MCV Awards Finalists Part 2

Sales Team

Whether they’re having too cope with a rogue, unfair review score or they have a massively hyped new next-gen franchise, this award praises the team which has the hard task of selling . But it’s not all about sales, it’s about after-sales service, customer care as well as overall commercial performance. And the following finalists are testament to that mantra:-

Activision
Ubisoft
THQ
EA
Nintendo

UK Development Team

The UK continues to be a hub of creative talent and this accolade rewards the top UK studio, regardless of international ownership. Last year’s finalists included Real Time Worlds, Rare, Rockstar, Evolution and the eventual winner, Traveller’s Tales. The finalists this year have brought gamers some wonderful experiences, and they are:-

Bizarre Creations
Sports Interactive
Criterion
Codemasters
Rebellion

Distribution Team

By its very nature, distribution is not the most sexy of sectors. But in the past year it’s seen a flurry of activity, with publishers switching partners, new forces emerging, MBOs and, sadly, some closures. The award was won last year by Koch/Nindie.com, who beat of competition from EUK, Centresoft, Gem and Just Distribution. This year’s glamorous finalists are:-

Koch Media
Centresoft
Gem
Advantage
Trilogy

Sales Triumph

Any publisher – from the biggest corporation to the smallest start-up – has the chance to snap up this new award, which will highlight the product that has achieved better-than-expected sales at UK retail. Whether an original software title, niche sequel, or even a ‘quirky’ new game that attained surprise hit status, the award will celebrate the over-achiever that made headlines last year. The finalists are:-

High School Musical: Sing It! (Disney)
Cooking Mama (505 Games)
MArio & Sonic At The Olympic Games (Sega)
Assassin’s Creed (Ubisoft)
Devil May Cry 4 (Capcom)

Games Publisher

A big one – and a tough one. The finalists are based on the top selling publishers by sales last year. But which one provided the best product quality, trade relations, customer service, innovation and marketing agility? Last year’s winner was Nintendo, who faced competition from EA, Sega, THQ and Ubisoft. This year’s finalists are:-

Ubisoft
Activision
EA
Microsoft
Nintendo

MCV Retail Advisory Board Special Recognition Award

This is a special award voted for by the MCV Retail Advisory Board, who represent the leading games retailers in the UK marketplace. Finalists are chosen based on their attitude, enthusiasm and performance, and was won last year by Margaret Pearson from Centresoft. Other finalists last year included James Dixon of THQ, Dave Gould of Vivendi Games, Penny Humphrey from EA and Paul Marcantonio at Ubisoft. This year’s finalists are as follows:-

Rob Gross (Midway)
Paul Donnelly (Gem)
Dave Gould (Vivendi Games)
Jonathan Grimes (Microsoft)
Penny Humphrey (EA)
Rosemary Buahin (Sony)