No matter if a game is made by a solo developer at home or a big team in a top studio, every new video game needs a strong marketing campaign to stand out and get players excited.
With hundreds of games coming out every week, it’s tough to find a creative way to get people interested in your new title, even if your studio has a big marketing budget.
Luckily, there are many great examples from clever video game marketers to learn from. Let’s get started. If you’re in a hurry, you can use the links below to jump to the campaigns that interest you most.
- Apex Legends and the influence of influencers
- You won’t believe this 1200 sq ft Halo diorama
- PlayStation’s used game instructional video
- A devilishly sweet way to promote Diablo IV
- Bioshock 2’s marketing campaign was a splashing success
- Hitman: take control of a real-life Agent 47
- Konami marketed a game within a game
- Stardew Valley and the power of community engagement
- Saints Row IV’s $1 million special edition
- Generating hype and coverage through season-based events
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ brand integrations
- What can we learn from these marketing campaigns?
1. Apex Legends and the influence of influencers
While EA and Respawn Entertainment’s Apex Legends is one of the best-known battle royale games on the market – with around 25 million players joining the firefight at the shooter’s launch in 2019, many of whom still log in regularly today – you might be hard-pressed, actually, to remember any actual marketing for the game.
There’s a good reason for that: it didn’t really have any! Well, at least not in the style of the video game marketing campaigns you usually see.
At the time, EA was still reeling from the well-documented failure of Star Wars: Battlefront 2 and the heavy backlash to its loot box-centric monetisation, and was concerned about the response to Apex Legends being a free-to-play spinoff in the highly acclaimed Titanfall franchise.
Instead, having seen the massive viewership of battle royale titles like Fortnite and PUBG on platforms such as Twitch, EA decided to let influencers promote the game on their behalf.
On 4 February 2019, Apex Legends appeared on the market, with the only fanfare coming from prominent streamers like Ninja and Shroud, with whom EA had entered a paid partnership (costing a pretty penny) for 24 hours of exclusive coverage.
While undoubtedly a risky move, letting the game speak for itself proved to be the right decision.
Apex Legends rapidly became the most-watched game by live hours across Twitch and YouTube Gaming, racking up a monumental 63.7+ million hours of live viewership on Twitch in its launch period – over 10 million more than its direct competitor, Fortnite.
The game proved to be such a streaming hit that many of the influencers EA had paid to cover it continued to create content for free simply because it was attracting so many viewers.
2. You won’t believe this 1200 sq ft Halo diorama
By 2007, years after the release of Halo 2, anticipation for Halo 3 was high. Microsoft and Bungie could have relied on flashy gameplay to drive interest, but instead, they took a unique marketing approach.
They launched the “Halo 3: Believe” campaign, now considered one of gaming’s most successful marketing efforts for its massive impact on sales.
Central to the campaign was a massive 1,200 sq ft diorama with dozens of handcrafted UNSC and Covenant figures, assembled in a rented warehouse.
Real actors posed as Marines, and their facial expressions were scanned to create authentic, photorealistic detail for the miniatures. Bungie’s character assets were recreated, but it’s the human touches that were added that set the model apart.
This led to the mysterious “Believe” trailer. Even without real game footage, it captivated both gamers and non-gamers.
An interactive online diorama tour featured voice clips from ‘UNSC veterans’ who shared emotional stories about serving with Master Chief, making the world feel real.
At the time, such faithful real-life recreations of a game world were rare, making the campaign even more impressive.
The results were immediate: in 24 hours, Halo 3 generated around $170 million in U.S. sales—the biggest entertainment launch ever at that point. Some even blamed it for weak movie ticket sales!
3. PlayStation’s Used Game Instructional Video
There were many missteps in Microsoft’s original launch strategy for the Xbox One. Still, arguably the one that drew the biggest backlash from players was that every game (even those entirely single-player and purchased on disc) would require regular access to a stable internet connection.
More so, the console was said to link all games to a player’s account, a move that would have stopped the used game market dead in its tracks and made even lending a game to your friends a weirdly complex affair.
Of course, these plans were short-lived. Players worldwide were collectively outraged by the announcement at E3 2013, and within just a few days, the console maker had retracted all of its problematic plans. But by that point, Sony had already seized the opportunity to use the mistakes to the PlayStation’s advantage.
In a genius marketing move, PlayStation reacted to the situation by creating a video from a hotel room demonstrating how sharing games would work on the PlayStation 4. The video, which features former Sony president Shuhei Yoshida, lasts only 21 seconds and shows just one step: passing a game from one person to another.
That was all Sony needed to demonstrate the night-and-day differences between its console and Microsoft’s. Following its release as part of Sony’s E3 presentation that year, the video generated more than 18 million views, cementing the PlayStation 4 as the console “for the players.”
4. A devilishly sweet way to promote Diablo IV
Everyone loves chocolate. But you know what could make it even sweeter? That’s right, hordes of demons and blazing hellfire.
Lilith & Co was an over-18s-only “goremet” pop-up chocolate shop which opened last year in Soho, London, to promote the launch of the latest instalment in Blizzard’s demonic role-playing franchise, Diablo IV.
The shop sold all kinds of tasty (yet diabolical) creations based on the world of Diablo, from miniature creations like skulls and bones to a life-sized Loot Goblin corpse. There was also an unfinished bust of the Khazra demon, demonstrating the chocolate-making process used to craft the lifelike replicas.
Guests could purchase some of the smaller items (prices started at £6.66) while the larger pieces were auctioned off. All proceeds went to SpecialEffect, a charity that supports people with physical disabilities by helping them continue to enjoy video games.
Of course, it wouldn’t have been a Diablo event without some gameplay, so the store had early-access previews of the new title downstairs where visitors could try out the game before its official launch date.
The unusual mix of demon slaying and chocolate munching caught the press’s attention, with everything from PCGames to Techrader and the NME popping along to see what the despicable treats tasted like.
While we’re sure this chocolate shop alone wasn’t the only contributing factor behind Diablo IV’s tremendous success, which rapidly surpassed $666 million in sales and broke several sales records for Blizzard, it will have made a significant impact.
Bonus video game marketing campaign: Diablo IV’s monstrously large mural
Diablo IV has another sensationally satanic video game marketing campaign that’s definitely deserving of some worship: a 100-foot-tall mural of the RPG’s villainous she-demon, Lilith.
This gloriously hellish piece of artwork appeared in three locations worldwide (London, Berlin and Stockholm) in the run-up to the game’s launch, and drew a lot of appreciation from Diablo fans — including our very own director and co-founder, James!
5. Bioshock 2’s marketing campaign was a splashing success
BioShock 2 had a lot to live up to as the sequel to the popular BioShock. Fans got even more excited when a secret trailer appeared in the PlayStation 3 version of the first game.
Rather than a typical announcement, 2K Games started a mysterious campaign called “Something in the Sea.” In March 2009, they launched a website that teased a return to Rapture and encouraged players to explore its secrets.
For months, the website shared creepy audio, strange messages, and hidden clues. These pieces revealed the story of Mark Meltzer, a father looking for his missing daughter who eventually found Rapture.
In August 2009, the campaign ramped up. Gaming media around the world got mysterious letters from Meltzer, saying he would be at Jones Beach, Long Island, on August 8.
The letters listed coordinates and times for nine other beaches around the world, from Brighton Beach in England to Rimini Beach in Italy. The same information was posted on the website.
Since BioShock 2 was still a mystery, gamers everywhere started guessing what might happen at these beaches.
On August 8, hundreds of fans showed up at beaches all over the world, and social media lit up with excitement. At each location, bottles from a made-up Rapture vineyard washed up, each holding posters and items from BioShock.
While the posters withheld details about the game’s plot, leaving some disappointed, they added to the enigmatic aura surrounding BioShock 2, intensifying the buzz surrounding its release.
When it was finally released, BioShock 2 topped the sales charts and was considered a success for 2K Games. Within the first month of its release in February 2010, BioShock 2 sold over 3 million copies worldwide across multiple platforms, including Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.
6. Hitman: Take control of a real-life Agent 47
Agent 47 is one of the most well-known characters in video game history, but after the release of Hitman: Absolution in 2012, he was in a bit of trouble. While the game received generally positive reviews, it was primarily viewed as a step down for the franchise, which failed to meet sales expectations.
As such, developer IO Interactive decided to go back to the drawing board and reboot the series with the simply named Hitman: A live service-esque take on the series that returned Agent 47 to his roots, with huge, imaginative spaces where players could devise all sorts of diabolically tactical ways to execute an ever-growing list of targets.
However, convincing long-term fans that a reimagining of a beloved franchise is worthy of the hype is a challenge with any reboot, including Hitman. To help prove to players that Agent 47 was back on form, the developer and publisher Square Enix sought the help of film production studio Realm Pictures and a few influencers.
Realm Pictures recreated one of its then-upcoming levels in real life to show what the game was all about. The influencers, which hilariously included the Chuckle Brothers, were put in charge of an actor playing Agent 47, whom they had to instruct through the level and help successfully eliminate the target.
It’s a ton of fun to watch the madness, and plenty of series fans seemed to agree. The video has since accrued almost six million views on YouTube and proved to be a great piece of pre-release marketing for the game.
The Hitman reboot went on to be a tremendous success, and has since spawned two subsequent sequels and a full-blown rebrand into the “World of Assassination”.
7. Konami marketed a game within a game
When Hideo Kojima’s survival horror demo, P.T., was shown at Sony’s Gamescom 2014, not many people noticed. The trailer was short and mysterious, and the developer, 7780s Studio, was unknown, so it didn’t stand out.
However, this ‘interactive teaser’ got attention because it was released for free on the PlayStation Store. This move made people curious.
In P.T., players explore a creepy, repeating hallway haunted by a menacing ghost. The game’s atmosphere, sounds, and visuals created real fear.
Word spread quickly as players searched every part of the hallway, trying to figure out the teaser’s secrets.
Eventually, players found a hidden sequence that ended the nightmare and revealed that P.T. was actually a secret teaser for a new Silent Hill game. The game would star Norman Reedus and was being made by Kojima and Guillermo Del Toro.
This clever marketing showed that letting people try a game is the best way to promote it. P.T. received high praise, and some journalists even called it Game of the Year, which is impressive for a demo.
Even though P.T. was praised, Silent Hills was cancelled after Kojima and Konami reportedly had a falling out. P.T. was also taken off the PlayStation Store.
Now, P.T. can only be played on PlayStation 4 consoles that already have the demo installed. At one point, this made resale prices go as high as $1,800.
Although P.T. didn’t have a happy ending, its smart marketing made it a memorable part of horror game history.
8. Stardew Valley and the power of community engagement
Stardew Valley is one of the most celebrated indie games in video game history. Its relaxing farm life simulation gameplay has won the hearts of more than 20 million players across various platforms. Even its soundtrack has a huge following, with an Orchestral Tour set to travel the world next year (promoted by yours truly).
However, most would agree that the most impressive thing about Stardew Valley is that this indie darling was developed and marketed by just one man, Eric Barone (also known as ConcernedApe).
As a result, Stardew Valley’s marketing strategy was distinct in that it primarily relied on word-of-mouth, social media, and community engagement.
For example, throughout the development of Stardew Valley, Eric provided regular updates on social media platforms and forums about how the title was shaping up, helping to create early anticipation among fans who were intrigued by the game’s concept and its nostalgic appeal, reminiscent of classic farming simulation games like Harvest Moon.
Barone was an incredibly active member of the game’s burgeoning fandom on Reddit, answering questions and sharing new content, which helped the title become a mainstay on the popular Games subreddit months before its debut.
Barone also blogged about his work on the game’s website, giving a behind-the-scenes look you wouldn’t usually see. Eric also responded to fan inquiries and made adjustments to various aspects of the game based on the feedback he received, helping to foster a sense of community and loyalty among players before the game’s release.
When Barone finally released the title on Steam, he was met with an overwhelmingly positive response, and a significant part of that was due to his careful engagement with the community.
9. Saints Row IV’s $1 million special edition
Saints Row began as a Grand Theft Auto clone, but quickly set itself apart with over-the-top features: superpowers, shark-summoning shotguns, and wild missions like tiger road trips.
So it was perhaps fitting then that the team at Volition thought it apt to market the fourth instalment in the franchise by releasing a one-of-a-kind special edition that was as eye-catching and ridiculous as its gameplay, with a whopping $1 million price tag.
Sold only at UK retailer GAME, the expensive “Super Dangerous Wad Wad Edition” included:
- Saints Row IV: Commander in Chief Edition
- A full-sized replica Dubstep Gun
- A full day of spy training
- A trip to space with Virgin Galactic One year’s membership of E25 Super Car Club and a Lamborghini Gallardo to make it worthwhile
- Plastic Surgery of the purchaser’s choice
- A shopping spree with a personal shopper to create the ultimate Planet Saints capsule wardrobe
- Seven nights for two at The Jefferson Hotel in Washington
- Hostage rescue experience
- A brand new Toyota Prius and insurance to give something back to the environment
- Seven-night stay in the Top Royal Suite at the Burj-al-arab with flights for two
No one knows if anyone actually bought the Wad Wad Edition, but that likely wasn’t the point. The offer was really a clever publicity stunt, parodying over-the-top game bundles.
The strategy worked, earning media coverage from The Verge, GameRant, and Rock Paper Shotgun. One outlet even broke down the costs and declared it a terrible deal, adding to the joke.
Deep Silver later continued the joke, announcing a fake $100 million edition for the Saints Row reboot on April Fool’s Day. This imaginary bundle included becoming CEO of Deep Silver, a book deal, paid-off student loans, and luxury cars.
10. Generating hype and coverage through season-based events
Unlike the other examples on this list, this one isn’t a specific marketing campaign that we’re impressed with; it’s more of a broader trend. Simply put, many video games with LiveOps strategies are leveraging the power of real-world seasonal events to boost their revenues.
In fact, according to GameRefinery, more than 90% of the top-grossing 100 iOS mobile games use seasonal events to boost their revenues, with players now expecting an influx of new content as the holiday seasons approach.
The events often vary from region to region for obvious reasons (e.g., it’s unlikely anyone outside of China will rush to a Chinese New Year event). Still, generally, almost any significant date in the calendar year is worthy of the LiveOps treatment – be that Christmas, Halloween, Pride Month, St Patrick’s Day, or any others you can think of!
Events like these are an excellent opportunity for game studios to give their games a seasonal makeover with new story content, game modes and seasonal cosmetic items that will drive engagement and open up new monetisation opportunities.
Let’s look at some of the games that got involved with this year’s Valentine’s Day as an example:
- Marvel Contest of Champions added a new quest called Till Deathless Do Us Part that focuses on Captain America and the Falcon, in tandem with the theatrical release of A Brave New World.
- Pikmin Bloom marked the occasion with lots and lots of chocolate, offering event-specific costumes players could obtain by collecting Cocoa Beans from special missions.
- LEGO Fortnite Brick Life launched a new update that encouraged residents to spread the love by giving out flowers, love letters and heart wands.
- Goddess of Victory: NIKKE’s ‘Romantic Valentine’ story event introduced two new SSR characters and multiple minigames.
Some games even collaborate with other IPs and popular franchises as part of their seasonal event offerings to boost attention, like the Stumble Guys crossover with Care Bears, which leads us nicely to our next point…
11. Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ Brand Integrations
When Nintendo planned for Animal Crossing: New Horizons to release in March 2020, they surely could not have foreseen that it would be at the peak of a global pandemic that had locked people all around the world inside their homes.
With very few ways left to keep ourselves entertained, the concept of building your own tropical paradise was hard to resist.
New Horizons saw unprecedented success for the series, selling 11.77 million copies in 12 days. New Horizons sold more physical copies in its first week than the launch sales of all its sister titles combined, making it the biggest single game launch on Nintendo Switch ever at the time.
That momentum continued throughout the months to come. Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ lifetime sales are now over 43 million, and the title is reportedly Japan’s best-selling video game.
However, one of the most interesting factors that helped sustain the Animal Crossing craze was the number of brands reaching out to customers in-game and through the power of social media.
Luxury fashion brands like Cath Kidston, Gucci, Marc Jacobs and Valentino introduced official custom designs to the game, allowing players to personalise their avatars when they were stuck indoors.
This is just one of the many examples of branded integrations and IP collaborations that have become commonplace in video games today, many of which we’ve worked on ourselves.
Simply put, IP and brand collaborations are an incredibly effective way to market a game, providing a great hook to capture the media’s attention and prospective players. Newzoo reports that such crossovers can boost game DAU by over 11%.
What can we learn from these video game marketing campaigns?
Obviously, not every studio has the budget to build warehouse-sized dioramas or wash up fictional merchandise on beaches around the world, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t aspects of these video game marketing campaigns everyone can learn from:
- The best video game marketing campaigns execute a novel idea that matches players’ expectations. You wouldn’t expect the demonic world of Diablo to match up with a chocolate shop, which is why the contrast between the two was so effective.
- Video game marketing campaigns that seem “real” have a much greater impact. Halo 3 and Bioshock 2 made their fictional worlds feel almost tangible, and players were excited to become part of these universes.
- Communication can be a powerful tool, particularly for those with limited resources. Stardew Valley demonstrates that maintaining an open dialogue with players on forums, social media, and through blogs can foster a powerful connection between players and your title.
- Similarly, consider what’s happening in the real world when considering ways to promote your game. Particularly for live service titles, incorporating content themed around popular events and holidays can enhance engagement.
- Partnering with famous brands and IPs can be a powerful way to catch the attention of new players and open up new media opportunities. We recommend carefully considering whether any such partnership makes sense for your title.
You’ve seen the best; now check out the rest. If you enjoyed this post, check out our blog post on some of the biggest video game PR failures for tips on what to avoid when promoting your upcoming game.
