MCV827 March 20th

THE BUSINESS OF VIDEO GAMES

ISSUE 827 FRIDAY MARCH 20TH 2015

TAKING BATTLEFIELD TO THE MEAN STREETS OF LA P26

PLUS HTC TAKES A VIRTUAL REALITY CHECK ROCK BAND: BACK FOR AN ENCORE

by Craig Chapple THE rest of the games industry should follow the lead of PC and tear down their walled gardens, argues Valve boss Gabe Newell.

Speaking to MCV at GDC, Newell said that the fi rm’s latest projects, including the Steam Machines, streaming box Steam Link, Steam Controller and games engine Source 2, are all part of his company’s strategy to grow PC, and is letting other PC fi rms use the technology for free.

Newell added that it was important to Valve to invest in this technology and make it available to everyone to ensure PC gaming continues to thrive.

“We started to get pretty worried a while ago when we saw this sort of closing off ,” he said. “It was like Microsoft saw the iPhone and said: ‘We should make the PC more like that; people should have to go through us to have new ideas’. And we thought that sounded like a terrible idea. The iPhone should be more like the PC and the internet. Not the other way around.

“We were happy doing what we were doing but we felt that, for our own sake, we needed to make sure that the PC and PC gaming continue to exist and thrive.”

He continued: “Developers need the freedom to try out stuff ; that’s how we’ve been successful.

“If there’s something useful, we’ll give it away. Somebody else will fi gure out another way to use it, as long as we treat it as a tool and not a straightjacket.”

by Christopher Dring SMARTPHONE experts say that Nintendo’s move into the mobile market will boost Wii U and 3DS sales, not harm them.

Nintendo announced this week that it will release the likes of Mario on smartphones via a partnership with mobile games giant DeNA. DeNA will create a platform that connects Nintendo’s mobile games with Wii U, 3DS and the to-be-unveiled new console: NX.

Developer Ben Cousins, who used to work for DeNA, says that this platform can help Nintendo win back its fans that have defected to mobile.

“It needs to use cross-promotion to leverage Nintendo fans onto the mobile games and mobile gamers over to the Nintendo platforms,” he said.

“Without a shared account system of some kind, Nintendo end up with something it doesn’t want - an island of Nintendo mobile gamers and an island of Nintendo console gamers who never interact.

“Nintendo will want to do things like off er mobile players free in-game currency or items if they buy the console version of the game.

“Without a shared backend

and account system, it’s really hard to pull off this kind of cross-promotion and interoperability.”

IHS analyst Piers Harding-Rolls added: “Not only is there signifi cant revenue to be made directly from smartphone and tablet consumers by Nintendo; app ecosystems are also very important in reaching new customers to make them aware of the Nintendo brand and to drive them to its dedicated consoles.”

HOT FUZZ

Valve boss on the importance of freedom

‘iPhone should be more like the PC’

‘Mobile can rescue Nintendo consoles’

THE BUSINESS OF VIDEO GAMES

ISSUE 827 FRIDAY MARCH 20TH 2015

Harding-Rolls (right) and Cousins (far right) believe mobile can boost Wii U sales

Developers need the freedom to innovate and try out stuff, that’s certainly how we’ve been successful.

Gabe Newell, Valve

Nintendo needs to use cross-promotion to leverage mobile gamers over to a Nintendo platform.

Ben Cousins, The Outsiders

CHEAT SHEET

04March 20th 2015 www.mcvuk.com

by Christopher Dring

THE creator of Rock Band has vowed not to saturate the market with games when the franchise returns this year.

Harmonix and Activision released over 30 diff erent guitar-based games between 2005 and 2010, causing the market to become oversaturated and collapse.

Rock Band 4 is now set to return this October, and widespread reports claim that Guitar Hero is also braced for a return. But Harmonix product manager Eric Pope has promised not to repeat the mistakes of the past.

“It’s no secret that the band game space became really crowded,” he told MCV. “It was a lot to keep up with, so some fans rather understandably needed a break.

“We have no intention in engaging in a retail arms race this time around. The current state of consoles is exciting for us, as it gives us an opportunity to deliver on the ‘Rock Band Platform’ ambitions we’ve always had for the game. It’s much easier today to build and grow a single game, adding new features and content along the way, pivoting based on player feedback and trends.”Read more about Rock Band’s comeback on page 16

MAKING sure that Battlefi eld Hardline works correctly on day one is developer Visceral’s top priority.

The developer is desperate to ensure there are no launch day woes that have impacted other titles in the industry – including 2013’s Battlefi eld 4.

“Many titles have had pretty rocky launches recently,” Ian Milham told MCV.

“As much as you can build and change content later you only really get one chance at a fi rst impression. We have

simulated just about every scenario we can, and we’ve had two betas, both of which have run pretty well. We’ve made a smooth launch our number one priority.

“That said, it’s naive to say there will be no turbulence at all – it’s hard to roll something to potentially tens of millions of people and not have something go wrong. But we’re doing everything, and everything we have done has gone quite smoothly.”Read more about Battlefi eld: Hardline on page 26

We’ll avoid an arms race with Guitar Hero, says Harmonix

EA: ‘A smooth launch for new Battlefi eld is our No.1 priority’

Harmonix isn’t planning on fl ooding the market with Rock Band products, says Pope

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3 FIFA 15 EA

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FINAL FANTASY TYPE-0 HD + FF XV DEMO SQUARE ENIX12 Battlefi eld Hardline + Versatility DLC (PS4) EA

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Market DataWith no blockbuster launches this week, the games market continues to decline

Week EndingMar 1st

£12.5m391,384

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Week EndingMar 15th

£6.8m236,060

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Week EndingMar 8th

£8.2m282,224

units

CHEAT SHEET

05www.mcvuk.com March 20th 2015

TECH fi rm HTC is planning a world tour to let consumers try its new VR headset, Vive.

HTC, who has teamed up with Valve on the project, plans to visit locations in the USA, Europe and the Asia Pacifi c regions.

According to HTC’s connected products marketing boss Jeff Gattis, demonstrating VR will be crucial in its launch later this year.

“We want to set up at popular events, showing up at game shows,

developer conferences, universities and letting people try it,” he said. “The challenge for all of us in the VR space is that there is no way to describe it. Nothing comes close to simulating what it’s actually like.

“We’re going to make a big push to get this in front of people and let them experience it without having to buy it. That’s also going to help broaden the overall adoption.”Read more about HTC’s VR plans over the page

HTC to take its VR headset on tour

MOBILE games are not a golden goose.

Many have suggested Nintendo should start creating mobile games in the past, but it was never the easy option. It’s true that a chunk of the Wii and DS’ audience migrated towards tablets and mobile, but it is diffi cult to monetise - most content is either free or very, very cheap. It is also over-saturated with content - for every success there are thousands of failures.

And by moving to a new platform, Nintendo could also devalue its hardware business.

Via this week’s partnership with Japanese mobile giant DeNA, Nintendo will hope to have its cake and eat it.

DeNA will be creating a digital platform (think PSN, Xbox Live or Steam) just for Nintendo that encompasses mobile, tablet, consoles and PC. It will allow Nintendo to maintain its close relationship with users, whilst promoting its other platforms.

In theory, it moves Nintendo - and its brands such as Mario and Pokémon – into the lucrative world of mobile, and keeps them in the dedicated hardware space, too. Nintendo has not sold out to Apple and Android. It has not abandoned consoles. It has found a way to do both. In a press conference, Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata said that mobile is, in many ways, like TVs, and that the platform it is creating with DeNA is just the console that connects to it.

Shareholders will be happy, and snap analyst opinion is that this is a signifi cant move by Nintendo.

But there is reason to be wary, too. DeNA, and rivals such as GREE, have been successful in the East by creating games platforms (or Social Network Services) within existing mobile ecosystems. But when they tried to launch them in Europe and the US, they failed.

PlayStation Mobile is an example of a platform holder trying and failing to create its own ecosystem within Android.

Things are a little diff erent in this case. Unlike PlayStation, Nintendo has partnered with one of the most experienced mobile platform holders. And although DeNA failed to succeed in the West before, it didn’t have Mario, Zelda or Pikachu to help it. It’s also not been revealed exactly how this new Nintendo ‘membership’ service will work, perhaps it will be more accessible than those previous models.

Nintendo has taken a signifi cant step onto mobile, and it is something that should certainly work in Japan. But there are uncertainties over whether it will be enough to transform Nintendo’s business on these [email protected]

THE EDITOR

Nintendo has not sold out to Apple and Android. It has not abandoned consoles. It has found a way to do both.

CAN NINTENDO HAVE ITS CAKE AND EAT IT?

HTC’s Gattis says letting fans get hands-on with VR is essential for its success

by Alex Calvin

INDEPENDENT game publisher Curve Digital has revealed its new game bundling service: The Indie Mixtape.

The scheme is specifi cally for up-and-coming indie developers, instead of more established names.

Curve aims to have the fi rst collection out in early April. It

will be priced at £6.99 and sold globally over Steam.

The publisher also says it will be giving a “generous revenue share” to the developers involved.

The fi rst bundle collects Lava Knitez!! by Glitchnap, Hets by Ditto, Roguelight by Daniel Linssen, Test Chamber by Shark Jump and Detective Chirpums: Private Investigator, by the aptly named Detective.

Curve unveils game bundling initiative

In the last few years, VR has gone from a one horse race to having a number of different players. For a long time, Oculus alone

was the VR scene. Then last year, PlayStation revealed its Morpheus headset. And the likes of Samsung and Razer have headsets, too.

Then earlier this month tech firm HTC - best known for its smartphones – entered the VR fray, teaming up with software giant Valve to produce the Vive headset. And this could even be the first VR ‘full’ headset to reach the market.

“We’re going to deliver a consumer product to stores this calendar year,” HTC connected products marketing boss Jeff Gattis tells MCV.

“That’s a pretty big step for the industry. So far VR has been confined to hobbyists and tinkering. Oculus and PlayStation have done some great things, but everything’s been developer editions with no firm release commitment.”

HTC has been looking to get involved in the VR space for some time now – but it was only through its partnership with Valve that it was possible.

“We see VR as a once in a generation technology,” Gattis says. “It’s not just about changing the way people play games, but how people interact with computers.

“We’d explored the space, as had Valve. It had built a baseline platform but it hasn’t got great hardware expertise – to put it lightly – but it has a great software experience, access to thousands of developers and hundreds of millions of users on Steam. Yet it lacks that hardware piece, so it was a nice fit.”

While HTC is primarily targeting gamers with the Vive, it has made plans to reach a wider audience.

“Gaming is the obvious pushing off point because there’s pent-up demand there, but we’ve really looked at it from a broader point of view,” Gattis explains. “We’ve announced partnerships with HBO, Lionsgate and Google – we’re looking at entertainment, education and training experiences.”

GOING BEYOND GAMINGThere are tech companies like HTC insisting VR will change everything. But where is the proof? Critics seem to – on the whole – like it. But will the wider market?

“VR will reach the mainstream. I feel pretty strongly about that,” he says.

“But it will take time. I don’t think VR will be a 25m unit industry next Christmas. But to get it to the mainstream, the first step is we need people to make commitments to deliver a consumer product – that lights a fire under our competitors.

“If you’re a developer, you might be intrigued by VR, but unless there’s a real consumer market out there, it’s hard to invest resources in building content. That’s the next big piece – continuing to court developers to get a variety of content out there.

“And if you’re not a gamer, you might think that VR isn’t for you. We want to change that perception and let people have the experience, whether that be watching your favourite film, experiencing other types of entertainment content, all the way through to using Google Maps to walk through the streets of London. Those experiences are ready from a technological standpoint, but it’s a case of getting them fully developed and making them available to consumers.”

REALITY CHECK

At long last, consumer virtual reality headsets are on the horizon, but is this unproven technology really going to change the world like they claim? Alex Calvin speaks to HTC, the most recent entrant into the VR scene

One of the criticisms faced by VR is that some users suffer from headaches and motion sickness. And it’s a problem HTC says must not be ignored.

“We use a 90HZ refresh rate on our screens. That’s an important aspect for us. Some headsets only run at 60, and that can cause a fair amount of problems,” Gattis explains. “We use 70 motion sensors in the headset and wireless controller which enable precision tracking with little latency. We’ve found that to be a big driver of motion sickness. You turn your head and there’s a one-

If you’re a developer you might be intrigued by VR, but unless there’s a real market out there it’s hard to invest.

Jeff Gattis, HTC


FEATURE HTC’S VR AMBITIONS

CHARLOTTE KNIGHT, GAME“WE are really excited about VR and we know that the gaming community is too. It is certainly the next big thing in the industry and as much of a game-changer as the Wii and Kinect were. “The most exciting thing about VR is the limitless potential that it offers: developers can build immersive experiences that have never been possible before. “The biggest challenge that we foresee is how accessible the new technology will be to mass-market customers, both due to the expertise required to use it and price of entry. At GAME we will be leveraging our store base and knowledgeable staff to demonstrate and guide customers on this exciting new technology. We will also have several compelling trade in offers to make VR affordable for every customer.”

ROBERT LINDSAY, GAMES CENTRE“VR is, on paper, a potentially game-changing innovation within the games industry. In the right hands games will become an experience rather than a diversion and story telling will become an emotional and physical journey for the player. It will engage even the most cynical non-gamer and fire the imagination of those open to a new sensory experience.

But my fear is that it is another expensive peripheral fad that devs will struggle to get to grips with and it will end up as a bolt on element to the increasingly unimaginative slew of sequels and reboots that seem to make up the bulk of the release schedules. I also fear that it will become an expensive add-on gimmick that will only serve as an excuse for developers to create games with little more than ‘look, you can turn your head and see all around you’ going for them. And with bottom lines being king and the need for studios to produce huge triple-A titles that generate astronomical returns on investment, I suspect we are more likely to see Call Of Battle Creed 7 - Now with VR!”

ALISON FRAZER, SHOPTO:“VR has the potential to stay long-term into the next console cycle but that will be the big test of the technology, and how streamlined they can make the tech over the next few years – smaller, lighter headsets – will play a big part in that. “It’s a genuinely new gaming experience – not just a plastic add-on. VR is the desirable hardware that gamers crave. “It has the potential to open up non-hardcore gaming, too. Will VR produce the new Wii Fit or similar unexpected retail hit? But due to price this could be further on in its lifecycle. “Our main concern is motion sickness. And online retailers could suffer where bricks and mortar benefit from the ‘try before you buy’ scenario. “Other concerns are over promising and under delivering for the high price. This kit can’t disappoint at launch or future sales will surely be in jeopardy.”

WHAT RETAIL THINKS second lag. That’s what’s driving you crazy, along with the slow refresh rate on a screen.”

HANDS-ONIf HTC really wants to go beyond the core gamer, it needs to come up with a marketing solution. Because a bit like motion controls and 3D, VR is not something you can really show off with a TV ad.

“We’re planning a virtual reality road show,” Gattis says. “We want to be at popular events, developer conferences and universities, letting people experience this. The challenging thing for all of us in this category is that there is no way to describe VR. There’s no way to convey what it does without letting them put the thing on their head and experience it.

“We’re going to make a big push to get this in front of people and let them experience it and get excited about it. That’s also going to help broaden the overall adoption.”

Given that VR is such a try before you buy experience physical retail is at an advantage over online.

“We’ve had an overwhelming response from retailers who are

trying to get their hands on the technology and talk about what floor displays would look like,” Gattis says. “Retailers are excited. They know it’s a huge traffic driver. The fact that it’s such a hands-on experience is really conducive to the physical retail industry.”

HTC is at least aware of the obstacles that VR must overcome, and is taking measures it believes will help it to do so. But the Vive still faces one issue that isn’t easily solved – it is going to have a rather high price tag. And it’s this that might slow the VR ‘revolution’.

“We want to deliver the most premium VR experience the world has seen. That’s not marketing speak, but more about where Vive is positioned in the market. This is at the high end,” Gattis says.

“Starting with the premium experience, even if it has a slightly higher price point, is the right thing to do from a strategic point of view. The price can always come down as the market grows. We know there is some pent up demand there, so there’s not so much price sensitivity early on. But to get the broader consumer adoption we’re all hoping for, the industry will have

to drive price down to make it more accessible.”

He concludes: “Whether we do that with

Vive, or other form factors and devices, we understand the importance of driving price down to achieve adoption.”

www.mcvuk.com March 20th 2015

HTC’S VR AMBITIONS FEATURE

07

CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEKTHIS WEEK: BLOODBORNE

IN THEIR OWN WORDS BLOODBORNE has been front and centre during PlayStation’s software range TV campaign in March.

The mainstay of Sony’s campaign has been online. The platform holder has been employing a heavyweight digital campaign, targeting fans of the action RPG genre.

The fi rm has also been showing off the new ‘Chalice Dungeon’ multiplayer mode over Twitch so that fans can get a live sneak peek.

Meanwhile, advertising over social media, display and video has been showing off the gothic world and feel of the game.

Post-release, marketing will focus on press reaction to the title.

JOE PALMERProduct Manager, PlayStation UK

THE Souls games are phenomenally popular,

so ensuring that fans are aware of the common ground they share with Bloodborne is a vital part of our strategy.

However, it’s not just the similarities with previous From Software games that we want to communicate. How Bloodborne diff ers from the Souls series will be at the forefront of our communications.

Bloodborne provides a great chance for us to tap into a highly engaged audience and provide an invaluable contribution to PS4.

IN last week’s GameTime, we ranked the Top 10 TV channels in terms of who was carrying the most games and consoles advertising. To our surprise, no children’s channels made the cut.

However, February has revealed a re-entrance to the

market for a number of children-focused properties.

After breaking for January, Activision is back on air in support of Skylanders Trap Team, which amassed just over 300 children TV viewer ratings (TVRs) across the month. Elsewhere, the likes

of Disney Infi nity, Nintendo and Rovio’s Angry Birds Epic all had increased presence on TV.

We would expect to see children’s focused advertisers upping the ante in advance of the key Easter period, where kids are at their screens more than ever.

With January up 71 per cent year-on-year, games and consoles TV market ad pressure across February fell six per cent short of the levels achieved in 2014. This is due to mobile/online properties becoming signifi cantly less active during the month.

FEBRUARY 2015 REVEALS INCREASE IN KIDS’ FOCUSED ACTIVITYThis week, GameTime examines a resurgence in TV advertising for kid-friendly properties

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

March 20th 2015 www.mcvuk.com08

[INFO]Formats:PS4

Released: March 27th

Publisher: Sony

Developer: From Software

Distributor: CentreSoft

Contact:0121 625 3388

ACTIVISION – SKYLANDERS TRAP TEAM 325 KING.COM – PET RESCUE SAGA 1881 12 GAMELOFT – DRAGON MANIA 135

3 NINTENDO – TOMODACHI LIFE 134

4 KING.COM – PET RESCUE SAGA 111

5 NORDEUS – TOP ELEVEN 2015 60

6 SUPERCELL – CLASH OF CLANS 49

7 SONY – THE ORDER: 1886 42

8 DISNEY – INFINITY 2.0 41

9 2K – EVOLVE 40

10 DISNEY – INFINITY 39

2 SUPERCELL – CLASH OF CLANS 123

3 NORDEUS – TOP ELEVEN 2015 108

4 2K – EVOLVE 107

5 SONY – THE ORDER: 1886 100

6 KING.COM – CANDY CRUSH SODA SAGA 80

7 ACTIVISION – SKYLANDERS TRAP TEAM 77

8 SUPERCELL – BOOM BEACH 54

9 GAMELOFT – DRAGON MANIA 39

10 NINTENDO – TOMODACHI LIFE 37

Rank Campaign CH. TVRs Rank Campaign IND. TVRs

MARKETING

BLIZZARD’S real-time strategy title StarCraft was one of the very fi rst eSports behemoths, helping to establish the sector back in 1998. Since then, Blizzard has continued to invest in competitive gaming, launching events to support the communities for

StarCraft II, Hearthstone and Heroes of the Storm. This year’s StarCraft II World Championship Series will off er a prize pool of $1.6 million. In 2014, the fi rm launched an initiative to back college pro-gaming groups in the US.

1 BLIZZARD

STARTING out in the eSports sector with its fi rst-person shooter Counter-Strike, Valve also owns MOBA giant Dota 2. Last year’s Dota 2 International tournament off ered the largest prize pool in eSports history: $10 million.

2 VALVERIOT helped to create the MOBA genre, with free-to-play hit League of Legends. The game sees more than 27 million players every day, and 2014’s League of Legends World Championship competiton attracted 32 million online viewers.

3 RIOT GAMES

2012’S Black Ops II established Call of Duty as a potential super player in eSports. Things took a step back with Ghosts in 2013, but returned to prominence with last year’s instalment, Advanced Warfare. This year’s Call of Duty Championship in LA will off er a $1 million prize pool, with eight teams from the UK and Ireland participating.

LAST year, World of Tanks developer Wargaming invested $8 million into its eSports strategy. This followed 2013, when more than 200,000 of the title’s 80m registered users took part in over 1,000 World of Tanks pro-gaming competitions.

THE leader in the fi ghting game space, Capcom is off ering $500,000 in prizes throughout this year’s Pro Tour season. The event was launched last year, focusing on Ultra Street Fighter IV battles. Street Fighter V will embrace eSports even further.

THOUGH it has some way to go to match its real-life counterpart, EA’s FIFA leagues are a rapidly-growing area in eSports. Competitions involving FIFA titles have taken place at events including the Insomnia festivals in the UK.

SHOOTMANIA Storm brought Ubisoft into the pro-gaming market back in 2012. The title was designed as an accessible shooter to encourage a wider eSports audience, and continues to have a presence in competitions across the globe.

HI-REZ’S fi rst foray into eSports came via shooter Tribes: Ascend in 2011. However, real success came with the release of MOBA Smite last year. The fi rm focuses on community; 2014’s Smite World Championship had a prize pool of $2 million, crowd-sourced from fans of the game, on top of an initial seed pool of $600,000 from Hi-Rez itself.

HALO developer 343 Industries has nurtured one of the fastest-growing eSports communities on console, in part thanks to its creation of the fi rst offi cial Halo pro-gaming competition – the Halo Championship Series – last year. Designed to unite the Halo eSports segment, the inaugural tournament will hold its fi nals this August.

4 ACTIVISION STUDIOS

7 WARGAMING 8 CAPCOM 9 EA 10 UBISOFT

5 HI-REZ 6 343 INDUSTRIES

A NEW OUTLET FOR eSPORTSA new channel on MCVuk.com dedicated to competitive gamingWritten by experts, and guided by an advisory board of insidersSupported by a twice-weekly email newsletter sent to over 10,000 execsGet on the mailing list - email [email protected] to registerSponsorship packages available - email [email protected] for details

TOP 10 eSPORTS DEVELOPERS

ESPORTS PRO


MARKET MOVES

PLAYTONIC | Former CVG editor ANDY ROBINSON has joined the start-up developer.

Robinson wrote for CVG between 2005 and 2015, leaving after Future’s decision to close the popular site. Following that he moved to publisher Bandai Namco as PR executive.

Now he has joined Playtonic Games as writer, editor and comms manager, and will be in charge of all editorial and external communications.

“I’m delighted to join a team of decorated and talented creators and contribute to what’s sure to be a very special game,” Robinson told MCV.

GAMER NETWORK | The Eurogamer publisher has named JON HICKS as the head of its

newly-announced Gamer’s Edition initiative.

Hicks moved to Gamer Network in October, having previously been editor-in-chief of Future’s Official Xbox Magazine. Gamer’s Edition is a concept designed to create physical special editions of indie games.

“I’ve been working on Gamer’s Edition since I started at Gamer Network and it’s great to finally launch.” Hicks told MCV.

“This is the first of several initiatives we’re developing for indies, and it promises to be a very interesting year.”

SEGA | The publisher has promoted JAMES DYER to junior product manager.

Dyer moved from Sega’s QA team to become a PR and marketing assistant, and has been responsible for Sega’s YouTube channel, Sega Central.

He will be reporting to Sega Europe’s head of product marketing ANNA DOWNING.

“James has been an invaluable asset to central marketing team here at Europe, and I’m very pleased to be able to reward his infectious enthusiasm and loyalty with a well-deserved promotion,” Downing said.

FUTURE | JOE SKREBELS is returning to the publisher as community

manager for the OXM section of GamesRadar+

Skrebels was previously news editor of Official Nintendo Magazine, then OXM, but left last October to go freelance.

“OXM has never had a community manager before, which means I’m approaching this role as a sort of digital Antarctic explorer,” Skrebels said.

“We want to make OXM’s corner of GamesRadar+ the internet’s most exciting, funny and occasionally self-indulgent source for Xbox knowledge, and I’ll be making sure that happens.”

NEW ROLES FOR FORMER FUTURE EDITORSRobinson joins Playtonic New job for Hicks at Gamer Network Sega promotes Dyer Skrebels joins GamesRadar+

APPOINTMENTS

UBISOFT | The Assassin’s Creed publisher has opened a new Consumer Relationship Centre in Newcastle. The office houses 75 employees, with plans to expand to over 100 by the end of the year. The Consumer Relationship Centre will integrate customer support teams and community managers from across Europe, Middle East and Asia territories. “Opening the Consumer Relationship Centre is a key step in better knowing our players and providing them with comprehensive service and support,” Ubisoft’s EMEA consumer relationship director Stéphane Catherine said. “Ubisoft is embracing the ‘games as a service’ model, and having both the community managers and support teams working together to keep our

communities continuously engaged and happy with their favourite brands and games is the goal.”

APP ANNIE | The mobile analytics firm has opened a new office in Singapore. According to App Annie, this move is related to the fast-growing mobile market in India and South East Asia. The office will officially open in early April, and will be supporting the region’s growth, as well as conducting sales and marketing across Asia.

MINECRAFT | Mojang’s game might be banned in Turkey after its government decided that the game is too violent. Last month family and social policies minister Aysenur Islam ordered an investigation into the game to assess its suitability for children.

AROUND THE INDUSTRY


EDITORIAL CONTACTS

Production Executive: Elizabeth [email protected]

Head of Operations: Stuart Moody [email protected]

Circulation: Lianne [email protected]

Finance Manager: Michael Canham [email protected]

Head of Design and Production:Kelly [email protected]

US CorrespondentErik [email protected]

THE RETAIL ADVISORY BOARD

EDITORIAL CONTACTS

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DATA ANALYSIS


Rockstar’s blockbuster Grand Theft Auto V returns to the top spot for the eighth time

GRAND Theft Auto V is top of the charts for the eighth time since its launch in September 2013. Sales of ROCKSTAR’s crime title rose 49 per cent week-on-week and ended the run of new IPs that have been No.1. The game has received extra attention in the media recently due to the release of GTA Online Heists DLC. If the game manages another two weeks at the top spot it will equal the series’ record, currently held by 2002’s Vice City. Further down the charts, the HD re-release of 2013’s DMC: Devil May Cry debuts in fi fth place. DMC: Defi nitive Edition sold 28.8 per cent of the Week One sales of the original release. New city builder title from PARADOX INTERACTIVE Cities: Skylines tops the Steam charts. The game has received plenty of press attention for trying to off er gamers a better

version of SimCity. It sold 500,000 units worldwide in just six days. And over in the mobile charts, USTWO’s Monument Valley makes a return to the iPad, iPhone and Android charts, perhaps as a result of its prominent placement in the third series of Netfl ix show House of Cards. The game also picked up two BAFTA awards last week – the only game to collect more than one prize. Meanwhile RARE’s Banjo-Kazooie tops the Xbox Live charts. The title was in the current round of Deals with Gold. It’s been a busy week for the classic 3D platformer. A special Banjo-Kazooie ‘crowd’ game was shown off at the event SXSW. Meanwhile, former Banjo-Kazooie developrs have formed a new UK-based development studio called Playtonic to build a spiritual successor to the game, currently entitled Project Ukelele.

TW LW Title Format Publisher 02 01 Dying Light PS4, XO, PC Warner Bros03 03 FIFA 15 PS4, XO, PS3, 360, Wii, 3DS, Vita, PC EA04 06 Minecraft: Xbox Edition XO, 360 Microsoft05 NEW DMC: Defi nitive Edition PS4, XO Capcom06 04 Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Activision Blizzard07 10 Minecraft: PlayStation Edition PS4, PS3, Vita Sony08 09 Evolve PS4, XO, PC 2K Games09 08 Zombie Army Trilogy PS4, XO Rebellion/Sold Out10 NEW Sniper Elite 3: Ultimate Edition PS4, XO, PS3, 360 505 Games11 05 Dragon Ball Xenoverse PS4, XO, PS3, 360 Bandai Namco12 13 WWE 2K15 PS4, XO, PS3, 360 2K Games13 14 Terraria PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC 505 Games/Merge14 15 Forza Horizon 2 XO, 360 Microsoft15 11 Far Cry 4 PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Ubisoft 16 19 The Crew PS4, XO, 360, PC Ubisoft17 17 Disney Infi nity 2.0 PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, PC Disney18 12 Destiny PS4, XO, PS3, 360 Activision Blizzard19 16 The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D 3DS Nintendo20 21 LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, Vita, PC Warner Bros21 07 The Order 1886 PS4 Sony22 24 Super Smash Bros Wii U, 3DS Nintendo23 30 Watch Dogs PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, PC Ubisoft24 35 Halo: The Master Chief Collection XO Microsoft25 32 Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC EA26 22 Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, PC Ubisoft27 36 Halo: The Master Chief Collection XO Microsoft28 23 Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate 3DS Nintendo/Capcom29 28 The Evil Within PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Bethesda30 18 Saints Row IV Re-elected and Gat out of Hell PS4, XO Deep Silver31 38 Just Dance 2015 PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, Wii Ubisoft32 37 Dragon Age Inquisition PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC EA33 26 Wolfenstein: The New Order PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Bethesda34 27 Assassin’s Creed Unity PS4, XO, PC Ubisoft35 NEW Tomodachi Life 3DS Nintendo36 26 Call of Duty: Ghosts PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, PC Activision Blizzard 37 35 Football Manager 2015 PC Sega38 33 Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Warner Bros39 RE Alien Isolation PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Sega40 RE The LEGO Movie Videogame PS4, XO, Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, Vita, PC Warner Bros

TOP 40 UK RETAIL01 GRAND THEFT AUTO V ROCKSTAR

FORMATS: PS4, XO, PS3, 360 DEVELOPER: ROCKSTAR NORTH

Week ending March 14th

DATA & RESEARCHSource

Games and Charts compiled by GfK Chart-Track

TOP 10 XBOX LIVE (UK)BANJOE-KAZOOIE MICROSOFTDEVELOPER: RARE


01 TW TITLE PUBLISHER 02 MINECRAFT: XBOX 360 EDITION Microsoft 03 WORMS 2: ARMAGEDDON Team 17 04 TRIALS EVOLUTION Ubisoft 05 ZOMBIE DRIVER HD Exor Studios 06 TOY SOLDIERS Microsoft 07 PORTAL: STILL ALIVE Valve 08 BATTLEBLOCK THEATER The Behemoth 09 TERRARIA: XBOX 360 EDITION 505 Games 10 CASTLE CRASHERS The Behemoth

PRESENTS5 SECOND FACTS

PDP design & manufacture the Official Microsoft licensed Xbox ONE

TV Kinect Sensor Clip

[email protected]

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

2016Naughty Dog’s PS4

exclusive Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End has been delayed until 2016. The

title was initially slated for release this year

160,000Call of Duty: Modern

Warfare 2 fans have set up a petition for Activision to remake the title. At time of writing, 160,315 people have signed the petition

500,000Paradox’s city-

building title Cities: Skylines sold over

500,000 copies in its first week across PC,

Mac and Linux

50,000GAME has officially

opened Marketplace, which allows third parties

to sell content online. Right now, Marketplace offers 50,000 products

TW LW Title Format Publisher 02 02 Grand Theft Auto V PS4 Rockstar03 03 Dying Light XO Warner Bros04 01 Grand Theft Auto V XO Rockstar05 05 Minecraft: Xbox Edition 360 Microsoft06 07 DMC: Definitive Edition PS4 Capcom07 06 FIFA 15 PS4 EA08 12 FIFA 15 XO EA09 08 FIFA 15 360 EA10 10 Minecraft: PlayStation Edition PS3 Sony11 22 The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D 3DS Nintendo12 04 Forza Horizon 2 XO Microsoft 13 11 The Order 1886 PS4 Sony14 14 Evolve XO 2K Games15 13 Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare PS4 Activision Blizzard16 20 Zombie Army Trilogy PS4 Rebellion/Sold Out17 NEW Terraria 360 505 Games18 19 DMC: Definitive Edition XO Capcom19 RE Minecraft: PlayStation Edition PS4 Sony20 RE Grand Theft Auto V 360 Rockstar21 24 Minecraft: Xbox Edition XO Microsoft22 33 Halo: The Master Chief Collection XO Microsoft23 17 Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate 3DS Nintendo24 11 Zombie Army Trilogy XO Rebellion/Sold Out25 09 Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare XO Activision Blizzard26 20 Evolve PS4 2K Games27 08 Dragon Ball Xenoverse PS4 Bandai Namco28 NEW Sniper Elite 3: Ultimate Edition PS4 505 Games29 RE Tomodachi Life 3DS Nintendo30 RE FIFA 15 PS3 EA31 31 Football Manager 2015 PC Sega32 40 The Crew PS4 Ubisoft33 35 Disney Infinity 2.0 360 Disney34 RE Super Smash Bros 3DS Nintendo35 RE WWE 2K15 360 2K Games36 25 Destiny PS4 Activision Blizzard37 19 Dragon Ball Xenoverse XO Bandai Namco38 30 Far Cry 4 PS4 Ubisoft39 34 Pokémon Omega Ruby 3DS Nintendo40 RE The Sims 4 PC EA

TOP 40 INDIVIDUAL FORMAT

01 DYING LIGHT WARNER BROS

FORMAT: PS4 DEVELOPER: TECHLAND

TW TITLE DEVELOPER 02 Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 Scott Cawthon 03 Monument Valley Ustwo 04 The Chase Barnstorm 05 Tipping Point Barnstorm 06 Dr Panda’s Ice Cream Truck TribePlay 07 Flightradar24 – Flight Tracker Flightradar24 08 Sid Meier’s Starships 2K Games 09 Terraria 505 Games 10 Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 Scott Cawthon

TOP 10 IPAD PAID (UK)

01

01

01

MINECRAFT – POCKET EDITIONDEVELOPER: MOJANG

MINECRAFT — POCKET EDITION DEVELOPER: MOJANG

TW TITLE DEVELOPER 02 DVSA Theory Test Focus Multimedia 03 Heads Up! Warner Bros 04 Enlight Lightricks 05 Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 Scott Cawthon 06 Ski Tracks – GPS Track Recorder Core Coders 07 The Official DVSA Theory Test Kit TSO 08 Monopoly EA 09 Monument Valley Ustwo 10 Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock Northcube AB

TOP 10 IPHONE PAID (UK)

Week ending: March 15th

Week ending: March 15th

TW TITLE PUBLISHER 02 Facetune Lightricks 03 Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 Scott Cawthon 04 Theory Test UK 2015 Focus Multimedia 05 Worms 3 Team 17 06 Monument Valley Ustwo 07 Tipping Point Barnstorm 08 Motosport Mangement Christian West 09 AllCast Premium ClockworkMod 10 The Chase Barnstorm

TOP 10 GLOBAL GOOGLE PLAYMINECRAFT – POCKET EDITIONDEVELOPER: MOJANG

Correct as of March 16th


DATA ANALYSISSource


There was a time when everyone was playing Rock Band and Guitar Hero. And

then they stopped. All of them. At the same time.

The billion-dollar plastic guitar industry vanished overnight. It was a painful time for everyone associated with that genre.

But Harmonix, the studio that created both franchises,

endured. It bought itself out from its owners Viacom, launched a dancing franchise with Xbox, teamed up with Disney and experimented with new genres and platforms – all with its expertise in music at its core.

And now, five years after the last major Rock Band release,

Harmonix is dusting off those plastic instruments

to launch Rock Band 4. But why? “In those five years we’ve seen

that hundreds of thousands of players continue to play the game each month. So, we know there’s still a dedicated hardcore base that’s playing regularly, but we also know that there’s been a long enough gap that people who did stop playing are now missing it,” says Harmonix product manager Eric Pope.

“Every time we make announce something, the reaction is “Hey this sounds great! But what about Rock Band 4?” It’s also a good point to get the game out as lots of people now own a PS4 or Xbox One.”

He adds: “It’s also a good time for Harmonix. We’ve spent the last five years stretching out and trying

various new things in the music gaming space. We’ve pushed the limits of what you can do in a music game with Dance Central on Kinect, A City Sleeps for PC, as well as other projects in virtual reality and mobile. The Rock Band 4 team is bringing with them a ton of new knowledge to a franchise they are already experts on.“

Last time around, the battle between Rock Band and Guitar Hero was fierce; new versions of both games came out almost every other month. The market became saturated, gamers lost interest and the bubble burst. The fear is that history could repeat itself, especially as there are reports of a new Guitar Hero coming this year, too.

But Pope insists it won’t be drawn into another plastic guitar war.

“It’s no secret that the band game space got really crowded last time,” he says. “It was a lot to keep up with as a fan of the genre. So some fans rather understandably needed a break.

“We have no intention in engaging in a retail arms race with anybody this time around. We want to deliver the best game the series

WHO WILL GO TO ROCK BAND’S REUNION TOUR?

After a five-year hiatus, Rock Band returns this Christmas courtesy of developer Harmonix and publisher Mad Catz. But will anyone care? And has anything been learnt from the genre’s 2010

collapse? Christopher Dring asks Mad Catz’ Alex Verrey and Harmonix’s Eric Pope

We have no intention of engaging in a retail arms race with anybody this time around.

Eric Pope, Harmonix


FEATURE ROCK BAND’S RETURN

has ever seen. The current state of consoles is really exciting for us, as it gives us an opportunity to really deliver on the ‘Rock Band Platform’ ambitions we’ve always had for the game. It’s much easier today to grow a single game, adding new features and content along the way, pivoting based on player feedback.”

The ‘Rock Band Platform’ is something Pope continues to reference throughout the interview. He says that the fourth Rock Band game is not so much about trying to recreate the glory days of 2008, but rather to be a game for the new machines that is aimed at those hardcore players that are still buying DLC today.

“While the Rock Band phenomenon – or fad, as I’ve seen it called - reached far beyond anyone’s wildest expectations in 2007 and 2008, it was always a dedicated core that came back every week to check out the new

songs we were releasing, bought the new entries in the series, and re-upped on hardware when we put new stuff out,” says Pope. “Rock Band 4 is for them.”

Alex Verrey, communications director at publisher Mad Catz, adds: “Digital distribution has moved on considerably. The plan is for Rock Band 4 to remain relevant throughout the console cycle and continue to surprise lovers of music and rhythm gaming the world over.”

ROCK IS DEADHarmonix is eager to keep its old fans with the launch of Rock Band 4, and hopes they will be able to use their old instruments and songs when the new game launches – which will be music to the ears of old-school fans.

But when it comes to bringing in new players, Harmonix has to overcome the fact that rock music just isn’t very popular at

It’s been fi ve years since Rock Band 3, but Harmonix and Mad Catz say the timing is right for a new entry

Mad Catz’s Verry (top) and Harmonix’s Pope (above) say the market won’t be fl ooded with Rock Band product

IT may seem like only yesterday for some of us older folk, but Rock Band has been missing from shelves for five years. And that gap, says product manager Eric Pope, gives Harmonix a lot of opportunities with Rock Band 4.

“Five years is a long time in game years,” he says. “What excites me most about getting back into Rock Band is the opportunity for old friends to get back together, but also for kids who were too young previously to pick it up for the first time and discover amazing rock music they’ve never heard before.”

He adds: “We’ve also built a brand new engine for Rock Band 4 to make the most of the new hardware. It’s going to look ‘next-gen’ with more realistic lighting, character models, and animation. It’ll be 1080p and will run at 60fps, I know there’s a vocal group of players that want to hear that. But what to me is more exciting is the online infrastructure of the consoles. It will open a lot opportunities for us to support the game in more reactive, timely ways.”

Harmonix is planning just one Rock Band game that will

be updated digitally. But with plastic instruments needed to play, there will remain a physical presence. Alex Verrey, communications director at Mad Catz, which is developing the controllers, says that he’s aware of not flooding the market with expensive accessories.

“Practically everyone we have spoken to about Rock Band 4 has been universally supportive and excited,” he says. “We’re very aware that retail and consumer alike may be wary about a sudden overload of big box products, which is why we are proceeding with thought and care. We’re focusing the experience on the fun, party-centric core so we don’t expect retail to be stocking all manner of additional accessories or PRO instruments.

“For the new range of music game controllers, we want to innovate but not deviate too far from the core experience. Everything has been refined, from the latency of the controllers through to features like the tilt sensors, build quality and more.”

FIVE YEARS TOO LONG?

the moment. But Pope believes rock may be about to make a comeback. And perhaps Rock Band can help.

“As a self-acknowledged music snob, I am a little bit bummed out that guitar-driven rock isn’t the force in popular music that it once was, but I also know there’s never been a better time to be into it,” he concludes. “There are tons of amazing bands around the world putting out really great stuff without having to go through the traditional industry channels, and the internet puts it all at your fingertips.

“One of the most rewarding parts of making these games has always been how it exposes new audiences and generations to music they’d otherwise never hear on the radio. I think the decline of heavy radio rotation for guitar music is only another opportunity for Rock Band 4 to make a statement.”


ROCK BAND’S RETURN FEATURE

17

We worked really hard on trying to create a balance between action and survival horror, so that as many people can enjoy the game as possible.

Michiteru Okabe, Capcom

Ask hardcore Resident Evil fans what they made of 2012, and they’ll likely

shoot you a disappointed look.2012 marked the release

of Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City – a spin-off that returned to the fan-favourite world of Resident Evil 2. It also saw the arrival of ambitious core series sequel, Resident Evil 6.

Fans were not particularly fond of either. These were games more about shooting things than scaring people, and Resident Evil’s most ardent supporters were not happy.

But there was one game that came out of 2012 that core Resident Evil lovers did appreciate. It was a 3DS title (with Xbox 360 and PS3 versions to follow) that brought back popular characters and

trapped them on a boat filled with undead nasties. It was called Resident Evil: Revelations.

Revelations cuts to the heart of the conflict within the Resident Evil franchise. It may have gone down well with the franchise’s most loyal fans, but the more successful Resident Evil games – at least in terms of sales – are the more action-orientated titles, namely Resident Evil 5 and 6. Capcom has found itself in a position where it has two fanbases asking for two often-conflicting things.

So when it came to developing its first Resident Evil game for the new generation of consoles, Capcom had a choice to make: follow the fans or follow the numbers? With Resident Evil: Revelations 2, it is clear which group it has sided

with – this is a game that’s designed to scare the hell out of people.

THE EVIL THAT MEN DO“There are a lot of people that like Resident Evil 5, and even Resident Evil 6 for that matter. So we had to think internally: ‘What should we do here?’” says Michiteru Okabe, producer on Revelations 2.

“We decided that we wanted to return to the survival horror roots, but it has to be modernised. People have different expectations about games now that they didn’t have when Resident Evil first arrived in 1996. We worked really hard on trying to create a balance between action and survival horror, so that as many people can enjoy the game as possible, but with a heavier lean

ROOT OF ALL EVILCapcom is going back to its roots for its latest, episodic take on the Resident Evil franchise. Ahead of the game’s full retail release, Christopher Dring speaks to producer Michiteru Okabe and production

manager Matt Walker about what’s new with Resident Evil: Revelations 2

RESIDENT EVIL: REVELATIONS 2

Release Date: March 20th Formats: PS4, XO, PS3, 360, PC Publisher: Capcom Developer: Capcom

THE BIG GAME RESIDENT EVIL: REVELATIONS 2



RESIDENT EVIL: REVELATIONS 2 THE BIG GAME

19

on survival horror. It needs to have that scary atmosphere.

“Our sound guys worked really hard on making it so that if you put on your headphones and walk around the environment, that alone should be creepy, that should give you the chills.

“Our games director, Yasuhiro Anpo, has been on Resident Evil since the first instalment – he was a programmer on the PlayStation version of RE1, and he was a director on Resident Evil 5; he has been on the franchise the whole time. He is always asking what it is that people enjoy about the series, and what we can do to make the experience better for people. Including how can we can create these levels that provide the tension that gamers expect, plus those jump scares, too.”

Capcom has certainly done a lot to satisfy its core fanbase in Revelations 2. It’s even letting

players control Barry Burton – a popular recurring character from the franchise – for the first time. (I’m bound to get a few tweets on how, actually, he was playable in the largely forgettable Gameboy Color spin-off Resident Evil: Gaiden. But nobody counts that one.)

Yet Revelations is not all about horror. Capcom knows there are a number of Resident Evil gamers that like nothing more than to shoot things, and although Revelations 2 is very much a game designed for survival horror connoisseurs, there have been concessions made for the more, shall we say, ‘nervous’ audience.

“For this game we have separated it out,” explains production manager Matt Walker. “The scenario, the story, is more representative of the survival horror experience. Whichever character you choose to play as, you will get this resource-

management, intense, survival horror experience.

“But then we go on NeoGaf, and we see some people say: ‘We loved seeing [Resident Evil 6 hero] Jake body slam people.’ And we’re like: ‘Ok, cool, if you like action stuff then we have Raid Mode.’ Raid Mode is the action-packed, run-and-gun experience.”

Raid Mode is a challenge-based game where players must kill as many enemies as possible to complete each level. This is a mode all about combat and levelling-up your character. It’s frantic and scary in an altogether different way to the brooding, slow-paced chills of the core story.

Yet, even in the story there have been some additions to help ease in the more casual players – include the co-operative mode.

Co-op is a nice concept on paper for a horror game. It gives players who find these titles a

She is using a flashlight against an infected that’s wielding a bat with nails in it. That is going to be quite terrifying.

Matt Walker, Capcom

Fan-favourite character Barry Burton is playable for the first time in Revelations 2

March 20th 2015 www.mcvuk.comJ20

THE BIG GAME RESIDENT EVIL: REVELATIONS 2

little too frightening or stressful the opportunity to play with a friend to help relieve the tension. Unfortunately, it’s not something that has gone down that well with the horror fans.

“People would say that when you have two people with guns blazing... that doesn’t feel like a horror experience,” comments Walker. “In response, our director said: ‘I want to do something where everyone wins’. In order to do so, he implemented this support character mechanic. So, if you play as Claire, you have this support character of Moira. And if you’re Barry, you have this support character of Natalia. These support characters are different: they do not carry guns. Moira is a little girl and Natalia... well you’ll discover why she doesn’t have a gun via the story. So hopefully, as a result of this, players won’t find Resident Evil less horrific. They won’t have two characters all guns blazing. Moira can only use a flashlight. She is using a flashlight against an infected that’s wielding a bat with nails in it. That is going to be quite terrifying.”

DAWN OF THE DEADFocusing on the horror side of Resident Evil would have sounded like madness a few years ago. Back then, horror games were all but extinct – you wouldn’t find one on any release schedule.

Yet over the last 18 months, that has changed. In 2014 alone

there were a number of excellent, acclaimed and popular horror games, such as Outlast, Alien: Isolation and The Evil Within. One incredibly popular horror game was the unusual interactive trailer that Konami made called PT, which was used to announce the upcoming Silent Hills.

It’s certainly reassuring to see the genre return from the grave. However, could there be an oversaturation of survival horror games? There are only so many titles that fans can buy, after all.

“We have just been so busy making this game that we just haven’t been given the chance to play some of the cool new games like Alien: Isolation and Outlast,” admits Okabe.

“But we have looked at what people think of those games. With regards as to whether or not we will reach a saturation point of horror games... it is a possibility. But actually, at the moment, we are getting lots of different types of survival horror games. It’s not like everything is going in one direction. Rather than saturating, it feels like horror games are instead spreading out in interesting directions.”

Resident Evil won’t be too concerned about the competition. After all, It is the original survival horror, the one that started it all almost 20 years ago, and, judging by the response to Revelations 2, it looks set to remain the industry’s premier scary story for some time to come.

CAPCOM is experimenting with a new business model for Resident Evil: Revelations 2.

The game is being released in four parts over the space of a month, one episode a week for £4.99 an episode. Gamers can either buy them individually, in a season pass for £19.99 or get the all-inclusive boxed version, featuring several extras.

“If you played the first Resident Evil: Revelations on 3DS, you will find that it was already broken up into these episodes. So we decided to build upon that and take the next natural step, which is to actually release it episodically and not lock in gamers to buying the whole thing at once,” says Revelations 2 production manager Matt Walker.

“That way we hopefully have given gamers choice, so that if they just want to play episode one, they can, and they can try it out and see how it goes.

“Then we looked at it and thought: ‘What else can we do with episodic that would be cool?’ So we looked at TV shows like Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones, and we saw

that the passionate fanbases for these TV shows are getting online right after their shows are over, and they’re talking about the cliffhangers and asking: ‘What is going to happen next?’ We want that for Resident Evil.”

The new distribution model also had a big impact on how the game was being created.

“Normally when we make a $60 game, we create a scenario that has a distinct beginning, middle and end,” says Walker. “This time we have to write it in a way that has these compelling cliffhangers, so that people cannot wait to see what happens next. So we worked with a guy called Dai Satō, who also wrote the story for the first Revelations. There was a lot of back and forth between him and our game director over how they were going to implement these story elements and where the cliffhangers would come in. Then they just had to re-write and re-write. They just kept going at it until they had something they thought was compelling enough.”

EPISODE BY EPISODE

Revelations 2 was released in weekly episodes, before hitting retail as a complete collection

Capcom’s Michiteru Okabe (left) and Matt Walker (right)


RESIDENT EVIL: REVELATIONS 2 THE BIG GAME

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DEVELOPER for hire. Tech pioneer. Events organiser. A studio not short on ambition.

The above labels are all appropriate for Bristol-based indie developer Opposable Games.

Set up at the end of 2011 by Ben Trewhella, a mobile app veteran, the firm began life working for the likes of Channel Four, where it made mobile title Embarrassing Bodies: Angry Boils.

“Embarrassing Bodies has a huge viewership,” Opposable MD Trewhella says. “Maverick, the company behind the show, featured the game within the show itself and the downloads shot up. The figures spiked after each episode. You could literally see it minute-by-minute.

“There’s a lot of room for people to experiment and do interesting things by combining TV and mobile games.”

GETTING TECHNICALAs well as making games, the firm has also put a lot of work into its OneTouchConnect technology.

“We very rapidly got onto the idea of connected screen games,” Trewhella explains.

“One of our first releases was Clockwork Racers. It was a game where you could use smartphones as controllers to play on a main screen, using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

“It showed us there was an opportunity. People were interested in these multi-screen games. And we began to see a few options – the first was to create some technology.

“It was difficult to connect an iOS device, an Android device, Mac or PC together. So we created some technology called OneTouchConnect, which is effectively a Unity plugin now.

It makes the task of creating peer-to-peer multiplayer games very simple. We’ve sold that to developers all over the world.”

While not a big seller, OneTouchConnect is still a handy revenue stream. It’s also central to Opposable’s upcoming release, Salvaged, a title that casts you as the captain of a space ship exploring other derelict star crafts.

“In Salvaged you are always in the view of the ship’s captain and as you send your soldiers in you can see on the main screen what they see, their first person views, but you control their action via a tablet,” Trewhella explains. “Using OneTouchConnect, players can hook up a phone or tablet to their PC or console, and then control the game as you would as the ship’s captain via a touch screen rather than a mouse and keyboard.

“It works really well. We scraped and pulled things together and recently got some investment to build Salvaged. We’re going for a Steam release first because it’s got this very niche multiple screen thing going. We are also hoping that Sony or Microsoft or even

Nintendo might see it as a cool thing to have on their consoles.”

Salvaged also comes with virtual reality support, with the studio also working on another VR title called Sherlock. In addition to this, Opposable put together a festival for virtual realty earlier this month.

“We are really big fans of VR, so much so that we put together this conference called South West VR, which happened in Bristol,” Trewhella says.

“We had over 250 delegates turn up. There were there to listen to talks from Sony, Oculus, Microsoft and lots of indie devs, all giving interesting talks. We had about 20 demo stations and developers bringing their own unique VR games and experiences. It was incredibly successful, we had amazingly good feedback.

“We’re quite keen on VR, and there are some unique opportunities. It’s still a bit niche in terms of consumers, but excitement is going to grow very rapidly.”

And this isn’t the only thing that Opposable is doing to support the local games industry – it has opened up its offices to developers as part of Bristol Games Hub.

“Bristol Games Hub is a not-for-profit space, with 48 developers and more coming along,” Trewhella says. “People come along and make games. And it’s just grown. There are more and more people in the area, and people are even coming to Bristol because there’s this easy-to-access space. We do lots of technical talks, and we have great partners in Microsoft, Sony and Unity, and they all come down to explain how things work.”

He concludes: “It’s a really positive thing to both Bristol and the games industry.”

MADE IN BRISTOL

Not content with just making video games, Bristol-based Opposable has started working on its own proprietary technology. Alex Calvin speaks to MD Ben Trewhella

It was difficult to connect iOS devices to Android to computers. So we put together some tech called OneTouchConnect.

Ben Trewhella, Opposable Games

Opposable’s upcoming release Salvaged uses its OneTouchConnect technology


INDIE INTERVIEW OPPOSABLE GAMESSponsored by

OPINION


The market for digital downloads increases year-on-year, yet there remains

a healthy market for the boxed products. Why is this and should gaming companies continue to invest heavily in what is forecasted to become an obsolete format? The answer may lie in the rise of key stripping.

Boxed products often contain both a game disc and a download code or ‘key’ that enables the user to download and access the game from a digital platform. Key stripping happens because there are significant price variations for games between different territories due to tax, size of the market, distribution costs or simple economics. The price variation is exploited by third parties who buy boxed games in bulk from lower priced countries, such as India, remove the code from each box (i.e. ‘strip the key’), enter it on to a website for sale to consumers in the higher priced countries, and ditch the boxed game disc. The consumers then use the key to download the game, avoiding the higher price they would have been charged in their home territory. Obviously third party key strippers are on to a good thing, but this practice is not good for the UK industry and has dubious legality.

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVEKey stripping recently hit the headlines because Ubisoft deactivated keys for Far Cry 4 bought via a key stripping website. Gamers were incensed. However,

it later emerged that those keys had been obtained fraudulently using stolen credit cards - they were effectively ‘stolen goods’. Ubisoft was clearly doing the right thing.

Obviously gamers want to get the games as cheaply as possible but they also want developers to continue to create great games. Equally, publishers are keen not to agitate gamers but they are losing profits and obtaining inaccurate market data affecting future strategy. Authorised distributors who are ‘doing the right thing’ have expressed concerns that key stripping is hurting their sales.

LEGAL PERSPECTIVEKey stripping has a number of legal implications, not least VAT, national laws relating to the depiction

Publishers are keen to not agitate gamers, but they are losing profits and obtaining inaccurate data. Arty Rajendra, Rouse Legal

GAMES INDUSTRY SHOULD UNITE TO END ‘KEY STRIPPING’

ARTY RAJENDRA, partner at Rouse Legal, discusses the legalities around key stripping and the impact it is having on the games business

of violence and breach of EULAs (end-user licence agreement). Publishers take these into account when marketing and pricing their products.

From an IP perspective, the sale of game keys potentially enables infringement of the many copyrights held in the game, including the software but also musical, artistic and text, any in-game films and so on. We refer to this as the ‘game’s copyright’ but it is actually a bundle of copyrights in a single product.

Publishers cannot use their IP rights to stop individual copies of games that have been put on to the European market by them, or with their consent, from being freely traded across all EU states. In these circumstances, the IP rights were ‘exhausted’ at the first sale. However, can it really be said that the publisher authorised the use of the individual copy of the game, which was downloaded with the stripped key?

This issue has been tested by the German courts on two separate occasions. They have consistently found that exhaustion does not apply to the sale of games via stripped keys and, consequently, there is infringement. It is likely that other European courts would follow suit. Indeed, it may well be that the courts would look favourably on arguments by the publishers that sales of the stripped keys breach European laws relating to the circumvention of protection measures, already successfully used by console-makers in relation to modchips, and Sky in relation to unauthorised decoder cards.

Key stripping is damaging the UK games industry. There is clearly a need for publishers to get together and tackle the issue, perhaps by way of a test case managed by an industry body. A good result is possible if the games industry is brave and collaborates effectively.

INSIGHT

German courts have twice sided with publishers and said code stripping is illegal

Battlefield Hardline is a departure from the series’ formula in more ways

than one. To start, it’s not being made by

series creator DICE, but rather Visceral, the studio behind EA’s science fiction survival horror series Dead Space.

It is also ditching the military shooter trappings for a crime caper set in Los Angeles.

“The general idea is that Hardline is sort of Battlefield with its feet up on its desk,” creative director Ian Milham tells MCV. “It’s bringing a lighter attitude and police drama, cops versus robbers vibe on top of the depth and strategy that Battlefield is known for.”

Ditching the military shooter gameplay is an interesting move for the team. The series’ main rival, Call of Duty, shook things up in last year’s Advanced Warfare by introducing new mechanics, as well as futuristic gadgets and weaponary, so it is only understandable Battlefield would similarly try to refresh the well-worn shooter genre – or risk being seen as stuck in the past.

Milham hopes the new setting can attract both Battlefield fans and some newcomers.

“There are all kinds of people out there; there are Battlefield veterans from way back when that maybe have been taking a break, there are people who have come in during the last few iterations and, of course, there are people who have never played before,” he says.

“We’re hoping aspects of the game will appeal to all of those people. Maybe you’re a single player fan – we’ve done a really great job with the single player. Maybe you’re more into the

cops and robbers – that’s cool, too. But if you are a hardcore Battlefield player who likes the gun experience and how the weapons handle, we’ve done our own take on Battlefield – but brought that same depth to it. There’s something for everybody.”

TESTED TO PERFECTION Visceral has run two betas for Battlefield Hardline – one last June, and another this January. The tests served a dual purpose; letting fans get their hands on a slice of the game early was an obvious goal, but the firm also wanted to make sure that Hardline actually worked on a technical level.

“It’s been brilliant,” says Milham. “We had seven million people try the beta out, which exceeded our expectations. It ran really smoothly. Of course, collecting data, feedback and reactions is all very nice, but the goal is to get a tight launch. It ran perfectly, and we had a good reaction to the beta. Now we’re ramping up to launch.

“We can’t even count the changes from the one last year – there were so many. The latest one was more focused on balancing tweaks. We purposely changed things during the beta, maybe more broadly than we really needed or wanted to, just to collect more feedback and practice rolling out changes – making sure that the process actually worked properly.”

This focus on quality and functionality is a reaction to the number of games that have had troubled launches recently – as well as, undoubtably, the marred launch of predecessor Battlefield 4 in 2013, which came under severe consumer fire for its continued server woes.

CRIMINAL MINDS

The latest Battlefield game isn’t being made by DICE. Nor is it a gritty military shooter. Instead, it’s set in LA and features cops and robbers. Why the change? Alex Calvin asks Visceral Games creative director Ian Milham

Hardline is Battlefield with its feet up on its desk. It brings a lighter attitude and police drama vibe on top of the depth that Battlefield is known for.”

Ian Milham, Visceral Games

“Many titles have had pretty rocky introductions to the world recently. You only really get one chance to make a first impression, as much as you can build and change content later,” Milham explains.

“We have been very vigilant and very conservative. We’ve simulated just about every scenario we can simulate, we’ve had two betas which have both run pretty well. We’ve made a smooth launch our number one priority. That said, it’s naive to promise there would be no turbulence at all – it’s hard to roll something to potentially tens of millions of people and not have something go wrong. But we’re doing everything we can, and everything we have done so far has gone quite smoothly.”

DELAYED GRATIFICATION Ensuring a smooth launch was one of the factors in Visceral and EA’s decision to delay Battlefield Hardline from Q4 2014 to this year.

Milham says developers shouldn’t be afraid to push their games back if they are not ready for launch – even if they will miss that lucrative Christmas window.

“The delay was a blessing,” he states. “Besides overall polish and quality, which is really important, it lets us focus on a few of the little features that differentiate us from the crowd.

“Whether it’s Q4 or not, if a game isn’t ready for release then you shouldn’t put it out. When I think back to my favourite titles, whether they were long-term multiplayer experiences, or single player ones, I don’t remember or care when they came out. I only remember or care about whether they were amazing – that is what everybody should be focusing on.”


INTERVIEW VISCERAL GAMES

SINCE the Battlefield series’ last release – Battlefield 4 in 2013 – the first-person shooter eSports scene has boomed and the multiplayer in last year’s Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare came with a slew of eSports modes.

The team at Hardline developer Visceral is eager to bring eSports to Battlefield, too.

“It’s one of those deals where the competitive community makes the decision whether to bring it to the eSports scene,” says Battlefield Hardline creative director Ian Milham. “But the things that they value are good for everybody. We absolutely have paid

attention and done our research into the competitive community, and some of the things that are important to it – rock solid performance, stability and credibility – are all important to everybody. Listening to the competitive community helps everyone. To get more specific, spectator abilities are particularly nice to have.

“There are a couple of new modes like Rescue and Crosshair, and we think these are especially appropriate for the eSports community. In the end, they choose what’s happening. We just want to provide an experience that is great for both them and us.”

ESPORTS RELIEF

Hardline transplants Battlefi eld’s staple gun and vehicular combat into a Los Angeles setting fi lled with cops and criminals


VISCERAL GAMES INTERVIEW

27

Interactive content marketplaceIndies InvestorsIntroduction meetingsIn-depth funding adviceInteresting venueIn LondonIn your diary: May 14th

For more information contact Conor Tallon on01992 535647 or email [email protected]

A new event for developers and publishers in a unique Central London arts space

Connecting content makers and investors

Event Partner Indie Zone Partner

Meet an investor or sign up the next big game

Guaranteeing delegates at least 10 good intro meetings

Thursday May 14th 2015


MARKETPLACE

How’s business been recently? It’s been great. We’re coming up to our fi rst year now and we have loads of loyal customers, so things have been looking really great.

What’s been selling well? The Order has been doing quite well, and Dragon Ball Xenoverse, too. Pre-owned stock is also a big seller in this store. And our pre-orders are looking nice and healthy.

How has hardware been selling? Hardware has had its ups and downs. The new price points for Xbox One and PS4 have helped. They were fl ying off shelves over Christmas – especially PlayStation 4s. Right now, it’s quite quiet, given that it is March.

As you mentioned, your one-year anniversary is approaching. Are you doing anything to celebrate? We are. Hopefully we’re going to be getting a game-themed

birthday cake. We’re going to get balloons and stuff in store, too. And hopefully, we’re going to try and organise some goody bags, similar to what we did when we fi rst opened the store. We arranged those through CentreSoft.

Do you do many in-store events?We do midnight openings. Not that many at the moment, but we did ones for the big games last year. In the summer we are also going to do a lot of daily events

On the eve of Game Centre Clydebank’s fi rst anniversary, store manager Michael Deary tells MCV about what it is doing to celebrate, its plans for events this summer and why it wants more digital point of sale content

SHELF LIFE

TOP 10 PRE-ORDERS

PRE-ORDER CHARTS

1. WOLFENSTEIN: THE OLD BLOODBethesda, PS4

2. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Day One EdKonami ...................................................................PS4

3. BloodborneSony .........................................................................PS4

4. Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD RemasteredSquare Enix ..........................................................PS4

5. Steins; GatePQube ......................................................................Vita 6. Battlefi eld Hardline + Versatility DLCEA ................................................................................XO 7. Final Fantasy Type 0 HD + FF XV DemoSquare Enix ..........................................................PS4

8. Battlefi eld Hardline + Versatility DLCEA .............................................................................PS4

9. Borderlands The Handsome Jack Collection2K Games .............................................................PS4

10. Borderlands The Handsome Jack Collection2K Games ................................................................XO

PRICE CHECK: PLYMOUTH

ONLINEIN

STORE

DARK SOULSBandai Namco, PS3

DARK SOULS 2Bandai Namco, 360

MIDDLE-EARTH: SHADOW OF MORDOR

Warner Bros, XOLORDS OF THE FALLENSquare Enix, PS4

£12.99 £19.99 £27.99 £49.99

N/A N/A £34.99 £49.99

£12.99 £19.99 £24.97 £34.99

£9.85 £14.86 N/A £29.86

N/A £12 £33 £44

UPLOADINGThe latest digital releases coming

to market

STEALTH INC 2

The former Wii U-exclusive is headed to Xbox One, PS4, PS3 and Vita

Terrifying character Slender Man is coming to haunt PS4 and Xbox One

This chaotic shooter from OlliOlli studio Roll7 is hitting PC in May

SLENDER: THE ARRIVAL NOT A HERO

OUT: MAY 7TH OUT: APRIL 25TH OUT: APRIL


MARKETPLACE

– Mario Kart Monday and that kind of thing. Just to keep people coming in.

What digital products do you off er at the moment?Pretty much everything. We do the digital range and have a dedicated bay for Sony and Microsoft. We also stock the Nintendo eShop range, too. That’s been doing well. Digital has defi nitely become a driving force in our business. We have a lot of

people who are coming on board with digital.

What more do you want from publishers regarding digital? A lot of customers don’t know about digital, and if it was better presented in-store that might help. Microsoft in particular should be focused on getting us a better point of sale, so we can advertise its product. And at the moment we just do the top-up vouchers from Xbox – it’s very basic.

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

Games Centre57 Sylvania WayClyde Shopping CentreClydebankG81 2RR

Phone: 0141 299 8008Website: www.gamescentre.co.uk

INCOMING RPG fans are in for an exciting few weeks – fi rst up is From Software’s new IP Bloodborne, then its Dark Souls 2 re-release, Scholar of the First Sin

TITLE FORMAT GENRE PUBLISHER TELEPHONE DISTRIBUTOR

March 20th

Battlefi eld Hardline PS4/XO/PS3/360/PC Shooter EA 0121 625 3388 CentreSoft

Bladestorm: Nightmare PS4/XO/PS3 Strategy Koei Tecmo 01462 476 130 Open

Final Fantasy Type 0 HD PS4/XO RPG Square Enix 0121 625 3388 CentreSoft

Mario Party 10 Wii U Party Nintendo 01753 483 700 Open

Resident Evil: Revelations 2 PS4/XO/PS3/360/PC Horror Capcom 0121 625 3388 CentreSoft

The Awakened Fate Ultimatum PS3 RPG NIS America 020 8664 3485 Open

March 27th

Bloodborne PS4 RPG Sony 0121 625 3388 CentreSoft

Borderlands: The Handsome Collection PS4/XO Shooter 2K Games 01279 822 800 Exertis

Inazuma Eleven GO Chrono Stones: Thunderfl ash 3DS Strategy Nintendo 01753 483 700 Open

Inazuma Eleven GO Chrono Stones: Wildfi re 3DS Strategy Nintendo 01753 483 700 Open

Ride PS4/XO/PS3/360/PC Racing PQube 0121 625 3388 CentreSoft

Toukiden: Kiwami PS4/Vita RPG Koei Tecmo 01462 476 130 Open

Xblaze Code: Embryo PS3/Vita RPG Funbox Media 01246 810 623 Open

April 2nd

Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin PS4/XO/PS3/360/PC RPG Bandai Namco 01215 069 590 Advantage

April 3rd

Hyperdimension Neptunia Hypercollection PS3 RPG NIS America 020 8664 3485 Reef

April 10th

Steins; Gate PS3/Vita RPG PQube 0121 625 3388 CentreSoft

April 14th

Grand Theft Auto V PC Action Rockstar 01279 822 800 Exertis


FINAL FANTASY

Final Fantasy is Square Enix’s best-selling franchise, with more than 100 million units sold.

FINAL FANTASY’S journey is far from over.

First launched in 1987, it was one of the defining role-playing games on the NES. And in its near thirty-year history a variety of different games, including third-person shooters, rhythm, fighting and racing titles have all carried the Final Fantasy moniker.

This year, Square Enix’s best-selling franchise – with more than 100 million units sold in total – sees a number of new entries.

Following a negative critical and commercial response upon its initial release, MMO instalment Final Fantasy XIV – the spiritual successor to fellow MMO Final Fantasy XI – was relaunched on PC and PS3 as Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn in 2013. The revamped title was a hit, exceeding Square Enix’s expectations and leading the firm to revise its financial results, raising its net sales forecast for the financial year from ¥140 billion (£0.77bn)

FINAL FANTASY TYPE-0 HD ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK

This collection includes all of the music from the latest entry in the Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy Type-0 HD. As well as the original versions of the songs, the 62-track set also includes remixes, new compositions and music from smartphone game Final Fantasy Agito. Bonus video content, including a trailer, music video, behind the scenes feature and a video interview with producer Tabata Hajime and music composer Ishimoto Takeharu, is also included.

SRP: £32.99Manufacturer: Square EnixDistributor: Square EnixContact: 020 8636 3000

Square Enix’s seminal RPG franchise continues to attract fans new and old, even as the IP approaches its 30th anniversary. Matthew Jarvis has the fi nal word on the current crop merchandise from the series

MOOGLE STRESS BALL

Modelled after the cat-like Moggles from the Final Fantasy series, this rather cute stress ball is comforting to squeeze.


FINAL FANTASY SERIES MASCOT HANDTOWELS

These towels feature three iconic creatures from the Final Fantasy franchise: a Moogle, Chocobo and Cactuar.


TRADING ARTS KAI MINI NO.6 – LIGHTNING Lightning, the protagonist of the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy, is shrunken down to miniature size for this fi gure.


FINAL FANTASY


Sponsored by

gamingmerchandise uk

FINAL FANTASY

to ¥155 billion (£0.85bn). A Realm Reborn was launched on PS4 in April 2014; as of February 2015, more than four million accounts have been registered. The game’s first major expansion pack, Heavensward, is set for release on June 23rd.

First released for PSP in Japan in 2011, Final Fantasy Type-0

breaks from the turn-based format of the

core Final Fantasy series to embrace

real-time action-based gameplay. This year, the title comes to Western shores and the new generation of consoles as Final Fantasy Type-0 HD.

Long awaited by fans (it was first announced nine years ago as Final Fantasy Versus XIII), Final Fantasy XV is yet to have a release date confirmed, but purchasers of Type-0 HD will get an early hands-on with the game in the form of the bundled Final Fantasy XV: Episode Duscae demo.

THE SKY: THE ART OF FINAL FANTASY SLIPCASED EDITION

Previously only available as part of a sold-out boxed set, The Sky consists of three hardcover books containing selections of illustrations from Final Fantasy series artist Yoshitaka Amano from the fi rst ten games in the franchise, printed on glossy stock. Volume I focuses on Amano’s work for Final Fantasy I to III, Volume II showcases his art for Final Fantasy IV through VI and Volume III covers Final Fantasy VII up to X.

SRP: £65Manufacturer: Dark HorseDistributor: Diamond Comic Distributors UKContact: 01928 531 760

THEATRHYTHM FINAL FANTASY CURTAIN CALL FAT CHOCOBO PLUSH

The stout fan favourite Fat Chocobo takes plush form here, based on his appearance in Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call.


FINAL FANTASY VII: ADVENT CHILDREN PLAY ARTS KAI – CLOUD STRIFE

Final Fantasy’s most iconic character, Cloud Strife, appears here as he did in fi lm sequel Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.


FINAL FANTASY XV WALL SCROLL

This poster features the characters from the next entry in the core Final Fantasy series.


34

HOT PRODUCTS

March 20th 2015 www.mcvuk.com

Sponsored by

HOT PRODUCTS

STEAM LINK

It’s not just the Steam Machines that are designed to bring PC gaming to the living room. Valve has also announced the Steam Link, a streaming device that existing gaming PC owners can use to bring their collection of games to a TV.

All users need to do is connect the Steam Link to a new TV or monitor, then connect the box to their home network via either a wired or 802.11ac wireless connection.

The small form-factor machine will automatically detect any computers running Steam on the same network, and display a list of titles for gamers to play. Nearly every game available on Steam supports streaming via Steam Link.

Steam Link utilises the existing hardware horsepower

of the computer it is paired with, streaming real-time gameplay audio and video across and allowing consumers to play using Valve’s Steam Controller, which will launch around the same time.

Video can be displayed in resolutions up to 1080p at 60 frames per second. Steam Link includes one HDMI-out video connection, one wired Ethernet connector and two USB ports.

NYKO INTERCOOLER

DESIGNED for players who keep their Xbox One consoles in cramped, poorly-ventilated conditions, Nyko’s Intercooler aims to improve airfl ow and ventilation around the system.

The clip-on peripheral features one quiet, high-effi ciency fan and powers on and off with the console automatically, meaning users don’t need to fl ick an extra switch when turning on their system to play.

The accessory takes up just one USB port, and is compatible with all of Nyko’s accompanying modular products.

[INFO]

RRP: $49.99 (£33)Release Date: November 2015Distributor: ValveContact: [email protected]

[INFO]

RRP: $24.99 (£17)Release Date: TBCDistributor: NykoContact: [email protected]

MCV takes a look at the best accessories heading to UK retail. This week, we hook up with Valve’s Steam Link streaming box and chill out with Nyko’s Intercooler

Call our specialist sales team01279 822 822

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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LOCALISATION, QA & TESTING

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

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

MONETISATION & PAYMENT

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

KEY CONTACTS:

Tim [email protected]

Dan [email protected]

ADDRESS:

92 Halesleigh RoadBridgwaterSomersetTA6 7DZ

THE Audio Guys are an audio outsource company, providing complete audio solutions to game developers and publishers.

With over 50 years combined experience in game audio, we have over 200 titles under our belts, covering all formats and platforms since the early 1990s. Our work has featured on many triple-A titles, including Micro Machines, Brian Lara Cricket, Colin McRae Rally, TOCA Race Driver, Overlord and Forza Motorsport series.

Our more recent projects include Age of Wonders 3 (Triumph Studios), Moshi Monsters: Katsuma Unleashed (Activision), NASCAR: Redline (Eutechnyx), Surgeon Simulator Touch (Bossa Studios), Crazy Taxi: City Rush (SEGA) and Sonic Dash (SEGA).

We are keen to work with anyone, anywhere in the world, to off er game audio services.

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COMPANY PROFILE / THE AUDIO GUYS LIMITED 29

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDETO INTERACTIVEENTERTAINMENTAGENCIES AND SERVICE COMPANIES

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

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

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

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

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

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

DIRECTORY


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

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

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

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

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MCV DIRECTORY KEY CONTACTS

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

TOTAL DISC REPAIR DISC REPAIR

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

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CONOR TALLONTel: 01992 [email protected]

SONY DADC DISTRIBUTION

Tel: +44 207 462 [email protected]

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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

Just Flight

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

CREATIVE DISTRIBUTION DISTRIBUTION

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

CURVEBALL LEISURE DISTRIBUTION

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

ENARXIS DYNAMIC MEDIA DISTRIBUTION

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

DIRECTORY


L3I GAMING ACCESSORIES

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

VENOM GAMING ACCESSORIES

Web:www.venomuk.com

Phone:+44 (0)1763 284181

Email:[email protected]@[email protected]

Venom UK Gaming

@VenomGamingUK

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

Arcade Stick

Hurricane Steering Wheel

New officially licensed products

Take racing to the next level

For the authentic arcade experience

“ ” and “PlayStation” are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Also, “ ” and ” ” are trademarks of the same company.

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

WANT TO ADVERTISE IN OUR DIRECTORY?

ADVERTISE WITH US

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

41www.mcvuk.com March 20th 2015

INSIDER’S GUIDE

Tell us about your company.We manufacture customised packaging and marketing solutions for the global home entertainment industry. We have 25 years of experience and we are partners with the major publishers, Hollywood and independent studios.

What is your biggest success so far?The SteelBook brand is definitely one of our biggest successes. The concept was launched 10 years ago and the very first project released was Killzone for the PS2. It was a major success and very soon more games were released in SteelBook packaging. What projects do you currently have in the works?We have tons of triple-A games and movies in the pipeline, but this is classified information. With the successful console transition, we expect to see a solid SteelBook presence this year, tied to the many incredible game releases. What are the biggest challenges you face?It is not a secret to anybody that the physical media market is declining on a global basis. Our job and challenge today is to help and support the entertainment industry in offering marketing solutions that can promote and support both digital and physical releases. Physical

promotion and media will be around for a long time and we have some new very good solutions which can support this changing marketplace.

How did you choose your company name?With an unshakeable belief in the future, a basement room in the Copenhagen Freeport, and a modest start-up capital, Scanavo was founded in 1990. The name Scanavo comes from Scandinavia. Today Scanavo has facilities in North America and Asia and we export products to Europe, Americas and Asia.

Scanavo sales and marketing director Jeanette Sölling talks about the packaging specialist’s work in games

Specialism: PackagingLocation: Scanavo A/S,Roskildevej 328,2630 Taastrup,Denmark

Contact: P: +45 4355 1000W: www.scanavo.comE: [email protected]

INSIDER’S GUIDE

THIS MONTH’S DIRECTORY SPOTLIGHT:

SCANAVO

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

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

WWW.DEVELOP-ONLINE.NET

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

DIRECTORY WHO?

FOR GREAT ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES, CONTACT ALEX [email protected]

PLEASE CONTACT [email protected] OR CALL 01992 515 303

WANT TO FEATURE YOUR COMPANY IN INSIDER’S GUIDE?

With the successful console transition, we expect to see a solid SteelBook presence this year.

When Barack Obama visited Poland a few years ago, Polish prime

minister Donald Tusk offered the US president a copy of The Witcher 2 from local developer CD Projekt Red.

Though Obama later admitted that he hadn’t played the game himself, the gift highlights the growing importance of the video games industry to the economy of Poland and its neighbouring Eastern European countries.

Market tracker Newzoo estimates that the total Eastern European games market was worth $2.3 billion (£1.5bn) last year. Around half of this was comprised by the games industry of Russia, which generated approximately $1.1 billion (£0.74bn) in 2014. This value makes it the 12th-biggest video games market in the world, in terms of annual revenue.

Poland is the second most prosperous games sector in Eastern Europe, with estimated 2014 games sector revenue of $279.7 million (£187.3m). The region ranks as the 23rd-biggest games market globally.

Romania places as the third-biggest region in the territory in terms of games market revenue, generating $122.4 million (£0.67m) last year. It is the 39th-biggest country when compared to the rest of the globe.

Having seen year-on-year growth of 13.3 per cent between 2013 and 2014, the Eastern European games market is expected to continue growing. This development is spurred by a high level of consumer uptake in the territory; 41 per cent of Eastern Europe’s inhabitants play games regularly, a proportion only slightly lower than Western Europe’s 49 per cent.

DIGITAL LOVEConsumer interest in digital games retail is also contributing to the healthy games market. Analyst SuperData reports that digital games revenue in Eastern Europe grew by seven per cent during 2014, with Russia once again accounting for half of the market. Poland comprises a fifth of the digital space.

One reason for the widespread adoption of digital retail may be the high level of consumer

TERRITORY REPORT: EASTERN EUROPE

Eastern Europe is quickly becoming one of the world’s video games industry powerhouses, driven by huge uptake in PC gaming and increasing consumer

spending. Matthew Jarvis takes a trip to this major emerging market

The total Eastern European games

market was worth £1.5bn in 2014

£1.5bn

Sponsored by


EASTERN EUROPE TERRITORY REPORT

43

preference for digital payments – electronic wallets and credit/debit cards account for almost half of all payments in Eastern Europe. This may subsequently contribute to the success of free-to-play MMOs in Eastern Europe, where conversion and spending rates are higher than the rest of Europe.

According to SuperData, the free-to-play MMO sector is the largest portion of the Eastern European games market, carving out $800 million (£535.7m) in 2014 revenue and holding 36 per cent of market share. Meanwhile, the pay-to-play MMO segment is resisting the decline seen across much of the rest of the world. The sector was worth $205 million (£137.3m) in 2014 and declined seven per cent – slower than in other global regions.

PC AND PIRATESThe popularity of MMOs may also relate to Eastern Europe’s love of the PC. Russia is proportionally the biggest market in the world for PC gaming, with 98 per cent of gamers playing on the platform. 11 per cent of Russian gamers play across every available platform, a low section of the overall audience when compared with mature markets such as Canada and Australia. Meanwhile, games consoles attract just over a third (36 per cent) of gamers, with two-thirds (65.6 per cent) gaming on mobile.

However, Eastern Europe is still troubled by piracy. Russia ranks as the fifth-biggest country in the world for unlicensed software, according to the latest BSA Global Software Survey. Unlicensed software outweighs the value of licensed software, with $2.7 billion (£1.8bn) of software lost to piracy each year. 62 per cent of all software is pirated – a stark contrast to the 24 per cent rate of the UK. Newzoo adds its prediction that just 56 per cent of Russian players actually spend money on games.

Russian PC gamers have also been hit by the economic troubles of the ruble. Digital distribution platform Steam introduced limits on sales in Russia

last December after the ruble plunged, losing half of its value against the dollar. This meant that titles costing $40 (£27) in America were available for less than $5 (£3.35) in Russia. As a result, game sales were restricted to Russia, with region-locking imposed to stop Russian buyers reselling titles outside of the country.

62 per cent of all software in Russia is pirated – a stark contrast to the UK’s 24 per cent rate.

TERRITORY REPORT EASTERN EUROPE


INFOCountries: Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, UkrainePopulation: 149.2 millionPrimary Languages: Russian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Romanian, Bulgarian, UkrainianCurrency: Various

TOP DEVELOPERS 4A Games, Wargaming, Epic Games Poland, Techland, Flying Wild Hog, Playtech, CD Projekt, Gaijin Entertainment, 1C Company

KEY RETAILERSGOG.com, Gry Online, Media Markt, Sklep Gram, Gram.pl, Comfy, Eldorado, Foxtrot, Moyo, Protoria, Rozetka

TOP DISTRIBUTORS1C Company, Longstein, Noviy Disk, CD Projekt, Galapagos, LEM, Cenega

LOCAL PUBLISHERSGameloft, Sony, Disney, Bandai Namco, Ubisoft, 1C Company, CI Games, Microsoft, Nintendo, EA

THE FACTS

2 0 1

-

Sponsored by


THE Netherlands continues to host a flourishing games market, experiencing massive growth propelled by the strength of serious games and social titles.

According to the latest data from market research firm Newzoo, the Netherlands is the 16th largest games industry in the world, generating total revenue of $433.2 million (£287.1m) last year.

The Dutch games industry differs from many of its European neighbours in that the biggest proportion of the market is occupied by ‘serious’ games, such as training, educational and simulation titles. Innovation Taskforce Utrecht Region predicts that these titles comprise approximately 15 per cent of games industry revenue globally, in the Netherlands they

contribute half of all revenue, split equally with ‘non-serious’ titles such as racing, shooting, adventure and strategy games.

In addition to this, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) reports that a fifth of Dutch gamers regularly invest in additional virtual in-game content. More than a third (35

per cent) have purchased such content at least once.

PwC adds that social games see the most regular use among consumers, with 43 per cent of gamers playing such titles daily.

Games consoles see the least regular use; just one in ten gamers play on console every day, with the majority – 28 per cent – playing several times a month. This is less than half of those who play regularly on PC or laptop, with 21 per cent of gamers playing every day.

Just one in ten Dutch gamers

play titles on games consoles

every day.

FACTFILE NETHERLANDS

FACTFILE: NETHERLANDS

Population: 16,912,640Capital City: AmsterdamCurrency: EuroGDP (Per Capita): $52,249

KEY RETAILERSNedgame, Carrefour, Game Mania, Gameshop, Intertoys, Media Markt, Bart Smit, Saturn, Bol.com

KEY DISTRIBUTORSKoch Media, Big Ben Interactive, Micromedia, CLD Distribution, Level03 Distribution, Game World

TOP DEVELOPERSVlambeer, Guerrilla Games, Lionade Games, Engine Software, Triumph Studios, VSTEP

PUBLISHERS IN THE REGIONSony, Microsoft, Nintendo, EA, 2K, Ubisoft, Two Tribes

INTERNATIONAL

MEANWHILE IN... GERMANY

THE Android mobile platform has bested its iOS competitor in Germany, as German mobile gamers continue to invest more heavily in app purchases.

According to mobile research and analyst fi rm App Annie, annual Google Play revenue in Germany grew by 150 per cent in 2014, surpassing Apple’s iOS App Store in terms of monthly revenue.

It’s not just the most popular games keeping the Android market healthy, either; titles that ranked outside of the Google Play store’s Top 100 apps also saw their annual revenue increase in 2014.

Android’s growth has resulted in Germany now standing as the second-largest market in Europe in terms of combined Android and iOS revenue, behind the UK. Combined revenue for both platforms in

Germany grew by 70 per cent last year. However, the UK remains more Apple-friendly, with iOS holding the lion’s share of revenue.

Google Play revenue has surpassed that of Apple’s iOS App Store in the region, as the size of the local Android app market doubles


NETHERLANDS FACTFILE

47

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OFF THE RECORD

The BAFTA Games Awards returned this year to once again celebrate the best of the games industry.

Among the winners this year was Activision’s Destiny, which walked away with the accolade for best game of 2014. Best British game went to mobile title Monument Valley, while Valiant Hearts was crowned the best original property of last year. Elite co-creator David Braben was the latest inductee into the BAFTA games Fellowship.

And like with any glitzy party, plenty of celebrities – from both in games and outside – turned up to lend their support (and grab some drink and food while they were there). Among the big names joining host Rufus Hound on the night were Double Fine’s Tim Schafer, Valve’s Chet Faliszek, Ian Livingstone CBE and, those stalwarts of the games industry, athlete Linford Christie and magician Dynamo. Oh, and Katy Hill. Can’t forget Katy Hill.

OFF THE RECORD This week, the BAFTA Game Awards return, Final Fantasy battles its way onto the Silver Screen and King makes an off er no-one can refuse – free cake

ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED

@djbteamsters Just reminded that a game we don’t talk about just hit 66 million sales. Thank you. It’s building foundations for the next generation. #Worms

Deborah Bestwick, Team 17Thursday March 12th

@HotlineMiami The reviews are coming in and Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number is either the best or second best Hotline Miami video game EVER!

Hotline MiamiTuesday March 10th

@azwah Finally digging into @MouldyToof’s and @team17ltd’s The Escapists... Excited! PUT ME BEHIND BARS DAMN YOU!!

Aaron Cooper, GAMEWednesday March 11th

@DanDawkins 90,000 fans call for a remake of CoD: MW2 and Uncharted 4 slips until 2016... this isn’t the new-gen I signed up for.

Daniel Dawkins, FutureWednesday March 11th

@onebitbeyond Pretty much 10 years to the day we started Curve, and it has been such an incredible journey. I feel 20 years older.Jonathan ‘Bidds’ Biddle, onebitbeyond and ex-Curve Digital

Wednesday March 11th

@daniellamlucas Might have to print off pages of @GamesRadar and staple them together to ease the transition

Daniella Lucas, Games MasterWednesday March 11th

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

@BenjaminCousins The last of the dinosaurs turned. As a lifelong Nintendo fan, mobile gamer and ex-DeNA employee, I’m really happy.

Ben Cousins, The OutsidersTuesday March 17th

@MituK BAFTA I do love you, but we NEED to do better than trying to legitimise our industry by having *Dynamo* present the award for Best Game. :|

Mitu Khandaker-Kokoris, The Tiniest SharkThursday March 12th

@si_lumb When working at the BBC you sometimes think that the work you do could change the world. Not many actually do. But [BBC Micro Bit designer] @sparks_rd probably will.

Si Lumb, BBC Connected StudioThursday March 12th

@buzzspinner Remember how 3D TV was all the rage and was going to be the future? I feel the same thing will be true for #VR... not feeling it yet.

Erik Reynolds, Riot GamesSunday March 15th

OFF THE RECORD


CAKE IS KING

Candy Crush creator King took to the kitchen to celebrate Mother’s Day last Friday, off ering Candy Crush Soda Saga fans (and those who had forgotten to get their mum a gift) the chance to nab free baked goods.

The mobile giant teamed up with the London-based Hummingbird Bakery to give away a selection of Candy Crush Soda Saga-themed cupcakes. And, no, that doesn’t mean you had to wait six hours to take each bite.

All Candy Crush fans had to do was show that they had downloaded the game on their mobile, and they’d be eligible for a free treat.

Joel Svensgård @JoelSvensgard

The Witcher. No wait! I take it back! ...shit

Pontus Redin @PontusRedin

As beautiful as the land of Skyrim is, you’ve got to think of how dangerous it is with all the bandits and dragons.

IF YOU COULD GO ON HOLIDAY TO

ANY GAME WORLD, WHERE WOULD

YOU GO? #GMGASKS

friend for hire @MasterByrne

The Great Sea from The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker.

Ricky@Rickfurd

Halo installations, maybe the Ark.

Mert Ercan @RevolutionLand

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, just amazing...

orangehead@iorangehead

Harran, before the events of Dying Light.

Darragh O’Connor @DarraghWV

The Von Braun from System Shock 2.

.Natalie(kvalheim)

Cloudbank, pre-the events of Transistor.

George Sinos

Costa Del Sol from FF7!

Gumba Butts @GumbaMasta

Mineral Town, or any other Harvest Moon location.

Final Fantasy has consistently been praised for its impressive visual fl air, so the franchise’s trip to the cinema ahead of the launch of next instalment Type-O HD made perfect sense. (Let’s all try and forget 2001 movie spin-off The Spirits Within, shall we?)

Last weekend, Empire Online editor-in-chief James Dyer hosted a day of free fi lm screenings for cineastes and Final Fantasy fans alike.

Dubbed ‘The Fight for Survival’, the four movies shown at the Prince Charles Cinema in London were picked to tie in with Type-0’s fast-paced fi ghting action gameplay.

It kicked off with The Hunger Games at 1pm and ran through Tomorrow, When The War Began and The Faculty, before closing with Battle Royale at 8pm, the marathon also off ered free refreshments and Final Fantasy-themed goody bags.

POPCORN AND PUNCHES

Documents

MCV827 March 20th