Licensing and merchandising, EA, Warner Bros and Project Cars 2 headline this week’s MCV

Licensing and merchandising are the big themes of this week’s issue of MCV, and with Brand Licensing Europe heading to London next month, we look at how games businesses can take full advantage of the huge predicted growth in brand extension.

We also speak to Loot Crate to find out its monthly goodie boxes and rapidly expanding subscription service made it No.1 on Deloitte’s Fast 500 list for 2016, and we also speak to Slightly Mad Studio’s CCO Rod Chong about the firm’s quest to license over 180 cars for its upcoming racing sim, Project CARS 2.

Elsewhere, we also have in-depth interviews with EA about its evolving live strategy and its plans for FIFA 18, and how Warner Bros is gearing up to make Middle-earth: Shadow of War a ‘true Q4 triple-A flagship’ title for the publisher.

We also catch up with Gamescom’s UK Game of the Show winner Sketchbook Games about its upcoming title Lost Words, and we talk Destiny 2 review strategies with Eurogamer, IGN and GamesRadar+.

The latest digital edition can beread herefor free

The full contents of this week’s issue are below:

• OPINION:Tinderbox’s Dan Amos talks about how blurring the lines between game and film franchises can help build larger audiences
• OPINION:NewBay Media’s Hannah Tovey discusses what’s coming up at the Future Games Summit
• OPINION:Women in Games’ Marie-Claire Isaaman recaps this year’s European WIG Conference
• LICENSING AND MERCHANDISING:We talk to brand owners, licensees, distributors and retailers about the growth of merchandise and brand extension
• LOOT CRATE:Having fans buy your merchandise is great, but signing them up to a monthly goodie box of items is even better. We talk to Loot Crate to find out what makes its merch stand out
• PROJECT CARS 2: With over 180 licensed cars to its name, we catch up with Slightly Mad Studios’ Rod Chong about what’s in store for its upcoming racing sim
• EA:With Battlefield 1’s new expansion just around the corner, we chat with EA’s EVP of global publishing Laura Miele to discuss the publisher’s live strategy across its entire slate of titles
• FIFA 18:We talk to lead gameplay producer Sam Rivera to see how EA’s changing tactics for its upcoming football title
• WARNER BROS:Shadow of War is set to be ‘a true Q4, triple-A flagship’ this year, so we chat to Warner Bros’ SVP international for games Olivier Wolff about the firm’s expectations for the title
• LOST WORDS: We talk to Sketchbook Games about Lost Words, the winner of the UK Game of the Show at Gamescom
• DESTINY 2:How do you solve a problem like Destiny 2 reviews? Eurogamer, IGN and GamesRadar+ talk to us about their coverage strategies
• PLUS!Retro Nintendo merchandise, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy leaps to the top of August’s monthly charts, Project CARS 2, FIFA 18, Metroid: Samus Returns and NBA 2K18 headline the big game releases of the week, and more