Game Marketing to the Mass Consumer
by Prairie Games · in General Discussion · 06/25/2003 (12:15 pm) · 0 replies
If there's one thing I know about the mass market, it's that I am seldom in line with it. For example:
Our street drag racing game is selling like friggin' crazy. I have only seen one review of it... and it is bad bad bad. In reality the game isn't very good. I know this. The consumer who buys it probably knows it. Why do they buy it? Frankly, I don't know. They probably don't either.
Here are some notes from a guy who has been in the mass consumer game market for the last 7 years.
Game Marketing to the Mass Consumer
1) Brand specific. We made a number of Harley Davidson games. There was some marketing involved on these, like a full page Rolling Stone ad. As this was only done on the first title, I don't think it helped that much. Brand recognition with Harley is pretty much instantaneous. If you like the brand, you'll likely buy a game with the brand attached. Sounds logical, and it works. That CSI crime scene piece of poop is a great example. This isn't cheap, the independent really doesn't have this option.
2) Riding the coattails... this is done by looking at something like the Fast and the Furious, ads for street drag racing games in computer magazines, etc. Then, creating a game insanely fast that looks and feels like the fad. By doing this, the game is capitalizing on MILLIONS of dollars in advertising. The trick here, of course, is being quick to market. The drag racing game I mentioned above is riding the current very high indeed. A fad only lasts a year or three, so the gravy train eventually runs out. But, so what?
3) A game concept that people immediately understand. Games like "Deer Hunter", "Policeman", "FBI Agent", "Dung Shoveler", "Virtual Poker", etc. The need for marketing is less due to the consumer understanding very quickly if the game is something they would be interested in. Targeting the mass consumer again, it's a crap shoot. You can make money, how much, who knows. Pick something popular that lends itself to a game.
-J
Our street drag racing game is selling like friggin' crazy. I have only seen one review of it... and it is bad bad bad. In reality the game isn't very good. I know this. The consumer who buys it probably knows it. Why do they buy it? Frankly, I don't know. They probably don't either.
Here are some notes from a guy who has been in the mass consumer game market for the last 7 years.
Game Marketing to the Mass Consumer
1) Brand specific. We made a number of Harley Davidson games. There was some marketing involved on these, like a full page Rolling Stone ad. As this was only done on the first title, I don't think it helped that much. Brand recognition with Harley is pretty much instantaneous. If you like the brand, you'll likely buy a game with the brand attached. Sounds logical, and it works. That CSI crime scene piece of poop is a great example. This isn't cheap, the independent really doesn't have this option.
2) Riding the coattails... this is done by looking at something like the Fast and the Furious, ads for street drag racing games in computer magazines, etc. Then, creating a game insanely fast that looks and feels like the fad. By doing this, the game is capitalizing on MILLIONS of dollars in advertising. The trick here, of course, is being quick to market. The drag racing game I mentioned above is riding the current very high indeed. A fad only lasts a year or three, so the gravy train eventually runs out. But, so what?
3) A game concept that people immediately understand. Games like "Deer Hunter", "Policeman", "FBI Agent", "Dung Shoveler", "Virtual Poker", etc. The need for marketing is less due to the consumer understanding very quickly if the game is something they would be interested in. Targeting the mass consumer again, it's a crap shoot. You can make money, how much, who knows. Pick something popular that lends itself to a game.
-J
