MCV534 April 24th 2009

THE INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

Friday April 24 2009 £3.25

The No.1 tennis series in the world returns for 2009!

The No.1 player line up, including Federer, Nadal, Murray and Djokovic in the same game for the fi rst time ever.

The No.1 tennis game for online rankings and prize tournaments.

The No.1 to market – all consoles released in time for 'tennis fever' and 'Murray mania'.

The No.1 tennis series DEBUTS on Wii TM with all the features of the Xbox 360 ® and PS3.

The No.1 to market with Wii MotionPlus TM controls!

“Everything you love about tennis except the strawberries!”

“… on whichever console... one of the highlights of the gaming summer.”

THE £4 billion UK gamesindustry applauded its bestperformers last night.

Over 600 retailers, media,publishers, developers, analystsand distributors jammed intoThe Brewery in London to seeover 40 different companiesfight it out for the ultimaterecognition from customers,rivals and partners.

Nintendo was once againthe biggest winner on thenight, picking up four awards,but EA Sports won the superprestigious Grand Prix.

There were also highlyimpressive wins for Sega (SalesTeam of the Year), ActivisionBlizzard (Publisher of the Year)and Bethesda (Sales Triumph).

Nintendo won PR Team,Marketing Team and GameCampaign (for Wii Fit), whilstlong-serving UK sales directorAndy Yates was presented withthe MCV Retail Advisory BoardSpecial Recognition award.

Rockstar North won UKDevelopment Team, Sony’sLittleBigPlanet picked up NewGames Brand and Microsoft’sNew Xbox Live Experiencewon Marketing Innovation.

Centresoft won DistributionTeam for the fourth time inseven years, whilst GAME wasawarded High Street Retailer andPlay.Com won Online Retailer.

Other retail winnersincluded HMV Gamerbase(Retail Innovation), MikeBarnes and Pearl Robinson(Store Managers of the Year)and Gamestation BirminghamNew Street (Star Store).

EA Sports global presidentPeter Moore flew to Londonspecifically for the MCVAwards and to collect theGrand Prix.

EA Sports hasn’t just wowedthe industry in the past 12months with the outstandingsuccess of FIFA 09 – it hascreated hit after hit for retailduring the label’s 16 years.

“These trade awards onceagain celebrated the hard workand creativity that makes theUK such a successful, vibrantand competitive marketplace,”commented Moore.

“To win the MCV GrandPrix is very special. It is atremendously prestigious tradeaward that vindicates the effortwe have put into EA Sportsover the past year and manyyears prior to that.

“This is one for our team allover the world. We are veryproud indeed.”

A Judging Panel of 87 seniorindustry executives from acrossthe entire market chose thewinners from a set of Finalistsper category. A full list ofjudges is published under thisweek’s comment on page 4.

INCORPORATINGEVERY BUYER � EVERY BRANCH � EVERY INDIE � EVERY WEEK

Issue 534 Friday April 24 2009 £3.25

PERSONNEL 38 RETAIL BIZ 41 NEW RELEASES 49 HIGH STREET 50 CHARTS 52

04 Winning FormulaCodemasters details theformats and dates for itshotly tipped new F1 title

05 THQ thinks Big The publisher plans to release a newchart-topping Wii minigame collection

13 Credit where it’s dueXbox’s David Gosen discussesmainstream views of the industry

16 Para trooperHollywood studio revealsthe full strategy for its newgames division

21 Majesco marches inJason Dutton explains why Majescohas started to go direct in Europe

31 Reeves’ greatest hitsWith SCEE’s David Reeves retiring, wecollate some of his best soundbytes

THE MARKET FOR COMPUTER AND VIDEO GAMES

International Media Partner

by Stuart Dinsey

Another good night for Nintendo, but MCV Awards also picks out success for GAME, Centresoft, Bethesda,Sega, Activision Blizzard, Play.com, Rockstar and Sony � Grand Prix goes to EA Sports after mammoth year

UK trade applauds very best

”Peter Moore, EA Sports

These awards once againcelebrated the hard workthat makes the UK such avibrant and creative market.“

Star Store: Gamestation:Birmingham New Street

RETAIL

Retail Innovation:HMV Gamerbase

Store Manager:Mike Barnes & Pearl Robinson

(GAME Oxford Street)

Online Retailer:Play.com

High Street Retailer:GAME

PR Team: Nintendo

PR & MARKETING

Games Campaign:Wii Fit

New Games Brand:LittleBigPlanet

Marketing Team:Nintendo

Marketing Innovation: New Xbox Live Experience

UK Development Team:Rockstar North

PEOPLE & INDUSTRY

Distribution Team:Centresoft

Sales Triumph:Fallout 3 - Bethesda

Sales Team:Sega

Games Publisher:Activision Blizzard

SPECIAL AWARDS

Andy Yates(Nintendo)

GRAND PRIX:EA Sports

SPECIAL RECOGNITION:

3 MCV534_final 21/4/09 13:51 Page 1

F1 WORLD Champion LewisHamilton will make his videogame debut this autumn, MCVcan reveal.

Codemasters will launch F12009 for PSP and Wii this year,which will feature officialtracks, cars, teams and drivers,including Fernando Alonso,Sebastian Vettel – and UKworld champion Hamilton.

This will be followed by thehigh definition F1 2010,which will hit shelves in spring next year for PS3, PCand Xbox 360.

This title boasts an‘authentic’ F1 experience, andmakes use of Codemasters’EGO Engine technology, whichpowered the BAFTA award-winning Race Driver: GRID.

“Formula One is the pinnacle of motorsport,”

said Codemasters chiefexecutive Rod Cousens.

“We are producing a seriesof games that will deliver thepassion, glamour andexhilaration that fans deserveand we know how to do that.

“F1 2009 is the start ofsomething very special forCodemasters and will set thestandard for the high definitionversions that will follow inspring 2010.

“Our studios are workingextremely closely with FormulaOne Management Limited andthe teams to produce the mostauthentic and thrillingexperience possible.

“We are delighted with thelevel of support and accessafforded to us so far, enablingus to get as close to the sport as possible.”

Formula One ManagementCEO Bernie Ecclestone added:

“Codemasters has a greatheritage when it comes toracing games and theirreputation is second to none.We’re working very closelytogether on the upcoming titlesand are very impressed withwhat we have seen.”Codemasters: 01926 814132

4 MCV 24/04/09 WWW.MCVUK.COM

WINNING SMILESNintendo, EA Sports, Activision,GAME, Sega, Bethesda... take a bow.

These were just five of the bigwinners at last night’s MCV IndustryExcellence Awards in London.

In the interests of fairness, weshould also invite Microsoft,

Gamestation Birmingham New Street, Rockstar North,HMV, Centresoft, Sony, Play.com and the managers ofGAME Oxford Street to take a few bouquets.

Winning at the MCV Awards is a huge achievement.Fighting through to become a Finalist and then gainmore votes than anyone else from our 87-strongpanel of judges is not easy at all (just ask the manycompanies who have yet to triumph despite sevenyears of trying).

And even if there has been consolidation in someparts of the business over the past year, competitionremains immense.

Recognition by customers, rivals and suppliershopefully makes all the hard work worth it.

For a night at least.

SPORTS FOR ALLNintendo again dominated the MCV Awards, winning PRTeam, Marketing Team and Games Campaign, whilst ourRetail Advisory Board gave a special recognition awardto sales director Andy Yates.

But this year it was EA Sports that won the GrandPrix, accepted by global president Peter Moore.

This follows a tremendous performance over the pastyear, but is also in recognition of EA Sports’ success inthe UK through a decade or more.

FIFA has been the best-selling game of the yearfour years running. Last year, Tiger Woods wentstraight in at number one for the first time.

And the brand has continued to evolve, enliveningthe boxing genre with Fight Night, whilst the tennisand fitness markets will be challenged this year.

EA Sports is one of the strongest brands in thegames industry and has been managed brilliantly inthe UK year after year.

Peter Moore rightly dedicated the Grand Prix toeveryone who has played their part to date and MCVechoes that dedication to everyone who has workedon EA Sports past and present.

[email protected]

[LEADER]

NEWS

Codemasters’ F1 line-upby Christopher Dring

British publisher confirms fully licensed 2009 and 2010 titles for

MCV AWARDS 2009: JUDGING PANELThere were 87 judges in all this year, taken from every sector ofthe business. No judge was allowed to vote for his owncompany. MCV thanks them all for their participation:Adam Doree (Kikizo); Adam Roberts (D3P); Alan Duncan (Sony Computer Entertainment); Alison Mitchell(505 Games); Andy Payne (Mastertronic); Andy Yates (Nintendo); Anthony Stocker (Argos); Ben Parfitt(CasualGaming.Biz); Bob Burridge (Eidos); Chris Dring (MCV); Chris Lewis (Microsoft); Chris Peacock(Gem); Colin Campbell (GameBiz); Spencer Crossley (Warner Bros); Darren Bowman (Ubisoft); DarrylStill (1C); Dave Roberts (MCV); David Braben (Frontier); David Neal (Centresoft); David Reeves (SonyComputer Entertainment Europe); David Tyler (Activision); David Yarnton (Nintendo); Dean Barrett(Bastion); Don McCabe (CHIPS); Emma Parkinson (Future); Geoff Heath (Ncsoft); Graham Chambers(Amazon); Penny Humphrey (Electronic Arts); Ian Baverstock (Kuju); Ian Curran (THQ); Ian Howe (505Games); Ian Livingstone (Eidos); Ian Stewart (Zushi Games); Igor Cipolletta (Shopto.net); Iris Ludolf(Partnertrans); James Batchelor (MCV); Jeremy Wigmore (Codemasters); John Clark (Sega); JonathanGrimes (Microsoft); Jonathan Hales (Southpeak Interactive); Jonathan Weinberg (The Sun); KeithRamsdale (Electronic Arts); Kim Adcock (OPM Response); Serhad Koro (Take 2 Interactive); Larry Sparks(Square Enix); Lisa Foster (MCV): Lisa Morgan (GAME), Margaret Pearson (Centresoft); Martin Defries(Rising Star Games); Martyn Gibbs (Gamestation); Matt Carroll (Disney Interactive); Michael Breeze(Interactive Ideas); Michael French (MCV); Michael Rawlinson (ELSPA); Mike Sherlock (Square Enix); MikeHayes (Sega); Neil Long (Future): Neil Ralley (2K Games); Neil Stephen (Rockstar); Neil Thompson(Microsoft); Nick Parker (Parker Consulting); Paul Nicholls (Koch Media); Patrick Melchior (Eidos); PeteStone (Konami); Peter Bilotta (IGA); Peter Willis (DSG); Alan Pritchard (Sega); Ray Maguire (SonyComputer Entertainment); Rob Cooper (Ubisoft); Rob Gross (Blackbean); Robert Price (Future); RodCousens (Codemasters); Rosemary Dalton (Konami); Roy Campbell (City Interactive); Sam Collins (Midas):Sean Brennan (Bethesda): Sean Dromgoole (Some Research); Simon Byron (Barrington Harvey); SimonLee (Gem); Steve Hill (Journalist); Steve Boxer (Journalist); Stuart Dinsey (MCV); Stuart Lang (ElectronicArts); Stuart Turner (Capcom); Tim Ellis (HMV); Tim Ingham (MCV); and Tim Smith (Spong).

”Bernie Ecclestone, F1 Management

Codemasters has a greatheritage when it comes toracing games. We’re veryimpressed with the titles.“

NEW GAMES BOSSAT PLAY PLOTSSALES GROWTH

EX-ZAVVI head of games PatrickKelly joined Play.com this week, andis already planning new ways togrow the firm’s games offer.

Prior to joining Zavvi, Kelly hadworked in games for Virgin Retail,and now replaces Gian Luzio atPlay.com. Luzio joined The Hut asproduct director earlier this month.

“I’m really excited by theincredible opportunity the head ofgames role brings,” Kelly told MCV.

“I can’t wait to build upon of thesuccesses that the team haveachieved so far, particularly wheremy bricks and mortar experiencecan deliver new ideas andopportunities to generate customerand revenue growth for Play.comand the games industry as a whole.”

4,5 MCV534_final:4-5 MCV515 21/4/09 14:26 Page 1

inFAMOUSPS3SONY

WWW.MCVUK.COM MCV 24/04/09 5

[PRE ORDERS]

2. UFC 2009 UNDISPUTEDPS3 ....................................................THQ

3. THE SIMS 3PC ........................................................EA

4. RIDDICK: ASSAULT ON DARK ATHENA360 ..................................................ATARI

5. UFC 2009 UNDISPUTED360 ....................................................THQ

6. TEKKEN 6PS3 ..................................................ATARI

7. WII SPORTS RESORTWII ............................................NINTENDO

8. OPERATION FLASHPOINT 2: DRAGON360 ......................................CODEMASTERS

9. GHOSTBUSTERS360 ..................................................ATARI

10. GHOSTBUSTERSPS3 ..................................................ATARI

TOP 10

Week ending April 18thSource: SHOPTO.COM

NEWS

roars into view Xbox concerned byQ4-addicted tradeMICROSOFT’S Europeanmarketing boss for Xbox hasquestioned the continuedconcentration on Q4 andChristmas by publishers.

David Gosen told MCVthat he was concerned bythe “seasonality” of the UKtrade – and called onsuppliers to take more riskswhen choosing release datesfor major titles.

“We still have a veryseasonally-focussedbusiness,” he said. “Youonly need look at lastChristmas, when nearly200 titles were released inthe space of three or fourweeks. There was thatcrazy week, third week ofNovember. The big brandsreached the top andeverything else was left bythe wayside. It’s becomingharder and harder toestablish new IP in thatenvironment. You have toask if that’s sustainable.”

Gosen pointed toCapcom’s success with itsrelease of Resident Evil 5last month. According toGfK-ChartTrack/ELSPAdata, the title was the

second biggest-selling gamein March and Xbox 360’smost successful game in Q1.

He added: “Of courseChristmas is still the keyselling period, but we needto look at de-seasonalising.We launched GTA IV at thistime last year, and Capcom’sResident Evil has shownthat you can be successful.As more publishers do this,we’ll create a second orthird release window, andthat will be great news forthe industry.”� David Gosen writesexclusively for MCV thisweek. To read his piece onthe credibility of theindustry, turn to page 13

Warner Bros in for Midway?RELIABLE trade sources haveinformed MCV that WarnerBros is readying a potential bidfor Midway Games.

It is thought that the LEGOpublisher is particularly keento acquire Midway’s flagshipMortal Kombat andStranglehold franchises, aswell as its retro IP such asGauntlet, Joust and Galaga –and a modern casual gameroster including Game Partyand Touchmaster.

MCV understands thatMidway is keen for Warner tomatch its target sale price of$30m (£20.6m) – but that itmay yet sell off its owned IPand studios separately.

A source close to Midwaytold MCV: “Warner is prettyconfident that they will getMidway – which will be animmediate boost to theirportfolio. The deal isn’t doneyet. Midway is still open tooffers from other potentialbuyers – but Warner looks tobe favourite to wrap it up.They look ready to put themoney on the table.”

A key employee incentiveplan means that 28 keyMidway members will receivea number of financial rewardsif Midway’s $30 million targetprice is met.

The bonus plan has beenapproved by owner Mark

Thomas, as well as the courts,Midway management, and thecompany’s various creditors.

Media mogul and formerMidway owner SumnerRedstone sold his 87 per cent

controlling stake in thepublisher to Mark Thomas forjust $100,000 in December.

Midway could notcomment on the story whencontacted by MCV.

Wii, PSP, PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360

Total UK Software SalesSource: ELSPA/ChartTrack and Intent Media

£24.8m[MARKET VALUE]

Week Ending April 3rd

Week Ending April 11th

£24.8m

1,116,196Units

£31.8m

1,306,014Units

Week Ending April 18th

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

1,118,632Units

£24.8m

GOSEN: Jammed Q4schedule “not sustainable”

START YOUR ENGINES:Codemasters will release two F1games in the next year

DESIRABLE: Midway’sMortal Kombat gamescontinue to sell millions


OVER TWO years after its UKdebut and after no end ofshortages, Nintendo’s Wii hasnow reached a level of openavailability for UK retailers.

Koch has told Nindie.comretailers that Wii hardware,which includes Wii Sports, isnow freely available and willno longer be restricted topurchase on an allocation basis.

“Whilst stock is in bettersupply than ever, we still have tocarefully manage our customerbase so that unbalanced stockingis avoided,” Koch MD CraigMcNicol told MCV.

“We urge our customers toplan their requirements for thenext eight weeks, giving usupfront purchase orders weekby week if necessary.

“We also urge customers toremember that Wii consolepurchases count towards theallocation of DSi, Wii Fit andforthcoming new releases.”

A Nintendo spokespersonadded: “We now expect Wiiavailability to be improvedover previous levels.”

Meanwhile, despite theincrease in the Wii’s trade pricecoming into effect at thebeginning of the month, there

seems to be little indication ofretailers adjusting their price.

CHIPS’ joint MD DonMcCabe stated: “We haven’tput our prices up yet as we’restill able to access stocksourced at the original value.However, this supply is dryingup, so we’ll have to see whathappens with the extra cost.”Koch: 0870 027 0985


NEWS

by Ben Parfitt

Wii availability reaches new high

A4T launches official PlayStation accessoriesACCESSORIES 4 Technologyis set to release a range ofofficially licensed accessory kitsfor PSP, under the firm’s4Gamers label.

The new packs are due to hitshelves on Friday May 1st, andthe company has told MCVthat this is part of a three-phasestrategy introducing licensedaccessories for PSP and PS3leading up to Christmas.

“We have been workingwith SCEE for over two yearsnow and it is a very excitingtime for all of us here at A4T aswe near the initial launchdate,” said A4T’s sales andmarketing director Bill Stirling.

“The objective movingforward is to launch a range of

officially licensed productsunder our 4Gamers brand forthe PSP and PS3 formats.

“The 4Gamers brand willnow only represent thoseformats with officially licensedproducts, and we firmly believethat we will add genuine value,quality and innovation to thevideo game accessory space instore and online with our keyretail partners.”

The PSP packs due this Mayinclude the Customise Kit,which features PSP stickers,wrist strap and screen protectorfor a retail price of £9.99, TheClean and Protect Kit, whichconsists of a wrist strap, PSPcase, anti-static cleaning clothand a screen protector for

£12.99,and thePremium Travel Kit, whichincludes a genuine leather slipcase, a leather wrist strap, anda soft touch UMD and twoMemory Stick duo case, pricedat £19.99.A4T: 01204 369220

UK retailers are finally able to order consoles freely after more than 29 months of intense stock shortages

CUSTOMISE:A4T’s newpacks are dueto hit shelveson May 1st

”Craig McNicol, Koch

Whilst stock is in bettersupply than ever, we stillhave to carefully manage itto avoid unbalanced stocking.“

MOTION PLUS PRICE STILL A MYSTERY

Nintendo has announced that it will be releasing the Wii Motion Plus add-on on Friday June12th, and UK retailers have this week finally been contacted regarding trade prices and availability.

The peripheral has appeared on some online portals at £24.99 – more than the expected$20 retail price that has been touted for North America – but MCV understands that the finalHigh Street price is more likely to be £19.99. The upcoming Wii Sports Resort, which will comebundled with the Motion Plus, will retail for around £49.99.

Joint MD of CHIPS Don McCabe told MCV: “I personally think the increase to the Wii tradeprice was made to take the eventual inclusion of Wii Motion Plus in the hardware bundle intoaccount. It might sound like a lot of money but it’s a complicated bit of kit.”


activision.com

MARVEL and all related Marvel characters and the distinctive likenesses

thereof are trademarks of Marvel Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries, and

are used with permission. Copyright © 2009 Marvel Entertainment, Inc. and

its subsidiaries.Licensed by Marvel Characters B.V. www.marvel.com. All rights

reserved. Super Heroes is a co-owned registered trademark. Game © 2009

Activision Publishing, Inc. Activision is a registered trademark of Activision

Publishing, Inc. ‘2’, ‘PLAYSTATION’, ‘PlayStation’ and ‘PSP’ are registered

trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox

LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

Trademarks are property of their respective owners. Nintendo DS and Wii are

trademarks of Nintendo. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties

of their respective owners. All Rights Reserved.

UUNNCAAGE WOOLLVEERINEEE

MAAYY 1, 2200999

WWWW.UNCAGEDDD.CCOOOMMMM

THQ IS plotting to becomethe king of Wii mini-gamecollections with the follow-upto last year’s mass-selling BIGBeach Sports.

Like its predecessor, BIGFamily Games will retail for£19.99, and bis backed by a

large-scale above-the-line andTV marketing campaignthroughout the summer.

But it will have its work cutout if it wants to outdo theperformance of Big BeachSports – last year’s 16thbestselling video game,according to GfK-ChartTrack/ELSPA data.

“Big Beach Sports was aphenomenal success with life-

to-date unit sales of 560,000,becoming the third biggestselling third party game on Wiilast year,” said THQ’s UK headof marketing Jon Rooke.

“We believe that the keyfactors to that success werethe snack-sized gaming thatBig Beach Sports offered, acompelling £19.99 price point,

heavy ATL and TV supportcoupled with a sustainedpresence at retail.

“We have taken thatsuccessful model for Big BeachSports to the next level withfour times as many gamesincluded in Big Family Games.With the continued growth inthe Wii install base we hope tosee Big Family Games eclipsethe sales of Big Beach Sports.”

BIG Family Games features24 mini-challenges includinggolf, tennis, ladder golf, lawndarts, horseshoes, bowles andmore. The game is due forrelease on May 22nd.

THQ couldn’t confirm if it willrelease more games in the Bigseries in the next 12 months, buttold MCV it was “focused on themarket segment.”THQ: 01483 767656


NEWS

Publisher believes next iteration in expanding franchise can outsell 2008’s bestseller

by Tim Ingham

THQ reveals plan to eclipseBig Beach Sports success

SECOND-HAND specialistComputer Exchange hasopened seven new stores,including one in Spain.

In March, the retaileropened stores in Andover,Redditch, Tooting andValencia, and earlier thismonth opened outlets inBolton, Warrington andPortsmouth. The company’sLeeds shop has also moved to anew location.

“We're chuffed to continuethe mission to roll-out CEX tonew areas,” said ComputerExchange’s brand andcommunications managerJonathan Cronin.

“All three stores buy, selland exchange our full range ofproducts including music CDs.Portsmouth will grow later thismonth when the basementopens, packed with zillionsmore DVDs and CDs.”

The new openings followreports last summer that theretailer was on the verge offinancial collapse, which thecompany refuted. Since thenthe firm has gone on to openfour stores in New York, andshops in Maidstone, Stevenage,Exeter, Uxbridge, Coleraine, St.Albans and Cheltenham – manyof which are franchise stores.www.cex.co.uk

Computer Exchangein new stores blitz WARNER BROS Interactive

has snapped up erstwhileBastion exec Mark Ward as UKPR manager.

Ward left Bastion after 13years earlier this month.

Head of games at WBIE UKSpencer Crossley said: “We aredelighted to have Mark onboard. He brings an unrivalledwealth of PR experience toWarner Bros Interactive UK.He’s a very prestigious catch,with a great reputation in thegames industry.”

Ward added: “This is areally exciting time to bejoining Warner Bros.Interactive Entertainment andwith titles like TerminatorSalvation, Scooby Doo, The

Clique and LEGO Battles,2009 is going to be a hugeyear. They’re a great team andI’m very much looking forwardto playing my part.”

Ward in at Warner

WARD: Ex-Bastion exec boostsWarner’s ambitions in games

”Jon Rooke, THQ

This can outsell Big BeachSports. We are focused on themarket segment.“


RISING STAR GAMES hashighlighted the importance ofretail in making its Home OfJapanese Games campaign asuccess.

“Our relationship with retailis more important than ever,”

Rising Star’s head of brandSimon Alty told MCV. “Becausewe have a story, we have foundpeople are listening. All of themain retailers have supportedwhat we’re doing.

“We’ve been able to buildJapanese hubs on their websitesand the launch of Little King’sStory is being accompanied by

a trial of our Golden Weekinitiative, modelled on the ideaof Japanese holidays, soconsumers get a little bit ofJapan when they shop.”

Alty went on to say thepublisher has seen supportfrom “all corners of retail”,pointing out that independent

retailers had been particularlybig supporters of the campaign.Now the firm is working todeliver the same message togamers themselves.

“The campaign has had abrilliant impact at retail andwithin the trade, but consumersare only now starting to feelthe effect of that,” he said.

“We’ve got our sushi bar adsthat have only entered print and digital media overthe last five weeks, and we’ve seen a massive increase in traffic to our site.It’s all coming togetherreally nicely.”

Rising Star is also expandingits scope beyond the Japanenthusiasts that have traditionallyformed the publisher’s loyalfollowing. The signing of therights to Angel Cat Sugarenables the company to appealto a much wider audience.

“With Angel Cat Sugararriving this summer and HelloKitty coming later on in theyear, we have games that notonly appeal to fans of all thingsJapanese but also appeal tomainstream girl gamers.”RSG: 01582 433700


NEWS

by James Batchelor

FOLLOWING its previousannouncement last month thatit has invested in expanding itsNintendo market position,Koch Media today announcesa number of key upgrades toits Nindie.com site.

Six months after launchingits Nindie live chat tool to abeta group of customers, Kochis pleased to announce theformal roll out of the software.

Designed to allow indies toreal-time chat to Koch’s Nindiesales, customer services andcredit control teams, it hasbeen used by every customerthat has downloaded it.

Boasting additional featuressuch as real-time stock look-up, news feeds and accounts

information it sits on thedesktop allowing users to gaincrucial information withouthaving to log-on to the web.

In addition to recent keytrade initiatives such as

bespoke point of sale assetsthat can be given away to loyalcustomers, pavement A-boardsadvertising upcoming productsand a pre-order delivery systemthat allows independents to

request that Koch deliversconsumer orders ‘white label’,the company is continuing tostrive to offer the independentsectors as much online supportas it can.

Craig McNicol told MCV:“As the champion of Nintendowe will continue to conceiveand deliver any idea that wefeel will benefit our customers.”KOCH: 0870 027 0985

Koch upgrades Nindie site to aid retailers

Rising Star: Trade relationshipsnow more important than ever Niche publisher attributes success of its Home Of Japanese Games campaign to support from the High Street

”Simon Alty, Rising Star Games

The campaign has had abrilliant impact at retail. All ofthe major retailers havesupported what we’re doing.“ ALTY: “Our campaign has

had a brilliant impact atretail and within the trade”

”Craig McNicol, Koch Media

As the champion of Nintendo,we will continue to conceiveand deliver any idea we feelwill benefit our customers.“

MCNICOL: “We will continueto conceive and deliver anyideas that we feel will benefitour customers”



NEWS

THE NEW online news andopinion site GameBiz will thriveoff a US audience desperate forits own trade resource.

That’s according to founderand editor-in-chief Colin

Campbell, who has alreadydrawn mass interest to thesite, despite only launching afortnight ago.

GameBizBlog.com offersbreaking news and in-depthanalysis of US games industryissues, as well as daily updatedvacancies for new jobs acrossthe country.

And former Edge Onlineboss Campbell believes theformat has been craved by theUS industry for some time.

“A daily news and opinionsdestination dedicated to theUS games industry is something

that is sorely needed,”Campbell told MCV.

“GameBiz covers the businessof games in an entertaining,culturally relevant style. It alsoaims to offer a complete digestof the latest game industry jobsevery day.”

Former UK Edge Onlineeditor Rob Crossley is alsocontributing to the blog, alongwith ex-Forbes journo MaryJane Irwin.

MCV understands thatGameBizBlog.com plans tobegin hosting advertising inthe next few weeks.

“GameBiz is a very simpleformat platform for the writers’ideas and opinions about thegame industry,” addedCampbell.

“I love the fact that anyonecan communicate withaudiences via easy-to-produce

blogs. But you’ll be seeing a lotmore in the months ahead.”

The site has alreadyinterviewed industry bigwigssuch as Stardock CEO BradWardell and former CEO of

Infinium Labs, Kevin Bachus.Additionally, a weekly opinionpiece entitled The MediaColumn is posted on the siteevery Wednesday.www.gamebizblog.com

Industry site at last for US market

INDUSTRY charity GamesAidhas been given a major boostfrom a philanthropic PlayStationnews site – which has handedover its entire operating profitto the cause.

The running costs of PS3Attitude (www.PS3attitude.com)are funded privately,meaning allrevenuegeneratedthrough its advertising, click-throughs and affiliate sales ispure profit – all of which isdonated to charity.

The site is run by an armyof collaborators who donatetheir time without charge. It

will continue to supportGamesAid throughout 2009.

“We’re delighted that thePS3 Attitude team has decidedto support GamesAid thisyear,” offered Rupert Loman,trustee, GamesAid.

“Their selfless approachto running the website will

result in manydisadvantagedyoung people

given opportunities theywouldn’t otherwise have had.”

GamesAid distributes fundsto a diverse range of charities;it is a means of giving somethingback on behalf of the industry.www.ps3attitude.com

GamesAid boostedby new donation ARGOS HAS signed a special

deal with 505 Games topromote the release of newDS title Gardening Mama.

The general retailer willdisplay standing unitspromoting the gamethroughout its release window– the first time Argos hasoffered this kind of POS to asoftware publisher.

“We’re proud to announce agroundbreaking new initiativewith Argos,” said 505’s productmanager Juliette Fielder.

“We are the first publisherto place FSDUs in Argos storesacross the UK, so the gamewill have better presence thanever – the huge footfall in-store gives the brand a greatfocus with customers.”

Gardening Mama is due forrelease on May 1st, and willbe promoted with TV adsplanned to air for three weeksafter it hits shelves.505: 01908 607772

Argos signs 505 deal

BLAZE: The StealthController has been added toBlaze’s range of PS3 joypads.The peripheral boasts rumblefunctionality, a sleek blackfinish and a sleep/wake switch.The controller workswirelessly up to sevenmetres away from the PS3.

EIDOS: A Collector’s Editionof Batman: Arkham Asylumhas been revealed, which willinclude the game, a behind-the-scenes DVD, a code foradditional downloable maps,and a full-size replica of theBatarang.

UBISOFT: Assassin’s CreedII was officially announcedlast week. It will be availablethis Christmas and iscurrently being developedfor all current-generationplatforms. The game will beset in Renaissance Italy.

EA: The Beatles: Rock BandLimited Edition PremiumBundle has been detailedand priced. With an RRP of£179.99 for the UK, the bundlewill include the game, aHöfner Bass guitar controller,a Beatles-inspired drum set,a microphone with stand andadditional special content.

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GameBizBlog offers news and opinions from key industry figuresand caters specifically for the US games industry

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A daily news and opinionsdestination dedicated tothe US games industry issomething sorely needed.“



NEWS

RETAIL EXPERTS from Tescoand Sainsbury’s have joined theMCV Retail Advisory Board.

Tesco’s games buying managerJoanna Hunt has joined theboard following the recentexpansion of the supermarket’sdedicated games buying team.

Meanwhile, Sainsbury’s gamesmanager Gurdeep Hunjan hassigned up as the retailer looksto increase its offer.

Both Tesco and Sainsbury’shave been active in the videogame space in 2009, with EUK’sNik Arran joining Sainsbury’s

earlier in the year, while Tescohas snapped up John Stanhopeand Mark Burgess,mnfx also ofEUK fame.

“Both Tesco and Sainsbury’shave shown real ambition inthe games sector this year, sowe’re naturally delighted tohave Joanna and Gurdeep joinour Retail Advisory Board,”said MCV’s editor-in-chiefMichael French.

“The Retail Advisory Boardhas become an integral part ofMCV’s editorial offering. TheRAB helps to keep us up-to-dateon the latest issues affectingretail, and provides us with

regular comments on the latestdevelopments happening atretail today.”

The Retail Advisory Board isan elite group of the top gamesbuyers, which keeps MCV up-

to-date on the latest happeningsin the trade.

Hunt and Hunjan join avariety of RAB luminaries suchas GAME CEO Lisa Morgan,Gamestation MD Martyn Gibbs,Asda’s head of games DuncanCross and HMV’s head of games Tim Ellis, and will nowbecome regular contributors tothe magazine.

Their appointments comeafter news that Play.com’smarketing manager RichardChapple and DSGi’s gamescategory manager Peter Willishave also joined the board.MCV: 01992 535646

Key Tesco and Sainsbury’s games execs sign up to keep MCV updated on latest issues affecting the trade

Supermarket giants join theMCV Retail Advisory Boardby Christopher Dring

BOARD BOOST: Hunjan and Hunt join the Retail Advisory Board,bringing with them key knowledge and experience in games retail

10 MCV534_final:Layout 1 21/4/09 13:57 Page 1

"Gardening Mama" is a trademark of COOKING MAMA LIMITED. "Gardening Mama" ©2008 COOKING MAMA LIMITED. All rights reserved. Published by 505 Games S.r.l. Trademarks are property of their respective owners. Nintendo DS is a trademark of Nintendo.

And so is MCV with a special E3edition published on Friday May29th, distributed at the West Hall ofthe LA Convention Center.

To advertise in the E3 Edition of MCV contact [email protected] now...

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‘Let’s demand more respect’


I MOVED OUT of the core gamesindustry five years ago, into the mobilespace with iPlay – and I returned in2008 with Microsoft. It’s been veryinteresting to see what’s changed.

The industry’s enjoyed tremendousgrowth across Europe – we’re at about$15 billion revenue depending on whoseresearch you believe. In ’08 the marketgrew about 30 per cent year on year.That’s truly fantastic. And that growthhas been driven by broadening, which iseven more outstanding.

All credit to my oldfriends at Nintendo –they’ve done a fantastic joband the rest of the industryhas seen the opportunity tobreak out of the niche.Microsoft is creating moresocial experiences andgetting teenagers to playwith their parents for the first time indecades. This industry keepsreinventing itself. It’s young – still only30 years-old – and dynamic, and keepsreinventing itself. It’s great to see.

‘BARRIER OF ACCEPTANCE’But it frustrates me that from a publicstandpoint, the industry still hasn’t gotthe stature, credibility and cut throughthat we all deserve. I still get the sensewe’re sandwiched somewhere betweencorporate bankers and taxmen in termsof society’s general perception.

Ask people about what the industryprovides, and they’d probably say: “I

don’t really know.” Or they’ll think wejust stand for shooter boxes.

There’s been improvement, but notthe quantum leap there should havebeen. We should be as loved asHollywood is or the music industry is.Yet we are not. That’s not becausepeople aren’t trying. But there seems tobe a barrier of acceptance.

When we’re saving the High Streetand bringing families back togetheragain, we should be recognised for that.

More specifically, we should berewarded by Government organisationsgiving us incentives to drivedevelopment within the region. It’s thatcreativity that will continue to drive thesuccess of the business. We’re not takenas seriously as we should be.

Tens of thousands of people work inthis industry across Europe. Around40,000 outlets around the region sellthe product.

It’s expensive to make games today –we’re talking $20 million dollars. ISFE isdoing a great job, but the wholeindustry must work much hardertogether to improve our credibility.

We need to talk to schools, and talkto non-governmental organisations. Ifwe all gave one per cent of our time todo so, all of a sudden you have tens ofthousands of advocates promoting thecontribution this industry makes tosociety. We have to stand up proud,work with the media, NGOs and theGovernment to make a difference.

Live has been Xbox’s best kept secretin this regard – and we’re really going tosing about it this year. Three and a half

million music downloadshappen every month. It’sthe ultimate in terms of asocial experience. I sitand play Guitar Hero withmy teenage daughter.That’s a great example ofbringing families andgenerations together.

‘LET’S KILL PREHISTORIC VIEW’Live is the most social network that existson console today. We have a hugelyengaged user base. Our job now is topublicise the fact. The launch of NXE lastyear was the start of that. We’ve justreleased a new TV ad that talks aboutdownloading music on Xbox 360.

I don’t want to get involved in theissues surrounding this year’s[Change4Life] ad – it’s in the past. Butthat picture is a stereotypical,prehistoric view of the industry, yet itstill for some people represents whatthe industry stands for. We all need towork on changing that fact – together.

DAVID GOSEN - CV

Vice President Xbox Europe2008 to date

CEO & President I-play MobileEntertainment2004-2008

Managing Director Nintendo of Europe1999-2004

Marketing & Distribution Director -BSkyB1996-1999

General Manager Direct Sales &Marketing - Mercury One2One1994-1996

European Marketing Director - PizzaHut International1989-1994

Trade Marketing Manager - Coca-Cola& Schweppes1987-1989

”We’re still sandwichedsomewhere between thebankers and taxmen in termsof society’s perception.“

As David Gosen, Xbox’s head of European marketing, celebrates a year back in the industry, he tells MCVthat video games firms need to work harder to attain the prestige and credibility they deserve…

IN MY OPINION

13 MCV534_FINAL:Layout 1 20/4/09 09:54 Page 1

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STEVE - Eclipse

What’s the story behindParamount’s move into games?We started with iPhone publishing, andwe’ve had five iPhone games out now.They’re all legacy titles, like Days OfThunder and Top Gun. Days OfThunder and Shooter did really well, sowell in fact that we’re exploring otherplatforms. Our next step is into XBLAand PSN. We’ve done a game based onthe new Star Trek movie for both ofthose and we’re taking our legacy titlesonto XBLA and PSN as well, includingTop Gun and a remake of The Warriors.

What’s the thinking behindreleasing the Star Trek game asdownload only? Why not go thetraditional route of getting a co-publisher on board? We’re not doing any retail at this pointas a standalone publisher. We’re onlygoing with digital distribution. As we’reall seeing, downloadable is playing anincreasingly important role in theindustry. Downloadingmovies and interactivecontent fits well withParamount’s strategy.That’s what our group’sfocused on. We willcontinue to work with ourlicensing partners onboxed product.

You’re not alone in releasing adownload-only major movie tie-in –Warner did so earlier in 2009 withWatchmen. Is this a trend you cansee growing?Yes. I think establishing our presence inthat market early on is very key becauseit gets hard after a while to find yourproducts online. We have to setexpectations early. Placing gamedownloads to go with our movies isgood, because being able to associate adownload with a movie marketingcampaign is a very good thing for us.

Do you have any retail strategygoing forward?We’re also looking at DSiWare andPSP’s download service, but you won’tbe seeing Paramount’s name alone on abox at anytime soon. We recentlydeveloped some female-skewed casualgames based on our licences includingMean Girls, Pretty In Pink and Clueless,which were distributed by 505 Gamesin Europe. Boxed products requiresophisticated sales infrastructureespecially with complexities surroundinginventory and more – that we don’tcurrently have. My hat goes off toanyone that follows this path, but it’snot something we’re actively pursuingat the moment.

Will we see boxed products withthe Paramount logo on in the future?I couldn’t say because that would be avery big corporate decision to put thatkind of infrastructure in place. In ourcurrent form as PDI, I would envisage

us relying on partnerships with thirdparties. If you look as far ahead as towhen that would be discussed, you’relooking at the next generation ofconsoles. Then we start discussingthings that haven’t even happened yet –the platform holders’ strategy for theirnext hardware, for one thing. As we’veseen with OnLive technology – whichmy old friend Mike McGarvey isinvolved in – things can change prettyfast. I’ve seen that working – and itseems to run pretty well. But it’s aprime example of deal changers thatmake any predictions in this business

difficult. They’re rolling out fibre-opticcables into homes now – that could alsohave a huge effect. You have to ask howwill these things affect the creation ofthe new Xbox or PlayStation? How willthey affect the consumer’s thinking?Because of these new technologies, it’shard to make predictions.

Warner admitted that they didn’twant to risk investing in retail with Watchmen – due to a fearedlack of exposure. Is that somethingyou’re aware of?The Star Trek game is a lightexperience. It was developed inconjunction with the film-makers forthat purpose and was designed aroundtightly focused gameplay.

It’s going to be 800 points – around£9.99. And that’s representative of theexperience gamers are going to get.That isn’t a retail title these days. Itwouldn’t be right for the consumer or interms of return on investment.

Would you be keen onworking with other thirdparty publishers?Where there’s interest, we’llhave a discussion. Ourprimary focus is on digitaldownloads, but we work

with partners in two senses: One wherewe build the product and someone elsedoes the sales and marketing, and onewhere we offer a straight licensing deal.For instance The Godfather II is justarriving from EA, which is a straightlicensing deal.

Will we see you farming out fewerlicences than you have in the past –and more of you using your ownfranchises for downloadable games?I wouldn’t say that. We don’t have astrict percentage or whatever, but weknow our limits – building an XBLA orPSN game is much less complicated

than building a triple-A title for retail.Where we think it appropriate, if it’s abig franchise, we might consider doingone of those ourselves online, but we’restill very keen to keep working withpartnerships. Certain publishers have alevel of expertise we don’t have yet, soon other such titles we’ll call on them.There’s always a commercial decisionthere, too.

But on the partnership side, we’relooking to be involved more and more.We’re very keen to be actively involvedin making quality games like TheGodfather series – making sure the rightdesign, the right, team, the right budgetare all in place.

We want to be involved in ourlicensed games more in the future. Ourpartners do a good job of generatingawareness of our product and we bothwant to create top-notch games, too.

Are you planning on expandinginternationally? Will we see a UKHQ for Paramount’s games divisionany time soon?Not at this time. Things move veryquickly, but we don’t have any currentplans. That’s in the next 12 months orso, at least. Longer term, it might besomething of interest.

You recently worked with Freeservefor Days Of Thunder – but they’re afairly little known outfit. Why didyou pick them?Freeserve are very respected on Mac, soit makes sense to get them in foriPhone. They’ve made a product we’reproud of in Days Of Thunder and onTop Gun. We’re working with largerdevelopers for larger products.

Would you be working withdevelopers that are well knownnames in the industry? Yes. We’re working with a bunch ofguys that are recognisable names in the


MCV INTERVIEWJOHN KAVANAGH, SVP VIDEO GAMES, PARAMOUNT

As MCV revealed last week, Hollywood studio Paramount is launching a new game assault with an onlinetie-in of its new Star Trek movie. Tim Ingham speaks to the head of its interactive entertainment division…

Of Paramount

”John Kavanagh, Paramount

The Star Trek game is a lightexperience that will costaround £10. That isn’t a retailtitle these days.“

16,17 MCV534_FINAL:Layout 1 20/4/09 09:46 Page 1


MCV INTERVIEWJOHN KAVANAGH, SVP VIDEO GAMES, PARAMOUNT

business – and will continue to do so.We like to pick the right developers,even for our licensed games.

Do you have an internaldevelopment resource?All of our development, testing, and QAis external; however, we have aninternal production team that overseesall aspects of these processes.

Would you be interested inacquiring a studio or building aninternal team?We don’t have any plans to build a teamand we don’t have any set strategy to goout and find a team to buy. We’relooking at all strategic opportunities on

a case-by-case basis. If there’s synergythat works, maybe that’s something thatcould affect our decisions. But havingmanaged internal development teamsbefore, it’s a lot of work. It’s hard tofocus on that and on publishing.

Are you interested in working withdevelopers you haven’t yet struckup a relationship with?If I say yes here, I’m going to get tenmillion phone calls – but of course weare, with certain conditions. We areactively in talks with new studios all thetime. We want to work with peoplewho deliver on time and high qualityproduct. When it’s tied into an activemovie, it needs to be ready on day anddate and top quality.

importance

”John Kavanagh,

Paramount

We don’t have any setplans to buy or build astudio. But we’relooking at all strategicopportunities on a case-by-case basis.

“Sou

rce: Harry Lan

g


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Majesco’s

March


MCV INTERVIEWJASON DUTTON, INTERNATIONAL MD, MAJESCO

What has led Majesco to go direct?We’ve got the best ever line-up of gamesin our current portfolio in terms ofbreadth, quality and potential.

We felt it was time for us to becompletely responsible for those fromday one – I think 100 percent focus is the only waywe can be sure we’remaximising the potential foreach and every product.

Even though we’veworked with a number ofgood partners in the past,we’ve always ultimately wanted to be incharge of our own destiny. Now wehave the team in place, and the qualityof games to allow us to do that.

In this economic climate is that nota risky move?I think even in more pleasant economictimes that making a move like this has some naturally associated risk.However with the right personnel,

relationships and right products in place then the risk is far moremanageable. It is tough out there atretail right now, but we can be assuredby going direct ourselves that we have100 per cent focus.

Do you have a distributor confirmedfor the new releases?We do – and we’ll be announcing thatinformation shortly.

Are you looking to sign updevelopers for new games?Absolutely. Signing the quality-infusedNight At The Museum 2 was a hugecoup for us and really does put a stakein the ground.

Working with visionaries likeMatsuura-San at Nana-On Sha on Major Minor’s Majestic March showsthat the pedigree of people we areworking with is very high. We’re alwayson the look out for great products across

all platforms. We’ve got healthy

budgets and we’re happyto receive all kinds ofsubmissions and activelyencourage them. Ourgreenlight system is bothtransparent and efficient –

something that should be attractive topotential partners.

What have you learnt from yourprevious relationships with otherpublishers that will inform howyou’ll run the new publishingoperation?We’ve worked with a number of wellknown, reputable partners in the past –allowing us to work with some great

Last week we revealedthat Majesco had decidedto start publishing andselling titles direct in theUK and Europe. Michael French speaksto MD Jason Dutton tofind out more…

”Jason Dutton, Majesco

We’ve worked with a numberof good partners in the past,but we’ve always wanted tocontrol our own destiny.“

DUTTON: Majesco’sEuropean MD says thepublisher has readied itsbest ever line-up

21,22 MCV534_final:Layout 1 20/4/09 13:04 Page 1


MCV INTERVIEWJASON DUTTON, INTERNATIONAL MD, MAJESCO

personnel and understanding theconstantly evolving market. But I thinkthe emphasis should really be on howyou learn from yourself.

Majesco had the foresight to be anearly adopter to the games for massmarket strategy, and it’s a shift that paiddividends through the likes of CookingMama. But you can never be toocomplacent, you always have to beready to react and plan for theconstantly evolving market.

Are you looking for other businesspartnerships – if so in what way?We’re always looking for the bestpossible route to market and focus forour products in Europe.

For the same reasons as going directin the UK, we are implementing a directto market strategy throughout Europe –working with different distribution andpublishing partners in each territory,rather than one pan-European partner.

We are currently talking to a numberof interested parties and actively

encourage other interested distributorsto get in touch as soon as possible. Wehope to announce something shortly.

A lot of your focus has been oncasually oriented games – will thatstill be your focus?Mainstream fun, quality and relativevalue should always be the focus – butwe evaluate every single game on theirown merits.

We recently announced Dawn ofHeroes on Nintendo DS from developerWicked Studios, a tactical RPG gamethat we realise has a specific audience,but we considered because it is highenough quality to appeal.

As time goes on and markets shift weare in a position to react to thosemovements and continually explorewhere our focus should be.

We do currently have apredominantly Nintendo focus, butwe’ve also got 360 titles in the portfolio,iPhone games in development andwe’re looking to shortly announce a few

MAJESTIC ARRIVAL

Majesco Europe is lining up a release schedule of overten games. Highlights include:

� The video game tie-in to the Fox blockbuster movie NightAt The Museum 2 starring Ben Stiller out on May 22nd;

� The classic Sandlot Games property Cake Mania arrives on to Nintendo Wii inthe form of Cake Mania – In The Mix;

� Stunt game Circus Star for Nintendo Wii

� Major Minor’s Majestic March on Wii, from the creative team behind PaRappaThe Rapper;

� Drama Queens on Nintendo DS;

� ‘Ambidextrous’ DS brain trainer Left Brain Right Brain 2;

� A DS version of the popular WonderWorld Amusement Park;

� The return of the classic franchise A Boy And His Blob on Wii;

� Tactical DS RPG Dawn of Heroes;

� Animal DS title Puffins: Island Adventure;

� DS platform game Marker Man Adventures;

� Two-wheeled DS release Racer Powerbike;

� Home-improvement party game Our House – Party for the Wii;

Majesco is also planning to announce some more titles at E3, and plans tointroduce its Go Play Wii brand to Europe soon.


xx MCVxxx_v1:Layout 1 20/4/09 16:29 Page 1

Asian Nation


TERRITORY REPORT: CHINA AND KOREA

ACCORDING to Pearl Research, theChinese online games market grew by63 per cent to $2.7 billion in 2008.

The firm’s report also revealed that65 per cent of China’s internet usersplay games online (179 million gamers)and that the country’s most popularonline game, Netease’s FantasyWestward Journey, achieved 1.8 millionpeak concurrent users last year.

However, despite the hugepotential for gaming in China,the video game community isstill largely underdeveloped.

“China has been on courseto achieve this huge growth,which is why we launchedthe first GDC event in 2007,” says GDCevent director Meggan Scavio.

“It seems that Chinese developers areisolated from the rest of the world. Theydon’t have the benefit of learning andsharing with developers who may bedoing different things. That alone is very

restrictive to the creative process. But Ihope to see that changing.”

Despite the difficulties within thedevelopment community, Pearl Researchhas predicted that the online gamesmarket will grow to $5.5 billion by2012. However, the firm admits thereare still challenges to overcome.

“One concern is the lack ofdiversification with many game operatorsrelying on a single title for the bulk of

their revenues,” explains Pearl ResearchMD Allison Luong.

“In addition, there is a glut of contentwith more than 200 games on themarket, which makes releasing abreakout hit increasingly difficult.”

Although online games are a hugesuccess in China, the opposite is true of

the console games market. Manyplatforms suffer from piracy problems,and the second hand sector is also rife –particularly in Hong Kong.

“In Hong Kong, Wii, PSP, iPhone andDS face the largest piracy problem,”admits Orange See, project manager ofHong Kong-based developer M-Inverse.

“Xbox 360 and PS3 less so, But thesecond hand market is quiteactive in Hong Kong.”

KOREAN CULTURE

Similar to the Chinesesector, the growth seen inthe Korean games marketcomes online.

According to the KoreanGame White Book, the gamesmarket in Korea reached 5.14trillion Won ($3.9bn) in 2007,with the online gamessector accounting for 43.5per cent of that figure($1.7bn).

Online games and MMOsare the driving forcebehind the Chinese andKorean games markets.Christopher Dringspeaks to the key playersin the territories to findout more about thesepotentially lucrativesectors…

”Meggan Scavio, GDC

Chinese developers areisolated from the rest of theworld. That is very restrictiveto the creative process.“



TERRITORY REPORT: CHINA AND KOREA

The sheer quantity of internet usersin the country has made householdnames of MMOs such as Aion, Lineageand World of Warcraft. Internet cafés(known in the territory as PC Bangs),are hugely popular, and according to theNational Internet Development Agency,77.1 per cent of people over the age ofsix use the internet, which is around35.3 million people.

“The reason why theKorean games market isdifferent from otherregions is the popularityof online games,especially MMORPGs,”explains VéroniqueLallier, European VP ofpublishing for NCsoft, which is one ofKorea’s biggest MMO publishers.

“Korea has one of the best onlineinfrastructures in the world. The successof the Korean games sector is directlyrelated to the growth of the online gamemarket, to be more precise, the rebirth

of MMOs within the country.”But much like its Chinese

neighbours, piracy isrife in Korea,

while the MMO sector is being affectedby the popularity of bots – programsthat have been built to help playerscheat at the games.

“One of the greatest problems in theKorean industry is the weak cognition ofintellectual property rights,” adds Lallier.

“This becomes a hindrance to theonline game industry through illegalpersonal servers, while it affects the

console market even more throughdownloaded titles and illegal copies.

“Business obstruction caused byautomated gaming programs, calledbots, is another issue. This affectsMMOs by corrupting the cyber marketwithin the games and also causes theabnormally fast consumption of gamecontents. In regards to bot issues, NCsoftis concentrating on screening andblocking the bot distribution websites.”

Due to the wide spread use ofbroadband in Korea, digital

downloading hastaken

precedence over retail boxed products.And, much like China, the second handmarket is particularly popular in thecountry. eBay’s recent offer to purchaseKorean auction site Gmarket, will seethe firm control 40 per cent of onlineshopping in Korea – and gives the firm apotential launch pad to become a majorplayer in the other Asian territories too.

EAST AND WEST

Despite wildly differentmarkets, it is the desire ofKorean and Chinesedevelopers and publishers towork closer with Europeanand American companies.GDC China is one of the

many events designed to bring Asiandevelopers closer to the West as, NCsoftaside (which is set to launch Aion inEurope this year), few Korean andChinese developers have managed tobreak into the Western market.

This is also true in reverse. The multi-billion dollar online games markets inKorea and China is attracting theattention of publishers worldwide.Activision Blizzard’s World of Warcraft isone of the few Western IPs to enjoystrong success in Korea and China (inChina it has six million active users).And it won’t be long before Westernfirms begin to make serious in-roads into

these rapidly expandingmarkets.

”Véronique Lallier, NCSoft

The growth of online gameshas been extraordinary. Koreahas one of the best onlineinfrastructures in the world.“

[THE FACTS: CHINA]Population: 1,321,851,888Capital: BeijingCurrency: YuanGDP (per capita): $3,260

[THE FACTS: SOUTH KOREA]Population: 49,540,367Capital: Seoul Currency: WonGDP (per capita): $20,015


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A quote of confidence


“I don’t want to be controversial,but I think you’ve been too nice to us. We were looking forsomething that was perhaps alittle bit more direct.”

Reeves cuts through the pomposity with a

measured criticism of Dr. Tanya Byron’s

investigation into age ratings at an ELSPA

meet. April, 2008

“The Suez Canal closure has ledto this crisis. It’s been closed fortwo weeks, with 104 boats on it.

We’re number 67.”A typically detailed Reeves explains why

UK retail might not get PS2 stock at

Christmas. December, 2004

“We simply have to suffer a little.Go down in market share andmind-share. It's like Ali vForeman – go eight or nine roundsand let him punch himself out.We're still standing, we're stillprofitable and there's a lot offight in us.”

Boxing metaphors know no bounds

in an interview with The Guardian.

February, 2009

“This is the right uppercut of ourone-two punch – the left hookbeing the price drop.”

Yet another pugilism reference, this time

as a redesigned PS2 hits the market.

September, 2004

“There is a piracy problem on PSP.We know about it, we know how

it’s done. And on balance we arenot happy about it.”

Reeves offers the Sony DevStation crowd

that rare commodity – the truth. June, 2008

"We have a number of things linedup for Leipzig which is realblockbuster stuff for Europe.”Reeves points to Leipzig. He came good on

his promise – with announcements of the

new PSP and the 160GB PS3. July 2008

“I’d have thought retail would lookat [upcoming formats] and belicking its lips – these are harvestyears. But frontline titles aregoing out at £29 not £39. It’s crazy.”

Ever one to have his finger on the pulse,

Reeves predicts the dawn of ‘crazy’ price

cutting. May, 2005

“In a sense, but often you get theimpression that for the likes ofThe Daily Mail and Keith Vazwe’re the whipping boy. There’salways something thatcharacterises games as bad. InGermany it’s worse, in Holland it’seven worse and in Scandinavia it’sworse than all of those.”

Keith Vaz gets spanked by a man

intellectually in a league of his own.

December, 2008

"It is clear to us that theconnection between thecongregation and the cathedral is adeeply personal and spiritual one. It

is also clear that we have offended the congregation by usingthe cathedral in our science fictiongame.”

Handling God’s wrath, following Sony’s

Manchester Cathedral ‘scandal’. July, 2007

“I am going to spend my time nowtrying to repay society for all Ihave taken from it. If yourchildren are having physicslessons at the local school orwondering why their ski instructoris very elderly, your car mechanichas a bad back, or the socialworker keeps bringing you PSPgames, then it could just be me.”

Reeves signs off from Sony in inimitable

style. April, 2009

PlayStation’s EuropeanPresident David Reeveshas always guaranteedone thing – great press.Here, we celebrate theman’s retirement withsome of his best everstatements to the media…

DAVID REEVES RETIRES

Former MCV editor Neil Long onReeves as a unique interviewee:

“David Reeves was clearly a big fanof madcap metaphors - unusualwhen you’re expecting fairlystandard corporate chat.

“When asked to describe howpowerful PS3 would be in relation to360, he referred to it as a ‘buckingbronco’ which was so beefed-updevelopers would have troublecontrolling its power. Anotherfavourite of mine was when heoffered an incredibly detaileddescription of a plane coming intoland to describe Sony’s preparationsfor the PS3. You just don’t get thatwith most industry interviewees – orhalf of his intelligence.”

31 MCV534_final:Layout 1 20/4/09 15:06 Page 1

xx MCVxxx_v1:Layout 1 9/4/09 12:15 Page 1

Evil invades the charts


UK SALES ANALYSIS: MARCH

Capcom had a noteworthy sales presence last month, largely thanks to Resident Evil 5, whilst all threeplatform holders also enjoyed success with key software titles. Tim Ingham reports...

THIS MONTH

LASTMONTH

SALES SHARE BY FORMAT UNITS

1 1 NINTENDO WII 20.1%

2 4 XBOX 360 19.7%

3 2 NINTENDO DS 19.5%

4 3 PC 17.3%

5 5 PLAYSTATION 3 16.7%


7 6 PSP 3.2%

8 8 APPLE MAC 0.2%

9 9 OTHERS 0.0%

THIS MONTH

LASTMONTH

SALES SHARE BY FORMAT VALUE

1 2 XBOX 360 23.9%


3 1 NINTENDO WII 19.0%

4 4 PC 16.6%

5 3 NINTENDO DS 15.2%

6 6 PSP 2.0%


8 8 APPLE MAC 0.5%

9 9 OTHERS 0.0%

THIS MONTH

LASTMONTH

SOFTWARE SHARE BY COMPANY UNITS

1 1 NINTENDO 13.6%

2 2 ELECTRONIC ARTS 9.4%

3 3 UBISOFT 9.2%

4 12 CAPCOM 7.9%

5 9 SONY 6.8%

6 5 SEGA 6.7%

7 4 ACTIVISION BLIZZARD 6.3%

8 6 MICROSOFT 5.6%

9 7 THQ 4.2%

10 8 TAKE 2 3.8%

THIS MONTH

LASTMONTH

SOFTWARE SHARE BY COMPANY VALUE

1 1 NINTENDO 14.9%

2 11 CAPCOM 11.4%

3 4 MICROSOFT 9.6%

4 5 UBISOFT 8.0%

5 2 ELECTRONIC ARTS 7.8%

6 9 SONY 7.6%

7 3 ACTIVISION BLIZZARD 6.4%

8 6 SEGA 6.2%

9 7 THQ 3.9%

10 8 SYMANTEC 3.7%

[SOURCE]

(c) ELSPA, Compiled by GfK-ChartTrack

INDIVIDUAL FORMAT CHARTWii

1 Wii Fit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nintendo

2 Mario Kart Wii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nintendo

3 Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games . . . . . Sega

4 Mario Power Tennis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nintendo

5 House of the Dead: Overkill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sega

6 Sonic and the Black Knight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sega

7 Ben 10 : Alien Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D3P

8 Family Ski & Snowboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Atari

9 Animal Crossing: To The City . . . . . . . . Nintendo

10 Guitar Hero: World Tour . . . . Activision Blizzard

PLAYSTATION 3

1 Killzone 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sony

2 Resident Evil 5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Capcom

3 Street Fighter IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Capcom

4 Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ubisoft

5 Sega MegaDrive Ultimate Collection. . . . . . Sega

6 LittleBigPlanet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sony

7 FIFA 09 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA

8 Call of Duty: World at War. . . Activision Blizzard

9 WWE Legends of Wrestlemania . . . . . . . . . . THQ

10 Silent Hill: Homecoming. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Konami

XBOX 360

1 Resident Evil 5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Capcom

2 Halo Wars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Microsoft

3 Street Fighter IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Capcom

4 Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ubisoft


6 Sega MegaDrive Ultimate Collection. . . . . . Sega

7 FIFA 09 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA

8 GTA IV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rockstar

9 COD 4: Modern Warfare . . . . Activision Blizzard

10 WWE Legends of Wrestlemania . . . . . . . . . . THQ

PC (ALL PRICES)

1 Empire: Total War. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sega

2 Football Manager 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sega

3 Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II. . . . . . THQ

4 WOW: Lich King . . . . . . . . . . . . Activision Blizzard

5 The Sims 2: Double Deluxe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA

6 C&C: Red Alert 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA

7 World of Warcraft . . . . . . . . . . Activision Blizzard

8 Grand Theft Auto IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Take 2

9 F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin . . . . . . . . . Warner Bros.

10 The Sims 2: Apartment Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA

XBOX 360 took the most money at tills in March,overtaking Wii, which made 5.2 per cent less cashthan in February. PS3’s share jumped by awhopping 6.5 per cent in the month.

THE top three stayed the same in March, but werepropped up by the star performer – Capcom. Thepublisher jumped eight places, thanks to therelease of Resident Evil 5 and Street Fighter 4.

NINTENDO’S Wii remains the biggest-sellingconsole in the UK, but lost over four per centshare in March. The major beneficiary was Xbox360, which gained two places and three per cent.

CAPCOM’S performance is put into perspectivehere, as it becomes the second biggest publisherin terms of cash generation in March. EA’s shareis almost cut in half, down 6.8 per cent.

33,34,35 MCV534_FINAL:Layout 1 20/4/09 14:19 Page 1



INDIVIDUAL FORMAT CHART

DS

1 Professor Layton & the Curious Village Nintendo

2 Dr Kawashima's Brain Training. . . . . . . Nintendo

3 GTA: Chinatown Wars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rockstar

4 Mystery Case Files: Millionheir . . . . . . . Nintendo

5 Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force . . . . . . Disney

6 Mario Kart DS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nintendo

7 New Super Mario Bros. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nintendo

8 More Brain Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nintendo

9 100 Classic Book Collection . . . . . . . . . . Nintendo


PSP

1 FIFA 09 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA


3 Resistance Retribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sony

4 Football Manager 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sega

5 Need For Speed: Undercover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA

6 Pro Evolution Soccer 2009. . . . . . . . . . . . Konami

7 Midnight Club: L.A. Remix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Take 2

8 Papaton 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sony

9 WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2009. . . . . . . . . . THQ

10 Lego Batman: The Video Game . . . Warner Bros

PS2

1 Ben 10: Alien Force. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D3P


3 FIFA 09 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA

4 Persona 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Square Enix

5 Tomb Raider: Underworld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eidos

6 Pro Evolution Soccer 2009. . . . . . . . . . . . Konami

7 Need for Speed: Undercover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA

8 WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2009. . . . . . . . . . THQ

9 Lego Batman: The Videogame . . . . Warner Bros

10 Guitar Hero: World Tour . . . . Activision Blizzard

PC (BUDGET PRICE)

1 World of Warcraft . . . . . . . . . . Activision Blizzard

2 WOW: Burning Crusade . . . . . Activision Blizzard

3 Mysteryville 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GSP/Avanquest

4 Amazing Adventures: Lost Tomb . . . . . . . . Focus

5 Bejeweled 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Focus

6 The Orange Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA

7 The Sims 2: Mansion & Garden Stuff. . . . . . . . EA

8 Age of Empires II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Microsoft

9 Peppa Pig: Activity Pack . . . . . . . GSP/Avanquest

10 Settlers: Heritage of Kings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Focus


1. Resident Evil 5 360, PS3 ..................................................................................................Capcom

2. Killzone 2 PS3.............................................................................................................................Sony

3. Wii Fit Wii..............................................................................................................................Nintendo

4. Halo Wars 360.....................................................................................................................Microsoft

5. Professor Layton and the Curious Village DS.....................................................Nintendo

6. Street Fighter IV PS3, 360, ............................................................................................Capcom

7. Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X PS3, 360, PC ...........................................................................Ubisoft

8. FIFA 09 360, PS3, PSP, Wii, PS2, DS, PC ..............................................................................EA

9. COD: World at War 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PC, DS...................................Activision Blizzard

10. Empire: Total War PC..............................................................................................................Sega

11. Ben 10: Alien Force PS2, PSP, Wii, DS................................................................................D3P

12. Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection PS3, 360.........................................................Sega

13. Wii Play Wii ..........................................................................................................................Nintendo

14. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Wii.....................................................................Sega

15. Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training DS .........................................................................Nintendo

16. Mario Kart Wii Wii.............................................................................................................Nintendo

17. Grand Theft Auto IV PS3, 360, PC..............................................................Rockstar Games

18. COD 4: Modern Warfare 360, PS3, PC, Mac........................................Activision Blizzard

19. Disney’s Bolt DS, Wii, PS2, 360, PS3 ..............................................................................Disney

20. WWE Legends of Wrestlemania 360, PS3 ......................................................................THQ

21. My Fitness Coach Wii..........................................................................................................Ubisoft

22. Guitar Hero: World Tour Wii, 360, PS3, PS2 .......................................Activision Blizzard

23. Silent Hill: Homecoming 360, PS3, PC........................................................................Konami

24. Carnival: Funfair Games Wii, DS.............................................................................................2K

25. Puzzler Collection Wii, DS, PSP.......................................................................................Ubisoft

26. Need For Speed: Undercover 360, PS3, PSP, PS2, Wii, DS, PC....................................EA

27. Mario Power Tennis Wii..................................................................................................Nintendo

28. GTA Chinatown Wars DS...............................................................................................Rockstar

29. LEGO Indiana Jones Wii, DS, 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, PC.......................................LucasArts

30. House of The Dead: Overkill Wii ........................................................................................Sega

31. F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin PS3, 360, PC .........................................................Warner Bros.

32. Football Manager 2009 PC, PSP.......................................................................................Sega

33. Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, PC............................................Konami

34. Tomb Raider: Underworld 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, DS, PC...............................................Eidos

35. Mystery Case Files: Millionheir Wii..........................................................................Nintendo

36. Club Penguin: Elite Penquin Force DS .........................................................................Disney

37. LittleBigPlanet PS3..................................................................................................................Sony

38. LEGO Batman Wii, DS, 360, PS2, PS3, PSP, PC...............................................Warner Bros.

39. LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga Wii, DS, PS3, 360..............................LucasArts

40. Mario Kart DS DS .............................................................................................................Nintendo

41. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II PC.......................................................................THQ

42. WWE Smackdown VS Raw 2009 PS3, 360, Wii, PS2, PSP......................................THQ

43. SOCOM: US Navy Seals Confrontation PS3................................................................Sony

44. New Super Mario Bros. DS...........................................................................................Nintendo

45. More Brain Training From Dr Kawashima DS....................................................Nintendo

46. Halo 3 360 ...........................................................................................................................Microsoft

47. 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand 360, PS3.............................................................................THQ

48. 100 Classic Book Collection DS.................................................................................Nintendo

49. Sonic Unleashed Wii, 360, PS3.............................................................................................Sega

50. Sonic and the Black Knight Wii..........................................................................................Sega

CAPCOM’S fabulous month istopped off by Resident Evil 5outselling chart mainstay WiiFit, as well as blockbusterreleases such as Sony’sKillzone 2 and Microsoft’sHalo Wars. Another Capcomrelease, Street Fighter IVkeeps the likes of FIFA 09and Call Of Duty World AtWar at bay. Other notableentries include D3P’s Ben 10:Alien Force at No.10,Ubisoft’s Puzzler Collectionat No.25 and Disney’s ClubPenguin game at No.36.Elsewhere, Rockstar’s GTA:ChinaTown Wars only makesNo.28 – and is comfortablyoutsold by its year-oldpredessesor, GTA 4.

TOP 50 ENTERTAINMENT SOFTWARE



[SOURCE]

(c) ELSPA, Compiled byGfK-ChartTrack


Live action green-screen shoot, European TVCs.

TV branding, title sequence.

Complete TV brand and HD programme design,global website rollout.

Official website concept and design,European online advertising activity.

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All images shown remain the copyright of their respective owner/s.

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PERSONNEL


House takes up top post at SonyNew SCEE president named � Intent Media appoints Crossley and promotes Dring � Richards joins Shorewood

Sponsored by

INTENT � CHRISTOPHERDRING has been promoted todeputy editor of MCV. He willtake up his new role on May1st and will report to associateeditor Tim Ingham and editor-in-chief Michael French.

“Chris has become aninvaluable member of theMCV team, and is likedamongst the retailers andpublishers he talks to on adaily basis,” said MCV’smanaging editor Lisa Foster.

Also joining Intent Media isROB CROSSLEY. A formerEdge writer, Crossley joinsMCV’s sister publicationDevelop as online editor. Hisappointment is part ofDevelop’s online expansion,extending coverage to thedevelopment sector of NorthAmerica and other territories.

“We are delighted towelcome Rob onboard,” saidFrench. “Develop continues togo from strength to strength inboth its print and onlineincarnations – adding Rob tothe team will further supportour ambitions to make it atruly global brand.”

SHOREWOOD �

CHRISTIAN RICHARDS hasjoined Shorewood.blueprint aspart of its special packagingsales drive.

Richards has been namedsales manager and will beresponsible for developing thefirm’s special packaging clientbase in the UK and Europe.

Shorewood.blueprintdirector John White said: “Theappointment of Christian ispart of our ongoing drive torecruit senior and talentedpeople from within theindustry to ensure that ourservices and facilities across theUK and Europe are first class.”

SONY � ANDREW HOUSEis set to join Sony ComputerEntertainment Europe on May1st as president, replacingDAVID REEVES, whoannounced his plans to retirelast week.

House first joined Sony in1990, previously working atSCEA where he served asmarketing VP, CMO and ranthe Third Party Relations andDeveloper Support divisions.Before this he worked at SCEI’smarketing division and SonyJapan’s communications team.

“I’m delighted to return tothe PlayStation fold and excitedto take on this new challenge,”

said House. “I believe there ishuge potential for furthergrowth of our business in theEuropean countries,particularly in the area ofnetworked entertainment.”

NEW BOSS: House replacesoutgoing president David Reeves

38 MCV534_final:46 MCV515 20/4/09 13:02 Page 1

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Sourcebook '09 is published on July 10th with MCV. It is also inserted into Develop, MobileEntertainment and PC Retail.

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Sourcebook is a low-cost promotional tool. Sectorscovered include Creative & Promotional Services,Distribution & Logistics, International Distribution,Legal Services, Localisation, QA & Testing,Manufacturing Services, Recruitment and SoftwareDevelopment.

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Sourcebook advert:Layout 1 20/4/09 14:01 Page 1

RECOMMENDED GAMES � PRICE CHECK � CHARTS � NEW RELEASES

RETAILBIZ

ALSO THIS WEEK...

CORALINE P44A young girl travels into a surreal

universe in D3P’s latest movie tie-in

HORRIBLE HISTORIES P46Terry Deary’s popular history book

series gets the video game treatment

PIMP MY RIDE P47MTV’s global TV hit races onto

PlayStation 2 and DS this week

BATTLESTATIONS: PACIFIC P48Eidos delivers its promising sequel to

2007’s chart topping Xbox 360 hit

HIGH STREET P50Chris Ratcliff talks up open distribution

in this week’s all-new High Street pages

WHIPPING UP SALESA brand new Indiana Jonesgame is finally upon us,check it out on Page 42


RETAILBIZ: INDIANA JONES AND THE STAFF OF KINGS


DR HENRY JONES JR. has had asurprisingly erratic history with videogames. Despite arguably being a keysource of inspiration for the likes ofTomb Raider and Uncharted, Indianahas yet to see releases as regular asmore contemporary heroes, such asJames Bond and Harry Potter.

However, the archaeologist’s return tothe silver screen in last year’s KingdomOf The Crystal Skull has renewed thepublic’s interest in his adventures,prompting the release of Lego: IndianaJones, a family-orientated romp throughthe first three films. The game was sosuccessful it managed to knock GTA IV,Metal Gear Solid 4 and Wii Fit from thetop spot in the UK charts –proving that demand forIndiana’s whip-crackingantics is high.

THE LATEST CRUSADE

Responding to such demand,Activision Blizzard is readyingan all-new adventure for everyone’sfavourite Fedora-wearing professor, inthe form of Indiana Jones And The StaffOf Kings. Set a year after The LastCrusade, this title brings classic Indyescapades to console and handheldowners everywhere.

“Indiana Jones has a loyal fanbaseand we’re excited to bring a whole newstory to these fans,” says Activision’ssenior brand manager Aruna Sinha.“The Nintendo Wii and Indiana Jones’whip is a natural fit, so we expect playersto instantly jump in and feel like Indyfor the first time.

“Indiana Jones And The Staff OfKings is also a great game for parents toplay along with their kids, opening upthe franchise to a whole new audienceand introducing Indy to the youngergeneration.”

Set in 1939, Staff Of Kings pitsIndiana Jones against his latest nemesisMagnus Völler – not to

mention the Nazis – as he races aroundthe world to secure a biblical relicbefore it falls into the wrong hands: theStaff of Moses.

Indy’s journey for the Red Sea-splitterwill take him to a variety of exotic locales,from San Fransisco’s Chinatown and thejungles of Panama to the Himalayanmountains and the Egyptian desert.There, players will explore crumblingtemples, military encampments andgangster bars in search of the next clueto the Staff’s location.

The emphasis has been placed on theWii version, which showcases a range ofgesture-based controls designed to makethe player truly feel like Indiana Jones.Whether throwing punches with theWii Remote and Nunchuk in a bar room

brawl, or whipping the Remote forwardto swing over a chasm, gamers will beable to do everything Indy can.

“Players will face signature run-for-your-life moments, like a daring escapefrom a collapsing temple, flying abiplane in a canyon trench, taking thereigns of a wild elephant and navigatinga raft down a raging river, all bymatching fast-paced onscreen gestureprompts,” says Sinha

The handheld versions have also beenoptimised for their respective formats.The DS version will see players usingthe stylus as their whip to swing overpits, while the PSP edition offers its ownexclusive take on the new adventure.

FORTUNE AND GLORY

Since Lego: Indiana Jones thrived onbeing family orientated, LucasArts hasmade Staff Of Kings more thanjust a

solitary experience. A full co-operativemode is present, allowing friends orchildren with parents to work their waythrough an entirely new quest, with thesecond player filling the shoes of afamiliar character yet to be playable inan Indy game.

Progressing through the single-playeradventure also unlocks a four-playerversus mode, in which friends can battleit out in biplanes and tanks, bringing

good old-fashioneddeathmatches to theIndiana Jones franchisefor the first time.

Perhaps the mostenticing unlockable extrais Indiana Jones And TheFate Of Atlantis. Widely

considered to be the best Indiana Jonesgame of all time, this classic title notonly adds yet more value for money toStaff Of Kings, it will also boost thegame’s appeal to older Indy fans.

Given the pedigree of the licence andthe wealth of enticing content, Activisionis confident that Staff Of Kings will besuccessful at retail.

Not only are the loyal Indy fanslonging for a brand new adventure,LucasArts’ focus on opening the gameto family audiences means that this titlecould follow the success of Lego:Indiana Jones.

“Our trade partners are providing somegood feedback on this title and as a resultwe’re building some exciting plans tosupport the launch,” says Sinha.

“We believe this will be a successfullaunch for both us and our partners.”

The iconic hero Indiana Jones makes a return to video games as he tries totrack down religious artefact the Staff Of Kings in LucasArts and ActivisionBlizzard’s upcoming adventure title…

by James Batchelor

WHIPPING UP A STORMActivision has prepared a three-prongedmarketing campaign to promote thegame’s arrival and reignite the publiclove for Indy that saw a boost with lastyear’s cinematic release.

� A six-month PR campaign has beentargeted to cover the main Nintendoand multi-format publications. Adswill also appear in key lifestylemagazines.

� For online marketing, the publisherhas targeted big brand environments,with homepage takeovers arrangedfor leading men’s lifestyles, film sitesand broader gaming andentertainment sites.

� A strong three-week TV launchcampaign will be run on satellite andterrestrial channels, targeted at acore gaming audience and children.

”Aruna Sinha, Activision Blizzard

Staff Of Kings opens up thefranchise to a whole newaudience and introduces Indyto the younger generation.“

RELEASED: JUNE 12

FORMATS: WII, DS, PS2, PSP

PUBLISHER: LUCASARTS

DEVELOPER: A2M/AMAZE

PRICE: £29.99 - £39.99

DISTRIBUTOR: ACTIVISON BLIZZARD

CONTACT: 020 3060 1000

42,43 MCV534_final 20/4/09 10:47 Page 1

RETAILBIZ: INDIANA JONES AND THE STAFF OF KINGS


DON’T CALL HIM JUNIOR:Indiana Jones returns in anadventure that looks set tosatisfy fans by paying homageto the signature moments ofthe classic films.

42,43 MCV534_final 20/4/09 10:47 Page 2

RETAILBIZ: CORALINE


AMIDST THE plethora of films beingreleased, Coraline has a few claimsimpressive enough to make it stand out.For one thing, it is based on a best-selling novel from internationallyrenowned author NeilGaiman. For another, it isthe first full-length stop-motion film to be filmed instereoscopic 3D.

Such a movie inevitablyinvites games publishers torelease a title alongside it,and sure enough D3P steps up to thechallenge of bringing Coraline to retailshelves, allowing fans of the film torelive the adventure for themselves.Given that the film is targeted atchildren, the company is bringingCoraline’s adventures to Wii, DS andPS2, taking advantage of the appropriatedemographics those platforms boast.

Like the book and film, the gamefollows the adventures of its namesake,a young girl who discovers a secret doorin her new home. This mysteriousportal leads to a surreal world modelledaround her life. As she explores thisparallel reality, she makes new friends

and discovers alternate versions of herseemingly cruel parents.

A WHOLE NEW WORLD

Initially, everything seems to be muchbetter than it is in the real world, butthe adventure becomes dangerous whenher counterfeit parents conspire to keepher there forever. Coraline must depend

on her new companions and the secretsshe has learned from this world in orderto find a way home and try to save hergenuine family.

The heritage of the film is enough tocapture the public’s attention, thanks tothe success of Gaiman’s previous works.

Awareness will be high whenthe game is released,something D3P is confidentwill serve the game well.

“The Coraline movie hasalready received criticalacclaim and a fantastic IMDbscore when it was released in

the US earlier this year,” says D3P’s PRand marketing exec MarleneFitzsimmons. “Any game based on amovie licence always relies heavily on thequality of the film and we haveextremely high hopes for Coraline.

“Targeted towards the growing girl-gaming market, Coraline realisticallyreplicates the best-selling book and

As the movie adaptationof Neil Gaiman’s Coralinearrives in cinemas, D3Pprepares the officialvideo game companion…

”The Coraline movie hasalready recieved criticalacclaim, so we have highhopes for the game.“

RELEASED: MAY 1

FORMATS: WII, DS, PS2

PUBLISHER: D3P

DEVELOPER: PAPAYA STUDIO / ART CO.

PRICE: £29.99 (WII, DS), £19.99 (PS2)

DISTRIBUTOR: CENTRESOFT

CONTACT: 0121 625 3388

Marlene Fitzsimmons, D3P

by James Batchelor

44,45 MCV534_FINAL 20/4/09 09:56 Page 1

RETAILBIZ: CORALINE


movie, and offers players a chance tointeract with the familiar environmentsand beyond.”

The surreal style of the movie hasbeen perfectly evoked in the game,allowing players to immerse themselvesin the two worlds even more than theywould at the cinema.

All of the characters appear as they doon the silver screen, breathing thatnecessary element of familiarity into thegame that will delight Coraline fanseverywhere.

BECOMING CORALINE

Gamers take on the role of Coraline. Inthe initial stages of the game, they mustcarry out the harsh chores set by herreal world parents, before escaping tothe other world and enjoying thechallenges they find there.

The gameplay varies from makingpancakes to performing songs, ensuringyoung players will have plenty of things

to do. Only by completing tasks andmini-games will they earn buttons, thecurrency of the game, which will opennew activities and unlockable items.

As well as different outfits for Coraline,this will also fill her scrapbook withphotos and grant access to artwork andstills from the movie.

While Universal is supporting themovie with a strong outdoor and presscampaign, D3P has prepared its ownmarketing initiatives to promote the title.

“We’re looking to maximise awarenessfor the game through a heavyweight TV,cinema and online advertising campaignand a comprehensive PR campaigncovering all girl and parent press,”explains Fitzsimmons.

“Trade marketing also features heavilyto ensure Coraline: The Game has agreat presence in stores and we’reworking closely with Universal andother licences to ensure the game is partof all promotional activity nationwide.”

THE NAMESBEHIND THE GAMEAs with many film releases today,Universal is keen to highlight the talentbehind Coraline. Likewise, D3P hasgone to great effort to make sure thegame does justice to the cast behind it.

NEIL GAIMANThe international best-selling authorwho has penned a range of award-winning novels, such as Neverwhere,American Gods and Stardust, thelatter of which also appeared on thesilver screen. Coraline is one ofGaiman’s novels for young children.

HENRY SELICKA film director specialising in children’sfilms using stop-motion technology.Selick is best known for his mid-’90sfilms The Nightmare Before Christmasand James And The Giant Peach. Notonly is Coraline: The Game based onhis movie, its artistry is modelled onSelick’s unqiue character style.

DAKOTA FANNINGThe young actress who plays the titlerole in the film. Fanning has previouslyappeared in other children’s films,including Charlotte’s Web and TheCat In The Hat. She lends her voiceto the game, providing an authenticheroine for gamers to control.

KEITH DAVIDVoice actor David provides the voicefor Cat in both the film and game. Hehas voiced notable video gamecharacters, such as Halo’s Arbiter andMass Effect’s Captain Anderson, aswell as other roles in games likeSaints Row 2.

CHARACTER BUILDING:The surreal style ofCoraline’s characterslends itself perfectly tothe video game.

44,45 MCV534_FINAL 20/4/09 09:56 Page 2

RETAILBIZ: HORRIBLE HISTORIES: RUTHLESS ROMANS


LICENSED video games are two-a-penny these days, but while the vastmajority draw on movies and TV showsfor their source material, Slitherine has obtained the rights to a moreliterary franchise.

Under its partnership withScholastic, Slitherine is workingon a range that is based on achildren’s book series that shouldprove to be just as educational asit is entertaining – and now thefirst title is nearly here.

Horrible Histories: Ruthless Romanshas been developed in collaborationwith author Terry Deary and illustratorMartin Brown, the talent behind thebestselling Horrible Histories books.

Like the books, Slitherine’s gameswill make learning about history moreenjoyable by ‘leaving the nasty bits in’ –the gory details that Deary manages toweave into his text that fascinates kidsand inspires them to learn more.

“Horrible Histories is a quintessentialpart of British culture and everyoneknows just how powerful the brand is,”says Slitherine’s marketing directorMarco Minoli.

“With this game, we have set out torecreate the same amusing andapproachable way of narrating historythat these books have brought tochildren and adults alike.”

For Ruthless Romans, players take onthe role of an aspiringgladiator. As they explorethe ancient city in whichthey live, they can learnmore about Romansociety by interactingwith citizens and takingpart in over 30 mini-

games. These are all themed aroundactivities from the time period, such asgladiator battles and chariot races.

Far from being yet another mini-gamecollection, Slitherine has taken care tomake the Horrible Histories game stand

Slitherine readies thefruits of its partnershipwith Scholastic UK forthe upcoming release ofHorrible HistoriesRuthless Romans, thefirst in a series of titlesabout history, only withthe nasty bits left in…

by James Batchelor

”Marco Minoli, Slitherine

This is a huge opportunityand it is the perfect time totake this franchise to thegames market.“

46,47 MCV534_final 20/4/09 13:03 Page 1

RETAILBIZ: PIMP MY RIDE


out. Not only does it include a fulladventure mode, it is also riddled withthe humour the books are famed for,from Deary’s witty text to the cartoonvisual style of Brown’s illustrations.

HISTORY LESSONS

Given the widespread appeal, it willcome as no surprise Slitherine haschosen to release the game on Wii, DSand PC. Since these three devices are sodifferent, the publisher has tailored thegame to make the most of each format.

“We really wanted to concentrate onthe party-game aspect that is achievableon the Wii, which is our lead platform.But we recognised that most of the partygames out there are just a collection ofactivities rather than immersive gamingexperiences,” explains Minoli.

“So on Ruthless Romans, we wantedthe party-game features to be trulyintegrated in an engaging story. Toachieve this, we asked Terry Deary towrite it for us, so this way wemaintained the same style and feel asthe books. On the DS, the game ismuch more single-player orientated andthe focus is definitely on the story, thecharacters and the exploration.”

The BBC has recently debuted theHorrible Histories TV show, whichshould serve to further increase thebrand’s visibility, but Slitherine is stillworking hard to raise awareness. Aswell as preparing a comprehensive PRcampaign, the publisher is also workingwith its distribution partner Koch toprovide support at retail.

“Various media outlets are involvedin the trade relationships with a goal ofsupporting the game through advertisingonline and in-print, and leveraging co-marketing activities with other HorribleHistories licence holders,” says Minoli.“Taken together, this is a substantialeffort, which will represent one of ourbiggest product launches ever.

“We expect Horrible Histories willbecome a high seller and bring this well-known brand to households in a newway. This is a huge opportunity and it isthe perfect moment to take this series tothe games market. And the Nintendoplatforms are a perfect fit for this titlewith their access to a wider audience.”

RELEASED: MAY 22

FORMATS: WII, DS, PC

PUBLISHER: SLITHERINE

DEVELOPER: VIRTUAL IDENTITY

PRICE: £29.99

DISTRIBUTOR: KOCH

CONTACT: 0870 027 0985

GAME FOR LAUGHS:Slitherine’s game is set toinclude the humour that hasmade the Horrible Historiesfranchise so popular

MTV’s pop-culture hit Pimp My Ride races on theDS and PS2, in this hip-hop inspired mod ‘em up…

SINCE IT FIRST appeared on MTVin 2004, Pimp My Ride has become aglobal brand and a part of pop culture.

From the original Xzibit-fronted USshow, to the Tim Westwood-hostedUK edition, Pimp My Ride is MTV’smost successful worldwide show.There is even a special Europeanseries, and there have been a variety ofspin-off broadcasts throughout theworld. The US has Trick My Truck,Germany has Pimp My Fahrrad (Pimpmy Bicycle), while Italian viewers aretreated to the motorcycle spin-off,Pimp My Wheels.

The program has also become a partof popular culture, with references inUK and US comedies. And the serieshas also spawned its own video gamefranchise, with the latest game, PimpMy Ride: Street Racing hitting PS2and DS this month.

Street Racing invites gamers to‘customise everything’, including paintjobs, decals, spoilers, head ornaments,wheels, rim and much more. Some ofthese modifications are purely for

aesthetic reasons, but others actuallyincrease the performance of the car,with better acceleration, speed,braking and handling.

The new game also allows gamersto race against each other in some ofthe biggest cities across the globe,including the UK, France and US, withseveral difficulty modes.

STREET APPEAL

In order to appeal to the Pimp MyRide audience, Activision Blizzard hasused tracks, environments andvehicles that have been adapted fromthe TV show – using Hip Hop andWest Coast iconography and ‘flavour’to better appeal to the TV production’shuge audience.

Pimp My Ride: Street Racingcrashes onto retail shelves this week.

RELEASED: APRIL 24

FORMATS: PS2, DS

PUBLISHER: ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

DEVELOPER: VIRTUOS

PRICE: VARIOUS


CONTACT: 0121 625 3388

by Christopher Dring

46,47 MCV534_final 20/4/09 13:03 Page 2

RETAILBIZ: BATTLESTATIONS: PACIFIC


THE ORIGINAL Battlestations:Midway was a massive success forveteran Britsoft publisher Eidos. Thegame reached No.1 in the UK AllFormats Charts, prompting the firm todeliver a sequel to its hungry fans.

Battlestations: Pacific offerseverything that made the original sopopular as well as extra features to enticenew fans – and the publisher is confidentthe game won’t disappoint.

“There is no other game outthere like Battlestations: Pacificso we have to gauge ourexpectations against the successof the original, which establisheda loyal following due to its uniquemix of action and strategy,” saysEidos’ product manager Grant Tasker.

“With Pacific, we’ve listened to thecommunity and are delivering a vastlyimproved experience, which is far moreaccessible as we look to broaden theaudience, whilst also being careful toretain the key gameplay elements,which made the original successful.”

BATTLESTATIONS: MARKETING

Eidos expects to reach an even biggeraudience this time around, as the 360’sinstalled base has expanded since therelease of Midway in 2007. The

improvements made to the game,combined with the marketing and PRcampaign built around its release,should ensure that this goal is realised.

A three-month specialist printcampaign kicked off on March 5thacross all 360 and PC publications,consisting of ads on inside front covers,spreads and outside back covers.

The online campaign began on April17th, which Tasker describes as Eidos’“most targeted online campaign ever” as

it fully utilises competitor andbehavioural targeting capabilities of thelargest gaming sites on the internet.

“We will be gradually broadening theaudience reach from the beginning ofthe second week, as well ascommunicating the release of the demowith high impact channel takeovers onkey sites such as Gamespot,” he says.

“Coverage will be broadened furtherthe week before launch, with takeoverson Eurogamer, and further still overlaunch week with takeovers acrossselected sites, as well as increasing our

impressions through run of site activityacross a wide range of portals.”

ACTION STATIONS

One of the most impressive aspects ofBattlestations: Midway was the game’sscale and the way the battles are fought.For Pacific, Eidos has built on this, givingplayers the ability to either command ortake control of air, sea and undersea units.

Should gamers want to jump straightinto the action, the cockpit view gets

them closer to the conflict.This mode allows gamersto appreciate the lengthsEidos has gone to inpresenting the PacificOcean and its islands asrealistically as possible,with day and night cycle

and varying weather conditions.This time around, aspiring admirals

will be able to play through some ofWorld War II’s crucial Pacific navalbattles as either the US or Japanese forces.

“In terms of size and scale, Pacific istwice the size of Midway with 28missions in the single-player campaignand a skirmish mode with over 100different scenarios,” Tasker says.

“Finally, the multiplayer combines thescale and uniqueness of this game andthen takes it online with five modes.Gamers will have a lot of fun online.”

Eidos mobilises itssequel to the best-selling Battlestations:Midway, bringing thefight to the Pacific…

by James Batchelor

”Grant Tasker, Eidos

We have listened to thecommunity and we aredelivering a vastly improved,more accessible, experience.“

RELEASED: MAY 15

FORMATS: XBOX 360, PC

PUBLISHER: EIDOS

DEVELOPER: EIDOS HUNGARY

PRICE: VARIOUS


CONTACT: 0121 625 3388

48 MCV534_final 20/4/09 13:05 Page 1

TITLE FORMAT GENRE PUBLISHER TELEPHONE DISTRIBUTOR

Coraline DS / Wii / PS2 Adventure D3Publisher 0121 625 3388 CentresoftDynasty Warriors: Strikeforce PSP Action Koei 01462 476 130 OpenGardening Mama DS Simulation 505 Games 0121 506 9585 AdvantageHannah Montana: The Movie Game DS / Wii / PS3 / XBOX 360 Music Disney Interactive 0121 625 3388 CentresoftLife Signs DS Simulation JoWood 01273 202 220 LaceMarbles! Balance Challenge Wii Puzzle Konami 020 8987 5730 OpenPet Pals Wii Simulation JoWood 01273 202 220 LacePool Hall Pro PC / Wii Sports Playlogic 0121 625 3388 CentresoftRhythm Paradise Wii Music Nintendo 0870 027 0985 KochRussell Grant's Astrology DS Lifestyle Deep Silver 0870 027 0985 KochThe History Pack PC Strategy JoWood 01273 202 220 LaceVertigo PC / Wii Action Playlogic 0121 625 3388 CentresoftX-Men Origins: Wolverine PSP / DS / PC / Wii / PS3 / PS2 / 360 Action Activision Blizzard 0121 625 3388 CentresoftYamaha Supercross PC / Wii Racing Zoo Digital 01279 822 800 Gem

Aqua Panic DS Puzzle Ubisoft 0845 456 6400 TrilogyCasper's Scare School - Spooky Sports Day Wii Kids Blast 0845 234 4242 MastertronicDevil May Cry 3 (Sold Out) PC Action Mastertronic 0845 234 4242 OpenMy Happy Kitchen DS Cooking Ubisoft 0845 456 6400 TrilogyPoker Academy 2.0 (Sold Out) PC Cards Mastertronic 0845 234 4242 OpenRainbow Six III: Ravenshield Gold (Sold Out) PC FPS Mastertronic 0845 234 4242 OpenSecret Files 2: Puritas Cordis DS / PC / Wii Adventure Deep Silver 0870 027 0985 KochVelvet Assassin PC / XBOX 360 Stealth/Action South Peak 0121 625 3388 CentresoftWorms 4 Mayhem (Sold Out) PC Strategy Mastertronic 0845 234 4242 Open

Rock Revolution DS / Wii / PS3 / XBOX 360 Rhythm Action Konami 020 8987 5730 Open

Aqua Panic Wii Puzzle Ubisoft 0845 456 6400 TrilogyBig Family Games Wii Mini-games THQ 0121 506 9585 AdvantageDiva Girls: Making The Music DS Music 505 Games 0121 506 9585 AdvantageEA Sports Active Wii Sports EA 0121 625 3388 CentresoftFScene X PC Simulation Just Flight 0845 234 4242 MastertronicHorrible Histories: Rotten Romans DS / PC / Wii RTS Slitherine 0870 027 0985 KochImagine Movie Star DS Imagine Ubisoft 0845 456 6400 TrilogyLine Rider: Freestyle DS / Wii Puzzle Deep Silver 0870 027 0985 KochMind, Body & Soul: Nutrition Matters Wii / DS Self-Improvement 505 Games 0121 506 9585 AdvantagePokemon Platinum DS RPG Nintendo 0870 027 0985 KochPopcorn: Crazy Mini Golf Wii Sports DDI 0870 027 0985 KochPopcorn: Farmyard Party Wii Mini-games DDI 0870 027 0985 KochPopcorn: Urban Extreme Street Rage Wii Racing DDI 0870 027 0985 KochPurr Pals Wii Simulation Deep Silver 0870 027 0985 KochSherlock Holmes: The Mystery Of The Mummy DS Adventure Ubisoft 0845 456 6400 TrilogyUFC Undisputed PS3 / XBOX 360 Fighting THQ 0121 506 9585 AdvantageBob the Builder: Festival of Fun Wii Kids Blast 0845 234 4242 Mastertronic

30:1 Blu-Ray Compilation PC Compilation JoWood 01273 202 220 LaceBattlerage: The Robot Wars (with 3D glasses) Wii Action DDI 0870 027 0985 KochFritz Chess PS3 Chess Deep Silver 0870 027 0985 KochInternational Cricket Captain 2009 PC Sports Empire 0121 506 9585 AdvantageJillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009 Wii Self-Improvement Deep Silver 0870 027 0985 KochMoorhuhn: Atlantis DS Jump and Run JoWood 01273 202 220 LaceMoorhuhn: The Pharaoh's Treasure DS Compilation JoWood 01273 202 220 Lace

Released: May 1st

Format: DS, Wii, PS3, 360

Publisher: Disney Interactive

Distributor: Centresoft

Contact: 0121 625 3388

MUSTSTOCK ...HANNAH MONTANA: THE MOVIE

Summer is approaching, but the new video games keep on coming. The Hannah Montana behemoth rolls into townto coincide with the upcoming movie, while EA follows Nintendo’s lead with the first in a series of new sports titles...

Hannah Montana to rock retail in May

The Hannah Montanafranchise is fast taking overthe world, with a brand newmovie set to hit the big screennext month. And DisneyInteractive Studios is invitinggamers to play as either MileyCyrus or Hannah Montana inits tie-in video game.

Released: May 22nd

Format: Wii

Publisher: EA

Distributor: Centresoft

Contact: 0121 625 3388

The biggest video game of theyear so far (Wii Fit) is set to geta serious competitor in theform of EA Sports Active. Thefirst in a line of EA fitnessproducts, Sports Active isdeveloped in collaborationwith exercise experts, and is

designed to appeal to everyone.

RETAILBIZ: NEW RELEASES

Check out MCVUK.COM/RELEASE-DATES for more


MUSTSTOCK ......................EA SPORTS ACTIVE

MAY 1st

MAY 8th

MAY 15th

MAY 22nd

MAY 29th

49 MCV534_FINAL:43 MCV467 20/4/09 09:43 Page 1

TECH SALES SUFFER AT JOHN LEWISJohn Lewis has seen mixed results at its electricals and home technology

department, after sales fell overall by 13.9 per cent year on year.The retailer put much of the decline down to lower sales ofvision products compared to the same period last year.

However, according to director of selling operations atJohn Lewis, Dan Knowles, the retailer saw a major boostin imaging products.

NEW PRICE COMPARISON SITE TARGETS GAMERSWith the online price comparison market becoming

increasingly competitive, new outfit Sccope is targetinggamers to give itself a head start in the long battle to win

internet market share.A statement from the new portal claims to offer a route to substantial savings

on games – for instance, a PS3 owner buying titles such as Resident Evil 5, StreetFighter IV, Killzone 2, Wheelman, HAWX, Red Alert 3, Call ofDuty 4, WWE Legends of Wrestlemania, FIFA 09 andWanted could save £130 when looking for the lowestprices through the site’s search engine.

UK RETAILS SEES 0.7% Q1 DECLINEThe UK High Street suffered a like-for-like salesdecline of 0.7 per cent in Q1 and 1.2 per cent inMarch, the latest figures from the British retailConsortium reveal.

Retail Week reports, however, that total sales grew1.2 per cent year-on-year, with March numbers climbingby 0.6 per cent. Note though that direct comparisons shouldconsider that Easter fell far earlier in 2008.

Online was once again the big winner with year-on-year increases of 10.8 percent, though this is down on the 30 per cent growth seen in Q4 2008.

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4 3 WII FIT Wii NINTENDO

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6 9 PROFESSOR LAYTON AND THE CURIOUS VILLAGE DS NINTENDO

7 6 WANTED: WEAPONS OF FATE PS3 WARNER BROS

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10 GRAND THEFT AUTO IV 360 ROCKSTAR

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OPEN DISTRIBUTION IS THE FUTURE

I WONDER IF the secret to surviving thepresent ‘unpleasantness’ is to be a smallretailer, able to duck and dive, always finding

enough money to pay the bills and keep their head abovewater. With the news that another mini chain (PlaytimeMultimedia) bites the dust, it may be that an accumulationof punitive rents and rates on a small chain that is the nailthat seals the coffin.

Single shop retailers are, by their very nature, either stuckin some retailing time warp or remarkably adaptable totrading conditions and trends. They took to ‘gorilla

distribution’ remarkable quickly and many have hardlynoticed the loss or downgrading of their credit accounts,realising that cash is king, whether spent in a discountingsupermarket or for vital purchases from distribution.

Just as many retailers have adapted their business modelto deal with all the problems heaped upon them over thelast few years, it is about time that the industry modifieddistribution, which up to now, has stuck doggedly to theexclusive model that arguably does not benefit retailers orconsumers.

Just as price competition has infiltrated retail, all it needs isfor publishers and their distributors to introduce some priceand supply competition for all products into their models.

Chris RatcliffEditor, The Game Guide,

01606 836347

FOR UP-TO-DATE NEWS ON THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS ON THE UKHIGH STREET, CHECK OUT:WWW.MCVUK.COM/RETAIL-BIZ

RETAILBIZ: HIGH STREET

Q. DO YOU THINK ONLIVE WILL BE A SUCCESS?


NEW

RE

Charts compiled by Game Guide/Complete EPOS Solutions. For more informationabout Complete EPOS Solutions call 01543 370002. For more information about theGame Guide call 01606 836347.

Retailers have adapted their business model,so it is about time the industry modified

distribution, which has stuck to a model thatdoes not benefit retailers or consumers.

RETAIL BIZ: NEWSMCV offers a weekly digest of thelatest news on the High Street...

[RETAIL REACTION]

32%Let's wait and see

Despite the buzz surroundingits revelation at GDC 2009,the participants of MCV’slatest online study seem tohave a more pessimistic viewon the OnLive service.

� Take part in MCV’s nextpoll at www.mcvuk.com.

11%Yes

58%No

1.2%SALES GREW

MCV POLLINDIE CHARTS - ALL FORMATS

50,51 MCV534_FINAL 20/4/09 14:21 Page 1

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The Godfather II360, EA

We Rock: Drum KingWii, 505 Games

Ultimate BandDS, Disney

Compnay of Heroes: ValorPC, THQ

Tomb Raider: Double PackPSP, Eidos

PRICE CHECK

DEALOF THE WEEKZavvi offers fans of Disney’sSing It! range to save over£16 on the PS3 editions ofDisney Sing It! FeaturingCamp Rock and High SchoolMusical 3: Senior Year SingIt!, which both released lastNovember, now £23.95 each.

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FROM THEFRONTLINE

TO TAKE PART PLEASE CONTACT:[email protected]

RETAILBIZ: HIGH STREET


MARGIN MAKERGAMERS ARE much moresocial beasts than they oncewere. Plenty of console ownerslike nothing more than takingtheir console to a friend’shouse and enjoying an eveningof multiplayer madness.

Obviously, great care needsto be taken with today’ssophisticated consoles –especially when they’re intransit. Impact Internationalhas provided the perfectsolution for both storing andtransporting all of the current

generation of consoles: arange of high-quality bags.

To add to their appeal, thesebags have been officiallybranded with logos andcharacters from Sega’s SonicThe Hedgehog, arguably oneof the most iconic video gamesmascots of all time. Retro fanswill particularly enjoy theseproducts, as the artwork ismost reminiscent of Sonic’s‘90s heydey.

The bags are available infive different sizes and havebeen made to store any

console or laptop. Theyretail for between £9.99

and £24.99.Impact: 0845

600 1676

What product are you most lookingforward to over the summer?The only thing coming up soon is Riddick,which will hopefully be quite big, and atthe end of May, Guitar Hero and OperationFlashpoint. Those have different audiencesbut both should fare fairly well. It startsto kind of wind down over the summer, sothat’s when we typically try to push a lotmore pre-owned titles. There’s nothingthat really leaps out until Tekken inSeptember, which will be the next bigrelease sales-wise.

What are your thoughts on Playtimeentering administration?It’s hard to say what’s going on with any

company at any one point. It’s actually not a bad time to be a muchsmaller company, because we have much smaller debts than the largecompanies. If anyone calls in our debts, it’s not going to be half asdetrimental as it was to Zavvi, having to call in over £100 million. Online willalways form competition, but anything else that goes – and I know this sounds harsh – will only provide

the opportunity for smaller indies to get a foothold.

How important are pre-owned gamesto your store?Very important. Margins are alwaysgetting squeezed, and I’m sure all indiescomplain about the price of getting newgames in stock. Second hand titles arenow essentially the only back catalogueproducts we stock.

This week’s frontlineinterviewee is Jay Adamsfrom Edinburgh-basedIndie, 1up Games…

50,51 MCV534_FINAL 20/4/09 14:21 Page 2

NINTENDO DS [FULL PRICE]THIS WEEK

LAST WEEK TITLE PUBLISHER

PROFESSOR LAYTON: CURIOUS VILLAGEDEVELOPER: NINTENDO PUBLISHER: NINTENDO

2 2 DR KAWASHIMA’S BRAIN TRAINING NINTENDO

3 4 GTA: CHINATOWN WARS ROCKSTAR

4 3 CLUB PENGUIN: ELITE PENGUIN FORCE DISNEY

5 6 MARIO KART DS NINTENDO

6 8 MYSTERY CASE FILES: MILLIONHEIR NINTENDO

7 5 NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. NINTENDO

8 16 IMAGINE: DOCTOR DS

9 7 MARIO & SONIC AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES SEGA

10 9 SCRABBLE INTERACTIVE: 2009 EDITION UBISOFT

1

PLAYSTATION 2 [FULL PRICE]THIS WEEK


BEN 10: ALIEN FORCEDEVELOPER: MONKEY BAR GAMES PUBLISHER: D3P

2 2 MONSTERS VS ALIENS ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

3 3 FIFA ‘09 EA

4 4 CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

5 5 TOMB RAIDER: UNDERWORLD EIDOS

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6 PHANTASY STAR PORTABLE SEGA

7 6 WWE SMACKDOWN VS RAW 2009 THQ

8 9 LEGO BATMAN: THE VIDEOGAME WARNER BROS


10 10 MIDNIGHT CLUB: L.A. REMIX ROCKSTAR

1


WII FITFORMAT: WII DEVELOPER: NINTENDO PUBLISHER: NINTENDO

PC CD-ROM [FULL PRICE]THIS WEEK


2 3 EMPIRE: TOTAL WAR SEGA

3 2 COMPANY OF HEROES: TALES OF VALOR THQ

4 4 WARHAMMER 40,00O: DAWN OF WAR II THQ

5 5 WOW: WRATH OF THE LICH KING ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

6 6 THE SIMS 2: DOUBLE DELUXE EA

7 7 COD 4: MODERN WARFARE ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

8 8 THE SIMS 2: APARTMENT LIFE EA

9 9 SPORE EA

10 FAR CRY 2 UBISOFT

1

[ENTERTAINMENT - ALL PRICES]

OFFICIALUKCHARTS[1]

[3]

[2]

[4]

FOOTBALL MANAGER 2009DEVELOPER: SPORTS INTERACTIVE PUBLISHER: SEGA[5]

RETAILBIZ: RETAIL CHARTS


Check out RETAILBIZ at WWW.MCVUK.COM

TOP 40ALL 1

NEW

RE

THIS WEEK

2 2 THE GODFATHER II 360, PS3, PC EA

3 5 FIFA ‘09 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP, DS, PC EA

4 3 MARIO & SONIC: OLYMPIC GAMES Wii, DS SEGA

5 4 RESIDENT EVIL 5 PS3, 360 CAPCOM

6 7 PROFESSOR LAYTON: CURIOUS VILLAGE DS NINTENDO

7 9 MARIO KART WII Wii NINTENDO

8 8 WII PLAY Wii NINTENDO

9 6 COD: WORLD AT WAR 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, DS, PC ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

10 16 CARNIVAL: FUNFAIR GAMES Wii, DS 2K PLAY

11 14 GUITAR HERO: WORLD TOUR PS3, Wii, 360, PS2 ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

12 10 STREET FIGHTER IV 360, PS3 CAPCOM

13 11 COD4: MODERN WARFARE 360, PS3, PC, DS ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

14 15 DR KAWASHIMA’S BRAIN TRAINING DS NINTENDO

15 21 RAYMAN RAVING RABBIDS TV PARTY WII UBISOFT

16 12 THE WHEELMAN 360, PS3 MIDWAY/UBISOFT

17 13 BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE PS2, Wii, PSP, DS D3P

18 25 LEGO INDIANA JONES PS3, PS2, WII, 360, PSP, DS, PC LUCASARTS

19 22 GRAND THEFT AUTO IV 360, PS3, PC ROCKSTAR

20 23 MONSTERS VS ALIENS 360, PS3, Wii, DS, PC, PS2 ACTIVISION BLIZZARD


PC CD-ROM [BUDGET PRICE]THIS WEEK


1

Highest New Entry Highest Top 40 Climber

NINTENDO IS CLEARLY in a healthy position – Wii

Fit this week maintained its spell at the top of the

chart, the 12th time it has lead the weekly list.

And that’s despite a post-Easter slump in sales.

Both Nintendo’s fitness title and EA’s The

Godfather II were down 30 per cent in volume

sales, but maintained the slots at the top.

Similar dips can be found throughout the chart,

with both Resident Evil 5 and Mario & Sonic at the

Olympic Games also seeing week-on-week sales

dips – but still maintaining their top 10 positions.

Star performer of the week is 2K’s Carnival:

Funfair Games which has risen up the charts from

No.16 to No.10. The Wii mini-game title benefits

from the post-Easter slowdown, and rises six

places with sales holding fairly steady, down just 12

per cent.

[email protected]

[ANALYSIS]

WORLD OF WARCRAFTDEVELOPER: BLIZZARD PUBLISHER: BLIZZARD

2 13 THE SIMS 2: MANSION & GARDEN STUFF EA

3 6 THEME HOSPITAL SOLD OUT

4 5 MYSTERYVILLE 2 GSP/AVANQUEST

5 7 ROLLERCOASTER TYCOON 3 MASTERTRONIC

6 2 MYSTERY CASE FILES: RAVENHEARST FOCUS

7 4 AMAZING ADVENTURES: LOST TOMB FOCUS

8 1 MYSTERY IN LONDON: JACK THE RIPPER FOCUS

9 THE SECRET OF MARGRAVE MANOR GSP/AVANQUEST

10 8 MEDAL OF HONOR: ALLIED ASSAULT SOLD OUT

PS3 [FULL PRICE]THIS WEEK


THE GODFATHER IIDEVELOPER: EA PUBLISHER: EA

2 2 RESIDENT EVIL 5 CAPCOM

3 4 KILLZONE 2 SONY

4 3 STREET FIGHTER IV CAPCOM

5 8 FIFA ‘09 EA

6 5 THE WHEELMAN MIDWAY/UBISOFT

7 11 LITTLEBIGPLANET SONY

8 7 CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

9 13 SEGA MEGA DRIVE ULTIMATE COLLECTION SEGA

10 6 TOM CLANCY’S H.A.W.X. UBISOFT

1

WII [FULL PRICE]THIS WEEK


WII FITDEVELOPER: NINTENDO PUBLISHER: NINTENDO

2 3 MARIO KART WII NINTENDO

3 2 MARIO & SONIC AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES SEGA

4 4 RAYMAN RAVING RABBIDS TV PARTY UBISOFT

5 6 GUITAR HERO: WORLD TOUR ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

6 10 ANIMAL CROSSING: LET’S GO TO THE CITY NINTENDO

7 5 SONIC AND THE BLACK KNIGHT SEGA

8 8 HOUSE OF THE DEAD: OVERKILL SEGA


10 7 BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE D3P

1

XBOX 360 [FULL PRICE]THIS WEEK


THE GODFATHER IIDEVELOPER: EA PUBLISHER: EA

2 2 RESIDENT EVIL 5 CAPCOM

3 5 FIFA ‘09 EA

4 6 CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

5 11 GEARS OF WAR 2 MICROSOFT

6 8 STREET FIGHTER IV CAPCOM

7 4 CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

8 10 GRAND THEFT AUTO IV ROCKSTAR

9 3 THE WHEELMAN MIDWAY/UBISOFT

10 13 GUITAR HERO: WOLRD TOUR ACTIVISION

1

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RETAILBIZ: RETAIL CHARTS


WEEK ENDING18/03/09

L FORMATS

NEW

RE

21 19 GTA: CHINATOWN WARS DS ROCKSTAR

22 18 CLUB PENGUIN: ELITE PENGUIN FORCE DS DISNEY

23 27 MY FITNESS COACH Wii UBISOFT

24 17 TOM CLANCY’S H.A.W.X. 360, PS3 UBISOFT

25 36 SEGA MEGA DRIVE COLLECTION 360, PS3 SEGA

26 37 KUNG FU PANDA PS3, 360, Wii, PS2, PC, DS ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

27 31 PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2009 WII, PS3, 360 KONAMI

28 28 KILLZONE 2 PS3 SONY

29 38 NEED FOR SPEED: UNDERCOVER PS3, 360, Wii, PS2, DS, PC, PSP EA

30 33 PUZZLER COLLECTION DS UBISOFT

31 35 SMACKDOWN VS RAW 2009 360, PS3, Wii, DS, PSP, PS2 THQ

32 24 WWE LEGENDS OF WRESTLEMANIA 360, PS3 THQ

33 30 MARIO KART DS DS NINTENDO

34 MYSTERY CASE FILES: MILLIONHEIR XX NINTENDO

35 29 NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. DS NINTENDO

36 32 SONIC UNLEASHED PS3, 360, Wii SEGA

37 34 LEGO BATMAN PS3, 360, Wii, PS2, PSP, DS, PC WARNER BROS

38 39 FOOTBALL MANAGER 2009 PC, PSP SEGA

39 IMAGINE: DOCTOR DS UBISOFT

40 20 WANTED: WEAPONS OF FATE 360, PS3 WARNER BROS

RE


sourceboYEAR-ROUND PRINT & ONLINE PROMOTION FOR ALL INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT SERVICE COMPANIES

ACCESS SOURCEBOOK ONLINE AT: WWW.INTENTMEDIA

CREATIVE AND PROMOTIONAL SERVICES

3DITel: 0845 4582898www.threedi.net

an.xTel: 0207 785 7156www.anxagency.com

Ark VFXTel: 0114 268 4999www.arkvfx.net

Barrington HarveyTel: +44 (0)1462 456780www.barringtonharvey.co.uk

BastionTel: +44 (0)20 7421 7600www.bastion.co.uk

Candy LabTel: +44 (0)20 7031 0888www.candylab.co.uk

Dilute RecordingsTel: +44 (0)1483 306834www.diluterecordings.com

DKPMTel: 0845 111 0312www.dkpm.co.uk

ELSPATel: 0207 534 0580www.elspa.com

Eye-D Creative Tel: +44 (0)20 7407 1440www.eye-dcreative.co.uk

FerefTel: +44 (0) 20 7292 6300www.feref.com

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

Game FrontierTel: 0870 420 2424www.gamefrontier.com

Gem CreativeTel: 01279 822800www.gem.co.uk

FrontroomTel: 020 7384 5400www.frontroom.com

Head FirstTel: 0161 228 6699www.head-first.co.uk

IGA WorldwideTel: +44 (0)20 7250 4340www.igaworldwide.com

Indigo PearlTel: 0208 964 4545www.indigopearl.com

infinite Field Marketing SolutionsTel: 01793 829196www.infinitefms.com

Intent MediaTel: 01992 535647www.intentmedia.co.uk

Media Safari PRTel: +44 (0) 1225 731 388www.mediasafari.co.uk

Outsource MediaTel: +44 (0)207 713 9000www.omuk.com

Peppermint P Tel: +44 (0)207 240 2645www.peppermintp.com

RealtimeUKTel: 01772 682363 www.realtimeuk.com

RocketboxTel: +49-511-8984384www.rocketbox.de

RootTel: 0207 739 2277www.thisisroot.co.uk

Sarsen SoftwareTel: +44 (0)845 8679685www.sarsensoft.co.uk

Side UK Tel: +44 (0)20 7631 4800www.side.com

SkyscraperTel: +44 (0)20 7631 5308www.skyskraper.net

Studio CO2Tel: +44 (0)1483 414415 www.studioco2.com

The Audio GuysTel: +44 (0) 1926 813546www.theaudioguys.co.uk

The PixelTel: 01275 831676www.thepixel.com

Über Tel: 0114 278 7100www.uberagency.com

RECRUITMENT

Aardvark Swift RecruitmentTel: 01709 876877www.aswift.com

AmiqusTel: 01925 252588www.amiqus.com

Datascope RecruitmentTel: +44 (0)20 758 06018www.datascope.co.uk

Game OptionsTel: +44 (0)1382 731909www.gameops.co.uk

Lis Welsh Search and SelectionTel: +44 (0)1858 545355www.liswelsh.co.uk


ok .CO.UK/SOURCEBOOK

In association with

Tel: +44 1 480 210621www.usspeaking.com

UNIVERSALLY SPEAKINGTel: +44 1 480 210621www.usspeaking.com

Specialmove Consultancy Tel: +44 (0) 141 585 6491www.specialmove.com

Volt EuropeTel: +44 (0)1737 774100www.volteurope.com

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

Creative North StudiosTel: +44 (0)1484 487904www.creativenorth.co.uk

ScaleformTel: +1 301 446 3200www.scaleform.com

LEGAL SERVICES

BRIFFATel: 0207 288 6003www.briffa.com

Harbottle & Lewis LLPTel: 020 7667 5000www.harbottle.com

SheridansTel: 0207 079 0103www.sheridans.co.uk

LOCALISATION, QA AND TESTING

4-Real IntermediaTel: +49 (0)69 80 90 88-0www.4-real.com

Absolute QualityTel: +44 (0)141 220 5600www.absolutequality.com

BabelTel: 01273 764 100www.babelmedia.com

Cenega Service TeamTel: +48 22 574 2578www.cenega.com

Enzyme LabsTel: +1 (450) 229 9999 ext. 312www.enzyme.org

LocalsoftTel: +34 952 92 93 94www.localsoftgames.com

Orange StudioTel: +39 051 588 04 50www.orangestudio.it

Serco Games ResearchTel: 020 74216487www.sercogamesresearch.com

U-TraxTel: +31 30 293 2098www.utrax.com

UK DISTRIBUTION AND LOGISTICS

Games Without Frontiers Tel: +44 (0) 845 430 8735www.gameswithout.com

Gem DistributionTel: 01279 822822www.gem.co.uk

Interactive IdeasTel: 020 8805 1000www.interactiveideas.com

Meroncourt Tel: +44 (0)1462 680060http://trade.meroncourt.co.uk

Pinnacle SoftwareTel: 020 8309 3934www.pinnacle-software.co.uk

PlayVEmail: [email protected]

Scratch BustersTel: 01992 535701www.scratchbusters.co.uk

Trilogy Logistics Tel: 0845 456 6400www.trilogy-uk.com

MANUFACTURING SERVICES

Arvato Digital ServicesTel: 0121 502 7800www.arvatodigitalservices.com

Dischromatics Tel: 01495 243222www.dischromatics.co.uk

OK MediaTel: +44 (0)20 7688 6789www.okmedia.biz

Technicolor Home Entertainment ServicesTel: 0208 987 7829www.technicolor.com

Total Console RepairTel: 0871 9181721www.totalconsolerepair.co.uk

INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION

AFA InteractiveTel: +618 8234 1355www.afainteractive.com.au

dtp entertainment AGTel: +49 (0) 40 66 99 10 – 0www.dtp-entertainment.com

Entertainment TradingTel: +45 70277640www.entertainment-trading.com

Funtastic Tel: 61 3 9535 5888www.funtastic.com.au

THQ Asia PacificTel: +613 9573 9200www.thq-games.com/au

Virgin PLAYTel: +34 91 789 35 50www.v2play.com


International Distribution Guide

TO ADVERTISE IN THE INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION GUIDE



TM

AUSTRALIAAll Interactive.................Helensvale Town Centre

AFA INTERACTIVE66 Hughes Street, Mile End,

South Australia 5031

Tel: +61 8823 41355

THQ AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND & ASIA.

Asia Pacific HQ - Level 8/606 St.Kilda Rd,

Melbourne, Vic, Australia, 3004

Web: [email protected]

Tel: +6139573.9203

Red Ant...................................Baulkham Hills, NSW

AUSTRIAKoch Media GmbH...............................Rottenmann

Play Art Multimedia Handels GmbH....Rankweil

BELGIUMHorelec S.A. ...........................................Bruxelles

CLD Distribution S.A. .........................Fernelmont

BENELUX

GAMEWORLD Cornusbaan 1, 2908 KB Capelle A/D IJssel

Tel: +31 10 298 3838

Web: [email protected]

CYPRUSGibareio.............................................................Nicosia

GOODTONESGREAT GAMES LTD1 Alkaiou Street / Office 1 /

Engomi / Nicosia 2404 / Cyprus

tel. +357 22 666612

www.greatgames.com.cy

DENMARK

ENTERTAINMENT TRADING APSStenholm 1, 9400,

Norresundby, Denmark

Phone: +45 70277640

Fax: +45 70277650

email: [email protected]

Web www.entertainment-trading.com

GATEWAY DISTRIBUTION APSGateway Distribution ApS

+44 1279 408 665 (UK)

+45 7026 0870 (DK)

[email protected]

www.gatewaydistribution.dk

ESTONIAAndrico ..............................................................Tallinn

FINLANDPanvision Oy.......................................................Turku

FRANCEEMC GROUPE CASINO..........Croissy Beaubourg

INNELEC MULTIMEDIA45 rue Delizy,

93692 PANTIN Cedex

France

Email purchase: [email protected]

Email export sales: [email protected]

Tel: 00.33.1.48.10.55.55

GERMANY

DTP ENTERTAINMENT AGGoldbekplatz 3-5, 22303

Hamburg, Germany

Tel: +49 (0)40 66 99 10 0

Fax: +49 (0)40 66 99 10 10


Web: www.dtp-entertainment.com

Groß Electronic .......................................Rohrnbach

Otto Group...................................................Hamburg

Playcom Software Vertriebs .......................Erfurt

Vitrex Multimedia Großhandel.....................Erfurt

GREECECentric ...............................................................Athens

Nortec Multimedia.........................................Athens

Zegetron S.A....................................................Athens

HUNGARYAntec .............................................................Budapest

ICELANDSena ................................................................Reykavik

INDIA

MILESTONE INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE LIMITED Pramukh Plaza, 2nd Floor,

Cardinal Gracious Road,

Chakala, Andheri East,

Mumbai 400 099, INDIA.

Tel: +91 22 28203319

Fax: +91 22 28203334


website: www.milestoneinteractive.com

ISRAELHed-Arzi......................................................Or-Yehuda

ITALYCidiverte Spa ...............................................Gallarate

Coop Italia..........................................Sesto F.NO (FI)

Digital Bros spa................................................Milano

Leader Spa.................................Gazzada Schianno

Newave Italia...................................................Firenze

Promovideo SRL ...........................................Senago

NETHERLANDSGameworld BV............................Capelle A/D Ijssel

Micromedia BV...........................................Nijmegen

Favour Games..................................................Tilburg

Rigu Sound B.V. ...............2153 GB Nieuw Vennep

NEW ZEALANDGamewizz..........................................................Albany

NORWAYPan Vision Norway.....................................Trollasen

MPX.no.......................................................Sandefjord

Platekompaniet....................................................Oslo

Massemedia AS...........................................Notteroy

Pan Vision Norway..............................................Oslo

POLANDCD Projekt Sp. z o.o......................................Warsaw

TECHLAND Sp. z.o.o. Kazmierza Wlk 27, 50-077 Wroclaw,

Poland

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.techland.pl

Tel: +48 71 341 76 95

Fax: +48 71 343 98 96

PORTUGALecofilmes...............................Sao Joao Da Madeira

PLANETA DEAGOSTINIINTERACTIVE

Diagonal, 662-664, 3ª planta D,

08034, Barcelona, Spain,

Tel: +34 93 492 08 89

[email protected]

www.planetadeagostini.net

v.2 PLAY. LDAStudio Office Marquês de Pombal –

Avenida de Loulé nº 123 1069-152 -

Lisbon, Portugal

Tel. 00351 21 31 46 51 0

Fax 00351 21 31 61 12 5

RUSSIAHitzona.............................................................Moscow

Noviy Disk .......................................................Moscow

Soft Club..........................................................Moscow

Vellod...................................................................Mitishi

SERBIA

COMPUTERLAND DOOKumodraska 45

11000 Belgrade, Serbia

Tel:+381(0)11 309 95 95

Fax:+381(0)11 309 95 96

mail:[email protected]

website:www.computerland.rs


The International Distribution Guide is dedicated topromoting companies outside of the UK. If you are looking fornew customers overseas, then look no further...

PLEASE CONTACT [email protected]



SINGAPOREReplay Interactive....................................Singapore

SOUTH AFRICAMidigital ..............................................Johannesburg

Nu Metro Interactive ......................Johannesburg

SPAINArdistel. S.L..................................................Zaragoza

Distribuciones Videográficas Digitales....MADRID

Lamee Software S.L. .....................................Madrid

PLANETA DEAGOSTINI INTERACTIVE

Diagonal, 662-664, 3ª planta D, 08034,

Barcelona, Spain,

Tel: +34 93 492 08 89

[email protected]

www.planetadeagostini.net

VIRGIN PLAYPaseo de la Castellana 9 – 11,

28046 Madrid, Spain

Tel: +34 91 789 35 50

Web: www.virginplay.es

DistribucionesVideográficas Digitales ....Madrid

Distribuye Palmera................................Las Palmas

JC Distribuciones .............................................Getxo

Shine Star, S.A...........................................Barcelona

SWEDENBergsala AB............................................Kungsbacka

Panvision....................................................Stockholm

SIBA AB ...................................................Gothenburg

SWITZERLANDABC Software GmbH.......................................Buchs

TURKEYARAL Import..................................................Istanbul

Nortec Eurasia...............................................Istanbul

UNITED STATES

BASCO, INC.VIDEO GAMES DISTRIBUTOR

Tel: 1-917-627-3000

Fax: 1-718-228-4401


Web: www.bascodistribution.com

DREAMGEAR, LLC20001 S. Western Ave.

Torrance, CA 90501

Phone: 310-222-5522 x 111

Fax: 310-222-5577

Contact: Moris Mirzadeh


U.S. GAMES DISTRIBUTION, INC.16700 Schoenborn St.

#2 North Hills, CA. 91343

Tel: +1 818 920 9393

[email protected]

www.usgamesdist.com

UAERed Entertainment Distribution ..................Dubai

PLUTO GAMESPO Box 10705, Office 103-104

Emirates Islamic Bank Building,Dubai, UAE.

www.pluto-games.com

Tel: +971 4261 8111

Fax: +971 4261 8112

Modern Pluto Trading LLC...............Saudi Arabia

NXT Global LLC .................................................Dubai

Pluto Derinton Games LLC............................Egypt

LEADING US statistics body NPD hasfound that the majority of North Americangamers say that they expect to spend more ontheir hobby this year than they did in 2008.

Numbers in the recent Entertainment Trendsin America report suggest that 65 per cent ofconsumers will be spending more, or at least thesame, amount on games in the 12 monthsahead.

“Even in the face of a down economy,entertainment remains a popular spendingcategory,” NPD’s Russ Crupnick stated.

“There is anxiety about the economy amongentertainment buyers but consumers have clearlyshown that compelling content will get themback into the stores or theatres.”� Elsewhere, Dan DeMatteo, the CEO of globalgames retail chain GameStop, has stated that hebelieves price drops are needed for both Sony’sPS3 and Nintendo’s Wii as the worldwide recessioncontinues to trouble consumers.

Speaking of the PS3’s price point, DeMatteo toldCNBC: “$399 is clearly an issue in this economy. Idon’t know if a $50 price drop would even getyou that much.”

The exec was also dismissive of Sony’s recentPS2 price drop, adding: “To be honest, it reallywasn’t worth doing. If they’d done it earlier,publishers probably would have kept makinggames for the PS2, but once they’ve stopped,they’ve stopped.”

SCREEN DIGEST’S Ed Barton has stated thatlower than expected sales of 2008 pair AnimalCrossing: City Folk and Wii Music are to blamefor the dropping sales of the Wii in Nintendo’shome territory.

Whilst the Wii is still undoubtedly the king ofthe current console castle, sales of Nintendo’smachine do appear to be slowing and nowhere isthis more apparent than in Japan.

“If we look at the types of games which arestill selling well for the Wii in Japan, we’reseeing software such as Wii Fit and Mario KartWii,” Barton stated, as reported by GameBizBlog.

1C’S UPCOMING WWII first person shooterNecrovision will not be released in Australiaafter the country’s Classification Board refused togrant it a certificate.

GameSpot reports that excessive violence wasnamed as the determining factor. With Australiastill lacking an 18+ age rating for games, 1C’stitle was deemed too brutal for the currenthighest certificate available which is 15+.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

USA

JAPAN

AUSTRALIA


DISTRIBUTION

GEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01279 822800 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.gem.co.uk

KEY CONTACTS

DIRECTORYCREATIVE & PROMOTIONAL SERVICES

Wrapstar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0)7778 204970

DISTRIBUTION

Creative Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8664 3456

DVD Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01189 215 999

Gem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01279 822800

Ideal Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01767 689 720

Logic3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01923 471 000

Meroncourt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01462 680060

GAMES CONSOLE REPAIR

Total Console Repair Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 087 19 18 17 21

LOCALISATION

Partnertrans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01753 247731

Testronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01753 653 722

Universally Speaking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01480 210621

STORE FITTINGS

AMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01924 507 217

Retail Entertainment Displays. . . . . . . . . . . . 01733 239001

DISC REPAIR

TDR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01202 489 500

DISTRIBUTION

IDEAL SOFTWARE . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1767 689720 . . . . . . . . . . www.idealsoftware.net

TO ADVERTISE CONTACT ROB BAKER ON: 01992 535647 OR

DISTRIBUTION

CREATIVE DISTRIBUTION . . . . 0208 6643456 . . . . www.creativedistribution.co.uk

DISTRIBUTION

MERONCOURT . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1462 680060 . . . http://trade.meroncourt.co.uk

58-62 MCV534_FINAL:Layout 1 20/4/09 09:52 Page 1

DISTRIBUTION

LOGIC 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01923 471000 . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

Some of the special issues coming up inMCV, the only trade publication that coversall sectors of the market...

EDITORIAL PLANNER

FRIDAY MAY 8th

LOCALISATION AND QA SPECIALGood localisation is key as publishers look to expand their reach intoemerging markets. MCV talks to the leading QA and translationspecialists on the latest developments facing the sector.

FRIDAY MAY 15th

TOP 20 INDEPENDENTSDespite the fact it might have shrunk in size historically, independentretail remains an important part of the sector in the UK, with chains suchas Grainger Games and CHIPS continuing to grow in the face of economicuncertainty. MCV gives a run-down of the 20 best outlets in the sector.

GUIDE TO GAMES RETAIL BUYERSWe look at the leading retailers’ games buyers, profiling the key playersin this sector of the industry. This ultimate guide will give publisherseverything they need to know about those who play this crucial role inbringing games to shelves. Every important person making the buyingdecisions for every games outlet in the ever-changing retail landscape.

DEVELOP 100MCV’s sister magazine Develop once again presents a guide to the Top100 development studios in the world, highlighting their successes from2008. In a break from the norm, the list has been carefully crafted bythe editorial team rather than based solely on UK sales figures.

FRIDAY MAY 22nd

TERRITORY REPORT: AFRICAWith civilization spread thinly around this gargantuan continent,largely found on the northern and southern coasts, Africa may seeman unlikely territory for gaming. MCV details the major players andretailers in this region, as well as the unique processes by which gamesare published and released there.

E3 SPECIALIt is quite simply the biggest event in the games industry’s calendar,and as the official International Media Partner for the event, we bringyou a complete guide to this year’s E3 Expo. MCV looks at how theorganisers have improved the 2009 event over its predecessors, andoffers a round-up of what to expect from the industry’s majorcompanies, including publishers and format holders.

FRIDAY MAY 29th

DISTRIBUTION SPECIALMCV takes an in-depth look at the big issues involved in the always-important distribution sector. We speak to the major players about thefuture of the supply chain, and how they will be tackling the challengesahead for the distribution side of the games trade.

FRIDAY JUNE 12th

E3 REVIEWWe offer a thorough and comprehensive look back at this year’s E3Expo, reporting on each and every revelation as well as the potentialimpact they will have on the industry. We cover the Big Three’spresentations and the inevitable surprises, as well as the majordevelopments from the other crucial publishers.

FOR MORE DETAILS CONTACT: [email protected]

[email protected]


STUDIOS

Blitz Games Studios. . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1926 880 000

Broadsword Interactive. . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1970 626299

Denki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.denki.co.uk

Lightning Fish Games . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1295 817 666

nDreams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44(0) 1252 375754

Razorback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.razorback.co.uk

Realtime Worlds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1382 202 821

Rebellion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1865 792 201

Stainless Games . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

Strawdog Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1332 258 862

TOOLS

Epic Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +1 919 870 1516

Fork Particle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00 (1) 925 417 1785

bluegfx. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1483 467 200

Natural Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0)1865 250575

SERVICES

3D Creation Studio. . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 151 236 9992

Air Edel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 207 486 6466

Air Studios. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 207 794 0660

High Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1295 738 337

Ian Livingstone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1483 421 491

Partnertrans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1753 247 731

Philips amBX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.ambx.com

Specialmove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 141 585 6491

Tsunami Music. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 207 350 2828

Universally Speaking . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1480 210 621

COURSES

University of Hull . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1482 465 951

To be included in the Develop Directory (which appears every month in Developand every week in MCV) contact [email protected]. All subscription requests should go to [email protected]

Develop is the only dedicated publication for the UK andEuropean games development community. It reaches over8,000 request-only subscribers every month.

TO ADVERTISE CONTACT ROB BAKER ON: 01992 535647 OR

WRAPSTAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 7778 204970 . . . . . . . . www.wrapstar-skins.com

CREATIVE & PROMOTIONAL SERVICES

Distributors of CD, DVD, Blu-ray, SD-Ram,Micro-SD, and lots, lots more...

X-Box 360 - Wii - DSi - PS3new release games & accessories

UK Sales: ...............................01189 215 999European Sales:......01189 215 916

[email protected]

DVD TECHNOLOGY . . . . . . . . . 01189 215 999. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.dvdtech.com

DISTRIBUTION

DISC REPAIR

TOTAL DISC REPAIR. . . . . . . . . . 01202 489500 . . . . . . . . . www.totaldiscrepair.co.uk


Insider’s | Guide

Tell us something we didn’tknow about Lightning Fish.We formed in 2008 and theteam here have over 100 yearsof experience and over 80published titles. We specialise infamily-oriented games bringinghigh production values to amass-market audience.

Could you tell us a littleabout your titles? Our recently announced firstproduct is a fitness and healthtitle for Wii called NewU: InsideOut. NewU allows users toselect lifestyle goals which thendefine custom workouts andnutrition plans to achieve thosegoals. NewU supports the WiiBalance Board and is developedin association with Fitness First,the largest gym chain in theworld and You Are What YouEat, a major nutrition brand.

What’s the best thing aboutyour job? I have held high-level roles indevelopment and publishing,but wanted to get back todeveloping games. My roleinvolves business developmentand executive productionallowing me to be creative inboth the games and business.

How are you coping withthe economic climate?We have over 20 years’experiences in the gamesindustry managing externaldevelopment studios, internaldevelopment teams andpublisher producer teamsresponsible for several million-selling games. It is a verydifficult time to be starting anew studio, but with ourbackground we feel we canavoid most of the pitfalls.

MCV speaks to Simon Prytherch, CEO ofLightning Fish Games...

[email protected]

STORE FITTINGS

AMA DISPLAYS . . . . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1924 507217 . . . . . . . . . www.ama-displays.co.uk

GAMES CONSOLE REPAIR

TOTAL CONSOLE REPAIR . . . . . . 087 19 18 17 21. . . . . www.totalconsolerepair.co.uk

STORE FITTINGS

RETAIL ENTERTAINMENT DISPLAYS . . 01733 239001 . . . . . . . www.reddisplays.com

Simon Prytherchdiscusses hisstudios upcomingproduct, NewU


LOCALISATION

TESTRONIC LABORATORIES . . . +44 (0) 1753 653 722. . . . www.testroniclabs.com

TO ADVERTISE CONTACT ROB BAKER ON: 01992 535647 OR [email protected]

LOCALISATION

UNIVERSALLY SPEAKING . . . . . . . 01480 210621 . . . . . . . . . . . www.usspeaking.com

From the MCV Awards to our next Pub Quiz,here are all the essential industry dates toget in your diary…

XBOX 360/MCV PUB QUIZThursday, May 21stSway Bar, [email protected]

The Xbox 360/MCV PubQuiz is now firmlyestablished as one ofthe industry’s favouritenights out.

Taking place everythree months at theswanky Sway Bar inHolborn, it bringstogether the market’sleading publishers,retailers and media tocompete for some prettysubstantial prizes – andthe honour of being thebiggest brains in games.

MCV & XBOX 360GAMES 5S Friday, June 12th Barnet, Londonwww.gamesfives360.co.uk

Organised in associationwith Microsoft’s Xbox360, the industry’sbiggest 5-a-sidetournament returns.

Head to the websiteto register your teamand fight for the chanceto win £1,500 for acharity of your choice.There will also be Xboxgiveaways, courtesy ofMicrosoft.

This event promisesto be better than everythis year so we hope tosee you there.

DIARY DATES ‘09

MAY

LONDON MCM EXPO Saturday, May 23rd –Sunday, May 24th London, Excelwww.londonexpo.com

JUNE

E3 Tuesday, June 2nd –Thursday, June 4th LA Convention Center, LAwww.e3expo.com

GAME ON! LONDON Saturday, June 20th –Sunday, June 21st London, Olympia Exhibition Centrewww.gameonlondon.co.uk

JULYDEVELOP CONFERENCE 2009Tuesday, July 14th –Thursday, July 16th Brightonwww.develop-conference.com

DEVELOP INDUSTRYEXCELLENCE AWARDSWednesday, July 15thBrightonwww.developmag.com

GAMES CONVENTION ONLINEFriday, July 31st - Sunday, August 2ndLeipzig, Germanywww.leipziger-messe.com

AUGUST

EDINBURGH INTERACTIVEFESTIVALMonday, August 10th –Sunday, August 16thEdinburgh, Scotlandwww.edinburghinteractivefestival.com

GDC EUROPEMonday, August 17th - Wednesday, August 19thCologne, Germanywww.gdceurope.com

GAMESCOMWednesday, August 19th -Sunday, August 23rdCologne, Germanywww.gamescom-cologne.com

LOCALISATION

PARTNERTRANS . . . . . . . . . . . . 01753 247731 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.partnertrans.com


You help people to steal. Youget caught. You go to prison.Sounds right to me.

Games Direct

Guilty of ‘assisting in makingcopyright content available’?

Right, let’s make a list of allthe other places that should besued and sent to prison: ISPs,any search engine, browsersoftware developers etc.

Yes, the vast majority ofcontent that is available and isdownloaded from the PirateBay website is distributedillegally. However, you can’tsimply make up grounds onwhich to prosecute them. Thebottom line is, content is addedby the users (there are manycopyrighted videos/musictracks on YouTube). You cannot

hold the administrators of a siteresponsible for content postedby its users.

Piracy needs to be stemmed,but this is not the correct way to do it. Platforms likeSteam are a step in the rightdirection, but also bring a hostof new problems.

Anonymous

I agree that they were pushingit a bit with ‘assisting inmaking copyright contentavailable’, but there is a pointat which someone needs to beheld accountable.

YouTube, which wasmentioned, has a strict policyof removing copyright material.They are not always prompt,

but they have their stance.Pirate Bay was (and let’s face it,they advertised the fact) quitelaissez-faire at best andcomplicit at worst when itcame to copyright material.

The trouble is that they are,like many high-profile targets,being made an example of. It isheavy-handed, of dubiouscredibility and reeks of‘influence’ from outside, but itis meant as a message.

The stakes grew as thevisibility did, until they endedup in a bit of a Catch-22situation. If they had beeninnocent, it would have beenan invitation for copyrightthieves to push the boundariesfurther. By finding them guilty,they are martyrs.

Prince of Cats

Logically, then, I assume we can expect the chief execsof the ISPs and phonecompanies to also be jailed anyminute now?

Anyone who thinks this willchange anything regarding thepublic’s attitude to BitTorrent isa complete idiot.

‘Rev’ Stuart Campbell

The bottom line is that file-sharing of copyrighted contentis stealing, plain and simple. Noone with an ounce of commonsense could argue with that.

However... if mediacompanies embraced digitaldistribution in a more openway, and delivered a good userexperience worthy of a premium

price, it would go some way tosolving the problem.

The music industry learnedthis lesson far too late and isstill paying the price.

But there’s still time for themovie and games industries toturn it around – to date they’vebeen protected to some extentfrom online piracy by theunwieldy file sizes their contenttravels in, but ever-fasterbroadband is chipping away atthat barrier very quickly.

David Chasey

From my perspective, thePirate Bay is the only one ofthese websites that, if you ask

them for your copyrightedmaterial to be taken down,won’t do it. For me, that’s whythis has gone as far as it has. Alaw was only just recentlypassed in Sweden which madeit illegal to downloadcopyrighted material from thenet, and what the nation sawwas a 40 per cent drop in webtraffic over the next two days.So, while it’s likely that somepeople will become more‘radicalised’ off the back of thecourt case, the message doesseem to get through to themass-market consumers.

Miles Jacobson

Sports Interactive

LATEST NEWSSTRAIGHT TO YOUR MOBILE

Bookmark us in your phone:MOBILE.MCVUK.COM

Pirate Bay – The Debate

MCV FORUM


This week on MCV, UK indies and fellow trade execs have been debating the news that the owners ofBitTorrent site Pirate Bay have been sent to jail for ‘assisting in making copyright content available’…

”Games Direct

You help people to stealcopyright material. You getcaught. You go to prison.Sounds right to me.“



BEHIND THE SCENES OF THAT MCV AWARDS VIDEO...These things don’t just happen, you know. It took blood, sweat and hours in make-up for the UK’s leading gamesindustry luminaries to create last night’s video showpiece. Doing their thing in front of the greenscreen here, wehave... Atari’s Lee Kirton and David Miller, Ubisoft’s Rob Cooper and Murray Pannell, Gamestation’s Martyn Gibbs,Nintendo’s David Yarnton and Rob Saunders, Disney’s Keely Brenner (complete with cheerleader’s outfit), Activision’sGary Sims, Sega’s John Clark, Bethesda’s Sean Brennan and EA’s Keith Ramsdale and Simon Smith-Wright.

This week, we take a peek atthe making of the MCV Awardsvideo, catch up with Activision’sAndrew Brown and leer atEidos’ latest hired model...Off The Record

64-66 MCV534_final 21/4/09 13:49 Page 1

PLEASE EMAIL US YOUR FUNNIEST INDUSTRY PICTURES AT

[email protected]

LISA MORGAN,GAME

DUNCAN CROSS,ASDA

MARTYN GIBBS,GAMESTATION

DON MCCABE,CHIPS

TIM ELLIS,HMV

RICHARD CHAPPLE,PLAY.COM

CAROLINE AUSTEN,THE HUT

JON BIGGS, MORRISONS

DEBBIE O’NEILL,COMET

GRAHAM CHAMBERS,AMAZON

PETER WILLIS,DSGI

IGOR CIPOLLETTA,SHOPTO

ANTHONY STOCKER,ARGOS

STEPHEN STALEY,GAMESEEK

JOANNA HUNT,TESCO

GURDEEP HUNJAN,SAINSBURYS

RETAIL ADVISORY BOARD

MCV takes soundingsfrom its RetailAdvisory Board on thebiggest issues of theday. The currentmembers are...


FIT FOR A KINGRising Star Games put on a rather splendid showcase for currentcritical darling Little King’s Story on Wii last week, at Tokyo Toys inThe Trocadero shopping centre,London. The publisher invited thecream of the UK’s games andnational media to have a look atthe game. Somehow, MCVmanaged to sneak in there, too.

64-66 MCV534_final 21/4/09 13:49 Page 2

Where do the UK’s publisher bosses come to spill the

beans? Here, that’s where. This week, Activision’s

UK MD Andrew Brown gets personal...

HOW DO YOU RELAX AWAYFROM WORK?

I love to travel so holidays are always good. I also loveinternational rugby, and lots oftime with the kids.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITEGAME, FILM AND ALBUM OFALL TIME?

Game: Call of Duty ModernWarfare. Film: Saving PrivateRyan (there’s a theme here).Album: Dire Straits, The Movies.

WHAT’S YOUR FONDESTMEMORY OF WORKING IN THEINDUSTRY?

Attending the Quantum of Solacepremiere and feeling the buzz of theentertainment industry at its best.

WHO’S THE FUNNIEST PERSONYOU’VE EVER MET?

Apart from my bank manager it’s been afew notable characters I've worked withover the years... usually from Liverpool.

WHO WAS YOUR INSPIRATIONWHEN YOU WERE YOUNG – BOTHPROFESSIONALLY ANDPERSONALLY?

Early on it was explorers andadventurers like Ranulph Fiennes, and

later on it was explorers andadventurers like Richard Branson.

WHEN WERE THE ‘GOOD OLDDAYS’?

They started in 1983 when I went toLondon Uni and finished in 1990 when Igot my first mortgage.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOULAUGHED UNTIL YOU WERE REDIN THE FACE?

Two months ago, flying to the US, watcheda film which had me crying. I laughed soloudly it became embarrassing.

Readers’

lives66 MCV 24/04/09 WWW.MCVUK.COM

Managing Editor: Lisa [email protected]

Editor-In-Chief: Michael [email protected]

Associate Editor: Tim [email protected]

Retail Editor: Ben [email protected]

Staff Writer: Chris [email protected]

Staff Writer: James [email protected]

Contributors: Ed Fear, Andrew Wooden, Will Freeman

Advertising Manager: Lesley [email protected]

Advertising Executive: Rob [email protected]

Art Director: Stuart Moody [email protected]

Design: Adam Butler [email protected]

Production Manager: Suzanne [email protected]

Business Development: Dave [email protected]

Contributing Editor: Samantha [email protected]

Circulation & Marketing: Hannah [email protected]

EDITORIAL: 01992 535646 � ADVERTISING: 01992 535647 � FAX: 01992 535648

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS United Kingdom £150 l Europe £175 l Rest of the World £250To order your subscription via Visa, Mastercard, Switch or AMEX or to make changes to your subscription details, contact [email protected] or call 01580 883848.

SAXON HOUSE, 6A ST. ANDREW STREET, HERTFORD,HERTFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND SG14 1JA

Intent Media specialises in trade titles forentertainment and leisure markets. As well as MCV,

Intent publishes PC Retail for retailers and suppliersto the computer trade, Develop Magazine for gamesprogrammers, producers and artists, ToyNews for all

sectors of the toy industry and Mobile Entertainment.

Intent has also recently launched BikeBiz and MI Pro.

www.intentmedia.co.uk

MCV has an exclusive media partnership withFamitsu - Japan’s leading video games analyst

and news source

ISSN: 1469-4832 Copyright 2008

MCV is a member of the Audit Bureauof Circulation and the PeriodicalPublishers Association.

Membership of the ABC and PPA provides our advertising partners with confidence inour circulation statements. For the 12 months ending December 2008, MCV had anaverage weekly net circulation of 8,833. MCV’s circulation is 100 per cent named andzero per cent duplicated.

Please address all enquiries to:

MCV, Intent Media, Saxon House,6a St. Andrew Street, HertfordSG14 1JA.

Managing Director/Publisher: Stuart [email protected]: 01992 535688

Finance Director: Hilary Cole Finance Manager: Siobhan CookAssistant Finance Manager:Michael Canham

Printed By:Pensord, TramRoad,PontllanfraithBlackwood, NP12 2YA

THIGH HIGHNot content with getting a damn stunning seriesof models to promote its Lara Croft games overthe years – for the record: would, would, dodgyeye, would, faintly beefy odour, would - Eidoshas once again recruited a hotty all in thename of marketing. Burlesque queen MissPolly Rae has signed up to endorseupcoming historical air shooterBattlestations: Pacific – including an in-game likeness. Of course, by hiring an‘artist’ like Miss Rae, Eidos PR has acquiredthe chance to write less chauvanistic thingsabout their model than usual, like‘sweetheart’ instead of ‘hotty’ – and we allget to perv without feeling too badabout ourselves.

“Funniest person I’veever met? Probably my

bank manager...”

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IMPROVED GAMEPLAY – classic Virtua Tennis arcade style action is now better than ever with improved serve, volley and net play.

ONLINE – play friends head to head, set up your own tournaments, or enter online competitions to become the No.1 player of the No.1 game.

NEW WORLD TOUR – create your player then take on his career from rookie to fi ght the big names for the No.1.

NEW PLAYER LINE UP – 23 of the world’s top players, 8 new to Virtua Tennis as well as 3 legends to pass on their knowledge.

TV - Heavyweight campaign of 20” and 30” spots throughout live sport and men’s lifestyle at launch.

ONLINE - Strong launch campaign through Sky Sports and Eurogamer exclusively, with a further push on Eurogamer during Wimbledon.

OUTDOOR - Nationwide 48 sheet campaign.

PR - Triple A PR campaign now live and ongoing through until Wimbledon.

TRADE – A range of POS assets available. Contact Centresoft. Top grade in store campaign underway.

www.sega.co.uk© SEGA. SEGA, the SEGA logo and VIRTUA TENNIS are either registered trademarks or trademarks of SEGA Corporation. All trademarks used herein are under license from their respective owners. All Rights Reserved. “2”, “PLAYSTATION” and “PS3” are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of

companies. Trademarks are property of their respective owners. Wii is a trademark of Nintendo.

Virtua Tennis...No.1 in sales, No.1 on reviews - can you be No.1?

Virtua Tennis...No.1 in sales, No.1 on reviews - can you be No.1?

MCV534 April 24th 2009

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Transcript of MCV534 April 24th 2009