We know what’s next in the world of video games. Sony will be releasing the Playstation 4 this holiday season. Microsoft is likely releasing the next Xbox console. The OUYA Android gaming console made a big splash on Kickstarter and will be available this summer. But what’s next in video games marketing?

At the DigitalMediaWire LA Games Conference recently, some of the brightest minds from companies like Zynga, Activision, Electronic Arts, and Rovio shared their thoughts on the future of digital games.

Video is king

One of the fastest emerging trends in gaming is the skyrocketing popularity of video - and not just standard YouTube videos but live video, streaming video, and produced content. Video streaming services like Twitch.tv are immensely popular with “eSports” games like League of Legends or 360PR client, Turbine’s, upcoming game Infinite Crisis, where viewers watch teams of skilled players battle each other – much like any other professional sport.  In fact, the world of “eSports” has spawned professional gamers that make a living by playing in events like Major League Gaming’s numerous competitions.

Fans of games don’t just want to consume content, they want to engage and contribute. Produced video content from providers like Machinima can garner more viewers than the latest NBC comedy (not that that’s hard these days), because gamers crave content about their favorite titles and brands. Machinima videos received 2 billion views in March 2013 alone. Live news shows like Up At Noon from IGN have also found a home on the web. Recently, cable network G4 moved away from its traditional gaming-focused programming and changed its name to the Esquire Channel – the gaming audience would rather find their content on the web rather than on TV.

Free-to-play and the future of game monetization

In the past, video games were designed to be a one-time purchase. Pay $50 or $60 for the game disc, and you owned the full game. Certain game types, like Massively Multiplayer Online Games, required monthly subscriptions. But PC and console games are starting to take a cue from mobile games, moving to a “free to play”  model, which allows you to play the game for free and purchase items or upgrades in an in-game store. This changes game publishers’ marketing strategies immensely, because if you’re offering a piece of the game to players for free, you need to hook them and prove that the game is worth spending money on. Rob Dyer, the VP of Partner Publishing at Zynga, said that “User acquisition is expensive even in the mobile and free-to-play space, and that won’t change. How do you get users to become players, and players to become payers?”

With a traditional console title, game publishers want to drive as many sales as possible on launch. The latest Call of Duty title pulled in $500 million in just 24 hours. Bioshock Infinite has shipped 3.7 million copies since it launched in late March. But with a free-to-play title, the focus isn’t on getting as many players into the game as possible, but keeping your core playerbase happy.

Marketing to smaller, more focused audiences

Keeping that core playerbase happy is what Riot Games has done with League of Legends. Chris Enock, VP of Central Publishing at Riot Games, says the majority of their user acquisition is just word of mouth – many players spend hours playing the game each week so they’re heavily invested in the game and become evangelists. The Riot team speaks to players directly on social media and their website, and the players feel like they’re connected with the folks making the game. Turbine does the same thing with their games Lord of the Rings Online and D&D Online. Community managers have to understand players’ perspectives, understand the game, and keep people engaged. When you’re talking to players that are so enfranchised in your game, says Activision’s Jonathan Anastas, “Any time you’re not 100% authentic, you’re toast.” Certain games have more niche communities, but they are enthusiastic. Instead of an audience of 5 million casual players, it’s more like 15,000 passionate fans that truly care about the game.

Filed under: Video Games by Mark Nolan - No Comments →

10 more years! 10 more years!  This week Reed Exhibitions, the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, and the Massachusetts Digital Games Institute (MassDiGI) announced that PAX East, one of the gaming industry’s most well-known conventions, will be held in Boston until 2023. And the city is abuzz with excitement! Just read articles from local papers, The Boston Herald and Globe,  to WGBH-TV and Mass High Tech.

Three years ago when PAX East first landed in Boston, we all knew it would be successful as evidenced by the west coast version of the show, PAX Prime held in Seattle each year – but I think even the organizers have been surprised at the response. The conference grew so large after the first year alone that they had to move it to the newer, larger convention center (Boston Convention and Exhibition Center) the second year (and each subsequent year). 75,000 attendees are expected to attend this year’s show (April 6-8) alone!

This is big news for Boston and the state of Massachusetts, which 360PR calls home. We have an active and bustling games community with developers like Turbine/WB Games (360PR client), Harmonix, and Irrational Games located in the state, as well as a slew of smaller companies creating innovative games. Zy

nga, the folks behind the hugely popular Words with Friends and FarmVille games, already snatched up two MA companies, Conduit Labs and Floodgate Entertainment, recently.

In addition to their commitment to the city, Reed (the people that put on the show) announced that they will be donating $325,000 over the next 10 years to help foster the growth of the digital games ecosystem in and around Boston. This is excellent news for the local community, which includes academic institutions, game developers, and game business service providers!

In typical gaming fashion, what better way to announce this news than with a video: http://ow.ly/97ftx

We can’t wait to continue to watch the community grow, and to be a part of it!

Filed under: Video Games by EliciaBasoli - No Comments →

By Mark Nolan

One of the gaming industry’s most well-known publications announced they will be closing its doors – both in print and online – this week. GamePro, which has been around since 1989, announced that the November issue of the magazine will be its last and on Monday, December 5. GamePro.com will redirect to its sister publication, PCWorld.com. A notice on the top of GamePro.com thanks their dedicated readers, like myself, with this message:

“Thank you for your loyalty, support, and participation in the GamePro.com community. […] Thank you to the entire GamePro staff for their hard work and dedication.”

The first GamePro I picked up was in 1997, when my shiny new Nintendo64 was begging for the latest games. The magazine always covered the best new releases, and – in the era before the internet – provided invaluable reviews to help gamers (and parents) decide which games were worth the money. In the changing print landscape over the past few years, GamePro struggled, announcing earlier this year that they would be switching to a quarterly format.

While sad, it’s not all bad news for the GamePro brand which will remain as a subsection of PCWorld’s site, and a new entity called GamePro Custom Solutions will provide customized content for vendors and industry events like E3. Publisher Julian Rignall had mixed emotions about the news on his Twitter account:

All is not lost for print outlets in the gaming industry: magazines like Game Informer and Official Xbox Magazine are still going strong, and there are even some new print magazines joining the fray. Best Buy launched their @Gamer magazine in partnership with Future Publishing earlier this year, and another famous gaming mag from the industry’s early years, Electronic Gaming Monthly, was recently reborn.

We will definitely miss GamePro’s fantastic editorial staff and the groundwork they laid for gaming journalists over the past two decades. Farewell, for now, guys! We wish you all the best!

Filed under: Media and Press, Video Games by Admin - 2 Comments →

The 2^nd annual Penny Arcade Expo East (PAX East) wrapped up yesterday. And, boy was it epic – with huge over-the-top booths from the big game companies, to a bevy of costumed characters roaming the city. Over 60,000 gamers descended upon 360’s hometown of Boston for an unforgettable weekend. We were out in full force with multiple 360 staff working the show floor. Check out some photos from the event on our Facebook page.

Massachusetts continues to shine as a “hub” for the worldwide video game industry. In fact, Massachusetts is home to numerous game development education programs from the MIT GAMBIT Game Lab to Becker College and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. We also have hundreds of developers in the area – from Turbine to Harmonix and Blue Fang Games.  In addition, dedicated organizations like New England Games SIG and Boston Post Mortem keep the local games community strong in Massachusetts. PAX East has emerged as the icing on the cake and something we’ll be looking forward to each year for years to come.

The local media was all over PAX this weekend. If you missed the show, but want to find out more, check out the  Boston Globe, Boston Herald and Mass High Tech!

Filed under: 360 Public Relations, Events and Conferences, Video Games by EliciaBasoli - 2 Comments →

Parents don’t let kids social network alone.

That’s the thinking behind Togetherville, a juvi-social network where the 10 and under set can hang out with their parents online and give social networking a whirl in a safe online neighborhood.

It’s free to join and parents create their child’s account through their own Facebook log-in. Parents can “play” with their kids online – hence the together in Togetherville – and can approve or reject friends that their children ask to bring into their neighborhood. Creator Mandeep Singh Dhillon told CNET.com that it’s all about creating accountability. He said, “Togetherville allows parents to create neighborhoods of the real people in their child’s life to be around their kid as they grow up online.”

Similar to Disney Digital Books, the site looks different for parents and children. And in this kiddie-size version of Facebook, your kids can comment on a status update using canned responses called “quips.” The site does let kids write their own free-form messages, but they must be approved by the parent before being sent. From the kids site, the games, videos and other activities are all pre-screened and no ads are allowed. From the parents site, you can send your kids notes and gifts, look at their activities and see what they’re creating. Kids also get passports that they can fill up with badges by playing games and watching videos on the site.

Let’s face it, kids under 13 are not allowed on Facebook, but they are joining anyway. And while there are some really nice things about Facebook, the perils aren’t worth the trouble that can happen if your young child isn’t supervised.

The question is whether parents will take the Togetherville step before letting their kids loose online. And, we’ll find out soon enough whether the Togetherville model even proves to be “safe enough.” Let’s also hope that Togetherville doesn’t turn into Addictedville and shut out important real-life experiences for young kids.

For now, it seems to me like a great solution for parents whose kids who are chomping at the bit to get online. It may just provide a valuable head start in teaching kids early on netiquette and the importance of safety and privacy on a social networking site. There is no denying, these sites are here to stay and will only evolve and grow.

So please share, would you use Togetherville with your child?

Filed under: 360 Public Relations, Consumer Marketing, Digital Books, Digital PR, FaceBook, Marketing to Moms, Media and Press, Parenting, PR Industry, Social Media, Social Networking, Togetherville, Video Games, Virtual Worlds by Admin - 3 Comments →