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International Media Partner


The Market For Computer & Video Games


EVERY BUYER  EVERY BRANCH  EVERY WEEK Battle of Los Angeles


EA vs Activision rivalry heats up as big shooters aim for E3 showing by Michael French


SHOTS have been fired in the war between the two biggest FPS brands. In interviews with MCV, Activision has shrugged off EA’s Battlefield 3as a credible threat to Modern Warfare 3– while EA insists this is the “perfect year to gain back market share” from Call of Duty.


The two games will be out in force at E3 next week, and go head-to-head at retail in November. Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg told MCVthe firm doesn’t “pay much mind looking at what the competitors are doing. “It sounds trite but it’s true: we focus on what we need to do,” he said. “I think EA talk about our games in


Issue 640 Friday June 3rd 2011 £3.25


Digital chart plan at last?


European games body ISFE will collate download data by quizzing consumers


by Dave Roberts Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield go to war at retail this November


the press more than we do. We’ve had competition every year for Call of Duty. It’s never been easy. This is one of the most competitive genres in one of the most competitive industries.” MW3launches with a new online service called Elite which Hirshberg said can grow the game into another record breaker.


However EA is resolute.


European chief Jens Uwe Intat told us: “With Battlefield 3we have a superior games engine and top notch product. We are convinced that we will, in fact, have a better product than our key competitor.” Our exclusive interviews with Activision and EA start on page 27


45,000 set for E3 2011 by Christopher Dring


SOME 45,000 execs from over 200 companies and 80 countries will be attending E3 this year.


That’s comfortably close


– but not too close – to the big show’s pre-collapse boom, according to ESA’s VP of industry affairs Rich Taylor. “That seems to be the size and scope of


IN THIS ISSUE


04 LONDON CALLING London Games Conference returns Nov 10th – GameStop, Livingstone and Molyneux


20 TAKING STOCK We speak to Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick about the firm’s impressive 2011 results


24 RETURN OF THE JEDI World’s first interview with LucasArts’ new president Paul Meegan


34 E3 SURVIVAL GUIDE Advice for those heading to the LA show, plus Expo maps and exhibitor guide


51 RETAIL BIZ We preview the biggest upcoming games, including 3DS Zeldaand Infamous 2


show that has been satisfying for all involved,” he told MCVahead of next week’s opening.


“Right now I think we are at a significantly better spot than we were a few years back when we were smaller and really not as reflective of the dynamic industry.” He added that the show is still top dog despite the rise of Gamescom and TGS.


“E3 is where Kinect and Wii first made their appearance and you’ll see the Wii successor this year. There is a reason folks let loose their big news at this event as opposed to the others, because so much of the world’s attention is focused on E3,” Taylor said. “The others are


tremendous shows, but there’s nothing quite like E3.”


THE International Software Federation of Europe has vowed to solve the digital market research crisis – by sourcing data from gamers. The pan-European trade body, frustrated by a lack of concrete information, has formed a working group to tackle the issue and could potentially be offering a chart by the end of the year. The prospects for credible research in the digital space took a blow just last month with Steam announcing that it would not share any of its data with third parties. Europe’s publishing community would seem to disagree, however, and will go direct to consumers via a yet to be appointed market research partner. This method also solves the logistical issue posed by the diversity of digital revenues and platforms. Jens Uwe Intat, chairman of the ISFE board and European boss of Electronic Arts, told MCV: “Right now all the data we’re getting from market research companies across Europe is only covering packaged goods, in a period


where digital revenues have become very substantial. “We have been





complaining for some time about this and are now working towards getting these numbers. We’ve just started a working group that will look to find a market research agency to cover the digital space going forward. It is early days but the intention is there.


The only way to cut to the chase is to go direct to the consumer. Jens Uwe Intat, ISFE chairman


“What we will probably do is go straight to the consumer and set up a panel, rather than trying to cover every supplier and every device in a fragmented market. So we will ask them directly how much they are spending. “If you look at how fragmented that market is, the only way to cut to the chase is to go direct to the consumer and ask them what they are doing. That’s our hypothesis as to the best way to go forward.”


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