Today, game developers a publishers face a problem of discovery today, reaching beyond the issue of pure game quality. Between free-to-play, digital downloads, online offerings, social games and smartphone apps, there’s fragmentation in the market like never before, enhancing the importance of good marketing and PR.
“Developers continue to wrestle with appreciating the value of, plotting effective campaigns for, and otherwise wrapping their heads around the magic of video game marketing and PR efforts, writes Scott Steinberg. This is of chilling concern as the shift to digital distribution and direct consumer relationships intensifies. Even the smallest, most specialized shops are suddenly faced with the prospect of having to think like standalone publishing houses: Skills not necessarily in their wheelhouse. Worse, having traveled from the Game Developers Conference to Festival of Games and toured several continents as a consultant and talent scout for industry-leading publishers and developers alike, a running theme keeps presenting itself. Not only do most game makers say that they don t know how to drive public awareness to their titles. Many can t even identify their core audience, beginning the question ‘if you don t know who you re making a product for, why build it in the first place ‘
Getting a game in front of as many eyeballs as possible is an important aspect. It’s also vital to interact with your customers and establish a fresh report with them to help make players more involved, growing the user base and driving purchase intent.
Be forewarned: To achieve maximum return on investment going forward, marketing must be deeply embedded into actual product development, ideally from day one, and viewed as an organic extension of any given title or campaign s core feature set. Because in its purest essence, video game advertising circa 2011 isn t about just providing a temporary groundswell of support for a specific title or brand. It s about creating a persistent, standalone entertainment experience with real, tangible worth unto itself, added Steinberg. Given this sweeping change in focus, it s also important to note. Promotional content must not only be designed from the beginning to live on in a dedicated, persistent space. It s vital as well that users be given the tools to interact with, shape, share and make of media what they will as well as connect and communicate with fellow enthusiasts while doing so. In essence, tomorrow s most effective advertising campaigns are actually metagames in disguise. And, while we re at it, will be designed so that users actively and regularly seek them out in order to sate their desire to gain exclusive access/knowledge, a perceived boost in social status or tangible physical reward. Make no mistake: Audience empowerment is the key to success. Unbounded by time, budget or political constraints, your user base can act as an eternal wellspring from which greatness springs. And more pointedly serve to drive new customer adoption and content refresh rates far beyond that which is within the capacity of any given agency or enterprise to reproduce.
Source: GamesIndustry.biz
