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The Market For Computer & Video Games
EVERY BUYER EVERY BRANCH EVERY WEEK
Happy High Street excited for 2012
Our retail survey shows surprising confidence from store managers Praise for Nintendo, Ubisoft, CentreSoft, Gem and Turtle Beach
by James Batchelor
RETAILERS are expecting overall market decline but are still optimistic. 80 per cent of store managers said they were confident about the health of their business in the yearly MCV Retail Survey. We quizzed store managers from High Street chains, supermarkets and indies. Upcoming titles BioShock
Infiniteand Mass Effect 3, plus the launch of Wii U and Vita, were cited as 2012’s most promising releases. Sony’s handheld was named the most anticipated launch. Retailers commended Nintendo, Ubisoft, CentreSoft and Gem for excellent service.
Full survey results on p26.
THE MCV Awards return on April 19th, taking place at a new venue with reduced prices. The tenth anniversary event will also celebrate a decade of trade triumphs. Turn to p4 for more details.
Senior staff bolster THQ UK by James Batchelor
OUR SURVEY SAID…
61 per cent declared Modern Warfare 3the best sales event of 2011
49 per cent said Xbox 360 will be the best-selling hardware next year
31 per cent expect their Christmas 2011 takings will come in lower than 2010’s
THQ has appointed industry veteran Julian Woods as vice president of UK & Export, putting him in charge of all THQ operations in the UK. Woods (right) joins after 16 years at Microsoft, where his most recent position was regional director for Middle East and Africa. “I’m incredibly excited,” he said. “It’s great to be returning to the UK to lead
Issue 667 Friday December 9th 2011 £3.25
MCV AWARDS: NEW VENUE AND CHEAPER TICKETS FOR 2012
our business in the most dynamic of markets.” Woods is joined by former Microsoft colleague Jonny Harvey (above right), who takes up the role of THQ sales director for UK & Ireland. He previously served as UK Xbox sales manager.
3DS flying high as it overtakes competition by Christopher Dring
NINTENDO 3DS became last week’s biggest selling games device – and it might even sell out before Christmas. MCVcan reveal the Metallic Red 3DS, released in September, is sold out at
IN THIS ISSUE
05 SONY’S PS3 XMAS PUSH How the format holder plans to convert Xbox 360 and Wii owners this Christmas
06 NOVEMBER GLORY Retail takes a whopping £268m in one month, thanks to Call of Duty and Skyrim
08 NEW XBOX DASHBOARD Why the revamped interface is Microsoft’s most important launch of the year
17 ANNUAL RETAIL SURVEY We question the UK’s games retailers about their thoughts on 2011 and beyond
29 RECOMMENDED MCV’s round-up of the top 25 gaming gifts, plus full charts for all formats
retail. The Aqua Blue edition is now only available on an allocation basis.
3DS sold just shy of
70,000 units last week, retailers told us. It follows the console’s price cut in August, and two big name releases – Super Mario 3D Landand
Mario Kart 7. Both have been backed by a TV ad blitz. “It’s great to see
Nintendo’s peak marketing campaign in full swing, this combined with the launches of Mario 3Dand Mario Kart have taken 3DS to a whole new level,” GAME Group’s
Nintendo category manager Iain Johnson told MCV. Sainsbury’s Gurdeep Hunjan added: “We are delighted that our latest 3DS offer has been so popular. We are thrilled to have such a successful end to the year.”
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