Comments on: Marketing video games

By: Stone Bytes

Stone Bytes — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 23:12:35 +0000

Oh and Febreze is wonderful, until you start to mask inconvenient smells.

By: Stone Bytes

Stone Bytes — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 23:10:25 +0000

Ads on TV actually have one big plus. Considering the anti video game bias that exists on the older media, any video game’s ad that MAKES IT to the TV (words are important) delivers a message about the strength of the game, about how the company is serious about it, and in general, the ads seem to grow up in terms of quality, having more to do with a pompous Proyas or Del Toro clip, than with a low brain piece of action that looks like it’s just straight out of Commando (the movie) or some unknown B-grade fantasy or syfy flick.

At least as someone who HATES ads, that’s the way I see it.

Besides, what you say applies to all ads on TV, yet people pay a lot to put their ads on TV because they have good reasons to think it works.

By: BC

BC — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:20:41 +0000

I’d say that the Nintendo adverts on TV have been spot on and ideal for their product. I wouldn’t completely rule out TV advertising.

But for most games I’d have to agree, people who play games are a bit more savvy than people watching soaps. A publisher would be spend his money better buying off IGN and the like.

I’d be impressed if a publisher can just put out some screenshots of a game that don’t look like they’ve been dragged from a six-month old build using the debug camera pointing directly at any temporary flaws. That would be a start.

By: Glenn

Glenn — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:03:18 +0000

I would argue that TV ads aren’t for the hardcore gamer who checks all the games websites and reviews. They are for the average person who owns a games machine.

Not saying there aren’t better advertising channels with better ROI than TV, but it is still very valid. TV/Print ads are hugely important for those outside of gaming culture.