MCV AWARDS 2010: Trade hails the very best

Over 650 retailers, publishers, developers and distributors jammed into The Brewery in London to see 60 firms compete for key accolades at last night’s MCV Industry Excellence Awards.

The big winner was Microsoft. Xbox took home both the Sales Team prize and the prestigious Grand Prix.

The format-holder has driven 360 forward by championing key third-party titles, working closely with retail, and it heavily backed 2009’s biggest title, Modern Warfare 2.

In fact Activision, MW2’s publisher, took home the most prizes, winning Game Campaign for Modern Warfare 2 and overall Games Publisher.

The Retail Advisory Board Special Recognition Award went to its UK senior sales director Roy Stackhouse, recognised for Activision’s faultless delivery of MW2, the biggest day one ship and no street date worries.

HMV was the big winner in the retail category. Winning Star Store for its 360 Oxford Street and the overall High Street Chain prize were well deserved after 12 months that has seen the chain seriously grow market share and continue to ramp up both its range offer and in-store Gamerbase services.

Other retail winners were Asda (Supermarket), Grainger Games (Independent Retailer), and Play.com (Online Retailer).

All of which meant GAME missed out in every category it was nominated – the first time the firm has gone home empty-handed from the MCV Awards.

Elsewhere, Just Dance helped Ubisoft scoop two prizes – New Games Brand and Sales Triumph.

Nintendo also won two, Trade Marketing Team and Marketing Team. But for the first time in four years it lost out on the PR Team award, which went to Sega. The PR prize was voted for especially by a panel of 150 journalists.

Other marketing winners were Sony’s Game Is Just The Start campaign taking Game Creative, while Mad Catz won the inaugural Peripherals & Accessories Brand award.

Meanwhile, champions in lynchpin sectors development and distribution were also honoured. Centresoft won the Distribution Team prize, and Rocksteady Studios the UK Development Team award.

A judging panel of 76 senior industry executives from across the entire market chose the winners from a set of Finalists per category.

THE WINNERS IN FULL

RETAIL

Star Store
HMV (360 Oxford Street)

Online Retailer
Play.com

Independent Retailer
Grainger Games

High Street Chain
HMV

Supermarket
ASDA

PEOPLE & INDUSTRY

Sales Triumph
Just Dance (Ubisoft)

UK Development Team
Rocksteady Studios

Sales Team
Microsoft

Distribution Team
Centresoft

Games Publisher
Activision

PR & MARKETING

Peripherals & Accessories Brand
Mad Catz

Game Creative
Game Is Just The Start (Sony)

New Games Brand
Just Dance (Ubisoft)

Trade Marketing Team
Nintendo

PR Team
Sega

Game Campaign
Modern Warfare 2 (Activision)

Marketing Team
Nintendo

SPECIAL AWARDS

Retail Advisory Board Special Recognition Award
Roy Stackhouse, Activision

Grand Prix
Microsoft