TAcTICS Video Game insights and analysis
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It’s about more than just looking at what’s on the surface... E3 is over once more!
TACTICS EDITOR IN CHIEF Ryan Janes WRITER & ART EDITOR Katie Gibbs
CONTACT US tactics@fancensus.com +44 (0)1628 483 554 Fancensus 99 High Street Marlow Bucks SL7 1AB
And boy what an E3 it was! Of course we mustn’t dawdle though and instead move onward and look to the future. Our next stop on the epic journey that is 2017 Cologne, Germany for Gamescom. Deemed by many as the European E3, Gamescom has grown in popularity over the years; sometimes even playing host to conferences and big announcements from all the major players. The question is though, which manages to deliver a stronger reaction from both the press and public? E3 or Gamescom? Which does the press like to feature more? Are Twitter users more active for one over the other? We explore on page 20. In a “shocking” turn of events Nintendo revealed their Mini-SNES to the world last month and would you believe it, pre-orders are already gone. Who could have predicted? It got us thinking though, just how important are retro video games to the industry? Ryan takes a look on page 12. Katie also takes a deeper look into whether it pays to announce your latest AAA title close to launch or years in advance? A quick and precise campaign or slow burner? Summer has always been seen as the slower months for gaming but that doesn’t mean we haven’t seen any big releases. A certain famous bandicoot made his long awaited return (in remastered form) while Nintendo released a sequel to their surprising hit of 2015, Splatoon. We delve into the critics’ reactions on page 18. Phew! Who says summers are slow for games?
Ryan Janes
AUGUST 2017 / #6
TACTICS
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This Month In Tactics...
4
6
On the Horizon
7
Monthly Leaderboard
12
Nostalgia Trip
16
Head to Head
PR Leaderboard Front Page Leaderboard YouTube Leaderboard Twitter Leaderboard Facebook Leaderboard
Why our childhood games still matter.
How important do you feel the retro market is?
18
Review Rundown
20
Gamescom Vs. E3
22
One More Thing...
12
Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy Splatoon 2
Which event generates the most activity?
Coming Soon... Or Not...
TACTICS
AUGUST 2017 / #6
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20
22 AUGUST 2017 / #6
7
TACTICS
5
On The Horizon...
August ‘17
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Everybody’s Golf
23/08
30/08
Mario and Rabbids Kingdom Battles
Agents of Mayhem
18/08
29/08
Sonic Mania
15/08
Other releases...
6
02/08
Tacoma
PC, XBO
25/08
White Day: A Labyrinth Named School
PS4
08/08
Ark: Survival Evolved
PC, PS4, XBO
29/08
Dead Alliance
PS4, XBO
08/08
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
PC, PS4
29/08
Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition
PS4, XBO
10/08
Mega Man Legacy Collection 2
PC, PS4, XBO
29/08
Yakuza: Kiwami
PS4
11/08
Sudden Strike 4
PC, PS4
31/08
Gravel
PC, PS4, XBO
15/08
Cities: Skylines
PS4
31/08
Life is Strange: Before the Storm: Ep. 1
PC, PS4, XBO
15/08
Troll and I
NSW
22/08
The Escapists 2
PS4, XBO
25/08
F1 2017
PC, PS4, XBO
25/08
Madden NFL 18
PC, PS4, XBO
25/08
Minecraft: Story Mode Complete Adventure
NSW
25/08
Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash
PS4
TACTICS
AUGUST 2017 / #6
Monthly Leaderboard PR Week 26 - Week 29
3
We’re seeing a real mix of titles in our top 10 this month, from recently released titles Crash and Splatoon 2; to newly announced Mini-Snes and long standing champions Overwatch and Nintendo Switch. Betas for Destiny 2 and Splatoon 2 helped them both rank highly this month, with constant updates prior to and during the events themselves. With Splatoon 2 seeing increased
AUGUST 2017 / #6
9 10 Star Wars Battlefront 2 1,000 Activities
Call of Duty WWII 1,100 Activities
Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds 1,200 Activities
7
Mini-SNES 1,700 Activities
Pokemon Go 2,000 Activities
5
Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy 2,000 Activities
6
4
Overwatch 2,000 Activities
Splatoon 2 2,200 Activities
2
Nintendo Switch 2,400 Activities
Destiny 2 3,100 Activities
1
8
activity after its release, we’re expecting to see it continue to perform into next month’s chart. Pokemon Go has made a surprise comeback, one year on since release thanks to its themed event held this month. While this event didn’t go as well as planned it does show that people are still playing and talking about this popular mobile title.
TACTICS
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Monthly Leaderboard Website Front Page Presence
nd
ic o
o t N.S a
ne T ril o g y
C rash Ba
Week 26 - Week 29
De
sti n y 2
Mi
n i- S N E S
200
Sp
lato o n 2
200
SPOTS
SPOTS
150
Ni
gd
o m H e ar
ox O ne X Xb
t
100 SPOTS
sI
II
Kin
o ke m n Go
50
50
SPOTS
SPOTS
No surprises as to who saw the most front page coverage this month, with the highly anticipated Crash remastered trilogy hitting consoles. Being a lot harder than anyone remembered there was a lot for people to discuss online. The Mini-SNES announcement saw a lot of coverage and managaed to maintain its placement on front pages across the period as people struggled to get hold of (and keep) a pre-order. The rest of our front page chart bares a strong resemblance
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ac Age
o Sw it
di
SPOTS
Po
ver w at ch
end
SPOTS
ch
O
nt
F i n al F a nt
SPOTS
100
150
X I I: T h e Z sy o a
TACTICS
to that of our PR, with Betas for Destiny 2 and Splatoon 2 and the Pokemon Go Festival generating a lot of coverage. Overwatch and Nintendo Switch continue to dominate PR coverage with new updates and additions; notably Doomfist making his way to Overwatch After a new trailer at D23 Expo and a promise the game is still coming, Kingdom Hearts III has made it into our top 10. Despite no release date being set people are still excited about this title and websites are keen to bring as much information as they can to fans.
AUGUST 2017 / #6
YouTube Week 26 - Week 29 *Excludes games released pre April 2017
Titles popular with “Let’s Play” videos are dominating the views chart this month; fan favourites Ark and Friday the 13th are continuing their winning streak, with Crash Bandicoot not far behind. The latest offering in the Minecraft Story Mode series has seen considerable views since its launch a few weeks ago, Splatoon 2 is not far behind releasing only a week later - expect to see that rise through the ranks in the next few
AUGUST 2017 / #6
7 10
Injustice 2 14 Million Views
9
Ben and Ed 2 Blood Party 14 Million Views
8 Call of Duty WWII 19 Million Views
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe 22 Million Views
6
Splatoon 2 26 Million Views
Ark: Survival Evolved 54 Million Views
2
Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2 - Ep. 1 31 Million Views
3
5 Destiny 2 28 Million Views
4
Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy 84 Million Views
Friday the 13th (Game) 90 Million Views
1
weeks. COD WWII’s latest trailer saw a spike in views with 2.3 million coming from the franchise’s official channel, which in turn spawned numerous reaction videos helping to further boost the game’s overall views. Can they keep this momentum going into November?
TACTICS
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Monthly Leaderboard Twitter
Effective use of the Splatoon Twitter account has earned Splatoon 2 the most retweeted product of the month. Constatly tweeting updates and information on the Beta event, as well as the release meant fans were constantly reading and sharing information, enough to account for over 40% of all its retweets from just this one account.
8 9
10 Xbox One X 11,000 Retweets
Super Mario Odyssey 11,000 Retweets
4 Call of Duty WWII 61,000 Retweets
Kingdom Hearts III 67,000 Retweets
Destiny 2 71,000 Retweets
Splatoon 2 87,000 Retweets
1
2
7
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age 20,000 Retweets
3
Star Wars Battlefront 2 27,000 Retweets
5
Dragon Ball Fighter Z 20,000 Retweets
*Excludes games released pre April 2017
Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy 24,000 Retweets
6
Week 26 - Week 29
Dragon Ball Fighter Z ensured they were well retweeted this month, as well as Mario Odyssey which saw a live demo from IGN. Recent releases Crash Bandicoot and Final Fantasy XII also saw increased activity thanks to reviews, playthroughs and tips being shared.
New information from Kingdom Hearts III, COD WWII and
10
TACTICS
AUGUST 2017 / #6
Facebook Week 26 - Week 29 *Excludes games released pre April 2017
8
It seems Facebook users are looking to future games this month with 80% of our most shared products yet to release. New trailers from Kingdom Hearts III and COD WWII, a Beta event from Destiny 2 and new footage from Spider-Man have ensured that all these products have had a lot to share and talk about on Facebook this month. Kingdom Hearts III has stormed the chart with double the
AUGUST 2017 / #6
7 Friday the 13th (Game) 38,000 Sahres
Destiny 2 40,000 Shares
5
Spider-Man 56,000 Shares
Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy 67,000 Shares
Mini-SNES 85,000 Sahres
3
Call of Duty WWII 112,000 Shares
Kingdom Hearts III 220,000 Shares
2
10
9
Monster Hunter World 24,00 Shares
6
Gran Turismo Sport 29,00 Shares
4
Dragon Ball Fighter Z 35,000 Shares
1
shares of its closest competitor. Over 56% of all its shares were from the D23 Expo announcement about the new Toy Story world. Notably Splatoon 2 is absent from this chart, despite performing well everywhere else this month. Not necessarily a bad thing as it helps highlight where certain game’s audiences spend the majority of their social media time.
TACTICS
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WHY OUR CHILDHOOD GAMES MATTER NOW MORE THAN EVER N
ostalgia can often prove to be a powerful thing in capable hands. No matter how far as an industry we move forward there will always seem to be a demand for the old and familiar. Games like Super Mario World or Street Fighter II are never going to be forgotten despite being well over 20 years old, and technology having advanced far beyond since their release. And these two titles are only a fraction of what can best be described as a spoilt child’s wish-list to Santa since nostalgia can come from anywhere and in this case any video game. While I may long for the days we see the SNES versions of Aladdin and Disney’s Magical Quest make a return, Katie may find her nostalgic itch in the original Tekken or perhaps playing as 007 himself in Goldeneye on Nintendo 64. Fact of the matter is we all have old games we remember fondly; that we have a strong, sometimes emotional attachment to and it’s this feeling that game’s publishers have been and continue to tap into over and over again, sometimes with explosive results.
AUGUST 2017 / #6
There was a time when playing old games meant using the backwards compatability feature on a console. Xbox 360 playing Xbox, Wii playing Gamecube and so on. For many it was an important extra that meant you wouldn’t need to keep your old, now dated console hooked up and could keep playing the games that, let’s face it, were still perfectly playable. Another major step toward bringing retro games back into the spotlight was Nintendo’s Virtual Console service, a way for gamers to download direct to their Wii console (and later 3DS and Wii U) titles from the NES, SNES, Mega Drive and Nintendo 64. At the time it was a hugely popular idea because there had never truly been a dedicated retro service like this. Before long we would see Sony bringing PlayStation originals to the PS3 and handheld systems with Xbox even throwing a handful of original Xbox titles on Live as well. Of course the hunger for these types of games grew bigger and more vast. Gamers weren’t content with the systems and
TACTICS
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games they had, requesting experiences hidden behind a wall of licensing issues or technical complications. Like anything, the public wanted more. And they have continued to receive more and in a range of different ways. The last year or so in particular has proven very interesting for a number of reasons. The first and perhaps most noteworthy is Nintendo’s Classic Mini line. 2016 saw the publisher launch a miniturised model of the NES, complete with 30 games built in and you all know what happened next. The system’s unicorn status meant stock shortages the world over, press constantly breaking the latest updates and social media flooded with the public searching high and low for one. Even against AAA titles and new hardware the device managed to stand out. Fast forward a year and now Nintendo have rather unsurprisingly announced a followup - the SNES. This time the response has been even bigger, PR activity tripling in its initial week of reveal (see next page), Twitter and Facebook posts up five and ten times respectively. Clearly Nintendo are doing something right. It looks as though others are taking note. Recently Atari announced a new system that promises to offer both retro and current experiences to gamers. Furthermore AtGames have also announced new Genesis (Mega Drive to us Europeans) and Atari flashback devices not too disimilar to Nintendo’s efforts. While these sorts of releases have been around for a while it’s only in the last year we’ve seen them gain some real traction both in terms of popularity and their impact on press and social. Nintendo’s Virtual Console service has been around since 2006 offering players piles and piles of retro games across a number of systems. Obviously with the Switch now out in the wild you’d expect to see the service make the leap - not quite. Thanks to this we’re seeing a huge number of PR and social activities related to rumours, requests or discussions about Virtual Console on the new device. It’s clear there’s definitely a demand. SEGA appear to have realised this too with SEGA Forever, a smart phone service that allows users to play the company’s back catalogue of classics for free with ads or by removing them at a small fee. SEGA Forever not only acts as a means to sell these older titles to a wider, casual audience on smartphones, but also as a way to perform research. To find out
14
TACTICS
what franchises are more popular, see the feedback of users and as SEGA have already pointed out to the press use this information to make decisions on what series could be successful on consoles. It’s clever in theory and could prove vital in the company’s future plans of reviving old IPs as outlined in its “Road to 2020” business presentation revealed in May of this year. Retro games even play a key role when it comes to streaming, key influencers and the general gaming communities. You’ll often see the biggest names in YouTube going back to 90s titles to please their fans. Then there’s Twitch, and while video games suited for eSports events like DOTA 2, FIFA and Call of Duty will always rank highly in terms of audience numbers, when it comes to live broadcasts, you’ll also see plenty of retro games too. Events like Summer Games Done Quick are huge for retro, the audience figures often in the hundreds of thousands at any one time. It appears there is a hunger from the community to not only play these classics they know and love but also watch others tear through them as well. And it definitely seems like we’re seeing more of these unexpected announcements of older games coming to newer consoles. Sony debuted Windjammers (a game with a cult
AUGUST 2017 / #6
RE T RO - I N S P I R E D PRODUCTS & TH E I R PR P E RFO RM A N C E D UR I N G WE E K OF R E VE AL
MINI SNES
MINI NES
470
ATARIBOX
SEGA FOREVER DISNEY AFTERNOON COL. PARAPPA THE RAPPER REM.
270
245
240
200
following at best) during their PSX event out of nowhere while CAPCOM keep releasing ports and collections of their franchises on PSN and Xbox Live. It’s obvious that the audience is growing when it comes to these types of experiences. So what does this mean for the future of retro games? If anything the future is certainly looking like a strong one. With so many companies taking their own stab at utilising their laundry list of classics it seems for now at least we’ll continue to see more and more older titles popping up. Why is this important? Beside offering existing gamers the chance to relive their old favourites it also creates a new means for fresh blood to experience them too and expand the audience overall - a plus from any standpoint. The games industry is a massive one and while we’re always looking at how it will continue to evolve, at the same time that doesn’t mean it can’t take advantage of its history either. Whether you’re a gamer, publisher, developer or simply a phone owner retro games can and still do have a role to play. A growing one. Ryan Janes
1,400
It’s amazing to see the nearly triple growth in PR activity from the announcement of the original NES console and the SNES follow-up. It’s also interesting to see that despite game releases like Parappa and Disney Afternoon Collection, they still generate activity in the hundreds despite being older titles.
HEAD TO HEAD
How important do you feel the retro market is? Gaming Enthusiast Ryan Says...
R
etro games for me personally still to this day play a large role in how I spend my gaming time. In between drifting a few tracks in DiRT 4 or discovering another shrine in Breath of the Wild I’ll jump back on my Wii U and load Sonic 3 & Knuckles for a 50th playthrough or show my wife what Mario Kart was like on the SNES before the introduction of anti-gravity and blue shells. So why do I find myself going back to these sometimes twenty-plus year old experiences? Likely a number of reasons. For one a lot of them were and still are fantastic fun to play. While of course I’m always excited for the future of video games, be it virtual reality or simply the next Mario adventure, sometimes you can’t help going back to the 16-bit classics. Nostalgia obviously plays a large part here too - a number of these games bringing back strong memories of my youth. As cliché as it sounds a lot of these titles I associate with particular events in my life. My dad surprising us with a SNES one random weekend along with Super Mario World, the very first game I ever played. Teaming up with my brother through Donkey Kong Country 2 after countless rentals from Blockbuster. And of course the games played during the heartbreaks - distractions that would take my mind off and get me through the tougher times. Video games have always been a big part of my life and like any good movie you will want to revisit the highlights over and over. And it’s these sorts of emotional connections I imagine that gamers everywhere share. Now fast forward to present day and we see an industry that uses nostalgia and retro games in a number of exciting ways. Be it Nintendo’s success of releasing miniature versions of their old systems or their Virtual Console label. Microsoft have also put a lot into getting the Xbox One as backward compatable as possible, while SEGA have just launched SEGA Forever. I imagine this list of retro-focused products and services is just the beginning. There is still untapped potential to be found for sure. So while the retro market is never going to be the main event for the industry, it’s certainly one we shouldn’t ignore. Of course the demand is certainly there (the NES Classic and return of a certain Bandicoot are proof of this) be it from nostalgia hounds like myself reliving past adventures or fresher gamers looking to dip their toe in the 16-bit well, but I also think it’s important we have access to this collection. Like a library full of literature that dates back to the days of Shakespeare, it’s a chance to learn about the history of the industry we all know and love. How it has evolved. What has changed. And it’s something we can all benefit from and will hopefully continue to do so for years to come.
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AUGUST 2017 / #6
Social Gamer Katie Says...
I
’m much less of a gaming enthusiast than Ryan is, for me gaming has always been something that I do with other people. Hundreds of hours on the Sims aside, and a fair few on Super Mario All Stars, I’ve never been overly committed to games. When I think about gaming I think back to my childhood and weekends spent competing in races or battles with my brothers, with my all-time favourite game being Dancing Stage Euromix for the PlayStation 1, it was the first game I ever bought with my own money and was a crowd pleaser amongst all our friends. As I grew older I drifted away from consoles while my brothers grew into the new generation of single online players. Even my Nan is more of a gamer than I, currently working her way through Breath of the Wild, but that’s not to say I don’t enjoy playing games. Some of my best memories are sitting on the floor in our parent’s hallway playing Mario Kart Double Dash, with one person drawing the short straw and having to use the steering wheel control. If we weren’t racing we were taking our aggression out on each other with the likes of Tekken, Worms or Goldeneye. For me these games were never about winning or losing (perhaps because I rarely won) it was just about playing something together. Now I am at the point where I am getting back into gaming and I want to be able to play things with my boyfriend (who I may actually have a chance of beating!) but am surprised by the lack of local multiplayer games available to this generation. In never learning to become a single player I missed the leap to the new generation of consoles and perhaps that’s why I am stuck in the past wanting to return to these older titles. I want to be able to play alongside other people, to be able to comment on what’s happening and share my experience without having to do that through a headset. For me gaming is a fun pastime, it’s not serious. These nostalgic titles aren’t about advancing the gaming industry but rather working alongside larger AAA titles that do push the boundaries of technology. These remastered and repackaged old gems are about letting people return to some old favourites, to unwind and share their past with a new generation of people. Their increasing popularity only goes to show how much of a market there is; because why not play something you know you’re going to love and have loved before. Like anything you’ll want to play these games over and over again, and what a fantastic option to be able to bring them to each new console with you; letting them age alongside you and improve as you do, rather than having to dig them out of a dusty old box from your parent’s loft only to realise modern TVs no longer have a space for SCART leads.
AUGUST 2017 / #6
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Review Rundown Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy Publisher Activision Blizzard
Developer Vicarious Visions
Genre Platform
Formats PS4
87% 85%
83%
85%
87%
84%
84%
Nex Machina
Tekken 7
DiRT 4
83% 77%
Worldwide average review score and by territory
Top three reviewed June releases
68%
66%
70%
71%
74%
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017 Yearly June average review scores
What the press love...
What the press hate...
As good as you remember. Visually spectacular. Excellent sound design. Very reasonable price.
Frustrating platform mechanics. Clunky controls. Lengthy load screens. Was it always this difficult?
Crash is back, and love him or hate him it looks as though he could be here for a while. Since it was first revealed at E3 2016 fans have been buzzing for this trilogy and it appears they have not been disappointed. The biggest positive to come out of all reviews is that these games are exactly how you remember and are transporting players everywhere back to their childhoods. With the fantastic graphic and sound updates Crash has never looked better. It seems that all reviewers couldn’t quite believe the level Vicarious Visions have gone to bring the look of Crash up to the PS4 level, and top it off with the reasonable price for 3 (yes 3!) whole games it looks like Crash has delivered the whole package.
But like any remaster there are going to be some complaints, and while one reviewer faced the full wrath of Crash’s die-hard fans it seems he was not alone in his comments. Reviewers have made it clear that these games are great for anyone wanting to replay their childhood favourites but beyond that there is little this game has to offer. Many have commented that while it looks impressive Crash hasn’t actually aged that well. Compared to today’s games its controls are limited, its mechanics are out-dated and it is simply too restrictive for modern gamers. Not to mention how difficult and unforgiving it is. Overall Crash’s return to our consoles has been a resounding success, it ticks all the boxes for nostalgia and fans are loving the additions of trophies and time trials. But beyond that, once the rose-tinted glasses are off, Crash is starting to show his age. Here’s hoping that this trilogy was just testing the waters and that a newer younger model is on the way.
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AUGUST 2017 / #6
Splatoon 2 Publisher Nintendo
Developer Nintendo
Genre Shoot ‘Em Up
Formats NSW
91% 88%
84%
84%
86%
84%
72%
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age
Splatoon 2
That’s You!
81% 80%
Worldwide average review score and by territory
Top three reviewed July releases
64%
68%
69%
70%
69%
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017 Yearly July average review scores
What the press love...
What the press hate...
More of what you love. Improves on the original. Visually stunning. Plenty of content.
Still time limitations. No in-game chat. Some issues with motion controls.
Currently averaging at 84% with over 6,000 PR activities and despite arguments that this is an enhanced edition rather than a true sequel Splatoon 2 looks to be another success for Nintendo. Reviewers have all praised the charm and style of the game, yet again, with many claiming it could be the shooter of the year. While most felt that this game drastically improved on the original and resolved a number of issues, some felt more could have been done. The biggest complaints revolved around the map rotation and time restraints to certain levels. Reviewers only had positive things to say about the different game modes and map designs themselves but wished they had more freedom to be able to play them, particularly with the on-the-go capabilities enabled by the Switch many felt it was no longer necessary to put so much emphasis on online play. That being said reviewers had nothing but praise for the online multiplayer high hopes for its future. Reviewers praised the new Salmon Run mode as a worthy addition to the already strong roster, perfectly encapsulating the “just one more game” philosophy so apt of Nintendo. With the lowest score received only 70% it seems there was little reviewers disliked. Improvements to visuals and sound design, as well as new maps and content ensured that this game was everything fans had been waiting for and more. Perhaps a little more freedom would have been nice but with constant support and updates coming from Nintendo for the next year who knows what could happen. Even with the novelty having worn off it looks as though Splatoon has well and truly established itself as a brand here to stay and true sequel or not reviewers are lapping it up and hungry for more to come.
AUGUST 2017 / #6
TACTICS
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GAMESCOM
AUGUST 14TH 2016 AUGUST 21ST 2016
COLOGNE GERMANY
OTHER
AMERICAS
8,500 7,200 6,700
5,900
UK
4,200 2,400
EUROPE
1,500
2,000
SUN MON tue
WED thu
FRI
SAT SUN
Daily PR Count Beginning 14th Aug ‘16
PR Territory Breakdown
TOTAL VIEWS
870,000,000 MEDIA INTERNAL
OTHER
KEY INFLUENCER YouTube Views By Channel Type (%)
TWEETS 30,000 RETWEETS 700,000 Total Twitter Activity 20
TACTICS
MEDIA
INTERNAL
KEY INF.
+1,000,000
+500,000
+120,000
Facebook Follower Change By Type AUGUST 2017 / #6
ELECTRONIC ENTERTAINMENT EXPO
JUNE 12TH 2016 JUNE 19TH 2016
LOS ANGELES USA
AMERICAS OTHER 15,000 13,500
UK 8,300
6,700
5,000
EUROPE
5,200 2,200
SUN MON tue
WED thu
FRI
1,500
SAT SUN
Daily PR Count Beginning 12th Jun ‘16
PR Territory Breakdown
TOTAL VIEWS
1,000,000,000 MEDIA INTERNAL
OTHER
KEY INFLUENCER YouTube Views By Channel Type (%)
TWEETS 53,000 RETWEETS 1,200,000 Total Twitter Activity AUGUST 2017 / #6
MEDIA
INTERNAL
KEY INF.
+1,400,000
+900,000
+220,000
Facebook Follower Change By Type TACTICS
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H
ow early should a publisher announce their game? Is there
even a perfect amount of time between announcement and release? Of course you need enough time to generate excitement but not so much time people start to lose interest. But with more and more games releasing digitally, or relying on crowd funding, does the time between announcement and release even matter anymore? Traditionally a game’s announcement will be the first time we see it, whether this is gameplay footage or just a title reveal. From this to when we actually hold the game in our hands can be anywhere from a few months to a few years. So which is best, to wait months or to wait years? As gamers we would rather only have months to wait as we’re impatient and want to play everything now, but as a publisher perhaps having longer to wait can be a good thing.
COMING
so
The benefit of a lengthy campaign gives you enough time to
presence and fan base would have helped boost sales. After all,
articulate your concept to audiences, whilst giving them enough
selling an established property, even with delays, is a lot easier
time to get excited about the product. As the release date draws
than trying to sell something entirely new – just look at Kingdom
closer their anticipation builds and the idea is your pre-order sales
Hearts III whether it makes 2018 or not we’re expecting fans will
will too. But keep delaying a game and this anticipation can soon
still be there day one.
turn to annoyance. E.g. The Last Guardian, announced in 2008, didn’t finally release until 2016. What began as a well anticipated
There is a theory that if you announce a game it is less likely to get
sequel for the PlayStation 3 era became a title that didn’t seem
cancelled, which is why we sometimes see many games being
quite relevant for the modern PlayStation 4 landscape. Having
announced before they’re ready, but as we’ve seen with high
such a length of time between announcement and release lead
profile cases like Scalebound things can still go wrong. In fact it
to a lot of people asking, “Was that it?” A question currently cir-
can be more beneficial to wait until your product is near comple-
cling the long awaited release of Crackdown 3 too.
tion to announce it to your audience. Take Fallout 4, announced at E3 2015 and released a mere 5 months later. Despite only hav-
22
On the flip side, Breath of the Wild had a lengthy 3 year wait be-
ing 5 months to generate buzz this game was well received and
tween its announcement in 2014 and its release earlier this year.
dominated the sales charts. The benefits of announcing your
But the game was a phenomenal success. So what was the differ-
game once it is a finished product are that your fans know exact-
ence? A number of factors would have come into play here; not
ly what they’re getting, whether they’ve invested in the property
only was it a better game than anybody had expected, but its tie
before or not. The longer a marketing campaign is the more
in with a new console launch, along with its established brand
assets are needed to fuel promotion, this can increase costs as
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AUGUST 2017 / #6
on OR NOT?
wait for scheduled announcements. With the rise of digital releases, pre-order sales are becoming less important to evaluate a game’s success, there are now a number of other ways to gauge consumer reaction; from public Beta receptions to comparisons with competitors. It seems publishers are less concerned with getting a polished product to market intially, instead planning to support it digitally with updates and DLCs. This method can be beneficial because you can adapt to your audience’s feedback and improve the product alongside them. It also keeps your audience better informed and lets them feel more involved – the rise of Steam Greenlight and public Beta testing of games has shown that audiences are more than willing to play early games and provide feedback. This helps ensure that a product may be better received when it does finally release, it also proves how a communication campaign now extends far beyond the actual release date of the game itself.
well as time required to manage the campaign, so waiting until a game is near completion can be much more cost effective. But
Ultimately the window between announcement and release is a
just because you’ve saved money on your communications cam-
double edged sword, leave it too late and people will have be-
paign doesn’t mean your product will be a success, the game
come complacent with your product, but too soon and people
still needs to deliver a product fans want, examples like Steep
won’t have enough time to learn what it is they should be excited
and Dead Rising 4 show that fans can still be a little disappointed
about. Both long and short campaigns have proven examples
even if they’ve only been waiting a few months.
that worked and some that didn’t and there is no right answer here. Big blockbuster games going after mainstream audiences
Currently an average AAA title’s campaign is slightly above a
will always require more time to sell their product, especially new
year, this requires a lot of time, money and content. For your
IPS, but those with a loyal fan base and established franchsie will
smaller independent titles they simply don’t have enough
find it easier. But with the changing digital landscape this whole
content to sustain this. Hence why we are starting to see smaller
concept of an announcement/release window has been blurred.
companies using digital marketing in a newer, more engaging
Perhaps there is no such thing as announcing a game too soon;
way. Crowd funded games are letting fans in at every step of the
the important thing is to keep your fans informed. So long as they
development process. While it may seem counterintuitive to an-
can feel updated on the progress audiences will wait for a game
nounce a game so quickly it actually allows small companies to
they really want, but go silent and they may start to doubt if it’s
build an audience for their game, relatively cheaply, without fear
ever coming.
of being lost in the sea of AAA games. Their audience will come directly to them for updates on the game rather than having to
AUGUST 2017 / #6
Katie Gibbs
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AUGUST 2017 / #6