Razer On Why BlizzCon 2015 Is So Hot

BY

Razer specializes in creating gaming hardware, peripherals, and software that range from high-performance keyboards and mice to full gaming laptops like the Razer Blade, which provides plenty of power while remaining thin and light. Other upcoming offerings include the Forge TV Android powered set-top box for gaming, a virtual reality development kit called OSVR, and a smartband that tracks your health when you’re not gaming.

The company is also a premiere sponsor of BlizzCon, an annual fan convention hosted by Blizzard Entertainment that highlights its incredibly popular collection of games. With the massive success of games like Hearthstone and Heroes of the Storm, coupled with the upcoming releases of StarCraft 2 and Overwatch, this year’s BlizzCon could be the most exciting one yet.

[a]listdaily talks to Travis Wannlund, Global Director of Community Marketing for Razer, to get insight on the company’s long-standing relationship with Blizzard and its presence at BlizzCon.

Razer has been a longtime sponsor of BlizzCon. What initially prompted interest in being a sponsor?

Blizzard makes some of our favorite games: Warcraft, StarCraft, World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Diablo, Heroes of the Storm and Overwatch. That s a hell of a lineup. We ve been huge fans of BlizzCon since the first show and have increased our involvement every year since. We work with Blizzard throughout the year, so for us BlizzCon is a celebration of that partnership.

I mean, it’s Blizzard. You can t grow up playing PC games without having a fond memory of one Blizzard title or another. Many of our staff have been going to BlizzCons as fans for years, so exhibiting there is just a natural extension of what we do as individuals. If we want to be there, you can rest assured that our fans want to be there, too. We ve been working together with Blizzard for years now, and BlizzCon gives us an opportunity to reaffirm that partnership and collaboration.

With a diverse line-up of products that include everything from mice & keyboards, to gaming laptops, to smartbands, how do events like BlizzCon grow awareness of new products?

Events like BlizzCon lets us get our hard work that we re excited about in front of the people we care about. We have staff on the floor to answer any questions and conversations with our fans in-person. There is really no other place we d rather be than hanging with the community. They re the inspiration for everything we do. Razer is unique in that we devote 100 percent of our resources toward making great product for gamers (ourselves included), from peripherals to systems to software and wearable tech. BlizzCon allows us show-off our reason for being to the people we designed products for.

How does BlizzCon help associate eSports like StarCraft 2 with Razer gear?

Razer and eSports have been synonymous since the beginning, and BlizzCon is a huge draw for the eSport scene. These are the most fervent cross-section of hardcore gamers, and they follow their favorite eSports players religiously, spending hours on Twitch and Twitter to learn how to play games like StarCraft 2 better. People spent 3.7 billion hours watching competitive gaming in 2014. These are the people who demand perfection and there s no better validation for our product than when they see their favorite players using Razer gear.

Razer has an established reputation for PC and console gaming peripherals. With the success of games like Hearthstone, do you think there will be more focus on mobile gaming in the future?

We follow the gamers. If people are gaming and we can make the experience better, we want to do that. It s why we re investing a lot into our mobile software applications. Our Cortex: Deals software, where gamers can find the best prices for their favorite games and create customized wish lists, is one example. It s in Razer’s DNA to do whatever it takes to enhance performance and fun for gamers on any platform.

What role do events like BlizzCon play in increasing Razer’s brand profile?

Generally when we do a show, we discuss our products in the broader context of gaming. With BlizzCon, we know what the people coming to the booth play and we can tailor the conversation to those specific needs. Plus it gives us a chance to give back and to that community. Almost all hardcore gamers know who we are now, so our priorities have shifted to finding ways to give back to the gamers themselves. Without them, there would be no Razer.

What can attendees expect from your booth this year?

We treat these events as a way to share our common love of Blizzard games with fans. We ll have a couple of new product announcements, giveaways and other booth activities. It s about enjoying the games, hanging with the community, and appreciating the millions of people that make gaming as great as it is.

Meghan Camarena Jumps Into A Marvel Murder Mystery

BY

YouTube star Meghan Camarena (commonly known as Strawburry17) has already made a big name for herself on her streaming video channel, but now she’s ready to take on a whole new platform using comic books as a launching point. Meghan has teamed with Instagram and celebrity photographer Michael Becker to create a murder mystery set in Marvel’s Spider-Man “Spider-Verse” universe. Together, with a number of other influencers in the entertainment industry, Camarena has managed to put together a fun little mystery that users can follow along with. More details about the #MarvelMurderMystery, which launches today, can be found on Instagram here {link no longer active}.

[a]listdaily sat down with Meghan to talk about the Marvel Murder Mystery project, its challenges, and using some special powers to put it all together.

1. How did creating a Marvel Murder Mystery on Instagram come about?

I wanted to do another photography project with Michael Becker, and I pitched him the idea. It’s a little bit outside his realm but he was able to get on board! He loved the idea of shooting something similar to the comic book style, having all of my friends be apart of it, and trying to figure out a really immersive story. He and I worked together to create that. And what better time than Halloween to do a murder mystery and dress up in costumes

2. What about Instagram makes it a compelling storytelling platform?

The simplicity of Instagram is why it’s such a great storytelling platform. You can look at a person’s profile and see a collection of what’s happening in that person’s life. For the way that we’re telling the story, we wanted people to be able to do that. They’ll be visiting many different profiles to collect clues. Instagram just has the prettiest layout and really great searchability with the use of the hashtag, and that’s why we chose it.

Screen Shot 2015 10 26 at 12.52.11 PM

3. What was the biggest challenge when it came to putting such a multiple layered mystery together?

The biggest challenge was definitely time. We’ve never done something like this before, so we ended up having to do re-shoots, and only half of the cast could come in for them. But we were still able to tell a lot of the story from the photos we got that first day. Something like this is a full-on production and going into it we thought, “eh, we have our shot list so we’ll just get these and it’ll be good,” but after reviewing the first round of photos we knew this could definitely be so much more, and we needed to give it a little bit more time.

4. Out of all the Marvel properties available, why do you think the “Spider-Verse” was the best fit for the Murder Mystery?

What is happening in the Amazing Spider-Man comics right now is kind of incredible, with Secret Wars and everything coming to an end. It’s fun to see all the different Spider-Men from all the different universes! It’s just a fun idea that there are multiple versions of a superhero we all love and admire. There’s even a Spider-Pig, which is great, and obviously Spider-Gwen, who I love cosplaying as. The costumes are just so fun and exciting; RPC Studio provided all of them custom made for us. It’s all spandex but the amount of detail in each costume meant there was no need for props so we just had to put our best Spidey face on!

5. You’re collaborating with other influencers like Ashlyn Pearce, Joanna Sotomura, Joey Graceffa and more, and frequent collaboration has become a regularity in this industry. In what ways does collaborating benefit the projects you work on?

I think the best thing about collaborating is introducing something new to different audiences. For example Ashlyn Pearce: she’s an actress and was on The Bold and The Beautiful. Even though she’s playing MJ [Mary Jane], I don’t think her audience is too familiar with cosplay, so we’re introducing something completely new to them. Same with Nikki Phillippi, who is a lifestyle vlogger. When she posted the picture of her in her Spider-Woman cosplay, people in the comments were freaking out and saying they never thought they’d see her in cosplay, but it was amazing! They may not have been comic fans before but now they’re going to be because someone they admire is embracing a character that they might be interested in. I think that’s why collaborations are vital, because even though we all have our own brand we stick to, we do offer something new that can cater to a very different audience.

6. Considering the growth of Instagram’s audience as of late, do you believe that Marvel Murder Mystery is coming along at just the right time for them?

When I decided I wanted to do the murder mystery, it just made complete sense to do it on Instagram. I believe that they’re very innovative in how they tell stories and how they share pictures. It’s becoming much more than just a photo sharing site, It’s a way to express yourself. You see a lot of professional photographers on Instagram as well. Michael Becker is a truly incredible celebrity photographer who has shot for American Horror Story and Sons of Anarchy, and his stuff is something new to contribute to this kind of platform. With the murder mystery project, it’s still amazing, stunning photography but with the nerdy comic and cosplay element.

Screen Shot 2015 10 26 at 12.52.19 PM

7. What is your approach to collaboration?

I basically had a cool idea and asked my friends! I asked if they wanted to be a part of this really exciting photo shoot with Michael Becker and I centered around the Spider-Verse. They’d get some great content for October and be able to keep the custom made suits. All of them said yes, in a heartbeat! Maybe if it had been any other time of the year it would’ve been harder to pitch, but they were excited to do it because it’s a free costume and it’s just so fun dressing up for Halloween. This is usually when people catch the cosplay itch, so hopefully I’ve inspired them!

8. If successful, could we see other arcs in the Murder Mystery introduced Or perhaps new universes in the Marvel realm?

I would love for this to be something we continue to do! Michael and I actually have a few other secret projects in the works. I’m a huge fan of Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel. I would love to dive in deeper to the Marvel realm and maybe even explore other comics. I think that could be a great idea and I am ready and willing to do it!

Audience Engagement Matters Most On Social

BY

When it comes to making a vital social media marketing campaign, outreach is vital. It not only improves upon awareness of the brand in question, but also provides the possibility of growth for audience engagement, according to eMarketer.

A new study conducted by Ascend2 (via eMarketer) indicates that, from the nearly 300 professionals polled, nearly two thirds stated that audience engagement was the most crucial factor. There are others to consider as well, including increased brand awareness, lead generation and website traffic, but without consumers on board, it’s all for naught.

Chart 1026

The chart indicates this level of importance, with increased audience engagement getting 64%, followed by increased brand awareness (54%), lead generation (41%) and website traffic (35%). Audience size and search rankings took up the lower part of the rankings.

Tactical effectiveness plays a part in all this, with 82% of these professionals stating that creating compelling content is the best way to go about this.

This isn’t just for social media, but also with video, which is becoming more and more accepted in channels like Twitter and Facebook.

That said, the road to getting overall social media success isn’t quite as easy as it looks. Half of those surveyed stated that the inability to measure ROI was a big obstacle when it came to getting results, while others noted that the lack of in-house skills and resources, a shortage of actionable insights and the absence of aforementioned tactical effectiveness also serve as hills to get over.

But not everything is on the negative side. Another chart shows that U.S. companies utilizing social networks for marketing purposes will continue to grow slowly but surely over the next few years. In 2013, it showed that 86.2% of companies were taking part. This year, it rose to 88.2%. It’ll reach almost 90 percent by 2017, coming in just under with 89.4%.

The full report can be found here. It’ll definitely be news to those trying to find a way to grasp what’s most effective with using social media for promotion.

Image source

 

Vine’s Top 10 Gaming Brands

BY

More video games are taking to social media to advertise than ever before. While many games have official Twitter and Facebook accounts, some have also made an impact on Instagram, too.

But let’s not forget about Vine. Although its short, six-second, looping video format might appear constraining, it’s becoming an ideal place for companies to advertise  upcoming games and reach millions of viewers. Here’s a countdown of the ten most popular game companies and brands you’ll find on Vine today.

10. Nintendo

Splatoon continues to get a lot of love on its official Vine channel, as shown below.

9. League of Legends

League of Legends draws in millions of players globally, and the game’s official Vine channel sees plenty of game highlights.

8. Treyarch

The developers behind the Call of Duty: Black Ops games keep a large audience with its daily antics and Black Ops III teases.

7. Infinity Ward

Another Call of Duty developer, which created the Modern Warfare saga, has its fair share of Vine popularity, including eSports tournament coverage.

6. DOTA 2

Still one of the most popular MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) games out there, DOTA 2 still draws a strong crowd on Vine with its cryptic, humorous videos.

5. Xbox

Microsoft’s Xbox Vine channel has been quite busy lately, particularly with teaser videos leading up to the release of Halo 5: Guardians.

4. Call of Duty

With over 900,000 loops, the Call of Duty Vine page continues to go strong. New videos should post shortly in time for Black Ops III’s release.

3. EA

Although EA’s Vine channel has been suffering from some neglect, older games like Titanfall continue to be popular.

2. PlayStation

With over 700,000 loops, the PlayStation channel continues to see quite a few plays, especially with its look at “classic” PlayStation videos.

1. Ubisoft

Ubisoft promotes its Vine channel heavily, loading the channel with videos devoted to its recently launched Assassin’s Creed Syndicate and Just Dance 2016.

George Romero Explains What Video Games Open Up For Hollywood

BY

George Cameron Romero, the son of legendary horror filmmaker George A. Romero, has been busy of late. While in pre-production for Origins, the prequel to Night of the Living Dead, he spent time working with independent game developer Free Reign Entertainment on the free-to-play massively multiplayer online (MMO) zombie game, Romero’s Atermath, which is available in Open Beta on Steam and at www.willyousurvive.com/.

Romero, who’s a big gamer, explains why zombies remain so entrenched in pop culture today and what the challenges are in the freemium games space in this exclusive interview.

georgeromero

George Cameron Romero

What did you learn about the video game business from your dad’s City of the Dead project that was canceled?

I learned that it just wasn’t the right time for that particular game.

How have you seen the game industry evolve with the rise of free-to-play games?

Anyone with a mid-spec PC can download and run most free-to-play games, no matter what their disposable income. There are no more big up-front costs to buy the latest console or get the Day One Edition of hit shooter franchise #7 — a game that you may or may not want to play a week from now, and which depreciates in value faster than a new car off the lot.

Fans have been waiting a long time for a Night of the Living Dead game. How have you incorporated concepts from that film franchise into this original game?

Fans should be pleasantly surprised by similar thematic elements as they continue to play the game.  The zombies and survival aspects of Aftermath are very much rooted in classic horror cinema.

Why do you think zombies remain so popular in pop culture today?

They represent the corruption of the everyman, if you will — your neighbor, friends, family, employer, people you love, and of course, some people you’d just as soon want to see turn into zombies!  They are the ultimate in what is scary because they are the embodiment of the familiar turned into a mindless killing machine.

What differentiates this survival horror game from the crowded field?

So much actually – from the complex survival mechanics to the representation of what the world would be like after an actual apocalypse. The “every man for himself” aspects of the gameplay are unlike anything I’ve ever played, and the mindset needed to survive and thrive make it very unique.

What are the challenges in standing out from the crowded free-to-play field?

You have to make sure that players want to stay invested. You have to make sure they want to keep on keeping on, no matter how hard the struggle. The “free to win” mentality Free Reign has implemented (versus the typical “pay to win” model of most free-to-play games) is very refreshing.

What type of gaming background do you have?

I’m “classically trained.” From the days of Intellivision, gaming has been a huge part of my life.

How has that background helped with designing Aftermath?

I approached my task as a storyteller and gamer first, not as a developer. I know what I’d like to see in the game and pushed for that.

What are your thoughts on the opportunities for indie developers in today’s gaming ecosystem?

It has the potential to be the Wild West all over again, like the old days of game making and indie filmmaking. There are fewer rules, and indie developers now have the ability to reach a much wider audience without the pressure and control of a publisher or financier.

What are your thoughts on what Treyarch has done with the COD Zombies games (which your dad made a cameo in)?

They’ve done a great job! I love playing the Zombie mode in the COD games.

What video game opportunities do you see with your new movie, Origins?

This is a tough one to answer at this point, as we have some things actively in development that are confidential, so I’ll just say they are vast.

We’re also seeing The Walking Dead get its own VR video game. What opportunities do you see in that space?

I would love the opportunity to get involved in the VR space. It’s finally the right time. After seeing some of the VR demos at Sundance this year, VR gaming could redefine the way we experience interactive entertainment and cinema.

360-degree video is also hot right now. What do you see that format opening up creatively for horror storytelling?

You mean like The Force Awakens 360 video that was recently released I love the concept. It’s incredibly immersive. It could add a lot to linear video experiences. The next time I watch this piece of 360 content I’m not going to watch the main action, I’m going to look over here and see what other details I might notice.

Challenges Arise In Adopting New Marketing Tech

BY

While marketing technology continues to grow in more convenient ways for companies, there are a few obstacles getting in the way of adoption – namely the lack of a devoted budget and difficulty putting an implemented system into place.

A report from eMarketer discusses a July 2015 study by Walker Sands that shows that while marketers are ready to adopt new marketing tech, the budgets allocated may be holding back investment. The results show that more than half of U.S. marketers feel that they company doesn’t invest the necessary amount into the technology, while 42% state that the current technology being used isn’t quite up to date, or isn’t providing the efficiency needed to get the job done.

Chart 1023

Budget seems to be the biggest pain point with adopting these new services, with 69% of those polled indicating that to be the case. Difficulty of implementation and integration, internal resistance to change and lack of executive buy-in also play parts as well.

When it comes to learning about new marketing technology, nearly a third of marketers take cues from colleagues and others in their industry, with a majority citing that these recommendations are influential when deciding what to go with.

The full report can be found here.

 

‘Fallout 4’ Promotion Brings Beer And Cheers

BY

One of this fall’s most anticipated games is the sci-fi themed Fallout 4, which promises to be bigger and better than any of the best-selling entries in the series. The publisher, Bethesda Softworks, is going all out with team-ups and promotions for the game, which happens to include including its own line of beer.

Fallout 4 beer may be on its way to a fridge near you, according to Polygon. The alcoholic drink is a promotion between Bethesda and the Carlsberg brewery, offering a light-colored pilsner lager “with a refreshing zesty hoppy taste and a floral aroma.” A 12-pack is currently going for £29.99 pounds, and is expected to ship right before the game’s release.

However, there is a catch: the drink is currently only for sale in the U.K., with no plans for U.S. distribution. That seems like a loss, especially considering the popularity of craft beers in the U.S.. That’s not to say it’ll never arrive, so there’s always hope.

Bethesda has been offering a number of Fallout-based collectibles to fans in anticipation of the game’s release, most of which can be found on its devoted store page. These include a limited edition Vault-Tec Industries single rotation watch, a collectible The Art of Fallout 4 book, t-shirts, hoodies, and a wired Xbox One controller, which sold out a few days ago.

On top of that, the promotion of the game has been rolling along at full speed, including an impressive live-action trailer (shown above) and a special Xbox One bundle that includes a copy of the game, along with a downloadable version of Fallout 3, which is due to launch on November 10th.

Considering how frenetically previous entries in the series have sold (Fallout 3 shipped nearly five million units and Fallout: New Vegas rounding out near $300 million in overall sales), Fallout 4 should have no problem being an imminent success this holiday season. Let’s just hope that Bethesda gives this beer promotion some considering over on our shores.

Fallout 4 releases on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC on November 10th.

Brands Go Big On VR

BY

With headsets like the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Sony’s PlayStation VR (formerly Project Morpheus) all releasing in 2016, companies are bracing themselves for the potential realities of virtual reality, and how to best use the technology to promote their brand. VR could change the way we work, play, and interact with each other. According to a report from the consulting group Tractica, VR spending by consumers could reach $21.8 billion by 2020. Meanwhile, Digi-Capital, a different consulting group, released a report that ups the spending estimate to a whopping $150 billion by 2020 – upending mobile. Meanwhile, Business Insider predicts that 26.5 million virtual reality headsets will be sold over the next five years.

Whether it’s augmenting reality with digital information, or being transported to all-new spaces (like inside a food sorting machine) with virtual reality, it’s clear that different brands want to be associated with this growing form of cutting edge technology. The reason being that these experiences provide opportunities for consumers to engage with products like never before.

Movies and TV shows seem ready to take advantage of what virtual reality has to offer with the experiences like the Paranormal Activity: Ghost Dimension VR Demo, The Hunger Games VR experience, and the John Wick VR game among others. Virtual reality lets fans engage in fantastic worlds that they see in movies, making the link between the two an obvious one.

The sense of engagement and immersion makes for an unforgettable experience that companies want associated with their brands. Red Bull is promoting an air race experience, where participants take part in the high-speed motorsport by strapping on an Oculus Rift headset. It’s all the thrill of being in the cockpit without needing a pilot’s license. Landmark Entertainment is looking to get a Virtual World’s Fair online by 2017, where consumers can experience and shop from spaces around the globe without leaving their homes. Similar experiences were mentioned by CEO Mark Zuckerberg when Facebook purchased Oculus VR for $2 billion last year. An article from TechCrunch states that “VR can and will revolutionize brand/consumer interaction.”

emarketer vr ecommerce

However, we can’t forget that virtual reality is a completely untested field, and its widespread adoption is far from guaranteed. Even with research like the December 2014 report published by Walker Sands (via eMarketer), which indicates that “two-thirds of U.S. internet users said they would be interested in virtual reality, and 63% said such technologies would change the way they shop.”

The report further states that 35% of people would change over to online shopping instead of going to brick and mortar stores because virtual reality would give them “a more realistic feel of a product.” However, that is counter-balanced by how 37% of respondents “couldn’t imagine the technology having an effect on their shopping experience.”

eMarketer also mentions research done by Economist Intelligence that states that marketers aren’t ready to for virtual reality, as both virtual and augmented reality ranked at the bottom of the list of impactful marketing trends by 2020. But that hasn’t stopped companies like The North Face (an outdoors clothing retailer), Mountain Dew and Merrell footwear from producing their own virtual experiences (shown above) to promote their products. Even The New York Times has partnered with Google on a virtual reality project by packing a cardboard VR viewer in with the November 8th print edition, so that subscribers can watch the a virtual reality film called The Displaced, using smartphones.

Ironically, it looks like the best way for to get more consumers comfortable with virtual reality technology and online shopping is by having VR experiences in the stores themselves, further contributing to the obsolescence of brick-and-mortar retail. Fashion company Tommy Hilfiger recently announced a VR shopping experience, superior to what can be had online, that will roll at select store locations. Furthermore, some of the movie VR tie-ins mentioned earlier can only be experienced at select movie theaters.

Virtual reality has a ways to go before we can expect to see mass adoption, but marketers are already seeking creative way to engage with audiences and associate brands with memorable experiences.

CLIO Key Art Awards Showcase Entertainment Marketing’s Finest

BY

Last night, the annual CLIO Key Art Awards brought together 1,200 attendees to celebrate entertainment marketing’s finest.

“This is an industry that continues to evolve, as every year the newest ideas and techniques are introduced,” said Nicole Purcell, president of CLIO.

Taking home those coveted shiny trophies this time around with some big wins: Microsoft Studios/Xbox, Game Publisher of the Year, FX Networks received the honor of Television Network of the Year and Warner Bros. nabbed Studio of the Year.

Ayzenberg also emerged with 8 statuettes for work on the Halo HUNT the TRUTH campaign, Sonic the Hedgehog, Street Fighter V and Microsoft’s “Jump Ahead” E3 Trailer.

The Halo HUNT the TRUTH campaign alone won numerous awards, for creative content, sound design, copywriting and innovation.

“HUNT the TRUTH has been an incredible collaboration between Ayzenberg and Xbox; an immense amount of passion and creativity has been exhibited which is now garnering the recognition it deserves,” said Kate Fisher, Social Media Marketing Manager at Xbox. “22 episodes, six hours of audio content, 34 custom images, key art, fan engagements. It all adds up to an award-worthy execution.”

“I’m incredibly proud of this campaign and everything we’ve accomplished,” said Noah Eichen, Creative Director at Ayzenberg. “This was by far the most challenging yet creatively rewarding campaign I’ve ever worked on. The passion and reverence for the brand as well as the drive the team has displayed throughout has been inspiring. Whether it’s the fan feedback or accolades, I think the results speak for themselves.”

Click here for a full list of Clio Key Art Award winners.

noah eichen ayzenbergAyzenberg’s Noah Eichen had his hands full at the CLIO Key Art Awards on October 22nd.

Images via The Hollywood Reporter

Mike Schmid Talks About WG Cells, Wargaming’s Mobile Division

BY

Screen Shot 2015 10 20 at 8.40.38 AM e1445355762950 300x283

Headquartered in Europe with studios around the world, Wargaming is famous for developing popular online battle simulation games such as World of Tanks. Recently, the Seattle-based studio, DropForge Games (creators of Loot & Legends), was officially brought into the Wargaming fold as WG Cells, which will be the company’s dedicated mobile games division. Wargaming has invested in the studio for years, but DropForge was regarded as independent until now. Bringing the studio in puts it under the Wargaming banner, and WG Cells will have access to its resources for creating and promoting games.

[a]listdaily speaks to WG Cells’ marketing director Mike Schmid to find out how WG Cells will help grow the Wargaming brand on mobile.

What led up to the decision to make DropForge Games into WG Cells, Wargaming’s mobile games division?

Wargaming and DropForge have been working together since day one, as they were our sole investor. More recently, it was decided that it was time to unify Wargaming’s mobile strategy under one Wargaming branded banner; WG Cells. To be clear, WG Cells is not only DropForge, but also Wargaming’s mobile studio in Kiev, developers of the soon-to-be released World of Tanks Generals.

What is the importance of having a dedicated mobile games division like WG Cells as opposed to keeping it all under the main Wargaming brand?

Wargaming has built an incredible brand that conveys immersive, realistic and historically accurate military experiences on desktop, console, and mobile. WG Cells allows us to venture outside of this space and explore mobile game genres and styles that may not fit properly into the Wargaming brand.

World of Tanks Blitz, Wargaming’s first entry onto mobile platforms, already has over 35 million downloads. How will WG Cells expand on that kind of success?

One of the key benefits of being a part of the greater Wargaming organization is access to the incredible in-house resources. For instance the Marketing, Business Development, Art, and BI teams from Wargaming will provide immense value to the WG Cells teams we are building in Seattle and Kiev. Leveraging the learnings and relationships we’ve made from building Blitz and our other titles will absolutely be part of our strategy moving forward.

What are the challenges of marketing a mobile game compared to a PC or console game?

Mobile is different. It’s hard to say one platform is more challenging than another but it’s safe to say you need expertise in the specific platform in order to market a game properly. And more so than any other platform, mobile game marketing, and more specifically free-to-play, is extremely data driven and focused on performance. We have already built a marketing team that is focused on performance advertising, creative optimization, and our relationships with our platforms. These areas are the keys to successful mobile game marketing, which differs greatly from our PC and console brethren, who still need to leverage more traditional media like press and print.

Unfortunately for us, press does not equate to installs for mobile games. But it’s still incredibly important to building our brand, and we are very grateful of the positive relationships we’ve built with outlets like [a]listdaily. We are also keeping a close eye on how influencers will impact mobile game marketing, and are already diving deeper into that.