Why are consumers losing interest in pre-orders? Find out in this week’s MCV

Last week MCV reported that pre-orders were in decline in the UK; this week we find whether this is an issue for the industry.

We speak to the members of the industry, including 505 Games’ SVP of global brand and marketing Tim Woodley, to find out what can be done to stop this decline.

This week’s issue of MCV also features interviews with Slightly Mad studios about its ambitious new racing IP Project CARS, as well as Total War brand director Rob Bartholomew on Creative Assembly’s plans for the strategy series.

We also talk to Green Man Gaming founder and boss Paul Sulyok about the online retailer’s five years in business. And after its win at this year’s MCV Awards, we catch up with Scottish retailer Games Centre.

And as we get into the summer period, we feature some of the hottest accessories that will be on the market.

The digital edition can be viewed here. Below is the full contents of this week’s issue:

• NEWS: GameStop UK plots retro stock move
• NEWS: Vice ‘massively’ grows gaming team
• NEWS: Keith Ramsdale departs EA
• NEWS: GameSpot UK names Rob Crossley as editor
• NEWS: Toys-to-life boom: Disney Infinity and Skylanders see sales spike in early 2015
• NEWS ANALYSIS: Consumers are pre-ordering fewer games, but how much of an issue is this for the industry, and what can be done? MCV investigates
• THE BIG GAME: Not satisfied with the state of racing games, genre veterans Slightly Mad decided to make their own ambitous franchise, with aims of taking on Gran Turismo and Forza. Creative director Andy Tudor tells us more about Project CARS
• MCV AWARDS WINNER: Scotland’s Games Centre continues to be a force in the indie retail space, and now it has four MCV Awards to prove it. We catch up with MD Robert Lindsay
• INTERVIEW: The Total War series is braced for its most ambitious year yet, with four titles in the works, including the newly announced Total War: Warhammer. Brand manager Rob Bartholomew explains
• FEATURE: Once upon a time, Green Man Gaming was a group of pioneers with some outlandish ideas about the future of online retail. Now it’s one of the biggest digital retailers in the world. We talk to founder and CEO Paul Sulyok about five years of Green Man Gaming
• FEATURE: Sun, sand and accessories: We round up the hottest products of summer
• INSIGHT: Garry Williams of Sold Out tells us why developers are teaming up with sales and marketing teams to get their games out there
• INDIE INTERVIEW: In an era when it’s strange to see a game launch without online components, but Australia-based developer Samurai Punk is making games for people to play on the same sofa
• APPOINTMENTS: Bandai Namco bolsters PR team
• SHELF LIFE: Sam Semaan of Angel’s N1 Games about the decline of midnight launches, the challenges of online retail and why he has started stocking selfie sticks
• MARGIN MAKERS: We round up the best racing wheels on the market at the moment
• INTERNATIONAL: Finland is famous for its domination of the mobile market. MCV investigates