Retail has picked and now publishers justify why these will be Q4 2012’s best-selling titles
FIFA 13 “Whilst FIFA 12is lauded as the best in the series, it sometimes lacked the excitement that 09 and 10 had. We’re putting those moments back in – this will be the best FIFA ever.”
Nick Channon, EA
Wonderbook “Wonderbook and Book of Spellsis top of the pile and certainly the biggest number we’ll be going after and it’s tremendous that we have such great early feedback. I still think there’s a job to do.” Fergal Gara, Sony UK
OUTSIDE BETS
Even MCVand games retail can get it wrong sometimes. There’s a number of games we wrestled over right until the last minute. THQ’s WWE 13is a contender: last year’s game was the 21st best seller of Q4 2011, and the brand has had a good year. Codemasters’ F1 2011was the 23rd best-selling Q4 game last year, and F1is likely to be a big brand this Q4 with F1 2012 in September and family-friendly F1 Race Stars in November. There’s also a growing expectation behind Konami’s PES 2013– could that make a return to the Top 20? And Layton has been a regular in the Chart-Track Q4 Top 20, but this year’s title is a 3DS exclusive, which obviously has a smaller install base.
2. FIFA 13 Ultimate Edition 360..........................................................................................................................EA
3. Borderlands 2 Premiere Club 360.........................................................................................................2K Games
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4. Medal of Honor: Warfighter Limited Edition 360..........................................................................................................................EA
9. World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria PC.................................................................................................................Blizzard 10. FIFA 13 360..........................................................................................................................EA
GOLDEN FOR THE TRADE SEASONED MCVreaders will know that for the games industry the bright and airy summer months mean many bittersweet moments. Generally, it’s the relaxed period, and the UK plays host to the biggest sports event ever… but that means no one’s wandering the High Street looking for games. Sega scores No.1 in the All Formats retail charts after swearing off boxed product… but it is during the worst week of trading recorded since records began.
Nintendo releases some much-needed new hardware into the
market… but it meets a muted launch and its new games barely make a mark. (Although arguably they won’t until later in the year when the good games roll in, anyway.)
“With a greater emphasis at retail on bigger and fewer boxed games, a Top 20 list is easier to formulate, and more frightening to read.”
So we look elsewhere to learn more about the market.
First, to digital.
The audience for boxed games has gone on holiday, but gamers in general have not. Just check out the performance of Steam bestseller Arma II. Its DayZmod has added around 150,000 new users in the last week. The game itself is on the cusp of having over 1m unique players. This free mod has sold more games than a certain new tactical squad shooter that came out this summer. Second, we look to the future. Our 2012 Top 20 predictions have been formulated with detailed input from the MCV Retail Advisory Board. It was a popular guide last year, and (mostly) very prescient. With the emphasis at retail on bigger and fewer boxed games, such listings are easier to formulate, and more frightening to read.
It’s not just the ‘Top’ 20 games for Christmas – in some respects it’s the20 games for Christmas. That’s your lot.
When we formulated this same list for 2011, I asked ‘Is this a make or break Christmas?’ It always is, is the real answer. Thankfully, the blockbusters are in place to prevent it. But I wonder how often I’ll get to say that? Michael.French@intentmedia.co.uk