GCSE Media Studies Summer exam 2014: The Promotion and Marketing of Video Games

GCSE Media Studies Summer exam 2014: The Promotion and Marketing of Video GamesCase Study #4: HALO 4 and

HALO 4HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014

HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014HALO 4Developers: 343 IndustriesPublishers: Microsoft StudiosPlatform: Xbox 360Release Date: 6th. November 2012Genre: First-person shooter game multi-player and on-line modes.Sales: Grossed $220 million on its first day of sales and $300 million over the first week. More than One million people played the game in the first 24 hours after its release. Has sold more than 4 million copies, to date. HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014

HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014Player InteractionHALO 4 creates a world which appears to demand the total involvement of the player. This is a different environment to previous games that we have looked at this interacts with the Target Audience on many different levels. As you would expect from a Microsoft company, the Promotion and Marketing of HALO 4 uses every angle to reach a potential buyer a variety of Marketing platforms are used / product tie-ins, huge build-up and ramped up expectations. HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014HALO 4: NarrativeThe player is a cybernetically-enhanced super-soldier called the Master Chief. The story is set on an alien planet in the year 2557. The Master Chief encounters alien tribes and ancient warriors.The Master Chief is accompanied by an artificial intelligence construct Cortana.

HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014

HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014

HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014

HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014Design ElementsThe makers and publishers of HALO 4 appear to be obsessive about the design and look of their game. There are several competitions to involve artistic game-players in the design of products:Box-designPoster designFan ArtHow does this push the boundaries of player involvement and game interaction.HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014

HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014Helmet design

HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014Fan Art 1

HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014

Fan Art 2HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014Homepage Waypoint

HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014

Webpage Screen shotsHALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014Webpage - Shop

HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014

GametypesHALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014

Forums pageHALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014Pro-Team Competition

HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014Website Championship

HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014Webpage Theater mode

HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014The Marketing CampaignHow long should a marketing and promotion campaign last?How can Marketing Platforms be used to raise the profile of the product? PRINT / BROADCAST / WEBHow can potential buyers be alerted to the forthcoming product before the launch date?How to build the excitement and expectation. HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014HALO 4 Promotion & MarketingLaunch date: 6th. November 2012

Promotion Campaign starts: June 2011 = 18 months before Launch Date and continues over a year after September 2013HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014HALO 4 Campaign timeline 1June 2011 release of first game teaser trailer. (WEB)January 2012 news release: availability of merchandise. (PRINT)February 2012 header and background ads appear on popular gaming websites. (WEB)April 2012 launch of live action web-series based on the game Five x 15 minute episodes. (WEB)Launch of dedicated HALO 4 website. (WEB)HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014Pepsico tie-in

HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014HALO 4 Campaign timeline 2May 2012 box art competition launch. (PRINT)September 2012 pre-order sales begins. Point of Sale (PoS) displays placed in strategic shops plus countdown unit. (BROADCAST / PRINT)September October Tie-in promotion with Pepsi, Mountain Dew and Doritos / Pizza Hut in the UK all Pepsico companies. (TIE-IN ALL PLATFORMS?)October official launch trailer shown on US talk-show plus interview with trailer Producer David Fincher. gameplay (BROADCAST / WEB)

HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014HALO 4 Campaign timeline 3November 2012 50 foot high sign floated down the Thames. sign is flown down the River Thames. (BROADCAST)

NOVEMBER 6th OFFICIAL WORLDWIDE LAUNCH DATE10,000 shops in 40 countries have midnight launch parties. launch parties.November 2012 television ads / Art book published. (BROADCAST / PRINT)

HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014HALO 4 Campaign timeline 4December 2012 Infinity tournament opens. (BROADCAST / PRINT / WEB)February 2013 Second expansion pack released. (WEB?)April 2013 Third expansion pack released. (WEB?)September 2013 Essential Guide Book published. (PRINT)

HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014Use of Special / Limited Editions

HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014Play Controllers

HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014Armaments

HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014Merchandise

HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014

Clothing

HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014Colouring pages for boys!

HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014Representations maleness / heroic / conquering

HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014Maleness armoury / macho

HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014Representations of femininity sexuality

HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014Feminity soft / vulnerable

HALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014END OF KLHALO4 - LANGTON - APRIL 2014

AQA 2014Video Games: Promotion and MarketingPROMOTION and MARKETINGA campaign is more than an advert!A campaign is a collection of advertising and marketing techniques used to market a game, or any other product or brand. Campaigns are usually delivered through several platforms (e.g. TV, web, print).

Campaigns tend to be long-running, over weeks or months, and often use different techniques before, during and after the release of the game.

Campaigns can be high budget or low budget.

Ingredients of a campaignInternet: viral ads, dedicated website, homepage takeovers, banner ads on other sites, pre-released game content, beta testing, forums, fan sites, reviews on gaming sites, Facebook, TwitterPrint: billboards, posters, box art, game art books, point of sale displays, magazine adverts, advertorials, reviews, interviews...Moving image: trailers, tv ads, interviews on talk shows, reviews on gaming programmes... Events: pop-ups, launch parties, flash mobs, live-action events...Other: merchandising, tie-ins...

A coherent brand imageGames tend to have a coherent brand image: they have a distinct 'look.' This can be created through colour codes, through re-using a distinctive image or design, through a tagline, through fonts and graphics etc.

This look helps to create the brand image of the product.

The brand image is used to tie all the marketing together, so it is all recognised as part of the game's brand. Brand image - tag linesAs well as design, the tagline can set the tone for the product. it is usually repeated across all aspects of the campaign.

Do you recognise these taglines?'There's a soldier in all of us''Finish the Fight'

What impression does each one create?1. Call of duty Black ops 2. Halo 3 3. Just Dance 4 4. SporeLow-budget campaignsNot all companies have the funds for big expensive marketing campaigns. See videos 24 and 26

Not all games are expected to make enough money to warrant big campaigns.

Some producers deliberately choose low-key marketing to appeal to a niche group of cult fans.

Case Study 3: Angry BirdsIn 2003, three college-leavers in Finland started a small company called Rovio.

They released an app called Angry Birds in 2009. It became a huge hit.

The marketing has moved from low-budget to higher budget as the game has become more successful and profitable.Angry Birds (1)Initial marketing was cheap and low-key.

On release in each country, they promoted the game through Gaming forums on the internet, and through comments and reviews in Gaming magazines.

They used a Twitter feed, set up a Facebook page and used other social marketing to communicate with fans and build a fan community.

They set up a website with additional content.

Twitter feed is @AngryBirdsAngry Birds (2)Rovio moved into merchandising (there is a whole website just for T shirts; lunch-boxes, sweets, toys) very early, and this now makes up over 30% of their income.

As the game became more widely known, Rovio used more conventional techniques such as game trailers.

Rovio have also expanded the brand by licensing the game to a theme park and a TV series (see the trailer here).

Angry Birds (3)In 2011 they partnered with 20th Century Fox to release a version of the game called Angry Birds Rio, with characters from the film Rio in it. These tie-ins generate good publicity for both companies: an example of synergy. See the Angry Birds Rio trailer here.

In 2012 the new game Angry Birds in Space was announced from the International Space Station by a NASA astronaut doing physics experiments: see here.

Their Space game trailer also emphasises the physics content, making the case for Angry Birds to be seen as a worthwhile educational game.

Opinion leaders - two-step flowOne important area for games marketing is internet games sites and print gaming magazines. Gaining positive reviews can is very important. See video 23

Games reviewers are seen as 'opinion leaders' in the games community. Their views are trusted. They pass their views and opinions on to readers. This is the two-step flow theory in action.Opinion leaders - two-step flow

READERSREADERS READERSGames CompaniesX-Box magazineGames Master magazineGameSpot.comIGN.comExplain these terms:campaign low budget high budgetguerilla marketingviral marketing opinion leaderstwo-step flowtie-insmerchandisingpoint-of-sale displayopinion leaderstwo-step flow