|
FEED THE FANS How Bioshock taps into fans for user-generated content. |
 |
|
Hi Everyone,
I'm happy to announce the first issue of the BSSP gaming newsletter: Toggle.
Toggle is inspired by two important changes currently taking place in our industry.
The media landscape is evolving. Traditional media vehicles (print, broadcast) are being challenged by new forms of effective media (viral, ambient, guerrilla, experiential, etc).
The definition of competitive analysis is rapidly becoming archaic as well. Competition is no longer just among players in the same category. In the gaming industry, competition encompasses not only the gaming category, but other diverse forms of entertainment and technological innovation as well.
That's where Toggle comes in.
Toggle's goal is to map the vast landscape of trends beyond that of the traditional gaming industry. To explore not only industry case studies, but also understand the current cultural phenomena driving their success. To present effective research findings cleverly disguised as just plain cool stuff.
The first issue is right below, and will be distributed twice a month from there on after.
We're excited by this opportunity and hopefully after reading the first issue you will be too.
Thanks.
Clayton Lee
|
|
|
 |
|
|
TALES FROM THE CRYPTIC
Teasers, pre-launches whatever jargon you use, the basic idea is to provide consumers with information about a game in a cryptic manner.
Pushing the envelope as far as being a marketer but also not infringing on consumers as far as content in which they choose to engage. Here's a look at two case studies that do it well.
|
Haze
Ubisoft's next PS3 exclusive FPS has been seriously touted as the next-gen shooter worthy of being dubbed a "Halo Killer." Despite its immense gameplay features and technologies,
Haze offers a comprehensive backstory delivered in detail through their faux site. As the website for Mantel Corporation, this site has many "Easter Eggs" that reveal context and provide a sense
of possible realities of the future. Additionally, this was the only site that was up until the revealation of the game, leading many consumers, blogs and news sites to pick the story up and provide conversational currency.
|
|
Mantel Corp. Site
Official Haze Site
Haze "Reborn" Trailer
Haze "Mantel Spokesman" Viral Clip
Mantel "Propaganda" Trailer
Reference
|
Burnout Dominator
EA's Playstation exclusive (PS2 and PSP) may seem like just another racing game, but it's much more than that. Besides the fact that it received an 8.2 on GameSpot, the game is centered on driving
dangerously, living on the edge and embracing the chaos. Hence, the birth of KahRaShin.com, a microsite dedicated to "The Violent Path to Happiness," its history and the practice. The main-area highlight of the
site is learning to scream and it includes an area where visitors can watch others scream, upload their own scream and "scream" to friends. Along with Kah Rah Shin testimonials, there are also short videos showing
how to learn the art. The site works well in engaging consumers with their game in a nontraditional manner-yet it elegantly defines the game in a unique way separating Burnout from its competitors.
|
|
Kah Rah Shin Site
Official Burnout Dominator Site
Burnout Dominator Teaser Trailer
|
|
|
|
|
|
FEED THE FANS
Since the announcement of Bioshock, particularly after the game site went live in January 2007, it has grown in popularity exponentially.
|
Bioshock serves up an exceptional blend of refreshing gameplay, next-gen graphics and a unique story-the ongoing struggle within the FPS genre. And the fans and community agree: Bioshock is
one of the most anticipated XBOX 360 exclusive titles to be released this year.
To build off the momentum, 2K Games developed a contest that would charge fans to create the limited-edition box art for the game's release. Contestants will nab prizes, including copies of
the game for PC and Xbox 360, with the grand-prize winner treated to an all-expenses-paid trip to the BioShock launch party set for August 31, 2007.
|
|
Official Game Site
Contest Details
|
|
|
|
|
|
| IT'S ALL IN THE FAMLY |
 |
With the craze and popularity of the Wii, some may think it's the ease of play that is bringing people to the game. But is it truly the mere simplicity of the game, or the "child-focused" game selection?
|
Clive Thompson of Wired seems to think otherwise. Being a gamer himself, he also has to play the role of a father as well. "Gamers like me have spent years railing against ill-informed
parents and politicians who've blamed games for making kids violent, unimaginative, fat or worse. But now we're in a weird position: We're the first generation that is young enough to
have grown up playing games, but old enough to have kids."
Clive Thompson is a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine and a regular contributor to Wired and New York magazines.
|
|
The Full Article
|
|
|
|
Having trouble viewing? Click here.
Want to be removed from the list? Click here.
bssp • gargantua • sfi • influx
415.331.6049 (m) • 415.331.3524 (f) • 20 liberty ship way, sausalito, ca 94965 • www.bssp.com
|
|
&$subst('Recip.UserID')&$subst('Recip.Additional')){kind=small}
