MEGamers: Tell our readers a little bit about yourself and your role at NCSoft

Sarah Rogers: I’m the sales director for NCSoft – my role is to ensure our products get to the consumers, either by box or digital distribution. This is a very retail-focused area for us, and is a really good growth area for us.

Yesterday at the trade show someone mentioned that World Of Warcraft was going to be pushed to this region to increase subscribership – is this something you’re looking to do with your latest project, Aion?

The game is now present in all retail stores, and we’re really focusing on pushing it to this area. The sales and feedback so far have been great, and we’re really excited about that.

Your company has been at the forefront of MMO games, with successes such as Guild Wars and Lineage – what can players expect to see from Aion?

Aion is a really exciting and dynamic game, with some really dazzling presentation. It will be familiar to players who’ve played games like World of Warcraft or Guild Wars, but it’s also easy to adapt to for new players. It’s a Korean-developed game, and as you know Korean players are some of the most demanding in the world, so we’ve had to work hard to make a game that would meet much of the expectation. Casual players will be able to familiarize themselves with Aion quite easily because of the extensive tutorial campaigns.

What do you think has made MMOs so popular in recent years?

I guess people like playing together;  the interaction with playing within a guild or playing against each other, so that ‘real-world combat’ feeling has massive appeal. In Aion for example, we’re supporting in-game chat, so players can really feel connected as one team while they play.

At GAMES09 you’ve ready to really push Aion out to consumers – what are you expecting to hear from gamers as they try the game out?

I think it will be a mix of reactions – retails have told us that shoppers are coming into stores asking when the game will be arriving, so there is a fair bit of excitement surrounding it. Hopefully people who are attending GAMES09 who are unfamiliar with Aion will be a bit curious as to what it’s about, and give the game a try.

So spill the beans – what are you playing now?

I’m playing Aion – I really am! That’s my focus until some of the bigger console titles come out for Christmas.

What is your take on the Middle East gaming market?

I’ve been working with this market for the past three or four years and I’ve seen massive growth. PC gaming isn’t so big here, but console gaming certainly is – as broadband improves and becomes better, online gaming will certainly begin to kick off here. There is still tremendous growth to be had, and hopefully in the coming years we will see more and more developers taking an interest in the region.

The Awards - Best Online Media and People's Choice Media of the Year

On behalf of the MEG Team, we’d like to take this opporunity to thank everyone who voted for us.

The PSP Go

Sceptical at first, we were happy to see some very competitive online prices for popular games such as God of War: Chains of Olympus and Motorstorm: Arctic Ridge.

The PSP Go at Games 09 featured two new releases to mark the launch of the handheld – Little Big Planet and Gran Turismo – there’s no joking around here, Sony are very serious! We got a chance to have a go at both, and before we tell you our impressions of the game, we’ll give you a rundown of how it felt using the Go.

The handheld was definitely easier on the hands, it felt more natural to hold and play. The screen was again a perfect size and all the controls were within reach, even the shoulder buttons – so all quite ergonomic. The Go is light, we’re talking iPhone light, which is saying a lot, but it also felt a little bit fragile in turn. The biggest flaw we could find in our play test was the power button placement – while browsing through menus we accidentally flicked it without even realising. While annoying we got the feeling it was a matter of getting used to the thing and it didn’t happen again during our vigorous sessions!

PSP Go compared to an iPhone.

Down to the games then:

Little Big Planet

What was immediately evident when we started was that the charm from the PS3 version had definitely been replicated on to the handheld. The gameplay felt near identical – which is quite a compliment. The fun element was also retained and what we found most surprising was the game design and textures felt as though it was the PS3 game being viewed on the PSP! Animations were identical as well and the game just kept on blowing us away throughout our test. The only disappointment was that we couldn’t really enjoy the loveable creatures’ facial animations or costumes as much as the PS3 version, but hey it’s a small screen so you can’t really mark them down for that!

Gran Turismo

Gran Turismo did feel like baby GT. The same gameplay feel was again immediately evident as were the ridiculous number of cars to choose from – 830 to be exact! The overall game had been simplified heavily in terms of actual racing and the fact that there was no career mode. That said, winning each race did still give you a sense of accomplishment and credits to get into your new ride. License/handling tests were there as well so hardened GT fans will not feel too left out. Our favourite part of the test was a three man online/wifi race with the rest of the team. The driving was seamless and fun, but you can’t let go of the feeling that this is a bit of a filler until the big daddy shows up near the beginning of next year!

From our experience with the PSP Go and the latest games releases over Games 09, we can definitely say that the PSP is finally beginning to reach the heights it was always destined for.

David Reeves, Former President and CEO, SCEE

His resume is nothing short of extraordinary. David graduated from Cambridge University (UK) in Natural Sciences and completed a PhD in Chemical and Astrophysics. He worked at NASA as a student and later went on to complete his MBA in Marketing.

After a series of high profile jobs, David joined Sony Computer Entertainment in 1995 where he was responsible for overseeing the launch of PlayStation and firmly establishing the brand in Europe. During his tenure, he has helped secure an 82% market share for the PlayStation brand in PAL territories and had over 102 markets reporting to him.

Having retired from SCEE, David now acts as a management consultant for the company.

We were set to interview David at the lobby of the Godolphin Ballroom at the Emirates Towers in Dubai. He’s surrounded by Sony officials and PR execs, who seemed a little more nervous than he did. David seemed relaxed. Obviously, this was not his first press interview.

From the pictures we saw of him on Sony’s website, we expected a fast-talking MBA-type that looked a bit like Conan O’Brien. Far from it, David was quite laid back and while the press pictures of him on Sony’s website make him look like NBC’s Late Night show host, he looks far from it in real life.

We talked to David about the PlayStation brand and the future of the gaming industry.

MEGamers: David, you have a PhD in Chemical and Astrophysics. How did you end up in the games industry?

David Reeves: I was working with NASA while I was a PhD student. It was a challenging job but the funding eventually went down and I decided to change careers and pursue an MBA in Marketing. That led to a series of jobs in many countries. While, I was working with Mitsubishi in Japan, I ended up playing golf with the people from Sony, who offered me a job.

I’ve been with Sony for over 14 years before my retirement. Now the only Astrophysics I indulge in is my 14-year-old grand daughter’s homework, which is pretty easy.

What would you say was more difficult? Astrophysics or working with Sony?

My work at Sony was definitely a lot more challenging. They say it’s lonely at the top and indeed there were days when it was. But it was also a lot of fun and very rewarding.

Tell us what it was like to launch the PlayStation brand in Europe?

It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. We had set up our offices in Germany back in May 1995. Back in the day, I had to put everything together — from getting office furniture sorted to hiring sales teams to overlooking logistics, accounting and operations. By September 1995, we had to hit the ground running. We’ve been very lucky that that we’ve had some great launches including the original PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3.

Which of those was the most challenging?

The PlayStation 3 was the most difficult. Because of the technology involved, it had a high manufacturing price. Price is important and luckily prices have gone down now.

What factors contribute to the price of the consoles?

With the PS1 and PS2, it was about joining several chipsets and bringing down the power consumption. That made a difference in price.

However, the primary factor is always economy of scale. We use contractors in China to produce the consoles. The more you produce, the lesser your price is. The price of the PS3 has come down, even if it is at a slow pace. It will probably come down even further over time but not in the very near future.

Are you happy with the way the PS3 has performed?

I think it has been an enormous success. The PS3 has a higher tie-ratio than the PS2 by 1 and a half points. I think the PlayStation Home has also been very successful. We’re seeing a trend where people buy products online but retail sales have not suffered.

Why do you think that is?

Video gamers like to go into the stores and touch and feel the product. They buy the disc and then wait for add-ons to made available for purchase online.

Why aren’t people just downloading full games through PlayStation Home?

We might see more of that in the future. Once Fibre to Home connections become common, the growth of direct downloads will really start to accelerate.

What do you think is in store in PlayStation’s future?

I think that it’s going to get more competitive in terms of pricing compared to the Xbox. I also see a bigger uptake in the handheld market with the PSP Go!

There’s been a lot of talk about the PSP Go looking like a cellphone. Sony certainly seem to have all the bits of the puzzle — the ability to build great phones, great music players, great cameras, great video devices and great gaming machines. Considering convergence is the buzzword at the moment, why not combine your technology to create one device that does it all.

I think there are two kinds of people out there. One kind of people like to have a black belt type toolkit where they can have one phone, a Blackberry, a MP3 player and a gaming device. They want different devices for different things.

There’s another group of people who want it all together. Problem is, if you lose that one device, what do you do? It’s almost as though your whole life’s fallen apart.

Although, having said that Sony might just launch more products that focus on convergence in the future.

Do you see the iPhone as being a serious competitor to the PSP one day?

iPhone is great because it has a lot of apps. There are some games but these are very casual games. If you really like these games on the iPhone, chances are you’ll go out and buy the game on a dedicated gaming device. iPhone in the gaming world needs access to much bigger games if they want to attract hardcore gamers. They also need to have better contracts with their customers. The prices in some countries for the iPhone is ridiculously high.

What do you think of Project Natal?

The gaming industry has been changing. When it started, the gamers were right next to the screens with their controllers. These are what the Japanese would call Otaku (obsessive fans).

However, Nintedo’s Wii and Natal take things a step further by increasing the distance between the player and the screen. They provide new ways of interacting with video games. It’s made video games accessible to a larger demographic of women, children and parents.

As a hardcore gamer, gaming for me is all about crisp graphics, great effects and top-notch gameplay. Are we moving away from all this by trending towards casual/social gaming?

I don’t think this industry is going to neglect hardcore gamers. Technology such as Natal and motion sensors will just help enhance the experience and add to the enjoyment.

What are your thoughts of the Middle East market?

The gaming industry worldwide is worth about $40-45 billion. The market in the Middle East is worth $700-750 million. As piracy slowly disappears from this market, the industry here will grow further.

Many thanks for taking the time to talk to us, David.

Thank you.

I had a chance to play the first two missions from Uncharted 2 at Sony’s booth at GAMES 09. And it’s a beauty. The first thing you notice are the visuals. Uncharted: Drake’s fortune was and still is hailed as a visual feast. Everything was polished and perfect looking. The developers have upped the ante here with much better visuals, facial expressions and top-notch presentation. The menu itself is beautiful, with birds flying on the background and their shadows moving with the gleaming sunlight.

Then comes the soundtrack. The main theme from the first game returns and it suits the scenario completely. There is a new addition to the main menu, which is multiplayer. We could not take a peek at that as there was no internet connection in the area.

The first level reveals the artistic side of the new Uncharted. Nate’s train carriage is hanging from a cliff with Nate still in there. Named ‘A rock and a hard place’ Nate, all battered and bruised, must escape before the carriage falls into the abyss in the wintery mountains. I won’t spoil much. This is for you to enjoy.

The next chapter, ‘Breaking and Entering’, shows a different gameplay style. Nate is in a museum, and he has to steal Marco Polo’s lamp, without being detected. Stealth is something new in Uncharted, with none in the original. Here we get to explore some of Nate’s new stealth moves. It is a little difficult at first, but, is nonetheless very exciting. Supporting Nate would be his old buddy, Flynn. The AI in the game has vastly improved as he will not stand in your way and actually be faster than you. Sony says, that an AI buddy will be there with you for most of the game.

The two chapters clearly setup a stage for the rest on Uncharted 2’s single player missions. If you are a fan of the original, like me, then you won’t have to wait long to get your hands on the game, as it is releasing this month on the 16th.

So in brief:
What’s Hot:
•    Gorgeous graphics
•    Top-notch Presentation
•    Amazing soundtrack
•    Better control options

What’s Not:
•    Trial and error method for some swinging and puzzle areas.
•    Long load times.
•    There was no multiplayer!!! [at GAMES 09]

We will have our review up shortly, so be sure to keep checking!

MEG: What’s GAMES 09 like compared to last year?

Bigger and Better! Bigger in terms of size, number of products, number of people, better venue, better timing, it’s the start of a nice season in Dubai.

MEG: What games are you showcasing this year?

We have all the major names in the gaming industry including Actvision Blizzard, Eidos, Sega and 2k. I’m very excited so far by what I have seen and I think by tomorrow we’re going to see a lot of people come through the doors and try out what I think is going to be the big blockbuster games of the next three to four months. We’re also showcasing some games that will release early next year like Bayonetta and Alien vs Predator. You also get to see Brutal Legend which is really awesome game and I’m looking forward to seeing Jack Black’s character.

We’re showing gameplay footgage of Modern Warfare 2 which everyone says is going to be the game of the year. DJ Hero is going down like a storm and so is Band Hero. I think the girls are doing a fantastic job of promoting Band Hero. We have had a lot of people up on stage. The demographics that are attending include male, female, young and old, across all language barriers. That’s the beauty of our music games, it attracts so many different kinds of people. A lot of people have also enjoyed games like Mini Ninjas, which has a slightly lower profile presence but it’s fun and people are enjoying that.

We have Batman: Arkham Asylum. Even though the game has already released, it’s so popular that we had to showcase it. We also have Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 and Sega All Stars Racing. EA is here in full force with Need for Speed: Shift and FIFA 10, which launched just yesterday, so people are playing it for the first time here, unless they went to the shops in the morning and purchased it.

I think FIFA 10 is going to do really well. It’s the best selling football game in the world.

We’re showing EA Sports Active. Very interesting to see kids trying out a fitness product. Women have tried it out too and had lots of fun.

We have Grandslam Tennis and Beatles: Rock Band which is really cool, and NBA Live 10, which we are launching next week.

MEG: What’s it like working on this event?

We have about 36 college students volunteering for this show. Actually a mix of school and college students, boys and girls, and they’re having a lot of fun. I’m having a nightmare [laughs], but it’s really cool and we’re having a lot of fun. We’ve been working on this project for the last 4-6 months but it’s all really come together this week. I think I have a rough idea of what a development team feels like in the last one week before a game goes gold.

MORE FROM THIS INTERVIEW WILL BE ADDED SOON

Fadi Mujahid, General Manager, Game Power 7

MEGamers: Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into this role.

Fadi Mujahid: I’ve been in the IT field for over 12 years and I’ve had a passion for game programming. I’ve been working for the Space Toon group, the holding company of Game Power 7. When they started a games division, I was chosen to head it. We focus on developing and publishing online games. Our biggest product at the moment is Arabic Rappelz.

Tell us what it’s like developing an Arabic version of Rappelz for this region.

As you know, Rappelz is a famous global MMO game and we have localized it and tweaked it for this region. We’ve made sure that there the cultural and religious sensitivities of this region are respected while localizing this game. We also host the service in this region.

How popular is Arabic Rappelz?

23,000 gamers have joined Rappelz. Very few people know of online games except for World of Warcraft. There are over 6,000 MMO games out there. We want to promote more MMO games in this region.

Those are very impressive numbers. Which countries do you see most of your players logging on from?

Due to its population density, Saudi Arabia is number one. Egypt follows at number 2 and the United Arab Emirates at number 3, followed by Kuwait, Syria and Qatar. We’re very interested in the UAE market as that there is a significant uptake of the game here even though the UAE does not have a massive population.

Why do you think that is?

I think people in the UAE are better educated about MMO games than in other parts of this region.

What’s Rappelz all about?

It’s a very successful MMO game about 3 nations which were in peace. The peace is distrupted and it’s your job to bring peace and harmony to these three countries again.

As you develop your character in the game, you have to choose a job and a specialty – this could be in melee, spells or taming beasts that aid you in your battles. You can also occupy dungeons. This is when things get interesting as other guilds will try and attack you.

There are 15 types of monsters you can tame and an unlimited number of monsters you can fight. There are also weekly guild wars.

We also celebrate various occasions internally within the game. Recently we have celebrated Book Day, Anti-drug day, Ramadan and Eid.

How do you celebrate these days?

Well, to celebrate the anti-drug day, we added promotional messages within the games on how to avoid drugs. Players also got valuable ingame items when they killed monsters and within these gifts were promotional anti-drug messages.

How do you earn revenue through Rappelz

We earn revenue through a monthly subscription as well as sale of in-game items.

Is this your first GAMES event?

Yes.

What do you think of it?

It’s been very successful in brining in the customers. It is one of the most successful events we have participated in. I suggest that it is held in other countries as well. Many of our players have requested that it should be in Saudi and other countries as well.

What can we expect in the future from Game Power 7?

We are preparing 3 new games – MMO sports, MMO Racing and MMO Rpg which is like Rappelz but more advanced.

We look forward to it. Thanks for taking the time to talk to us, Fadi.

Thank you.

GAMES has been great so far this year, and what’s even better are the fantastic competitions going on at the event. If you haven’t been convinced of the great line up of games for hands-on, maybe a chance to win at one of these competitions may lure you in. You inglorious cheap basterds! :p

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves:

Okay, relax. Don’t get too excited. No, you can’t win the game here, unfortunately. But what you can win are some free shirts, a Uncharted 2 rucksack, a Blu-ray movie, a PS3 game and most prominently, a PS3. So what do you have to do? Throw darts. It’s as simple as that. If you manage to stick the dart to any one of the red circles, you win!

Oh and do you see the small, red circle at the top left? Yeah, that’s for the PS3. What, you thought it would that easy? Pfft!