MCV Awards 2006 – Nintendo Rules

The UK games industry wakes up with a collective groan this morning as the post-MCV Awards hangover kicks in. SPOnG always enjoys a bit of schadenfreude, and will be taking some pleasure from our esteemed colleagues' moans and groans as we interview them this morning, as we feel fit as a butchers dog this fine spring morning, all ready to dig up the juiciest gossip.

Of course, what we really want to hear, like any good playground/office gossip is who snogged who? Who slept where? Who had a fight? Who shamed themselves with what PR person?

But before we get onto those important questions, let's just take a look at the small matter of who won what awards. It seems that Sony won the Grand Prix (no, not the car or bike race, doofus!) and Nintendo scooped up four awards for best PR Team (good work Mr Saunders), New Games Brand (Nintendogs), TV Campaign (DS) and Marketing Team.

THQ also came up smelling of roses, picking up Most Improved Company and the much sought after Best Sales Team award. One could make the cynical observation that it might have been hard for the company to NOT improve on its performance from back in the woeful year of 2004, but then such an observation might be considered unsportsmanlike.

Sony Computer Entertainment bagged the most prestigious award of the night, the rather magnificently named Grand Prix, in recognition of its commercial success, innovation and business management – with the company having flogged a million PSP and pushed the PS2 console up to historic UK sales of eight million over the last year. Not to mention also introducing some cracking new brands to expand the current market such as Buzz!, Singstar, new Eyetoy lines and the awesome God of War.

Amongst the retail awards, SPOnG’s favourite high street hangout, GameStation just pipped GAME to Entertainment Retailer of the Year, with accolades also going to fast-growing indie ePlay, ever improving HMV, Argos and EUK.

SCI was a popular winner of the Unsung Hero for keeping a famous games publishing name British, with its acquisition last year of Eidos.

Future's Edge magazine comfortably won Magazine Team of the Year following increased sales and strong editorial. Even though SPOnG generally despairs about the state of the UK games magazine sector, with its over-reliance on covermounts and made-up exclusives, we have to give it to the Edge team – they are consistently on the ball and always manage to produce a mag that we read cover to cover. Nice one, Mr Mott and crew.

"The UK games industry is at the very cutting edge of gaming as well as being a commercial success with a worth to the UK economy of around £2 billion each year. We lead the world at marketing, retail, development and media within the sector. This year's winners should be very proud," commented Stuart Dinsey, publisher of MCV and managing director of Intent Media.

SPOnG has four things to say to anyone who attended last nights awards - Bloody Mary, Solpadeine Max, bacon sarnie, fresh air. For everyone else, here are those awards in full;

2006 MCV INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS

RETAIL
Independent Retailer - ePlay
Entertainment Retailer - GameStation
General Retailer - Argos
Online Experience - Play.com
Most Improved Retailer - HMV
Retail Buying Team - EUK

PEOPLE & INDUSTRY
PR Team - Nintendo
Sales Team - THQ
UK Development Team - Bizarre Creations
Magazine Team - Edge
Distribution Team - Centresoft
Newcomer - Buena Vista Games
Unsung Hero - SCI
Most Improved Company - THQ

MARKETING
New Games Brand - Nintendogs (Nintendo)
Trade Marketing - Microsoft (Xbox 360)
TV Campaign - Nintendo DS (Nintendo)
Games Brand - Pro Evolution (Konami)
Games Publisher - Electronic Arts
Marketing Team - Nintendo

Grand Prix Award - Sony Computer Entertainment