Playground Games, Ghost Recon Wildlands and Flatout 4 headline this week’s MCV

This week, MCV went to Leamington Spa to meet the team behind 2016’s hit Forza Horizon 3. Playground Games’ CEO Gavin Raeburn and creative director Ralph Fulton talk about what they have achieved and what’s coming next.

In this week’s issue, we also talk to Ubisoft UK ahead of the release of Ghost Recon Wildlands. Senior brand manager Alex Friend and marketing director Mark Slaughter speak about the feature-length documentary releasing to support the game, Wildlands.

Meanwhile, IP holder Strategy First, developer Kylotonn and distributor PQube discuss the launch of Flatout 4, which aims to rescue the franchise and bring the fun back after Flatout 3’s disaster.

We also talk to Square Enix’s Chris Arnold about Nier: Automata, one of 2017’s most unlikely releases, which will hit shelves next week.

The latest digital edition can beread herefor free.

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

• NEWS: Industry positive about Nindie Switch combo
• NEWS: Playground Games sees benefit in mobile
• BIG RELEASES: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Ghost Recon Wildlands headline this week’s big games
• PLAYGROUND: Playground Games was Britain’s big success story of 2016, but it’s certainly not resting on its laurels. We talk to CEO Gavin Raeburn and creative director Ralph Fulton
• GHOST RECON WILDLANDS: The South American drug trade is a complex subject, but Ubisoft looks to have done its due diligence with its documentary to support Ghost Recon Wildlands.
• BITS AND PIXELS: After working on the likes of Metal Gear Solid V for Konami, Sandra Arcan and Su-Yina Farmer left to set up their own licensing agency, Bits and Pixels. We report
• FLATOUT 4: What is it like to follow on from one of the worst sequels in history and how do you market it? We ask Strategy First, Kylotonn and PQube ahead of the release of Flatout 4
• NIER: AUTOMATA: With a week to go until launch, Square Enix discusses the release of Nier: Automata
• INSIGHT: Mobile and video drive digital advertising in 2017, Generation Media’s Joe Phelan explains
• INSIGHT: Neil Semple, head of create content at the Department for International Trade, talks up China as a huge potential market for UK-made games
• PLUS! Koei Tecmo UK appoints new general manager, For Honor tops the UK weekly charts again, The Walking Dead merchandise range and more