SYSTEM 3’S LINE-UP
FERRARI: THE RACE EXPERIENCE Formats: Wii, PSN Released: September 15th (PSN) / 17th (Wii) Developer: Eutechnyx The third instalment in System 3’s flagship racing series, Ferrari: The Race Experience once again provides car nuts with authentically recreated vehicles with realistic handling and top quality visuals.
SUPER FRUITFALL DELUXE Formats: Wii, DS, PSP (Mini), PS3 (PSN), iPhone, iPad Released: September 21st (digital) / 24th (retail) Developer: Broadsword Games This highly addictive puzzler adds a new twist to the ‘match three’ concept by throwing gravity into the mix. Players must turn the grid to drop fruit into stacks of three or more.
IMPOSSIBLE MISSiON Formats: Wii, DS, PSP (Mini), PS3 (PSN), iPhone, iPad Released: September 23rd (digital) / 24th (retail) Developer: Broadsword Games The classic action game is relaunched. Gamers have just six hours to solve a mad scientist’s puzzle. Included is the classic Commodore 64 title, a remastered port and a new version.
POWERPLAY POOL DELUXE Formats: DS Released: September 23rd (digital) / 24th (retail) Developer: IQ
A fully 3D pool simulation title for the DS, Powerplay Pool Deluxeaims to be the most realistic game of its type. With complex table physics brought into the equation, players can master a wide range of trick shots.
TENNIS MASTERS DELUXE Formats: DS Released: September 23rd (digital) / 24th (retail) Developer: System 3 Taking a more professional approach than other tennis titles on the DS, Tennis Masters Deluxechallenges players with a variety of tournaments. Gamers can use advanced tactics with the stylus or a ‘Helper’ feature.
JAMES POND: CODENAME ROBOCOD Formats: PSP, PSN, iPad, iPhone Released: September 23rd (digital) / 24th (retail) Developer: Broadsword Games Everybody’s favourite fish super spy is back. In an update of the classic sequel, Codename Robocod, players take on the role of James Pondas he tries to defeat his arch nemesis Dr Maybe with the help of a robotic suit.
PUTTY SQUAD Formats: PSP, PSN, iPad, iPhone Released: September 23rd (digital) / 24th (retail) Developer: Broadsword Games The return of the popular Puttyseries. Consumers once again play as a rubbery blue blob as they traverse a variety of colourful platforming worlds, shape-shifting to access new areas and defeat enemies.
WILLIAMS PINBALL CLASSICS Formats: Wii, Xbox 360, PS3, PSP Released: October 22nd Developer: Farsight Williams Pinball Classicsnow enjoys added polish and two high-definition SKUs, marking System 3’s Xbox 360 debut. Some of the most popular pinball tables of all time are available for players to enjoy.
ABSOLUTE SUPERCARS Formats: PSN Released: November 1st Developer: Eutechnyx A download-only follow-up to last year’s SuperCar Challenge. This PS3-exclusive allows gamers to drive some of the hottest vehicles known to man, such as Aston Martins, Ferraris, Lamborghinis and more.
NEW TO THE TABLE: Pinball Classics will help System 3 reach families on Xbox 360
product’s lifespan is then dependent on people continuing to support it.” Cale believes other games firms will soon be following System 3’s example. “We’ve come to the point where publishers have to decide where they’re going: digital or retail,” he says. “If retail isn’t going to be able to support you in terms of resale in the long-term, you’ve got to look elsewhere to sell your products. It’s not a case of if, but when everyone goes to digital.”
HOPE FOR THE HIGH STREET Of course, the publisher is keen to emphasise that it will still support retail. “There is still a retail market,” Cale says. “When you look at Ferrari Challenge
Deluxe on Wii, we’ve sold through 500,000 copies across Europe in the last year. Retail is still important. “We’re also trying to find solutions in which we can work with a digital product within the retail area. We need to find a way to let retail be part of our digital strategy, to boost both sectors.” Of course, there’s more to System 3’s upcoming line-up than just the digital editions. One of its more important titles is Williams Pinball Classics – a game set to introduce the firm to a new audience. “It’s our first title on Xbox 360, it is a family-orientated title and is perfectly suitable for the Xbox,” says Cale. “The Xbox has always been positioned by a lot of people as a console that doesn’t have a lot of family content. We’re about to support Xbox Live in a big way. “Williams Pinball Classics is also proof of our continued commitment to retail – the game is not going to be a digital release.”
“ System 3 is also dipping into its
extensive back catalogue and bringing classic IPs to shelves for the first time in
generations. Having been in the market since the days of the Commodore 64, the firm owns decades’ worth of popular properties.
NEW LIFE FOR OLD CLASSICS The key title among these is Putty Squad. Released for the SNES back in the early ‘90s, the acclaimed platformer was also in development for Amiga and PC – but sadly never made it to shelves. Thanks to System 3’s new strategy, the game will finally reach a new audience. “It became one of the most anticipated games of its time but it never got released,” says Cale. “Again, this was down to problems at retail. Suddenly the Amiga stopped being fashionable and it
The industry has come to the point where publishers have to decide where they can sell their products: digital or retail.
Mark Cale, CEO
42 MCV 13/08/10
WWW.MCVUK.COM SYSTEM 3’S DIGITAL STRATEGY
wasn’t commercially viable for us to release it, but it’s a game a lot of people have wanted.
“Now we can launch this on PSN, iPod, iPad, PSP and so on – digital distribution gives us that opportunity.” The balance System 3 has struck between digital and retail for its Christmas line-up is arguably a sign of things to come. The industry has seen the rise of boxed releases converted for downloads, and now it appears the delay between launches in the two sectors is narrowing. Should System 3 prove you can secure significant success this way, it could mark a turning point for the fluctuating relationship between digital distribution and the High Street.
”
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96