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MCV 08/10/10 85 TAG-TEAM INTERVIEW
David Lilley, Business development, Eurogamer
This week, Eurogamer’s David Lilley questions Sega’s UK MD John Clark about dress sense, retail events and being stuck in a car full of journalists…
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Sega’s got some great brands and strong sales. How are you going to keep this success roaring along in a tough market? Sega has performed well for the last couple of years. You’re correct that the heritage of the brands give some titles the edge, but the quality needs to be there too. We can thank the central teams, developers, and so on, for delivering content worthy of the brands. With the market and retail challenges that we’re all experiencing, it’s vital to have such a great UK team. The work we do with the press is incredible. We’ve had to raise the bar with our marketing, and had the drive, commitment and energy of the sales team. I know it’s an over-used phrase, but with the market as it is, it’s true that it’s the people that really make the difference.
There was a time recently when you were in a car packed with journalists. You chose this moment to tell some fantastic secrets. Would you care to explain exactly what happened to the readers of MCV? Ah yes. Firstly, I’d like to thank the team at Eurogamerfor kindly giving me a lift back to the hotel after a hard day at E3 – you really are such a great bunch of people and so kind. I was recently talking to a
cricketer friend and a world champion boxer friend, and both have had quite different experiences from journalists to mine recently.
You’re a successful youth rugby coach. What skills do you use on a team of promising young men, that can then be transferred to Sega UK? Let’s put this into a more accurate context – I coach a mini rugby team – first under seven-year-olds, now under eight-year-olds – so replace ‘promising young’ men with ‘hyper eight-year-olds’. However, the skills do transfer well whether planning, communicating, directing, motivating and rewarding. Coaching children has enabled
me to simplify the approach with the team here at Sega: talk slowly and clearly, smile, frown, jump around, have fun, weep privately and eat Chupa Chups.
Your Sharpe impression is spot on. Got any others? My Sharpe impression is actually Tim Ellis – not forgetting his role in Lady Chatterley’s Lover. Mr Ellis really does have some stories to tell (being a voiceover artist for Sean Bean has had its benefits for him). I’ve been told my Tom Jones impression is coming on well.
At one point you were simultaneously managing Clare Hawkins and Karl Johns. What was that like? Thankfully I’ve read plenty of Roald Dahl, and I am writing a business coaching book based on the lessons that can be learnt from his works. Clare and Karl appear in the chapter referencing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I don’t want to spoil it for you, but Veruca Salt and
Mike Teavee helped me incredibly with Clare and Karl.
What’s the best retail event you’ve ever put on? The ones I’ve been to have been crackers. There have been many, all of which are excellent. For sheer enjoyment, the Winter Wonderland will never be matched anywhere, by anyone, ever. Unsurprisingly, though, we’ve learned that all retailers really want is fancy dress, karaoke and meat. Add a small amount of alcohol and you’re there. Please note that Veruca – sorry, Clare – is responsible for any event we’ve ever put on where retailers enjoyed themselves. I’m responsible for the ones that were rubbish.
Finally, John, your dress sense is a poor taste imitation of my dad’s. Why is this? Hang on a second. A psychoanalyst would have a field day with that question. There are people out there reading this who know you. “What right does David Lilley
have asking anyone a question about dress sense? Yes I know, I thought that too. Ridiculous.” If everyone reading this fails to
respond instantly with that exact thought, then the world has gone mad. Look at your clothes and look at your hair. I think that question is a cry for help. Don’t worry – we’re here for you.
And who will you be interviewing for next week’s Tag Team? Centresoft’s commercial director Margaret Pearson.
FROM THE ARCHIVE John Clark, UK managing director, SEGA
5 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK… October 7th 2005
NEWS Microsoft’s X05 event sees publishers, retail and the media applaud Microsoft’s launch line-up for Xbox 360 – although there are niggling fears about stock allocation for the December arrival. Highlights of the software line-up include Mass Effect, Perfect Dark Zero, Call of Duty 2, Saints Row, Condemnedand Kameo. Other big news coming from the event is the revelation that King Kongand Lord of the Ringsdirector Peter Jackson will be the exec producer on the forthcoming (and ultimately aborted) Halomovie.
CHARTS All Formats Top 5 1. FIFA ‘06..............................EA..PS2, Xbox, PC, GC 2. Burnout Revenge.............EA.................PS2, Xbox 3. Far Cry Instincts..............Ubisoft ..................Xbox 4. Rome: TW – Barbarian...Sega ..........................PC 5. Conflict: Global Storm....Eidos ....PS2, Xbox, PC
AND FINALLY… They couldn’t sing, they couldn’t dance… but Italian publisher Black Bean snaps up the rights to publish an X Factorgame anyway. The end result? It doesn’t make it back from bootcamp, and definitely isn’t in anyone’s final three.
MCV takes soundings from its Retail Advisory Board on the biggest issues of the day. The current members are...
Neil Ashurst, GAME & Gamestation
Andrew Thompson, Asda
James Cooke, Best Buy
Tim Ellis, HMV
Keith Sharpe,
play.com
Sarah Jasper, The Hut
Nick Sultanti, Morrisons
Azeem Sadiq, Comet
Graham Chambers, Amazon
Danielle Fleming, DSGi
Igor Cipolletta, ShopTo
Anthony Stocker, Argos
Stephen Staley, Gameseek
Joanna Hunt, Tesco
Gurdeep Hunjan, Sainsbury’s
Phil Moore, Grainger Games
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