Dead Island had one of the most critically acclaimed trailers of 2011 with a CG trailer that showed a family in peril and tugged at the heartstrings. Overnight, Polish developer Techland was thrown into the spotlight, and Dead Island became one of the year’s must-watch titles. We talked to Georg Larch, Deep Silver’s International Marketing Director about the excitement created by the CG film and managing it with in-game materials after that.

What does the Golden Lion award mean for the team about that trailer?

The Golden Lion is a fantastic honor and in our industry quite a rare accolade. We’ve had so much positive feedback for our introductory short film- The overwhelming reaction was never expected and has been very rewarding for all the people involved. Knowing how much passion, work and time has been invested in creating this work makes us really feel like it has paid off immensely. It is great news for the Deep Silver team and Axis with whom we have partnered to create the film.

How has the trailer, and the large amount of attention its garnered, affected the way the way Dead Island has been regarded internally at Deep Silver?

Dead Island has always been one of our company’s absolute key highlights for 2011. When the film was released, it immensely helped the game to get a stronger share of voice in this competitive market from the very beginning. With this in mind, the unexpected success of the short has undoubtedly altered our internal goals and we have adapted our strategies based on the feedback after the announcement of the game and the launch of the video.

Image from the CG trailer.

Has the CG trailer affected the development of the game at all?

First of all, the short has always tried to tell a story that makes an impression AND provides subtle links to the game such as the use of found items for combat, dismemberment, melee focus, etc. At the same we have been very happy to see that the game itself was received well by the key journalists from the beginning on. Today, the vast majority of our Dead Island fans are absolutely clamoring to play the game as their attention was sparked by the film but their hearts were ultimately won by the gameplay.

Who came up the idea and direction of the CG trailer, the animation studio or the developer?

The creative concept was co-developed by Axis and Deep Silver. The final concept was different at the beginning of our work together, but was developed through excellent teamwork and passionate and highly talented individuals on both sides. It was not necessarily based on one striking idea, but a very productive, collaborative process that has made this piece of work what it is — a very rare and almost hard to believe story of success.

How Dead Island looks in-game.

What sort of reception did Dead Island get at E3?

The event was a key element of our marketing strategy, being so close to the release of the game. Dead Island has clearly been able to meet the high expectations of the community from the reception it received at E3. Hundreds of journalists worldwide have actually played the game and the overwhelming majority of them really enjoyed the co-op multiplayer experience and have reflected these sentiments in their coverage. We have also been very happy to see a constant crowd of show attendees vying get their hands on the game themselves at the Square Enix booth (our U.S. distribution partner) to test the game themselves. 

How have you attempted to address what might be some mis-perceptions surrounding the game brought up by the trailer (as in, the game is more about action and less about emotional narrative)?

It not uncommon to start a campaign with a CGI trailer that reveals the setting of a game and subtly hints at the game experience – and the Dead Island short film does that perfectly. I think gamers are well aware that a CGI teaser trailer is not intended to be a 100 percent duplication of gameplay.

We always have planned to show “in game material” after the CGI and we have communicated honestly about the game and its key elements in many interviews and presentations. Today the large number of independent online games sites and community discussion creates a very high level of transparency for developers and publishers. It is true that the story of the teaser video has hooked a lot of fans who are now seeing and have already seen more and more of the final game. We believe that this is similar to many other campaigns.

What sort of TV spots, trailers and/or sponsorships can we look forward to with Dead Island in the lead up to release?

We will continue the overall tone and style of the campaign that we’ve set for this brand. Around release we will heavily invest online and on TV to get our share of voice and messaging out to even wider audiences. Our extremely successful Facebook group will continue to play an important role in the promotion of the game and development of its community. And, a fantastic Dead Island comic will be available soon and tell more of the story.

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