2012 HIGHLIGHTS 28 THE OLYMPICS
The sporting event of the year takes place in London. Not only will retailers in the area benefit (Westfield Stratford City, that’s you), but there’s plenty of opportunities for savvy marketers. Oh, and Sega happens to have a couple of tie-in video games across all platforms, too.
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DOCTOR WHO There’s a while to wait before the Time Lord returns to UK TV. So instead fans will just have to cope with four HD downloadable games for PlayStation formats (including a Vita launch game), plus a free-to-play MMO Doctor Who: Worlds In Time.
30 MORE LEGO
2011 was a phenomenal year for the LEGO video game brand, with titles based on Star Wars, Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbeanflying high in the charts. Developer Traveller’s Tales hopes to keep that momentum going this year with Nintendo exclusive LEGO City Stories, the second LEGO Batman game and, who knows, perhaps a game based on The Hobbit movie.
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BIG MOVIE YEAR It will be a vintage year for blockbuster movies, with James Bond: Skyfall, The Dark Night Rises, The Avengers, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Hobbit and Men In Black IIIdue this year. Many of these already have tie-in games announced.
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GAMESCOM 2012
EA, Sony and the rest return to
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Cologne for Gamescom on Wednesday, August 15th. Can it top last year’s 275,000 attendees?
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THE BEST CONSUMER SHOWS
Getting games into consumers’ hands has never been easier, and this year we can expect better consumer expos from Eurogamer, GAME and MCM. As long as the dates don’t clash, that is...
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END OF THE ONLINE VAT TAX LOOPHOLE Over the last 14 years, online retailers have flocked to the Channel Islands to benefit from the VAT tax loophole (or Low-Value Consignment Relief). These etailers have been able to avoid paying VAT on goods worth under £18, giving them an edge over High Street rivals. That loophole closes this April.
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NOT-SO-FINAL FANTASY Final Fantasy XIII-2– the direct sequel to the 2010 hit – kicks off Square Enix’s year on PS3 and Xbox 360. This year could also see Final Fantasy X HDon Vita and PS3,
Versus XIIIon PS3 and XIV 2.0on PS3 and PC. The latter is a relaunch of the troubled 2010 MMO.
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AT LAST! DIGITAL CHARTS ARE HERE
UKIE promises that this will be the year that a PC download chart will be available. XBLA and PSN charts will follow.
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TWO NEW RESIDENT EVILS Capcom’s survival horror series is back with two games. This month’s Resident Evil: Revelations for 3DS is part of the main series, while Operation Raccoon Cityis a multiplayer spin-off. A fifth Resident Evilmovie is also out this year.
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TWO NEW SILENT HILLS In a spooky coincidence, Konami also has two new Silent Hillgames out this year, and like Resident Evil, one is a multiplayer spin-off (Book of Memoriesfor PS Vita) and the other is part of the main series (Downpour for home consoles). There’s even a new Silent Hillmovie on the way and a HD collection, too.
37 WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO?
Robert Hennessy Games Buyer, John Lewis
The London Olympics. I visited Vancouver in 2010 for the Winter Olympics and the city went crazy. London 2012 will be an amazing spectacle and I can’t wait.
Kim Bayley Director General, ERA
The consumer’s appetite for innovation has been outpacing the games industry’s ability to deliver it. That’s why Wii U is so important. It’s a reminder that in a world hooked on novelty, if we cannot deliver something new, consumers will move elsewhere.
20 January 6th 2012
Andrew Thompson Head of Games, Asda
It will be intriguing to see if GTA Vcan break the sales records that the Call of Dutygames have set. And Wii U. We need some growth in games, and nothing rejuvenates our industry more than a new home platform.
Paul Sulyok Managing Director, Green Man Gaming
I’m looking forward to Guild Wars 2, Bioshock Infiniteand – dare I say it – Half-Life 3. It would be even nicer if we could sell the latter.
Darryl Still International Publishing Director, 1C
Retail accepting digital is the leading method of getting games to consumers, and treating their suppliers as partners in helping them change their business model, rather than commodities to be exploited.
Keith Sharpe Games Buyer,
Play.com
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The obvious one is Vita, I absolutely love it and think it’s a great piece of kit that opens up a whole new world to gamers. Apart from that a bit of new IP would be nice.
www.mcvuk.com
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