mcv809 october 17th

02.12.14

THE BUSINESS OF VIDEO GAMES

ISSUE 809 FRIDAY OCTOBER 17TH 2014

SECOND CLOSED BETA COMING TO PS4 AND XBOX ONE IN NOVEMBER

© 2014 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. The Crew logo, Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries. The trademarks, copyrights and design rights in and associated with Lamborghini vehicles are used under licence from Lamborghini ArtiMarca S.p.A., Italy. General Motors Trademarks used under license to Ubisoft Entertainment.

“OPEN WORLD ... EPIC PROPORTIONS”

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CHEAT SHEET

04October 17th 2014 www.mcvuk.com

THE WEEK IN VIDEO GAM

Almost 3m physical games were sold at UK stores last month.

2.84m to be precise, which together generated a huge £107m for UK retail.

It actually fares quite poorly compared with last September when 4.9m games were sold, although those numbers were skewed heavily by the launch of GTA V (the game’s launch on PS4 and Xbox One in November is likely to be pretty huge, too).

The vast majority of those 2.84m games sold were due to both Destiny and FIFA 15, which together accounted for 59 per cent of all games sold last month. It’s a further highlight of how retail game sales continue to gravitate around just a handful of major releases.

The month also saw over 200,000 home consoles sold in the UK market.

All data is courtesy of GfK Chart-Track and retail reports.

UK RETAILERS SELL 2.8MGAMES IN SEPTEMBER

Full disclosure. I am a Nintendo fan.

I always have been. If it wasn’t for Mario, Zelda and Pokémon, I wouldn’t be writing for you now.

So any criticism I may have levelled at the company down the years, you know it’s out of a genuine desire for it do better.

Yet I often fi nd myself confl icted between what my business journalist brain thinks Nintendo ought to look at, and what my heart wants them to do.

Take for instance the Wii and DS years. A time when Nintendo was transforming the industry into the one we have today where everybody plays games thanks to its great products, positioning and marketing.

But as a fan, I hated the Wii years. Sure there was a Mario Galaxy here, a Skyward Sword there, but Nintendo was focused on making games for everyone – Wii Sports, Wii Fit and Wii Music – titles I enjoyed (well maybe not Wii Music), but they weren’t what I wanted.

So when Nintendo UK’s Shelly Pearce and Simon Kemp told me that its focus for Wii U is getting fans buying it, I want to tell you how it’s a indictment of the machine’s performance. Two years in and not even Nintendo’s fans have bought it.

But I know why those fans are yet to buy the console. The Wii years diminished Nintendo’s reputation amongst its most loyal followers. They’ve grown sceptical, and if Nintendo wants to win them back, they need to prove it to them.

Even if they do come back, those fans won’t make up

another 100m Wii U sales. To be honest, in the UK at least, I’d be surprised if the machine even beats GameCube’s sales. But if they can get that audience back, it will be a solid base from which to rebuild.

Those fans do still exist. 3DS’ performance proves they’re still there, and that’s been thanks to a strong fi rst-party line-up (plus the fact the DS did a far better job of satisfying Nintendo’s fans than the Wii). Wii U’s range of software is slowly getting there and the content shown at E3 – Splatoon and Zelda the name but two – are all encouraging signs.

Yet as Wii tried to woo Mum and Dad, Nintendo fans went elsewhere. They’ve probably already bought, or are planning to buy, an Xbox One and PS4.

If Nintendo hopes to win them back, it will have to do so as a ‘second console’.

There’s a market for Wii U: as an alternative to Microsoft and Sony’s souped-up machines. But if it wants to play this part, then it needs to lower that £240 price tag. Because that’s not a ‘second console’ price point.

And I’m saying that not just as a critic, but as a fan. [email protected]

THE EDITOR

There is a market for Wii U, as an alternative to the PS4 and Xbox One. But its £240 price point is too high.

WII U NOW HAS THE GAMES. BUT NOT THE PRICE.

Market DataThe industry is still coming down from FIFA’s blockbuster launch, but Alien, DriveClub and Skylanders make for a new-look Top Ten

Week EndingSeptember 27th

Week EndingOctober 4th

Week EndingOctober 13th

£60m

£30m

£0m

£28.5m761,269 units £19.3m

449,668 units

£56m1,328,359 units

CHEAT SHEET

05www.mcvuk.com October 17th 2014

GREEN MAN LOADED – retailer Green Man Gaming’s publishing arm – says it plans to use its relationships with Xbox and PlayStation to release games on consoles.

The fi rm launched Loaded at the end of last month. Green Man Gaming already puts indie games on its store, but this new arm will help with the PR,

marketing and sales of titles – even helping fund projects.

“We want to concentrate on PC initially,” said EVP of publishing Gary Rowe. “Green Man Gaming’s fans are core PC gamers. Many titles are built in Unity, so porting costs are lower than ever. Bringing games to consoles is defi nitely in the plan.”Read more with Rowe on P17

GREEN MAN GAMING EYESCONSOLE PUBLISHING

DOWNSkylanders Trap

Team cannot match the launch

sales of 2013’s Swap Force

TOP ONLINE STORIES THIS WEEKOur biggest stories for the week ending October 14th

1 YouTubers required to persuade viewers to purchase in return for Shadow of Mordor review code – report claims

2 Yamauchi says Gran Turismo 7 will be with us in 2015 or 2016

3 Future Publishing is closing Offi cial Nintendo Magazine

4 Star Wars Battlefront and Visceral’s game will be canon

5 Games industry is “dropping” 60fps standard, Assassin’s Creed: Unity dev says

MES

UPThere’s four new games in the Top

Ten this week, led by Alien

Isolation at No.2

UK RETAIL TOP 10

FIFA 15 EA12 Alien Isolation Sega

3 Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Warner Bros

4 Forza Horizon 2 Microsoft

5 DriveClub Sony

6 Destiny Activision Blizzard

7 Skylanders Trap Team Activision Blizzard

8 NBA 2K15 2K Games

9 Super Smash Bros for 3DS Nintendo

10 Minecraft: PlayStation Edition Sony

SUPER SMASH BROS + GAMECUBE CONTROLLER [WII U]

PRE-ORDER TOP 10

12 Bayonetta 2 + Bayonetta [Wii U] Nintendo

3 Halo: The Master Chief Collection [Xbox One] Microsoft

4 Wii U GameCube Controller Smash Bros Edition [Wii U] Nintendo

5 Grand Theft Auto V [PS4] Rockstar

6 Sunset Overdrive Day One Edition [Xbox One] Microsoft

7 Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel [Xbox 360] 2K Games

8 Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 Day One Edition [PS4] Konami

9 Football Manager 2015 [PC] Sega

10 Grand Theft Auto V [Xbox One] Rockstar

SPONSORED BY

The more bullshit fi lters you can slot between players’ eyes and these direct-to-consumer marketing pipelines the better.

STEVE HOGARTY JOINS FORMER OFFICIAL NINTENDO MAGAZINE WRITERS, ON WHY THE PUBLICATION’S CLOSURE IS A BLOW TO FANS

“Wii U has had quite a good year so far,” said Nintendo’s UK

marketing boss Shelly Pearce when MCV came to visit the company in Windsor this week.

It wasn’t a statement we were expecting to hear. Wii U’s story so far has not made for pleasant reading. Two years in and Wii U’s sales performance has been – and we’re underselling it when we say – a bit of a catastrophe. Third party publishers and a number of retailers have abandoned the console.

Yet Pearce’s positive appraisal comes from her belief that the Wii U has turned a corner. When it comes with competing with Xbox One and PlayStation 4 that ship – for want of a better cliché – has sailed. But Wii U is actually growing. Sales are up over 60 per cent in the UK this year. And from Nintendo UK’s perspective there’s been a change in public opinion.

“We’ve really seen momentum pick up with Mario Kart 8 back in May,” continues Pearce. “That was when we saw a step change, not just in terms of sales but also people’s attitudes to Wii U. People are starting to consider buying now, which was cemented by our E3 activity. All the software that we showed then gave people confidence that there were lots of games coming that they wanted.”

UK boss Simon Kemp adds: “We’ve felt a real increase in interest and momentum. Compared to 12 months ago, it does feel noticeably different.”

It may be two years old, but Wii U’s disappointing sales figures suggest that not even Nintendo’s core fanbase have invested in the console yet. It’s a fact that’s not lost on the UK team, which has launched its #thetimeisnow campaign specifically aimed at those gamers that have held off.

“It is still about driving hardware to Nintendo fans,” says Pearce. “We have some support, but there’s still

more out there. And then we will broaden the console out to families around Christmas time.”

The Wii U games that will receive most marketing and TV advertising this Q4 includes Mario Kart 8 – complete with new, humorous TV ad campaign – and of course Super Smash Bros Wii U, which launches on December 5th.

And the final part of Nintendo’s Wii U plans for Christmas is Amiibo.

The toys-to-life proposition will work across numerous upcoming games, but initially Nintendo says it will focus in on what the figures can do in Super Smash Bros. There are 12 toys coming on November 28th and a further six on December 19th, featuring iconic Nintendo characters such as Mario, Link and Pikachu.

Kemp says that he’s talking to game and toy retailers about Amiibo and that the firm’s challenge is explaining what sets it apart from Skylanders and Disney Infinity.

“It will sit alongside those games, but it’s a bit different,” he tells us. “Figures work across different titles, offering different experiences.”

He continues: “In the first instance we would like people to experience the functionality that Amiibo offers, and the people that will get the fullest experience will be the ones that buy it alongside Super Smash Bros. So our first priority is to make sure that people who buy that game really enjoy training up their Amiibo, levelling them up and giving them special capabilities. Of course there will be a wide audience beyond that.”

COMING SOONThere are a handful of other titles for Nintendo to push this festive season. Hyrule Warriors launched last month, while next week sees the arrival of Bayonetta 2, which has already landed big review scores from the likes of Edge.

But it’s not just about what’s coming this Christmas, says Pearce.

HAS NINTENDO’S WII U TURNED A CORNER?

It’s by no means at Xbox One or PS4 level, but Wii U sales are up in the UK this year. And Nintendo’s going all-out this Christmas to convince its own fans to invest in the ailing system. Can they do it? Christopher Dring speaks to marketing director Shelly

Pearce and, in his first ever interview, UK general manager Simon Kemp

Super Smash Bros on Wii U is Nintendo’s key release this Christmas


NINTENDO’S WII U PLAN

ONE of the big focuses from Nintendo this year has been increasing its routes to market.

The first was its decision to launch an online store, selling Nintendo hardware, games, merchandise and accessories.

“It’s important not just in being able to sell stuff, but also in terms of the insight we can generate by having a direct relationship with consumers,” says Nintendo UK boss Simon Kemp.

“It informs our marketing activity and what we do through other customers, so it has benefits across the business.”

The company has also been working with ‘traditional’ stores to help sell its digital games. It sells codes directly via GAME as well as indie retailers. Last month the firm announced a new tablet system so fans can buy digital content in-store.

The tablet lets customers discover and purchase software. Retailers then print out a code for use on Nintendo’s eShop. It’s currently being used in the Reading branch of Smyths Toys.

“One of the things we have been trying to do over the last year is look to open up new routes to market, particularly for digital content,” says Kemp.

“It’s in the process of being rolled out. So far we are in one store. Obviously we want to make sure it’s working before we roll it. I looked at the operation last week and it was really slick. So now that we have the fundamentals right, we will be looking to do two things. The first is help educate consumers about this new way of buying games. Then secondly, it is rolling this out across other channels. But it will be a test period for the next little while.”

NINTENDO’S RETAIL MISSION

Pearce (left) and Kemp (above) say the mood around Wii U is changing

“One of the key things for us is that people are starting to realise what software there is, what games they can get this Christmas, but importantly a lot of the key stuff that is coming next year, too. It is a really strong line-up. There are a lot of conversations going on about what is coming next year. Splatoon is key, Captain Toad is one I’m looking forward to, and of course Zelda. So we are expecting to see real growth from Wii U this Christmas and we will continue to build on that next year.”

NEXT YEAR’S SUCCESS2015 looks promising for Wii U. Alongside the aforementioned games, Nintendo’s legendary developer Shigeru Miyamoto has gone to work on a series of new titles, which will arrive next year.

There may not be a host of games coming to Wii U, at least not on the scale of Xbox One or PS4. But with each release there’s another reason for those Nintendo fans to step across.

If only it could get the price right. Cutting the cost of Wii U is no easy decision, particularly when

Nintendo is eager to return to profitability. But with Xbox One and PS4 undercutting each other, Wii U is looking increasingly pricey at £240 with Mario Kart 8.

Nevertheless, Nintendo UK remains positive. It was never explicitly stated in our interview, but you got the sense that the first 12 months of Wii U have been

tough on the team. But now – gradually – things feel as if they’re moving in the right direction.

And with Super Smash Bros, a decent 2015 line-up and room to go on price, there remains hope that Wii U can still find an audience.

It is still about driving hardware to Nintendo fans. And then we’ll broaden the console out to families around Christmas time.

Shelly Pearce, Nintendo UK

www.mcvuk.com October 17th 2014


07

ANYONE thinking Wii U is taking most of Nintendo’s focus this Christmas is mistaken.

Nintendo’s UK marketing director Shelly Pearce and GM Simon Kemp stressed to MCV that it’s putting significant weight behind 3DS this Christmas.

“The conversations may already be about home console, but the handheld will be a really big focus for us this peak season,” says Pearce.

3DS is in a different position to Wii U. Whereas that console is still trying to reach its fans, 3DS has gone beyond that and this Q4 the firm hopes to reach out to a younger audience with the help of Super Smash Bros, Pokémon plus a range of back catalogue titles including Tomodachi Life.

“We’ve been having a constant conversation with kids throughout the summer,” comments Pearce.

“We had the promotion a while back with McDonalds and we had a sampling campaign through the summer with our Made For Play tour, which went to all the big family festivals. We also have a specific kids site called Made For Play, which has content specifically targeted towards them. We have also done plenty of things with kids media. So it has been a constant extensive conversation with kids throughout the summer, and the hope is that as we come into peak we will be converting a lot of those young ones into buying their first console.”

CATCH ‘EM ALL3DS’ 2014 may not quite live up to last year’s impressive sales and line-up, but it’s been a decent year for the machine. Tomodachi Life has been a permanent fixture in the Top 20 since it launched 17 weeks ago, while Super Smash Bros on 3DS sales has already sold 2.8m units worldwide.

And it still has a triple-A release to come, with Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire set to arrive at the end of November.

“Pre-orders for Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are doing really well at the moment. It is pre-ordering more than X and Y, so we are quite optimistic about that one,” says Pearce.

Kemp adds: “And that is a pattern we’re seeing globally.”

Pearce continues: “With X and Y, we reignited Pokémon fans that have been playing for years. But we’ve brought in new people as well. We will be talking to Nintendo fans for these games, but also newcomers and all the kids we’ve been talking to over the summer.”

Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are both remakes of 2003 GBA games, but that hasn’t diminished Nintendo’s expectations when compared with last year’s X and Y.

“In terms of marketing support, this is getting a similar sized campaign to what we did on X and Y,” says Pearce. “And in terms of pre-orders it is tracking better. So from that perspective, it is at least at the level of X and Y.”

Kemp adds: “A big part of the audience won’t have been around when the original Ruby and Sapphire was around. And also these games will be quite a different experience.”

Nintendo’s major marketing campaign for Pokémon includes the usual TV and online media, but it’s also developed a special demo for the game, which will be made available via various media outlets, plus retailers like GAME.

“That’s a big part of the campaign,” says Pearce. “We are finding that the demo versions of

things are working really well for us. The Super Smash Bros demo was really popular and converted lots of people to purchase.”

NEW HARDWARENintendo is looking to push 3DS and 2DS console sales this Q4. It has just launched a special Smash Bros 3DS XL, and has new colours of the 2DS set to arrive alongside the Pokémon titles.

There’s even a special offer for new hardware consumers. Gamers that buy a 3DS or 2DS and register either Smash Bros or Pokemon will receive one of seven games, including Zelda, Mario Golf and Yoshi’s New Island.

But there’s actually an entirely new hardware revision coming to market in Japan and Australia this year, which are not due over here until some point in 2015.

The New 3DS and New 3DS XL are re-designed models with an improved screen, battery life, additional buttons and improved specifications. They look interesting. Yet could the fact the 3DS is being update next year not deter consumers from buying this side of Christmas?

“We are really focused on 2DS and 3DS XL in the UK still,” says Pearce. “Of course there’s been some conversations about [the New 3DS models] online, but in terms of the younger audience that we are speaking to this Christmas about the hardware, it’s not had any impact at all.”

‘WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN THE 3DS’

Pre-orders for Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are doing really well. They’re higher than X and Y.

Shelly Pearce, Nintendo UK

Xxx

October 17th 2014 www.mcvuk.com08



THE transition from August to September saw an increase in games market TV ad pressure: individual TVRs grew 78 per cent compared to the same period in 2013.

The largest year-on-year increase in individual TVRs occurred in the week starting September 8th (up 196 per cent). Part of this increase

can be attributed to the launch of Destiny on September 9th, with the TV campaign amassing over 100 TVRs in this pivotal launch week.

Elsewhere, King re introduced Candy Crush to the market with a heavyweight TV campaign starting at the end of August. In just four weeks, this campaign

accrued in excess of 350 individual TVRs, making it the biggest TV ad campaign for the period and sector.

Microsoft is continuing to support the Xbox One on TV in the UK. The campaign achieved over 300 individual TVRs during this period.

September saw a fl urry of fi rms maintaining pressure at 50

individual TVRs per week, something absent last September. Clash of Clans, Disney Infi nity and a plethora of Nintendo’s Q4 lines have been notable aspirants since E3.

As the triple-A releases roll in, it’ll be interesting to monitor whether ad pressure continues to rise throughout the Christmas season.

SEPTEMBER SEES SURGE IN GAMES AND CONSOLES TV ADVERTISINGThis week GameTime looks at the spike in ads in the games market this August and September

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2013 individual TVRs 2014 individual TVRs Year-on-year percantage change

MCV GameTime is provided by Generation Media0207 255 4650 | www.generationmedia.co.uk

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25th Aug 1st Sep 8th Sep 15th Sep

MX VS. ATV is the-leading two-wheeled off -road racing game IP and has sold over 10m units. Having previously developed the

series for THQ, the core at Rainbow Studios has been reunited part of Nordics’ expansion through its acquisition of many THQ IPs.

After re-assembling the team and reinstating Rainbow, the path

was set for continuing the highly successful IP with its extremely involved fanbase.

There have been four games in the series – Unleashed, Untamed, Refl ex, and Alive – as well as a PSP port of Unleashed called On the Edge. In December 2013, Nordic Games announced the fi fth in the series, MX vs ATV Supercross, due for release on October 28th, 2014 on Xbox 360 and PS3.

With so many copies of the series in circulation, it was no surprise that a large fan base

existed. What wasn’t so well anticipated was how vocal and involved that fan base would be.

Having a mountain of feedback has helped shape Supercross into what the fans wanted from the next outing. Gone are the ‘good ideas’ the fans didn’t like, back are the features the fans do enjoy – Pre-load, career mode, MX bikes and ATVs, split-screen, time trial and free practice, offi cially licensed bikes and riders, authentic in-game sponsors and so on. Players can also now enjoy

a robust online experience with up to 12 simultaneous gamers battling it out. That’s on top of a broad range of planned DLC to ensure replay and variety, and all available from the Motoclub Depot – the series’ bespoke MX store.

Thanks to Rainbow’s deep understanding of what makes a successful off -road racing series – the team are predominantly former pro-riders or current MX riders - through Supercross they will once again deliver the best off -road racing game out there.

BRAND PROFILE MX VS ATVNordic’s Nik Blower on the return of THQ’s fan-favourite off -road racing franchise

30%

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MARKETING

28.10.2014

CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEKTHIS WEEK: THE WALKING DEAD: SEASON TWO

[INFO]Released: October 31st

Publisher: Avanquest Software

Distributor: Open

Contact: 01480 359 403

THE CAMPAIGN

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

To push the second season of Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead, Avanquest has invested in ads on leading specialist games magazines and websites. In print these include Play, XOne and GamesTM, while online adverts are to appear on NowGamer.com, in addition to some science-fi ction and fantasy websites. This is in addition to PR activity across the specialist games media.

Furthermore, Telltale has been ensuring that fans are aware of the physical retail release over its social media feeds on Facebook and Twitter. Trailers have also been uploaded to its YouTube channel to drive excitement.

STEVE ALLISONSVP of Publishing, Telltale Games:

As the winner of over 90 Game of the Year awards,

the success and quality of the fi rst game really speaks for itself. We have created a massive following of loyal fans across the globe who are all eagerly awaiting the second season. There’s a huge customer base waiting to get their hands on the game and now that it’s available on both next gen formats, the potential is even greater for retailers who really get behind it.

Judging by the way it’s pre-ordering currently, coupled with the enormous success of Season One last year, we’re confi dent it will be a huge success. The timing of the release, which coincides with the latest season premier on TV, is also key to the sales performance.

Our games are player driven tailored narrative experiences, which put the

consumer in the middle of a story they control. The story you experience in The Walking Dead Season Two is driven by the choices that you make. Because of that, the journey you experience could be very diff erent from someone else’s.

MARKETING


MARKET MOVES

SCE | PlayStation UK has made a number of new hires to its marketing team.

JOE PALMER (pictured, above) and TOM WHITAKER (pictured, left) join the platform holder as software product managers.

Whitaker previously worked

for six years at media planning agency MediaCom on the EA account. His first title will be The Order 1886.

Palmer comes to PlayStation after four years at Lionsgate Films, overseeing digital media

and ad creative on the likes of The Expendables and The Hunger Games. His first games will be LittleBigPlanet and Bloodborne.

And NEIL MCKEOWN (pictured, below left) joins as digital manager, and will be responsible for the likes of PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now. McKeown joins from digital marketing and ad agency VML London where he worked on Xbox campaigns.

“We are thrilled to be bringing new talent into the PlayStation business to inject fresh perspectives and increased digital expertise into the product marketing team,” said Rich Keen, head of product marketing for PlayStation UK. “It has been an incredible 10 months for PS4 since launch and with our recent

group of hires we are set for another year of continued growth and innovation.”

VG247 | SAM CLAY has departed the video game website.

During his two years at VG247, Clay

produced videos that attracted more than 50m views.

“I’ve enjoyed my two years working with the VG247 team and I wish them good luck with their continued success,” Clay told MCV. “I’m going to be cracking the freelance whip until I’ve found a more permanent fixture.”

IGDA | ANDREW MACDONALD (pictured right, top) has taken on the role of chair for the

Scottish branch of the International Game Developers Assocation.

MacDonald replaces LUKE DICKEN (pictured, left), who leaves to take up a position at social gaming

firm Zynga as a senior data scientist.

In an open letter on IGDA’s website, Dicken said: “Going forwards, I will be taking a back seat advising the remainder of the Board of IGDA Scotland, and will remain on that Board until I actually leave the country.

“However, we felt as a group that it made sense to begin the leadership change now.”

PLAYSTATION UK BOLSTERS MARKETING TEAM Three new hires for SCE UK Clay departs VG247 New chair for IGDA Scotland board

APPOINTMENTS

UBISOFT | The publisher has opened an office in Moscow, Russia.

The new locale will provide community development and support for Ubisoft in the burgeoning Russian market.

The office is to be headed up by MD Olga Lazareva, who previously worked on business development in Russia for EA.

“What we’ve seen throughout our time in the region is that Russian players are passionate, vocal and committed to the games they love,” said Alain Corre, executive director of EMEA, Ubisoft. “Establishing an office in Moscow demonstrates our commitment to Russian gamers, and will help us grow in lockstep with this rapidly expanding market.”

FUTURE | The publisher has closed Official Nintendo

Magazine. Issue 114, in stores from October 14th, is the last issue of the publication.

The Official Nintendo website is due to close on November 11th. Its staff are to be redeployed to other Future projects.

“Nintendo will continue to speak directly to fans via Nintendo Direct, our social media and online channels and public events,” a statement released by Future said.

ROVIO | The Angry Birds developer has announced it is to cut 130 jobs in an effort to simplify the organisation.

This amounts to roughly 16 per cent of the studio’s workforce.

“At Rovio we have always been innovative and forward-looking, and to succeed we need to be the best at adapting to change,” Rovio CEO Mikael Hed said in regards to the cuts.

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

EDITORIAL CONTACTS

Publisher: Michael [email protected]

Group Sales Manager: [email protected]

Account Manager: Conor [email protected]

Production Manager: Alice [email protected]

Designer: Sam [email protected]

Special Projects: Lisa [email protected]

Head of Operations: Stuart Moody [email protected]

Circulation: Lianne [email protected]

Finance Manager: Michael Canham [email protected]

Head of Design and Production:Kelly [email protected]

US CorrespondentErik [email protected]

THE RETAIL ADVISORY BOARD

www.mcvuk.com October 17th 2014 13

EDITORIAL CONTACTS

MCV has an exclusive media partnership with Famitsu – Japan’s leading video

games analyst and news source

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WE ARE PLAYING...I’ve spent one hour playing Alien Isolation. I’ve not seen the Xenomorph yet but I’ve still jumped out of my skin three times.Christopher Dring, [email protected]

I’ve been forcing myself to play Shadow of Mordor but ultimately I’ve just been preparing for Dark Soul II’s NG+.Ben Parfi tt, Associate Editorbparfi [email protected]

With Horhog long dead, I now command half of Sauron’s army in Shadow of Mordor. My right hand man: Tarz the Poet.Matt Jarvis, Staff [email protected]

MCV takes soundings from its Retail Advisory Board on the biggest issues in the industry. The current members are...

Charlotte Knight GAME

Steve Moore Simply Games

Jon Hayes Tesco

Ketu Patel Amazon

Sarah Jasper The Hut

Phil Moore Grainger Games

Igor Cipolletta ShopTo

Dermot Stapleton Get Games

Niall Lawlor GameStop

Phil Browes HMV

Craig Watson Dixons Retail

David Firth Shop Direct

Don McCabe CHIPS

Gurdeep Hunjan Sainsbury’s

Steve Thomas Xbite

Simon Urquhart Microsoft

Robert Lindsay Games Centre

Stephen Staley Gameseek

Robert Hennessy John Lewis

Paul Sulyok Green Man

James Cooke Argos

I have spent this week scared, alone and in the dark. That’s fairly normal, but this week I’ve also been playing Alien Isolation. Alex Calvin, Staff [email protected]

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MONTHLY CHARTS

TITLE FORMAT PUBLISHER 01 FIFA 15 PS4 EA 02 FIFA 15 360 EA 03 Destiny PS4 Activision Blizzard 04 FIFA 15 XO EA 05 Destiny XO Activision Blizzard 06 FIFA 15 PS3 EA 07 Destiny 360 Activision Blizzard 08 The Sims 4 PC EA 09 Minecraft: Xbox Edition 360 Microsoft 10 The Last of Us Remastered PS4 Sony 11 Destiny PS3 Activision Blizzard 12 Minecraft: PlayStation Edition PS3 Sony 13 Metro Redux PS4 Deep Silver 14 Watch Dogs PS4 Ubisoft 15 Hyrule Warriors Wii U Nintendo 16 Tomodachi Life 3DS Nintendo 17 Grand Theft Auto V 360 Rockstar 18 Disney Infi nity 2.0 360 Disney 19 Call of Duty: Ghosts PS4 Activision Blizzard 20 Metro Redux XO Deep Silver 21 Titanfall XO EA 22 Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – Ultimate Evil Edn PS4 Activision Blizzard 23 Terraria 360 505 Games 24 Call of Duty: Ghosts XO Activision Blizzard 25 Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 360 EA 26 The LEGO Movie Videogame 360 Warner Bros 27 Forza Motorsport 5 XO Microsoft 28 Grand Theft Auto V PS3 Rockstar 29 Mario Kart 8 Wii U Nintendo 30 Madden NFL 15 PS4 EA 31 Watch Dogs 360 Ubisoft 32 Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare PS3 EA 33 Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – Ultimate Evil Edn XO Activision Blizzard 34 Watch Dogs PS3 Ubisoft 35 Disney Infi nity 2.0 PS3 Disney 36 Skate 3 360 EA 37 LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 360 Warner Bros 38 Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare PS4 EA 39 Titanfall 360 EA 40 Infamous: First Light PS4 Sony

INDIVIDUAL FORMATS TOP 40: SEPT (AUGUST 24TH – SEPT 27TH)

THIS MONTHS UPS AND DOWNS

LAST MONTH’S No.1 publisher

Sony falls down the rankings

this month

REVENUEis down 39.5 per cent year-on-year. GTA V

launched during the period

in 2013

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

takes second place in the

publisher rankings thanks

to Destiny

SALES OF PC games are up this month as a result of The

Sims launching during this

period

Thanks to a number of blockbuster launches the market is starting to look more alive, but it is down when compared to last year. Alex Calvin checks out the charts for September

THE launches of FIFA 15 and Destiny made September an impressive month for retail. Yet it continues to track behind last year. £107m was made from software sales – an increase of 270 per cent month-on-month, but a decrease of 39.5 year-on-year. Meanwhile, 2.8m units were shifted in September – up 155 per cent from August, but when compared to last year it’s a decrease of 42 per cent. Of course, last September saw the blockbuster launch of Grand Theft Auto V,

which explains why the market is down year-on-year, as that was by far the biggest game launch in history. FIFA 15 is top of the charts and inspired EA’s return to the top of the publisher rankings. It also contributed to the fi rm generating over half of all revenue during the period. And Destiny helped ACTIVISION BLIZZARD’s rise up the publisher rankings. 25 per cent of all games sold in September were the publisher’s – and most of these were its brand new shooter.


DATA SEPTEMBER

TITLE FORMAT PUBLISHER 01 FIFA 15 PS4, XO, PS3, 360, Wii, 3DS, Vita, PC EA 02 Destiny PS4, XO, PS3, 360 Activision Blizzard 03 The Sims 4 PC EA 04 Watch Dogs PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Ubisoft 05 Call of Duty: Ghosts PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, PC Activision Blizzard 06 Minecraft: Xbox Edition 360 Microsoft 07 Metro Redux PS4, XO, PC Deep Silver 08 The Last of Us Remastered PS4 Sony 09 Disney Infi nity 2.0 PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360 Disney 10 Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – Ultimate Evil Edn PS4, XO, PS3, 360 Activision Blizzard 11 Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC EA 12 Minecraft: PlayStation Edition PS3 Sony 13 Grand Theft Auto V PS3, 360 Rockstar 14 The LEGO Movie Videogame PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, Vita, PC Warner Bros 15 Titanfall XO, 360, PC EA 16 Madden NFL 15 PS4, XO, PS3, 360 EA 17 Hyrule Warriors Wii U Nintendo 18 Tomodachi Life 3DS Nintendo 19 Terraria PS3, 360, PC 505 Games/Merge 20 LEGO Marvel Super Heroes PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, Vita, DS, PC Warner Bros 21 Sniper Elite III PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC 505 Games 22 Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, PC Ubisoft 23 Wolfenstein: The New Order PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Bethesda 24 Battlefi eld 4 PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC EA 25 Forza Motorsport 5 XO Microsoft 26 Skate 3 PS3, 360 EA 27 Frozen: Olaf’s Quest 3DS, DS GSP/Avanquest 28 Mario Kart 8 Wii U Nintendo 29 FIFA 14 PS4, XO, PS3, 360, Wii, 3DS, Vita, DS, PSP, PC, PS3 EA 30 NHL 15 PS4, XO, PS3, 360 EA 31 Skylanders Swap Force PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, Wii, 3DS Activision Blizzard 32 Rayman Legends PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, Vita, PC Ubisoft 33 LEGO The Hobbit PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, Vita, PC Warner Bros 34 Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution PS3, 360 Nintendo 35 Infamous: First Light PS4 Sony 36 Disney Infi nity Wii U, PS3, 360, Wii, 3DS Disney 37 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, PC Activision Blizzard 38 Need for Speed Rivals PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC EA 39 WWE 2K14 PS3, 360 2K Games 40 Resident Evil 6 PS3, 360 Capcom 41 Fantasy Life 3DS Nintendo 42 EA Sports UFC PS4, XO EA 43 Just Dance 2014 PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, Wii Ubisoft 44 Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes PS4, XO, PS3, 360 Konami 45 New Super Mario Bros U Wii Nintendo 46 Mario Kart 7 3DS Nintendo 47 Tomb Raider Defi nitive Edition PS4, XO Square Enix 48 LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga PS3, 360, Wii, DS Disney 49 LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes Wii U, PS3, 360, Wii, 3DS, Vita, PC Warner Bros 50 Sonic and All Stars Racing Transformed Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, PC Sega

ALL FORMATS TOP 50: SEPTEMBER (AUGUST 24TH – SEPT 27TH)

LM TM TITLE MARKET SHARE 02 01 EA 45.4% 03 02 Activision Blizzard 24.6% 04 03 Nintendo 4.2% 01 04 Sony 3.4% 04 05 Ubisoft 3.3%06 06 Warner Bros 2.5% 07 07 Microsoft 2.4%10 08 Disney 2.2% 14 09 Koch Media 1.8% 08 10 Take-Two 1.6%

SOFTWARE MARKET SHARE BY PUBLISHER [UNITS]

LM TM TITLE MARKET SHARE 02 01 EA 52.2% 03 02 Activision Blizzard 29.5% 04 03 Nintendo 3.3% 05 04 Ubisoft 2.4% 01 05 Sony 2.3% 06 06 Warner Bros 1.5%07 07 Microsoft 1.5% 14 08 Koch Media 1.2% 13 09 Disney 1.1% 08 10 Take-Two 0.9%

SOFTWARE MARKET SHARE BY PUBLISHER [VALUE]

LM TM TITLE MARKET SHARE 02 01 PlayStation 4 28.4% 01 02 Xbox 360 25.0% 04 03 Xbox One 19.8% 03 04 PlayStation 3 14.0% 06 05 PC 5.0% 05 06 Nintendo 3DS 3.2% 07 07 Wii U 2.0% 09 08 Wii 1.0% 08 09 Nintendo DS 1.0% 10 10 PlayStation Vita 0.6%

SOFTWARE MARKET SHARE BY FORMAT [UNITS]

LM TM TITLE MARKET SHARE 01 01 PlayStation 4 33.8% 04 02 Xbox One 24.0% 02 03 Xbox 360 22.3% 03 04 PlayStation 3 11.3% 07 05 PC 3.6% 05 06 Nintendo 3DS 2.3% 06 07 Wii U 1.6% 10 08 Wii 0.4% 08 09 PlayStation Vita 0.4% 10 10 Nintendo DS 0.3%

SOFTWARE MARKET SHARE BY FORMAT [VALUE]

01 0302


SEPTEMBER DATA


DATA ANALYSIS

PRESENTS5 SECOND FACTS

PDP design & manufacture the Afterglow Communicator PlayStation

[email protected]

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

3.2mOn average 3.2m people play Destiny every day, according to developer

Bungie. Gamers also play the shooter 1.8 times a day.

2mStreet Fighter producer Yoshinori Ono says that

Capcom games must sell 2m copies for a sequel to

be greenlit

60%Tech firm Samsung expects its quarterly operating profit to be

down 60 per cent year-on-year

1MPS4 and Vita title

Velocity 2X has been downloaded one million

times from the PlayStation Store in Europe

TW LW TITLE FORMAT PUBLISHER 02 NEW ALIEN ISOLATION PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Sega03 02 MIDDLE-EARTH: SHADOW OF MORDOR PS4, XO, PC Warner Bros04 03 FORZA HORIZON 2 XO Microsoft 05 NEW DRIVECLUB PS4 Sony06 05 DESTINY PS4, XO, PS3, 360 Activision Blizzard07 NEW SKYLANDERS TRAP TEAM PS4, XO, PS3, Wii U, PS3, 360, Wii Activision Blizzard08 NEW NBA 2K15 PS4, XO, PS3, 360 2K Games09 04 SUPER SMASH BROS 3DS Nintendo 10 06 MINECRAFT: PLAYSTATION EDITION PS4, PS3 Sony11 08 MINECRAFT: XBOX EDITION 360 Microsoft12 07 DISNEY INFINITY 2.0 PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360 Disney13 NEW SLEEPING DOGS: DEFINITIVE EDITION PS4, XO, PC Square Enix14 13 PLANTS VS ZOMBIES: GARDEN WARFARE PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, PC EA15 09 CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, PC Activision Blizzard16 12 THE LEGO MOVIE VIDEOGAME PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, DS, Vita, PC Warner Bros17 10 THE SIMS 4 PC EA18 14 GRAND THEFT AUTO V PS3, 360 Rockstar19 18 TERRARIA PS3, 360, PC 505 Games/Merge20 20 FROZEN: OLAF’S QUEST 3DS, DS GSP/Avanquest

TOP 20 UK RETAIL01 FIFA 15 EA

FORMATS: PS4, XO, PS3, 360, Wii, 3DS, Vita, PC DEVELOPER: EA CANADA

TW LW TITLE PUBLISHER 02 03 Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (P) 2K Games 03 NEW Alien Isolation Sega 04 05 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Valve 05 06 Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth (P) 2K Games 06 04 Life is Feudal: Your Own Bitbox 07 09 DayZ Bohemia Interactive 08 NEW Styx: Master of Shadows Focus Home Interactive 09 NEW Kerbal Space Program Squad 10 NEW NBA 2K15 2K Games

01 MIDDLE EARTH: SHADOW OF MORDORPUBLISHER: WARNER BROS DEVELOPER: MONOLITH

Week ending October 11th

TOP 10 STEAM CHARTS


TW LW TITLE PUBLISHER 02 RE BATMAN ARKHAM ORIGINS BLACKGATE – DELUXE EDITION Warner Bros03 04 BATTLEFIELD 1943 EA04 RE MORTAL KOMBAT ARCADE KOLLECTION Warner Bros05 08 APOCZ Sick Kreation06 07 TERRARIA – XBOX 360 EDITION 505 Games07 06 SLENDER: THE ARRIVAL Midnight City08 09 CASTLEMINER Z DigitalDNA09 RE WHITE NOISE ONLINE DigitalDNA10 10 AVATAR WARFARE DigitalDNA

TOP 10 XBOX LIVE (UK)01 MINECRAFT: XBOX 360 EDITION MICROSOFT

DEVELOPER: MOJANG/4J STUDIOS


Source

Five new games debuted in stores this week but nothing can topple FIFA 15

THERE are four major new titles in the Top Ten this week. But EA’s FIFA 15 holds the coveted No.1 spot. This is in spite of a 60 per cent decline in sales week-on-week. The highest charting new release is the frankly terrifying Alien Isolation. And the long-overdue DriveClub launches in fifth place, but it’s narrowly outsold by MICROSOFT’s rival racer Forza Horizon 2. It’s the second week on shelves for Forza, which suffered a sales drop of 54 per cent. Launching in seventh place is new Skylanders title, Trap Team. The game’s performance is significantly down compared to last year’s

Swap Force. However, this year ACTIVISION’s toys-to-life IP made its debut on tablets. And GfK Chart-Track figures do not include these, so it’s possible the game could have charted higher. Meanwhile in the Xbox Live charts, Batman Arkham Origins Blackgate – Deluxe Edition is in second place. This is thanks to the title being in Xbox’s Deals with Gold sale. In the Steam charts Shadow of Mordor is still on top. Pre-orders for new Borderlands and Civilization titles also chart, meaning these games should see decent day one sales when they launch in the next two weeks.

UK CHARTS

Back in February Green Man Gaming was helping independent developers.

The online retailer was offering the studios a route to market, uploading their games to its store and promoting them to its PlayFire community.

But now Green Man Gaming is fully committing to publishing games, opening a dedicated digital-only arm Green Man Loaded, headed up by EVP of publishing Gary Rowe.

The firm aims to have its first game out around the end of this year. And it is even putting money behind developers to help them to get their concepts finished.

“Green Man Loaded was born out of several years of [Green Man Gaming CEO and founder] Paul Sulyok being bombarded with developers asking for help in selling their games, if we could offer any advice,” Rowe tells MCV.

“Then we started talking to developers and thought about creating a new label to help developers get to market. It’s based around the things that developers are really interested in – keeping control of their IP, help with finishing finance and being paid quickly. And they want a modern marketing team that is really good at what they do. That’s what Green Man Gaming has been doing for the last four years. We want to turn that power in favour of the developer.”

A HELPING HANDThat’s all very well and good, but why has the firm decided to put money behind studios?

“We’ve had conversations with quite a few developers recently,

and one common problem for them is they reach a certain point in development and don’t have the final money to get the game across the finishing line,” Rowe says. “That’s quite a typical story that we’ve been hearing over and over again. We are able to provide finishing finance for developers.

“We did very well with publishing indie developers on our own channel and our own store, but actually some of the titles we are looking at are slightly larger in scope and scale and need the extra budget to give them that final QA and localisation polish.

“It’s really to help developers who have the right kind of title, to bring it to market.”

TRICKS OF THE TRADEGreen Man Gaming is a retailer by trade. And Rowe says that makes them an ideal partner for studios.

“We’re able to utilise the experience we have gathered over the last few years in selling games, which is great, and we offer a huge amount of discoverability in that way – which is a problem for a lot of developers,” he explains.

He insists that creators really are coming first in this arrangement: “They’re getting access to an award-winning team that has garnered a great business profile with lots of experience, who know how to sell games.

“That’s really compelling for developers. They’re getting a new breed of partner who really likes games. We’re also going to be paying developers as quickly as we can. The standard publisher model of payment quarterly isn’t compatible

LOCKED AND LOADED

Green Man Gaming is breaking into publishing and has launched a new division. Alex Calvin speaks to Green Man Loaded chief Gary Rowe

Where available, we’ll pay developers on a fortnightly basis.

Gary Rowe, Green Man Loaded

with the cash flow situation. Where available, we’ll pay developers on a fortnightly basis.”

IN CONTROLOne other benefit Green Man Loaded will offer developers is the ability to retain the rights to their own work.

“One of the conversations developers have with publishers is the desire to own the IP,” says Rowe. “We decided right from the off that we’d have a much simpler relationship with developers if they just kept the rights to the IP.

“We’ll help them exploit the game on other platforms, but our primary goal is to make sure that the PC title is the best. Bringing games to consoles is definitely a plan for later down the line. We want the developer to be fully invested. If developers are working on their own IP that’s incredibly motivating for them.”

He concludes: “We’re looking to widen the net in terms of developers we can reach. If a

developer is sat there with a game and can’t figure

out how to get to market, they

should get in touch.”


GREEN MAN LOADED INTERVIEW

17

THE BIG GAME ASSASSIN’S CREED


Assassin’s Creed Unity is built from the ground up for the new generation of consoles.

Ombeline Marcus, Ubisoft

Without fail since Assassin’s Creed II in 2009, Ubisoft has

snuck a new instalment in its blockbuster historical stealth-action series onto consoles each and every year. It’s a huge series, one that – according to publisher Ubisoft – has generated a quarter of a billion pounds since it launched.

But this year marks the first time the publisher has decided to split its efforts, with two different Assassin’s Creed games eagle-diving onto consoles – Unity hits PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on November 13th, with Rogue launching simultaneously for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on the same day.

“Both Assassin’s Creed Unity and Assassin’s Creed Rogue bring something new to the table, as we continue to improve and re-invent our key gameplay mechanics,” Ubisoft senior

brand manager Ombeline Marcus tells MCV.

“Unity, for instance, is built from the ground up for the new generation of consoles. We wanted to return to the core values of Assassin’s Creed – go back to huge, sprawling urban centres, but in a way that would help redefine what a next-generation urban landscape should look and feel like.

“To achieve that, we have rebuilt the parkour, stealth and combat systems to give you more control over the character. New customisation elements also enable you to fully personalise the main character to suit your play style.

“On top of that, Unity introduces co-op for the very first time in an Assassin’s Creed game; in addition to the single player story-driven part of the game, you will also be able to play with up to four friends to

tackle different types of missions.

“In Rogue, we have particularly improved the naval gameplay: new tactics and new weapons make fighting both more fluid and more challenging.”

And of course, both games also have brand new settings, storylines and heroes.

“In Unity, you play as Arno, an Assassin during the French Revolution in the late 18th Century,” says Marcus.

“Set in Paris, the game takes you through all the key landmarks and events of the Revolution, while you experience Arno’s story of revenge and redemption.

“On the other hand, Rogue takes you to North America during the Seven Years’ War – the war just before the American Revolution. You play as Shay, a young member of

A TALE OF TWO CREEDSThis year Ubisoft is releasing not one but two Assassin’s Creed games.

Alex Calvin asks the publisher how it plans to ‘divide and conquer’

ASSASSIN’S CREED

Release Date: November 13th Formats: PS4, XO (Unity), PS3, 360 (Rogue) Publisher: Ubisoft Developer: Ubisoft Montreal (Unity), Ubisoft Sofia (Rogue)


ASSASSIN’S CREED THE BIG GAME

19

the Brotherhood who ends up switching sides and joining the Templars.”

SMART ASSASSINLast year’s Black Flag was released on both PlayStation 4/Xbox One and PlayStation 3/Xbox 360. Yet with Unity, Ubisoft has built something that is only possible on the newer machines. It isn’t being held back by the older hardware.

“Unity has been in the making for nearly four years now.

“The game has been specifically designed to take advantage of the next-gen systems,” she explains.

“We also improved the AI of non-playable characters: the game can now support on-screen crowds of varying size, well above 5,000.

“This adds to the sense of scale of our setting, a beautifully rendered version of 18th-Century Paris with close to one-to-one scale buildings, and even explorable interiors and underground networks.

“This is the biggest city we’ve ever built, but also the most densely populated. It’s teeming with additional gameplay opportunities outside of the main single-player campaign.

“The city’s size and intricate detail, along with the massive crowds of the French Revolution, mean that this is a feat that we simply could not have done with the previous generation of hardware.

SO LAST GENERATION But as technically impressive as Unity is on the newer hardware,

there is still a huge install base on the PS3 and Xbox 360, and many fans of the series will still be gaming on these machines. And in contrast to its rivals who have produced downgraded version of their next-gen titles, Ubisoft has created an entirely original adventure for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in Rogue. Marcus says: “While both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One have had strong starts, the previous generation of consoles achieved very large install bases over their long life cycles.

“This means many of our fans have not yet upgraded their hardware. We wanted them to still be able to experience Assassin’s Creed, regardless of the console they own.”

Many of our fans haven’t upgrade their hardware yet. We wanted them to still experince Assassin’s Creed, regardless of the console they own.

Ombeline Marcus, Ubisoft

October 17th 2014 www.mcvuk.comJ20

THE BIG GAME ASSASSIN’S CREED

It’s a potentially shrewd move to release an Assassin’s Creed on both console generations. It means fans will get a game specifically created for their systems. And if they happen to own both consoles – and many do – then there’s a good chance they’ll buy both.

“Unity and Rogue are very different games: the storylines, the settings, the key features and game mechanics – from playing as a Templar in Rogue to co-op in Unity – will provide players with two completely different experiences,” Marcus says.

“Like any game in the franchise, both games also add to the overall story of the war between Assassins and Templars. It’s possible some of our fans will indeed be interested in picking up both games in their quest to find the truth.”

ASSASSIN’S CREED has always been a blockbuster franchise – it has made over a quarter of a billion pounds since it launched in 2007. But it’s about to go from big to huge. There are two triple-A games coming to consoles and PC this year, double the series’ normal output. And that’s on top of free-to-play mobile game Assassin’s Creed Identity, which snuck onto iOS earlier this month. And to back up the launch of Assassin’s Creed Unity, the publisher is putting out a browser title called Project

Widow. Developed by creative agency Biff New Media and Villain and Co alongside Ubisoft, Widow is a city night walk tour of 18th century Paris, narration by actor Andy Serkis. But it’s not just games that the Assassin’s Creed series is releasing. Like so many video game properties at the moment there is an Assassin’s Creed film in the works. Originally slated for release in America on August 7th 2015, the Fox-produced movie has been delayed until 2016. Michael Fassbender of X-Men fame is taking the lead role,

KILLING IT

Unity will see players sneak and stab their way through the already bloody French Revolution

Ombeline Marcus, Senior Brand Manager, Ubisoft


ASSASSIN’S CREED THE BIG GAME

MIDDLE EARTH: SHADOW OF MORDOROC

T

OUT NOW THE EVIL WITHINOC

T

OUT NOW

SLEEPING DOGS: DEFINITIVE EDITIONOC

T

OUT NOWMINECRAFT PS4 EDITIONOC

T

OUT NOW

ALIEN: ISOLATIONOC

T

OUT NOW

DRIVECLUBOC

T

OUT NOW

SKYLANDERS TRAP TEAMOC

T

OUT NOW

NBA 2K15OC

T

OUT NOW

JUST DANCE 2015OC

T

24

SAMURAI WARRIORS 4OC

T

24

SINGSTAR: ULTIMATE PARTYOC

T

24

LORDS OF THE FALLENOC

T

31

CALENDAR 2014PLAYSTATION®4 GAMES

24OCT

OCTOBER

YOUR GUIDE TO WHAT’S ON

CALL OF DUTY: ADVANCED WARFARE

NO

V

PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2015

NO

V

LEGO BATMAN 3: BEYOND GOTHAM

NO

V

ASSASSIN’S CREED: UNITY

NO

V

FAR CRY 4

NO

V

4 GRAND THEFT AUTO V

NO

V

18

13 DRAGON AGE: INQUISITION

NO

V

21

14 PROJECT CARS

NO

V

21

14 WWE 2K15

NO

V

21

18

THE CREWDEC 2

LITTLEBIGPLANET 3

NO

V

28

“2”and “PlayStation” are registered tradem

arks of Sony Computer Entertainm

ent Inc. Also, “

” is a trademark of the sam

e company. A

ll other trademarks are the property of their respective ow

ners.

28NOV

VISIT UK.PLAYSTATION.COM/PS4/GAMESTO FIND OUT MORE AND VIEW FUTURE RELEASES

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

#4ThePlayers

The news last week that Future and Nintendo had decided to close Official Nintendo

Magazine is a sad sign of the times. UK Nintendo magazines have

come and gone over the years. The biggest casualty before now had been in 2012 when Nintendo Gamer – the successor to a long line of unofficial Nintendo mags from Future – was shut.

That left just one: Official Nintendo. A magazine franchise that stretched back some 22 years (under various different names and two publishers). But as of October 14th that is it – Nintendo’s time on newsagent shelves has come to an end.

“This means the end of what I firmly believe was the best, and most entertaining, source of coverage on Nintendo games – coverage that is sorely lacking on multi-format publications,” says former games editor Chris Scullion.

It’s a sentiment shared by former ONM writer and current Official Xbox news editor Joe Skrebels: “The closure of ONM means Nintendo fans have lost a place to revel in their favourite games, as opposed to simply react to them

as they appear,” he says. “I’m not saying web outlets can’t do this. They just very rarely do – yet – leaving little for the kind of fan who cares about those minute details.”

The magazine’s former deputy editor Martin Mathers adds: “It’s the end of an era; the death of something fans grew up with and studied religiously. It’s a sad loss – an inevitable one, but still a sad one.”

GETTING THE MESSAGE OUTIf ONM still had a place for Nintendo’s dedicated fanbase, then why close it?

“We have lots of channels to talk to our consumers, with Nintendo Direct and all our social media outlets and websites, and, of course, Miiverse,” explains Nintendo’s UK marketing director Shelly Pearce. “We will still keep talking; we have lots to talk about, and there are many ways for us to do that.”

Pearce’s point is backed by the rapid decline of print magazines.

Earlier this year, ONM’s circulation fell by over 26 per cent to 18,743. As this reader decline becomes commonplace, publishers and

platform holders are increasingly trying to reach consumers via YouTube and their own blogs. Nintendo, Sony and Xbox all have their own media services. The latter duo still have official magazines. But do even they need to keep them going anymore?

“Yes,” insists editor-in-chief of Future’s games department Dan Dawkins. “There’s no better place to engage than with like-minded readers than in official magazine communities. I mean, it’s not like everyone is lucky enough to go to, say, the pub with people who all share their passion for PS4 or Xbox, so the magazines are a great rallying point. Our journalists are keen to

share their experiences, helping to shape the agenda of debate and critiquing Sony or Microsoft as appropriate. There’s none more valuable, or oft damning, advice than that from those you love. You critique because you care.”

But Mathers admits that from a platform holder perspective, the role of the ‘Official Mag’ has been diminished. “When the likes of Sony and Nintendo have a direct line to the people they want to attract, having an official voice really isn’t required,” he states.

DIRECT ACTIONPearce above highlights Nintendo’s Direct video service, held by the firm several times a year, which features new announcements and interviews with developers.

But ONM did more than that, journalists insist.

“Directs are about as exciting as Christmas, but I would argue they fall into that generalised pattern of forward-thinking game reportage,” says Skrebels. “They’re certainly more personal than your garden-variety press releases. But official magazines offer the space and

GAME OVER FOR THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

Last week Nintendo and Future announced that Official Nintendo Magazine is to close. In the age of social media and direct-to-consumer communication, is there still room

for these kind of publications? Alex Calvin speaks to the magazine’s former writers to find out

Former ONM writers. Above left to right: Chris Schilling, Chris Scullion, Dan Dawkins, Joe Skrebels, Martin Mathers, Steve Hogarty and Tom East

There’s no better place to engage than with like-minded readers than in official magazine communities.

Dan Dawkins, Future


END OF THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

October 14th marked the release of the last ever issue of ONM (above). How the magazine used to look (right)

The more bullshit filters you can slot between players’ eyes and direct-to-consumer marketing pipelines the better.

Steve Hogarty

looking commercial perspective that leaves them no room to celebrate Nintendo’s uniquely massive past, which is something ONM did admirably and frequently, especially during those dark months when there were absolutely no Wii games to talk about.”

INDIE LOSSWhat’s more, official magazines could and often did champion the little guy.

“Its official status aside, what was important about ONM was that its single format nature allowed it to cover every major release, including eShop titles, the majority of which are ignored by multi-format publications,” says Scullion. “Nintendo is naturally more keen to push its own stuff on social media, meaning third-party or indie stuff is briefly mentioned but not given triple-A levels of coverage. ONM had the space to give each game the subjective coverage it deserved, so I believe its loss will have an impact on some indie developers currently working on Wii U and 3DS titles.”

Of course, there are still places to access this kind of editorial. Sites such as Go Nintendo, Nintendojo, N-Europe and Nintendo Life all offer coverage of games that otherwise wouldn’t get a look in.

But with falling readership, a number of independently run fan sites, Nintendo Direct, Miiverse, social networks, Iwata Asks and Nintendo’s own websites, it seems ONM just wasn’t worth the investment.

You can’t blame Nintendo for deciding to call it a day in this area. But that doesn’t mean the magazine didn’t play a role within the company’s community.

The publication supported Nintendo, but it serviced the company’s fans first and foremost. It didn’t tell them a game was great when it wasn’t. It didn’t fill every line with marketing rhetoric and pre-order ‘call to actions’. It wasn’t written by corporate executives in suits. This was a magazine for fans, by fans, with exclusive access to Nintendo.

Hopefully that’s something the decisions makers behind Official Xbox and Official PlayStation will remember in the years to come.

staff expertise that allows for more open thinking around a console and company’s games.”

Former ONM online editor Tom East adds: “Nintendo Direct is completely different to ONM. While fans can get announcements and see Nintendo’s new games via Nintendo Direct, they won’t get any critical analysis of these games. Nor will any of Nintendo’s developers or producers have to answer any tough questions in interviews.”

There’s been a long-held belief that official magazines have to support the company that’s backing them.

But the truth is these titles have autonomy, and look after their readers first.

“ONM was never shy of giving a game a kicking if it deserved it, and that’s what’s still needed,” says Scullion. “Like all magazines, part of its role was to be a consumer guide, and as brilliant as the Nintendo Directs are, their lack of negativity means they’re clearly more promotion than criticism.”

Freelancer Chris Schilling adds: “Official magazines aren’t simply about parroting a corporate message. They act as a useful filter, and that’s taken away when mags like ONM die.

“Social media channels are essentially tailored towards generating excitement about future games. With official publications you have a broader remit – ONM had plenty of retro coverage each month, for example, and spent a lot of time looking at interesting and creative efforts from the fan community.”

Former ONM deputy editor Steve Hogarty agrees and goes further. He states that corporate-run video services and blogs follow whatever the company’s marketing strategy may be at the time. The independently-run magazines – even the official ones – could deviate and offer their audiences something extra.

“The more bullshit filters you can slot between players’ eyes and these direct-to-consumer marketing pipelines the better,” he says. “Official magazines will always toe the line to some extent, but they’re more capable and less afraid of biting the hand that feeds them.

“For now Nintendo Direct lacks the critical insight that ONM offered – that ability to expertly frame things in the grander context of Nintendo’s rich history. Nintendo’s social media channels are locked into this forwards-


END OF THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

25


MARKETPLACE

Tell us about your team.There are 11 of us and we are all gamers. That is one thing we’re sure of.

Steve is the daddy and has been gaming for over 30 years. You would think he’d be good by now.

Ryan is the MMO master and has played them all, but still ends up back on Warcraft.

I’m Marc and I’m normally all over FIFA, but Destiny has now turned my eye. Although, now that FIFA 15 is out...

Simon is our wrestling impresario and is usually in some sort of chokehold on the shop fl oor.

Devan, George and Jamie are our personal Team Rocket and know Pokémon inside out.

What’s your store’s speciality?It’s all about the gamers for us.

We are proud that we get chosen every day by customers to share their adventures and we believe it’s because they trust us to help them make the best

choices. We want everyone to go home with something they want to play.

We don’t see it as customers and staff ; it’s just all of us together.

What’s been your favourite event to host?It has to be the amazing GTA V midnight launch that saw over 800 gamers come through the doors. You could taste the excitement in the air. Nights like that only come once a generation

Marc Doley, senior sales of GAME Telford, chats to MCV about making the news thanks to the store-bursting launch of Grand Theft Auto V and why caulifl ower makes a good fancy dress implement

SHELF LIFE

TOP 10 PRE-ORDERS

PRE-ORDER CHARTS

1. SUPER SMASH BROS + GAMECUBE CONTROLLER ADAPTORNintendo, Wii U

2. The Evil Within Inc The Fighting Chance Pack DLCBethesda ...............................................................PS4

3. Wii U GameCube Contoller Super Smash Bros EdNintendo ............................................................. Wii U

4. Grand Theft Auto VRockstar ................................................................PS4

5. Bayonetta 2 Inc Bayonetta 1Nintendo ............................................................. Wii U 6. The Evil Within Inc The Fighting Chance Pack DLCBethesda ..................................................................XO 7. Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 (PES) Day 1 EditionKonami ...................................................................PS4

8. Borderlands Pre Sequel Inc Shock Drop Slaughter Pit2K ............................................................................ 360

9. Super Smash BrosNintendo ............................................................. Wii U

10. Call of Duty Advanced Warfare Inc Advanced ArsenalActivision ........................................................... PS4

PRICE CHECK: NORWICH

ONLINEIN

STORE

NEED FOR SPEED: HOT PURSUIT

EA, PS3

BURNOUT PARADISEXbox 360, EA

FORZA MOTORSPORT 5Microsoft, XO

GRAN TURISMO 6Sony, PS3

£11.98 N/A £29.99 £45

N/A N/A £26.99 £42.99

£15.98 £14.69 £17.49 £39.85

£16.99 N/A £29.99 £42.99

£15.97 N/A £29.97 £34.97

UPLOADINGThe latest digital releases coming

to market

DEADCORE

5 Bits Games’ unique plaforming FPS has hopped onto PC

This blaxploitation-cross-Greek mythology mashup is set to hit Xbox

An expansion for the decade-old shooter will blast onto PC soon.

FUNK OF TITANS POSTAL 2: PARADISE LOST

OUT: 2014OUT: NOW OUT: 2014


MARKETPLACE

if you are lucky. We even made the local newspapers.

With the next-gen GTA V launch near, we are looking forward to doing it again.

What’s the best thing about dropping by your store?Well, I’m not sure it’s the best thing, but walking in and fi nding out what Steve is dressed up as. He has no shame, and we all appreciate that; he has been everything from Lara Croft to a

Last of Us clicker by strapping caulifl ower to his head.

Do you engage with the local community at all?We are always hosting game nights and tournaments – everything from Minecraft in-store to a Destiny Fireteam online.

Our next big thing is a regular Pokémon Tournament, followed by a WWE 2K15 link-up with our local pro-wrestling company Shropshire Wrestling Alliance.

WANT TO FEATURE YOUR OUTLET IN MCV?Contact [email protected] or call 01992 515 303

GAME TelfordTelford Shopping Centre,40 Southwater Way,Telford

Phone: 0871 594 0066Twitter: @GAMETelford

INCOMING The latter half of October sees a fl ood of games hit shelves, ranging from sci-fi strategy title Civilization: Beyond Earth to rhythm sequel Just Dance 2015

TITLE FORMAT GENRE PUBLISHER TELEPHONE DISTRIBUTOR

October 17th

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel PS3/360/PC Shooter 2K Games 01279 822 800 Exertis Gem

F1 2014 PS3/360/PC Racing Codemasters 01215 069 590 Advantage

MXGP: The Offi cial Motocross Video Game PS4 Racing PQube 0121 625 3388 CentreSoft

Winx Club: Saving Alfea 3DS/DS Kids Bandai Namco 01215 069 590 Advantage

October 24th

Bayonetta 2 Wii U Action Nintendo 01753 483 700 Open

Civilization: Beyond Earth PC Strategy 2K Games 01279 822 822 Exertis

Disney Magical World 3DS Life-simulation Nintendo 01753 483 700 Open

Fantasia: Music Evolved XO/360 Rhythm Disney 0121 625 3388 CentreSoft

Just Dance 2015 PS4/XO/Wii U/PS3/360/Wii Rhythm Ubisoft 01279 822 822 Exertis

Need for Speed Rivals Complete Edition PS4/XO/PS3/360/PC Racing EA 0121 625 3388 CentreSoft

Power Rangers Super Mega Force 3DS Kids Bandai Namco 01215 069 590 Advantage

Samurai Warriors 4 PS4/PS3/Vita Action Tecmo Koei 01462 476 130 Open

Shadow Warrior PS4/XO Action Bandai Namco 01215 069 590 Advantage

October 28th

MX vs ATV Supercross PS3/360 Racing Nordic Games 01256 391 209 Open

October 29th

Invizimals: The Resistance Vita Kids Sony 0121 625 3388 CentreSoft

October 31st

The Walking Dead – GOTY Edition PS4/XO Adventure Avanquest 01480 359 403 Open

The Walking Dead – Season Two PS4/XO/PS3/360 Adventure Avanquest 01480 359 403 Open

NBA Live 15 PS4/XO Sports EA 0121 625 3388 CentreSoft

Lords of the Fallen PS4/XO/PC Action Square Enix 0121 625 3388 CentreSoft

Sunset Overdrive XO Action Microsoft 01279 822 822 Exertis


RACING

The racing genre is more gender-neutral than segments such as shooter and strategy titles.

THE lights are green for a new convoy of racing games to hit retail this Q4 – and there’s a boot-load of tie-in merchandise and accessories available.

Analytics firm Flurry states that the primary audience for mobile racing games is male players aged between 25 and 30. Around 30 per cent of the audience are female.

These figures actually make the genre slightly more gender-neutral than other

segments such as shooter and strategy titles.

This improved gender balance provides an opportunity to capture the interest of multiple demographics, by stocking a range of products from wheels through to clothing.

There is also a wide breadth of racing game sub-genres on offer to consumers – spanning ultra-realistic simulators such as Gran Turismo, open-world arcade racers like Forza Horizon and

THRUSTMASTER T300 RS OFFICIAL FORCE FEEDBACK WHEEL

The T300 is built upon a 1080-degree force feedback base, which delivers realistic force eff ects to players – whether they’re skidding down rough tracks or slamming into rival cars. Compatible with PS4, PS3 and PC, the wheel is accompanied by metal accelerator and brake pedals.

SRP: £329.99Manufacturer: ThrustmasterDistributor: EntatechContact: 0333 101 1000

This Q4 is a new season for racing games, with big titles like Forza Horizon 2, DriveClub, F1 2014 and The Crew hitting the grid. Matthew Jarvis buckles up and hits the gas

PLAYSEAT EVOLUTION BLACK

This ultra-realistic racing seat is ideal for driving simulator enthusiasts looking to recreate the feeling of sitting in a race car.

SRP: £359Manufacturer: PlayseatDistributor: PlayseatContact: www.playseat.com

GRAN TURISMO COLLECTION RACER JACKET

Virtual drivers can look the part with this stylised premium racer jacket, emblazoned with the Gran Turismo logo.

SRP: £89.10Manufacturer: MusterbrandDistributor: MusterbrandContact: [email protected]

MARIO KART RADIO CONTROL KART

Mario Kart fans can bring the fun of the game into reality with this range of licensed remote-control characters.

SRP: £19.99Manufacturer: NintendoDistributor: NintendoContact: 0345 60 50 247

RACING


RACINGSponsored by

gamingmerchandise uk

frantic car-battlers in the form of games like Mario Kart.

This variety provides retail with the chance to stock a multitude of different lines, whether that’s casual merchandise or products aiming to produce the perfect driving simulation.

Racing games are a popular choice for gamers investing in next-gen hardware.

According to a 2013 study by The NPD Group’s Retail Tracking Service, of the best-selling video

games last year, games in the racing genre made up 4.6 per cent of total units sold.

This is primarily on console, as PC racing titles only contributed 0.4 per cent to that total figure.

With a new run of racing games hitting the PS4 and Xbox One this Q4, including Forza Horizon 2, DriveClub, F1 2014, Project CARS and The Crew, retailers should be looking to stock merchandise in order to get into pole position.

SIMRACEWAY SRW-S1 STEERING WHEEL

Designed to provide a full-simulated racing experience, the SRW-S1 includes a patented throttle and brake system, a unique design equipped with a number of driving style options and support for online racing service Simraceway. Ideal for PC players looking for a super-realistic virtual drive.

SRP: £119.99Manufacturer: SteelSeriesDistributor: ExertisContact: 01279 822 822

PRO RACING FORCE FEEDBACK WHEEL AND PEDALS

This highly-adjustable set should suit Xbox One players looking for a realistic feeling from their racing titles.

SRP: £349.99Manufacturer: Mad CatzDistributor: EntatechContact: 0333 101 1000

OFFICIALLY LICENSED PS4 COMPACT RACING WHEEL

Built to complement DualShock 4 controllers, this wheel is fully compatible with PS4 racing titles that support ‘tilt to steer’ controls.

SRP: £12.99Manufacturer: 4GamersDistributor: A4TContact: 01204 869 230

FORZA MOTORSPORT LADIES PIT CREW JACKET

Female Forza Motorsport fans can show off their fondness for the Microsoft track racer with this branded jacket.

SRP: $40Manufacturer: Treehouse Brand StoresDistributor: Treehouse Brand StoresContact: [email protected]

30

HOT PRODUCTS

October 17th 2014 www.mcvuk.com

Sponsored by

MCV looks at the best new products heading to UK retail. This week, we ask for help in Bayonetta 2 and listen to a new SteelSeries headset

HOT PRODUCTS

BAYONETTA 2 PRIMA GUIDE

Players who fi nd themselves struggling with Wii U hack ‘n’ slash sequel Bayonetta 2 later this month are in luck.

Strategy guide specialist Prima Games is releasing this guide for Bayonetta 2 alongside the game, to off er help and tips to those in need.

The book, which will be released exclusively as a collectible hardcover featuring high quality art paper and unique cover treatments, will include everything a player needs to fi nd every in-game collectable and beat the game on the hardest diffi culties – allowing them to reach 100 per cent completion.

It also includes tips and strategies on how to achieve the game’s most prestigious rating –

Pure Platinum – in each and every one of Bayonetta 2’s chapters.

Players will also have the chance to learn the best ways to fi ght the title’s many enemies with new over-the-top in-game weapons. These weapons include the Kafka, a bow that shoots poisonous arrows; the Rakshasa, a pair of katana blades; and a giant scythe called the Chernobog.

The bonus section of the guide will feature artwork of all types, including weapons, characters, stages and concept art.

The physical edition of the book also includes the full strategy guide in digital format, which incorporates additional eGuide-only features and is optimised for a second-screen experience.

STEELSERIES SIBERIA V3 PRISM

For players looking to add some visuals to their audio, the SteelSeries Siberia v3 Prism illuminates with up to 16.8 million brilliant colours in various customisable modes.

The suspension headband the Siberia series is known for returns, off ering wearers a more comfortable fi t during long gaming sessions.

Inside the noise-reducing memory foam earcups, SteelSeries audio drivers push out full-range, natural sound, with a focus on delivering clearer audio for a more pleasurable listening experience.

SteelSeries says the components have been redesigned to improve acoustics and are hand-selected for their quality – the internals of the earcups have similarly been re-engineered.

Users can utilise the SteelSeries Engine 3 software in order to customise and backup personalised audio profi les and

illumination options. The software’s included CloudSync feature can be used to backup the preferences.

The v3 connects using an integrated USB connection to PC or Mac.

A fl exible microphone for voice communication – for instance, during online play or live streaming – is included. For those not in the mood to talk, a microphone mute button is located nearby.

The retractable mic features noise suppression and auto compression, utilising SteelSeries’ DSP technology.

[INFO]

RRP: £19.99Release Date: October 24thDistributor: ExertisContact: 01279 822 822

[INFO]

RRP: £84.99Release Date: Out NowDistributor: ExertisContact: 01279 822 822

Full-day conference and networking event featuring expert advice from

Event Partner Event Partner Event Partner

Event Partner Livestreaming Partner

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES STILL AVAILABLEContact [email protected]

or [email protected] or call 01992 535 646

www.londongamesconference.com/buy-tickets

or contact [email protected] or call 020 7354 6001

Wednesday, November 19th One Wimpole Street, London

THE CHANGING FACE OF VIDEO GAMES MARKETINGBUILDING REACH & ENGAGEMENT

2014

BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW

Tickets £199 at early bird rate (£349 from October 22nd)

TO LIST YOUR COMPANY HERE AND ONLINE EVERY WEEK PLEASE CONTACT [email protected] OR CALL 01992 535647

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

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

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

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

PERFORMANCE DESIGNED PRODUCTS LTDTel: 01628 509047www.pdp.com

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

INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION

GAMING ACCESSORIES & MERCHANDISE

CREATIVE & PROMOTIONAL STUDIO DIVATel: 0117 214 0404www.studiodiva.co.uk........................................................................................................

BRIDGE MEDIA GROUPTel: 020 3283 8466www.bridgemediagroup.com........................................................................................................

FLUIDTel: +44 (0)121 212 0121www.fl uidesign.co.uk........................................................................................................

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

BY FRONTROOM

CLD DISTRIBUTIONTel: +32 81 83 02 02www.cld.be........................................................................................................

GAMING MERCHANDISE UK LIMITEDTel: +44 207 269 7900www.gamingmechandiseuk.com

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

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

STUDIO CO2Tel: +44 (0)1483 414 415www.studioco2.com........................................................................................................

SUPERHEROTel: +4020 3031 6180www.superheroscreen.com........................................................................................................

THE AUDIO GUYS LIMITEDTel: +44 (0) 1934 710024www.theaudioguys.co.uk

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

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

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

CLICK ENTERTAINMENT LIMITEDTel: +44 203 137 3781www.click-entertainment.com

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

Wholesaler and distributor of video games, consoles and accessories

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

KENNEDY MONKTel: 020 7636 9142www.kennedymonk.com........................................................................................................ MANUFACTURING

OK MEDIA LTDTel: 02076886789www.okmedia.biz........................................................................................................

KEYWORDS STUDIOS GROUPTel: +353 1 902 2730www.keywordsstudios.com

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

U

LOCALISATION, QA & TESTING

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

POLE TO WIN EUROPE LTDTel: +44 (0) 20 8607 7900www.poletowineurope.com

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

Localization Services

UNIVERSALLY SPEAKINGTel: +44 (0) 1480210621www.usspeaking.com

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

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

MONETISATION & PAYMENT

MILLENNIAL MEDIATel: +44 (0) 207 151 3320www.millennialmedia.com........................................................................................................

KEY CONTACTS:

James Glover, Creative Directorjames@fl uidesign.co.uk

Neil Roddis, Operations Directorneil@fl uidesign.co.uk

Andrew Bowyer, Digital Directorandrew@fl uidesign.co.uk

ADDRESS:Fluid Studios12 Tenby StreetBirminghamB1 3AJ

FLUID is an award-winning creative agency launched in 1995 which off ers innovative and engaging creative for some of the largest entertainment brands in the world.

Fluid is not only our name, but also our branding philosophy. We embrace the changing media landscape with a fl exible, reactive approach enabled by a rich pool of outstanding talent from a wide range of artistic disciplines. At every stage of the creative process we guarantee fl exible, comprehensive creative solutions that bear testament to the breadth of our experience and versatility of style.

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

COMPANY PROFILE / FLUID

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDETO INTERACTIVEENTERTAINMENTAGENCIES AND SERVICE COMPANIES

AMIQUSTel: 01925 839700www.amiqus.com........................................................................................................

RECRUITMENT

MEDIA & MARKETING

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

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

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

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

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

CURSE, INC.Tel: +1 415 856 0056www.curseinc.com........................................................................................................

IGNTel: 0203 701 5682www.ign.com........................................................................................................

DIRECTORY


CREATIVE Fink ................................................................. info@fi nkcreative.com

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

DISTRIBUTION Click Entertainment ............................ +44 (0) 203 137 3781

Creative Distribution ......................+44 (0) 20 8664 3456

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

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

Sony DADC ............................................ +44 (0) 207 462 6200

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

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

MCV DIRECTORY KEY CONTACTS

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

TOTAL DISC REPAIR DISC REPAIR

Tel: +44 (0) 1202 489500 Web: www.totaldiscrepair.co.uk

DIRECTORY


ENQUIRIES

CONOR TALLONTel: 01992 [email protected]

SONY DADC DISTRIBUTION

Tel: +44 207 462 [email protected]

www.sonydadc.com

Empowering your creative business

Tel: +44 (0) 207 462 6200 Web: www.sonydadc.com

CLICK ENTERTAINMENT DISTRIBUTION

Tel: +44 (0)203 137 3781 email: [email protected]

FINK CREATIVE

Artworking Mastertronic Brand Identity Ukie Localisation Rising Star Games Advertising BBFC Website Design Deep Silver Exhibition Bethesda Illustration Appynation Digital Media IntentMedia Charity GamesAid Banners & Takeovers Konami Packaging Design Just Flight

Email: info@fi nkcreative.com Web: www.fi nkcreative.com

CREATIVE DISTRIBUTION DISTRIBUTION

Tel: +44 (0) 208 6643456 Web: www.creativedistribution.co.uk

CURVEBALL LEISURE DISTRIBUTION

Tel: +44 (0) 1792 652521 Web: www.curveball-leisure.com

ENARXIS DYNAMIC MEDIA DISTRIBUTION

Tel: +302 1090 11900 Web: www.enarxis.eu

DIRECTORY


L3I GAMING ACCESSORIES

Tel: + (0)1923 471 020 Web: www.logic3.com

VENOM GAMING ACCESSORIES

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

@VenomGamingUK

Venom UK Gaming

SERIOUS ABOUT GAMING

SERIOUS ABOUT ACCESSORIES

Rechargeable Battery Pack

“ ”, “PlayStation” and “DUALSHOCK” are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Also, “ ” is a trademark of the same company. All rights reserved.

New officially licensedproduct coming soon

Fully recharges the DUALSHOCK®4 wireless controller for up to 20 hours of gameplay.

Sleek, contemporary design fits securely to the DUALSHOCK®4 wireless controller.

Web:www.venomuk.com

Phone:+44 (0)1763 284181

Email:[email protected]@[email protected]

Tel: +44 (0)1763 284181 Web: www.venomuk.com

WANT TO ADVERTISE IN OUR DIRECTORY?

ADVERTISE WITH US

CALL CONOR TALLON ON 01992 535647 OR EMAIL HIM AT [email protected]

37www.mcvuk.com October 17th 2014

INSIDER’S GUIDE

Tell us about your company.We specialise in the creation of branded mobile apps, browser games and social campaigns.

We’ve created games for the likes of McDonalds, BBC Top Gear, Sony Pictures, Confused.com and Red Bull – to name just a few. What is your biggest success to date?We created an online viral game for Cancer Research UK to promote their Race for Life events across the UK. The game has now been played over 30 million times.

In terms of mobile apps, we developed a game for our client DK called the DK Quiz. This game has been featured in over 58 countries on the App Store and has almost reached 1m installs. What projects do you currently have in the works?We’ve got quite a few cross-platform HTML5 Facebook apps in development.

We have a new game called Uni Leap, developed for UCAS. That’s currently under review from Apple, which will also be available for Android and Facebook, as well as a standalone viral version.

What are the biggest challenges you face?Our biggest challenges are often based around choosing the best platforms and/or development frameworks to suit our differing clients’ objectives and budgets.

Several years ago, it was mainly Flash games that we developed, but these days we have cross-platform HTML5 browser apps with responsive layouts, dedicated mobile apps for the various app stores and many differing types and depths of social app integration.

How did you choose your company name?I wanted something that was easy to remember but also made our business feel like the missing ingredient to the marketing mix.

We came up with the strap line of ‘Just add....’ and Koko seemed to fit the mould.

Stuart Howarth, director and co-founder of Koko Digital, explains how the agency sends brands viral

Specialism: Marketing developmentLocation: IC2 Keele Business Park, Keele, ST5 5NH

Contact: P: +44 (0)844 800 7137E: [email protected]: @kokodigitalF: facebook.com/kokodigital

INSIDER’S GUIDE

THIS MONTH’S DIRECTORY SPOTLIGHT:

KOKO DIGITAL

Epic Games .................................................. www.epicgames.com/careers

To be included in the Develop Directory (which appears every month in Develop and now every week in MCV) contact [email protected]

WWW.DEVELOP-ONLINE.NET

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

DIRECTORY WHO?

FOR GREAT ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES, CONTACT ALEX [email protected]

PLEASE CONTACT [email protected] OR CALL 01992 515 303

WANT TO FEATURE YOUR COMPANY IN INSIDER’S GUIDE?

Our biggest challenges are based around choosing the best platforms for our clients.

Sponsored by



BRAZIL is now one of the world’s biggest games markets.

Newzoo estimates that the country is the leading Latin America region for games, with revenue of $1.3bn (£0.81bn).

Business resource The Brazil Business adds that 3.1 million PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii consoles have been sold to date in Brazil. Despite this, the most popular console in the region is actually the PS2 – almost half (41.2 per cent) of Brazilian households own the 14-year-old machine.

Next-gen consoles have yet to sell in large quantities due to high pricing.

When the PS4 launched in Brazil on November 29th 2013, the £350 console was priced at R$3,999 (£1,038).

In comparison, the Xbox One had a similarly inflated cost – but ended up much closer to its price in other countries, retailing at R$2,199 (£571).

“Brazil doesn’t have the larger retailers like GameStop and GAME,” says Mauro Bossetti, partner and MD of Synthesis Group Iberia and LATAM.

“Instead they have a lot of smaller retailers that have been trading for a long time.

“We have large bookstores who dedicate entire sections of their stores to gaming and department stores which are beginning to show greater interest in selling games and

gaming gear.“Digital games are usually

cheaper and very popular. The market for physical games is mostly for the console games nowadays, though places where internet connections aren’t as reliable might still have a preference for physical PC games.

“Brazil is the 11th biggest gaming market in the world, and it’s done this in a very short space of time, so the market potential is massive.”

FACTFILE BRAZIL

FACTFILE: BRAZILPopulation: 200.4 millionCapital City: BrasíliaCurrency: RealGDP (Per Capita): $11,080

KEY RETAILERSAbraão Games, Action Game, Game Mania, World Game, GameStore, Big Shop, Submarino

TOP DISTRIBUTORSAlcateia, Incomp, NC Games, Rcell, Zap Games

TOP DEVELOPERS8D Games, GameBlox, Hive Digital, Uplay Mobile, Braza Games

NOTABLE GAMES FIRMS WITH A LOCAL OFFICEUbisoft, Microsoft, Sony, Disney, GameMaxx

INTERNATIONAL

Brazil is the 11th biggest gaming market in the world, and it’s done this in a short space of time.

MEANWHILE IN... JAPAN

WHEN Microsoft launched the Xbox One in Japan last month, it didn’t fare so well.

The console sold just north of 23,000 units in its fi rst week on sale, according to Famitsu – less than half of the 60,000 sales seen by the Xbox 360 in its fi rst two days in the region.

However, Microsoft hopes to turn its fortunes around with a new promotion centred on a new horror game from Japanese game legend Shinji Mikami, The Evil Within.

Japanese gamers who buy the game, called Psycho Break in the country, alongside an Xbox One will receive a 5,000

yen (£29) discount – almost covering the cost of the 7,300 yen (£42) title.

Microsoft has previously pushed the Xbox One edition of the game by running a large outdoor

advert at Japanese games event TGS in September.

Meanwhile, Sony has fought back with a pair of PS4 models emblazoned with artwork from the game.

Microsoft is running a promotion alongside the launch of The Evil Within, in the hope of boosting Xbox One sales in the region


BRAZIL FACTFILE

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OFF THE RECORD

After more than twenty years on store shelves, Offi cial Nintendo Magazine is closing.

In its fi nal issue, the team decided to commemorate all of those who worked on the publication during its six years at Future Publishing.

A recurring theme of their memories appears to be that most former staff actually died in freak ONM-based accidents. Among those to seemingly perish were Gav Murphy, whose ‘quacking gut’-riddled bones are still visible during low tide, and Ghost of the Work Experience Kid, an irritating spectre that ‘lived’ at the bottom of the ONM lift.

ONM, we’ll miss you.

OFF THE RECORD This week ONM goes out with a bang, and GAME and Warner Bros unleash the beasts with their launch activity for Alien: Isolation and Shadow of Mordor

DIE LAUGHING

@NathanDitum Speaking as someone who’s reviewed hundreds of games, Kotaku’s new policy is sense. Best stuff always happens days, weeks, years into games.

Nathan Ditum, PlayStation Access, Thursday October 9th

@dansilver Our PS4 review copy of the new @SkylandersGame just crashed and forced us to delete the save game fi le. Try explaining THAT to two under-8s.

Dan Silver, The Sun, Thursday October 9th

@GameDesignDan *Quietly* I sort of think that Assassin’s Creed running at 30fps is A) fi ne and B) totally justifi able as I think some games are better at 30.

Dan Pearce, indie developer, Friday October 10th

@GeorgeOsborn Games press a week ago: we’re not objective, we’re subjective. Games press after Polygon review of Bayonetta: LOOK HOW WRONG THEY ARE, LOOK

George Osborn, freelance journalist, Monday October 13th

@danthat As an oafi sh idiot, I’d sort of assumed Bayonetta 2 was a shoo-in for Sexistist Game 2014. Fascinated to read why it sort of isn’t, really.

Dan Marshall, game developer, Monday October 13th

@mrbasil_pesto And now the exciting news: I’m fi nally allowed to tell you that I’m editing Offi cial Xbox Magazine. All hail Master King! #halo

Matthew Castle, Offi cial Xbox Magazine, Tuesday October 7th

@smcowley First hour or so of #AlienIsolation done. Totally sucked in by the Aliens-ness of it all. CA nailed the aesthetic. Has made me jump 3 times.

Simon Cowley, NCSoft, Tuesday October 7th

@Matthewmatosis I get why some devs don’t want to push for 60fps and I don’t think it’s crucial for every game but let’s not make excuses. Higher is better.

Matthew Matosis, YouTube games critic, Wednesday October 8th

@hownottodraw Now we have to edit the Britishisms out of OXM for the US edition, I’ve suddenly realised I want to talk about Flumps, teacakes and crumpets.

Kate Gray, Offi cial Xbox Magazine, Wednesday October 8th

@ultrabrilliant Alien: Isolation tip: if you’re too stressed out to get past a section, lower the music and put on ‘Spanish Flea’.

Andy Kelly, PC Gamer, Wednesday October 8th

THE WEEK IN 140 CHARACTERSThe Tweets you might have missed in the last seven days

OFF THE RECORD


BIG SCREAMS ON THE BIG SCREEN

Ahead of Alien: Isolation’s midnight release last Monday, GAME stuck Ridley Scott’s seminal 1979 movie on the silver screen at ODEON, Camden, for gamers who had pre-ordered the title.

Before the audience was treated to the sight of John Hurt’s chest being splattered, Creative Assembly gave fans a peak behind the scenes of the game, raffled away art books and other Alien goodies, and opened the fl oor to questions from GAME’s community, fi elded by YouTubers We Got Game.

In scenes somewhat reminiscient of Frost/Nixon, questions included ‘What came fi rst, the Alien or the Egg?’, and whether Creative Assembly preferred tea or coff ee while they were making the game.

Who needs journalists, eh?

MORDOR ON TOUR

After largely widespread criticism of the ‘booth babes’ used to promote games, it seems Warner Bros has taken a particularly radical step in the other direction.

The publisher promoted its latest Lord of the Rings game Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor by sending the moisturiser-averse orcs of Tolkien’s world out and about in London.

As you can see, the ghoulies had a great time – and unlike their in-game brethren, no-one chopped their heads off . (Yet.)

Michael Clark @SmokeDarKnight

My favourite villain is Sephiroth, got a tattoo of him on my arm.

Scott Manley @DJSnM

The Ministries in Papers, Please – faceless, emotionless, arbitrary and destroying lives, one rubber stamp at a time.

TAKE A BRIEF MOMENT OF RESPITE FROM

BEING HUNTED BY THE TERRIFYING XENOMORPH AND TELL US, WHAT ARE

GAMING’S BEST VILLAINS? #GMGASKS

Mark Dunn @rainbow_geisha

Obvs glados from portal!

Daniel@nibblemonkey

Probably @TheCryptarch from Destiny, always crushing my hopes.

Hilander@Sanisrah

Andrew Ryan – Bioshock.

Z3anogo @Z3anogo

Salazar in Resident Evil 4... He’s terrifyingly adorable! :D

Jonathan Stone @Stoneman6666

Ganondorf, Vaati, Ghirahim, The Reapers and Saren.

Aaron Rick @atrick25

The Collectors from Mass Effect gave me nightmares for a bit.

Silent Salmon @SilencedSalmon

That f’ing spider thingy from Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons.

Zombeema@djbeema

FFVI Kefka – he just wanted to see the world burn. And he did.


COMING 2.12.14

“DISCOVERING AMERICA AT SPEED IS ONE OF THE GAME’S GREAT PLEASURES”

The Crew, Stuff.tv, October 2014


“INTOXICATING”

mcv809 october 17th

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