RetailBiz MCV574 Friday Februaru 12th 2010

FRONT COVER

N12006_MCV Cover wrap2_FLAT.indd 1 5/2/10 17:15:37

This Valentine’s weekend, Nintendo is releasing the hottest handbag accessory for girls across the UK and Ireland: the glamorous new Nintendo DSi™ Pink, the perfect gift for Valentine’s Day.

The Nintendo DSi Pink will be available from 12th February as part of a limited edition bundle with Style Boutique. Talk about the ultimate girly treat: a pink Nintendo DSi and hours of fashion fun to enjoy on it!

This new colour console is packed with all the great features of the current Nintendo DSi – Camera, Music, Opera Browser, and Nintendo DSiWare™ – but is now pretty in pink for the girls.

INSIDE FRONT


04 The long gameUK retail discuss the longerconsole cycle and the needfor hardware marketing

16 Global visionA closer look at the US, UK andJapanese games markets during 2009

28 Retail BizOur detailed product guides focus onFinal Fantasy XIII and many more

MINDSCAPE has returned tothe UK publishing scene, MCVcan reveal.

The firm is currently basedin Leicestershire and is lookingfor a new office dedicated tohandling its titles in the UKafter a successful spell workingwith Koch Media.

While Koch remains thedistributor, Mindscape UKgeneral manager Mark Stangerwill oversee directrelationships with retail.

“The UK is obviously a hugegames market, and thereforeit’s very important that we areappropriately representedhere,” Stanger told MCV.

“The UK has an appetite formany of our products. This hasbeen proven with the success ofthe ‘As Seen On TV’ range andmore recently by the stunningperformance of U-Sing.”

The creation of the newoffice is the first step in a long-

term plan to re-establishMindscape as a UK publisher.

Originally formed in the1980s, Mindscape has takenon many forms in its 20-yearhistory and is nowheadquartered in Paris, France.

Stanger said that thecompany will be taking adetermined but cautiousapproach as it reaches acrossEurope: “Koch has been afantastic partner for us in recentyears and have played a majorpart in our success in the UK.This latest move reflects ourapproach to grow conservativelyduring this testing period in ourmarket and the wider economy.”

The firm is also on the lookout for new titles to publish,he said: “I plan to make this asmall but profitable andextremely efficient operation.We know that we cannotreach all of our objectives onour own, so we will activelyseek the right partnershipswith which we can grow.”

PERSONNEL 18 RETAIL BIZ 19 NEW RELEASES 27 HIGH STREET 28 CHARTS 30

Issue 574 Friday February 12 2010 £3.25THE MARKET FOR COMPUTER AND VIDEO GAMES

Local publishing office opens � Acquisition hunt starts � Parent beefs up digital plan

Mindscape returns to UKby James Batchelor

GAME plotsYork exit

ALL OF GAME’S remainingYork offices could close aspart of a realignment plan.

The company movedmuch of Gamestation’s headoffice staff to its BasingstokeHQ last year.

Now the firm isconsidering a plan that willsee the remaining call centreand refurbishment facilitystill in York closed andmoved to the south.

The Group is also lookingto restructure certaindepartments at its centralBasingstoke office.

Altogether 83 jobs – 40 inBasingstoke and all 43 rolesin York – have been put atrisk, although the firm insistsit is ‘committed toredeploying roles whereverpossible.’ The move hasbeen made to help theretailer cope with ‘toughermarket conditions,’ theGroup said in a statement.

Mindscape UK’s French parent is busily beefing up adigital strategy as well. Its Paris studio PunchersImpact is working on three new IPs – two to bedelivered via Steam and one for PSN/XBLA – thatwill hit between the end of 2010 and Q2 2011.

“Our aim is to develop new IPs with a strong multiplayeraspect,” studio head Guillaume Descamps told MCV. “With adigital game you can touch all markets without partners suchas a US distributor – even if you are only present in Europe.”

FIRM HAS MIND ON DIGITAL, TOO

Mindscape’s UKGM Mark Stangeris on the hunt fornew titles topublish

by Christopher Dring

Games market stumbles in JanuaryJANUARY SOFTWARE saleswere down year-on-year despitea slew of major new releases.

The likes of Bayonetta,Darksiders, Army of Two: The40th Day, Mass Effect 2 andMAG were all launched last

month, leading some to believethe UK games industry wouldhave a strong first quarter.

But figures from Gfk Chart-Track show unit sales down 16per cent in the UK, whilesoftware revenue has dropped12 per cent when compared tothe same period in 2009.

The comparisons comeagainst a very strong January2009, which benefitted from awave of triple-A titles releasedduring Christmas 2008.

“We had some big titles rightfrom week one this year,” saidChart-Track director DorianBloch. “If you compare that tolast time round, there was verylittle out in week one and two.

“The difference being is thatin Christmas 2008 you had a lotof triple-A titles fighting it out,and they carried on selling intothe next year. January 2009 wasa very strong month – it was

following on from 2008, whichwas the biggest year ever forvideo games. This time roundthe market is a bit different.”

Christmas releases includingJust Dance, Modern Warfare 2

and Wii Fit Plus performedstrongest during January.

The only 2010 releases tobreak into the monthly Top Tenwere EA’s Mass Effect 2 andArmy of Two: The 40th Day.

JANUARY’S BIG SELLERS1 Just Dance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ubisoft

2 COD: Modern Warfare 2 . . . . . . . 60, PS3, DS,PSP . . . . . . . . . . . . . Activision

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

4 Mass Effect 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Xbox 360. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Microsoft

5 Wii Sports Resort . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nintendo

6 FIFA 10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, DS, PS2, PC . . . . . . EA

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

8 Army of Two: The 40th Day. . . Xbox 360, PS3, PSP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EA

9 Assassin’s Creed 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . Xbox 360, PS3, DS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ubisoft

10 James Cameron’s Avatar . . . . . . 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, DS, PC . . . . . . . Ubisoft

”Dorian Bloch, GfK Chart-Track

January 2009 was avery strong month.This time the marketis quite different.“


INCORPORATINGEVERY BUYER � EVERY BRANCH � EVERY INDIE � EVERY WEEK

THIS ISSUE...MCV goes pink this weekto celebrate the launch ofNintendo’s new pink DSi

3 MCV574_final 9/2/10 17:09 Page 1

THE HIGH STREET hascalled for increased gameshardware marketing from theindustry if they are to reallymake the lengthier consolegeneration work.

Entertainment chains,online specialists andsupermarkets have all toldMCV they agree with Sony,Microsoft and Nintendo’sstrategies to extend thecurrent hardware cycle.

But they say its successhinges on closer collaborationamongst the trade.

Retailers were responding tocomments the three format-holders made to MCV lastweek about the benefits of alonger hardware cycle.

HMV’s head of games TimEllis told MCV: “A long consolecycle – especially if sustainedwith great product, marketing

investment across its life cycleand various upgrades – can,

clearly, deliver benefits if suchan approach means householdpenetration grows and helps todrive sales on a regular basis.

“At least that’s the idealscenario; the reality tends to bea little different.

“Obviously it will be achallenge to sustain sales without

next generation consoles, so thewhole industry – publishers,distributors and retailers – willneed to work together in animaginative way to see how wecan keep the market stimulatedthrough great new titles andengaging marketing.”

The Hut’s commercialdirector Richard Chapple added:“Hardware sales will alwayssoften as technology gets olderbut advances in peripherals suchas Natal and the PS3 MotionController are always positivefor consumers and retail.

“We need to work togetheras industry to make them as bigas hardware format launcheswherever possible.”

4 MCV 12/02/10 WWW.MCVUK.COM

UNHAPPY NEW YEARTHE FIRST SIX weeks of the yearhave not exactly been filled withgood news for the trade.

Worrying financial reports andthe talk of redundancies at NamcoBandai, GAME and Take-Two have

made the MCV website both a hot breaking newssource, but also a somewhat difficult read.

And now we report that the UK market is downyear-on-year despite a slew of big January releases.

But it would be remiss to judge the year onJanuary alone, of course. It’s perhaps not a hugesurprise that January 2010 hasn’t quite managed tolive up to January 2009 when you consider the lackof triple-A titles we saw released last quarter.

Signs remain good for the rest of the year. Sonyand Microsoft’s motion controllers are a hotprospect, while the hits are definitely incoming:Tuesday’s BioShock 2 release comes just weeksahead of Final Fantasy XIII.

And that’s not to mention the upturn in companieslooking to move into the UK games market. BBC,Bigben and Mindscape are three very different firmsthat see potential in the UK market.

So while the market is down so far this year, it’snot out. There’s plenty of reasons to believe that2010 will be a growth year for games.

THE LONGER CYCLEONE WAY THE industry has boosted sales in the pasthas been through the introduction of new hardware.

The arrival of a new console has always been anevent for retail, and results in a huge spike in sales.

But this time there’s no sign of a new machine, asplatform holders try to get the most out of theircurrent systems.

How will retail react? Quite well, it seems. This week retailers told MCV they believe the

longer cycle can benefit the games industry in thelong run – reducing the need to re-educateconsumers on new systems. But the message isclear: publishers and platform holders can’t get lazy.

If there’s going to be no big hardware event thisyear, then games companies need to create eventsof their own – be it around the launch of a new gameor peripheral.

And a key aspect to that is in the marketing. Aslong as software publishers and hardwaremanufacturers continue to promote their products,then there’ll be no need for a new console.

At least for now.

LOVE IS IN THE AIRON THAT POINT, MCV has changed colour for oneweek only to celebrate the launch of this year’s topgaming Valentine’s gift, Nintendo’s pink DSi.

As the number of girl gamers continue to rise,Valentine’s has become a far more profitable periodfor games. So maybe sales of the pink DSi can rivalsales of the latest love song CD compilation or rom-com DVD.

Importantly, the hardware’s launch proves toretailers that Nintendo for one knows how to keepone if its long-running formats fresh.

[email protected]

[LEADER]

NEWS

by James Batchelor

Retailers ready for

UK CONSUMERS areworried that 3D TVs will makegame violence more lifelike, anew survey has revealed.

The research was conductedby Harris Interactive on behalfof IGN.com, and dealt withemerging gaming technology –including digital distribution,motion sensing and 3D.

The study surveyed a controlgroup of general UK consumersand compared their answerswith those of IGN readers.

90 per cent of IGN readerssee 3D as a major developmentin game quality. However,although general consumers are

also excited by 3D, 51 per centof them are concerned it couldmake video game violencemore lifelike.

When discussing digital, thesurvey revealed 59 per cent ofIGN visitors are heavily into

purchasing downloadablecontent, while just 22 per centof the general public gaminggroup purchase DLC.

Meanwhile, when it came tomotion controllers, the studyrevealed most IGN 360 owners(86 per cent) and IGN PS3readers (84 per cent) are excitedby Natal and Sony’s motioncontroller. The general gamingpopulation is also interested,but not to the same level, with56 per cent of the 360-owninggeneral public and 66 per centof the PS3-owning generalpublic expressing any interest.IGN: 020 3008 6020

Consumers concerned by 3D

But High Street specialists, online stores and supermarkets stress

Does 3D exaggerate violence?

”Richard Chapple, The Hut

We need to work together asan industry to make newcontroller launches as big asnew hardware releases.“

4,5 MCV574_final:4-5 MCV515 9/2/10 18:15 Page 1

HEAVY RAINPS3SONY

[PRE ORDERS]

2. FINAL FANTASY XIIIPS3 ................................SQUARE ENIX

3. GOD OF WAR IIIPS3 ..........................................SONY

4. ALIEN VS PREDATOR360 ..........................................SEGA

5. FINAL FANTASY XIII360 ................................SQUARE ENIX

6. BATTLFIELD: BAD COMPANY360 ..............................................EA

7. ALIEN VS PREDATORPS3 ..........................................SEGA

8. BATTLFIELD: BAD COMPANYPS3 ..............................................EA

9. GTA: EPISODES LIBERTY CITYPS3 ....................................ROCKSTAR

10. STAR OCEAN: LAST HOPEPS3 ................................SQUARE ENIX

Week ending February 5thSource: SHOPTO.COM

TOP 10

0

5

10

15

20

25

Increased support will help all the home consoles onthe market consolidate theirplace in the mainstream,retailers added.

Sainsbury’s games managerGurdeep Hunjan added: “Themarketing plans and launchesfor the accessories will re-invigorate the console sales andhopefully be well targeted tobrand out to the more mass-market consumers.

“There will be no need to re-educate consumers about newtechnology. Also, the quality ofgames should improve aspublishers perfect their skills.”

“It’s quite clear thatdramatic advancements inhardware technology overrecent years has slowed to thepoint that right now a newconsole is simply not needed,”added Gameseek boss StephenStaley. “There’s still a lot of lifeleft in this current generation.”

ShopTo CEO Igor Cipollettaadded that that if the industrycan co-operate, it will achieve“the kind of self-perpetuatingcycle that has seen greatPlayStation 2 titles beingdeveloped long after you wouldhave expected the death knellto have sounded”.

WWW.MCVUK.COM MCV 12/02/10 5

NEWS

Total UK Software SalesSource: ELSPA/ChartTrack and Intent Media

Week Ending January 23rd Week Ending January 30th

£18.6m1,021,329

Units

Week Ending February 6th

1,021,224Units

£22.8m

� UK games software sales fell 16 per cent lastweek to £19.1 million, while unit sales fell 11 percent to 913,565.

� Mass Effect 2 remains the key sales driveralongside Just Dance, with just 850 unitsseparating the two at the top of the GfK Chart-Track Top 40. Only one new release managed tobreak into the Top 10: EA’s Dante’s Inferno,which debuted in fourth place.

� Retail can expect the market to jump back upagain next week thanks to the long-awaitedrelease of 2K’s critically acclaimed first personshooter, BioShock 2 – which was available onTuesday this week.

Your weekly guide to the UKgames software market…

[WEEKLY MARKET VALUE]

UK SOFTWARE SALES MONITOR

� Turn to page 29 for morepre-order charts fromleading online retailers

Mass Effect held on to the top spot this week

913,565Units

£19.1m

Week Ending February 6th 2010

Grenzbach out at Nickelodeon

NICKELODEON’S vicepresident for internationalvideo games, Arwed-RalfGrenzbach, has departed thekids’ content firm, MCVcan confirm.

Grenzbach joined the firmin August 2007 following asuccessful stint as managingdirector for Take-TwoGermany. He has also workedfor media giants Disney andSony Music.

MCV understands thatNickelodeon has no plans tohire a replacement forGrenzbach.

“Arwed has decided toleave Nickelodeon andViacom Consumer ProductsInternational to pursue newopportunities within theinternational entertainmentindustry,” said aspokesperson for MTVNetworks International.

“We wish muchsuccess and all the bestin his new pursuits.”

During his time atNickelodeon,Grenzbach signedpublishing deals withthe likes of Take-Two’s

2K Play label and was alsoinvolved in a licensing dealwith Activision overNickelodeon’s hugelysuccessful iCarly TV show.

The TV giant also has along-standing publishing dealwith THQ for games basedon the lucrative SpongeBobSquarePants licence.

The next SpongeBob isdue for release on DS andWii on March 26th.

Nickelodeon owns a rangeof top kids IP, and recentlyacquired the rights to theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesfor £5.9 million from TheMirage Group. Ubisoft

currently holdsthe gamerights TMNT. MTV

Networks:

020 7284

7777

£19.1m


longer cycleimportance of better console marketing

Retailers agree that the longer cycle benefits the industry. From left:Tim Ellis (HMV), Gurdeep Hunjan (Sainsbury’s), Richard Chapple(The Hut), Stephen Staley (Gameseek), Igor Cipolletta (ShopTo)



NEWS

HMV IS running its biggestever Valentine’s campaign thisweekend, and expects it to liftsales of video games.

The campaign features print,online and outdoor media, aswell as TV ads. The firm hasadapted its Nipper trademarkto feature love hearts, and haschanged its ‘get closer’ mottoto ‘move closer’.

The entertainment specialisthas also installed a Love Shackphoto booth into its OxfordStreet store, which customerscan use free of charge.

“Much of our activity isgeneric rather than beingtargeted at a specific format, sothere is no reason why gamespurchasing should not benefit

also,” said HMV head of gamesTim Ellis.

“Games are not traditionallyassociated with Valentine’s gifts– romance isn’t exactly arecurring theme in your averagegames title, although if you arebuying for ‘him’, games do tendto offer a range of gift options.

“Valentine’s is a big deal forthe music and film sectors, andbecause they tend to invest ahuge amount in marketing

support, this generallyaccentuates the differencewith games even more.

“But there are signs that theusual status quo is beginningto shift a little. The recenttrend of making games morefemale and family friendly ishelping in this respect, such asLouise and Jamie Redknapp

sharing Wii moments on TVads together.”

Ellis also highlights the newpink DSi as the sort of productHMV expects to sell well.

“We are heavily promotingthis as a gift recommendationin-store,” he added.HMV: 020 7432 2000


Entertainment chain plans ‘move closer’ Valentine’s promotion

KOCH MEDIA says its newgame Prison Break: TheConspiracy will be a successwhen it arrives in March –even though the TV show it isbased on finished last year.

In fact the publisher says the360, PS3 and PC title canrevitalise the popular licencewhen it hits shelves.

Koch says the TV show’sstrong DVD sales andestablished fanbase, activeacross blogs, microsites andsocial networking, bodes wellfor the game’s sales potential.

“Even though the seriesconcluded last summer, thereis still a huge amount of PrisonBreak enthusiasts thirsty formore to experience,” he said.

“The TV series’ officialFacebook page run by Fox hasalmost 1.5 million users thatare still actively discussing theshow and the cast on a dailybasis. Our own Facebook pagefor the game has seen an

increase of ‘friends’ in the pastfew weeks alone.”

The firm is already layingthe groundwork for furthergames based on Prison Breakand other popular Foxlicences.

Said Nicholls: “We’re buildingEuropean-wide relationshipswith Fox as the licence holderfor the brand, and we hope toturn this into a long-termworldwide relationship.”Koch Media:

0870 027 0985

Can Koch game Break the licensing mold?

MCV CAN confirm No MoreHeroes 2: Desperate Strugglewill be released for Wii at theend of April.

The game will be publishedthroughout Europe by RisingStar Games, and continues thecritically acclaimed series fromthe mind of notable developerSuda 51.

“The first No More Heroesgame fast built a reputation asa benchmark in the Wii’scapabilities, and was brave and

bold enough to stand out fromthe crowd as an antidote tothe glut of party games on themarket for the console,” saidRising Star managing directorMartin Defries.

“It was one of the fewgames on the Wii that trulydeserved the undividedattention of gamers across allformats and No More Heroes2 promises to take this to thenext level.”Rising Star: 01582 433700

April release forNo More Heroes 2

Customers wooed byHMV’s new campaign

”Tim Ellis, HMV

Our activity isn’t targeted ata specific format, so there isno reason why games salesshould not benefit as well.“

ROCK BANDPROMOTIONREVEALED

MTV Games has partneredwith HMV and ticketexchange firm Seatwave fora new Beatles: Rock Bandpromotional push.

Consumers who purchaseThe Beatles: Rock Bandsoftware or bundle fromHMV will receive a £25voucher for their next ticketpurchase at Seatwave.

The voucher can be usedto purchase tickets forconcerts, sporting events,comedy shows and more.

The offer is availablefrom the 270 HMV storesand online at www.hmv.com,and runs from today (Friday,February 12th) until June.

The Conspiracy will be marketeddirectly to Prison Break fans

HMV is rolling outseveral initiativesfor Valentine’s Day,such as the LoveShack photo booth(pictured right)



NEWS

DISNEY INTERACTIVEStudios is planning to workwith stars from upcoming movieAlice in Wonderland in orderto promote the accompanyingvideo game.

The publisher is once againjoining forces with Disney’sHollywood arm, following thesuccessful collaboration betweenthe teams when marketing lastweek’s release The Princessand the Frog.

As part of this, the firm is indiscussions to support itscampaign from celebrities thatappear in the film, which starsthe likes of Johnny Depp,Helena Boham Carter, AnneHathaway and Stephen Fry.

DIS’ marketing managerSteve Woodward said: “We are

working particularly closelywith Disney’s theatrical PRteam and will hopefully haveaccess to the cast of the film.”

Marketing efforts for thegame will be heavily targetedat the film’s audience, withtrailers appearing in cinemas

nationwide before showings ofAlice in Wonderland.

The game will also bepromoted during trade activity

with a range of non-traditionaloutlets, such as clothes and toystores, tying in with the othermerchandising initiatives thathave been planned around themovie’s release.

There will be competitionsand editorial coverage in arange of specialist and kids’print publications in order toengage with a more traditionalgaming audience.

Online, there will be a socialmedia campaign runningthrough Facebook, as well as abespoke section on the official

Alice in Wonderland websitededicated to the game.

“Alice in Wonderland iscertainly not your typicalmovie game tie-in,” addedWoodward. “With theadditional weight of the rest ofthe Walt Disney Companybehind the property, retailerscan expect a stellar performancewhen this title hits shelvesnext month.”

Alice in Wonderland will bereleased for Wii and DS onMarch 5th.Disney: 020 8222 1413

ELSPA HOPES to furtherstrengthen its Governmentinfluence by joining the Confederation of British Industry.

The CBI is a businesslobbying organisation, andclaims to have unmatchedconnections with Government,policymakers and legislators.

The games trade bodyjoined the group last month,and feels the CBI’s policies arerelevant to its members.

The trade body also hopesto increase the influence of the

games industry within CBI’strade association division.

“The CBI is a very powerfullobby group that represents theinterests of business,” saidELSPA’s director generalMichael Rawlinson.

“ELSPA has joined the groupto strengthen the voice of ourmembers and further enhanceour access to Government.

“In practical terms, many ofthe CBI’s general businesspolicies have a direct relevance to ELSPA members,such as the growing concern

over the increasing or gold-plating of regulation.

“Therefore it is important toensure our views are heard.

“However, it is with regardto the CBI’s trade associationdivision – where the creativeindustries are somewhatunderrepresented – whereELSPA will look to have themost influence.

“In this area, we will workalongside the CBI to promotethe specific needs of thevideogames industry in theminds of all stakeholders.”

Disney plans Alice push

ELSPA joins lobbying specialist CBI

by James Batchelor

Publisher working closely with Hollywood arm to market upcoming Wonderland game

Pre-orderdrive forBlazBlue:TriggerPUBLISHER Zen Unitedand distributor PQube haveannounced a special pre-order initiative for upcomingconsole brawler BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger.

The game is due to launchon March 19th for Xbox 360and PS3, and consumers cannow advance order a limitededition set for the same priceas the standard version.

The pre-order set comesin special packaging, a 100-page art book that featuresoriginal drawings, sketchesand concept work from thedesign team, and a bonusDVD that boasts two hoursof detailed tutorial guides.

The special pack was puttogether in consultation withthe game’s growing fanbase,and the firms say thefeedback so far has been‘overwhelmingly positive.’

“We anticipate a rapid sellthrough of this strong offerespecially amongst thoselooking for great value whenchoosing their premiumvideo games,” commentedmarketing manger at PQube,Rob Noble.

Zen United MD TomoOhno added: “It is great tosee our labour of love andpassions summarised into abook and DVD pack forEuropean users.

“Both the tutorial DVDand art book present whatwe believe as importantelements to bring the gamealive and we hope thatpeople will enjoy them.”PQube: 01488 649521

Rawlinson plans to improveELSPA’s influence within the CBI

Alice in Wonderland will recreate director Tim Burton’s stange vision of the famous fictional world

”Steve Woodward, Disney

With the Walt Disney Companybehind it, retailers can expecta stellar performance whenAlice in Wonderland arrives.“


ANTIGRAV Media saw itsturnover increase 400 per centfor fiscal year 2009, and nowthe firm is intent on re-creatingthat success for 2010.

The peripherals specialistattributes the sales triumph toits huge range of products and growing selection oflicensed accessories

“AntiGrav Media grewsignificantly in 2009,” said thecompany’s sales directorRobert Orchard.

“This was in part due to theaddition of some stronglicensed products, such asDisney and Ben 10.

“It was also because wenow offer what we believe isthe most complete andbroadest game accessoriesrange in the UK – we nowdistribute over 500 accessoriesfrom over 20 vendors.”

AntiGrav is aware that theaccessories market has becomemore crowded than ever, butits triumphs of the last yearhave left the firm confident itcan stand out from the crowd.

“There is always a lot ofcompetition in the businessand everyone is fighting for thesame limited shelf space,”Orchard said.

“So we have added moreinnovative products to our

line-up and we believe thatthis has given us the edge overour competitors. In addition,our ‘one stop shop’ concept of

accessories has proven to be ahit with retailers.”

Orchard also revealed thatAntiGrav has a packed year

ahead of it, with newaccessories and staff on theway, as well as an increasedmarketing budget to ensure itcan enjoy another big year.

“In 2010, we expect to addmore new and excitingaccessories to our portfolio,”he said.

“We have increasedmarketing plans to promote allof our products and buildbrand awareness.

“We are also proud to bethe first sponsors of the MCVPeripherals and AccessoriesAward this year. And, ofcourse, we will remain totallyfocused on video gameaccessories.

“In addition to this, we willcontinue to grow our salesteam,” he added. “And we willstep up our efforts to offerbetter service to all our retailerpartners, including offeringcomplete categorymanagement solutions.”AntiGrav: 01932 454 929


NEWS

CAPCOM expects itsupcoming beat-‘em-up SuperStreet Fighter IV to outperformits predecessor.

The original sold more than2.5m copies worldwide withina month of its release, and thepublisher is in no doubt that itsfollow-up will improve on this.

“Street Fighter is the biggestfighting game franchise in theworld,” said Capcom’s head ofUK marketing Stuart Turner.

“When you factor in thenew characters, bonus stages,additional moves, new onlinemodes and a budget price,we’re confident the game willstand up as the best pound-for-pound fighter on any console.”

Capcom also feels it hasovercome concerns from fansthat there wouldn’t be enoughnew additions in SSFIV towarrant a second purchase.

Added Turner: “There werea few dissenting voices but

these same people now showgenuine excitement as we’vereleased more details.

“This isn’t just an update.”Super Street Fighter IV is due

on 360 and PS3 on April 30th.Capcom: 020 8846 2566

Super sequel set to top Street Fighter IV sales

by James Batchelor

Peripherals specialist sees turnover leap 400 per cent in 2009 � More sales staff and accessories to come

AntiGrav celebrates revenue growth

”Robert Orchard, AntiGrav

In 2010 we will add moreaccessories to our portfolioand we will continue to growour sales team.“

AntiGrav’s Rob Orchard saw turnover rise 400 per cent last year

Super Street Fighter IV is more than just an update, says Capcom

Sniper Elite targets WiiREEF ENTERTAINMENTwill release Sniper Elite on Wiiin the summer.

The game is based on theoriginal 2005 release, whichdebuted on PS2 and has sincelaunched onother formats.

Reef’s CEOPeter Rezon said:“Sniper Eliterepresents ourmost ambitiousproject yet. Wehave taken a gamethat has beencalled ‘the GranTurismo of war games’ andimproved it. We believe thiswill be one of the most funshooters launched in 2010.”

Sniper Elite will take fulladvantage of the Wii’s Remoteto make the action more

immersive. The game putsplayers in the role of a snipertasked with a series ofmissions in 1945 Berlin.

The title is also compatiblewith the Wii Zapper and has

been developed withadd-ons such as this inmind, targeting Wiiowners with gun-basedperipherals. It alsocontains new levelsand content that wasnot available in theoriginal Sniper Elite.

Added Rezon:“Following on from

our recent launches of FreeRunning and Rogue Trooper:Quartz Zone Massacre, we areincorporating features thatensure Sniper Elite will be anessential purchase.”Reef: 01908 487 587


VIRGIN MEDIA hasrelaunched its online gameschannel, choosing VideoGameras its editorial partner.

A new partnership betweenthe broadcaster andVideoGamer.com’s publisherPro-G Media will see the

Virgin Media games portalpopulated with news, reviews,features and trailers, as well asdownloadable PC gamesthrough Oberon and Metaboli.

“With immersive gamesdemanding instant reactions,our ultra-fast fibre opticbroadband makes Virgin Mediathe perfect place for gamers,”said Virgin Media’s onlinedirector Alison Davis.

“Our new games portal willhelp games lovers play newgames, watch demos andreach levels quicker than theirfriends but will also helpfamilies and casual gamersdiscover a whole new world ofgaming for themselves.”

Pro-G’s operations directorAdam McCann added: “With a

new fresh design, a widerselection of content andVideoGamer.com hosting thenew video games channel, ithas allowed for greaterflexibility and functionality,hugely increasing the usabilityof the channel.

“The launch is also greatnews for VideoGamer.com,with the channel alreadygrowing on a daily basis,

further extending the reach ofthe site’s content.”

Pro-G Media alsoannounced it has expandedthe VideoGamer.com teamwith the appointments of JoeyRabbitt and Alex Ridler.

Rabbitt joins as designerhaving spent five yearsworking for web design firmCreateanet, while Ridler takes

on the role of content andcommunity administrator.

McCann said: “We’redelighted to have Joey andAlex on board.

“We’re now well positionedto carry out our ambitiousplans to further expand Pro-G Media in the months to come.”videogames.virginmedia.com

LATEST NEWSSTRAIGHT TO YOUR MOBILE

Bookmark us in your phone:MOBILE.MCVUK.COM


NEWS

VideoGamer.com to powerVirgin Media’s games siteBroadcaster revives online games portal as Pro-G Media expands its website team

SEGA: The publisher’ssecretive ProjectNeedlemouse has beenrevealed as Sonic TheHedgehog 4. It will be thefirst true sequel to theoriginal Sonic games insixteen years. It will bereleased episodicallythrough Xbox Live, PSN andWiiWare this summer.

LUCASARTS: LEGO StarWars III will be released thisautumn for Xbox 360, PS3,Wii, DS and PSP. The gamewill use the animated TVseries The Clone Wars as itssource material.

KONAMI: The publisherreported profits of $116.7million for the nine monthsending December 31st, 2009– a decline of 40 per centwhen compared to the sameperiod a year before. Profitswere down 18 per cent from2008 at $2.1 billion.

SONY: Lifetime sales of theGran Turismo series havetopped 55 million units. Thelatest edition on PSP hassold 1.8 million units since itsrelease in October. GranTurismo 5: Prologue on PS3has sold 4.65 million.

UBISOFT: Tom Clancy’sSplinter Cell: Conviction willfinally be released in the UKon April 16th.

THQ: All Star Karate will bereleased for Wii this spring.The game is an extension ofTHQ’s All Star IP, followingon from All Star CheerSquad, and is compatiblewith Wii MotionPlus.

Sponsored by

ITALIAN DRIVING starGianni Morbidelli will boostsales of upcoming racerSuperstars V8, says UKpublisher Tradewest Games.

Morbidelli has been workingwith developer Milestone onthe racing sequel, SuperstarsV8: Next Challenge, which isdue for release on 360, PS3and PC on February 26th.

The game is based on theItalian Superstars Championshiptournament, where only carswith V8 engines are eligible.

Tradewest is handling thegame’s release as part of itsnew distribution agreement

with Italian publisher BlackBean Games.

“Black Bean has beenworking closely withMorbidelli,” Tradewest’s seniorbrand manager Aidan Mintertold MCV. “Bringing hisexpertise to advise thegame’s developer,Milestone, means that NextChallenge should be evenmore competitive than lastyear’s V8 release.

“It also means that nowmore than ever Black Beanare looking to get closer totheir target market, whichis a very positive move.”

The publisher also believesMorbidelli will give NextChallenge the advantage whenpromoted against rival racers.

“This gives us a greatplatform to extend our PRreach with one-on-oneinterviews and an inside look

at the V8

Superstars Championship,”said Minter.

“We’ve also got an expertisepreview and review campaignacross primary motoring press,motorsport press and men’slifestyle magazines. There willbe online HD channel takeoversand activity including podcastsponsorship as well.

“Finally, we’re lining upcompetitions with the pressto give away PS3 and Xbox360 consoles, V8merchandise and copies ofthe game.”Tradewest Games:

0207 456 0455

Star power to drive V8 racer

by James Batchelor

”Alison Davis, Virgin Media

Our new games portal willhelp families and casualplayers discover a whole newworld of gaming.“ Virgin Media’s games site will feature articles from VideoGamer.com,

while Metaboli and Oberon will power its digital download offering


NEWS


SONIC & SEGA ALL-STARS RACING

TV/MEDIAThere will be a two-weeknational TV campaign with20-second ads running onvarious channels, includingChannel 4, Five, ITV2,4Music, E4, CiTV, POP,Nickelodeon, MTV, Dave, FX,Comedy Central, and Sky 1.

This will be supported bya three-week dedicated TVpromotion with broadcasterCartoon Network.

The game will be thefocus of a dedicated onlinesite, with game editorial andtrailers, as well as 40-secondspots running on thecompany’s satellite channels.

ONLINEThere will be a three-weekadvertising campaignfeaturing homepagetakeovers and dedicatedcreatives on key specialist

gaming websites. Ads will betimed around the launch ofAll-Stars Racing.

PRINTA one-month print campaignwill see a multitude ofadvertorials promoting the

game across a range ofspecialist gaming andchildren’s publications.

PRA five-month specialist andconsumer PR campaignraising awareness of the

game’s arrival will supportall of the aforementionedmarketing efforts.

This will include plenty ofeditorial coverage, such asthe collectable character-based covers on the Marchissue of Games Master.

A comprehensivemarketing campaign willpromote Sega’s racer toits broad target audienceas well as calling toveteran Sega fans…

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10 MCV574_FINAL:Layout 1 8/2/10 11:28 Page 1

MCV INTERVIEWZOE COOPER, NINTENDO


Pretty in PinkWho are you targeting with the pinkDSi and how will you engage withthis audience? With this new colour it is definitelyabout the girls – although that’s not tosay that it is exclusively for them. Weknow a lot of boys and men who pickedup pink versions of the GBA SP and DSLite. The launch date for the pink DSibundle offers a great gifting opportunity,and so should help us to instantlyengage the female audience as this isthe ultimate girly accessory forValentine’s Day.

The DS has always had a strongfemale userbase – what do youattribute this to?It’s as much to do with the consolebeing accessible to any level of user –regardless of age, gender or gamingexperience – as it is to the great line upof software that has really enabled us toattract a larger than usual female user tothe platform.

I suppose you could say it all startedwith the release of Nintendogs andsoon after that we had AnimalCrossing: Wild World for youngerplayers. Since those releases, we havecontinually released compelling anddisruptive software on the consolethrough launches such as BrainTraining, 100 Classic Book Collection,Hotel Dusk: Room 215, Mystery CaseFiles: Millionheir, the Professor Laytonseries and Style Boutique.

How do you expect the pink DSi toaffect sales of the format overall? We know that both retail and a largenumber of our female userbase havebeen asking for DSi in pink ever sincewe launched the original black and

white versions last year. We saw greatsuccess with the launch of the pink DSand DS Lite, and we hope that the pinkDSi will see similar success. We wouldhope that all those pink DS owners willsee this new colour launches as anopportunity to get a DSi in theirfavourite colour.

What are your expectations for thepink DSi and the bundle, in termsof sales and public reception? We have released a series of colourssince the launch of DSi, but pink is

definitely one of the most anticipatedcolour variants we’ve worked on. Thefact that it is released aroundValentine’s Day gives us an instantgifting opportunity and theincorporation of Style Boutiquesoftware makes this a completestarter package.

Why have you chosen StyleBoutique as the titlebundled with the pinkDSi? How successfulhas this title beenin the past? Style Boutiquehas performedwell since its launchin October. It continues to sellconsistently week in, week out for usand has now sold over 100,000 units inthe UK.

Including Style Boutique in this SKUwill offer the ultimate accessory to girlswho receive this bundle as a gift orpurchase it themselves, thanks to hoursof fashion game content. Offering abundle also ensures that anyone can getplaying on their DSi straight away.

Couldwe see othercolours and game bundlesin the future? The Nintendo DSi is available in anarray of colours and we would not ruleout future bundles. However, it isimportant that when a bundle isreleased it is truly offering something

extra, or is a perfect fit with goodsoftware. With the pink DSi and Style

Boutique, it offers girls a completegaming experience and a great piece ofhardware too.

How successful have previousbundles been? Bundles have performed consistentlywell for us right from the originalNintendo DS Nintendogs bundlethrough to more recent Brain Trainingbundles. It ensures that consumers getthe complete package and an enjoyablefirst experience when they purchase. It’sreally important to make sure the rightsoftware is included so people areencouraged to share with their friendsand make further purchases.

”Zoe Cooper, Nintendo

It’s important that the rightgame is bundled so peopleare encouraged to makefurther purchases.“

Notice something different about MCV this week? That’s right, we’ve joined in celebrating today’s launch ofthe pink DSi. James Batchelor talks to Nintendo’s junior product manager Zoe Cooper about why retailersshould show the new version of the handheld some love this Valentine’s weekend...

Cooper feels the pink DSi and StyleBoutique bundle will be the perfectgift for girls on Valentine’s Day

12 MCV574_final:Layout 1 5/2/10 17:21 Page 1

© DISNEY. TRADEMARKS ARE PROPERTY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS. NINTENDO DS IS TRADEMARK OF NINTENDO. PRODUCT NAMES AND/OR VISUALS SHOWN ARE OF PRODUCT CURRENTLY IN DEVELOPMENT AND MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

For all enquiries please contact Nicki Tunney on 0121 625 7141

www.disneyvideogames.eu

Jonas_PrintAd_SP.indd 1Jonas_PrintAd_SP.indd 1 4/2/10 10:35:204/2/10 10:35:20

xx MCVxxx_v1:Layout 1 3/2/10 09:56 Page 1

FRANCHISE FOCUS: BATTLEFIELD


‘Field reportCALL OF DUTY may look to have thefirst person shooter market sown up,but try telling that to EA.

The publisher was once a marketleader in the FPS genre with its Medalof Honor series. However, the companyhas since been eclipsed by the likes ofActivision, Microsoft, Valve and Sony.

It’s a situation EA are acutely awareof, and last month senior VP for Europe,Jens Uwe Intat, told MCV: “We areworking on getting that crown back.”

One way EA plans to do this is by re-launching its Medal of Honor series laterthis year, but the publisher’s first assaulton the genre takes place on March 5thwith Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

COMING OF AGE

The Battlefield series began life on PCin 2002 with the launch of Battlefield1942 – the spiritual successor to the1999 hit Codename Eagle.

Since then its creator, Swedish studioDICE, has developed a multitude ofsequels, spin-offs and expansions (see ‘ABattlefield Legacy’) and the popularityhas grown with each release.

“When launched, Battlefield pushedthe FPS genre forward withthe introduction of huge,open environments inwhich large numbers ofplayers could duke it out invehicles as well as on foot,”says EA executive producerKarl Magnus Troedsson.

“Over the years this recipe hasevolved with innovative additions.Moving forward we tread carefully,realising that success isn’t only abouthaving all the features but depends moreon how they come together in acoherent and well-polished way.”

Battlefield games have evolved overtime to take in different settings, such asWWII, Vietnam, modern day and eventhe future. But the main challenge forDICE wasn’t taking Battlefield throughhistory, but from the PC to the console.

“Bringing Battlefield to console was achallenge but wasn’t as complicated aspeople seem to think,” adds Troedsson.

“A lot of hard work was needed inorder to create our Frostbite engine that

Battlefield: Bad Company was built on,but getting the Battlefield formula tofunction on consoles turned out to bemore about having a clear understandingof each platform.”

Battlefield 2: Modern Combat on Xboxand PS2 was the franchise’ first foray onto

consoles, but it wasn’t until 2008’sBattlefield: Bad Company on 360 andPS3 that the series hit the big time onhome formats. And now EA hopes totake that one step further with its sequel.

“Bad Company 2 is about to makesome serious noise,” says Troedsson. “Icouldn’t be more happy with the game– which the awesome team here inStockholm has created – and I hopeeveryone will get to experience the huge

leap in quality that we’retaking here.”

A DIGITAL COMPANY

So what of Battlefield’s long-term future? Well, one areaEA has been experimentingwith is in the digital space.

Last year EA released Battlefield 1943as a download on PSN and Xbox Live,and the game was downloaded over onemillion times in a little over a month.Meanwhile, in June 2009 a third-personfree-to-play digital game entitled BattlefieldHeroes was launched, and by December

three million gamers had signed up to it.“Battlefield Heroes and Battlefield

1943 have been experimental for us,not only in terms of gameplay but in theapplied business models and distributionmethods,” adds Troedsson.

“Experiments are always a bigger risk,but so far we’re very happy with thesegames and consider them successes.

“Coming from a multiplayer and PC-only background, Battlefield has alwaysperformed well in the digital space.With the ongoing transition towardsdigital, we’re seeing a huge interest andexpect to break internal records withthe launch of Bad Company 2.

“But this is not just about thedistribution method it’s about gettingclose to our fans. We want to be indirect contact with our community,something which is easier if they’realready in the same digital space.”

DICE’s commitment to its fans bodeswell for Bad Company 2, and maybe,just maybe, EA finally has its game torival the unyielding Call of Duty.

EA wants to reclaim its FPS crown from Call of Duty – and Battlefield could be the IP to do it. Chris Dringspeaks to executive producer Karl Magnus Troedsson on the past, present and future of the franchise…

”Karl Magnus Troedsson, EA DICE

Battlefield has performed wellin the digital space – and weexpect to break internalrecords with Bad Company 2“

EA has high hopes for its nextBattlefield – Bad Company 2 –which is due on March 5th

A BATTLEFIELD LEGACY

Battlefield 19422002, PCSet during WWII, Battlefield was abig hit and a franchise was born

Battlefield 22005, PCSet in modern day, Battlefield 2boasts a Metacritic score of 91

Battlefield 2142PC, 2006The series moved into thefuture for its fifth outing

Battlefield Heroes2009, PC3m users have signed up to thisfree-to-play digital game

Codename Eagle2000, PCThe WWI FPS was Battlefield’sspiritual predecessor

Battlefield Vietnam2004, PCThe second Battlefield gameswitched settings to Vietnam

Battlefield 2: Modern Combat2005, Xbox, PS2, 360Modern Combat was the firstBattlefield created for consoles

Battlefield: Bad Company2008, PS3, 360Battlefield returns to consolescomplete with offline campaign

Battlefield 19432009, PSN, Xbox Live1m players downloaded 1943after just six weeks on sale

Bad Company 22010, PSN, Xbox LiveThe next in the Battlefieldseries is due on March 5th

15 MCV574_final:Layout 1 5/2/10 17:26 Page 1

GLOBAL MARKET ANALYSIS


[UNITED STATES]

TOTAL 2009 US SOFTWAREMARKET VALUE: £6.69bn

Anita Frazier, Industry analyst, The NPD Group

Looking at software salesperformance, video game softwareunit sales declined seven per cent

for all of 2009. Still, while year-over-yearcomparisons show declines, the USA market isstill boasting significant volumes that wereunseen before 2008.

With the huge investment needed to producesoftware for this generation’s consoles, manypublishers talk about releasing fewer titles eachyear, which will allow their teams to better focuson maximising the success of each title. Thetheory is that this will produce more high-qualitygames resulting in better sales. However, the

year-end data from 2009 shows us that thenumber of titles entering the market is stillgrowing with 778 new titles released in 2009, upfrom the 764 in 2008.

So, while there has been no noticeable slowdown in the number of titles launched each year,we do see some evidence of a converserelationship between the number of titleslaunched and the average unit sales of a title.When looking back at the past seven years, wesee that 2004 had the lowest number of titleslaunched yet the highest average unit sales. Onthe other hand, 2009 had the most titleslaunched and average unit sales were lower thanthey’ve been since 2005.

“The number of titlesentering the market is still

growing with 778 new titlesreleased in 2009, up from

the 764 in 2008.”

[GLOBAL CHART]

CONSENSUS AND CONTRADICTIONTHE COMBINED TOP FIVE VIDEO GAMES FOR 2009 ACROSS UK, USA AND JAPAN

2009 Titles Publisher Total US Retail Japan Retail UK RetailCall Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Activision 11.86m 8.82m 237,500 2.80mWii Sports Resort Nintendo 7.57m 4.54m 1.54m 1.49mNew Super Mario Bros Wii Nintendo 7.41m 4.23m 2.49m 687,300Wii Fit Plus Nintendo 5.80m 3.53m 1.30m 968,300Wii Fit Nintendo 5.44m 3.60m 588,300 1.25m

[Note: Chart ranked in order of unit sales. Figures have been rounded. Due to rounding, the sum of the individual countries may not equal the total for certain titles.]

ABOUT THIS REPORTTop Global Markets Report is amonthly report from NPD, GfKChart-Track and Enterbrain whichcombines point-of-sale data forconsole video game software salesin the world’s largest games markets(the USA, UK and Japan).

Like-for-like annual comparisonsmean that only the first 52 weeks of2009 are included here (2009 was a53-week year in the UK retailcalendar, the last time this happenedwas in 2004).

Want to know how the biggest three games retail markets, USA, UK and Japan stack up against each other? Here,analysts from GfK Chart-Track, NPD and Famitsu offer up insight from their joint Top Global Markets report…

World Service

16,17 MCV574_final:Layout 1 5/2/10 17:24 Page 1

GLOBAL MARKET ANALYSIS


THE MARKET DECLINECombined video game software unit sales across the world’s three largest games markets experienced a decline of eight per cent in calendar year 2009. A total of 379.3million units of software was sold across UK, USA and Japan versus 2008’s 409.9 million units – but it’s still more than 2007’s figure of 367.7 million units sold.Broken down by territory, the decline can be seen like this:

PERCENTAGE DECLINE OVERALL . . . . . . . . CONSOLE SOFTWARE DECLINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PORTABLE GAMES SOFTWARE DECLINE

JAPAN 2% . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5% . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1% . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

USA 7% . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7% . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8%. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

UK 14% . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6% . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25%. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[ANALYSIS]

PS2 SLUMP DRAINS MARKET

Continuing the trend from 2008, theoverall gaming software market in

2009 declined in large part dueto the shrinking PlayStation

2 software market, whichexperienced a 57 per

cent decreaseacross the USA,

UK and Japan inunit terms. (USA’s

PS2 software sectorwas down 56 per

cent; UK’s down 67per cent; while Japan

fell 55 per cent).

[UNITED KINGDOM]

TOTAL 2009 UK SOFTWAREMARKET VALUE: £1.621bn

Dorian Bloch, Business Group Director, GfK Chart-Track

For the UK video game homeconsole software market it is clearthat current generation systems

suffered slight negative growth overall in 2009,even though PS3 and 360 both enjoyed recordvolume (and value) software sales for the year,and were the only formats to exhibit positivegrowth over 2008.

Growth on these platforms did not manage tooffset the steep decline in PS2 software units(down 67 per cent in the UK), which in real termswas close to a decline of four million units.

Also, the incredible performance exhibited byNintendo's Wii in 2008 meant that Wii units fell

back ten per cent, although it remained thenumber one format in terms of units sold in 2009.

Within the portable market, it is clear that thisis the reason for the overall software decline.

Nintendo DS volume and value sales in 2008reached a high point brought about by massive,record-breaking DS Lite sales, and thecorresponding sales of hit titles such as DrKawashima, Mario & Sonic at the Olympics, NewSuper Mario, and Mario Kart DS. Rolling on to2009 saw much lower DS hardware sell-throughand no new must-have DS titles at the top of thecharts, apart from Professor Layton andPandora’s Box.

Sony’s PSP suffered a similar fate to DS, withfew must-have titles arriving in 2009, and acontinued decline in PSP hardware sales, eversince the sweet spot achieved in 2006 with theoriginal PSP.

“Within the portable market,it is clear that this is the

reason for the overallconsole software decline.”

[JAPAN]

2009 JAPAN SOFTWAREMARKET VALUE: £2.32bn

Mitsunobu Uwatoko, Manager of Global Marketing, Enterbrain

Japan’s 2009 game softwaremarket was blessed with a stringof Nintendo DS software hits

during the period, including the trio of double-million-plus sellers, Dragon Quest IX: Hoshizorano Mamoribito, Pocket Monster Heart Gold/SoulSilver, and the year’s most successful non-sequel,Tomodachi Collection, which sold two million units.

Moreover, Final Fantasy XIII, Wii Sports Resortand Wii Fit Plus sold over a million each on topof the long-awaited New Super Mario Bros Wii,which sold over 2.4 million during its first monthat retail.

However, these titles could not manage torecover the losses experienced during the firsthalf of the year, thus the annual total sales wereslightly down.

“Best-selling releases couldnot recover the losses

experienced during the firsthalf of the year.”


PERSONNEL


Guitar Hero business boss departsHaddad steps in to head up music business � GameStop promotes Mauler to EVP � Bigpoint appoints Hein

Sponsored by

GAMESTOP � MICHAELMAULER has been promotedto executive vice president ofGameStop International.

Mauler leaves his previousposition of senior vice presidentof supply chain andinternational support to takeoperational leadership ofGameStop in 15 countriesoutside of the US.

He joined GameStop afterthe retailer acquired rivalElectronics Boutique in 2005,where he served as vicepresident of logistics.

“Mike’s leadership qualitieshave been instrumental indeveloping the infrastructure,

distribution capabilities, andinternational online salesstrategies to support ourcontinued international growth,”said GameStop chairman R. RICHARD FONTAINE.

“He is the right person at theright time for this challenge.”

BIGPOINT �

German publisherand developerBigpoint hashired MARKO

HEIN to the newly createdposition of chief game officer.

Hein previously worked asgeneral manager of THQ’sinternational office in Zurich,

and as director of acquisitionand development at KochMedia. He started his career atNintendo of Europe in 1994.

He will report to BigpointCEO HEIKO HUBERTZ.

Hubertz said: “Gamedevelopment is the company’sheart and soul. That’s why itwas imperative that we find anexperienced, creative and well-connected candidate for theposition of CGO. Marko Heinhas what it takes to work atBigpoint. His creativity, passion,sharp business acumen andsound strategic thinking makehim a valuable new addition tothe executive team.”

ACTIVISION � The firm’sDAN ROSENWEIG has lefthis position as president andCEO of the Guitar Herobusiness unit.

He leaves to pursue othercareer opportunities and issucceeded by veteran DAVIDHADDAD, who has beennamed COO of the business.

Haddad has over 25 years ofexperience, having worked asCOO of Vivendi Games’ SierraOnline division.

Activision president andCEO MIKE GRIFFITH said:“We would like to thank Danfor his contributions to theGuitar Hero business.

“We widened our leadershipin the music genre in 2009.And now, in 2010, David, withhis broad consumer product anddigital/online experience, isthe right leader to drive ouragenda to improve profitability.”

Rosenweig has overseen GuitarHero for the last nine months

18 MCV574_final:46 MCV515 8/2/10 12:58 Page 1

RECOMMENDED GAMES � PRICE CHECK � CHARTS � NEW RELEASES

RETAILBIZ

HEAVY RAIN P22Sony’s story-driven adventure gets its long-

awaited release on PlayStation 3

UNDEAD KNIGHTS P24Play as the leader of the undead in Tecmo

Koei’s latest PSP action adventure

ACE ATTORNEY INVESTIGATION P24The spin-off to Capcom’s legal-based

adventure series arrives on Nintendo DS

MACHINARIUM P24The popular digital game gets a PC retail

release courtesy of Mamba

HIGH STREET P28This week we check prices in Chester and

chat to London-based indie Awesome Games

LUCKY THIRTEENThe stalwart Final Fantasyfranchise is back. Could it be thisquarter’s biggest game launch?

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A step in the right direction



RETAILBIZ: FINAL FANTASY XIII

FINAL FANTASY XIII is a game thatneeds no introduction.

It is one of the most anticipatedgames of all time, with a colossalworldwide fanbase eagerly waiting forthe inevitably epic adventure.

It has been almost fouryears since Final FantasyXIII was first shown to thepublic, but Square Enix ismore than confident the gamehas been worth the wait.

“We have high hopes forFinal Fantasy XIII as you would expect,”says senior brand manager Adrian Arnese.

“The Final Fantasy series hascontinuously reinvented itself over thelast two decades, with over 92 millioncopies sold worldwide.

“The series is defined by constantevolution, with each release deliveringnothing less than the finest creativevision and audio/visual quality – FinalFantasy XIII will be no exception.”

Final Fantasy XIII was released inJapan just before Christmas and metwith remarkable success – it is the firstPS3 title to sell more than one millionunits in Japan.

Western retailers can be assured ofeven greater sales as the game will be

released on both PS3 and Xbox 360,unlike the PS3-only launch in the East.

Arnese says: “Since its initialannouncement at E3 in 2006, theanticipation for Final Fantasy XIII hasbeen growing and growing, and is nowreaching fever pitch.

“The game has been regularly toppingpre-order charts and the rate of pre-orders is increasing as we get closer toits launch.”

The hype building behind the game isimpossible to miss, with overwhelminglypositive press coverage appearing acrossa wide range of specialist, movie andlifestyle publications.

Initial review scores have been high,including a nine out of ten in Official

PlayStation Magazine, andSquare Enix is confident thatsubsequent reviews will bejust as glowing.

“All this considered, ouraim is for Final Fantasy XIIIto be a landmark release forthe current hardware

generation, with sales results in linewith previous main Final Fantasyreleases,” adds Arnese.

FAN SERVICE

Final Fantasy XIII is set to appease fanswith a brand new epic storyline,complete with emotionally movingtwists and cinematic cutscenes.

Players once again explore a worldwhere magic and machines are at war

One of the mostanticipated releases ofthe year finally hitsshelves, as Square Enixreadies the latest entryin its flagship series…

”Final Fantasy XIII will be alandmark release for thisgeneration, with a level ofcraftsmanship and qualitythat is second to none.“

Adrian Arnese, Square Enix

by James Batchelor

20,21 MCV574_final 5/2/10 17:22 Page 1

RETAILBIZ: FINAL FANTASY XIII


and the lines between good and evil areconstantly blurred.

“Final Fantasy XIII lets playersembark on an adventure beyond theirwildest dreams, packed with breathtakingenvironments to explore, unique alliesto befriend, and awe-inspiring enemiesto conquer,” explains Arnese.

“An immersive storyline draws theplayer ever closer to a cast of intriguingcharacters. Will they have the strengthto face their fate, or are they doomed todestroy everything they love?

“There is a level of craftsmanship,detail design and quality here that issecond to none, setting a new benchmarkfor the realisation of video game worldsand characters.”

The game boasts a new graphicsengine developed specifically for thisgeneration of consoles.

Consumers can expect stunning high-definition cinematics and sound, as wellas some of the time-honoured gameplaymechanics that have evolved as theseries has progressed.

The familiar Active Time Battlesystem is present once more, with newfeatures granting players the freedom togive numerous commands in a singleturn in real-time.

There is also a brand-new mechanic –the Paradigm System – that enablesplayers to assign different roles, such ascommando or medic, to their partymembers at any time during battle.

RETAIL FANTASY

Square Enix plans to elevate FinalFantasy XIII’s debut above previousgames releases and bring it closer tobecoming one of the biggestentertainment launches of the quarter.

To accomplish this, the publisher hasinvested in an extensive multi-millionpound campaign that designed to reachmillions of consumers.

Key to this massive campaign will beheavyweight TV advertising, which willrun across terrestrial and satellite channels– it kicks off on March 1st running intoEaster and beyond.

TV spots will appear more frequentlyas launch day approaches, and SquareEnix has secured prime advertising spotsduring key football programming.

The publisher has also made itsbiggest ever investment in video-on-demand media.

Meanwhile, the firm estimates that itsnational bus side advertising campaignwill reach a staggering 75 per cent ofthe UK’s population throughout March,mirroring the impact of triple-Ablockbuster movie campaigns.

In print, Final Fantasy XIII will bepromoted directly to fans and a generalgaming audience through both specialistand men’s lifestyle publications.

These promotions will also broadeninto both the wider lifestyle and nationalpress, such as full-page ads in Metro,Shortlist and others.

Retail will be a key component forSquare Enix’s plans with dedicated in-store programmes booked with majorretail partners and plenty of high impactPOS available.

RELEASED: MARCH 9

FORMATS: XBOX 360, PS3

PUBLISHER: SQUARE ENIX

DEVELOPER: SQUARE ENIX

PRICE: £49.99

DISTRIBUTOR: OPEN

CONTACT: 020 8636 3013

Final Fantasy XIII promises todelight fans once again with acolourful cast of characters,impressive visuals and an epicstoryline in keeping with itshugely popular predecessors

20,21 MCV574_final 5/2/10 17:22 Page 2


RETAILBIZ: HEAVY RAIN

OVER THE LAST decade, huge leapshave been made in the quality and scopeof video game narrative.

No longer are developers restricted bya simple, linear ‘save the princess’-styleplot – now they can invite players toaffect how the story progresses.

While countless games each boastdifferent endings, a few titles seek to gobeyond this. The 2005 hit Fahrenheitfeatured a scores of endings based onplayer decisions, while Mass Effect 2continues the series’ story depending onhow gamers tackled it predecessor.

Now Sony takes the next step withthe upcoming adventure Heavy Rain.

Developed by French studio QuanticDream, the acclaimed team behindFahrenheit, the game expands upon theinnovations of its earlier efforts to bringgaming closer to true narrative interaction.

The core of the game is its darkstoryline that follows the investigationssurrounding the mysterious OrigamiKiller, who has been terrorising a city onthe US Atlantic coast.

Each of the killer’s victims are drownedand discovered four days after they gomissing. The only clues with each bodyare an origami figure and an orchid.

As news emerges of another potential victim – a young boy namedShaun Mars – four unrelated people arebrought into the investigation as theyrace to end this terror once and for all.

Players take on the roles of these fourcharacters at varying points in the game.

Each one follows their own leads andhold their own interest in the case ofthe Origami Killer.

Only the gamer’s actions will decidewhether they succeed or fail, and whichwill be the one to unmask this criminal.

The playable cast includes determinedjournalist Madison Paige, controversialFBI criminal profiler Norman Jayden,former cop turned private detectiveScott Shelby and Ethan Mars, the guilt-stricken father of the abductee.

Each one has their own story to tell,their own personality and makes HeavyRain feel more involving than thosewith a single, bland protagonist.

Crucially, it is through the fourcharacters’ actions that players willbegin to see the impact they can haveon the overall narrative.

Events that occur in each person’sstoryline are taken into account by theother three. This can occur on smaller

Sony readies its latestkey exclusive for thePS3, with QuanticDream’s Heavy Rain setto raise the stakes forvideo game narratives…

“Heavy Rain has beencoveted by PS3 ownersfor years, with plenty ofanticipation among theglobal gaming press.”

by James Batchelor

22,23 MCV574_final 5/2/10 17:22 Page 1

RETAILBIZ: HEAVY RAIN


levels, with a few events merelymentioned in another storyline, but cango to far greater depths.

DEATH IS JUST THE BEGINNING

At its most extreme, the death of a maincharacter will have tougher repercussionsthan a traditional ‘Game Over’ screen.

Instead, the plot will continue throughthe surviving characters, and theconsequences of the other protagonist’sdeath will even be incorporated intotheir storylines going forward.

Players progress through the game byexploring environments, interactingwith suspects, witnesses and otherbystanders, and reacting to a multitudeof key action scenes.

None of the storyline is told throughcut-scenes, instead unfolding around theplayer as they progress.

Using a mechanic similar to that ofFahrenheit, gamers decide what action

their character will take next by choosingto follow one of the available icons onthe screen.

These either indicate a face button ordirection of the analogue stick, and canprompt the investigator to perform asimple action such as sitting down,tranpsort them to another area oremploy a new attitude during dialogue.

Heavy Rain even goes beyond thescope of simple point and clickadventures by applying this mechanic toa character’s every action.

For example, if the journalist is applyingmake-up in order to seduce a contact,players will have to guide the mascara andlipstick to ensure it is applied properly.

Or they will need to time their attackcarefully in order to take out a thugattempting to rob a convenience store.

Aside from the extensive scope of thegame’s main storyline, a key sellingpoint is the graphics.

Quantic Dream has worked hard tomake Heavy Rain appear as cinematic aspossible, with moody lighting that suitsthe title’s film noir overtones anddetailed character models.

Players can even switch between avariety of camera angles in every scene,making the overall experience evenmore interactive.

Sony will no doubt be pulling out allthe stops to promote the arrival ofHeavy Rain. The game has been covetedby of PS3 owners for three years, withplenty of anticipation among the globalgaming press.

In addition to a traditional marketingcampaign that will raise awareness ofthe upcoming release, the platformholder is also holding an alternativereality game through the official HeavyRain website, inviting players to takepart in a four-day challenge that mimicsthe investigations of the game.


FORMATS: PS3

PUBLISHER: SONY

DEVELOPER: QUANTIC DREAM

PRICE: £49.99


CONTACT: 0121 625 3388

22,23 MCV574_final 5/2/10 17:22 Page 2

ZOMBIES ARE one of the most popularenemies in gaming and Undead Knightsallows players to find out why.

This title puts gamers in the role of azombie soldier capable of turning any

creature – from local wildlife to enemytroops – into his undead minions.

These walking corpses can then beused to attack the living, form steppingstones and platforms, set off booby trapsor serve as catapult ammunition.

“We hope that gamers, retailers andPSP fans engage with Undead Knightsbecause it’s not what you’d expect,”says PR manager Ben Lawrence.

“It’s not ‘just Dynasty Warriors withzombies’ – it’s more akin to Lemmingsand Pikmin.”

Tecmo Koei believes online marketingwill be the best way to engage withUndead Knights’ target audience andhas set up a dedicated website. In print,there will be reviews in key gaming andmen’s lifestyle publications.

Undead Knights was also one of thekey sponsors of a zombie world recordattempt held during The Big ChillFestival, with T-shirts and flyersavailable to the public.

“We suspect that Undead Knightsmight well have a word of mouth appeal to it so we expectsales to start well and stay at a healthy level for a long time,” adds Lawrence.

RETAILBIZ: UNDEAD KNIGHTS/ACE ATTORNEY/MACHINARIUM


Tecmo Koei invitesgamers to experiencethe fight against theundead from thezombies’ perspective…


FORMATS: PSP

PUBLISHER: TECMO KOEI

DEVELOPER: TECMO KOEI

PRICE: £29.99

DISTRIBUTOR: OPEN

CONTACT: 01462 476 130

CAPCOM’S long-running Ace Attorney series has already seen atransition from the original PhoenixWright trilogy to the Apollo Justicefollw-ups.

Now the franchise branches off onceagain in the form of Ace AttorneyInvestigations: Miles Edgeworth.

As the title suggests, the game dropsthe previous spiky-haired goody-goodyprotagonists in favour of fan favouriteMiles Edgeworth, who served as theplayer’s main rival in earlier titles.

Rather than putting player throughthe usual lengthy courtroom dramas,Investigations instead turns its focus tothe crime scene. Players are sent to thevarious murder scenes to search forevidence and contradictions that willprove to be essential to solving each ofthe game’s mysteries.

The process of investigation is nolonger as inactive as it once was, withplayers actively moving the main

character around each environmentwith the stylus, instead of simplytapping on a static background.

There are also new game mechanicsthat will make the action more engaging,such as Logic mode.

Once players have acquired enoughevidence, they must use this to identifythe connections between everythingthey have found and the testimony ofkey witnesses.

Capcom expands uponits successful AceAttorney series with abrand new look at one ofthe franchise’s mostpopular antagonists…


FORMATS: DS

PUBLISHER: CAPCOM

DEVELOPER: CAPCOM

PRICE: £24.99


CONTACT: 0121 625 3388

by James Batchelor

MACHINARIUM is a traditional pointand click adventure that has alreadycharmed PC owners with its unique artstyle and quirky universe.

The game puts players in the role of arobot on a quest to save his girlfriend

from the evil robots of the Black CapBrotherhood. Exiled to the scrap heap,the metallic hero must progress througha series of puzzles if he is to find hisway back into the city of Machinariumand bring down his enemies.

As gamers explore this robotic world,they must collect important items andspeak with the scrap heap’s inhabitants in order to find their way into the city.

Using an endearing design approachreminiscent of Wall-E, the game bearsno speech and instead sees characterscommunicating with gestures and iconsin cartoon speech bubbles.

Machinarium has been criticallyacclaimed across a range of gamingpublications, receiving high scores fromthe likes of GamesTM and IGN.

It also won the Excellence award forVisual Art at the 2009 IndependentGames Festival.

While the game may already beavailable as a downloadable title,Mamba Games is still confident that theretail version will be a success thanks toa variety of retail-exclusive incentives.

Each boxed copy of the game willinclude a soundtrack CD, concept artbook, A3 poster and a printed copy ofthe official guide.

Mamba Games bringsthe acclaimed digitalpoint and click adventureto shelves with a fewretail incentives…

RELEASED: MARCH 5

FORMATS: PC

PUBLISHER: MAMBA GAMES

DEVELOPER: AMANITA DESIGN

PRICE: £19.99

DISTRIBUTOR: ADVANTAGE

CONTACT: 0121 506 9585

by James Batchelor

by James Batchelor

24 MCV574_final 5/2/10 17:26 Page 1

www.gamescom-cologne.com

Koelnmesse Ltd.

4th Floor, 205/207 City Road

London EC1V 1JN, Great Britain

Phone: +44 20 75 66 6340

Fax: +44 20 75 66 6341

[email protected]

gamescom 2009 was a complete success:

• 458 exhibitors from 31 countries

• More than 245,000 visitors

• Approx. 45% international trade visitors

• 4,100 journalists from 49 countries

open to all visitors

Th. 19/08 Fr. 20/08 Sa. 21/08 Su. 22/08

GDC

We. 18/08Tu. 17/08

exclusive day exclusive day for industry for industry

professionals professionals and the pressand the press

business areabusiness areaclosedclosed

Mo. 16/08

Gamescom_AZ_230x315_MCV_FB_GB_neu_balken_V2.indd 1Gamescom_AZ_230x315_MCV_FB_GB_neu_balken_V2.indd 1 28.01.2010 11:17:52 Uhr28.01.2010 11:17:52 Uhr

TITLE FORMAT GENRE PUBLISHER TELEPHONE DISTRIBUTOR

Released: February 19

Format: 360, PS3, Wii

Publisher: Activision

Distributor: Centresoft

Contact: 0121 625 3388

MUSTSTOCK ............GUITAR HERO: VAN HALEN

Sega’s Aliens vs Predator brings sci-fi action to gamers everywhere, while music fans can enjoy a new dose of Guitar Hero.Also approaching shelves is Final Fantasy XIII, Battlefield, Heavy Rain, Napoleon, Dynasty Warriors, Ben 10 and more...

Aliens prey on February rivals

The newest band-specific titlein the best-selling Guitar Heroseries focuses on the musicof Van Halen. Fans andnewcomers alike can rock outto some of the group’s besthits, such as ‘Jump’, ‘Eruption’,and ‘Panama’. There are alsotunes from guest bands.

Released: February 19

Format: 360, PS3, PC

Publisher: Sega

Distributor: Centresoft

Contact: 0121 625 3388

Sega dusts off the classic sci-fiIP and throws humans into abattle against two of Hollywood’smost iconic extra-terrestrials.Players get to experience theaction from the perspectives ofall three species, granting themaccess to alien powers an high-tech weaponry.

RETAILBIZ: NEW RELEASES

Check out MCVUK.COM/RELEASE-DATES for more


Ace Attorney: Miles Edgeworth Investigates DS Mystery Capcom 0121 625 3388 CentresoftAliens vs Predator PC / PS3 / XBOX 360 Action Sega 0121 625 3388 CentresoftArt Of Murder DS Adventure City Interactive 0845 362 7769 TrilogyBlood Of Europe PC RPG Excalibur Publishing 01869 338833 OpenDynasty Warriors: Strikeforce PS3 / XBOX 360 Action Tecmo Koei 01462 476 130 OpenFamily Party: Winter Fun Wii Mini-games D3Publisher 0208 222 9700 Namco BandaiGhost Pirates of Vooju Island PC Casual/Adventure Mamba Games 01273 202220 LaceGrand Ages Rome: Gold Edition PC Strategy Kalypso Media 0121 506 9585 AdvantageGuitar Hero: Van Halen XBOX 360 / PS3 / Wii Music Activision Blizzard 0121 625 3388 CentresoftHello Kitty Puzzle Party PSP Puzzle Ubisoft 01279 822800 GemIndianapolis 500 Evolution PC / XBOX 360 Racing Zushi 01279 822800 GemMaking History 2: War Of The World PC Strategy Mamba Games 01273 202220 LaceResident Evil 5 (Platinum/Classics) XBOX 360 / PS3 Survival Horror Capcom 0121 625 3388 CentresoftTNA! Impact: Cross The Line PSP Fighting South Peak 0121 625 3388 Centresoft

727 Captain PC Simulation Just Flight 0845 234 4242 MastertronicAdventures To Go PSP Adventure Zushi 01279 822800 GemAnno 1404 Venice Add-on PC Strategy Ubisoft 01279 822800 GemDiscover Arabia PC Simulation First Class Simulations 01869 338833 OpenHeavy Rain PS3 Adventure Sony 0121 625 3388 CentresoftLips: Party Classics XBOX 360 Music Microsoft 01279 822800 GemMight And Magic: Clash Of Heroes DS Puzzle/RPG Ubisoft 01279 822800 GemNapoleon: Total War PC Strategy Sega 0121 625 3388 CentresoftSky Crawlers: Innocent Aces Wii Action Namco Bandai 0121 506 9585 AdvantageSled Shred Wii Sports South Peak 0121 625 3388 CentresoftSonic & Sega All-Stars Racing DS / Wii / PS3 / XBOX 360 Racing Sega 0121 625 3388 CentresoftUndead Knights PSP Action Tecmo Koei 01462 476 130 OpenWay of the Samurai 3 PS3 / XBOX 360 Action Rising Star Games 0845 234 4242 Mastertronic

Alabama Smith: Escape From Pompeii PC Casual S.A.D 01582 436043 PlayVAlice In Wonderland DS / PC / Wii Action Disney Interactive 0121 625 3388 CentresoftAround The World In 80 Days DS Puzzle S.A.D 01582 436043 PlayVAssassin's Creed II PC Action Ubisoft 01279 822800 GemBattlefield: Bad Company 2 XBOX 360 / PS3 / PC FPS EA 0121 625 3388 CentresoftDefendin De Penguin DS Action Zushi 01279 822800 GemDiscover Great Britain PC Simulation First Class Simulations 01869 338833 OpenGourmania PC Casual S.A.D 01582 436043 PlayVImagine Journalist DS Imagine Ubisoft 01279 822800 GemJewels Of Sahara DS Puzzle City Interactive 0845 362 7769 TrilogyMachinarium PC Casual Mamba Games 01273 202220 LaceMagic Encyclopedia PC Casual S.A.D 01582 436043 PlayVMiniclip’s Sushi Go Round DS / Wii Mini-Games South Peak 0121 625 3388 CentresoftPet Show Craze PC Casual S.A.D 01582 436043 PlayVPicross 3D DS Puzzle Nintendo 0870 027 0985 KochSacred 2: Gold PC RPG Deep Silver 0870 027 0985 KochSilent Hill: Shattered Memories PSP / Wii / PS2 Survival Horror Konami 0208 987 5706 OpenSilent Hunter 5 PC Action Ubisoft 01279 822800 GemSupreme Commander 2 PC Strategy/Action Square Enix 020 8987 5730 Open

Final Fantasy XIII PS3 / XBOX 360 RPG Square Enix 020 7324 5200 Open

Avalon Code DS RPG Rising Star Games 0845 234 4242 MastertronicBallerina Wii Simulation Deep Silver 0870 027 0985 KochBen 10: Alien Force: Vilgax Attacks PSP / DS / Wii / PS2 / XBOX 360 Action/Adventure D3Publisher 0208 222 9700 Namco Bandai

FEBRUARY 19th

FEBRUARY 26th

MARCH 5th

MARCH 9th

MARCH 12th

MUSTSTOCK ....................ALIENS VS PREDATOR


Super model makeover Ad_MCV:Layout 1 05/02/2010 17:05 Page 1

Sponsored by

RETAILBIZ: HIGH STREET


WILL APPLE'S IPAD BENEFIT GAMES RETAILERS?

Echoing the views of the majority ofgames retailers we’ve spoken to, theparticipants of the latest online MCVsurvey are unconvinced by the potential ofApple’s download-only iPad.

The device is due for release in Marchwith a 3G-enabled version to follow inApril, and some retailers such as GAMEhave already pledged support to it, enticedby the promise of a strong games drive bythe likes of EA.

However, more than three quarters ofvoters in our latest poll believed therewould be no benefit for games retailers,thanks to its non-specialist target audienceand download-only business model.

Only 14 per cent believed it would proveto be profitable for any games retailersthat stock it.

� Take part in MCV’s next poll atwww.mcvuk.com

POLL

MARGIN MAKER

Charts compiled by Game Guide/CompleteEPOS Solutions. For more information aboutComplete EPOS Solutions call 01543370002. For more information about theGame Guide call 01606 836347.

1 2 3 4 5

INDIE CHARTS - ALL FORMATS As the annual Oscars talk begins toheat up, Gem offers retailers thechance to cash in on the movie hypewith this duo of Paramount movieson USB.

Available through a partnershipbetween the two firms, stores canstock digital versions of Transformers:Revenge Of The Fallen and Star Trek.

Each flick comes on a speciallyconstructed 4GB USB stick based onfamiliar emblems from the films.These devices are compatible withmost DivX-certified machines,including PC, Mac and PS3.

The movies come in a specialcollector’s tin and areideal for gifting.Exspect: 01782 748 732

Yes14%

No77%

Not Sure9%

MASS EFFECT 2FORMAT: 360 DEVELOPER: EA BIOWARE PUBLISHER: EA1

LAST WEEK TITLE/FORMAT PUBLISHERTHIS

WEEK

2 MAG PS3 SONY

3 MAG: COLLECTOR’S EDITION PS3 SONY

4 3 COD: MODERN WARFARE 2 360 ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

5 4 FIFA 10 360 EA

6 10 NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. WII Wii NINTENDO

7 JUST DANCE Wii UBISOFT

8 ARMY OF TWO: THE 40TH DAY 360 EA

9 8 COD: MODERN WARFARE 2 PS3 ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

10 2 ARMY OF TWO: THE 40TH DAY PS3 EA

REVIEW SCORES

MCV provides the most important average review scoresof the last few days – all sourced from Metacritic...

*Metacritic scores correct at the time of going to press

BlazBlue: TriggerPS3

PQube

89%MX Vs ATV Reflex

360 THQ

79%Endless Ocean 2

WiiNintendo

76%White Knight Chron.

PS3 Sony

69%

95%Mass Effect 2PC EA

DEAL OF THE WEEK

HMV customersreceive a free copyof Mass Effect 2when they buy a120Gb Xbox 360Elite for £194.99.

RE

RE

NEW

NEW

28,29 MCV574_final 5/2/10 17:49 Page 1

BIOSHOCK 23602K GAMES

[PRE ORDERS]

2. BIOSHOCK 2PS3 ................................................................2K GAMES

3. FINAL FANTASY XIIIPS3 ............................................................SQUARE ENIX

4. HEAVY RAINPS3 ......................................................................SONY

5. BIOSHOCK 2: WITH LITTLE SISTER360 ................................................................2K GAMES

6. ALIENS VS PREDATOR360 ......................................................................SEGA

7. FINAL FANTASY XIII: COLLECTORS EDPS3 ............................................................SQUARE ENIX

8. GOD OF WAR IIIPS3 ......................................................................SONY

9. BIOSHOCK 2: WITH LITTLE SISTERPS3 ................................................................2K GAMES

10. ALIENS VS PREDATOR360 ......................................................................SEGAWeek ending February 5thSource: SHOPTO.COM

TOP 10

[PRE ORDERS]

2. BIOSHOCK 2PS3 ................................................................2K GAMES

3. ALIENS VS PREDATORPC ........................................................................SEGA

4. ALIENS VS PREDATOR360 ......................................................................SEGA

5. THE SIMS: DESIGN & HIGH TECH STUFFPC ............................................................................EA

6. HEAVY RAINPS3 ......................................................................SONY

7. FINAL FANTASY XIIIPS3 ............................................................SQUARE ENIX

8. FINAL FANTASY XIII: COLLECTORS EDPS3 ..........................................................SQUARE ENIXA

9. DANTE’S INFERNOPS3 ..........................................................................EA

10. BIOSHOCK 2: COLLECTORS EDITION360 ................................................................2K GAMESWeek ending February 5thSource: AMAZON.CO.UK

TOP 10BIOSHOCK 23602K GAMES

Sponsored by

IN STORE: CHESTER

ONLINE

£39.99 £34.98 £39.99 £22.98 £44.99

£39.71 £27.71 £39.71 £24.71 £44.71

£39.99 £39.99 £44.99 £29.99 £44.99

£39.99 £39.99 £39.99 £29.99 £44.99

£34.99 £27.71 £34.73 £23.18 £37.99

£39.99 £29.99 £39.99 £25.99 £39.99

£36.85 £26.85 £39.95 £22.95 £42.99

£37.95 £26.95 £34.95 £24.95 £38.95

Mario Kart WiiWii, Nintendo

MAGPS3, Sony

RETAILBIZ: HIGH STREET


How much competition do you have to facein your area?We’ve got all the big multiples here: GAME,Gamestation, HMV, Currys Digital. But none ofthem pose a serious threat to us because wegive good customer service.

People come to us because of our knowledgeof the games industry, and we tend to stock alot more variety than the others put together.The main chains focus on the Top 20 or Top 50games, while we also offer much more in theway of back catalogue titles.

What is the biggest challenge you face?Supermarkets, because of the pricing. OverChristmas, it was a nightmare because theywere undercutting us on key titles like ModernWarfare and FIFA. Apart from that, we’re okay.

What makes your store unique?I think it’s the friendly environment you gethere, which you don’t really find in the bigmultiples. We have people that know us quitewell and pop in just to say hello.

What are your hopes for 2010?That things will probably start picking up nowthat we’re technically out of the recession.

We chat to Aki Querishi fromLondon’s Awesome Games…

Mass Effect 2360, EA

FROM THE FRONTLINE

PRICE CHECK

Mario & Sonic: WinterDS, Sega

COD: Modern Warfare 2Activision Blizzard

“None of the High Street storespose a serious threat to us because

we give good customer service.”

28,29 MCV574_final 5/2/10 17:49 Page 2

NINTENDO DS [FULL PRICE]THIS WEEK

LAST WEEK TITLE PUBLISHER

2 3 MARIO KART DS NINTENDO

3 2 DR KAWASHIMA’S BRAIN TRAINING NINTENDO

4 5 MARIO & SONIC: WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES SEGA

5 4 PROFESSOR LAYTON: PANDORA’S BOX NINTENDO

6 9 MYSTERY STORIES GSP/AVANQUEST

7 6 PROFESSOR LAYTON: CURIOUS VILLAGE NINTENDO

8 15 TAKE A BREAK’S PUZZLE MASTER UBISOFT

9 7 ZELDA: SPIRIT TRACKS NINTENDO

10 TITANIC MYSTERY S.A.D

WII [BUDGET PRICE]THIS WEEK


JUST DANCEDEVELOPER: UBISOFT (FRANCE) PUBLISHER: UBISOFT


MASS EFFECT 2FORMAT: XBOX 360, PC DEVELOPER: BIOWARE PUBLISHER: EA

PC CD-ROM [FULL PRICE]THIS WEEK


2 2 FOOTBALL MANAGER 2010 SEGA

3 1 MASS EFFECT 2 EA

4 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. CALL OF PRIPYAT KOCH MEDIA

5 3 THE SIMS 3 EA

6 5 THE SIMS 3: WORLD ADVENTURES EA

7 4 COD: MODERN WARFARE 2 ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

8 7 WOW: WRATH OF LICH KING ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

9 8 DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS ELECTRONIC ARTS

10 6 EMPIRE: TOTAL WAR SEGA

[ENTERTAINMENT - ALL PRICES]

OFFICIALUKCHARTS[1]

[2]

[3]

STAR TREK ONLINEDEVELOPER: CRYPTIC STUDIOS PUBLISHER: ATARI

WII [FULL PRICE]THIS WEEK


WII SPORTS RESORTDEVELOPER: NINTENDO PUBLISHER: NINTENDO

2 2 NEW SUPER MARIO BROS WII NINTENDO

3 3 MARIO KART WII NINTENDO

4 4 MARIO & SONIC: WINTER OLYMPICS SEGA

5 5 JAMES CAMERON’S AVATAR UBISOFT

6 10 FIFA 10 EA

7 7 YOUR SHAPE UBISOFT

8 COD 4: MODERN WARFARE ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

9 8 F1 2009 CODEMASTERS

10 9 MARIO & SONIC: OLYMPIC GAMES SEGA

[5]

RETAILBIZ: RETAIL CHARTS


Check out RETAILBIZ at WWW.MCVUK.COM

NEW

NEW

NEW

NEW

NEW

RE

RE

RE

THIS WEEK

NEW SUPER MARIO BROSDEVELOPER: NINTENDO PUBLISHER: NINTENDO

1

2 2 WII FIT PLUS NINTENDO

3 3 WII PLAY NINTENDO

4 6 SUPER SMASH BROS: BRAWL NINTENDO

5 4 EA SPORTS ACTIVE EA

6 INDIANA JONES: STAFF OF KINGS LUCASARTS

7 5 MONOPOLY EA

8 9 MY FITNESS COACH: GET IN SHAPE UBISOFT

9 15 FERRARI CHALLENGE: TROFEO PIRELLI SYSTEM 3

10 11 PEPPA PIG: THE GAME P2 GAMES

1

[4]

2 2 JUST DANCE Wii UBISOFT

3 3 COD: MODERN WARFARE 2 360, PS3, PC, DS ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

4 DANTES’S INFERNO PSP, 360, PS3 EA

5 7 FIFA 10 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, DS, PC, PSP EA

6 5 WII SPORTS RESORT Wii NINTENDO

7 4 MAG PS3 SONY

8 8 NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. WII Wii NINTENDO

9 6 WII FIT PLUS Wii NINTENDO

10 10 JAMES CAMERON’S AVATAR 360, PS3, Wii, DS, PSP, PC UBISOFT

11 STAR TREK ONLINE PC ATARI

12 11 ASSASSIN’S CREED II 360, PS3 UBISOFT

13 12 MARIO KART WII Wii NINTENDO

14 9 ARMY OF TWO: THE 40TH DAY 360, PS3, PSP EA

15 13 LEGO BATMAN PC, DS, PS3, 360, Wii, PSP WARNER BROS

16 14 FORZA MOTORSPORT 3 360 MICROSOFT

17 15 MARIO & SONIC: OLYMPIC WINTER Wii SEGA

18 MX VS ATV REFLEX 360, PS3, DS, PSP THQ

19 16 FOOTBALL MANAGER 2010 PC SEGA

20 THE SIMS 3: DESIGN & HIGH-TECH STUFF PC EA

1

1TOP 40ALL

1


PSP [FULL PRICE]THIS WEEK


FIFA 10DEVELOPER: HB STUDIOS PUBLISHER: EA

PC CD-ROM [BUDGET PRICE]THIS WEEK


Highest New Entry

IT WAS A fierce battle at the top of the Gfk Chart-

Track All-Formats Charts this week, as Mass

Effect 2 just manages to cling onto No.1.

Sales of EA’s sci-fi RPG slipped 64 per cent,

while second-placed Just Dance saw sales fall by

26 per cent. A mere 850 units separated the two

titles in the chart.

It was also a tight battle for third place.

Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

managed to hold the position despite a 12 per

cent sales dip, with EA's new action adventure

Dante’s Inferno having to settle for fourth place.

Dante’s Inferno was the highest new entry this

week, with Atari's Star Trek Online managing 11th

position, THQ’s MX Vs. ATV speeding into 18th

place and The Sims 3: Design & High Tech Stuff

securing No.20.

[email protected]

[ANALYSIS]

SIMS 3: DESIGN & HIGH-TECH STUFFDEVELOPER: THE SIMS STUDIO PUBLISHER: EA

2 1 ASSASSIN’S CREED FOCUS

3 3 THE MYSTERY OF THE CRYSTAL PORTAL GSP/AVANQUEST

4 2 WOW: BATTLE CHEST ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

5 6 HIDDEN MYSTERIES: TITANIC GSP/AVANQUEST

6 BIOSHOCK & OBLIVION 2K GAMES

7 5 CHAMPIONSHIP MANAGER 2010 EIDOS

8 7 MYSTERY IN LONDON: JACK THE RIPPER FOCUS

9 4 SNIPER: ART OF VICTORY CITY INTERACTIVE

10 10 THE SIMS 2 ELECTRONIC ARTS

PS3 [FULL PRICE]THIS WEEK


MAGDEVELOPER: ZIPPER INTERACTIVE PUBLISHER: SONY

2 DANTE’S INFERNO EA


4 5 FIFA 10 EA

5 3 UNCHARTED 2: AMONG THIEVES SONY

6 4 ASSASSIN’S CREED II UBISOFT

7 6 ARMY OF TWO: THE 40TH DAY EA

8 8 JAMES CAMERON’S AVATAR UBISOFT

9 13 NEED FOR SPEED: SHIFT EA

10 MX VS ATV REFLEX THQ

XBOX 360 [FULL PRICE]THIS WEEK


MASS EFFECT 2DEVELOPER: EA BIOWARE PUBLISHER: EA

2 DANTE’S INFERNO EA


4 3 FORZA MOTORSPORT 3 MICROSOFT

5 6 FIFA 10 EA

6 4 ARMY OF TWO: THE 40TH DAY EA

7 5 ASSASSIN’S CREED II UBISOFT

8 7 GTA: EPISODES FROM LIBERTY CITY ROCKSTAR

9 MX VS ATV REFLEX THQ

10 9 BORDERLANDS 2K GAMES [SO

UR

CE

](c

) E

LS

PA

, C

om

piled

by C

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tTra

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RETAILBIZ: RETAIL CHARTS


WEEK ENDING06/02/10

NEW

NEW

NEW

NEW

NEW

RE

RE

RE

12 1 LITTLEBIGPLANET SONY

3 3 GRAN TURISMO SONY

4 5 GTA: CHINATOWN WARS ROCKSTAR

5 4 ASSASSIN’S CREED: BLOODLINES UBISOFT

6 6 FOOTBALL MANAGER 2010 SEGA

7 7 JAMES CAMERON’S AVATAR: THE GAME UBISOFT

8 9 DISSIDIA: FINAL FANTASY SQUARE ENIX

9 DISGAEA 2: DARK HERO DAYS KOEI

10 8 YU-GI-OH! GX TAG FORCE 4 KONAMI

21 22 OPERATION FLASHPOINT 2 360, PS3, PC CODEMASTERS

22 17 BORDERLANDS 360, PS3, PC 2K GAMES

23 21 PES 2010 360, PS3, PC KONAMI

24 23 UNCHARTED 2: AMONG THIEVES PS3 SONY

25 26 WWE SMACKDOWN 2010 360, PS3, Wii, DS, PS2, PSP THQ

26 24 NEW SUPER MARIO BROS DS NINTENDO

27 20 GRAND THEFT AUTO IV 360, PS3, PC ROCKSTAR

28 31 DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS 360, PS3, PC EA

29 19 W II PLAY Wii NINTEND

30 29 PEPPA PIG: THE GAME Wii, DS P2 GAMES/UBISOFT

31 34 TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 10 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP EA

32 27 GTA: EPISODES FROM LIBERTY CITY 360 ROCKSTAR

33 38 NEED FOR SPEED: SHIFT 360, PS3, PC EA

34 33 ASSASSIN’S CREED PS3, 360, PC DISNEY

35 SUPER MARIO BROS: BRAWL WII NINTENDO

36 25 BAYONETTA 360, PS3 SEGA

37 18 DARKSIDERS 360, PS3 THQ

38 28 PURE 360, PS3, PC DISNEY

39 32 COLIN MCRAE: DIRT 2 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, DS CODEMASTERS

40 ASHES CRICKET 2009 360, PS3, PC, Wii CODEMASTERS

1

1

L FORMATS

1


International Distribution Guide

TO ADVERTISE IN THE INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION GUIDE

INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION


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

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]

EBS BeneluxLorentzweg 1

3752 LH Bunschoten-Spakenburg

The Netherlands

Phone: +31 (0)33 201 21 00

Fax: +31 (0)33 201 21 01

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.ebs-benelux.com

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

GOODTONESGREAT GAMES LTD1 Alkaiou Street / Office 1 /

Engomi / Nicosia 2404 / Cyprus

tel. +357 22 666612

www.greatgames.com.cy

DENMARK

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

SUPREME FACTORY439 avenue de la Gare

84470 Chateauneuf de Gadagne

Email : [email protected]

Phone : 0033 432 751 165

Fax : 0033 432 751 160

GERMANYGroß 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

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

NETHERLANDSEBS-Benelux...........................................Bunschoten

Gameworld 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. ul. Jana Szczyrki 12,

54-426 Wroclaw, Poland


Web: www.techland.pl

Phone: +48 71 354 46 10

Fax: +48 71 354 46 10

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

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

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

DistribucionesVideográficas Digitales ....Madrid

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

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

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

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

GAME OUTLET EUROPE AB

PO Box 5083

S-650 05 Karlstad, Sweden

Phone: +46 54 854750

Fax: +46 54 854759


Website: www.gameoutlet.se

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

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.bascodistribution.com


The International DistributionGuide is dedicated to promotingcompanies outside of the UK. Ifyou are looking for new customersoverseas, then look no further...

PLEASE CONTACT [email protected]

INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION


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

#2 North Hills, CA. 91343

Tel: +1 818 920 9393

[email protected]

www.usgamesdist.com

UAE

ALESAYI UNITED COMPANYVideo Games Distributor in the Middle East

P.O BOX 16999

Jebel Ali Free Zone Dubai U.A.E.

Tel: 00971 4 883 5960

Fax: 00971 4 883 5175

E-Mail: [email protected]

U.A.E. Website: www.alesayi.ae

Group Website: www.alesayi.com

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

Red Entertainment Distribution ..................Dubai

USAAUSTRALIA

EUROPE

JAPAN

GLOBAL RETAILER EB Games is tothrow its weight behind the drive tolegalise violent games in Australia bypromoting awareness of thecampaign in its many stores acrossthe territory.

Due to the way the Australianregulators are structured, the highestcertificate currently available for videogames is M15+, meaning any gamesdeemed not suitable for those olderthan 15 cannot be released unlesspublisher’s agree to censor them.

Talks are ongoing about thepossibility of introducing an R18+rating, but advocates face strongopposition from anti-games campaigns.EB Games’ decision to wade intothe debate at last adds somecorporate firepower to the cause.

“With the release of theGovernment’s discussion paper, weknew as a company that we neededto act on this issue as it continues tocripple our industry and cost localjobs,” EB Games Australia MD SteveWilson told Kotaku.

“We want to be sure that ourcustomers were as passionate aboutthe matter as we are.”

DIRECT2DRIVE has launched itsnew EU store.

The new store can be found atwww.direct2drive.eu, and is aimedat customers living in continentalEurope, complete with Euro pricing.

The IGN-owned digitaldistribution firm has also teamed upwith publishers on a series of pricepromotions, which began with 50per cent off THQ titles betweenFebruary 2nd and February 9th.

“Boasting a catalogue of hundredsof PC and Mac titles,Direct2Drive.eu is a natural additionto the Direct2Drive family,"commented IGN UK marketingdirector Rich Keen

“As part of IGN Entertainmentour European footprint continues togrow steadily, with sales fromDirect2Drive UK significantlyincreasing year-on-year providing uswith a solid springboard into theEuropean market.”

INTERNATIONAL NEWSRETAIL GIANTS Wal-Mart and Best Buy have pulled out of a plan to extend their reach inthe games market via automaticstore-based kiosks.

In May last year Wal-Martteamed up with E-Play to placekiosks in 80 of its 3,600 USstores, while Best Buy also carriedthe experiment in a limitednumber of stores. However, theplan has been terminated due tounderwhelming response.

Ohio-based E-Play’s website isnow carrying a placeholder statingthat the company has suspendedits operations.

Under the scheme, consumerscould buy and rent video games viathe kiosks. They could also selltheir used games. Users would keyin the name of a game, receive anon-screen price, insert the gamedisk and deposit the packaging in abin. Their credit card would thenbe credited.

When it was launched last year,the E-Play plan was widely seen asan attempt by leading retailers towrestle share of the highlyprofitable used game market fromUS retail giant GameStop.

XBOX 360 owners in Japan willsoon be able to get their hands ona standalone version of the 250GBHDD – a peripheral only availablein hardware bundles in the UK.

Until now the 250GB HDD wasonly available as part of specialconsole packs – including bundlesfor Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2and Forza 3. Microsoft said lastSeptember that it had no plans torelease the 250GB HDD as astandalone SKU.

However, the accessory will nowbe released in Japan on March11th. It will cost YEN 15,540, justunder £110.

The same day will also see therelease of an Xbox 360 blackcontroller bundle including fourXbox Live Arcade titles (YEN5,775) and the high-speed wireless-N WiFi adapter (YEN 8,925).


For further online advertising information please contact

[email protected] or call 01992 535647

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DISTRIBUTION

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DISCSTRIBUTION

www.discstribution.comDistributors of DVDs, Blu-Ray, Music CDs and Video Games

Over 100,000 Different Items to Order Online

Accepted Payments - Paypal - Google Checkout - Credit Cards - Bank Tranfers and 30 Day Credit Accounts

Call Kevin, Ashley, Richie or Pete+44 (0) 845 430 8735

DISCSTRIBUTION . . . . . . . +44 (0)845 430 8735 . . . . . . . . . www.discstribution.com

TO ADVERTISE CONTACT ROB BAKER ON: 01992 535647 OR

DISTRIBUTION

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

KEY CONTACTS

DIRECTORYDISTRIBUTIONCreative Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8664 3456Curveball Leisure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01792 652562Discstribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0845 430 8735Gem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01279 822800GLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01708 725742Ideal Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01767 689 720Logic3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01923 471 000Meroncourt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01462 680060The Producers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 7774 672891

GAMES CONSOLE REPAIRTotal Console Repair Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . 087 19 18 17 21

GAMING ACCESSORIESPinpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01606 558 428

LOCALISATIONPartnertrans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01753 247731Testronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01753 653 722Universally Speaking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01480 210621

RETAIL SERVICESComplete Epos Solutions Ltd . . . . . . . 01543 370002

STORE FITTINGSAMA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0113 2311030UK Shopfitters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0844 257 8800

DISTRIBUTION

CURVEBALL LEISURE . . . . . . 01792 652526 . . . . . . . [email protected]

34-37 MCV574_final:Layout 1 5/2/10 17:27 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

FOR MORE DETAILS CONTACT: [email protected]

[email protected]

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 19th 2010

GAMES MEDIA FOCUSMCV analyses the latest statistics from the Audit Bureau of Circulation,looking at the highs and lows for the games media’s biggest players.We speak to leading figures from the industry about the changes thesector has been through, the challenges print and online publicationsface, and their predictions for the rest of 2010.

FRIDAY FEBURARY 26th 2010

RUSSIAN TERRITORY REPORTDespite being one of the largest countries on the planet, Russia’s gamesindustry is still in an on-going state of development. In the latest of ourTerritory Reports, we speak to the major players in this region about howthe games industry is driven and maintained, while also looking at thekey problems these companies face.

GENRE FOCUS: RTSAfter last year’s strong line-up of real-time strategy titles, includingEmpire: Total War, Halo Wars and Dawn Of War II, we look at what 2010holds for the genre. We offer a glimpse of the hottest upcoming RTSgames, including Command & Conquer 4, R.U.S.E, Napoleon: Total War,Starcraft 2 and Dawn Of War II: Chaos Rising. We speak to the publishersbehind these titles. We also discuss the future of the genre and thechallenges that face new strategy releases.

FRIDAY MARCH 5th 2010

QA & LOCALISATIONAs the emerging markets of the world continue to develop, growingever closer to the likes of Europe, the US and Japan, localisationbecomes increasingly important to publishers hoping to release thenext global hit. MCV talks to leading QA and localisation specialists onthe latest developments facing the sector and the biggest advancesseen over the last year.


GDC REVIEWWe offer an in-depth rundown of the various revelations that willinevitably emerge from the first major gaming event of the year. Withmotion controllers and more on the way from all three platform-holders and numerous unannounced projects in the works, all eyeswith be on this year’s Game Developers Conference.

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALANDTERRITORY REPORTAustralia has regularly made the headlines in recent months, withmany of the biggest adult games having to be edited before they canbe released Down Under due to the region’s lack of an 18 certificate.MCV investigates the state of the Australian and New Zealand gamesmarkets, speaking to suppliers, key industry personnel and analysts.


DUPLICATION AND COPY PROTECTIONMCV takes a look at the process between the end of a game’sdevelopment and its release. We speak to the key players in theduplication and copy protection sector in order to shed some light onthis cruical but often overlooked segment of the industry.


TO ADVERTISE CONTACT ROB BAKER ON: 01992 535647 OR

STUDIOS

Epic Games ...................................................+1 919 870 1516

nDreams...........................................................01252 375754

Razorback ...........................................www.razorback.co.uk

Realtime Worlds ...............................+44 (0) 1382 202 821

Stainless [email protected]

TOOLS

Blitz Games Studios ......................+44 (0) 1926 880 000

bluegfx ..............................................+44 (0) 1483 467 200

Crytek ........................................................+49 69219 77660

Dolby...........................................................(0) 1793 842 922

SERVICES

amBX UK Ltd. ...............................................www.ambx.com

Ian Livingstone..................................+44 (0) 1483 421 491

Imagination Studios..............................+46 (0) 18-106930

Onteca................................................+44 (0) 151 709 0028

Partnertrans.......................................+44 (0) 1753 247 731

TC Associates.................................+44 (0) 7768 883 808

Testronic Labs ..................................+44 (0) 1753 653 722

Universally Speaking.......................+44 (0) 1480 210 621

Xaitment............................................+49 6897 - 600 80-0

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]

DISTRIBUTION

CREATIVE DISTRIBUTION . . . . 0208 6643456 . . . . www.creativedistribution.co.uk

DISTRIBUTION

GEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01279 822800 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.gem.co.uk

DISTRIBUTION

The Producers offer a fullsupply chain management servicecovering manufacturing, warehousing,fulfilment and distribution

Save money - Pay in £ not € - Flexible Inventory

Contact Rob Gross on:+44 (0)7774 672891 – [email protected]

THE PRODUCERS . . . . . . . . . . (0) 7774 672891 . . . . . . . . . . . www.theproducers.co.uk

Develop is the only dedicated publication for the UK andEuropean games development community. It reaches over8,000 request-only subscribers every month.


[email protected]

STORE FITTINGS

AMA DISPLAYS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0113 2311030 . . . . . . . . . . . www.ama-displays.co.uk

DISTRIBUTION

GLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01708 725742. . . . . . . . . [email protected]

DISTRIBUTION

IDEAL SOFTWARE . . . . . . . +44 (0) 1767 689720 . . . . . . . . . . www.idealsoftware.net

UK SHOPFITTERS

UK SHOPFITTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . 0844 257 8800 . . . . . . . . . www.ukshopfitters.com

RETAIL SERVICES

COMPLETE EPOS SOLUTIONS LTD . . . . 01543 370 002. . . . . . . . www.ggepos.com

GAMES CONSOLE REPAIR

TOTAL CONSOLE REPAIR . . . . . . . 08719 181721 . . . . . www.totalconsolerepair.co.uk


From the MCV Awards to our GamesDeveloper Conference, here are all theessential industry dates to put in your diary…

DIARY DATES ‘09

FEBRUARY

DICE SUMMIT 2010Wednesday, February 17th –Friday, February 19thRed Rock Casino, Las Vegas, USwww.dicesummit.org

MIDLANDS MCM EXPO 2010Saturday, February 20th –Sunday, February 21stTelford International Centrewww.mcmexpo.org

MARCH

THE DEVELOP QUIZThursday, March 4thSway Bar, [email protected]

GDC 2010Tuesday, March 9th –Saturday, March 13thMoscone Convention Center, SanFrancisco, USwww.gdconf.com

JUNEE3 2010Tuesday, June 15th –Thursday, June 17thLos Angeles Convention Centrewww.e3expo.com

JULYDEVELOP CONFERENCE 2010July 13th - July 15thBrighton, UKwww.develop-conference.com

DEVELOP INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2010July 14thBrighton, UKwww.develop-online.net

CASUAL CONNECT SEATTLETuesday, July 20th –Thursday, July 22ndBenaroya Hall, Seattle, USseattle.casualconnect.org

AUGUSTGAMESCOMWednesday, August 18th -Sunday, August 22ndCologne, Germanywww.gamescom-cologne.com

MCV INDUSTRYEXCELLENCE AWARDS2010Thursday, April 22ndThe Brewery, [email protected]

The biggest night in the UKgames industry’s calendarreturns to The Brewery in2010, and will once againfeature awards split acrossthree main categories;Retail, PR and Marketing,and People and Industry.

A whopping 650representatives from allcorners of the UK gamestrade will be attending thisessential games industryevent that gives credit tothe industry’s mostdeserving execs.

THE DEVELOP QUIZThursday, March 4th Sway Bar, [email protected]

Everyone thinks that theywork with some cleverpeople in this industry – buthow about putting yourmoney where your mouthis and take on your peersat The Develop Quiz?

Sponsored by PremierPR and Train2Game, thelatest outing for thisessential networking eventwill pit 20 teams of fiveagainst each other.

All industry members –be they studios, publishers,QA and recruitmentcompanies – are all invitedto attend, with a full nightof entertainment andcompetition on offer.

LOCALISATION

TESTRONIC LABORATORIES . . . +44 (0) 1753 653 722. . . . www.testroniclabs.com

LOCALISATION

UNIVERSALLY SPEAKING . . . . . . . 01480 210621 . . . . . . . . . . . www.usspeaking.com

LOCALISATION

PARTNERTRANS . . . . . . . . . . . . 01753 247731 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.partnertrans.com


FIRST PLACE TROPHY, £2000 AD CREDIT IN DEVELOP, CHAMPAGNE*

SECOND PLACE LUNCH & INTERVIEW WITH THE DEVELOP TEAM, CHAMPAGNE*

THIRD PLACE CHAMPAGNE** bottle of champagne for each member of the team - 1st, 2nd and 3rd place teams

DATE THURSDAY MARCH 4th 2010

VENUE SWAY BAR (HOLBORN)

CITY LONDON

Co-Sponsor

Co-Sponsor

FOR INFORMATION ON BOOKING YOUR PLACE. PLEASE CONTACT: [email protected] or call +44 (0)1992 535 647

FOR INFO ON EXTENSIVE SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES. PLEASE CONTACT: [email protected] or call +44 (0)1992 535 647

Last quiz winners: Waterfront Games

TEAMS SIGNED UP SO FAR INCLUDE…

Bad Management

TEAM ENTRY £195 - ONLY TWO PLACES LEFT!

ONLY

TWO

TEAM

PLACES LEFT!

DevPubQuiz v2_final 9/2/10 13:31 Page 1


NEWS:The big new summer show will be in Leipzig,not LA, as Games Convention talks worlddomination and E3 gets all modest.

Microsoft’s games marketing guru StephenMcGill promises that Xbox 360 will ‘ownChristmas’ and have an installed base of 10million before the PS3 launches.

An obscure little publisher called 505Gamestreet becomes the more manageable505 Games as former Activision man Ian Howebecomes MD, taking Alison Mitchell and RalphPitt-Stanley with him.

Games are performing brilliantly at Woolies!

PEOPLE:Roger Bennett steps down after a lengthy andsuccessful spell as ELSPA director general.

Jo Fawell joins the Vivendi games marketingteam after a stint at Empire, while JonnieBryant arrives from Take 2.

We take a trip down memory lane, looking at past news stories and other events...

[August 4th, 2006]

FROM THE ARCHIVEAND FINALLY…Paying tribute to Roger Bennett,Nintendo’s UK boss David Yarntonoffers: “When I came here, I foundit hard to comprehend how a fox-hunting, pipe-puffing, leather-patched, tweed-jacketed countrysquire could possibly be the hubof the British games industry.” Hewent on to say some nice thingstoo, but they weren’t anywherenear as entertaining.

[CHARTS]ALL FORMATSGTA: Liberty City ..................Rockstar

XBOX 360Prey ............................................Take 2

PLAYSTATION 2Cars .................................................THQ

DSNew Super Mario Bro ......Nintendo

HACK ‘N’ STASHHMV’s Gamerbase store inLondon’s Trocadero Centrecelebrated the launch ofBioShock 2 by inviting gamersto win a top-of-the-line PC andcopies of the game.

All entrants had to do was‘hack’ the prize PC - or moreaccurately, guess the six-digitcode required to unlock it.

The PC was put together byspecialists Scan Computersand decked out with all mannerBioShock miscellany.

We would have had a goourselves, but we rarelyremember our own passwords.

Off The RecordBioShock 2 hits the UK inHeat and HMV, aliens arerunning Green Man Gamingand the ESRB’s unmissableDead Or Alive rating...

40-42 MCV574_final 9/2/10 16:20 Page 1


LISA MORGAN,GAME

DUNCAN CROSS,ASDA

MARTYN GIBBS,GAMESTATION

DON MCCABE,CHIPS

TIM ELLIS,HMV

KEITH SHARPE,PLAY.COM

SARAH JASPER,THE HUT

JON BIGGS, MORRISONS

AZEEM SADIQ,COMET

GRAHAM CHAMBERS,AMAZON

PETER WILLIS,DSGI

IGOR CIPOLLETTA,SHOPTO

ANTHONY STOCKER,ARGOS

STEPHEN STALEY,GAMESEEK

JOANNA HUNT,TESCO

GURDEEP HUNJAN,SAINSBURY’S

PHIL MOORE,GRAINGER GAMES

RETAIL ADVISORY BOARD

MCV takes soundingsfrom its Retail AdvisoryBoard on the biggestissues of the day. Thecurrent members are...

“There's some very, very big things happening inFable III. and it's really going to upset people. I'mreally scared when I go out and tell people what itis [that] they're going to get super pissed off.They really are.”Lionhead legend Peter Molyneux shares his fears about

this week’s Fable III reveal with Game Reactor.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

SEND YOUR PICTURE [email protected]

‘SHOCK SPOTSYes, further proof that gamingis going mainstream: BioShock2 has been spotted in thepages of Heat (left) andLoaded (below).

While the latter may not betoo surprising, it’s worthmentioning for the choiceheadline of ‘I killed a man witha packet of crisps’.

It’s the appearance in Heatthat impresses. It’s not everyday a game features alongsidecelebrities such as MattDamon and, er, Jedward in awoman’s weekly.

And hats off to the reviewerfor this stunning quote:

“It’s a scary computer gamebut it’s got female charactersand everything!”

40-42 MCV574_final 9/2/10 16:20 Page 2

Managing Editor: Lisa [email protected]

Editor-In-Chief: Michael [email protected]

Deputy Editor: Christopher [email protected]

Staff Writer: James [email protected]

Online Editor: Ben [email protected]

Contributors: Ed Fear, Andrew Wooden, Will Freeman, Rob Crossley

Advertising Manager: Lesley [email protected]

Advertising Executive: Rob [email protected]

Art Director: Stuart Moody [email protected]

Design: Adam [email protected]

Production Manager: Suzanne [email protected]

Business Development: Dave [email protected]

Contributing Editor: Samantha [email protected]

Circulation & Marketing: Hannah [email protected]

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SAXON HOUSE, 6A ST. ANDREW STREET, HERTFORD,HERTFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND SG14 1JA Intent Media specialises in trade-dedicated print and

digital publishing for entertainment and leisure markets.As well as MCV, Intent publishes Develop, PCR, ToyNews,Mobile Entertainment, MI Pro, Audio Pro International

and BikeBiz. It also has two online-only brands:CasualGaming.biz, dedicated to the growing mass marketvideo game sector, and Licensing.biz, for everyone in theglobal licensing industry. It also runs a number of events

including the MCV Industry Excellence Awards, theLondon Games Conference and the Games Media Awards.

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OFF THE RECORD

PARADISE LOSTThe US ratings board ESRB can often be quite stale in its descriptions of a game’scontent, but in the case of Dead Or Alive: Paradise, the board was right on the money.

Sadly, this summary was later retracted from its official ratings site. The ESRBclaimed the rating has been posted on its site “in error” and apologised after complaintsabout the reviewer’s ‘subjective language’.

But fear not. For those who missed it online, here’s the original text:“This is a video game in which users watch grown women dressed in G-string bikinis

jiggle their breasts while on a two-week vacation. Women’s breasts and butts will swaywhile playing volleyball, while hopping across cushions, while pole dancing, whileposing on the ground, by the pool, on the beach, in front of the camera.

“They can ‘gift’ items to eight other women in hopes of winning their friendship, inhopes of playing more volleyball. And as relationships blossom from the gift-givingand volleyball, users may get closer to the women, having earned their trust andconfidence: users will then be prompted to zoom-in on their friends’ nearly-nakedbodies and snap dozens of photos, and view them in the hotel later that night.

“Parents and consumers should know that the game contains a fair amount of‘cheesy’, and at times, creepy voyeurism-especially when users have complete rotate-pan-zoom control; but the game also contains bizarre, misguided notions of whatwomen really want (if given two weeks, paid vacation, island resort).

“Paradise cannot mean straddling felled tree trunks in dental-floss thongs.”We disagree – don’t knock it till you try it.

LITTLE GREEN MENTaking corporate branding to a whole new level, the folks at Green Man Gaming haveredesigned their extra-terrestrial mascot to represent each member of the team.

Pictured here are COO Gian Luzio, CEO Paul Sulyok, CTO Lee Packham, commercialdirector Chris Mehers and MD David Clark.

Can you guess which one is which? Nope, neither can we.

40-42 MCV574_final 9/2/10 16:20 Page 3

The Nintendo DSi™ Pink will be seen on TV screens from 11th February in a high impact seven day campaign showcasing

the new console which will be available as part of a limited edition Style Boutique bundle, launching on 12th February.

When the Nintendo DSi Pink becomes available on its own in March, an additional phase of TV activity will be activated,

lasting two weeks. This TV campaign will showcase the console in a ten second spot targeting females, letting them know that the Nintendo DSi Pink is not just for Valentine’s Day, it’s here to stay.

A Valentine’s message will be delivered to all pink DS™ owners on Nintendo’s database, ensuring they make room

in their handbags for the new Nintendo DSi Pink.

Key visuals of the Nintendo DSi Pink will be available to all retailers, so they can add

a touch of pink to their shop floor and get girls through the doors to purchase this hot accessory.

POS poster

INSIDE BACK


RetailBiz MCV574 Friday Februaru 12th 2010

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Transcript of RetailBiz MCV574 Friday Februaru 12th 2010