Video Game Marketing For Movies

Movie promotions are getting creative by the day and marketers are finding new avenues to reach more people and promote a film. Video Game Marketing is one such avenue with a wide reach among potential audience. It might not be the right strategy for every film that releases but when suited, it’s the most powerful marketing tool that production houses have. They resort to video game outsourcing companies like RubixQ to capture the essence of the film in its entirety to engage and entertain the audience and build curiosity around it.

 

This hybrid marketing solution can be employed before the release to create buzz and after the release to sustain the revenue from it. In 1982, Atari paved the way to the movie tie-ins in games, by developing a game based on E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. Recently, the trend shifted from developing games to core gamers to casual gamers in order to increase the reach. Simple games on Facebook, apps and other platforms make the game available for non-gamers too. They can generate the much-need viral marketing for movies if it clicks.

This video game marketing also gives an opportunity for the filmmakers to get to know about how the concept is getting received by the fans. Based on the feedback they can then decide if there are any changes to be made, considering the budgetary stakes. If the game becomes successful, they can build a fanbase upfront before the release. Post-release, they can extend their business for longer periods with multiple revenue streams.

These games can be as basic as interactive puzzles and easy adventures. The video game developers will then incorporate the elements of movies into that artfully in a way that every player can notice, remember and recollect movies even after playing the game. This gives films much-needed word of mouth and publicity. That marketing buzz multiplies when the game is multiplayer in nature.

Fast and Furious: Cross Roads is the best example for garnering not only franchise fans but also casual players to download the game and get excited about the film. Some other successful examples are Disney’s Tron, Salt, Day X exists, Blade Runner, The Chronicles of Riddick, Indiana Jones, etc. Some of the most popular TV Series like Dexter and Spartacus have also employed this marketing approach for their benefit by engaging the audience with simple games. The most acclaimed of all is the game console adaptation of Walking Dead.