so powerful.”

He said the main reason Yogscast viewers watch the show is because they want to laugh and see people and personalities.

“When you are looking for news and reviews, you are researching information. When you are on YouTube, you are after something different.”

He added that YouTube and Twitch are far more significant than traditional media: “They have an emotional connection.”

Rupert Whitehead of Google gave out tips on getting your mobile game noticed

HOW TO GET DISCOVERED ON GOOGLE PLAY GOOGLE’S developer relations expert Rupert Whitehead gave some advice on how mobile devs can improve the discoverability and install rate of their game.

While many of these tips were given in relation to the Google Play store, they could be used on other mobile platforms.

Firstly, Whitehead encouraged devs to put more effort into their store listings. Users “want to make a snap decision”, he said, and everything on that page should help them do so. He also said to think carefully about what keywords to use.

He said Google Play’s search takes into account installs, uninstalls, install retention and engagement (how often people play). If you’ve made a game that performs well against these criteria, it will feature highly.

Videos on your landing page will show how the game looks and works, helping gamers instantly understand whether or not your title is right for them.

“If you haven’t spent time on good graphics for your landing page, they’ll reason you’ve probably not spent time making a good game,” said Whitehead.

He also encouraged studios to use the official Google Play

Yogscast GM Rich Keith revealed the transition of kids from TV to Youtube

badge on the game and on websites and ads. This looks more professional and Google research suggests users are 47 per cent more likely to trust and download the game if using this official label.

User reviews have a big impact on whether others will purchase or download your game. Five star-rated games get four times more downloads than four star games. Rather than ignoring negative reviews, engage; ask what the problem was, detail upcoming features and fixes. Some users will change their review.

Whitehead also encouraged devs to work with opinion leaders to help promote the game, providing you ensure they are relevant and of value and interest to your target audience.

However, you need to think about how your approach them: present them with a story, or involve them in your Alpha and Beta tests.

Finally, devs were advised to think globally when releasing their game. This means more than simply localising the text on their landing page, but also redesigning the artwork, altering the price and maybe even changing the business model.

PARTNERS Event Partner

November 28th 2014

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24

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INTERVIEW WIRED PRODUCTIONS Sponsored by

ON THE WIRE Wired Productions has tired of living in the shadows producing games for other companies, and is now publishing its own titles. Alex Calvin investigates

W

atford-based Wired Productions is a company you probably haven’t heard of.

For four out of its six years the company acted as a ghost publisher for the likes of Nordic Games, handling the packaging, marketing assets, videos and websites for over thirty of its titles, including music IP We Sing for the Wii. In the last two years it has been working on karaoke games based on The Voice TV show.

And recently the firm also decided to strike out on its own and publish its own games. Last year it released Let’s Fish! Hooked On, and this month launched Tiny Troopers: Joint Ops for PlayStation platforms.

“We know that we have the skillset, we know that we have the resource, we know that we have the ability, so why wouldn’t we want to step out and do it ourselves to some extent,” says marketing boss Adam McGowan.

“We have a very good grounding, and we believe we’re pretty good at what we do. We just want to take the opportunity to start publishing our own content, but also look at those smaller indie developers, get their products out into the market, get their products well known and push them out front and centre.

That’s also one of the things that we’re hoping to achieve.”

It might have its background in the casual Wii market, but now Wired is targeting the hardcore indie audience.

“The indie boom started at a good time for us,” says McGowan.

“We have a full publishing mentality, and now we are applying that to indie games, which is needed. Small devs need small agile publishers. With the right

November 28th 2014

Tiny Troopers: Joint Ops is the second game Wired has published itself

teams it can be a natural fit that suits our style.”

The indie boom started at a good time for us.

We are applying our publishing mentality to indie games.

MARKETING THE SMALL GUYS Of course, like many involved in the indie scene, Wired has to work extra hard to get their games out there. And working with bigger partners to raise awareness of Tiny Troopers: Joint Ops was key, especially as it launched in the middle of November – the busiest time of year for the games market.

“There are a lot of triple-A blockbusters coming out at the moment, which soak up the headlines and grab most of the attention,” McGowan explains.

“You have to be a bit more targeted about what you do.

Building a groundswell with a core demographic of gamers. Tiny Troopers is a twin stick arcade shooter, so it’s a priority that we go after fans of that genre and that we’re able to communicate our message and deliver a clear call to action to that target demographic.

Adam McGowan, Wired Productions

26

“From there it’s a case of extrapolating it out to the wider gaming community, but making sure you’re not trying to compete with the big triple-A blockbuster titles because you’re not able to get that kind of cut through.”

And PlayStation has helped the team out a lot with promoting the title.

“Sony is very good at supporting you where required,” McGowan says. “With the Vita again being pushed towards to the indie scene, Sony is doing a lot to help drive that. And aside from first party, there are certain publications and websites that have sprung up to help write about Vita games, giving those products that don’t get much attention some much-needed coverage.”

He concludes: “It’s a case of working with these guys, finding the right partners that are able to help deliver the right message to the right audience.”

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OUT

20 FEBRUARY 2015 TH

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U K . P L AYS TAT I O N. C O M / T H E O R D E R

“2” and “PlayStation” are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “ ” is a trademark of the same company. LittleBigPlanet™ 3 ©2014 Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.

Published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. Developed by Sumo Digital. “LittleBigPlanet”, “LittleBigPlanet logo”, “Sackboy” and “Sackgirl” are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. All rights reserved.

GAME FUNDING GUIDE

FINDING FUNDING There have never been so many ways to get cash to fund your games. MCV speaks to firms involved in publishing, crowdfunding and venture capital to get tips on how to secure funding THERE have never been more ways to get your games funded. And in this mini-guide, we have spoken to industry experts to discuss how to successfully appeal to publishers, venture capitalist firms and even gamers via crowd funding.

But even knowing what funding method to pursue can be a daunting task. What is best suited to your business and product? Here, with the help of UKIE, we have compiled six ways that you can raise money to make the next Minecraft.

Angels are generally looking for a ten-fold return on their investment, and want an exit from the business within five to eight years.

You can find out more at www. ukbusinessangelsassociation.org.uk

3

PUBLISHERS They might seem a bit old school, but publishers are still a major source of funding.

They are great at managing risk in development, and can provide invaluable advice for the studios.

Contact sam.collins@ukie.org.uk if you wish to talk to a publisher.

On page 33 Team 17 boss Deborah Bestwick explains what a publisher has to offer to developers.

1

CROWDFUNDING This is being used more and more thanks to the internet making it easier to reach a large audience. Sites such as Kickstarter are an excellent means of testing out desire for your game and can serve as a way to promote your project.

There are two main types of crowdfunding – ‘all or nothing’ or ‘keep it all’. The former has studios set up a financial target and time limit. If the project doesn’t reach its target, funding is returned. The latter allows studios to keep donations even if it hasn’t reached its goal.

On page 32 we speak to developer Day For Night about what it learnt from trying to crowdfund its new game The Black Glove.

2

4

BUSINESS ANGELS These are private individuals who wish to invest in small businesses and generally work with start-ups. UKIE estimates that £850m is invested annually by business angels – 2.5 times more than venture captiral firms invest in early stage businesses.

Angel investment is high-risk – 40 to 50 per cent of companies do not return on the investment.

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around £2m, though smaller firms will put forward at least £50,000, according to UKIE. In return for this investment, venture capitalists ger significant control over company decisions.

On page 33 Paul Jenkinson of venture capital firm Jenson Solution shares his insight.

You can find out more at the British Venture Capitalist Association website www.bvca.co.uk.

From crowdfunding to publishers, there have never been more ways to get money to make your games.

VENTURE CAPITAL AND PRIVATE EQUITY These are firms that invest in companies and products in return for a stake in the growth of the business.

This provides financial stability in order to give developers breathing room and space to plan strategically.

Venture capitalists and private equity firms will generally invest

5

VENTURE CAPITAL TRUSTS SCHEME Similar in many ways to private equity firms, the venture capital trusts scheme is a government initiative designed to encourage individuals to indirectly give money to a number of small high-risk companies.

Investors are incentivised to put money forward through income tax and capital gains tax reliefs.

You can find out more at www.hmrc.gov.uk/guidance/vct.htm

6

REGIONAL GROWTH FUND This is a £3.2bn pot of money available in England from 2011 to 2017 administered by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. In 2011, Eutechnyx was awarded £1.8m.

You can find out more at www.gov.uk/understanding-theregional-growth-fund

31

November 28th 2014

GAME FUNDING GUIDE

LIFE AFTER KICKSTARTER Members of the team who made BioShock turned to Kickstarter to fund their title The Black Globe, but it failed by a huge margin. Alex Calvin finds out what the studio has learnt

M

uch has been written about Kickstarter and how it allows creators to fund their dreams with the help of a generous and engaged community.

And it has been successful in the past. Virtual reality firm Oculus started out on Kickstarter. And Chris Robert’s raised $6.3m for sci-fi sim Star Citizien on the site.

But recently there’s been some high profile failures, too.

In June a game launched on Kickstarter called The Black Glove.

It was being developed by Day For Night Games, a studio staffed by alumni from BioShock-maker Irrational Games.

And the team had lofty goals. It hoped to raise $550,000 between June and the start of November.

But when the deadline struck, the team had failed to meet its target.

In fact, it didn’t even raise half. It managed just $216,517.

FAILURE TO LAUNCH The Black Glove had the makings of a successful Kickstarter. There was a good-looking product made by professionals with a track record of creating high quality games. It was backed by major industry figures. So what stopped it meeting its goal?

“We didn’t adequately convey the mood and gameplay at first and many of our lower reward tiers initially lacked punch,” Day for Night Games creative director Joe Fielder tells MCV. “Our backers noted how we worked hard to address those issues, but it was tough to regain those we didn’t hook at first. The press seems less interested now in covering projects that are on the ropes and fighting to get back, which makes it difficult to get the word out and rally support the way that previous games have managed.

November 28th 2014

with fans is fantastic. It’s an incredible amount of work and it can be exhausting to keep up.”

The Black Glove only raised $216,517 of its $550,000 goal

“We also consciously avoided easily-digestible statements like ‘BioShock-meets-Twin Peaks’, probably to our detriment.”

But even though it didn’t meet its target, creative director Fielder says that he has no regrets about turning to Kickstarter.

“We saw Kickstarter as the best option for raising the funds necessary to independently develop and publish an uncompromisingly original game,” he tells MCV. “Crowd-funding is still a viable option to indies. It’s clearly become difficult to raise as much money as you once could in the past, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for smaller scale games or those that have raised part of their budget through other means.”

But all the same, the experience taught the company a great deal about how to get games funded over Kickstarter.

“You learn a lot very quickly about what’s important to your potential backers. The interaction

We came out of the Kickstarter campaign with a dedicated following. I’d chalk that up as a win.

Joe Fielder, Day For Night Games

32

TIPS, PLEASE So, what tips has Fielder got for those attempting Kickstarter campaigns in the game space?

“Go into it only after you’ve done a tonne of research and planning, but be prepared to adapt to the feedback that comes in. You quickly see what’s working and what isn’t, from your completion and conversion rates from video to the popularity of and reaction to your reward tiers,” he says.

“The official reward tier text becomes locked once someone backs a tier, even to additions, so make sure the language allows for changes and updates referenced in the main body of your page.”

He adds: “Make sure that the reward tiers that are the next few steps above your software tier are extremely enticing. Having hundreds or thousands of backers up their amount by half again or double can help enormously.”

The project might not have worked on Kickstarter, but using the platform worked as promotion for the game, and helped attract some publishers, too.

“We came out of this with a large and dedicated following.

It appears to have opened up a number of options for us. I chalk those up as wins,” Fielder says.

“Every publisher we’ve spoken with so far has reached out to us, which has been great. Some expressed interest early, whether or not our Kickstarter was successful.

“Publishers are one option available to developers. They’re no longer the sole option, but I wouldn’t rush to say they’re no longer necessary.”

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GAME FUNDING GUIDE

THE ROAD WELL TRAVELLED The tried and tested publisher route-to-market comes with a host of benefits, but it’s tough to win over these businesses. Team 17’s Debbie Bestwick talks publishing with Alex Calvin

O

f all the ways developers can get their games funded, the publisher route is one of the more well trodden paths.

“Publishers like Team 17 actually fund games,” the company’s MD Deborah Bestwick says.

“That is pretty unique right now as there’s not a lot of funding available. Kickstarter has had issues this year with the number of games that have hit target, Steam Early Access is not for all games. Basically, we fund products, we’re here to help studios get over the finish line.”

And with that developer funding comes a plethora of other services.

“We also fund the back end, things developers don’t really think about like age ratings, QA and localisation, marketing, that final push,” Bestwick says.

“Our offering changes from studio to studio – there is no one fits all solution. Some we’ll fund from start to finish, some we’ll give the back end funding. What each studio requires is very different. We can also help developers with our own development resources.”

But like most publishers, Team 17 sees a huge number of

Publishers can offer more than just cash funding, says Team 17 boss Bestwick

games and only has a finite pot of gold to offer these studios. So developers need to work hard to stand out.

“Know your product and know your audience. I’ve seen over 1,000 games this year and many devs haven’t looked at the audience and the opportunity,” Bestwick explains.

“There are a lot of games right now. I’ve never seen so many games, and I was around in the Amiga days where everyone was writing games. It’s super competitive. If you’re making a game it needs to stand out.”

RISK AND REWARD Venture capitalists can be even more demanding than publishers. Paul Jenkinson of VC firm Jenson Solutions offers his tips on how to secure cash

C

ompared to the hip, cool and modern world of Kickstarter, venture capital might seem a bit old hat.

In short, people put money behind a company and help it grow with their contacts in the industry.

It’s a sound way of securing money for your game, but investors often need multiple reasons to back games.

“The companies we’ve invested in tend to be more than a game studio,” Paul Jenkinson, MD of venture capital firm Jenson Solutions explains.

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“Investing in games is high risk because you never know how it’s going to be received in the market, so we’ve invested in companies that might have some underlying technology that has value beyond the games industry.”

But aside from having some extra underlying tech or value, what can developers do to help investors open their wallets?

“Developers need to look into the commercial side of the business,” Jenkinson says.

“A lot of companies haven’t thought about the cost and

Jenson Solutions’ Jenkinson says devs need to offer more than just a game to secure investment

33

challenges of marketing a game, making sure the economics of the game actually work. For example, with free-to-play titles, a lot of studios don’t understand how that business model works. You need to be really clued up.”

He adds: “Many studios don’t have commercial and marketing knowledge because they are developers, not marketers or financers.

“You need to find people with the skills you are missing internally to help you develop that side of the business.”

November 28th 2014

THE BIG GAME THE CREW

THE CREW

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK Ahmed Boukhelifa, co-founder and managing director at Ivory Tower, says the developer’s upcoming social open-world driving title The Crew is shaking up the racing genre.

Matthew Jarvis sees what lies on the road ahead Release Date: December 2nd Formats: PS4, XO, Xbox 360, PC Publisher: Ubisoft Developer: Ivory Tower

“T

he Crew was born out of a dream to create a living, breathing world of car enthusiasts. A world in which any driving fantasy can be realised with co-operation at its heart.”

It might be an understatement to say that Ahmed Boukhelifa, co-founder and managing director at Ivory Tower, has big ambitions for the developer’s upcoming racing game.

But it’s not just The Crew that Boukhelifa hopes will re-envision virtual racing as we know it; he sees an opening in the market for a whole new breed of driving game, which is already being formed by rival titles.

“The driving games market is ripe for change, and ready to offer new approaches to previously established codes and ‘rules’ of the genre,” he comments. “That’s something that DriveClub and Forza Horizon 2 have already done, to some degree.”

November 28th 2014

Unsurprisingly, however, Boukhelifa says that The Crew is the culmination of all that needs to change in the driving genre.

“For The Crew, we’ve taken these new approaches to the best extreme,” he states confidently.

A NEW SEASON The racing genre is one of gaming’s most over-stuffed segments. From driving simulators like Gran Turismo and arcade titles like Need For Speed to kart racers in the form of Mario Kart, virtual drivers are hardly short of choice.

With such a packed grid, how do you deliver something new?

“The first innovation that The Crew brings to the genre is a massive open world filled with activities, which delivers an unprecedented level of gameplay variety,” says Boukhelifa. “The entire USA becomes a driving playground, covering thousands of square miles.

“The Crew defines what freedom truly means in a driving game, without any barriers and invisible walls to restrict the car to the road.”

We’ve seen this before in Burnout Paradise and the Forza Horizon and Test Drive Unlimited series – the latter of which was partially developed by some Ivory Tower team members.

Those titles have allowed players to drive where they want for years. But Boukhelifa says his team is among the first developers to populate an openworld driving game with real people – rather than AI. “The second major innovation delivered

by The Crew is a Ahmed Boukhelifa, Ivory Tower revolutionary social driving experience, in a persistent online world populated by other real players,” he says. “At the core of the game experience is

The driving games market is ripe for change, and ready to offer new approaches to previously established codes and ‘rules’ of the genre.

34

www.mcvuk.com

THE CREW THE BIG GAME

UP A GEAR AHMED Boukhelifa, co-founder and managing director at Ivory Tower, details the top three innovations he expects to evolve racing games over the next generation

1

WORKING WITH (AND AGAINST) YOUR FRIENDS “Even though they’re already becoming more and more prevalent in video games, we expect social tools to shape the development of future racing titles even more. Communities will be able share not only in their games with ghosts or replays, but also outside of them. Tools to encourage and support more community-created content are also part of that dynamic.”

2

DRIVING ON THE VIRTUAL HIGHWAY “One aspect I strongly believe in is the development of virtual reality with devices such as Oculus Rift or Project Morpheus.

Complete immersion in your gameplay experience will become a standard in the years to come.”

3

EVERYONE PLAYING TOGETHER – ON EVERYTHING “Cross-platform technologies will become a growing point of interest as gamers are currently separated based on their choices of hardware. We expect those barriers to shatter over time, as online gaming becomes even more prevalent.”

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35

November 28th 2014

THE BIG GAME THE CREW

an advanced social interface that connects friends so that teaming up is effortless and efficient.”

Boukhelifa hopes this collaborative gameplay will mark The Crew out as a landmark driving title, but adds that the game is more evolutionary, than revolutionary.

“Social games with an online component have become more prevalent because they’re a natural evolution for an industry that’s always been about sharing,” he explains. “The changes that this progression creates in driving and racing games is probably more apparent and likely to be appreciated than with other types of games.”

DRIVING (ON)LINE Boukhelifa is not alone in his high hopes for The Crew – Ubisoft revealed during its financials that it expects the title to sell two million units in its first year on sale.

It’s a serious vote of confidence from the publisher, which has gone from the high of its recordbreaking launch of Watch Dogs in May to the challenging release of Assassin’s Creed Unity earlier this month.

While those games sold in droves, both suffered some online issues – Watch Dogs brought Ubisoft’s Uplay servers to their knees (briefly) and Unity suffered matchmaking problems.

The Crew requires an alwaysonline connection – something that may seem like a perilous move given these previous issues.

Boukhelifa says the risk is a necessity for The Crew’s unique take on the driving genre.

“The Crew was always designed as a persistent world populated by thousands of players,” he explains.

“We wanted the playground we designed to feel alive, and for players to create their own stories.”

This is all very well, of course – given that the game works. And it should, given the multiple betas held ahead of launch. But as Microsoft discovered with its initial stance (and subsequent U-turn) on the Xbox One’s always-online requirement, the masses may not agree that the benefits are worth the cost of entry. Despite this, Boukhelifa feels the resistance is shrinking.

November 28th 2014

The Crew requires an always-online connection to play

“A limited number of people might choose not to buy the game because of the need for an internet connection, but it’s just as likely that those people will instead choose to connect their console so that they can play The Crew,” he says.

But accelerate or stall, The Crew won’t be the last of its kind.

“Will we see more onlineonly games in the future?” asks Boukhelifa. “I personally think we will.

This is only a natural development for the industry, especially when you look to our society’s habits in dayto-day life, and the predominant part the internet occupies.”

Online-only games are only a natural development for the games industry.

Ahmed Boukhelifa, Ivory Tower

A NEW SET OF WHEELS In many ways, The Crew encapsulates many of the trends we’ve seen so far this generation – big open world environments, social integration and sharp graphics.

“The new generation of consoles matches the way we envisioned The Crew for years,” states Boukhelifa.

“We wanted our game to be set in a huge open-world allowing for a large variety of driving experiences, to be set in a persistent world where you’d be able to meet and play with

36

your friends at any moment and to offer a deep progression system with multiple paths to success.

“All those constraints put together made the new consoles the most obvious choice.”

Despite this, the game is also coming to last-gen; PS3 has been skipped due to a technical infrastructure incompatible with the new multiplayer, but Xbox 360 will be part of The Crew from launch.

“We did our best to keep the essence of the game in the lastgen version,” Boukhelifa comments.

“With Xbox 360’s architecture being closest to the new-gen hardware, there was an opportunity to please gamers that haven’t made the step to next-gen yet.”

While one foot may be in the past for now, Boukhelifa clearly believes The Crew marks a new generation of racing game.

“Innovation is the key element here,” he concludes. “Every game released in the past 10 years has tried to innovate in some way.

“As for ourselves; we boldly go where no man has ever been before, mixing everything together to offer an experience of unprecedented scope.”

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MARKETPLACE

SHELF LIFE GAME Peterborough’s Dan Kent tells us about maintaining the loyalty of both staff and consumers, unleashing horror for the release of The Evil Within and how the store gets local celebrities involved with game launches family popping in to find the right products for them.

We’ve had some great feedback from our customers on our Facebook page, which is a great testament to the hard work the team put in.

Tell us about your store team.

We have a team of over 20 staff who are working around products that they love.

There is a mixture of staff, from those who have just joined us for Christmas to Dan, Darren, Matt and Chris who have all worked here for ten years or more. It is one of the reasons we have so many regular customers.

We have seen many mums and dads throughout the years coming in to get their kids’ Christmas

presents. It’s great to see those parents still popping in years later to sort out their family’s Christmas, even if they have flown the nest.

PRE-ORDER CHARTS

PRICE CHECK: ONLINE

What’s your store’s speciality?

Getting involved. We are open at midnight for all the big new releases and have had some amazing product launches.

We also pride ourselves on keeping it simple. We try and help everyone, whether you’re after your game at midnight or a

What is the best thing about dropping by your store?

We’ve got demo consoles available in-store which prove very popular with families on a weekend. We also get a bunch

TOP 10 PRE-ORDERS 1. SUPER SMASH BROS + GAMECUBE CONTROLLER ADAPTOR Nintendo, Wii U 2. Pokémon Omega Ruby Nintendo............................................................... 3DS 3. Pokémon Alpha Sapphire Nintendo............................................................... 3DS 4. Super Smash Bros Nintendo............................................................. Wii U

FORZA MOTORSPORT 5

FORZA HORIZON 2 NEED FOR SPEED RIVALS

Microsoft, XO

Microsoft, XO

Sony, PS3

EA, PS4

5. Dragon Age Inquisition+ Exclusive DLC EA ................................................................................PC

GRAN TURISMO 6

£31.99

£41.99

£29.99

£39.99

£32.99

£44.99

£26.99

£42.99

£31.99

£39.85

£19.99

£33.99

9. Kingdom Hearts 2.5 Remix Limited Edition Square Enix..........................................................PS3

£25.97

£42.99

£29.99

£27.97

10. Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth NIS America ....................................................... 3DS

£37.95

£42.85

N/A

£37.85

6. Wii U GameCube Controller Super Smash Bros Nintendo............................................................. Wii U 7. LittleBigPlanet 3 Sony.........................................................................PS4 8. The Crew Ubisoft ....................................................................PS4

UPLOADING The latest digital releases coming to market

November 28th 2014

XCOM: ENEMY WITHIN

HALO: SPARTAN STRIKE

PHOENIX WRIGHT: ACE ATTORNEY

2K’s strategy game expansion is available on iOS and Android now

This Halo twin-stick shooter launches on Windows and Steam

The first three Ace Attorney games are coming to the 3DS

OUT NOW

OUT DECEMBER 12TH

38

OUT DECEMBER 9TH

www.mcvuk.com

MARKETPLACE

GAME Peterborough Unit 15c, Serpentine Green Shopping Centre The Serpentine, Hampton, PE7 8BE

of games, phones and devices traded-in; there are always new bits and pieces to look for.

What’s been your favourite midnight launch to do?

Our Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare midnight release went down well, but our personal favourite was The Evil Within; the dress-up really set the tone.

Do you do anything with the local gaming community?

Phone: 0871 594 0066 Twitter: @GAMEHampton

The community of gamers in Peterborough are a lively bunch.

We love to get involved with the wider community, and have recently run FIFA competitions in association with our shopping centre Christmas lights being switched on by Warwick Davis and Heart FM. We’re also excited to announce that we’ll be running a FIFA tournament with Peterborough United legend David Farrell at the Posh Stadium next year.

INCOMING TITLE

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

The Q4 rush might be tailing off, but there’s plenty of titles left this year. Super Smash Bros on Wii U closes out the month, with The Crew in early December FORMAT

GENRE

PUBLISHER

TELEPHONE

DISTRIBUTOR

Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom

PS3/360/3DS/PC

Action

Bandai Namco

01215 069 590

Avantage

LittleBigPlanet 3

PS4/PS3

Platformer

Sony

0121 625 3388

CentreSoft

Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth

3DS

RPG

NIS America

020 8664 3485

Open

November 28th

Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

3DS

RPG

Nintendo

01753 483 700

Open

Rugby Union Team Manager 2015

PC

Sports

Alternative Software 01977 555000

Open

Super Smash Bros

Wii U

Fighting

Nintendo

01753 483 700

Open

PS4/XO/360/PC

Racer

Ubisoft

01279 822 822

Exertis

December 2nd The Crew

December 5th Big Hero 6

3DS/DS

Action

Avanquest

01480 359 403

Open

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix

PS3

RPG

Square Enix

0121 625 3388

CentreSoft

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris

PS4/XO/PC

Action

Square Enix

0121 625 3388

CentreSoft

Wii U

Puzzle

Nintendo

01753 483 700

Open

PC

Action

Rockstar

01279 822 822

Exertis

Dying Light

PS4/XO/PC

Horror

Warner Bros

0121 625 3388

CentreSoft

Saints Row IV – Re-Elected and Gat Out Of Hell

PS4/XO

Action

Deep Silver

01256 385 200

Koch Media

PS4/XO/PC

Shooter

2K Games

01279 822 822

Exertis

January 2nd Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

January 27th Grand Theft Auto V

January 30th

February 10th Evolve

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39

November 28th 2014

POKÉMON

POKÉMON It’s one of the biggest kids’ media franchises in the world, and the second-largest video game IP of all time.

Matthew Jarvis catches up with the best pocket monster merch

FOR almost two decades, millions of budding Pokémon trainers have set out on their adventures to catch, train, battle and evolve the collectable creatures.

The Pokémon video game franchise is the second-most successful IP of all time, tailing behind fellow Nintendo staple Mario.

More than 260 million Pokémon games have been sold worldwide as of 2014, with last year’s releases, X and Y, selling almost 12 million units in their first four months on sale.

There are many pillars to the brand that are of growing importance and which help to keep the franchise relevant.

Vanisha Kavia, Nintendo

This success is set to return to the 3DS this year, with pre-release hype (and orders) for Pokémon Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby – remakes of 2003’s Ruby and Sapphire for the Game Boy Advance – already outpacing that of X and Y. “Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire remakes have always been a popular request from fans,” says Vanisha Kavia, product manager at Nintendo.

Of course, it’s not just the Pokémon games that continue to excite fans. The collectable

POKÉMON X AND Y DAY TRIP ESSENTIALS KIT For Poké trainers playing on 3DS, 3DS XL, DSi or DSi XL, this five-in-one pack offers a console case (which also has space for four game cards), two game card cases and two styluses, all branded with artwork from the massively popular Pokémon X and Y titles.

SRP: £19.99 Manufacturer: PowerA Distributor: ILT Distribution Contact: 0845 519 7053

POKÉMON TCG PHANTOM FORCES THEME DECK The latest expansion to the Pokémon Trading Card Game, this deck includes 60 cards.

SRP: £10.95 Manufacturer: The Pokémon Company Distributor: Esdevium Contact: 01420 593 593

November 28th 2014

TRANSFORMING POKÉ BALL – TEPIG

POKÉ BALL CONSOLE AND GAMES CASE

Fans can pretend they’ve caught their very own Tepig with this transforming plushie.

(We don’t know what a Tepig is, either.)

Poké trainers on the go can carry their console and game cards using this generous storage bag.

SRP: £3.40 Manufacturer: Tomy Distributor: Tomy Contact: 01271 336 155

SRP: £19.99 Manufacturer: PowerA Distributor: ILT Distribution Contact: 0845 519 7053

40

www.mcvuk.com

POKÉMON

Sponsored by

O

gaming merchandise uk

Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) has shipped more than 21.5 billion cards to retail, while the animated Pokémon TV series has broadcast more than 800 episodes – backed up by 17 full-length feature films.

“The Pokémon franchise has been around for over 18 years and the games have a strong fan base,” comments Kavia. “Keeping the franchise growing and feeling fresh at each stage is one of our key objectives. In line with this, there are many pillars to the brand aside from the games that are of growing

importance, such as the TV series, merchandise and TCG cards, which help to keep the franchise relevant amongst a younger audience.”

This breadth of merchandise is being utilised for the launch of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, with figurines, SteelBooks, in-game content and even special transparent 2DS bundles launching alongside the new titles.

With such a considerable legacy and massive range of media, there’s plenty for retailers to pickand-choose from.

POKÉMON OMEGA RUBY AND ALPHA SAPPHIRE - THE OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE Even the greatest Pokémon masters need some advice every now and then. This helpful paperback features a complete walkthrough of all of the Gym Badges and new game features in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, as well as a guide to all of the hidden items and special Pokémon.

SRP: £14.99 Manufacturer: Prima Games Distributor: Exertis Contact: 01279 822 822

RC TRAINING PIKACHU FIGURE

RETRACTABLE 3DS STYLUS PACK

POKÉMON ANNUAL 2015

Electric mouse fans can scoot their own Pikachu around and terrify cats with this remote-controlled figure.

There’s little more annoying as a 3DS owner than finding yourself without a stylus. Make sure players avoid the bother with this triple-pack.

A new generation of Pokémon means a lot of new names to learn. Help Poké collectors out with this book filled with games and info.

SRP: £6.99 Manufacturer: Tomy Distributor: Tomy Contact: 01271 336 155

SRP: £5.99 Manufacturer: Venom Distributor: Venom Contact: 01763 284 181

SRP: £7.99 Manufacturer: Pedigree Distributor: Pedigree Contact: 01392 427 799

www.mcvuk.com

41

November 28th 2014

HOT PRODUCTS

Sponsored by

HOT PRODUCTS MCV takes a look at the best accessories heading to UK retail. This week, we sync up with Samsung’s gaming-friendly monitors and head back to the GameCube days with Nintendo

SAMSUNG UD590 FREESYNC MONITOR Samsung is adding new technology to its existing range of ultra high definition (UHD) monitors to provide extra benefits to high-end PC gamers.

The first Samsung UHD monitors to feature AMD’s FreeSync technology are set to launch worldwide in March 2015.

FreeSync, which works in a way similar to AMD rival Nvidia’s G-Sync, reduces screen-tearing by linking the monitor’s refresh rate to that of an AMD Radeon graphics card or APU. This dynamic frame rate also helps to reduce input latency and minimise visual anomalies during gaming and video playback.

This has particular boons for gamers looking to play

competitively, as well as those looking for the smoothest gameplay possible.

The technology is notable for its effectiveness when gamers are playing titles below their monitor’s maximum refresh rate.

AMD has also announced its upcoming collaboration with publisher Capcom.

The AMD Mantle API will be optimised to enhance Capcom’s Panta-Rhei graphics engine, boosting performance and visual quality for upcoming Capcom titles.

The first two FreeSync-enabled Samsung monitor models will be the Samsung UD590 (23.6-inch and 28-inch) and UE850 (23.6inch, 27-inch and 31.5-inch), with more to follow.

[INFO] RRP: TBA Release Date: March 2015 Distributor: Samsung Contact: 01932 455 000

SUPER SMASH BROS PLUS GAMECUBE CONTROLLER ADAPTER Nintendo is taking Super Smash Bros fans back to 2002 with its latest add-on for the Wii U. The GameCube Controller Adapter allows players to connect up to four original GameCube controllers to the Wii U system to use with Super Smash Bros for Wii U. As well as supporting original pads, the adapter has launched alongside a new range of branded GameCube controllers.

Pads based on iconic Nintendo characters, such as Mario, Princess Peach and Yoshi are available, as well as a new controller specifically branded with the Super Smash Bros logo.

The GameCube controller is often favoured by Super Smash Bros enthusiasts, meaning support for the pad in new games

November 28th 2014

42

– especially Super Smash Bros titles – has always been a popular request among fans.

GameCube controller compatibility was also included in 2008’s Super Smash Bros Brawl for the Wii. This new GameCube Controller Adapter will be offered to players both as a standalone peripheral and as part of a pack-in bundle with Super Smash Bros for Wii U.

[INFO] RRP: £54.99 (Bundle), £24.99 (Standalone) Release Date: Out Now Distributor: Open Contact: 01753 483 700

www.mcvuk.com

CHRISTMAS 2014 WITH

OUR POPULAR QUIZ NIGHT IS BACK FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON ON DECEMBER 2ND

???

SUPER SIZED quiz event for the festive season

30 Quiz will test your games brain and general knowledge

30 teams from publishing, retail, games development, media and more competing

Costs £249 for a team of five, includes food and drink all night

Venue is Minster Exchange, London. Near Tower Hill and Monument tube stations

CALL ALEX BOUCHER ON 01992 535 647 FOR MORE INFORMATION OR EMAIL ABOUCHER@NBMEDIA.COM

STUDIO DIVA

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

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

DIEGO MANCA MURA Tel: +44 (0) 2032909246 (UK) +39 328 2730697 (Italy) www.diegomancamura.com ........................................................................................................

FLUID Tel: +44 (0)121 212 0121 www.fluidesign.co.uk ........................................................................................................

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

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

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

U

........................................................................................................

LOCALSOFT Tel: +44 (0) 1934 710024 www.theaudioguys.co.uk

Tel: +34 952 028 080 www.localsoftgames.com ........................................................................................................

........................................................................................................

POLE TO WIN EUROPE LTD

ÜBER

Tel: +44 (0) 20 8607 7900 www.poletowineurope.com

Tel: +44 (0)114 278 7100 www.uberagency.com

........................................................................................................

........................................................................................................

UNIVERSALLY SPEAKING

THE AUDIO GUYS LIMITED

Localization Services

Tel: +44 (0) 1480210621 www.usspeaking.com

GAMING ACCESSORIES & MERCHANDISE

........................................................................................................

GAMING MERCHANDISE UK LIMITED

VMC

Tel: 0207 167 6997 www.gamingmechandiseuk.com

Tel: +44 (0)1753 849 700 (UK) www.vmc.com ........................................................................................................

GAME ROOM Tel: +44 (0) 20 7729 3033 www.gameroom-agency.com ........................................................................................................

BY FRONTROOM

KENNEDY MONK Tel: 020 7636 9142 www.kennedymonk.com ........................................................................................................

........................................................................................................

PRESSXTRA.NET

PERFORMANCE DESIGNED PRODUCTS LTD

(Part of the Indigo Pearl Group) Tel: 0208 964 4545 http://PressXtra.net

Tel: 01628 509047 www.pdp.com

MANUFACTURING OK MEDIA LTD

........................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................

SOUNDING SWEET LTD Tel: +44 (0) 1789 297453 www.soundingsweet.com ........................................................................................................

STUDIO CO2 Tel: +44 (0)1483 414 415 www.studioco2.com ........................................................................................................

INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CLD DISTRIBUTION Tel: +32 81 83 02 02 www.cld.be ........................................................................................................

Tel: 02076886789 www.okmedia.biz ........................................................................................................

MONETISATION & PAYMENT MILLENNIAL MEDIA Tel: +44 (0) 207 151 3320 www.millennialmedia.com ........................................................................................................

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

........................................................................................................

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

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

IGN Tel: 0203 701 5682 www.ign.com ........................................................................................................

COMPANY PROFILE /

LIS WELSH SEARCH & SELECTION LTD KEY CONTACTS: Lis Naylor lis@lisnaylor.com

ADDRESS: 12 The Square Market Harborough Leicestershire LE16 7PA

RECRUITMENT AMIQUS Tel: 01925 839700 www.amiqus.com ........................................................................................................

LIS WELSH SEARCH & SELECTION LTD Tel: +44 (0) 7968 114812 www.liswelsh.com ........................................................................................................

SPECIALMOVE CONSULTANCY LTD Tel: +44 (0) 141 530 4555 www.specialmove.com ........................................................................................................

WAYFORWARD RECRUITMENT LIMITED Tel: 020 7734 4664 (London) 0117 966 6038 (Bristol) www.way-forward.com ........................................................................................................

LIS Welsh Search & Selection is dedicated to delivering the best in search, management consultancy and executive coaching services for the digital entertainment industry.

We are a boutique business, delivering quality candidates and specialist services to emerging and leading software publishers and developers since 1991 and quickly earning a reputation for filling those vacancies where others have failed.

We are known and respected throughout the industry for delivering a confidential and consultative service – be it coaching, advising or recruiting.

Our candidates don’t go through the normal channels to find their next career move: they come to us or more importantly we go to them – we have the candidates on our books you didn’t know were looking.

Unlock the potential of your business with

...

specialist search and recruitment, management consultancy and executive business coaching services designed specifically for the digital entertainment industry

speak to the experts

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

DIRECTORY

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

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

GAMING ACCESSORIES DISC REPAIR

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DISC REPAIR

TOTAL DISC REPAIR

Tel: +44 (0) 1202 489500

November 28th 2014

Web: www.totaldiscrepair.co.uk

46

www.mcvuk.com

DIRECTORY

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

FINK

CREATIVE

DISTRIBUTION

CLICK ENTERTAINMENT

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

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

Tel: +44 (0)203 137 3781

Web: www.finkcreative.com DISTRIBUTION

email: sales@click-entertainment.com

CURVEBALL LEISURE

Web: www.creativedistribution.co.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 1792 652521

DISTRIBUTION

SONY DADC

DISTRIBUTION

Web: www.curveball-leisure.com DISTRIBUTION

Empowering your creative business

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

www.sonydadc.com Tel: +302 1090 11900

www.mcvuk.com

Web: www.enarxis.eu

Tel: +44 (0) 207 462 6200

47

Web: www.sonydadc.com

November 28th 2014

DIRECTORY

GAMING ACCESSORIES

L3I

GAMING ACCESSORIES

VENOM

Accessories for use with Xbox One速 Controller Kit

Twin Docking Station

Includes 2 Rechargeable Battery Packs

Tel: + (0)1923 471 020

Web: www.logic3.com

ADVERTISE WITH US

WANT TO ADVERTISE IN OUR DIRECTORY? Web: www.venomuk.com Phone: +44 (0)1763 284181 Email: darren.scott@venomuk.com sam.phipps@venomuk.com tom.hodge@venomuk.com

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

Tel: +44 (0)1763 284181 November 28th 2014

48

Venom UK Gaming @VenomGamingUK

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

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

INSIDER’S GUIDE

INSIDER’S GUIDE DATASCOPE

DIRECTORY

WHO? Specialism: Recruitment Location: Morley House, Regent Street, London, W1B 3BE

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

Julien Hofer, founder and MD of Datascope, discusses the difficulty of finding good programmers

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

Tell us about your company.

Based in central London, Datascope has been one of the UK’s top recruitment consultancies for the games industry since its founding in 1991.

Initially focused on games programming, we quickly expanded into other roles in the games, mobile and online industries, with the synergy between careers in these sectors allowing us to offer a comprehensive service for both our clients and candidates.

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

What is your biggest success to date?

Our data. It must be the most comprehensive database of talent in the world.

What projects do you currently have in the works?

We are incorporating AI in our candidate tracking system, which will require some in-house software engineering.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

There is the perennial problem of finding good programmers.

In the UK we are more dependent than ever before on immigration, as our schools have, until three or four years ago, been woefully negligent in encouraging pupils to study programming.

For instance, one person who works for us was not even taught how to programme until he arrived at university – and his degree was in programming.

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

Until three or four years ago, our schools have been woefully negligent in encouraging pupils to study programming.

Hopefully the problem is being fixed now and, for all their apparent unpopularity, we have to thank the present government for improving things in this respect.

Tell us something about your company no one knows.

We have been specialising in games for longer than anyone else in the world today.

However, I am too embarrassed to boast about this fact in case people enquire about my age.

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

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

Contact: E: recruitment@datascope.co.uk W: www.datascope.co.uk P: +44(0)20 7580 6018

49

November 28th 2014

FACTFILE SRI LANKA Sponsored by

Wholesaler and distributor of video games, consoles and accessories

INTERNATIONAL FACTFILE: SRI LANKA Population: 20,277,597 Capital City: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Currency: Rupee GDP (Per Capita): $3,385 KEY RETAILERS ChelseyLK, My Gola, Gameking, Kiddies Corner LK

TOP DEVELOPERS Dawn Patrol, Sri Droiders, ARC Developers, Photon Fission

TOP DISTRIBUTORS Redline Technologies, TechZone, EPSI, MiTech, E-Globe Solutions, Trident, TechOne

PUBLISHERS IN THE REGION Microsoft, Gameloft, Sony

2014 marks the year that Sri Lanka broke into the Top 100 countries in the games industry.

According to the latest Newzoo Global Games Market Report, the Sri Lankan games market generated almost $9 million in annual revenue during 2014. This total makes it the 100th biggest games industry in the world, its highest position yet.

This growth may be thanks to the increasing prosperity of the country.

In 2011, Rural Affairs senior minister Athauda Seneviratne announced that the per capita income of Sri Lanka had doubled since 2005, allowing inhabitants to afford more expensive luxury items.

This amount is expected to double again by 2016.

Local consumer interest is also inspiring more investment in the sector.

The first Sri Lanka Cyber Games eSports tournament was

held in 2008, organised by the Gamer.LK gaming community.

By 2013, largely as a result of the success of the event, the Sri Lankan eSports market had more than quadrupled, according to Sri Lankan news outlet The Papare.

Many of the most popular games in Sri Lanka mirror those of Western markets. Dota 2, Halo, FIFA, Call of Duty and League of Legends all have a large eSports presence.

As with many of Sri Lanka’s neighbouring states, mobile continues to drive consumer engagement with gaming.

The country was the first region in South Asia to adopt support for both 3G and 4G mobile internet, driven by the staggering growth of mobile users in the territory – Sri Lanka’s mobile subscriber base experienced a growth of over 550 per cent from 2005 to 2010, according to the Sri Lankan Government’s annual report.

The first Sri Lanka Cyber Games eSports tournament was held in 2008.

November 28th 2014

50

www.mcvuk.com

SRI LANKA FACTFILE

MEANWHILE IN... BENELUX Koch Media is to distribute the first proprietary IP from racing developer Milestone, RIDE, in the region PUBLISHER and distributor Koch Media is teaming up with Milestone to bring its latest game to the Benelux region.

Milestone’s first own IP, RIDE, will launch into Benelux retail during Spring 2015 for Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, PS3 and PS4.

The game will allow virtual racers to ride more than 100 motorbikes spread across four different categories; superbirkes, supersports, naked and historical.

“As an established publisher and distributor in the Benelux markets, we will be leveraging our local expertise and knowledge to successfully

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51

introduce this ambitious and exciting project to players and motorcycling enthusiasts alike,” said Jeroen Pompen, MD of Koch Media Benelux.

Marco Micallef, Milestone sales and marketing director,

added: “We’re confident that this collaboration will be successful thanks to the great expertise and knowledge of the market that Koch Media has proven in these years.”

November 28th 2014

INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION

Sponsored by

Wholesaler and distributor of video games, consoles and accessories

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

BELGIUM

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

CYPRUS

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

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

IRAN

SWEDEN

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

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

NETHERLANDS

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

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

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

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 November 28th 2014

52

www.mcvuk.com

OFF THE RECORD

OFF THE RECORD This week King releases a new Candy Crush in style, Wargaming gets furious and Loading Bar holds its own Assassin’s Creed event

SOMETHING SWEET Apparently one Candy Crush game taking over our Facebook pages isn’t enough as King launches its sequel, Candy Crush Soda Saga. Which it did on a boat, with recording artist Nichole Scherzinger, and a giant gummy bear. We actually couldn’t make this up.

The mobile behemoth also decided to turn the River Thames purple... which sounds a lot like pollution to us?

THE WEEK IN 140 CHARACTERS The Tweets you might have missed in the last seven days @sreadology Hats off to @RockstarGames for no doubt successfully selling their game to everybody twice. Best-selling game of all time title well deserved.

@xboxp3 This first year has been incredible. Great launch for two consoles, exciting competition and great games. Thanks for all the support and feedback.

Sam Read, Testology, Tuesday November 18th

Phil Spencer, Xbox, Saturday November 22nd

@KimparkerAdcock Some pre-LGC interesting facts - Square Enix Digital Entertainment’s revenue has jumped by 43 per cent year on year to £238m.

@GAMEHeadrow Fancy a holiday but can’t afford to get away so close to Christmas? Take a trip to Kyrat in the Himalayas with FarCry 4. A beautiful game

Kim Parker Adcock, OPM, Tuesday November 18th

GAME Headrow, Sunday November 23rd

@kezamacdonald To be clear, I’m not remotely outraged by sex in GTA. Just saddened by the inevitability of ill-informed parents buying it for nine-year-olds.

@lucyjamesgames And Dragon Age Inquisition wins the award for Best Named Enemy with ‘Ironically, Spiders’. Wish I’d screen grabbed but I killed it :(

Keza MacDonald, Kotaku UK, Tuesday November 18th

Lucy James, GameSpot, Sunday November 23rd

@MckKirk All the games coming out in the space of a week is a right ball ache, though. I don’t understand the mentality there.

@tamoorh Crash, Croc, Gex and many more were lame, but at least they didn’t show up regularly to remind us how shitty they are. Unlike Sonic.

Kirk McKeand, freelance games journalist, Thursday November 20th

Tamoor Hussain, freelance games journalist, Monday November 24th

@sdinsey1 Zillah The Killer doing good job sorting mess @ futureplc. Bath era over. Impressive non-exec hire. But City has lost interest. Sale or MBO.

@fevington As a retailer, Clack Friday makes no sense at all.

Throwing away margin three weeks before Christmas. That’s what the Boxing Day sales are for?!

Stuart Dinsey, Curve Digital, Friday November 21st

www.mcvuk.com

Mike Fethers, The Hut Group, Monday November 24th

53

November 28th 2014

OFF THE RECORD

KILLING IT There might not have been a big fancy launch event for Assassin’s Creed Unity and Rogue, but Ubisoft’s Field Team descended upon Dalston’s Loading Bar to celebrate the blockbuster releases.

And this event wouldn’t have been complete without cosplayers and a cardboard cutout of Assassin’s Creed film star Michael Fassbender, really.

FEELING FURIOUS If you have left your house recently you might have noticed a new Brad Pitt film called Fury.

It’s about a man and a tank.

So Wargaming got involved to sponsor an exhibition at Dorset’s Tank Museum, which was involved with the creation of Pitt’s war movie.

Former Sherman tank Commander Murray Walker was present to open the event, while Tracy Spaight, Wargaming’s director of special projects, was there to speak to about the firm’s involvement with the exhibition.

The Mass Effect series and Dragon Age: Origins have eaten more time then I would care to admit.

Kristopher Varga @covermysix Rollercoaster Tycoon 2.

It was never the same game twice.

WHAT’S THE GAME YOU’VE REPLAYED THE MOST?

The original Mass Effect, nine times all with different characters and classes. And of course... romances ;)

Andy Ferguson @AFerg85 Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Five times.

#GMGASKS

Probably the game I replayed the most is Grand Theft Auto III

David M.Cabel Ines @delfar76 BioShock 2. Gotta get all of those endings.

tothenextlvl @tothenextlvl Halo 2 multiplayer. Three months of game time and over 14,000 matches.

Gavin @Gavinuk86 Rusian Kim @ruslankim113

Half Life. I ended it about 16 times.

Golden Sun, still remember where all the secrets are. Last one was a 100 per cent no assist in three days

Hectrol @_hectrol_

November 28th 2014

LastElf @compuception

54

Miller @millerliteweight Pokémon Gold for Game Boy Color. Replayed until the game couldn’t handle it anymore <3

:DUG¿ UH #ZDUG¿ UH<7

www.mcvuk.com

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF PLAYSTATION速

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF PLAYSTATION速