Brought to you by Every week: The UK games market in less than ten minutes Issue 8: 28th July - 3rd August WELCOME ...to GamesRetail.biz, your weekly look at the key analysis, news and data sources for the retail sector, brought to you by GamesIndustry.biz and Eurogamer.net. THIS WEEK ... we look at how the top publishers have lined up against each other in terms of the traffic they've generated on Eurogamer.net - and how they've done it. Plus, we hear from Ubisoft creative director Michael de Plater, and round up all the week's sales data, need-to-know information, key online prices, jobs and release dates - plus what Eurogamer readers are most looking forward to. Top 3 Publisher Traffic in 2009 ANALYSIS: PUBLISHER SHARE IN 2009 24% A F 22% In this week's analysis we're looking at B G 20% publisher share of traffic to Eurogamer.net and 18% identifying the key drivers. In the first graph is 16% D a comparison over time of the top 3 performers 14% - EA, Activision Blizzard and Capcom. C 12% Point A reflects Capcom's highest traffic 10% E percentage of 2009 to date with a retrospective 8% on the Street Fighter franchise and the review of Percentage of Total Hits on Eurogamer.net 6% Street Fighter IV. Both articles combined in the 4% middle of February, which goes to show the 2% impact a release outside of the normal busy 0% periods can have on generating buzz. Point B Jul Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jan '09 is the Resident Evil IV review, underlining that Capcom Activision Electronic Arts idea further, while Point C demonstrates the interest around Flock! Publisher Share of Eurogamer.net traffic in 2009 12% Points D and E in early May refer to a retrospective on EA's Black and a review of 11% Activision's X-Men Origins: Wolverine 10% respectively, while Point F combines a number 9% of high-ranking articles for EA, including a 8% retrospective on Burnout Paradise and a news 7% story in which Criterion claims that nobody 6% has yet "maxed out" the next-gen consoles. 5% Finally, the release of Battlefield 1943 last month - along with all the fuss about 4% Percentage of Total Hits on Eurogamer.net expanding servers and the huge numbers of 3% downloads it brought with it, gave EA another 2% spike at Point G. 1% 0% So while Activision has some of the best repeat EA THQ Capcom Ubisoft Activision Bethesda Microsoft franchises in the industry, it's that's Codemasters EA dominated the Eurogamer audience so far this year... but what impact will Modern Warfare 2 have by the end of December? Tickets for Eurogamer Expo 2009 are now on sale at expo.eurogamer.net. Page 1 Brought to you by Every week: The UK games market in less than ten minutes Issue 8: 28th July - 3rd August THIS WEEK IN RETAIL CHRISTMAS MARKET "BRUTAL" FOR NEW IPS - DE PLATER Publishers pushing new titles into early 2010 is evidence of fierce Q4 market, THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW says Ubisoft exec. The release schedule for this Christmas is beginning to thin out as more and more PLAYSTATION 3 MANUFACTURING COSTS DROP 70% titles are shifting to 2010 - with most "On schedule" cost reduction could pave the way for rumoured price cut. publishers keen to avoid a clash with Modern Warfare 2. NINTENDO DOMINATES JAPANESE SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE CHARTS The plight of 3DTV technology looks set to Dragon Quest IX still on top; Nintendo games take the top five positions. suffer from compatibility issues, says Blitz CTO Andrew Oliver, as rival companies are BURN ZOMBIE BURNS SELLS 70,000 VIA PSN working to different standards. Developer calls for greater transparency of sales via digital distribution. Double Fine's Brutal Legend is one step closer to release after a US judge admitted STARCRAFT II COULD SELL 4 MILLION IN OPENING QUARTER - PACHTER to "leaning" in the developer's favour in the And even if title is delayed into 2010, Modern Warfare 2 could offset losses, Activision/EA publishing row. says analyst. Leipzig's inaugural Games Convention Online attracted 43,000 visitors over the PLAYSTATION 3 INSTALL BASE REACHES 23 MILLION WORLDWIDE weekend - enough to warrant a follow-up Lifetime sales figures revealed; software nears 190 million units. event next year. MICHAEL DE PLATER Ubisoft's creative director, who had a big hand in last year's EndWar, talked to GamesIndustry.biz - here are the highlights, and click to read more. - Games have now surpassed movies as "premium blockbuster entertainment" - New technology is empowering people to have new experiences with games (music, voice, etc) - Consoles are not so different from PCs are far as RTS complexity goes - EndWar sold three times as many copies as Shogun: Total War for a new IP - That and Halo Wars were the two biggest RTS games in the past five years - both on console MOST-ANTICIPATED GAMES MOST-READ ARTICLES 1. Alan Wake Microsoft 1. Marvel vs Capcom 2 Review 2. Final Fantasy XIII Square Enix 2. WipEout HD: Fury Review 3. God of War III SCEA 3. Beneath A Steel Sky - Remastered Preview 4. Final Fantasy Versus XIII Square Enix 4. Borderlands Hands On 5. Gran Turismo 5 SCE 5. Zombies & Me Review 6. Heavy Rain SCEE 6. Resident Evil 4: Mobile Edition Review 7. Splinter Cell: Conviction Ubisoft 7. Bookworm Adventures 2 Review 8. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves SCE 8. Rygar: The Battle of Argus Review 9. Halo 3: ODST Microsoft 9. Dragonica Review 10. Dragon Age: Origins Electronic Arts 10. Ashes Cricket 2009 Hands On List based on traffic for Eurogamer articles dated 28th July - 3rd August. The GamesIndustry.biz Network now has over 7000 registered industry users! Page 2 Brought to you by Every week: The UK games market in less than ten minutes Issue 8: 28th July - 3rd August RETAIL DATA PRICE-CHECK DATA Call of Juarez (360) Prof Layton and the Curious Village (DS) Killzone 2 (PS3) HMV £39.99 £27.99 £34.99 Amazon £35.96 £17.74 £23.92 ASDA £35.91 £24.71 £37.91 Play.com £39.99 £24.99 £29.99 GAME £37.99 £24.99 £29.99 Tesco £35.96 £23.96 £34.96 Cheapest Online £35.91 £17.74 £23.92 UK ALL-FORMAT CHART EVENT CALENDAR Title Publisher 13th - 14th Aug 2009 1. (1) Wii Sports Resort Nintendo Edinburgh Interactive Edinburgh, UK. 2. (4) Wii Fit Nintendo 3. (3) Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 Electronic Arts 19th - 23rd Aug 2009 4. (2) Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince Electronic Arts gamescom Cologne, Germany. 5. (6) Fight Night Round 4 Electronic Arts 6. (5) Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Activision Blizzard 24th - 27th Sep 2009 7. (8) The Sims 3 Electronic Arts Tokyo Games Show 2009 Makuhari Messe, Tokyo, 8. (12) UFC 2009: Undisputed THQ Japan. 9. (10) EA Sports Active Electronic Arts 27th - 28th Oct 2009 10. (7) Call of Juarez: Bound In Blood Ubisoft Eurogamer Expo/GamesIndustry.biz Career 11. (11) Mario Kart Wii Nintendo Fair The Royal Armouries, Leeds, UK. 12. (9) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Activision Blizzard 13. (14) FIFA 09 Electronic Arts SELECTED GAMES INDUSTRY JOBS 14. (17) Wii Play Nintendo 15. (16) Call of Duty: World at War Activision Blizzard Senior Concept Artist - Stunning Location 16. (21) Mario & Sonic at The Olympic Games Sega New Zealand, Rest of World. 17. (15) Professor Layton and the Curious Village Nintendo Account Manager - Unqiue Opportunity 18. (18) [prototype] Activision Blizzard UK & Europe. 19. (20) Guitar Hero: World Tour Activision Blizzard 20. (19) Pokemon Platinum Nintendo Producer Oxford, Midlands, England, UK & Europe. Technical Art Director - Critically © ELSPA, compiled by Chart Track Acclaimed Studio!! REVIEW SCORE COMPARISONS Brighton, South East, England, UK & Europe. Metacritic UK average Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (Wii) 73 75 Senior Level Designer 'Splosion Man (360) 84 82 Vancouver, Canada, North America. Wii Sports Resort (Wii) 81 76 Age of Conan - Hyborian Adventures (PC) 80 77 Battlefield 1943 (360) 84 83 The UK score is the mean average of the most read UK-based videogame websites and magazines. You can reach key UK retailers by advertising with GamesRetail.biz. Page 4 Brought to you by Every week: The UK games market in less than ten minutes Issue 8: 28th July - 3rd August TOP 10S PLATFORM TOP TENS PS3 PSP 1. (2) Fight Night Round 4 1. (1) Monster Hunter: Freedom Unite 2. (6) UFC 2009: Undisputed 2. (3) FIFA 09 3. (1) Call of Juarez: Bound In Blood 3. (2) Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince 4. (3) Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 4. (5) Resistance: Retribution 5. (5) Infamous 5. (4) Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen 6. (7) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 6. (6) Football Manager 2009 7. (8) Ghostbusters: The Video Game 7. (8) Need For Speed: Undercover 8. (4) Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen 8. (7) Ben 10: Alien Force 9. (10) [prototype] 9. (-) SBK-09 Superbike World Championship 10. (11) Killzone 2 10. (9) X-Men Origins: Wolverine WII DS 1. (1) Wii Sports Resort 1. (1) Professor Layton and the Curious Village 2. (2) Wii Fit 2. (3) Pokemon Platinum 3. (3) EA Sports Active 3. (2) Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince 4. (4) Mario Kart Wii 4. (5) Mario Kart DS 5. (5) Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 5. (7) Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force 6. (6) Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince 6. (8) Dr Kawashima's Brain Training 7. (7) Grand Slam Tennis 7. (4) Rhythm Paradise 8.