4 MCV 11/06/10 NEWS [LEADER]
CALIFORNIA DREAMING E3 always manages to produce something special. Whether at its most disastrous
(that brief ‘98 pit-stop in Atlanta; the ‘hospital corridor’ of 2008) or its most prosperous (Sony’s ‘Go big or go home’ price-drop warning in
1996; 2005’s unveiling of next-gen machines and boomerang controllers), the show always offers excitement and pointers for the year ahead. In recent years, industry chit-chat was all about the
show itself. Is it healthy? Who’s going? Can we afford it? Who’s not going? But for 2010 the focus is on a more significant question: how can new tech pull us out of the slump? Will it be digital downloads? Streaming services
OnLive or Gaikai? iPad? Facebook? Move? Natal? 3D? 3DS? Some of these will define our future, and boost revenues, while the rest will fall by the wayside – good ideas perhaps before their time. A handful will provide the answer to issues flummoxing the industry right now about how we can reconcile a decline in sales with new frontiers. E3 will prove that experimentation is rife. In the
words of Peter Moore on page 27, “We’re throwing mud against the wall and seeing what sticks.” It might just be the most important E3 yet, but the
week-long extravaganza will – as usual – show the world that games are still the most forward-thinking and groundbreaking industry of them all.
LAUNCH PAD Some E3 traditions won’t ever die. A busy showfloor, bustling queues for new hardware, busty boothbabes. And the big, fat E3 show edition of MCV. What you hold in your hands is arguably our
strongest, best-looking issue yet. Deputy editor Chris Dring and staff writers James Batchelor and Dominic Sacco have gone straight to source for key platform holder insight ahead of their LA reveals, while canvassing leading execs as the trade jets off to LA. But that’s not all. This issue also spearheads our launch on iPad, part of a brand new digital edition available with rich video content and added features. Complemented by the thorough work done by Ben
Parfitt on
MCVuk.com, there has never been more ways to keep your games industry knowledge sharp. The industry continues to evolve – and so does MCV.
Michael.French@
intentmedia.co.uk
Publishers wary of the
Execs ask: ‘Are there too many companies charging towards the by Christopher Dring
GAMES FIRMS are concerned that the digital marketplace isn’t big enough to sustain the number of competitors eyeing the space.
DLC, digital downloads, iPhone games, social network titles and more have become the key growth area for the games industry. Publishers including EA, Codemasters, LucasArts, Take-Two, Capcom, Codemasters and Sega have vowed to become ‘leaders’ in the digital space.
Now senior execs are
worried that the sheer number of competitors will overcrowd the sector.
“I am really concerned about that,” said THQ’s VP of core games Danny Bilson. “Our strategy is based on the fact
that Taco Bell has games on Facebook. It seems every commercial venture has a game on Facebook now. “We are not where Zynga was two years ago. “So we are being very selective about brands we break out in digital and making
“ by James Batchelor
2010 MARKS the fifth year of Take-Two’s label 2K Games. The division was set up in 2005 and has produced smash hits such as BioShock, Carnival Games, Borderlands and the NBA 2K and NHL 2K series. Speaking to MCV, 2K boss Christoph Hartmann explained how far the company has come and its overall transformation. “Since 2K started five years ago we have changed from having quite a lot of smaller, licensed titles based on external brands to a powerhouse that
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it is always a risk when moving into a new space of getting there before your consumer does. The corporate graveyard is filled with companies that moved into a new field before the consumer got there, and then someone comes up five years later with exactly the
The digital market is exciting –there is huge opportunity, but we have to be very smart in how we approach it.
Mike Hayes, Sega West
super high quality games. When we put a high quality game out then we stay out of the exploitation business and the over-exposure business.” EA Sports’ senior VP of worldwide development Andrew Wilson added: “I think
WWW.MCVUK.COM
same thing and makes a gazillion dollars.
“The preference now is not to buy lots and lots of games, but to spend more money on fewer games. In fiscally challenging times, maybe a gamer won’t buy three games
” Big year ahead as 2K turns five
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Hartmann is celebrating with a killer line-up
release only a few – but critically and commercially successful – each year,” he said. The publisher is celebrating its fifth birthday by building on
E3 SPECIAL OUR PICK OF THIS WEEK’S FEATURES AND INTERVIEWS 24
its previous successes with a string of new titles. “While we did a few promotions on Steam, we’re celebrating by doing what we love and what we feel we do best – creating high-quality games,” said Hartmann. “2010 is shaping up to be a banner year. We kicked it off with BioShock 2 and MLB 2K10 early in the year and will launch Mafia II in August, Civilization V and NHL 2K11 in September, followed by Sid Meier’s Pirates! and NBA 2K11 in October.” 2K Games: 01753 496800
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We take a look at the new MCV app as well as other leading industry downloads
We visit EA Sports’ HQ in Vancouver to quiz president Peter Moore
All our E3 2010 coverage including…
Your complete guide to the floor plan and exhibitors at this year’s E3 expo
How the industry stands pre-E3
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