MCV870 March 18th

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BATTLEBORN MCV COVERWRAP.indd 2 11/03/2016 13:39

THE BUSINESS OF VIDEO GAMES

ISSUE 870 FRIDAY MARCH 18TH 2016

AdTemplate.indd 1 11/03/2016 15:07

AVAILABLE 3RD MAYKEY FEATURES:• Battleborn Heroes: Battleborn has a deep roster of 25 playable heroes and no two are the same.

Every hero has their own personality and comes equipped with their own unique weapons and powers.

• Story Mode: Battleborn’s Story Mode is a multi-chapter narrative experience that can be played entirely singleplayer, and is even better when it’s played cooperatively with friends both splitscreen and online. Each chapter is like an episode of a television show, with each episode’s unique plot both standing on its own and pushing the overarching story of the game forward.

• Multiplayer: Battleborn’s team-based competitive multiplayer action can be experienced by up to 10 players online in 5v5 matches, and includes three distinct multiplayer modes Capture, Meltdown and Incursion

• Progression System: All experience points, whether earned through playing Battleborn’s Story Mode or Competitive Multiplayer modes, contribute to leveling up individual Character Rank, as well as player pro� le Command Rank.


May the best game winVERONIQUE LALLIER ON HER AMBITIONS FOR SMITE P24

HI-REZ’S EURO INVASIONEURO INVASION


ISSUE 870 FRIDAY MARCH 18TH 2016

by Marie Dealessandri BRACE yourself: UK games retail is facing one of the most congested spring release slates in history.

May in particular is rammed with six major titles arriving within four weeks: Battleborn, Uncharted 4, Doom, Homefront: The Revolution, Overwatch and Mirror’s Edge Catalyst will all be fi ghting for

gamer attention.“We will be working

closely with publishers to give each title their deserved pre-

order and launch campaigns,” said

ShopTo’s head of

commercial Alison Fraser. “It will be important to ensure customers know the diff erences between Battleborn and Overwatch. Each title is worthy in their own right.

“The plans for Doom are shaping up nicely and, even though Uncharted 4’s release date has moved a couple times, the title should have brilliant results. There are also a lot of fans of the Homefront and Mirror’s Edge franchises eager for their new releases to come out.”

A senior buyer at a major High Street games chain added: “It’s the biggest May release slate for many years. Although, to be fair, May was very good last year with The Witcher 3 and Project CARS.”

Each of these games will consider themselves as certain chart toppers.

Although stores warn that some may want to consider moving

into June, to spread the spend for consumers.

Games Centre boss Robert

Lindsay said: “At the risk of

sounding like a broken record, it’s the bugbear of our industry that there’s no major releases for weeks then a few in succession. A little coordinated planning would benefi t the whole industry.”

Six triple-A consoles games go head-to-head in hectic release pile-up this May

Catalystgamer attention.

“We will be working closely with publishers to give each title their deserved pre-

order and launch campaigns,” said

ShopTo’s head of

years. Although, to be fair, May was very good last year with Witcher 3 and Witcher 3 and Witcher 3 Project CARS

Each of these games will consider themselves as certain chart toppers.

Although stores warn that some may want to consider moving

into June, to spread the spend for consumers. spend for consumers.

Games Centre Games Centre boss Robert

Lindsay said: Lindsay said: “At the risk of “At the risk of

It’s the bugbear of our industry that there’s no major releases for weeks then a few in succession.

Robert Lindsay, Games Centre

MAY DAY PAY DAYBattleborn (PS4, Xbox One, PC) May 3rdUncharted 4: A Thief’s End (PS4) May 10thDoom (PS4, Xbox One, PC) May 13thHomefront: The Revolution (PS4, Xbox One, PC) May 20thOverwatch (PS4, Xbox One, PC) May 24thTotal War: Warhammer (PC) May 24thMirror’s Edge Catalyst (PS4, Xbox One, PC) May 26th

PLUS DEEP SILVER’S 2016 COMEBACK n CAN YO-KAI WATCH CONQUER EUROPE?

03 MCV870 Cover_V7.indd 1 15/03/2016 17:03

March 18th 2016 www.mcvuk.com

NEWS

04

by Alex Calvin & Christopher Dring THE age of developers self-releasing their games is over.

That’s the claim of Klemens Kundratitz, CEO of Dead Island and Saints Row publisher Koch Media.

Speaking to MCV this week, he says that developers are facing the complexity of launching games globally across multiple platforms, and are turning to the likes of Koch Media for help.

The ‘indie publishing’ sector has been booming in recent years, with companies such as Team17, Kiss, Curve, 505 Games, Sold Out, Rising Star Games, Nomad, Ripstone and Devolver capitalising on the market.

Koch Media has specifically been supporting titles that have already been funded via Kickstarter.

“It’s a great opportunity for us as a publisher to get behind products which have been validated by the

Koch Media: ‘Self-publishing really is dead’

community,” Kundratitz told MCV. “Many developers have tried the self-publishing model and were not successful and I think that apart from some exceptional cases, self-publishing really is dead. The complexity of bringing a game to market across the globe, across multiple platforms, often in digital and physical forms, requires a

with very talented developers and formed a perfect alliance where both sides played to their strengths and were commercially successful in a partnership.”

Koch Media announced last week that its Deep Silver publishing arm had teamed-up with UK outfit Sumo Digital to create Dead Island 2.

Koch Media is supporting Kickstarted game Mighty No.9.

CEO Klemens Kundratitz says backing Kickstarter success stories is a real opportunity for game publishers

by Christopher Dring NINTENDO and Viz Media say they’re throwing big money behind the launch of Yo-kai Watch.

The 3DS game is due to arrive on April 29rd, less than a week after the first TV episode will air on April 23rd on Cartoon Network.

The game is being backed by a ‘Splatoon and Super Mario Maker-sized’ marketing investment, Nintendo says. While toy manufacturer Hasbro and TV channel Cartoon Network are preparing their own campaigns for the toy range and a TV Show.

“2016 is all about laying the foundations to support Yo-kai

Watch as it builds to become the strongest boys’ brand in the UK,” said Aadil Tayouga, EMEA licensing manager at licence holder Viz

Media Europe. “Key launches from Hasbro, Nintendo and Cartoon Network will introduce the universe to an eager audience

of young fans whilst retail right across the territory are very keen to build support programs.

“We are working with licensees to ensure a successful soft launch through 2016, and then working with retail partners to build in-store theatre to support footfall and sell-through as our core program launches fully in Q1 2017.”

Yo-kai Watch is a the most popular video game franchise in Japan. Nintendo UK product manager Remy van Leeuwen said: “It is difficult to say whether it will have the same impact in the West, but I definitely think that there is a lot of potential for it.”

Hasbro, Cartoon Network and Nintendo unite to make Yo-kai Watch the UK’s ‘strongest boys brand’

lot of experience, a dedicated publishing infrastructure and considerable financial strength. That’s the reason why we believe teaming up with independent studios and crowdfunded products is absolutely a strategic element of Deep Silver’s future.

“They are good examples of products where we teamed up

Remy van Leeuwen (pictured above) and Aadil Tayouga (pictured above)

04 05 MCV870 News_V7.indd 1 15/03/2016 16:09

www.mcvuk.com March 18th 2016

NEWS

05

by Christopher Dring THE organiser of Gamescom has reported an impressive start to its 2016 show.

Koelnmesse say that it has had 60 per cent more registrations during its Early Bird period than it did in 2015.

Businesses from 33 countries have already registered for the event, while Turkey will be this year’s partner country with a 500 square metre pavilion.

Meanwhile, Bandai Namco, Bethesda, CD Projekt, Deep Silver,

EA, Konami, Nintendo, Oculus, Samsung, Square Enix, Ubisoft, Warner Bros and Wargaming are among the companies exhibiting at the show this year.

eSports presentations from Turtle Entertainment have also been confi rmed, alongside the return to the Indie Arena.

Gamescom 2015 attracted 806 exhibitors from 45 countries in a newly expanded 193,000 square metre area. 345,000 visitors attended the event, including 33,500 trade visitors from 96 countries.

Gamescom registrationsup 60% for 2016 show

IF there’s one thing that the record-breaking success of The Division proves, it’s that good games will sell whenever. It’s not all about Christmas.

Not that the games industry needs to hear that lesson this year. It may have been a quiet start to the 2016, but from next month the major games come thick and fast. May’s line-up, in particular, is akin to what you’d expect in an October or November.

May isn’t an unusual month for big video game launches. Ever since Rockstar released all those Spring blockbusters between 2008 and 2012 (GTA IV, Red Dead Redemption, LA Noire and Max Payne 3), we’ve been used to seeing a couple of big titles arrive that month.

But what people often forget when looking to those major sellers are the games that didn’t make it. Remember Blur, Split/Second, Brink or Alan Wake? All suff ered in the shadow of Red Dead Redemption or LA Noire.

And when you look at the release slate for this May, you have to wonder which ones gamers will prioritise, and which ones they’ll hold off until they’re on the pre-owned shelves.

It’s not an easy answer.Battleborn (May 3rd) may be

an ‘unproven new IP’, but it’s from a proven developer in Gearbox, which is responsible for 2K’s biggest franchise: Borderlands.

A week later comes Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (May 10th), which could well prove to be the biggest launch on PS4 so far.

Just a few days later we will have Doom (May 13th). After its impressive E3 showing, and

following the marketing job Bethesda pulled on Fallout 4, you wouldn’t bet against that.

Homefront: The Revolution (May 20th) is an interesting one. The fi rst Homefront sold well, but wasn’t well received. However, this second title is from the former Crytek UK team, and Deep Silver has been building up to this one for some time.

Then comes Blizzard’s Overwatch (May 24th). It’s a new IP and it’s a little similar to 2K’s Battleborn. But this is Blizzard we’re talking about. Everything it touches invariably turns to gold.

And wrapping up the four-week period is Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst (May 26th). The fi rst game garnered a big cult following, despite not selling that much. But when you consider it’s EA’s fi rst massive release of 2016, you can’t see past it being another hit.

It’s going to be a competitive month. And you can’t help but feel that one or two of them will be better off in June or even (gasp) July.

But rather than dwell on the negatives, there’s no question that it’s good to be getting excited about the release schedule this early in the [email protected]

THE EDITOR

May’s line-up is akin to what you’d expect in an October or November.

MAY 2016: WHO WILL TRIUMPH?

Companies from 33 countries have already registered for the 2016 Gamescom.

PRE-ORDER TOP 10UNCHARTED 4: A THIEF’S END LAUNCH EDITION (PS4) SONY1

2 UFC 2 Day 1 Edition - Iron Mike Tyson Hall of Famer & The Gracie (PS4) EA

3 No Man’s Sky (PS4) Sony

4 Dark Souls III (PS4) Sony

5 Pokkén Tournament + Amiibo Card (Wii U) Nintendo

6 Pokémon Moon (3DS) Nintendo

7 UFC 2 Day 1 Edition - Iron Mike Tyson Hall of Famer & The Gracie (XO) EA

8 Quantum Break (XO) Microsoft

9 Pokémon Sun (3DS) Nintendo

10 Monster Hunter Generations (3DS) Nintendo

SPONSORED BY

04 05 MCV870 News_V7.indd 2 15/03/2016 16:09

In the last five years, Deep Silver has elevated itself into the publishing big leagues. 2011’s zombie smash hit Dead

Island put the company on the map worldwide. Then two years later, the company made a number of high-profile IP acquisitions from a bankrupt THQ. Deep Silver managed to get its hands on the open world crime franchise Saints Row, as well as post-apocalyptic IP Metro.

What followed was the company’s most succesful year ever, but since Saints Row IV in 2013, it’s been relatively quiet for the firm.

“Deep Silver has not been among the first publishers to release triple-A next generation games so it was a relatively quiet time,” CEO and founder Klemens Kundratitz says.

“Traditionally as an independent publisher we have never been among the first to jump on a new generation of platform. We believe that in terms of development, we are better advised to be in the second range of publishers, especially with very big budget projects.”

In 2016, Deep Silver is back with some of its more ambitious blockbusters. First up is Homefront: The Revolution in May – a project that Deep Silver saved when it stepped in and bought the franchise and development team after Crytek ran into financial difficulties. Deep Silver rebranded the team Deep Silver Dambuster Studios and has high expectations for the title.

“Between now and the summer, Homefront is our entire focus,”

Kundratitz says. “We’re going to surprise many people with the quality that product will finally deliver. We had some challenges along the way, but we are determined to establish Homefront as a well-recognised IP in the shooter genre. The game offers a massive single-player part which is really deep and immersive and then the co-op on top is really fun and unique.”

BACK FROM THE DEAD That’s not the only major title that Deep Silver has in the works – the publisher also has a new Dead Island title in production. Sheffield’s own Sumo Digital is handling the project now, following difficulties with previous developer Yager.

“We ceased the collaboration with them as we wanted to make no compromises with this IP,” Kundratitz explains.

“Sumo Digital showed so much understanding of the brand and had creative ideas and an excellent, clear vision that was aligned with our own. It just made perfect sense for us to move the project to them. We are obviously super excited about the progress we are making with them.”

Deep Silver also has some slightly smaller titles in its line-up, including Mega Man spiritual successor Mighty No.9. That title raised $4m through Kickstarter and Paypal and has a wealth of cult appeal, but has

been delayed a number of times due to technical issues.

“Mighty No.9 in many ways is exciting for us. It’s our first development in Japan and a collaboration with [Mega Man and Mighty No.9 creator] Keiji Inafune,” Kundratitz says.

“Unfortunately we just had to iron out the last multiplayer issues and that’s well on its way

now. We are confident that we will release the game in the

coming months.”

POWER OF THE CROWDAnd Mighty No.9 isn’t the only Kickstarter title in Deep Silver’s line-up. Last year it launched physical versions of InXile’s Wasteland 2 and Revolution’s Broken Sword 5. In the near future, the firm is also publishing the new game from former

Rolling in the Deep

After publishing a string of global hits such as Dead Island and Saints Row IV, Deep Silver has had a rather quiet couple of years. But with blockbuster titles like Homefront: The Revolution hitting stores in May, 2016 is looking to

be one of the biggest years yet for the German publisher. Alex Calvin speaks to CEO Klemens Kundratitz

Homefront: The Revolution hits shelves on May 20th.

06March 18th 2016 www.mcvuk.com

INTERVIEW DEEP SILVER

06 07 MCV870 Deep Silver_V4.indd 1 14/03/2016 16:02

OVER the last three years, Deep Silver has made a number of high profile acquisitions. It has purchased blockbuster IP such as Saints Row from THQ, as well as studios such as Fishlabs and the Homefront team at Crytek UK. And CEO Klemens Kundratitz says the firm is always looking to make new purchases. “It’s part of our nature as an independent publisher,” he says.

“These days, we are keeping our eye out for viable investments. With changes in our industry happening on an almost weekly basis, there are often possibilities arising. Being independent we can act faster than others and can enter into different types of business relationships with our partners as we demonstrated with our crowdfunded products.”

FURTHER PURCHASES

Dead Island 2 is developed by Sumo Digital and published by Deep Silver

Self-publishing is dead. The complexity of bringing a game to market requires a dedicated infrastructure and considerable financial strength.

Klemens Kundratitz, Deep Silver

Castlevania producer Koji Igarashi – Bloodstained.

“It’s a great opportunity for us as a publisher to get behind products which have been validated by the community,” Kundratitz says.

“Many developers have tried the self-publishing model and were not successful and I think that, apart from some exceptional cases, self-publishing really is dead. The complexity of bringing a game to market across the globe, across multiple platforms, in digital and physical forms, requires a lot of experience, a dedicated publishing infrastructure and considerable financial strength.

“That’s why we believe teaming up with independent studios and crowdfunded products is absolutely a strategic element of Deep Silver’s future. They are good examples of products where we teamed up with very talented developers and formed a perfect alliance where both sides played their strengths and are commercially successful in a partnership.”

So, with a number of smaller projects as well as big IP like Homefront and potentially Dead Island 2, 2016 is looking to be one of Deep Silver’s busiest and potentially biggest years to date.

“The coming 12 months will be marked by a number of key releases on console and PC,” Kundratitz says.

“Deep Silver has evolved over the last five years as a leading independent developer and global publisher. We are closing the gap between us and the top league of games companies. But at the same time we are determined to keep our independent spirit to be a great publishing partner for other independent companies and form alliances that work for both partners in the long-term, in both the physical and digital space.

Kundratitz concludes: “We have a lot of games in the pipeline and are very much looking forward to E3, where we are not going to be absent and where we will make our next major announcement.”


DEEP SILVER INTERVIEW

07

06 07 MCV870 Deep Silver_V4.indd 2 14/03/2016 16:02

CHEAT SHEET


UP & DOWNDOWN

Far Cry Primal makes way for another Ubisoft hit, down one

place

UPUbisoft’s The Division is the

biggest Q1 launch ever

£30m£10m

Market DataThe Division fi res the UK games retail market to new heights

£20m

Week EndingFebruary 27th

Week EndingMarch 14th

Week EndingMarch 5th

£11.3m339,068 units

EVENT CALENDARMARCH 2016..................................................................................

INSOMNIA 57The NEC Birmingham, BirminghamFriday, March 25th – Monday, March 28th■ Multiplay’s Insomnia eSports event returns to Birmingham’s NEC ■ Featuring pro-gaming events and the UK’s biggest LAN party■ Counter-Strike, Rocket League, DOTA 2 and League of Legends tournaments to be played■ Consumers can also check out the latest games in the Exhibition Hall■ In addition, Insomnia 57 features the Indie Zone, Retro Zone and more

GADGET SHOW LIVE 2016NEC, BirminghamThursday, March 31st - Sunday April 3rd■ The UK’s largest consumer tech event returns for the eighth time at Birmingham’s NEC

APRIL 2016..................................................................................

LONDON GAMES FESTIVALLondonFriday, April 1st – Sunday, April 10h

■ The brand new LGF is a collaboration between UKIE, Film London and the Mayor of London■ Five summits have already been announced, on VR, audio, fi nance, eSports and culture

EGX REZZEDTobacco Dock, LondonThursday, April 7th – Saturday, April 9th ■ Gamer Network’s indie-focused event returns to London’s Tobacco Dock ■ Consumers can try the latest games, from the big blockbusters to hits from smaller teams

BAFTA GAME AWARDSTobacco Dock, LondonThursday, April 7th■ Celebrating the best games of the last twelve months■ Taking place at London’s Tobacco Dock

MAY 2016..................................................................................

INTERFACESt Mary’s Church, LondonThursday, May 5th■ MCV and Develop’s indie networking and investment event returns this May

£19.3m478,485 units

£7.8m256, 678 units

08 09 MCV870 Digest_V3.indd 1 15/03/2016 10:06

CHEAT SHEET

09www.mcvuk.com March 18th 2016

PRESENTS

ANKA Headset - PDP Design and manufacture

the Offi cially licensed Microsoft – fully Wireless

Headset for Xbox ONE

[email protected]

5 SECOND FACTSYour shortcut to sounding clever in the pub, we take you around the industry in under 30 seconds

1,337The number of stores selling video games in the UK has

increased by more than 1,300

2mSimCity-rival Cities: Skylines

has now hit an impressive 2m sales

$100,000The Pokémon Company is

putting this amount behind a Pokken eSports event

10The Chinese Room’s Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture dominated

the nominations for next month’s BAFTAs

4The number of weeks between GAME Fest at Birmingham NEC

and EGX at the same venue

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

UK TO GET PHYSICAL/DIGITAL COMBINED CHART

Data powerhouses SuperData and GfK have teamed up to put together a combined digital/physical monthly UK chart. The chart will be just for console games and will debut in the summer.

SQUARE ENIX SCORES PR SUCCESS WITH CHUCKLE BROTHERS/HITMAN VIDEO

A promotional video of the Chuckle Brothers playing real life Hitman was trending on Twitter on Friday. The comedy video saw Paul ‘Chuckle’ ordering the actor playing Agent 47 to: ‘hit her, hit her, hit her.’ Childhoods nationwide destroyed in a moment.

SUMO DIGITAL SIGNS DEAD ISLAND 2

UK studio Sumo Digital will handle development of upcoming zombie shooter Dead Island 2. Publisher Deep Silver had originally hired Yager to create the title. The story was revealed in MCV last week.

@hanknova Well, that’s marketing done. No more marketing ever. You can’t do better.

Tim Edwards, PC Games NFriday, March 11th

@ATNewMedia Finally, a combined physical and digital chart. Amazing how diffi cult its been to nail it in this day and age

AT New MediaWednesday, March 9th

@OnlyOneT If team Capcom had a nasty boss they’d be getting a bollocking for not coming up with Chuckle brothers idea 1st... Top idea @SQUARE_ENIX_EU

Stuart Turner, CapcomFriday, March 11th

@sumodigitaltd Would you look at that, we’re trending on Facebook! Come join us there too @Deadislandgame

Sumo DigitalThursday, March 10th

@WalnutSoap Wasn’t super fussed about another Dead Island. But a Dead Island game from the Crackdown 3 guys? SIGN ME UP

Paul Watson, Gamer NetworkThursday, March 10th

@Colm_Ahern Christmas Number 1 betting will be like late 90s pop charts, now! It’s f****ng all. to. play. for.

Colm Ahern, God Is A GeekWednesday, March 9th

GAMESAID THIS WEEK

....................................................PLAY YOUR PART BECOME A MEMBER AMBASSADOR

TRUSTEEWWW.GAMESAID.ORG

GAMESAID GOLF DAY..................

The annual GamesAid golf and spa day returns on July 14th. Since its debuts in 2008 the event has raised more than £375,000. Tickets can be booked on golfandspaday.com or by contacting Keeley Munden at [email protected].

STAND UP FOR GAMESAID..................

Games industry comedy night Stand Up For GamesAid returns to London’s Comedy Store on May 9th. The event will be hosted by GamesAid patron and comedian Imran Yusuf. Tickets are available on thecomedystore.co.uk and cost £15

LONDON MARATHON..................

Next month, Warner Bros PR and GamesAid trustee Cat Channon is running the London Marathon to raise money for the charity. The 26.2 mile endurace race is taking place on April 24th and donations can be made via the platform JustGiving.

08 09 MCV870 Digest_V3.indd 2 15/03/2016 10:06

March 18th 2016 www.mcvuk.com10

MARKET MOVES

KONAMI | The Pro Evolution Soccer firm has recruited two new faces to its UK team.

ASIM TANVIR (above left) is joining as online and social media manager. He used

to run NextGen Gaming Blog and WENB for Kitana and also worked on Sky’s social side.

Meanwhile, the business has named DANIELLE MOUNSEY (above) as senior PR manager for the UK. Mounsey previously worked for Square Enix as a PR executive, where she handled campaigns for titles such as Tomb Raider, Final Fantasy, Hitman and Deus Ex.

“We’re busy looking forward to exciting projects within Konami, and Danielle and Asim bring unique skills that will help us elevate both PR and social media elements to a much wider audience,” said Konami’s head of communications JAY BOOR. “Both come with excellent track records and will be integral in extending the reach of our titles.”

IGN | The media giant has named JOE SKREBELS as its UK news editor.

He previously worked at Future as the Official Xbox Magazine community manager. He has also been a freelance writer for the likes of Edge, Official Xbox, Official

Playstation, Official Nintendo, Kotaku UK and GamesRadar+.

Skrebels commented: “I’m absolutely delighted to be joining IGN, and will demonstrate my delight by changing my name to Ian-Graham Nicholmas. Please update your address books.”

GAMESRADAR | Future has promoted two members of GamesRadar’s editorial team.

SUSAN ARENDT (above left), has worked as the site’s managing editor, is

now the US executive editor. “I’m pleased to cap my first

year at GamesRadar+ by

stepping into my new role,” she said. “The shifting sands of web media are an ongoing challenge, but I have complete confidence in our team’s ability to adapt and thrive. We’re focused and committed to finding ways both silly and serious to cover everything you love in gaming and entertainment.”

Meanwhile, commissioning editor MATT ELLIOT has joined the global editorial team as senior commissioning editor.

Elliot stated: “It’s enriching to be surrounded by such bright and brilliant people, and I look forward to sharing my hot takes on gargantuan RPGs, Star Wars and my inevitable, doomed search for companionship in Mass Effect: Andromeda.”

Konami strengthens PR and social media teamsTwo new recruits for Metal Gear Solid publisher ● IGN hires UK news editor ● Promotions at GamesRadar+

APPOINTMENTS

10 MCV870 Appointments_V3.indd 1 14/03/2016 14:21

WEEKLY CHARTS


TW LW Title Format Publisher 01 NEW Tom Clancy’s The Division PS4, XO, PC Ubisoft

02 01 Far Cry Primal PS4, XO, PC Ubisoft03 04 Call of Duty: Black Ops III PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Activision Blizzard04 05 FIFA 16 PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC EA05 03 Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 PS4, XO, PC EA06 06 LEGO Marvel’s Avengers PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, PC Warner Bros07 07 Grand Theft Auto V PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Rockstar08 10 Forza Motorsport 6 XO Microsoft09 02 The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD Wii U Nintendo10 09 Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege PS4, XO, PC Ubisoft11 08 Heavy Rain & Beyond Two Souls Collection PS4 Sony12 13 Minecraft: Xbox Edition XO, 360 Microsoft13 14 Assassin’s Creed Syndicate PS4, XO, PC Ubisoft14 15 LEGO Jurassic World PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, Vita, PC Warner Bros15 17 Minecraft: PlayStation Edition PS4, PS3, Vita Sony16 16 Minecraft: Story Mode PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Telltale Games/Avanquest17 30 Rise of the Tomb Raider XO Microsoft18 12 Star Wars Battlefront PS4, XO, PC EA19 28 Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Konami20 20 WWE 2K16 PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC 2K Games21 23 Disney Infi nity 3.0 PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360 Disney22 11 Street Fighter V PS4, PC Capcom23 19 Halo 5: Guardians XO Microsoft24 27 Knack PS4 Sony25 29 Destiny: The Taken King PS4, XO, PS3, 360 Activision Blizzard26 21 Mortal Kombat XL PS4, XO Warner Bros27 18 Fallout 4 PS4, XO, PC Bethesda28 25 Just Cause 3 PS4, XO, PC Square Enix29 NEW Hitman PS4, XO Square Enix30 RE Killzone: Shadow Fall PS4 Sony31 24 Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection PS4 Sony32 35 Terraria PS4, XO, PS3, 360, 3DS, Vita, PC 505 Games33 37 Pokémon Omega Ruby 3DS Nintendo34 26 Just Dance 2016 PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360 Ubisoft35 22 Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon 3DS Nintendo36 RE LEGO Marvel Super Heroes PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, Vita, PC Warner Bros37 32 Pokémon Alpha Sapphire 3DS Nintendo38 31 Deadpool PS4, XO, PS3, 360 Activision39 RE LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga PS3, 360, Wii, DS, PC Warner Bros 40 33 Need for Speed PS4, XO EA

TOP 40 UK PHYSICAL RETAIL01 02 03

TOM CLANCY’S THE DIVISION has just made history by becoming the best-selling Q1 title ever. The game has broken a 11-year record held by Sony’s Gran Turismo 4. So The Division logically debuts at No.1 in this week’s charts, with over 277,000 copies sold. The title has sold more units in its fi rst 24 hours than any game in Ubisoft’s history. The fi rm can also prides itself on having Far Cry Primal as No.2, with sales declining by 58 per cent. Ubisoft also has a third title in the Top 10 this week: Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, at No.10, in spite of sales decreasing by 30 per cent week-on-week. In the meantime, Activision’s Call of Duty: Black Ops III

comes back to the Top 3, thanks to a 11 per cent increase in sales. The only new entry this week is Square Enix’s Hitman, whose boxed digital Collector’s Edition for PS4 and Xbox One launched on March 11th. The title also debuts at No.9 in Steam’s charts. Sticking with the Steam chart, it is still dominated by The Division. But surprise hit Stardew Valley by Chucklefi sh is performing well at No.3. Over on mobile, Supercell’s new hit, Clash Royale, enters the Top 10 free iPad games at No.2 and the free iPhone titles chart at No.3. But Minecraft: Pocket Edition by developer Mojang still leads the listings for paid games, on both iPad and iPhone.

04

WEEKLY SALES CHARTS

Source: UKIE/GfK Entertainment, Period: Week ending March 12th

05

TW LW TITLE PUBLISHER 02 01 Tom Clancy’s The Division (P) Ubisoft 03 02 Stardew Valley Chucklefi sh 04 09 The Culling Xaviant 05 NEW Tom Clancy’s The Division Gold Edition Ubisoft06 07 Counter-Strike: Global Off ensive Valve 07 06 Factorio Wube 08 RE Grand Theft Auto V Rockstar 09 NEW Hitman Square Enix

TOM CLANCY’S THE DIVISIONDEVELOPER: UBISOFT PUBLISHER: UBISOFT

GLOBAL STEAM CHARTS (UNITS)

01

Source: Steam, Period: March 7th to 13th

12 13 MCV870 weekly Charts_V3.indd 1 14/03/2016 16:05


TW LW Title Developer02 02 Assassin’s Creed Identity Ubisoft 03 NEW Maze: Subject 360 HD Big Fish 04 08 Draw a Stickman Hitcents.com 05 RE Goat Simulator Coff ee Stain Studios 06 09 Terraria 505 Games 07 NEW Charlie and Lola: I’ve Won! BBC Worldwide 08 NEW The Secret Order: Beyond Time HD Big Fish 09 03 Minecraft: Story Mode Telltale 10 04 Geometry Dash RobTop Games

TW LW Title Developer02 02 Assassin’s Creed Identity Ubisoft 03 03 Heads Up! Warner Bros 04 04 Football Manager Mobile 2016 SEGA 05 06 Plague Inc. Ndemic Creations 06 07 Monopoly Game EA 07 08 Bloons TD 5 Ninja Kiwi 08 09 Geometry Dash RobTop Games 09 05 The Chase Barnstorm Games 10 10 Tipping Point Barnstorm Games

TW LW Title Developer02 01 Clash of Clans Supercell 03 02 Candy Crush Saga King 04 04 Candy Crush Soda Saga King 05 07 Boom Beach Supercell 06 06 Hay Day Supercell 07 08 Candy Crush Jelly Saga King 08 05 Mobile Strike Epic War 09 09 The Sims FreePlay EA 10 11 Gummy Drop! Big Fish

TW LW Title Developer02 03 Candy Crush Saga King 03 02 Game of War – Fire Age Machine Zone 04 NEW Clash Royale Supercell 05 04 Kendall and Kylie Glu Games 06 05 Mobile Strike Epic War 07 06 Candy Crush Soda Saga King 08 07 Candy Crush Jelly Saga King 09 09 8 Ball Pool Miniclip.com 10 10 Boom Beach Supercell

TW LW Title Developer02 NEW Clash Royale Supercell 03 01 Stack Ketchapp 04 05 Dream League Soccer 2016 First Touch Games 05 04 Color Switch King 06 07 Piano Tiles 2 Cheetah Technology 07 RE Super Sharp 1Button 08 02 Kendall and Kylie Glu Games 09 08 Candy Crush Jelly Saga Roblox Corporation 10 09 Merged! GramGames

TW LW Title Developer02 02 Color Switch Samuel Ratumaitavuki 03 NEW Clash Royale Supercell 04 08 Faily Brakes Spunge Games 05 07 Piano Tiles 2 Cheetah Technology 06 09 Dream League Soccer 2016 First Touch Games 07 NEW Blackbox - Think outside the box Ryan McLeod08 04 Thumb Drift SMG Studio 09 NEW Two Dots Playdots 10 03 Kendall and Kylie Glu Games

01 MINECRAFT: POCKET EDITIONDEVELOPER: MOJANG 01 MINECRAFT: POCKET EDITION

DEVELOPER: MOJANG

01 GAME OF WAR - FIRE AGEDEVELOPER: MACHINE ZONE 01 CLASH OF CLANS

DEVELOPER: SUPERCELL

01 FAILY BRAKESDEVELOPER: SPUNGE GAMES 01 STACK

DEVELOPER: KETCHAPP

UK IPAD PAID (UNITS) UK IPHONE PAID (UNITS)

UK IPAD GROSSING (REVENUE) UK IPHONE GROSSING (REVENUE)

UK IPAD FREE (UNITS) UK IPHONE FREE (UNITS)

WEEKLY SALES CHARTS

Source: UKIE/Refl ection, Period: February 29th to March 6th Source: UKIE/Refl ection, Period: February 29th to March 6th



12 13 MCV870 weekly Charts_V3.indd 2 14/03/2016 16:05

FEBRUARY CHARTS


TM LM Title Format Publisher 01 01 Call of Duty: Black Ops III PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Activision Blizzard

02 NEW Far Cry Primal PS4, XO, PC Ubisoft03 04 LEGO Marvel’s Avengers PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, Vita Warner Bros04 02 FIFA 16 PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC EA05 05 Grand Theft Auto V PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Rockstar06 03 Star Wars Battlefront PS4, XO, PC EA07 06 Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege PS4, XO, PC Ubisoft08 NEW Street Fighter V PS4, PC Capcom09 07 Fallout 4 PS4, XO, PC Bethesda10 NEW Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 PS4, XO, PC EA11 15 Assassin’s Creed Syndicate PS4, XO, PC Ubisoft12 10 Minecraft: Story Mode PS4, XO, PS3, 360 Telltale Games13 08 Just Cause 3 PS4, XO, PC Square Enix14 NEW Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 PS4, XO, PC Bandai Namco15 12 Minecraft: Xbox Edition XO, 360 Microsoft16 11 LEGO Jurassic World PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, Vita Warner Bros17 16 Destiny: The Taken King PS4, XO, PS3, 360 Activision Blizzard18 14 Minecraft: PlayStation Edition PS4, PS3, Vita Sony19 09 WWE 2K16 PS4, XO, PS3, 360 2K Games20 17 Forza Motorsport 6 XO Microsoft21 NEW Pokémon Super Mistery Dungeon 3DS Nintendo22 13 Disney Infi nity 3.0 PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360 Disney23 20 Need for Speed PS4, XO EA24 23 Halo 5: Guardians XO Microsoft25 25 Resident Evil Origins Collection PS4, XO, PC Capcom26 27 Rise of the Tomb Raider XO, 360, PC Square Enix27 22 The Elder Scrolls Online PS4, XO, PC Bethesda28 NEW Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth PS4 Bandai Namco29 21 Just Dance 2016 PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, Wii Ubisoft30 19 Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection PS4 Sony31 36 Terraria PS4, XO, PS3, 360, 3DS, PC 505 Games/Merge32 37 The Sims 4 PC EA33 35 Wolfenstein: The Old Blood PS4, XO, PC Bethesda34 18 Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Konami35 39 LEGO Dimensions PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360 Warner Bros36 32 Life is Strange PS4, XO, PC Square Enix37 RE Battlefi eld Hardline PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC EA38 31 Battlefi eld 4 PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC EA39 RE NBA 2K16 PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC 2K Sports40 RE Killzone: Shadow Fall PS4 Sony

TOP 40 UK PHYSICAL RETAIL

Far Cry Primal, published by Ubisoft, debuts at No.2 in this month’s charts.

01 02 03 05

CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS III was still at the top of the charts in February. But the title’s developer, Treyarch, was less profi table, thus losing its fi rst place in the developer charts. This is due to No.1 developer Ubisoft Montreal having two titles in the charts this month (Far Cry Primal and Rainbow Six: Siege) and No.2 developer Traveller’s Tales having three of its LEGO games in the list. Activision’s shooter is followed by a new game: Far Cry Primal, which directly enters the charts at No.2. The title is also No.7 in the digital sales ranks. These good performances allow Ubisoft to lead both the publisher and developer ranks. After a rather quiet 2015, the fi rm has started the year with huge successes, as The Division has just broken sales records - and will inevitably lead the March charts. There’s no surprise with the rest of the Top 5, with LEGO Marvel’s Avengers, published by Warner Bros, climbing the ladder

to become No.3, and EA’s FIFA 16 as well as Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V still in the Top 5. There are, however, a number of other new entries in the rest of the February charts. Street Fighter V debuts at No.8, so Capcom returns to both the developer (at No.7) and publisher listings - the fi rm is No.8 in terms of value. EA’s Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 enters the Top 40 charts at No.10 and Nintendo’s Pokémon Super Mistery Dungeon debuts at No.21. Meanwhile, Bandai Namco has two new titles in the list this month: Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 at No.14 and Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth at No.28. Digital sales are led by FIFA 16 and Call of Duty: Black Ops III again, with £6.5m and £5m in revenues respectively. Physical software sales by format are still largely dominated by PlayStation with 45.5 per cent market share in terms of revenue and 40.7 per cent regarding units.

04

MONTHLY SALES CHARTS

Source: UKIE/Gfk Chart-Track, Period: January 31st to February 27th

14 15 MCV870 Monthly Charts_V5.indd 1 15/03/2016 10:08


TM LM Title Manufacturer Market Share 01 01 PlayStation 4 Sony 45.5%

02 02 Xbox One Microsoft 32.7%03 03 Xbox 360 Microsoft 6.9%04 04 3DS Nintendo 5.1%05 05 PlayStation 3 Sony 3.8% 06 06 Wii U Nintendo 2.6% 07 07 PC N/A 2.6% 08 08 Wii Nintendo 0.3%09 09 PlayStation Vita Sony 0.3%10 10 DS Nintendo 0.1%

TM Title Format Publisher Revenue 01 FIFA 16 PS4, PS3, XO, 360 Electronic Arts £6.5m

02 Call of Duty: Black Ops III PS4, PS3, XO, 360 Activision £5m03 Grand Theft Auto V PS4. XO, PS3, 360 Rockstar £1.8m04 Fallout 4 PS4, XO Bethesda £1.4m05 Destiny PS4, XO, PS3, 360 Activision £1.14m06 Star Wars Battlefront PS4, XO Electronic Arts £1.1m07 Far Cry Primal PS4, XO, PC Ubisoft £0.9508 FIFA 15 PS4, PS3, XO, 360 Electronic Arts £0.73m09 Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare PS4, XO, PS3, 360 Activision £0.70m10 Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege PS4, XO Ubisoft £0.56m

TM LM Title Manufacturer Market Share 01 01 PlayStation 4 Sony 40.7%

02 02 Xbox One Microsoft 29.3%03 03 Xbox 360 Microsoft 10.5%04 04 PlayStation 3 Sony 5.7%05 05 3DS Nintendo 5.7%06 06 PC N/A 3.9%07 07 Wii U Nintendo 2.7%08 08 Wii Nintendo 0.8%09 09 PlayStation Vita Sony 0.5%10 10 DS Nintendo 0.2%

PHYSICAL SOFTWARE SALES BY FORMAT (REVENUE)

PHYSICAL SOFTWARE SALES BY FORMAT (UNITS)

TOP 10 UK CONSOLE DIGITAL SALES BY REVENUE (JANUARY)

TM LM Developer Parent company 02 02 Traveller’s Tales Warner Bros 03 01 Treyarch Activision Blizzard 04 03 EA Canada EA05 05 Rockstar North Take-Two 06 04 DICE EA 07 RE Capcom Capcom08 RE PopCap Games Independent 09 RE CyberConnect2 Independent 10 05 Avalanche Studios Independent

TM LM Publisher 02 01 Electronic Arts 03 03 Warner Bros 04 02 Activision Blizzard 05 05 Take-Two 06 06 Nintendo 07 12 Bandai Namco 08 15 Capcom 09 07 Square Enix 10 10 Microsoft

TM LM Publisher 02 01 Electronic Arts 03 02 Activision Blizzard 04 03 Warner Bros 05 06 Nintendo 06 05 Take-Two 07 10 Microsoft 08 07 Bethesda 09 08 Sony 10 09 Square Enix

01 UBISOFT MONTREAL PARENT COMPANY: UBISOFT

01 UBISOFT

01 UBISOFT

PHYSICAL SOFTWARE SHARE BY STUDIO (REVENUE)

PHYSICAL SOFTWARE SHARE BY PUBLISHER (REVENUE)

PHYSICAL SOFTWARE SHARE BY COMPANY (UNITS)

MONTHLY SALES CHARTS

Source: UKIE/Gfk Chart-Track, Period: January 31st to February 27th Source: UKIE/Gfk Chart-Track, Period: January 31st to February 27th

Source: UKIE/Gfk Chart-Track, Period: January 31st to February 27th Source: UKIE/Gfk Chart-Track, Period: January 31st to February 27th

Source: UKIE/Gfk Chart-Track, Period: January 31st to February 27th Source: SuperData, Period: February 1st to February 29th

14 15 MCV870 Monthly Charts_V5.indd 2 15/03/2016 10:08

Forget NX and smartphone games – the product that might just come to define

Nintendo’s 2016 is a 3DS title.Yo-kai Watch is a monster of a

Japanese phenomenon. Created by Level-5 (the company responsible for the Professor Layton series), the last Yo-kai Watch movie attracted more viewers in its first weekend than Star Wars: The Force Awakens (974,557 people went to see the film versus 800,258 for Star Wars).

There wasn’t a full Yo-kai Watch 3DS game last year, but a spin-off game (Yo-kai Watch: Busters) went on to sell as many units as FIFA does over here (2m units).

“The concept of Yo-kai is popular for Japanese people due to traditional folklore,” explains Mitsunobu Uwatoko, chief analyst at Famitsu.

“There are other Yo-kai franchises, but Yo-kai Watch has translated the idea into the modern culture for young children. In addition, the marketing strategy is following Pokémon, and as a result it has become a strong franchise in all of entertainment.”

He continues: “Developer Level-5 will continue to develop the original video game series, but we believe they are planning the next step for Yo-kai Watch, such as holding an eSports event and developing contents for VR/AR.”

GO WESTYo-kai Watch certainly sounds a little like Pokémon. The game follows the story of either Nate or Katie, who come across a mysterious Yo-kai (which is a Japanese word for a sort of spirit) called Whisper. Whisper gives the hero the mysterious Yo-kai Watch, which allows the player to see other Yo-kai. Utilising the Watch, the game’s characters can befriend Yo-kai and use them to battle others.

“Pokémon was created 20 years ago and we really hope that Yo-kai Watch is going to have the same awareness and longevity,” says Aadil Tayouga, EMEA Licensing Manager at licence holder VIZ Media Europe.

“Yo-kai Watch is a unique property and is enjoying huge success around the world as

a result of its ability to bring something new to the market. The animation is superbly crafted and written with a very strong sense of humor - it works on a more multi-tiered level than most of the other properties vying for attention in the boys’ market, displaying strong humor, adventure and didactic resolutions.

“The Nintendo game is receiving rave reviews everywhere and, where many properties develop additional media platforms and licensing programs as an adjunct to the original property, all elements of the Yo-kai Watch universe come together as essential assets of the same core property. The TV will provide reach which will be enhanced by the interactive game and extended further by the consumer products, a virtuous circle to ensure growth and brand stability.”

The humour and characters will prove key to Yo-kai Watch’s European performance. Titles from Japan don’t always succeed in the West – particularly ones that are steeped in Japanese folklore – but there are elements to the series

Bigger than Star Wars: Is Yo-kai Watch about to conquer Europe?

The 3DS Japanese kids phenomenon reaches our shores next month. Just how big is it? And will it work over here? Christopher Dring speaks to Nintendo,

licence holder Viz Media and Japanese experts Famitsu to find out

Viz’s Tayouga (top) and van Leeuwen (above) want to turn Yo-kai Watch into 2016’s biggest boy’s brand


YO-KAI WATCH COMES TO EUROPE

16 17 MCV870 Yokai_V7.indd 1 14/03/2016 14:25

Yo-kai Watch has taken Japan by storm, says Famitsu’s Uwatoko

A big attractions for Nintendo around Yo-kai Watch is its potential impact on 3DS.

The handheld machine is now five years old, and appears past its peak. There are a few potential hits for the platform this year, including a new Pokémon and Fire Emblem, yet whereas those games will likely appeal to existing 3DS owners, Nintendo product manager Remy van Leeuwen hopes Yo-kai Watch will entice new users to the machine.

“3DS has still got a big life ahead of it,” he says. “There will be a lot of great experiences and Yo-kai Watch, particularly, will help expand it into the kids market. There’s more beyond this first title, So there’s hardware driving potential.”

IS this Pokemon 2.0?Yo-kai Watch is a huge

Japanese hit in merchandise, TV and games. It’s also about battling monsters (of sorts), so the comparisons are there.

However, unlike Pokémon, this is a brand heavily based in Japanes culture, which may deter Western players. Also, unlike when Pokémon hit, the kids media landscape is fragmented and challenging.

However, with huge names such as Turner, Hasbro and Nintendo throwing their respective marketing weights behind it, there’s ever reason to believe this can become 2016’s top boy’s brand.

A NEW GENERATION FOR NINTENDO 3DS

WHAT WE THINKthat Nintendo and Viz believe will resonate with children worldwide.

“It is difficult to say whether it will have the same impact in the West, but I definitely think that there is a lot of potential for it, especially working together with the likes of [toy company] Hasbro and [TV company] Turner,” says Nintendo UK product manager Remy van Leeuwen.

“Everyone is going to back it to its fullest. Because of the nature of Yo-kai and their emotional abilities, it makes it quite easy for kids to relate to them. For instance, there is a Yo-kai called Cheeksqueek, which basically makes people fart. That’s been a hit with kids in our research.”

He continues: “One of the other key aspects that will definitely resonate with kids in the UK is the comedy aspect to it. The characters themselves are just funny, and they’re quite deep, too. We will be trying to bring that out in our campaign.”

Nintendo hopes its hardcore fans will be interested in the game, but its main aim is to win over kids. However, van Leeuwen says

simply recreating the Pokémon effect won’t be easy.

“We live in a wildly different time if you compare it to when the first Pokemon games were released,” he says. “But there are a lot of other opportunities now to engage with kids, with the TV show starting on Cartoon Network, I think that’s a great place for kids to be introduced to the franchise, to get to know the universe and characters. And then go and explore from there.”

ONE TO WATCHNintendo says the marketing campaign it is putting behind Yo-kai Watch has an investment akin to last year’s blockbuster launches of Splatoon and Super Mario Maker. And that’s not including the campaigns from Cartoon Network and Hasbro.

The toys set to reach the market over the summer includes the Yo-kai Watch itself, plus a series of collectable medals that appear in the game and show – this will be joined by a book to store the medals. There will also be plush toys and figurines.

The TV show will debut on Cartoon Network on April 23rd, six days before the 3DS game hits. There is currently no word on the manga series or the movies, although Viz points to early 2017 for the next major push behind Yo-kai Watch.

“For the moment, we are focusing on the launch of the franchise in the West,” continues Viz’s Tayouga.

“2016 is all about laying the foundations to support Yo-kai Watch as it builds to become the strongest boys’ brand in the UK. Key launches from Hasbro, Nintendo and Cartoon Network will introduce the universe to an eager audience of young fans whilst retail right across the territory are very keen to build support programs for the wider merchandise program.

“We are currently working with a large number of licensees to ensure a successful soft launch through publishing and soft lines in 2016 before, working with key retail partners to build in-store theatre to support footfall and sell-through as our core program launches fully in Q1 2017.”

IS this Pokemon 2.0?Pokemon 2.0?Pokemon 2.0Yo-kai Watch is a huge

Japanese hit in merchandise, TV and games. It’s also about battling monsters (of sorts), so the comparisons are there.

However, unlike Pokémon, this is a brand heavily based in Japanes culture, which may deter Western players. Also, unlike when Pokémonthe kids media landscape is

WHAT WE THINK

the kids media landscape is fragmented and challenging.

However, with huge names such as Turner,


YO-KAI WATCH COMES TO EUROPE

17

16 17 MCV870 Yokai_V7.indd 2 14/03/2016 14:25

EA and Activision have both decided not to hold a booth at E3 this year. It has raised questions within the trade over the relevance of E3. What do you make of the situation?I always have this conversation. The ‘is E3 still relevant?’ question gets asked every year, and then gets answered in June of that same year with a resounding ‘yes’. E3 is beyond relevant, it is essential and critical to the game and entertainment industry calendar. There is nothing that suggests that this one is going to be any different. It changes year-over-year. It has never been a stagnant show. Last year, if you asked most people in the aftermath of E3 how they found it, many, I know for a fact, will tell you it was the best E3 they can remember, the best ever, the best E3 in years. But in the ramp up to that show I was answering the same sort of questions that you just put to me. I am looking forward to it, I think it is going to be another tremendous show, and then we’ll have this same conversation next year again.

I agree that last year’s show was good. But when you see two of the biggest companies in video games decide to abandon their typical giant booths, you can appreciate why that might raise a few of these questions...You can understand why folks ask. Individual companies are making decisions based on themselves, it’s not about the value of E3, it’s about where they are, and I will leave it to them to provide answers on a company-by-company basis. But E3 is constantly evolving, a few years ago we didn’t have VR, last

year we had 27 companies at E3 showing virtual reality products and now it is in the marketplace.

E3 changes. It is not the same year-over-year-over-year. There’s a familiarity to it, but one of the things we do at the close of every show - as we’ve discussed in the past - is that we talk to everyone we can - attendees, exhibitors, retailers, you name it - and we try and figure out how to change the experience and make it better. We’ve done that this time, and we will be making adjustments to guarantee it is going to be a tremendous show. There are a number of press briefings

going on, a record number, I believe, that starts a few days before and goes into the start of E3. That’s a reflection of the fact that people realise that the place to make news and break news, and have that amplified around the globe in a way like no other show can, is at E3. That is why the Bethesdas and Xboxs and PlayStations and Ubisofts know that this is a great launching ground for the exciting titles they have coming up.

EA is still doing stuff during the E3 week, of course. In fact they’re doing more than ever with their own event. But for them it’s a case of wanting more consumer involvement. E3 last year allowed a limited number of gamers into the show via your partners, but do you need to go a bit bigger and open the door to fans?Again, we are always trying to work out what magic levers we can push and pull to make the show better than the previous edition. The consumer question is certainly part of that equation. You saw last year, as you mentioned, individual companies who brought along some of their most valued customers. We will probably end up doing that again this year, and there will be some additional elements on top of that, which may or may not happen. But we are always trying to figure out what we need to do, such as finding ways to better accommodate and facilitate YouTube personalities. We just continue to look around and see how we can make the experience right not only for the exhibitors, but the attendees and reporters who cover it. And the consumer question, that is one of the points

Is E3 in trouble?

Christopher Dring speaks to Rich Taylor, the senior vice president of E3 organiser ESA, about the recent loss of Activision and EA from the expo’s show floor

E3 has been, and will continue to be, the place to be for those who care about and love the world of video games.

Rich Taylor, ESA


RICH TAYLOR, ESA INTERVIEW

19

19 20 MCV870 ESA_V4.indd 1 16/03/2016 09:37

E3 is the launching pad for the games industry, says ESA

that we will take a hard look at. I think we have shown over the last few years how that has been evolving.

The challenge will be in fitting in consumer visitors alongside the masses of industry attendees.That’s the balance we have to strike. We need to make sure the show is serving its core purpose, whatever that may be. And that core purpose may change year-over-year as well.

Are you happy with your home at the Los Angeles Convention Center? Could you move to a more suitable venue?We haven’t made any formal announcements as of yet. We have a great relationship with LA and we will be making announcements regarding the future at the close of E3 in terms of plans for 2017. Right now we have reached an accommodation with Los Angeles that’s makes us comfortable in the near term.

On the assumption that EA and Activision’s absence leaves a gulf on the show floor at E3, do

you need to be more aggressive in broadening your reach into the mobile and PC communities?You raise the right point, we obviously want to have a robust, energetic show floor. So if people aren’t there, we will find others to be there. E3 is a place that people want to be. We are not inviting them to a mortuary convention, it is quite the opposite. There is a lot of activity in this space, from the college level to indie developers to triple-A titles. We are talking to a number of entities and developers, encouraging them and inviting them to be a part of the show when perhaps in the past they have not been. There are opportunities now for new faces to be part of the excitement there.

Are there other new elements you can talk about from E3 this year?Not really, because most of the stuff that becomes new and news are what the companies unveil at E3. We just provide the roof and the walls, and we make sure it is all working. Our role is ultimately the least glamorous of what happens that week. We are not the men

on the flying trapeze, we are the workers that set up the circus. I just know that anecdotally companies have some new and fun things that will be announced. There will be an increased presence and activity around the virtual reality and augmented reality spaces, which will be interesting. But a lot of this is still being put together and there will be announcements that we will be able to share, when we are allowed to share them.

What would you say to those that are concerned about the recent absentees from E3?The best message is that E3 has been, and will continue to be, the place to be and the place to follow for those who care about and love the world of computer and video games. For those people who love entertainment and love innovation. We are the hub, the centrepiece and the launching pad for all the most exciting elements in any of those areas. If you care about that, then E3 is going to do what it has always done, and that is put rocket fuel behind that excitement you already have, and propel you towards the coming year in entertainment.

THE ESA may dismiss EA and Activision’s decision to abandon their booths, but this is a big loss to the organisers.

They’ll need to fill the gaps with some other big companies, and work on winning them back for 2017.

E3 remains an exciting event this year. These ‘absent’ businesses are still going to be there in some form. Plus, there are a significant number of big press conferences.

But these events are anchored around that central E3 show. Without it, the PlayStation/Xbox/Nintendo head-to-head fights will likely be a thing of the past. And for the millions that tune in every year, that will be missed.

WHAT WE THINK

THE ESA may dismiss EA and Activision’s decision to abandon their booths, but this is a big loss to the organisers.

They’ll need to fill the gaps with some other big companies, and work on winning them back for 2017.

E3 remains an exciting event this year. These ‘absent’ businesses are still going to be there in some form. Plus,

WHAT WE THINK

there are a significant number of big press conferences.

But these events are anchored around that central


INTERVIEW RICH TAYLOR, ESA

19 20 MCV870 ESA_V4.indd 2 16/03/2016 09:37

w

MXGP - The o�cial FIM Motocross World Championship Videogame © 2016 developed and published by Milestone s.r.l. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2016 YouthStream - All rights reserved

Massive TV campaign with Eurosport’s MXGP coverage.

Press tour at the MXGPs in Qatar and the Netherlands.

Extensive online adverti sing with key media partners.

Sponsorship of events – inc Hawkstone and the MXGP.

KEY MARKETING ACTIVITIES

Coming April 8th 2016

“FULL OF FANTASTIC ENVIRONMENTAL AND CREATURE DESIGN”

“DARK SOULS III, THE MOST ANTICIPATED OF THE SOULS SERIES SO FAR”

“MOST REWARDING GAME OF 2016”

“I FELT A SENSE OF ACHIEVEMENT LIKE

NO OTHER”

“DARK SOULS III FEELS FASTER AND IT IS THIS

THAT DEFINES THE GAME”

“DARK SOULS III IS ABSOLUTELY STUNNING”

Dark Souls™ III & ©BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. / ©2011-2016 FromSoftware, Inc.. Published and distributed by BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe S.A.S. and its subsidiaries. “2” and “3” are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “Ø” is a trademark of the same company.

PC

1 2 A P R I L 2 0 1 6

E M B R A C E T H E D A R K N E S S

In February, US studio Hi-Rez announced that it has finally decided to cross the pond

to open a brand new office in Brighton, and appointed Véronique Lallier to run it. The developer also announced that of its beloved Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) title Smite will be coming to PS4. In addition, the game has been shortlisted as one of six nominations for the AMD eSports Audience Award at this year’s BAFTAs.

“MOBA is definitely a big market and I would say that it’s growing a lot: at the end of 2015 we had doubled our Smite player base, from seven million to 14 million unique users. I think it’s definitely a very healthy market,” Véronique Lallier enthuses.

The former Warner Bros’ VP of digital publishing has been working in the games industry for 17 years, for companies such as Ubisoft, Take-Two and NCSoft Europe. But joining Hi-Rez was not a difficult choice to make:

“Hi-Rez shapes its games around the community, around what players like, and makes sure its products revolve around that. So that’s why I really wanted to join them,” she explains.

Lallier adds: “I had an amazing conversation with these guys and I really fell in love with their vision. I’m really excited to be a part of it now and really excited with the opportunity the European market offers, because that was a very important move.

The team in the US is very keen to develop our focus towards the European users, and having me in place now - and I will have a few people joining me in the next few months - will definitely help us to achieve that and to serve better our European user base. Hopefully, it will also attract more players into our game. It’s an exciting prospect.”

LOCALISING SMITEAfter entering the Asian market a few years ago with a studio in China, Hi-Rez is now eager to grow in Europe. So what’s the developer’s first priority here? “Finding an office space,” Véronique Lallier laughs.

“Something which is very close to our heart is communicating with our fans with videos, so part of the requirement for this office is having a green screen room where we can broadcast and create content, but also do some shoutcasting. That is something that is very important for us,” she explains.

But more importantly, in order to connect with its community in Europe, Hi-Rez is working on Smite’s localisation.

“At the moment, it is localised in multiple European languages

but all our websites and tools are not fully localised,” says Lallier.

“So that’s something I really want to make sure is done in the near future, because I think it’s the best way for us to make sure our users are aware of our latest news. I want to make sure everyone in Europe can

understand what we are talking about, what are our next

moves, what are the changes we are bringing into the

game based on their feedback... This

is really my focus: making sure we develop to serve the European communities better.”

The new VP of European publishing insists Hi-Rez’s messages need to be “properly addressed.”

“We want to make sure we have a presence locally, like setting up local tournaments and events, meeting with our players but also hearing from them, what they would like to see change, what is their feedback on the game,” Lallier explains.

Smite’s community in Europe is already

well established, as the European team won the

2016 Smite World Championship. “That was great for us because

the way the team has played was actually quite different from

what you could see the other teams doing, by picking

Flying Hi

Smite’s creator Hi-Rez is making a big move towards Europe, as well as launching on consoles and competing to win a BAFTA this year. Marie Dealessandri speaks to the new VP of European publishing Véronique Lallier to find out more about the studio’s ambitions


INTERVIEW VERONIQUE LALLIER, HI-REZ

24 25 MCV870 Hi-Rez_V5.indd 1 14/03/2016 14:22

Smite’s open beta is launching on PlayStation 4 next week.

We want to make sure our games are optimised to the way our consumers are playing.

Véronique Lallier, Hi-Rez

up different gods, doing different mixes between skills, and I think that’s how they won this, by surprising the opponents,” Lallier says.

“That’s something Europeans do well: doing things slightly differently. They are trying to optimise the gameplay and the skills of the gods by using very unusual mixes.“

PLATFORM AGNOSTICBut Hi-Rez’s ambitions don’t stop there. After its huge success on PC, Smite has begun its transition to consoles.

“The launch on Xbox One last year really drove some of the big increases in our player base,” Lallier comments. “It’s definitely a great market. But our vision is more about making games for

our community and it’s kind of ‘platform agnostic’ I would say, because we are not only making PC titles, we are making fun and free-to-play games. In mid-January we launched our first mobile game, Jetpack Fighter. So for us the matter is more to know where our community is and how we can serve them better, and not really the platform.

“We are also working on our new IP Paladins right now. It is going to launch first on PC, as we did start the beta phase, but we will also launch it on consoles.”

She continues: “I am also very excited about the launch of Smite on PlayStation 4. I can’t wait until March 22nd when it goes into open beta, allowing everyone to jump in and start playing. Releasing on PS4 shows

Hi-Rez’s dedication in bringing the same fun and accessible game experience to our fans on all platforms.”

“We are not afraid to do crazy changes so basically we are testing a lot during these phases and, for example, we’ve changed a lot of things in Paladins since we launched the game in this beta phase, because we really want to make sure the game is optimised to the way our consumers are playing.”

And when asked what are her aims for the year to come, Lallier’s answer remains pretty simple: “We just want to keep on providing great content for our fans, continue to be present and create great eSports seasons for our professionals, and just continue to have fun.”


VERONIQUE LALLIER, HI-REZ INTERVIEW

25

24 25 MCV870 Hi-Rez_V5.indd 2 14/03/2016 14:22

American Nightmare is rated PEGI 18; users under 18 in PEGI-rating countries receive Kameo instead. Available at participating retailers, while supplies last. Not available in all markets. Pre-release game; game release dates, availability, content and features subject to change. Download from Xbox Live; Show requires broadband internet; ISP fees apply. © 2016 Remedy Entertainment Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Alan Wake is a registered trademark of Remedy Entertainment Ltd.

a Company

Call our specialist sales teams 01279 822 822

exertis.co.uk/homestore.exertis.co.uk/home

22 year-old Dan Pearce’s CV will make many developers weep with jealousy.

In 2010, at the age of just 16, he was awarded the BAFTA Young Game Designer prize; just three years later

he was chosen as one of the organisation’s Breakthrough Brits.

“It was really strange,” Pearce says. “Every single time I did anything with BAFTA I kept thinking ‘okay, this is the last time so I’ll make the most of it’ so I’d always talk to everyone and try and take advantage of the opportunity as best I could. I keep being involved with BAFTA and I’m terrified of the day that they go: ‘nope, we’re done with you now’.”

Part of Pearce’s prize for winning the BAFTA Young Game Designer was spending a week with EA’s now-defunct Bright Light studio, which was then developing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. And his experience there put him off the triple-A scene.

“Everyone there was happy and treated me quite nicely but no-one was making what they wanted to make,” Pearce explains.

“The people making that game went on straight afterwards to make Alien Isolation and absolutely nailed it. That’s what that team can do when they were given the time and the budget to do it. It was heartbreaking to see all that talent go to waste by being given such short development times and such small budgets. It terrified me that I could be doing my absolute best and still put out a really bad game because someone higher up didn’t do their job properly. That terrified me.”

THE INDIE DREAM After finishing school, Pearce attended a Game Design course at the University of Westminster. But by this point he was close to finishing two video games – Ten Second Ninja and Castles in the Sky – so opted to leave and go indie. But that sector has changed a lot in the last few years.

“The indie dream of going it alone, working right down to the last penny, putting your work out there and doing it all alone is not possible anymore,” Pearce explains. “You could have done that in 2012 or 2013, but unless you

have a lot of experience that is tremendously difficult now.”

He continues: “There’s been a big surge of people who decided to go indie after [2012 documentary] Indie Game: The Movie. A lot of that seems to be people who saw the movie and thought ‘I can do that’. That movie came out when the indie movement was having the biggest peak it will ever have, this massive surge of developers making cool and interesting games on a budget. And it didn’t even need to be hugely polished, people were buying it anyways. People are moaning about the indieapocalypse because that was what indie was and they weren’t recognising

it for what it was: the biggest peak that style of game development has ever had. The truth of the matter is this is exactly what indie is most of the time. This is why publishers exist.”

Since leaving university, Pearce has released the two aforementioned games. And right now he is working on a new and updated version of Ten Second Ninja entitled Ten Second Ninja X.

“I got into the indie scene around 2012/2013, when you could release something that was a little bit rough around the edges, but so long as it had a good core then it was fine and people were accepting of that,” he explains. “I feel like around the start of 2014 when Ten Second Ninja came out, that was starting to go away and you were starting getting indies releasing their second games that were a lot more polished. On a narrative level we were a little bit cheap with our ideas. I don’t want to make good games; I want to make great games. Ten Second Ninja was a great game and I couldn’t let that go just because it was the most visible game that I have yet published. And I want Ten Second Ninja X to take its place because we’re only a few months out from releasing it and I genuinely believe it’s a great game.

“I’m so proud of it and it feels like what the first game should have been.”

Ten Seconds with Dan PearceAged just 16, Dan Pearce was picking up awards for games development. Five years on, Alex Calvin speaks to an older and wiser developer about the massive changes to the indie sector and his new game, Ten Second Ninja X

It terrified me that I could be doing my absolute best and still put out a really bad game because someone higher up didn’t do their job properly.

Dan Pearce

INDIE INTERVIEW

Dan Pearce released Ten Second Ninja in 2014 and is currently working on a updated version, entitled Ten Second Ninja X.

DAN PEARCE INTERVIEW


27 MCV870 Indie Interview_V3.indd 1 14/03/2016 17:09


MARKETPLACE

How has business been lately?It’s been pretty good, which is a nice surprise considering it’s just after Christmas and it is usually quieter.

What games have been selling particularly well recently?The Division has been the big seller but, other than that, it has been mostly PS4 titles in general more than anything. There hasn’t been one stand out title because there were so many new games recently that have been huge.

What platform do you think will perform the best this year?I think PS4 will continue to go forward. I’d like to see the Wii U getting a bit of traction, but Nintendo has been pretty stranded lately and it lacks a few exclusives. I think the PS4 has, in my opinion, better exclusives than the Xbox One. And it’s selling much better down here as well.

What are your thoughts on the next Nintendo console?

I’m really looking forward to the NX as I’m personally a huge Nintendo fan, but it’s hard to know what’s going on with them. I’m hoping it’s going to have some kind of compatibility with 3DS and the Wii U, since the Wii U has not been around for as long as consoles usually are in this generation. And obviously a lot of games have just come out on it. Nintendo also has the New 3DS that recently came out and they’re not releasing many New 3DS exclusive games. So,

Michael Evans-Taylor from Outland Video Games shares his enthusiasm for Nintendo’s next console (but not so much for virtual reality) and talks about PlayStation 4 getting the upper hand over Xbox One

SHELF LIFE

TOP 10 PRE-ORDERS

PRE-ORDER CHARTS

1. UNCHARTED 4: A THIEF’S END LAUNCH EDITIONSony, PS4

2. UFC 2 Day 1 Edition - Iron Mike Tyson Hall of Famer & The Gracie EA .............................................................................PS4

3. No Man’s Sky Sony .........................................................................PS4

4. Dark Souls III Bandai Namco ...................................................PS4

5. Pokkén Tournament + Amiibo Card Nintendo ............................................................. Wii U 6. Pokémon Moon Nintendo ............................................................... 3DS 7. UFC 2 Day 1 Edition - Iron Mike Tyson Hall of Famer & The Gracie EA ................................................................................XO

8. Quantum Break Microsoft ..................................................................XO

9. Pokémon Sun Nintendo ............................................................... 3DS

10. Monster Hunter Generations Nintendo ............................................................... 3DS

PRICE CHECK: MAIDSTONE

IN STOREO

NLIN

E

NEED FOR SPEEDEA, PS4

FORZA MOTORSPORT 6

Microsoft, XO

MARIO KART 8Nintendo, Wii U

PROJECT CARSBandai Namco, PS4

£49.99 £24.99 N/A £44.99

£45.99 £49.99 £28.99 £42.99

£44.99 £29.99 £29.99 £34.99

£37 £33.90 £25.20 £32.85

£47.56 £45.62 £29.45 £40.79

UPLOADINGThe latest digital releases coming

to market

ACTION HENK

RageSquid’s toy racer fi nally landed on Xbox One and PlayStation 4

The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited DLC is coming to consoles

The SNES hit is now available for New Nintendo 3DS players

THE ELDER SCROLLS: THIEVES GUILD THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: A LINK TO THE PAST

OUT: NOWOUT: MARCH 23RDOUT: NOW

Virtual reality seems good but I’m still not sure it’s more than a gimmick.

Michael Evans-Taylor, Outland Video Games

28 29 MCV870 Retail_V4.indd 1 14/03/2016 14:23


MARKETPLACE

you know, rather than sort of killing its consoles entirely with a new one, we can hope for some kind of cross feature with the NX.

How do you think virtual reality will do?I’ve used the Oculus Rift a few times at trade events. It seems good but I’m still not sure it’s more than a gimmick, like when 3D came out. Some games used 3D for a while but then it all settled down and you don’t really see it

anymore. Unless you get some really, really immersive VR titles, I think it should be seen as a sort of gimmicky thing.

Can you tell me about your prospects for the year to come?Things look quite good since a lot of very good games are coming out this year. I’m looking forward to the new Uncharted game. The second hand market is also stronger than ever, so that’s quite a good thing for us.

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

Outland Video Games67 High St, Ryde PO33 2RJ

Phone: 01983 566954Website: www.facebook.com/OutlandVideoGames

INCOMING Four new LEGO Dimensions packs come to retail today, as well as Nintendo’s Pokémon fi ghting title, Pokkén Tournament

TITLE FORMAT GENRE PUBLISHER TELEPHONE DISTRIBUTOR

March 18th

LEGO Dimensions DC Comics Aquaman Fun Pack PS4/XO/Wii U/PS3/360 Toys-to-life Warner Bros 01216 253 388 CentreSoft

LEGO Dimensions DC Comics Superman Fun Pack PS4/XO/Wii U/PS3/360 Toys-to-life Warner Bros 01216 253 388 CentreSoft

LEGO Dimensions Ghostbusters Stay Puft Fun Pack PS4/XO/Wii U/PS3/360 Toys-to-life Warner Bros 01216 253 388 CentreSoft

LEGO Dimensions Midway Arcade Level Pack PS4/XO/Wii U/PS3/360 Toys-to-life Warner Bros 01216 253 388 CentreSoft

Pokkén Tournament Wii U Fighting Nintendo 01753 483 700 Open

Revolution: 25th Anniversary Collection PC Adventure Revolution 01256 385 200 Koch Media

Senran Kagura: Estival Versus PS4/Vita Action PQube 01216 253 388 CentreSoft

March 24th

Hyrule Warriors: Legends 3DS Action Nintendo 01753 483 700 Open

March 25th

Aegis of Earth: Protonovus Assault PS4/PS3/Vita Strategy PQube 01216 253 388 CentreSoft

Alekhine’s Gun PS4/XO/PC Action Avanquest 01480 359 403 Open

Disney Infi nity 3.0: Marvel Battlegrounds Playset PS4/XO/Wii U/PS3/360/PC Toys-to-life Disney Interactive 01216 253 388 CentreSoft

République PS4 Action-adventure NIS America 020 8664 3485 Open

Trackmania Turbo PS4/XO/PC Racing Ubisoft 01279 822 822 Exertis

April 1st

Adam’s Venture: Origins PS4/XO/PC Puzzle-adventure Soedesco 01902 861 527 Pavillion

MXGP 2 PS4/XO/PC Racing PQube 01216 253 388 CentreSoft

Nights of Azure PS4 RPG Koei Tecmo 01462 476130 Open

Trillion: God of Destruction Vita RPG Idea Factory 0208 664 3456 Creative

April 5th

Dirt Rally PS4/XO/PC Racing Codemasters 01256 385 200 Koch Media

Quantum Break XO/PC Action-adventure Microsoft 01279 822 800 Exertis

28 29 MCV870 Retail_V4.indd 2 14/03/2016 14:23


TOM CLANCY’S THE DIVISION

The Division sold more copies in its fi rst 24 hours than any game in Ubisoft’s history.

TOM CLANCY’S The Division has only been out for ten days but it is already breaking records.

The RPG has sold more copies in its first 24 hours than any game in Ubisoft’s history and has become the best-selling Q1 game ever. The firm did not provide any sales numbers though, but referred to “millions of players’ enduring engagement in The Division’s game world.”

The title has even been a victim of its own commercial

(and critical) success: on the day it launched, players were too numerous to be able to get past each other in the first Safe House of the game and everybody had to politely queue to take the first mission.

The Division takes place in a post-apocalyptic New York City, after it was wiped out by a smallpox outbreak. Gamers play as the Strategic Homeland Division agents, a group activated as humanity’s last hope, fighting

THE DIVISION - TAKE BACK NEW YORK SWEATER

A post-apocalyptic scenario should not prevent the Strategic Homeland Division agents from being well dressed. Actually, this hoodie sends the perfect message: ‘take back New York’, just in case players forget the purpose of The Division. It also features the agents’ motto: “Extremis Malis, Extrema Remedia” (“Desperate times call for desperate measures”).

SRP: $59.99 (£42)Manufacturer: UbisoftDistributor: ExertisContact: 01279 822 822

Ubisoft’s latest phenomenon brings its share of merchandise. And as The Division is already a huge success, retailers should probably look into it. That’s why Marie Dealessandri has selected the fi nest products available

TOM CLANCY’S THE DIVISION: NEW YORK COLLAPSE

New York Collapse is an ‘in-world companion’ to The Division. By resolving the book’s mystery, players will learn key secrets about the game. SRP: £19.99Manufacturer: Chronicle BooksDistributor: Abrams & Chronicle BooksContact: [email protected]

THE DIVISION STAINLESS STEEL MUG

There’s always time for tea thanks to this stainless steel mug, even if there’s a city to save.

SRP: £9.99Manufacturer: NumskullDistributor: NumskullContact: 01707 800 881

THE DIVISION PHOENIX BEANIE

This beanie would be perfect to protect the SHD agents from New York’s post-apocalyptical weather.

SRP: £14.99Manufacturer: Merchandise MonkeyDistributor: Gaming Merchandise UKContact: [email protected]


perfect message: ‘take back New York’, just in case players forget the purpose

30 31 MCV870 Margin Maker_V4.indd 1 14/03/2016 14:23


Sponsored by

g gamingmerchandise uk


both the virus and the people behind it.

And of course, this gaming experience comes to retail accompanied by a wealth of accessories and merchandise, from the traditional hoodie to detailed books to learn more about the title’s world.

This was also the case for Ubisoft’s previous instalment set in Tom Clancy’s universe, Rainbow Six Siege, released last December.

The Tom Clancy franchise began in 1987 with The Hunt for Red October on PC, Amiga and C64 - which was loosely based on the 1984 novel of the same name. Tom Clancy himself took part in the development process of some titles of the franchise, with his studio Red Storm Entertainment, created in 1996 and bought by Ubisoft in 2000. The series was then split into various sub-franchises, such as Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell, HAWX and Rainbow Six.

THE DIVISION SHD AGENT PS4 SKIN PACK

This PlayStation 4 skin is the perfect accessory for gamers looking to highlight their new favourite game. The pack includes two PS4 controller skins and, of course, a sticker for the console.

SRP: £14.99Manufacturer: NumskullDistributor: NumskullContact: 01707 800 881

CIVIL DISORDER FEMALE T-SHIRT

This is one of the very numerous T-shirts (for men and women alike) released by Ubisoft to arrive alongside The Division’s launch.

SRP: £19.99Manufacturer: Merchandise MonkeyDistributor: Gaming Merchandise UKContact: [email protected]

THE DIVISION - AGENT ID NECKLACE

The Division agents’ motto is engraved on this metal tag, which also features the Pulse tracker logo.

SRP: $14.99 (£10)Manufacturer: UbisoftDistributor: ExertisContact: 01279 822 822

THE ART OF TOM CLANCYS THE DIVISION

The artists behind The Division shared over 300 images to create this book and give fans a glimpse of the development process.

SRP: £29.99Manufacturer: Titan BooksDistributor: Titan BooksContact: [email protected]

30 31 MCV870 Margin Maker_V4.indd 2 14/03/2016 14:23

TO LIST YOUR COMPANY HERE AND ONLINE EVERY WEEK PLEASE CONTACT [email protected] OR CALL 020 7354 6000

MARKETING, PR & CREATIVE AGENCIES RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION & MANUFACTURING

LEGAL

TRADE BODY

PUBLISHING

AUDIO IN Tel: 0044 7985678437www.audioin.co.uk........................................................................................................

BIG TOP PRTel: 07784 778197www.bigtop-pr.co.uk........................................................................................................

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

STUDIO DIVATel: 0117 214 0404www.studiodiva.co.uk........................................................................................................

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

KENNEDY MONKTel: 0207 636 9142www.kennedymonk.com........................................................................................................

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

CREATIVE DISTRIBUTIONTel: +44 (0) 208 664 3456www.creativedistribution.co.uk/........................................................................................................

DC GAMES GROUPTel: +971-50-9287220www.Doostan-Co.com........................................................................................................

INCOMMTel: 01489 588 200www.incomm.com........................................................................................................

OK MEDIA LTDTel: 0207 688 6789www.oklogistics.de........................................................................................................

PLAY [email protected]........................................................................................................

[email protected]........................................................................................................

GERARD FOX [email protected]........................................................................................................

UKIETel: +44 (0) 207 534 0580www.ukie.org.uk........................................................................................................

FUNBOX MEDIA [email protected]........................................................................................................

QA & LOCALISATION, PAYMENT & SOLUTION

EXEQUOTel: +1 425 279 7855sbonfi [email protected]........................................................................................................

LA MARQUE ROSETel: +33 1 43 14 88 [email protected]........................................................................................................

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

PERIPHERALS, ACCESSORIES & MERCHANDISE

GAMING MERCHANDISE UK [email protected]........................................................................................................

LIME DISTRIBUTIONTel: 01622 845 161www.limedistribution.co.uk........................................................................................................

PERFORMANCE DESIGNED PRODUCTS LTDTel: 01628 509 047www.pdp.com........................................................................................................

DEVELOPMENT SERVICES & RECRUITMENT

AUDIOMOTIONTel: + 44 (0) 8701 600 504www.audiomotion.com........................................................................................................

OPM RECRUITMENTTel: +44 [0] 1206 214421http://opmjobs.com/........................................................................................................

RAGTAG DEVELOPMENTS LTDTel: +44 (0)1295 817617www.ragtagdev.com........................................................................................................

REMOTE CONTROL PRODUCTSTel: +49 (0) 89 / 210 205 70http://www.r-control.de/........................................................................................................

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

MCV Directory 2016 DPS.indd 1 14/03/2016 09:56

TO LIST YOUR COMPANY HERE AND ONLINE EVERY WEEK PLEASE CONTACT [email protected] OR CALL 020 7354 6000

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

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDETO INTERACTIVEENTERTAINMENTAGENCIES AND SERVICE COMPANIES

PLAYSTATION’S DEV CHAMPION SHAHID AHMAD ON 10 YEARS AT SONY P16

PLUS THE REAL RUSSIAN GAMES INDUSTRY CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE


ISSUE 859 FRIDAY DECEMBER 4TH 2015

INDIE THICK OF IT

by Christopher Dring

AT last! The UK games industry

has some digital download charts.

UKIE has signed agreements

with leading providers of mobile

and digital sales data, and MCV will

be printing the results.

Analytics fi rm Refl ection will off er

UK mobile sales charts, which will

be distributed by UKIE alongside

the boxed charts every Monday.

Meanwhile, New York-based

SuperData will provide digital

console sales information every

month, including a dedicated

UK report.

GfK Chart-Track’s physical

listings will also return to MCV.

MCV dropped its weekly and

monthly charts sections as part of

our Digital Counts initiative, which

campaigned for more transparency

around how well games are selling

via download platforms such as

Steam, Xbox Live, PSN, iOS and

Google Play.“Access to data is of the highest

importance to the sector, as well

as to UKIE as a trade body, so that

we can act appropriately on behalf

of the industry that we represent,”

said UKIE CEO Dr Jo Twist. “Whilst

it is notoriously diffi cult to track

digital data, these measures will

bring us closer to being able to

judge the successes of our industry,

and continue to grow using clear

information about our games market.”

SuperData CEO Joost van

Dreunen added: “Getting a full

picture of the market, that includes

categories like free-to-play MMOs

and digital console, will be key to

the UK industry’s domestic and

international success. Certainly, it’s

a big eff ort providing transparency

to such a fragmented market and

I’m proud to say we’ve done a good

job over the past years by tracking

the monthly spending of 383,528

digital gamers in the UK. Teaming

up with UKIE allows us to extend

the depth of our coverage and fulfi l

the ambition of providing a clear

picture of the digital games market.”

On the state of the mobile sector,

Refl ection boss Gustav Leksell said:

“The market is quite immature in a

way. The fact that this type of data

is not readily available attests to

that. This sector only goes back to

2007, but we are seeing it mature,

and the next step is developers

fi nding out how to sell their apps.”

For our new-look charts section,

plus more about Refl ection and

SuperData, check out pages 4 to 10.

UKIE signs partnerships for mobile and digital console data MCV re-launches charts section

Charts are backAnd this time, they’re digital

UKIE’s Twist (above top),

SuperData’s van Dreunen

(above middle) and

Refl ection’s Leksell (above)

PLAYSTATION’S DEV CHAMPION SHAHID AHMAD ON 10 YEARS AT SONY P16INDIE THICK OF ITINDIE THICK OF IT

GfK Chart-Track’s physical GfK Chart-Track’s physical

listings will also return to MCV.listings will also return to MCV.

MCV dropped its weekly and MCV dropped its weekly and

digital data, these measures will

bring us closer to being able to

judge the successes of our industry,

and continue to grow using clear

digital gamers in the UK. Teaming digital gamers in the UK. Teaming

up with UKIE allows us to extend up with UKIE allows us to extend

the depth of our coverage and fulfithe depth of our coverage and fulfi l the depth of our coverage and fulfi l the depth of our coverage and fulfi

the ambition of providing a clear the ambition of providing a clear

UKIE signs partnerships for mobile and digital console data UKIE signs partnerships for mobile and digital console data MCV re-launches charts sectionMCV re-launches charts section

Charts are backCharts are backCharts are backCharts are backAnd this time, they’re digitalAnd this time, they’re digitalAnd this time, they’re digitalAnd this time, they’re digitalAnd this time, they’re digital

UKIE’s Twist (above top),

SuperData’s van Dreunen

(above middle) and

Refl ection’s Leksell (above) Refl ection’s Leksell (above) Refl

UK RETAIL SPEAKS OUT

DEBBIE BESTWICK TAKES US THROUGH 25 YEARS OF TEAM17 P18

READ THE FULL RESULTS OF MCV’S 2015 ANNUAL RETAIL SURVEY ON PAGE 5

THE A TEAMTHE BUSINESS OF VIDEO GAMESISSUE 860 FRIDAY DECEMBER 11TH 2015

70%believe PS4 will rule next year

41%picked Uncharted 4 as their most anticipated game of 2016

55%think virtual reality is doomed

19%demand more titles in 2016

60%hail Fallout 4 as 2015’s

Game of the Year

KEY CONTACTS:

Sam [email protected]

ADDRESS:21-27 Lamb’s Conduit StreetLondon WC1N 3NL

THE Association for UK Interactive Entertainment is the only trade body for games and wider interactive entertainment industry in the UK. We’re here to support, grow and promote games businesses of all sizes.

Being a member of Ukie means:

■ Joining the Ukie games community, connecting you to people that matter at year-round networking opportunities ■ Access to extensive discounts on products, services and events ■ Being a part of Ukie’s collective industry voice, and helping us infl uence key decision makers, from local authorities to government ministers, on your behalf■ Exclusive access to data and market insight, as well as quick guides to all areas of games businesses■ Discounted prices for our exclusive training programme, tailored specifi cally to games businesses ■ The opportunity to exhibit on the UK stand at multiple international games expos ■ Free use of our central London meeting space

We currently have over 280 members across developers, publishers and service companies. To discuss membership options, please contact [email protected].

Join thecommunity

COMPANY PROFILE / UKIE

MCV Directory 2016 DPS.indd 2 14/03/2016 09:56

DIRECTORY


TOTAL DISC REPAIR DISC REPAIR

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

INSIDER’S GUIDEFUNBOX MEDIA

Specialism: Publishing & distributionLocation: Unit 17 Markham Vale Environment CentreMarkham Lane, Markham ValeChesterfield, S44 5HY

Contact: W: www.funboxmedia.co.ukP: 01246 824 782E: [email protected]

WHO?

Sales director Mark Clemens discusses Funbox’s latest games and the challenges of being a small publisher

Tell us about your company. Funbox Media is a small games publisher based ‘up North’. We try to find unique areas of the market that the big boys choose not to focus on. This complements our own mainstream business of publishing and distribution.

What successes have you seen recently? Our current successes are The Cube on Wii and Don Bradman Cricket on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. We recently launched Space Hulk on PlayStation 3 and PS Vita.

What are you currently working on? We have a number of games planned for 2016 including Top Trumps Turbo for PS3, Vita and 3DS, Space Hulk for PS4, Space Hulk Ascension for PS4 and Warhammer 40,000: Deathwatch for PS4. We have also signed exclusive distribution rights to a number of titles that we will announce over the coming weeks.

What are the trends in the games industry affecting you? It is very difficult to get retailers to support the smaller publishers’

products and allow us shelf space. We hope the titles we have coming out this year will get them working with us on a more regular basis.

What are you most looking forward to in games? It will be interesting to see if VR actually takes off this time.

How did you choose your name? When we started Funbox we had been through a tough time and we just wanted to enjoy working in the industry again. The name Funbox felt right.

34 35 36 MCV869 Directory_V3.indd 1 15/03/2016 11:31

DIRECTORY


ENQUIRIES

CONOR TALLONTel: 02073 [email protected]

SONY DADC DISTRIBUTION

Tel: +44 207 361 [email protected]

www.sonydadc.com

Empowering your creative business

MCV_100x75mm_1015V01.indd 1 05.10.15 13:42

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

CLICK ENTERTAINMENT DISTRIBUTION

Click_small_weekly_Ad.indd 1 13/02/2015 15:09

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

March 18th 2016 www.mcvuk.com 36

L3I GAMING ACCESSORIES

Tel: 01923 881000 Web: www.logic3.com

LIME DISTRIBUTION GAMING ACCESSORIES

Tel: 01622 845 161 Web: www.limedistribution.co.uk

WANT TO ADVERTISE IN OUR DIRECTORY?

ADVERTISE WITH US

CALL CONOR TALLON ON 020 7354 6000OR EMAIL HIM AT [email protected]



INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION

WORLDWIDE

CLICK ENTERTAINMENT LIMITEDEmail: [email protected]: www.click-entertainment.comPhone: +44 (0)203 137 3781

TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SECTION PLEASE CONTACT [email protected]

MCV WORLDWIDE

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

SWEDEN

GAME OUTLET EUROPE ABPO Box 5083, S-650 05 Karlstad, SwedenSales dept: [email protected] dept: [email protected] dept: [email protected] dept: [email protected]: www.gameoutlet.se

AUSTRALIAAFA Interactive, Bluemouth Interactive, Five Star Games, Mindscape, Namco Bandai Partners, Turn Left DistributionBENELUXCLD Distribution, Koch Media, Gameworld Distribution B.V.CANADAE One, Importel, Just4Games, Solutions 2 Go, VidéoglobeCYPRUSAccess, Gibareio, Zilos, Nortec MultimediaCZECH REPUBLICCenega, Conquest, Comgad, Playman, ABC DataDENMARKBergsala, Elpa, Impulse, Koch Media, Nordisk Film Interactive, Nordic Game Supply, PAN VisionFRANCEBig Ben, Innelec, Koch Media, SDO, SodifaGREECEZegatron, CD Media, Namco Bandai Partners, IGE, Nortec, Enarxis, BeaconHUNGARYCNG.hu/Cenega Hungary, CTC Trading, Magnew, PlayON, StadlbauerICELANDSena, Myndform, Samfilm, OrmssonINDONESIAMaxsoft, Uptron, Technosolution IRELANDMSE Group, BaumexJAPANAjioka, Happinet, JesnetNORWAYBergsala, Game Outlet, Koch Media, Nordic Game Supply, Nordisk Film, Pan VisionPOLANDCD Projekt, Cenega, Galapagos, LEMPORTUGALEcoplay, Infocapital, Koch Media, Namco BandaiROMANIABest DistributionSERBIAComTrade, Computerland/Iris Mega, Extreme CCSPAINDigital Bros, Koch Media, Namco Bandai Partners, NobilisSWEDENBergsala, Koch Media, Namco Bandai, Nordic Game Supply, PAN Vision, Wendros, Ztorm (digital)UAERed Entertainment Distribution, Pluto Games (LS2 Pluto), Viva Entertainment, Gameplay Entertainment, Geekay Distribution

UAE

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

NORDIC

WENDROS AB SWEDEN, NORWAY, DENMARK & FINLANDJakobsdalsvägen 1712653 HägerstenSwedenPhone: +46 8 51942500Fax: +46 8 7466790Email:[email protected]@wendros.seWeb: www.wendros.se

BRAZIL

Sony Music Entertainment Brasil# 1 Physical Distributor in BrazilRua Lauro Muller n°. 116 – 40°. AndarSalas 4001 a 4003 BotafogoRio de Janeiro RJCEP. 22.290-160Tel. +55 21 2128-0771Fax: +55 21 2128-0747Email : [email protected]: www.sonymusic.com.br | www.day1e.com.br

IRAN

DC GAMES GROUPNo.9, Hemmatian St.,Takestan St., SattarkhanTehran, IranTel: +98-912-1014090 +98-21-44228670Email: [email protected]: www.Doostan-Co.com

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MORE DISTRIBUTORSBELGIUM

CLD DISTRIBUTIONRue du Grand Champs 14 , B 5380 Fernelmont BelgiumTel: +32 81 83 02 02Fax: +32 81 83 02 09Email: [email protected]: www.cld.be home of www.dragonwar.eu & www.mawashi.eu

37 MCV870 International Distributor Guide.indd 1 14/03/2016 14:24


SWEDEN is responsible for many triple-A titles both on mobile and traditional platforms. For instance, Minecraft, The Division, Star Wars Battlefront and Candy Crush Saga have all been developed by Swedish studios.

“Swedish games have often been described as booming and for good reason,” stated Per Strömbäck, the spokesperson for the Swedish Games Industry association, in the Game Developer Index 2015 (a study on Swedish games developers). “Between 2012 and 2014 the development industry’s turnover increased 800 per cent. But with an annual turnover approaching €1bn (£0.77bn), video games are no longer an unusual phenomenon creating surprising headlines, but part of the national economy.”

This report also points out that video games have become

‘Sweden’s biggest cultural export – ever.’ Export represents 99 per cent of the sales and one in ten people on the planet has played a Swedish video game.

In 2015, the Swedish games industry had revenues of nearly $346m (£243m), which represented a slight increase of 1.4 per cent year-on-year according to data firm Newzoo. Sweden is now the 23rd biggest country worldwide in terms of game revenues.

There are 4.5 million gamers in the country, 52 per cent of them spend an average of $149.80 on games annually.

One in ten people worldwide has played a Swedish game.

FACTFILE SWEDEN

FACTFILE: SWEDENPopulation: 9,631,000Capital City: StockholmCurrency: Swedish KronaGDP (Per Capita): $60,565.6

KEY RETAILERSWebhallen, Elgiganten, Discshop, GameStop, Amazon, Retrospelbutiken, Spelbutiken, GameShop

TOP DISTRIBUTORSBergsala, Koch Media, Nordisk Film Interactive, Namco Bandai Partners, Pan Vision, Game Outlet, Wendros, Nordic Game Supply, Exertis Ztorm (digital) TOP DEVELOPERSArrowhead Game Studios, Paradox Interactive, Mojang, Raw Fury

Games, DICE, Avalanche Studios, Stardoll, Coff ee Stain Studios, Frictional Games, Illuminate Labs, Illwinter Game Design, Legendo, King, Machine Games, Massive Entertainment, Simogo, Starbreeze, Tarsier Studios, Coldwood Interactive, Fabrication Games, Image & Form, Fatshark, Zoink, Rovio Stockholm

NOTABLE GAMES FIRMS WITH A LOCAL OFFICEActivision Blizzard, Disney, EA, Koch Media, Microsoft, Bandai Namco, Warner Bros, Nintendo, Ubisoft

INTERNATIONAL

38 39 MCV870 International Factfile_V4.indd 1 14/03/2016 14:25

MEANWHILE IN... JAPAN

THE Japanese branch of Amazon is now allowingvideo games to be shipped internationally. This means that players from all around the globe, who until now have relied on import specialists, will now be able to import games from Japan easily. The Japanese version of Amazon’s website is now also available in English. The news was reported by Neogaf users, and Amazon Japan did not make an offi cial announcement. However, if PlayStation 4 and Xbox One users can rejoice, Nintendo players are not that lucky. Nintendo’s Wii U and 3DS are region locked,

meaning Japanese games will not work on European or American machines. Japanese games are also not automatically localised into English.

Finally, international shipping is only off ered on products sold by Amazon, not third-party resellers.

Amazon now allows international consumers to import video games hardware and software from its Japanese website


SWEDEN FACTFILE

39

INTERNATIONAL

38 39 MCV870 International Factfile_V4.indd 2 14/03/2016 14:25


OFF THE RECORD

TRUMPED

For those of you who aren’t aware of the current political frolics on the other side of the pond, there’s this dude called Donald Trump and he’s MENTAL. Not in a good way, either. The hugely racist and sexist business mogul looks like he actually has a legitimate shot of becoming US President. Which is utterly horrifying.

And not just for us, it seems. Developer Ndemic Creations has revealed that Trump is currently the most common name assigned to the many assorted diseases and pathogens that wipe out humanity in its strategy title Plague Inc.

We’re big fans of Plague Inc. Just last week we stewarded Gamergate toward its successful elimination of all intelligent life on Earth.

OFF THE RECORD This week, Ndemic Creations comfi rms that Donald Trump is going to eliminate all life on Earth and Square Enix teaches us how to become a professional assassin. And we also learned that Street Fighter V’s Story Mode is so easy it can be beaten by an infant

CHILD’S PLAY

Street Fighter V, then. The best 2D fi ghting engine ever made? Yeah, probably. Which makes its assorted launch struggles all the more frustrating.

Among the many gripes was the fact that the game launched without any sort of single player mode to speak of. There is a Story Mode, but oddly that’s locked to a single diffi culty setting. And is very short.

But how diffi cult are we talking? Well, either the video footage released online this week depicts and freakishly talented six month old gamer... or it’s so easy that it can be beaten by a six month old. Which is exactly what happened.

sexist business mogul looks like he actually has a legitimate shot of becoming US President. Which is utterly horrifying.

And not just for us, it seems. Developer

Trump is currently the most common name assigned to the many assorted diseases and pathogens that wipe out

Plague Inc.. Just last

week we stewarded Gamergate toward its successful elimination of all intelligent

Street

40 41 42 MCV870 Off The Record_V4.indd 1 15/03/2016 12:43

RACKING UP THE HITS

And they say print is dead.As part of its launch jollies for Hitman, which also arrived last week,

Square Enix lifted the lid on a faux magazine called Hit that was dubbed as “the must-have magazine targeted at professional assassins”.

It’s not just made-up, either – this is a real mag, available as a pull-out with March copies of Offi cial PlayStation Magazine, T3, Total Film and GamesMaster.


LONG DIVISION

Last week saw the arrival of record-breaking Q1 release The Division.

As part of its promo frolics, Ubisoft drafted in Monorex, the team responsible for the in-game graffi ti, to create a real-world piece of art in Shoreditch. There’s a joke about the people of Shoreditch and the collapse of society that can be made at this point should you so wish.

Part of the promo saw a wall covered in US bank notes that could be removed, off ering those who plucked them the chance to win a prize. Unsurprisingly it was stripped bare by Shoreditch’s populace pretty sharpish. There’s a joke about the people of Shoreditch spending stolen money on hipster nonsense that can be made at this point should you so wish.

OFF THE RECORD

WOULD YOU RATHER FIGHT ONE HORSE-SIZED DUCK OR 100

DUCK-SIZED HORSES?

Ian Livingstone

“I don’t know if I’d like to fi ght any kind of animal. The thought of either would make me tremendously sad. What a cruel question to ask. It’d be easier to fi ght one horse-sized duck, surely, to avoid being mobbed by 100 tiny horses. That’s 100 creatures to hurt. I guess I’d have to go for the former. Though I would do so begrudgingly and I’d only fi ght back if my life was on the line.”



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CONTACTS

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Copyright 2016

Please address all enquiries to:Newbay Media, MCV, Saxon House, 6a St. Andrew Street, Hertford, SG14 1JA.

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© Newbay Media 2016All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without the express prior written consent of the publisher. The contents of MCV are subject to reproduction in information storage and retrieval systems.

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Newbay Media specialises in trade-dedicated print and digital publishing for entertainment and leisure markets. As well as MCV, Newbay publishes Develop, PCR, ToyNews, Music Week, MI Pro, Audio Pro International and BikeBiz. It also has two online-only brands: Mobile Entertainment, dedicated to the growing mass market smartphone sector, and Licensing.biz, for everyone in the global licensing industry. It also runs a number of events including the MCV Industry Excellence Awards, the London Games Conference and the Games Media Awards.

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SG14 1JA

CurrentYear Waifus@Xenomorphica

Its terrible. Here’s a cookie, but you can have one bite every three months and pay each time.

Janine@ScarfedRedhead

Works for stories written episodic (e.g. Telltale Games stuff; Life is Strange). Not for cutting games apart afterward for more money (lol Hitman).

HITMAN LAUNCHED LAST FRIDAY IN EPISODIC

FASHION. WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON THE EPISODIC

MODEL FOR GAMES? #GMGASKS

Johan Kreek@JohanKreek

I hope Square Enix doesn’t feel the need to make every game an episodic release. On the other hand I do understand them.

Psemtex@Psemtex

Eh, no issue with trying a different business model. Concerned they might not have confi dence to fi nish/polish it though.

Abracadaniel@smellers

Makes sense really for them and us as gamers/the consumers. If it’s not good, we haven’t wasted full price on a title

Rob Clark@RobC04

I always wait for all of the episodes to release before I buy them. I hate having interrupted play.

Benjamin Burden@Theotherguy1104

Done properly, episodic releases are OK, but most companies use it as an excuse to charge more and deliver less.

Gartokk@Globdules

I used to think it was OK. But now it’s just another crowfunding model leading to lengthy, underwhelming experiences.

Genophix@riggedforepic

Don’t mind at all as long as each piece had some worth and replay value.

Devlin@xDevlinx21

It’s a nice change of pace but not every game needs to be this way, especially Hitman. But that’s just me. Maybe it’ll be ok.

OFF THE RECORD

Ben Parfi tt Associate Editorbparfi [email protected]

Marie Dealessandri Staff [email protected]

Michael CanhamFinance [email protected]

Elizabeth NewtonProduction [email protected]

Andrew WoodenContent [email protected]

Sam Richwood [email protected]

Kelly SambridgeHead of Design and [email protected]

Stuart Moody Head of [email protected]

Christopher Dring [email protected]

Alex Calvin Staff [email protected]

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Conor Tallon Senior Account [email protected]


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• National cinema campaign

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# X C O M 2# X C O M 2

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MCV870 March 18th