NEWS In Brief
NINTENDO: Shelly Pearce has been named as the platform holder’s new UK marketing and PR director. Pearce joined Nintendo in 1998 and has been head of European PR since 2002. She replaces Dawn Paine, who left the firm for a role at Universal Pictures earlier this year.
VIVENDI: According to reports, the company is struggling to find a buyer for Activision Blizzard. Bloomberg stated that there was little enthusiasm amongst potential suitors. Talks with buyers are ongoing but Vivendi’s share price has climbed 20 per cent since it started.
SQUARE ENIX: Rhianna Pratchett was named lead writer for Tomb Raider by studio Crystal Dynamics. She has been working on the narrative for two years.
EA: Battlefield 4has been confirmed. The game is due in Q4 2013, and could turn out to be a next gen game.
CAPCOM: The Resident Evil publisher will hold a
Gamescom press conference on Tuesday, August 14th.
ACTIVISION: The publisher has announced it is working on a Deadpoolgame. The title was shown at Comic Con.
‘New IP can launch at any time’
Gearbox boss Pitchford urges publishers to take more risks at the end of a console cycle by James Batchelor
BORDERLANDS 2 developer Randy Pitchford wants to see more new IP released – despite the age of the current consoles.
The Gearbox boss points to 2009’s Borderlandsas proof that you can launch a new franchise at any time, as well as previous titles his studio has worked on. He added that this can help break up the glut of sequels and spin-offs that flood the charts. “Part of the reason there are lots of sequels is because that’s what people are investing in,” Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford told MCV. “I’ve never understood that. “We launched the first Brothers in Armsin March 2005 and we sold 3.2m units. Xbox 360 launched in November 2005 so that’s
store. Everywhere serves vanilla ice cream, but if you eat that a lot, you will beg for a bowl of rocky road. “Let’s say Call of Duty is vanilla and [EA] is trying to have their own vanilla brand
Pitchford says the trick to new IP is making something gamers want
about as end of the lifecycle as you can get. And you know what else launched in Q1 of 2005? God of War. “You can create IP at any
time. You just have to make something that people want.” His comments follow E3 surprises last month, such as Sony’s Beyond: Two Souls and Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs.
Pitchford also urged developers to try creating more titles that step away from the usual best-sellers. “Some companies look at the market leaders and try to beat them at their own game,” he said.
“That’s a fine strategy if
you’re capable of it. But it’s like going to the ice cream
There’s lots of sequels because people invest in them. I’ve never
“
understood that. Randy Pitchford, Gearbox
that sells more. I want to be involved in things that wouldn’t have existed but for us. With Borderlands, there’s no doubt that’s true.” Read our full interview with Pitchford on page 22. 2K Games: 01753 496800
Facebook games publisher 6waves backs London Games Conference
ONE OF the leading Facebook games publishers has signed up to sponsor Novembers’ London Games Conference 2012.
6waves, responsible for popular social games like Astro Garden, Mystery Manor and Townshiphas signed on as Gold Partner. LGC 2012 takes place on
CHECK OUT THIS WEEK’S VIDEOS
Dead Space 3 F1 Race Stars PEGI
Videos are available within the free iPad Edition of MCVon iTunes and the free browser-based Digital Edition, which can be accessed at
MCVUK.com
Wednesday, November 21st in central London, and is dedicated to digital discovery and distribution for games. Keynote speakers have already been confirmed, with talks from Twitter and Google top of the billing. 6waves is headquartered in Hong Kong with offices in
www.mcvuk.com
San Francisco, Moscow, Beijing and Tokyo. The firm claims to have an
Discoverability is a big hurdle for
developers today. Jim Ying, 6waves
“
international perspective on the market and has forged partnerships with studios from across the globe. “Discoverability is definitely a big hurdle for game developers today, and will become even more so as the market continues to grow,” said Jim Ying, SVP of publishing at 6waves. “It’s excellent that the London Games Conference is providing a forum for industry leaders to exchange knowledge regarding how developers might best overcome that
hurdle and get their high quality games to the people who want to play them.” LGC consists of a four- hour conference with plenty of audience interaction, plus extra presentation options during the after-event networking dinner for attendees and exhibitors. Tickets are still available at a limited early bird cost of £199. To attend, contact
Hannah.Short@intentmedia.
co.uk or call 01992 535 646. For details on partner and sponsorship opportunities, contact Lesley.Blumson @
intentmedia.co.uk or call 01992 535 646.
londongamesconference.com July 20th 2012
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