Sega: We can be Xmas No.1

Sega has claimed that Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games is the only game capable of challenging Activision’s Modern Warfare 2 and EA’s FIFA 10 for the Christmas No.1 chart spot.

The firm is backing the title with its biggest ever marketing campaign – which will stretch beyond release next month over Christmas and into 2010.

In an exclusive interview with MCV, UK MD John Clark said:

There are three games that can be Christmas number one: Call of Duty, FIFA or Mario & Sonic. It’s as simple as that.

The price cuts on PS3 and 360 could make that a slightly larger challenge, and Modern Warfare 2 will be huge. Will it be bigger than the last Modern Warfare? I think it probably will be.

But we think we can do it because the last Mario & Sonic achieved a 30 per cent attach rate on Wii and on DS it got a seven per cent attach rate. And if we achieve even half of that, we’ll be in with a chance.”

Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games is released on October 16th on Wii and DS.

Last year’s Christmas ELSPA/GfK-ChartTrack No.1 was Electronic Arts FIFA 09.

Click here to read our full interview with John Clark and Sega marketing director Amanda Farr.