Highlights From TwitchCon 2016

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[a]listdailys was on-hand at TwitchCon to catch all the action and explore how livestreaming has evolved.

Keynote: Twitch Prime Announced

  • TwitchCon 2016 keynote host djWHEAT: “Twitch is on the forefront of both embracing gaming culture and developing new subcultures.”
  • Twitch CEO, Emmitt Shear breaks down the numbers. At any given time, there are approximately 622,000 viewers on Twitch.
  • The number of concurrent viewers peaked at over 2 million on April 3, 2016 during an eSports weekend event.
  • Over 2 million streamers were broadcasting this past year, including over 17,000 partner streamers.
  • Over 10 billion minutes of content was broadcasted on Twitch since last year’s TwitchCon.
  • The most watched game of 2016 is Overwatch, followed by World of Warcraft: Legion, Destiny: Rise of Iron, Tom Clancy’s The Division and H1Z1: King of the Kill.
  • Earlier this year, Twitch acquired Curse Network. Shear announced today that the Curse Voice app is getting “Twitchified.” Curse app users can add a purple Twitch theme, complete with all the beloved emotes, when they link their Curse and Twitch accounts.
  • Streamers are getting a host of new features, including customizable loyalty badges to award viewers. The feature will become available in three weeks.
  • Beginning today, streamers will be able to upload videos to their channels for anyone to watch, and they’ll be able to download past streams for watching and/or editing.
  • Starting today, the Twitch mobile app will support livestream clips. To date, almost 16 million clips have been created by over 3 million viewers. Later this month, users will be able to trim clips to their liking.
  • Twitch Prime announced: Twitch is integrating Amazon Prime benefits into a new service called Twitch Prime.
  • Shear describes Twitch Prime as: “A new premium version of Twitch which comes free with an Amazon Prime membership.” It includes ad-free viewing, exclusive emotes and chat badge.
  • Twitch Prime benefits include: 1. Monthly game loot, which includes free games, in-game skins, characters and more. 2. One free subscription to any Twitch channel each month. 3. Discounts on new release box games on Amazon during the pre-order period and first two weeks following launch.
  • Blizzard Entertainment’s Ben Thompson, Hearthstone Art Director, took to the stage to reveal one more Twitch Prime benefit. Users that sign up for Twitch Prime between today and November 6 will get a special Hearthstone hero.
  • Additionally, the game Streamline will be free for users who sign up for Twitch Prime within 30 days.
  • Twitch Prime starts today, and users can link their Twitch IDs with their Amazon Prime accounts for access.

Here are the top highlights from [a]listdaily‘s exclusive interviews from the show:

Daybreak Games Discuss H1Z1 As An ESport

  • Jens Anderson, executive creative director at Daybreak Games, is joined by H1Z1 streamers to talk about eSports.
  • The H1Z1 Invitational tournament, which started at TwitchCon last year, is back.
  • Invitational pits 60 players against each other for a $260,000 prize pool.
  • It takes incredible dedication to train for the tournament.
  • Jens Anderson: “I don’t think you can manufacture an eSport.”
  • The prize pool is generated by fans that purchase a special H1Z1 game pack.
  • The H1Z1 Invitational takes place on Sunday, October 2.

Darude Finds Unexpected Focus From Livestreaming Music

  • Finnish musician and DJ, Darude discusses how Twitch has affected his following and creative methods.
  • Once he got over his nervousness about people watching, Darude feels that livestreaming helps him focus.
  • His song, Sandstorm is a common, pre-game “pump-up” track for players, which helped him integrate into the community.
  • People seem surprised that a streamer is not a gamer, but they seem very forgiving, allowing Darude to experiment with music.
  • Twitch followers—particularly gamers—notice things about his music that he didn’t expect.

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Gunnar Optiks Celebrates 10 Years Of Preventing Eye Strain

  • Scott Sorenson, president of Gunnar is joined by streamer, Life With Laughs and musician, Darude.
  • Gunnar Optiks was founded a decade ago after one of the co-founders, a stock broker discovered that he had eye strain.
  • Gunnar glasses filter out harmful blue light, which is a major problem in a world of digital screens. Although Gunnar glasses are beneficial for anyone who works on a computer, gamers are especially prone to eye strain.
  • As the company celebrates its 10th birthday, Sorenson says that they will continue to focus on education to save eyes, “two at a time.”

Qazi Shares His Game Development Journey With The Masses

  • Artist and programmer, Qazi is a one-man game development team.
  • His games include Twitch integration, allowing viewers to play the games together.
  • Skyhook was developed with the help of Qazi’s followers and launched live on his stream.
  • Qazi enjoys getting feedback from viewers on assets, art and other fun activities like drawing pugs.

TwitchCon: It’s All About The Creation

  • [a]listdaily was joined by Amy Brady, head of Twitch global events.
  • TwitchCon, in its second year has already surpassed attendance by about 10,000 people.
  • Brady says that they care about the indie games as much as the “big brands” at the show.
  • Creation is at the core of what Twitch stands for, be it gaming or otherwise, and they enjoy the diversity.

Watch live video from Alistdaily on www.twitch.tv

Oasis Games Exec Discusses Global Opportunities Of PlayStation VR

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Chinese game publisher Oasis Games is making a big commitment to virtual reality. The company, which released its first PlayStation 4 game, Koi, in the US earlier this year, is bringing five PlayStation VR games out in Sony’s launch window. Ace Banana, Weeping Doll, Pixel Gear and Mixip will launch in October, while Dying: Reborn will be available this winter.

The company is connecting with gamers across multiple platforms. Oasis Games has also worked with Tencent and Bandai Namco on the massive PC multiplayer online (MMO) game Naruto Online.

Alen Wu, director of business development at Oasis Games, joined [a]listdaily to explain why the company is investing heavily in PS VR and how its development teams are creating games for the global market in this exclusive interview.

What opportunities is PlayStation VR opening up for your company?

The PlayStation VR is allowing us [Oasis Games] the opportunity to share with the world the exciting developments that are happening in China in console and VR, as well as the creations of extremely talented Chinese developers. Our initial lineup for the PlayStation VR is also expanding our presence in the Western markets and bringing some unique entertaining experiences to gamers there.

Why did you decide to support Sony’s PS VR launch with so many titles out of the gate?

While we have published over 35 games in other territories since 2011, we only began publishing in the West this April with Koi for PlayStation 4. Our PlayStation VR lineup is very diverse and the perfect vehicle to continue to introduce our games to players in the West.

Can you talk about your strategy in selecting different genres and types of games to focus on for PS VR’s launch?

As SIESH’s [Sony Interactive Entertainment Shanghai] current sole strategic partner, we had the rare opportunity to come out of the gate with many titles within the PlayStation VR launch window. While the lineup focuses on two main genres, shooters and horror, we’re able to show what can be done with VR in those genres and just how different those experiences can be, ultimately providing VR experiences for both casual and core gamers. For example, while both are family friendly gallery shooter style games, Ace Banana takes an archery approach with lots of goofy humor while Pixel Gear is fast-paced and has players blasting blocky enemies with rewards for more precision. Our horror games include a first-person room escape experience with Dying: Reborn which will offer three chapters for PS VR and six chapters for PS4 and PS Vita and the story driven Weeping Doll. Unlike Dying: Reborn, Weeping Doll is not free-roaming. You control an avatar and move by selecting a destination, which shifts your perspective. This style of movement also has a side benefit for those sensitive to VR gaming by limiting motion sickness.

Creatively, what is VR opening up for your development studios?

Much like others who are creating VR games, our developers are faced with a world of possibilities, but also the challenges that come with such a different platform where you are creating virtual worlds for an audience that is not familiar with this new experience. Also, as we go we’re forging new development paths for the VR genre. It’s exciting and a bit daunting at the same time.

Weeping Doll

What did you learn from your first PlayStation 4 game, Koi, that you’re applying to these PS VR games?

With Koi being our first foray into console gaming as well as publishing in the West, we learned the importance of partnering with Sony. Of course, the partnership would not have existed without a strong game, but all of our activations were amplified through the PlayStation Blog or the game store and other areas. There are also key learnings about how to promote a game in terms of marketing and PR that we’ve applied in all of our efforts, including our MMORPG Naruto Online for PC. We also see how equally important community efforts are to the success of a game and have upped our support in those areas.

How are you developing experiences for a global audience?

Our developers, while being Chinese, have very different cultural backgrounds. Additionally, while they did not grow up with many console games like most Western players did, they are all huge fans of gaming and are extremely knowledgeable about Western and Japanese developed games. We feel these two reasons, combined with the great talent pool in China, are key elements for successfully developing games for a global audience.

What are your marketing plans for these titles?

Rather than advertising we are very focused on PR and community-driven initiatives and aligning all of our efforts with Sony across all territories, including North America, Europe and Asia.

How are you working with Sony to cross-market these titles?

While I cannot go into details at this time, similarly to how we worked with Sony on KOI, we are looking at any opportunity to spotlight our games. This can range from inclusion in announcements and PlayStation events to the PlayStation Blog.

While there will be a limited number of PS VRs installed base at launch, do you see VR having a longer shelf life given that a year from now VR is going to be new to someone and they’ll be looking for games?

Absolutely. Gamers will become familiar with the PS VR by playing with their friends who own them. And as long as the games keep progressing, they will see the PS VR as a vital part of their gaming collection. Developing on a VR platform is quite different from other platforms, and there is still much to be discovered and implemented into games going forward.

What opportunities do you see for PS VR connecting with a mainstream audience versus the more expensive PC-based systems like HTC Vive and Oculus Rift?

We see the PlayStation VR as being a leading player in the VR market. As you mentioned, the PS VR is priced competitively while also having the advantage of a massive PS4 install base compared to those who own high-end gaming PCs. We’ve also heard feedback from our recent media tour that the PlayStation VR unit has been the most accessible in terms of usability.

How quickly do you feel PS VR will expand its audience?

We feel expansion will happen quickly in the first year, increasing as developers become more familiar with the platform and more high-quality games are released. There are features such as co-op play that will also encourage gamers to purchase their own PS VR unit so they can join their friends.

What potential do you see for PlayStation VR outside of North America?

Regardless of regions, gamers share an excitement for new ways to play. We feel the interest in the PlayStation VR is and will be universal, especially with games launching closely together across all territories. This is a strategy we look to implement with our PS VR releases as well.

How Razer And Ouya Publishing Are Growing The Android Console Market

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Although the Ouya Android gaming console is no more, the company was purchased by the technology company, Razer last year and was transformed into Ouya Publishing. Under the new brand, Ouya Publishing releases console quality games for Android-based consoles, including the Razer Forge TV, Amazon Fire TV and the Nvidia Shield devices.

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Jared Yeager, Razer’s director of publishing

As Jared Yeager, director of publishing at Razer, told [a]listdaily, “Ouya Publishing was born out of last year’s acquisition of Ouya assets and related IP by Razer, which has repositioned Ouya—the most successful crowd-funded business of its day and pioneer of the first console for Android-based games—as a development and distribution arm supporting Android-based game makers and platforms. The ongoing mission of Ouya Publishing leaves it focused on improving all aspects of the Android entertainment space, advocating platform inclusivity and broad-based publishing with all available Android TV partners who value curated, unique, quality content.”

Ouya Publishing’s focus is on games “that can be enjoyed together with friends in front of a big screen,” according to Yeager. Previous releases include head-to-head games such as Mimic Arena and ChargeShot, while a port of the critically acclaimed Gurgamoth is expected to come out in early October.

That doesn’t mean that single player games are left out of the picture. “We want to support unique and engaging single-player experiences, so we are excited to announce that the indie hit from Bossa Studios, I Am Bread, will be coming to Android consoles later this year,” said Yeager.

Before the transition into Ouya Publishing, the company helped Numinous Games fund That Dragon, Cancer for release on Razer Forge TV and Steam—a personal game about a boy named Joel Green (the developer’s son) and his four-year battle against cancer. All proceeds from Razer’s Cortex storefront on Forge TV are donated to the Morgan Adams Foundation, which funds cancer research, and to Family House SF, which provides free housing to families visiting hospitals in San Francisco.

The company’s most recent release is a cooperative action game called Mercenary Kings, which initially came out for PC, Mac and PlayStation 4 in 2014. The game’s Android console release is almost identical to its PC/console counterpart except that it doesn’t support online gameplay, but it’s also half the price at $9.99.

“Developed by Tribute Games, Mercenary Kings is a frantic 2D action game where you are part of the most skilled team of warriors-for-hire on Earth,” said Yeager, describing the game. “When your comrades have fallen, and the fearsome forces of CLAW have seized an island-wide top secret Laboratory Base, you must do what it takes to stop them.”

Mercenary Kings features beautiful character animation by pixel artist and animator Paul Robertson and over 100 missions that can be played either solo or with up to 4-player same-screen co-op. Yeager explains that “it’s the ideal game for Razer Forge TV and the Android platform because it’s a classic living room arcade experience that’s best enjoyed on a couch with friends in front of a big screen TV. It’s easy to pick up and play like many beloved, old-school, side-scrolling run-and-gun games, but with much more content, gameplay innovations, and robust co-op play to keep friends engaged through multiple playthroughs.”

When asked why Mercenary Kings was being released for multiple Android console platforms instead of being exclusive to Forge TV, Yeager said: “Razer has always championed being inclusive instead of exclusive, as proven by OSVR’s initiative to bring VR gaming to everyone without platform boundaries. The same goes for Ouya Publishing under Razer for Android gaming and any new platforms we may publish games on as our catalogue grows. However, Razer Forge TV owners can look forward to special deals and giveaways for future game releases, along with bundles for independently released titles on the Cortex storefront.”

When asked about how Ouya was applying its past experience to the Razer Forge TV console, Yeager said that “the Ouya team went through all of the hardware and firmware update trials before joining the Razer team, and they were key in making the OTAs for the Razer storefront as polished and optimized as possible. The most visible evolution for players is the Ouya storefront itself, now known as Cortex on the Razer Forge TV. It’s a more streamlined experience that runs super smooth on the advanced hardware, and it’s just easier to navigate and find content within the storefront.”

Yeager also explained how the Android console platform continued to grow due to affordable hardware and growing processing power that allows more current generation games to release for it.

“We believe that, with the growing quality of controller-based games coming out of Ouya Publishing along with other developers, that we will change the perspective that some have that Android consoles just have mobile ports or simple games you only play with a remote,” said Yeager. “Android console distribution continues to reach a larger worldwide audience, with Razer Forge TV now being widely available in Europe outside of the original North America release.”

So how does promoting an Android console game compare to traditional consoles and PC? “There is less dedicated gaming press covering Android console gaming, so it’s important to have great relationships with our external platform partners at Google Play, Amazon and Nvidia for feature placement outside of our own ecosystem, along with social media promotion,” said Yeager. “They have provided valuable feedback on how to optimize games to be received best by their players and we are looking forward to running new promotions with them going into the holiday season.”

Why Starbucks Is Spending Millions In Marketing A Digital Content Series

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Starbucks is looking to use its national platform and take a serious step toward making a social impact by stepping into the digital content creation sphere to strike a chord with its devoted cavalcade of consumers with “Upstanders,” an original series that aims to inspire positive change amidst cynicism in the United States.

“Upstanders” features ten stories told in written, video and podcast formats about “ordinary people doing extraordinary things to create positive change in their communities.” The underlying tone of the series (outlined below) is about compassionate and humane individuals who refuse to be bystanders.

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The coffee chain will utilize multi-platform distribution channels for the series, including the company’s mobile app and their online and in-store digital network. A cup sleeve will also hit stores.

This is not Starbucks’ first attempt at caffeine and content. Earlier this year, they partnered with Spotify to reimagine its music offering.

The move to creating original content with “Upstanders” is a natural evolution of the coffee company’s strategy, and it creates future opportunities to expand on its engagement with consumers. Balancing citizenship, civility and consciousness with the bottom line is also a strong, evolutionary statement that for-profit institutions should consider in the future to satisfy shareholders.

“For the last couple of years, we’ve been asking: what is the role and responsibility of a public company?” Starbucks chairman and CEO Howard Schultz said last week, per The Seattle Times. “For any consumer brand, especially a brick-and-mortar retailer like Starbucks, the rules of engagement, because of Amazon and mobile commerce, are really changing . . . We’re never going to become a media company. But we can extend the brand and the experience through media and original content.”

Last February, Starbucks hired former Washington Post senior editor Rajiv Chandrasekaran to spearhead productions that would play a positive and constructive role about American Issues. Chandrasekaran, Starbucks’ senior vice president of public affairs, served as an executive producer for “Upstanders” alongside Schultz.

Chandrasekaran joined [a]listdaily to detail why the coffee retailer launched their social change platform.

The “Upstanders” Stories

The Mosque Across the Street | Breaking the Prison Pipeline | Homes for Everyone | Scholarships for Every Student | The Kids Who Killed an Incinerator | The Hunger Hack | The Empathetic Police Academy | Employing the Full Spectrum | A Warrior’s Workout | Building Homes. Building Lives

Rajiv Chandrasekaran, Starbucks’ senior vice president of public affairs
Rajiv Chandrasekaran, Starbucks’ senior vice president of public affairs

Why was content creation in the form of an original series in “Upstanders” a prudent next step for Starbucks?

This is about thoughtful storytelling. I came over to Starbucks to create projects like ‘Upstanders’ and to use my journalistic background to develop storytelling initiatives, all in the public interest. The origin of this project was asking how Starbucks could shine a spotlight on ways we can all contribute to the betterment of our communities, and generate the feelings of hope and possibility that have always defined our country. The outcome was this content that is resonating with customers.

What went into selecting the stories for the series? As a journalist, what was the message you wanted to share on behalf of Starbucks?

The news and social media content tend to focus on the negative or the sensationalized, and we felt that we could use Starbucks’ scale to tell the stories of inspiring individuals that we know are taking place around the country. We found hundreds of stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things in their communities to make their neighborhoods, cities and the country a better place. My job was to bring the stories to life in films, short stories and podcasts as a way to inspire us all to be better citizens, to show that everyone has the power to make a difference.

What was it like working with Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz? What kind of vision did he bring into the new venture over the course of the collaboration?

Howard Schultz and I worked together before on the best-selling book, For Love of Country: What Our Veterans Can Teach Us About Citizenship, Heroism and Sacrifice, so we understood the time and effort we’d need to put into curating this list of stories and telling them in a variety of ways across a variety of platforms to make it easy for people to find them. ‘Upstanders’ was a multi-team effort across Starbucks, all under Howard’s leadership and vision. He pushes Starbucks to think not only about the role and responsibility of a public, for-profit company but also our role and responsibility as citizens. He understood that Starbucks has the scale and the responsibility to do its part to bring people together.

Starbucks “Upstanders” cups sleeves

Schultz said that “Upstanders” isn’t to sell more coffee, but rather to inspire and unite Americans. What compelled the company to expand its perspective to a community-driven, societal approach?

Starbucks has always worked to address the biggest issues facing the communities we serve. We’re committed to making a positive impact—whether it’s providing access to higher education for our partners by covering full tuition through the College Achievement Plan, our work to hire Opportunity Youth and open stores in diverse communities, our commitment to hiring veterans and military spouses, or to use our scale and reach to shine a light on the ‘Upstanders’ in our communities, we want to help empower people to be innovators, leaders and contributors to better our communities.

How is spending millions on something that doesn’t sell coffee good marketing to further grow Starbucks’ brand equity?

We believe that successful companies cannot just be focused on money and the bottom line, they must also deliver meaning and value for their employees, their customers and their communities. That is the measure of a great and enduring brand. You’ll continue to see us find ways to address some of the biggest challenges that we face in our communities and as a country.

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The stories will be available through various media partnerships and platforms, specifically with podcasts. Why is it crucial for brands to be diving into the podcast pool? How does that further lead to effective marketing?

There are billions of podcast downloads per year, especially for long-form storytelling, so there’s no denying that podcasts are a powerful platform for people to hear stories like these. Podcasts gave us another medium to tell these stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things in an emotionally impactful way, to make people feel connected with these ‘Upstanders’ and hopefully inspired to find ways to take action in their communities.

With deals with the likes of Spotify, it seems that Starbucks wants to be the kings of coffee, and digital content. How is digital and social a key part of the Starbucks strategy?

We’re always looking for ways to enhance the emotional connection we have with our customers, whether it’s for a program like ‘Upstanders,’ or how we’re engaging in and outside of our stores. We’re proud of our work with companies like Spotify to offer both our partners and our customers access to great content on a regular basis, as well as our work with Panoply, Upworthy, Mic.com and other platforms to share these ‘Upstanders’ stories with their audiences.

What is the marketing and social media strategy you plan to execute with “Upstanders?”

It’s a multi-platform approach and a key part of our efforts to leverage the strength and trust in our brand to affect positive change in the communities we serve. The content will continue to promote ‘Upstanders’ across all channels, including retail (‘Upstanders’ cup sleeves in all US stores), social and digital (Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, etc.), as well as Starbucks’ leading mobile app. Digital partnerships and syndication with Upworthy, Mic.com, AOL, and NationSwell are also key to sharing this content with customers.

Why is it imperative for Fortune 500 brands to step outside of the box and be more experiential?

As I mentioned, we believe that it’s crucial that brands stand for more than just making money, that they are committed to delivering a great experience for their employees, customers and the communities they serve. This has always been a core belief of Starbucks and is at the heart of our mission which is ‘to inspire and nurture the human spirit—one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.’

Follow Manouk Akopyan on Twitter @Manouk_Akopyan

FaceIt VP Discusses Asus Sponsorship Of ‘Overwatch’ ESports Tournament

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The Overwatch Open’s first season, presented in partnership by the competitive gaming platform FaceIt and the eSports organization ELeague, will soon be reaching the epic finale, where winners will get a piece of a $300,000 prize pool. Both the North American and European regional finals are set to take place next week starting on September 25, with the Grand Finals broadcast live on TBS from the ELeague arena at Turner Studios in Atlanta, Georgia on September 30.

The event, which is the largest eSports competition for the game to date, is sponsored by Asus Republic of Gamers (ROG)—a leading brand of high-end PC gaming hardware. As the official sponsor, Asus will provide powerful PCs and gaming monitors for next week’s competitions.

“The Overwatch Open is a great way to showcase the full capabilities of ROG gaming technology with class leading products,” said Vivian Lien, chief marketing officer at Asus North America in a press release.

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Vasos Roberts, FaceIT vice president of sales

FaceIt vice president of sales, Vasos Roberts, spoke to [a]listdaily about the significance of having Asus sponsor the Overwatch Open and how it began.

“Republic of Gamers have been a close supporter of ours for a long time, and were very excited when we came to them with the Overwatch Open project,” said Roberts. “ROG is one of the first gaming brands to support the community in this way, and since 2006, they have been a provider of epic gaming PCs and monitors, and have a great love of community-focused gaming titles. Because of this, ROG was a natural choice as a supporter of the thrilling action that Overwatch delivers to fans of eSports.”

Roberts also explained how ROG was the perfect fit for the Overwatch Open because the brand has high-performance products that are tailored for high-end gaming needs such as eSports. “Overwatch itself is new, bright, demanding and fast, so the gear players use needs to be able to deal with this level of high graphical demand, high frame rates and for long periods of time. Paired with the top-of-the-line ROG gaming monitors, our teams will be in safe hands.”

According to Roberts, Asus was attracted to the Overwatch Open because “Republic of Gamers understands the benefit and importance of promoting and supporting new, exciting projects such as the Overwatch Open. They have a close connection with the gaming community, running weekly cups on the FaceIt platform, and were very positive about being able to help a new burgeoning game such as Overwatch.”

Additionally, Asus already had a strong interest in Overwatch, and it was an easy decision for ROG to sponsor the tournament. “ROG has always had a good feel for which new games are going to be making the biggest splash,” said Roberts. “Overwatch is a sponsor’s dream in that respect, with bold, fun characters, killer gameplay and a gigantic established community.”

The hardware that will be showcased during the tournament includes the ROG G11CD desktop computer using Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 video cards for the matches themselves, the GL502VS gaming laptop, and the supercharged G752VS OC Edition gaming laptop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxXHDKWGjQs

When asked how the ROG equipment would be promoted, Roberts replied that “eSports is now mainstream, and we promote it in a similar way to any terrestrial television production. The Overwatch Open Grand Finals will be aired live on TBS on September 30, as well as on our Twitch channel during the group stages.”

In addition to integrating ROG’s products into the tournament, Roberts further explained that “we are also delivering a non-intrusive, impactful advertising program that features a number of interactive segments. For example, Republic of Gamers Play of the Game will use a custom high-quality overlay and bumpers, supplementing standard commercials during breaks in the game.

“Streaming through sites like Twitch also allows unique opportunities to interact directly with viewers. We run highly effective ‘in chat’ messages that can be clicked, as well as small fun competitions with our viewers. Because the Overwatch Open team has a strong connection with the community, we also provide high visibility through social media promotion with huge reach through Twitter and Reddit.”

Jack Reacher Movie Will ‘Never Stop Punching’ With This Video Game Tie-In

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On October 21, Tom Cruise returns to the big screen in Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. Everyone standing in Reacher’s way is pretty much cruisin’ for a bruisin’, so what better way to get psyched for the movie than by punching a bunch of dudes in their sorry faces? Absolutely nothing, apparently. Enter Jack Reacher: Never Stop Punching—an 8-bit game playable on iOS, Android and via browser on the movie’s official website.

The objective of this “endless runner” is simple—just do as the title implies. Jack Reacher: Never Stop Punching may not have a plot to speak of, and technically you can just jump over enemies without hurting anyone, but this marketing shows a delightful ability to parody its own source material. The film’s synopsis, however, is a tad more intricate: “Jack Reacher must uncover the truth behind a major government conspiracy in order to clear his name. On the run as a fugitive from the law, Reacher uncovers a potential secret from his past that could change his life forever.”

But fear not, there will be a lot of punching, too.

Adapting a film to video game form is nothing new, although they’re not always critically-acclaimed. Paramount’s choice to market Jack Reacher with a Flash game of this nature is far less costly than a console title, and it creates buzz around its franchise, particularly within the attractive gamer demographic. This is actually the second time that Paramount created a Jack Reacher game, although the last one had more detailed graphics and offered prizes, including the jacket worn on screen by Tom Cruise.

Gatorade created a similar, although not endless, 8-bit game promotion for Snapchat in August featuring tennis pro, Serena Williams. The 22-level game, Match Point celebrates Williams’ career and all the wins that led her to the 2016 US Open and her 22 Grand Slam singles titles. Both Match Point and Jack Reacher: Never Stop Punching are easy to pick up and master, making them accessible to gamers and non-gamers alike.

‘Viral’ Marketing And Basketball Superstars: This Week’s Game Launches And Promotions

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It’s a big week for video game releases and their eye-catching promotions. While Bungie thrust unsuspecting players into the backstory for its latest game expansion, 2K Sports invited basketball fans to get a head start on their in-game personas—both creating a sense of community and frontline marketing that gamers will remember long after they put down a controller.

Destiny: Rise of Iron

Ahead of Tuesday’s Rise of Iron expansion, Bungie did something very clever in the way of “viral” marketing—it created an in-game virus that Guardians (in-game players) want to catch. Beginning with the power of influencers, Bungie “infected” a popular Twitch streamer named SayNoToRage, who got a mysterious buff (power-up) no one could identify. A Twitch account called owl_sector then appeared in the gamer’s chat for all to see, stating, “We’ve detected an unidentified foreign intrusion into your systems, Guardian. Stay calm. We will investigate.” Viewers were then directed to a website, where they could track the infection and read various logs by members of the Vanguard (high-ranking Guardians in the fictional universe) discuss the outbreak, often in the form of comical banter. A few days later, the entire world seems to have been infected and dozens of YouTube videos have been uploaded by fans instructing players how to contract the virus for themselves.

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Source: Bungie

SayNoToRage, who has nearly half a million Twitch followers, was a natural choice for the in-game virus. There are five viruses in all—Brilliance 3.2, Glory 2.1, Splendor 2.6, Magnificence 2.0 and Fortitude 3.1. You contract them by running into other players who already have them. So SayNotoRage, who plays every day, is slowly spreading the buffs throughout the entire player base. “You gotta give it to them,” SayNoToRage said on his stream the following day, complimenting Bungie on the promotion. “They’ve got everyone super, super riled up.” Players speculate that since the infection has something to do with SIVA, a plague mentioned in the expansion’s trailer, Guardians will learn more once the expansion drops September 20. The promotion is very similar to Microsoft’s Hunt The Truth promotion for Halo 5, in which a journalist detailed his findings about Master Chief on a podcast leading up to the game’s release.

For new players who have been meaning to jump into the fray, Destiny: The Collection releases the same day, offering the game plus all expansions and exclusive content for those playing on PlayStation.

NBA 2K17

Sports fans are ready to hit the basketball court for fame and fortune with NBA 2K17, releasing on Tuesday. Leading up to the game’s launch, 2K Sports has been promoting the title with a free, downloadable mini-preview demo called The Prelude. Released September 9, The Prelude allows fans to choose from multiple authentic Division I collegiate programs to start their MyCareer and raise their draft stock ahead of time. The preview launched alongside the MyNBA2K mobile app, which scans fans’ faces to create custom in-game basketball players.

2K Sports never fails to get the fans riled up over which stars grace the cover of its sports titles. For NBA 2K17, Kobe Bryant was named as the Legend cover athlete and Indiana Pacers’ Paul George is the cover athlete for the regular edition.

NPD: Xbox One S Took Nearly One Third Of All August 2016 Console Sales

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NPD has released its monthly video game industry sales report for August 2016, and while hardware sales increased thanks to the new Xbox One S, total hardware spending saw a decline of six percent compared to last year. Despite a successful launch of the Xbox One S and continued spending growth for the Nintendo 3DS, it was not enough to meet or exceed 2015 sales for the same time period. August saw a decline in spending on the PS4, Wii U and older consoles, compounded by a seven percent decline in the ARP for consoles and a 22 percent decline in the ARP for portables.

Xbox One S was clearly the star of August, contributing nearly a third of all hardware sales with the console and its controller was the top-selling gamepad at 79,000 units. “The release of the Xbox One S helped to generate a 37 percent growth in unit sales and a 25 percent growth in dollar revenue for the Xbox One brand,” explained NPD’s video game industry analyst, Sam Naji. “In its first month on the market, the Xbox One S 2TB White was the second-best selling hardware SKU, despite lacking a bundled title.”

madden-17

As for video games, Madden NFL 17 was the top-selling title, despite earning three percent less than its predecessor, Madden NFL 16. Overall spending on software, hardware and accessories grew by one percent compared to August last year. “The release of strong new titles such as Madden NFL 17, No Man’s Sky and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided bolstered console software dollar sales by eight percent and this had helped to offset losses in spending elsewhere,” Naji said in the report.

The NPD’s top 10 best-selling games for August 2016 are:

  1. Madden NFL 17
  2. No Man’s Sky*
  3. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
  4. Grand Theft Auto V
  5. Overwatch*
  6. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege
  7. Call of Duty: Black Ops III
  8. Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens
  9. Minecraft*
  10. Destiny: The Taken King

Asterisks indicate that digital sales were not accounted for (or purchases made on Battle.net, in the case of Overwatch).

New titles, including No Man’s Sky and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided  brought in almost three times the amount to last year’s new releases, Gears of War Ultimate Edition and the PS4 exclusive, Until Dawn.

Total accessory spending for the month (including gift cards and memberships like Xbox Live Gold and PlayStation Plus) reached $107 million, a decline of five percent compared to August 2015. Amazingly, the Xbox One S white controller outsold the PS4 DualShock wireless black controller in August, which had been the best-selling gamepad for some time. Overall, sales for game cards, headsets/headphones and gamepads decreased, while interactive gaming toys accessory spending increased by 10 percent.

How Fashion Brands Are Making Virtual Reality Sexy

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The next time you’re watching a model do her “little turn on the catwalk,” keep in mind that she is not too sexy for the latest technology—in fact, the fashion industry is embracing tech integration like never more.

In May, IBM partnered with fashion house Marchesa to create a Met Gala dress that reacted in real time to posts about it on Twitter.

But the latest trend? Virtual reality, an industry that has reached $1 billion in 2016. Although the term “virtual reality” is often interchangeable in marketing with 360-degree video, in this case, VR refers to an immersive, though not interactive, visual experience that can be enjoyed through a VR headset. (VR implies the ability to manipulate the environment in ways other than a camera angle.)

New York Fashion Week is upon us, and British makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury released her fragrance Scent of a Dream on Saturday with a virtual reality/360-degree experience starring Kate Moss. Samsung Gear VR headsets were set up around the three-story building for celebrities, models and other guests to view the dream-like experience.

In an interview, Tilbury said she “built the scent with all these feelings of joy, love, light, positivity and power to the wearer.” She said the scent and the VR film—which was a first for both her and Moss—are meant to give the viewer a sense of traveling through time.

Designer Rebecca Minkoff is known for her high-tech approach to the shopping experience, teaming up with eBay to offer “smart dressing rooms” equipped with touch screen mirrors that request clothing to try on and even a beverage to go with it. For the fall fashion show, Minkoff introduced her own version of Google Cardboard—a branded cardboard headset that (together with a mobile phone) provides enhanced content for fans. The $25 headsets provide an intimate, (almost) 360-degree view of Rebecca Minkoff runway shows, from the models to the photographers and members of the audience. The brand’s fall 2015 runway show was filmed in VR, too.

rebecca-vr

Rebecca Minkoff CEO Uri Minkoff proudly told Racked, “We’re the first fashion brand to democratize access to VR by making it available to our audience at home, or anyone who has a Google Cardboard headset.”

Earlier this year, veteran fashion photograher Ruvan Wijesooriya hosted one of the first fashion shoots in VR, called Unstitched. The short film depicts two models dancing and posing for Wijesooriya while wearing clothes from designers like VFILES and Dries Van Noten.

The concept of immersing viewers into the world of fashion in this way has been explored by the industry for several years now. For London Fashion Week in 2014, Topshop hosted a promotion in which five competition winners sat in the window of Topshop’s flagship Oxford Circus store, where they were granted virtual access to the front row of a 360-degree cat walk experience. The campaign won “Project of the Year” at the BT Retail Week Technology Awards 2014 and Best Hybrid Event/Best Virtual Event at the 2014 Event Tech Awards.

For the moment, fashionistas can immerse themselves into virtual experiences, but are unable to interact with them aside from turning their head. 360-degree experiences are a low-cost way to introduce new technology to the masses and there’s no doubt that the fashion world will adopt more immersive experiences as they become available.

Holographic photoshoot, anyone?

‘NASCAR Heat Evolution’ Opens New Opportunities For Sponsors

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NASCAR Heat Evolution is available now, released by a brand new publishing company, Dusenberry Martin Racing (DMR), but developed by veteran NASCAR Heat and NASCAR: Dirt to Daytona developer Monster Games. What’s very different this time around is that DMR investors include NASCAR drivers like Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski. The drivers, who are also gamers, helped during the development process and are also marketing the game across their social media platforms.

Blake Davidson,
Blake Davidson, NASCAR vice president of licensing

Blake Davidson, vice president of licensing at NASCAR has been involved with NASCAR video games dating back over 20 years to the original Papyrus NASCAR Racing games. “There’s never been a product like this one, which has had as much driver involvement during development,” Davidson told [a]listdaily. “The drivers understand that what they do is entertainment. They’re unbelievable athletes, and they know some people are going to play and want to have that challenging experience and others want to just have fun. With this product, you can do either one of those things.”

The new NASCAR game is the first to integrate all of the real NASCAR sponsors. Davidson said the challenge in the past for sponsorship integration was limited by technology.

“The game captures this point in time where whatever sponsor you were able to get in there was capped and you were never able to get everyone,” said Davidson. “In today’s NASCAR sponsors change a lot more than they used to. For example, at Darlington this year, the vast majority of the field had throwback paint schemes, and some weren’t unveiled until right before the event. But with DLC you can do all of that. It puts NASCAR in a good position to offer various DLC packs where the fans can get those paint schemes.”

NASCAR Heat Evolution also uses an age verification to allow gamers to download an alcoholic sponsor for the first time. Keselowski’s Ford Fusion features a Miller Lite sponsorship. The game features alternative sponsors out of the box, but gamers can download the Miller Lite paint scheme. “A large number of people playing the game are over 21 and they want authenticity,” Davidson said. “DMR group worked with Keselowski’s team and through Miller Coors to get approved on that.”

Unlike other sports, and sports video games, sponsorships are plastered on every uniform, car and track. “There’s a lot of opportunity there for NASCAR in general, but it adds more value to allow the partners that are already in NASCAR,” pro racer Joey Logano explained to [a]listdaily. “I drive the Shell Pennzoil Ford, and in the video game, it’s the Shell Pennzoil Ford. That brings added value to what Shell already pays for our race team. There’s a lot of opportunity and product placement inside of NASCAR Heat Evolution, but just like in anything else, it has to be authentic. It can’t feel forced on. NASCAR does a good job with being authentic about what we have on our race cars.”

Logano said if you look at NASCAR and take the gaming industry out of it, there is no NASCAR without partners like Shell sponsoring race cars. And taking a step further back, without fans, there are no sponsors that want to put their names on the cars. “Video games are another avenue for race teams to give their partners added value, which ultimately grows our sport,” Logano said. “That’s why I want to be involved in this game, and I think it’s important for our sport to have a NASCAR racing video game. It adds in so many different areas that I don’t feel like we’ve tapped into in the last two years.”

The past four years have seen developer Eutechnix release NASCAR: The Game 2011 and NASCAR: The Game Inside Line for publisher Activision and NASCAR 14 and NASCAR 15 for publisher Deep Silver. “You learn about sponsors pretty quick (in NASCAR Heat Evolution),” Logano said. “I was playing the game the other night in my bus in Darlington and when you start (in career mode) your car is not really fast. You start with a slower car and the best I could do was finish 25th. Eventually, you make money from where you finish and you gain the attention from other sponsors. Then you can sign sponsors up, and some of them are incentive-based and some of them are guaranteed money, just like in actual NASCAR racing. So it brings the business side of it into the game.”

Davidson said DMR has done a good job with inserting more driver personality into the game, real driver images in the game, and a number of features where driver videos are giving tips and different things around the racing itself to help gamers perform better. In these videos, players will see all of the sponsors on the driver uniforms. “We work closely with the tracks and there’s a keen interest in getting everything authentically replicated,” Davidson said. “We meticulously look at every billboard and replicate in the game.”

Looking ahead, Davidson said NASCAR is working with DMR now on whether mobile iterations or different types of games make the most sense, given the pent-up demand for NASCAR products. “With the advances in technology with PlayStation 4 Pro, NASCAR is a sport that can take advantage of that by optimizing the games for that hardware,” Davidson said.

When it comes to PlayStation VR, Davidson said there’s not another sport or type of game that will showcase better in virtual reality than NASCAR. “It’s a very natural first person experience, putting you in driver’s seat and controlling everything,” Davidson said. “Everyone has a feel for driving and understands what you’re supposed to do. It’s just in NASCAR video games, you can do everything a lot faster.”