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EVERY BUYER  EVERY BRANCH  EVERY WEEK Issue 645 Friday July 8th 2011 £3.25


NOW! GAMES


THAT’S WHAT I CALL


EMI signs new publisher Tubby to turn compilations into Wii game by Michael French


The first Now game on Wii will feature recent pop hits from the likes of Jessie J, Tinie Tempah, Dizzee Rascal, Jason Derulo, Example, JLS, Rihanna and others, plus five bespoke hip-hop dancing tracks


IN THIS ISSUE


04 ACTIVISION’S LIVE EVENT CEO Eric Hirshberg explains why the publisher is staging a showcase for its core fans


06 WHAT GAMERS SPEND MCVsurvey of download-savvy gamers shows £24 is spent each month on DLC and apps


16 HART OF THE MATTERS 2K boss Christoph Hartmann on motion controllers, Xcom, new IP and his online strategy


18 GAMES BUYERS 2011 Our annual guide to the key buying personnel at every major UK games retailer


31 RETAIL BIZ


Previews of the last wave of summer releases, including Rugby World Cup 2011


RECORD LABEL EMI is turning its Now! That’s What I Call Musiccompilations into a Wii game, MCVcan reveal. A dancing and singing title will debut this November, published by new outfit Tubby Games. The 2011 release is the first of several planned Now titles. EMI’s brand is a good fit for consoles; the firm has been keen to crack into music games for some time. It is also a homecoming for the publisher, led by the team that worked on 2004’s PS2/PSone dancing hit Dance:UK. Key execs include strategic director Neil Meredith, MD Tracy Johnson plus developer Broadsword, which made Dance:UK and is making the Nowgame. Meredith told


MCV: “This all feels a bit Ocean’s Eleven– the team is back together and we have a hugely powerful music brand in Now. “We’ve got the right licence, the right tracks and the right developer.”


The game is aimed at Wii’s family audience and includes ten tracks each for singing and dancing. Nowuses music licensed from a host of labels, not just EMI.


“There have been a lot of other music firms that have expressed an interest in this space – games are a big opportunity for them,” added Meredith.


The move will be watched closely by other firms. Ubisoft’s Just Danceand associated games, plus Nordic Games’ We Sing range and its spin-offs have redefined Wii music games.


Over 1m dancing games sell every month globally. Meredith added: “Nowis an evergreen title that can hold in the charts over time. We have had a great reaction from retailers already and





We’ve got the right licence, the right tracks and the right developer.


Neil Meredith, Tubby Games


have high expectations for it in the UK and across Europe. “And this isn’t about a quick volume sell-in, but extending the brand in the right way. We hope Nowcan repeat the success it has had in music in games.”


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