Read our full analysis of the state of the UK games market in this week’s MCV

Inthis week’s issue, MCV reveals the results of itsmarket valuation project, co-produced by games industry trade body UKIE.

The UK games market hit a record in 2015 with4.2bn: it is the biggest year in UK games industry history, topping the 4bn generated in 2008.

Digital, accessories and pre-owned have boosted the market and, for the first time, we also have obtained data for PC gaming hardware, which added 138m to the figure. GfK’s Dominic Ashford also offers his insight into the huge PC gaming market.

GameStop’s VP of strategic initiatives Mark Stanley also speaks about the company’s future in publishing, and Koei Tecmo’s European GMYasutomo Watanabeexplains why the publisher is teaming up with some of the biggest names inJapanese anime and games.

Meanwhile, Ubisoft’sJean-Sbastien Decanttells MCV about the brand new entry in the publisher’s Far Cry franchise – Primal.

And we also talk toEverybody Plays about its guide to help parents to know what abilities are required when they buy a game for their kids.

The full contents of this week’s issue are below. The digital edition can bereadhere.

• COVER: UK games market hits a record 4.2bn – 2015 was the biggest year in UK games industry history
• NEWS: GTA V is top soundtrack for second year running
• NEWS: Toys-to-life sales leap up 39 per cent in 2015
• NEWS: Digital points cards hit 160m
• NEWS: Moshi Monsters collapse masks market growth for toy tie-ins
• NEWS: PC games hardware market bucks wider technology trends
• INTERVIEW: Is GameStop’s publishing move the future of the retailer, or just an interesting side-project? – MCV speaks to VP of strategic initiatives Mark Stanley
• INTERVIEW: Can everybody play? – Content suitability isn’t the only consideration parents have when buying a game for their kids. Required skill and reading ability is another big stumbling block for pre-schoolers. MCV talks to Everybody Plays about how it’s trying to solve the problem
• INTERVIEW: Maiden heaven – 17 years after PC shooter Ed Hunter, British metal act Iron Maiden returns to games with mobile title Legacy of the Beast. MCV meets dev James Hursthouse and the band’s ‘creative director’ Llexi Leon
• INTERVIEW: Koei Tecmo and the curious world of Japanese licences – European GM Yasutomo Watanabe explains why the company has increased its focus on licensed games
• THE BIG GAME: Back to the Stone Age – Far Cry Primal takes the franchise in a radical new direction, replacing guns with bows and cars with sabre-toothed tigers. But is it really as different as it appears? Narrative director Jean-Sebastien Decant answers
• INSIGHT: PC gaming remains a premium opportunity for retail – GfK’s Dominic Ashford reveals more about the games hardware market we rarely ever talk about
• OFF THE RECORD: This week, MCV pulls a hamstring trying a Spinning Bird Kick, looks at digital schlongs, ponders dropping $8k on a statue and introduces the best new regular feature