MCV Pacific Wrap-Up

Game Masters took place down under this week, while some new businesses partnered, SEGA respawned, and Trip Hawkins confirmed for iFest.

• A new distributor has opened its doors, with Turn Left Distribution securing Disney and aiming squarely at the triple A high-end publisher market.
• While Sega’s restructure has also seen Australia’s publishing arm prepare to close, MD Darren Macbeth hascreated a new company, Five Star Games, to handle the bulk of the office’s previous responsibilities.
• Namco Bandai hasappointed a new agencyto handle its digital, marketing and PR in Bohemia Group.
• Game Masters, an exhibition taking place at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne, opened this week withtwodaysof forums and was honoured by special guests Tim Schafer and Warren Spector.
• Steven Blackburn, Xbox Manager for New Zealand,spoke to MCVabout the company’s NZ marketing strategy as being key to its recent success.
• MCV also spoke to Playstation Sales and Marketing David Hine about New Zealand, discussing the size and shape of the market.
• Trip Hawkins, the original founder of EA, is in Australia and has signed on tokeynote iFestin Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney.
• MCV spoke to Marketing Director Omar Braery about what QV Software’s strategy will be in launching the sequel to Guild Wars.

To register for the MCV Pacific News Digest, head to the registration page:http://www.mcvpacific.com/user/index/register/journey/register