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With marketing budgets tightly controlled and game development costs skyrocketing, publishers are continually faced with the challenge of advertising new titles in a cluttered landscape. On
the cusp of next-gen games, how do you make your game stand out? How do you tell your story in a way that makes people want to engage? Episodic content, that's how! Here's a look at two case studies that do it well:
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2K Sports All-Pro Football 2K8
Working against EA Sports' exclusive NFL license, 2K Sports has managed to develop an NFL football game with legendary (retired) players on faux teams. While the cult-appreciated gameplay is still inherent in the game, it's the advertising that helps drive the title's appeal.
By tasking celebrated hip-hop legends to create new and custom songs for the game and its featured (former) NFL players, 2K Sports has given the game a personality Madden fans are sure to be envious of.
Halo 3
E3 came and went, but not without a discussion of Bungie's Halo 3, which has been synonymous with the hardware since its original launch. In addition to the traditional game trailer, the first of several short films was launched to critical acclaim. Halo fanboys drank the
punch while other gamers speculated with skeptical eyes. Regardless of its reception, this first short succeeded in portraying a virtual, digital world in a more human perspective. By mixing live action and CGI seamlessly, Neill Blomkamp (the film's director) paints an
eerily conceivable future where the earth is in an arms race against, what else, aliens who try to take over the world.
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Blog Reference
All-Pro Football 2K8 Official Game Site
Blog Reference
Halo 3 Official Game Site
"Arms Race" Trailer
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They say you can't judge a book by its cover, but that's a saying for the faint of heart. When it comes to games, let's face the facts: we love everything about the package—the box, the disc art, the manual, etc. So what do we love even more, you ask? LIMITED–EDITION BOXES.
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Assassin's Creed
Not only is this a new IP, but it's launching with a special-edition box at a premium, so tack on another $10. Most IPs aren't deserving of such a glorified launch, but Ubisoft's new action/adventure title is a promising game with innovative gameplay and an even cooler story.
GTA IV
Although the box art is a bit simple, it's an established franchise that can get away with an effort like this. However, look at all the other swag you'll be getting if you want to fork over $90. Who knows, maybe someday a flimsy lockbox may come in handy.
Halo 3
Yet another established franchise with a reputation that precedes itself, the Halo Legendary Edition game is the most expensive box, coming in at $130. I've got this pre-ordered already.
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Assassin's Creed: Blog Reference
GTA IV: Blog Reference
Halo 3: Blog Reference
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| Kids These Days |
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We can speculate what kids really think about gaming or try to relive our youth to capture their mindset, but let's step back for a moment and ask them what they think of themselves.
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Pocketgamer.co.uk conducted two interviews with two kids: Andrew, a 10-year-old DS owner, and Polly, an 11-year-old PSP owner. They shared some useful information on their gaming habits. You can check out the full article for the entire interview,
but here's the quick takeaway from the author's perspective:
Both Polly and Andrew agreed that there were more good games for kids than bad overall, but most of the games they showed weren't just for kids at all. This betrays the difference in perception between parents and their children. Most of them aren't
looking for the same old killing. Instead, they want something that genuinely entertains them.
That's not to say that youngsters can, or should be able to, choose whether a game is suitable for them or not. Grand Theft Auto is still about stealing cars and shooting people, and whether it's for kids is a decision for parents and censorship bodies
to make. But the young gamers of today probably know more than some give them credit for, and they aren't falling for movie-licensed marbles.
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Blog Reference
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