Games the priority at Zavvis mini E3 retail conference

Newly independent entertainment retail chain Zavvi has made a bold gesture of dedication to its games business by introducing a ‘mini E3′ at its annual Christmas conference.

The six-hour event gave 125 Zavvi store managers and 30 games specialists the chance to sample a number of key forthcoming titles. THQ, Nintendo, Sega, Ubisoft, Eidos, Capcom, Vivendi, Activision, Konami, Microsoft and Sony made up the high calibre list of publishers in attendance in the main hall, while EA had its own hub positioned outside.

With no equivalent focus on DVDs or music, it was clear games dominated the event.

Games were the only product category talked about in any great depth,” head of games Patrick Kelly told MCV.

The brief was to create a mini E3 for the managers. There wasn’t an equivalent period of time focusing on music and DVD – it was all about games.”

Kelly hinted there will be much more games activity to come, as Zavvi plans to become a more powerful force in the sector than it was under Virgin.

In the medium term we’ve got exciting plans for games. We’re no longer the poor cousin behind music and DVDs and that is an indication of where we’re going to take games over the next six to twelve months.

"The passion I saw at the conference really gives me, the board and (managing director) Simon Douglas faith that we can deliver on games where maybe we haven’t before."