NEWS ‘Retail needed to push PC games’
Midnight openings and in-store incentives instrumental in MMO success, says NCsoft by James Batchelor
THE RISE in digital distribution won’t bring an end to PC games retail – it will just change its function, according to NCsoft. The MMO publisher – whose titles include City of Heroes, Aion, Lineageand the upcoming Guild Wars 2 – claims bricks-and-mortar stores will always serve a purpose when releasing games on PC, even if it isn’t necessarily to drive the bulk of a game’s sales.
Midnight openings are a prime example that show how stores can raise awareness of a title’s launch in a way that no digital retailer could, the firm says. “Retail remains hugely important to us,” NCsoft Europe managing director Veronique Lallier told MCV. “Many retailers have a dim view of the PC sector but they know the one genre that continues to thrive there is the MMO.
Retailers have the power to drive PC game sales, says Lallier
The High Street offers a great opportunity and focal point for both trade and consumers alike, particularly at release. You need only look at the continued popularity of midnight openings to know this.” NCsoft warns that
doombringers who are quick to write off boxed PC sales
are oblivious to how long the format will still be relevant at retail.
“There is a risk in always looking at the worst case scenario of a particular trend,” said Lallier. “In reality, genuine change takes place at a slower pace.
“ by Dominic Sacco
DISTRIBUTION giant Sony DADC is preparing to introduce a direct-to- consumer postal service for games retailers.
It gives stores the option of ordering a game directly from Sony DADC and getting it delivered to their customer’s door. The distributor says this is helpful for store owners who are either low on stock or tight for space.
“If somebody goes into an independent store looking for a game and it’s not in stock, then this usually
www.mcvuk.com
translates into a lost sale,” Sony DADC’s general manager Darren Houghton told MCV.
“What we can do is deliver it direct to the consumer on the retailer’s behalf. All they have to do is fill in a spreadsheet which automatically gets uploaded to our system. The order gets generated, the product gets picked, loaded and delivered to the consumer. “We do everything we can do to increase the revenue of our clients and customers. The entertainment industry is our core business and it’s critical we support it.”
We are still a way off from seeing PC video games disappear from retail.
Veronique Lallier, NCsoft
“PC games will undoubtedly drift online as delivery speeds improve and resistance to digital sales falls away, but we’re a way off from seeing PC disappear from retail.” Lallier says High Street retailers can help publishers reach a wide audience. “There are always more avenues to be explored when it comes to driving retail sales,” she said. “Whether this is
promoting a game, time card or an exclusive item, we see it as an important ongoing process that can only be bettered by closer collaboration with all of our retail partners.”
NCsoft: 01273 872174
Computec reaches out to UK studios
by James Batchelor
MEDIA FIRM Computec is offering one million Euros of investment
to the winner of its Make The Game competition. The German company has challenged UK studios to design an innovative new browser game, with up to €250,000 offered in royalty fees alone for the best title.
Winning developers will
also receive a publishing contract and an ad budget of up to €750,000. “We want to attract the best developers in the world,” Computec’s managing director Hans Ippisch told MCV.
Developers can register at
www.makethegame.de. Registration closes on April 15th. Computec:
+49 (911) 2872 124 Sony DADC plans direct-to-consumer deliveries
Rob Gross (left) and Darren Houghton (right) head up Sony DADC’s new video games manufacturing and distribution service
The news follows Sony DADC’s announcement that it is now offering a primary distribution service to publishers and developers. It is known for manufacturing games and distributing CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays. The firm says its new direct-to-retail offering is a genuine alternative. Sony DADC’s head of business development for games Rob Gross added: “Direct-to-retail is going to grow and grow. It offers a significant cost-saving to the content owner.” Sony DADC: 01992 657700
March 4th 2011 9
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