Product Placement: The Good, the Bad, and the Pizza Command

Key Takeaways:

Product placement is at its best when it is harmless and helps drive the overall content of the game without irritating the player

Delivery of messaging can range in unique ways that may subtly address the brand

Blatant product placement, while not offensive, may be perplexing for a gamer to comprehend and potentially erode at brand equity of both the game and the company represented

             (Yup, this actually happened. Credit: MMOBomb.com)

Product placement has been a longtime mainstay in several forms of media. Not to be confused with Advergames (take a look here at 7-Up’s Cool Spot for a good example of advergaming done right), product placement refers to a company having its product specifically in a media, whether drawing attention to it or not remains up to the partnership. Since the early days of gaming, product placement has been able to carve out its own niche in gaming; however, there has been no perfect strategy for figuring out the proper way to utilize product placement in gaming, and as a result, the gaming industry has been left with some instances of success, some of failure, and a lot of random and unusual attempts at promoting brands. In most cases, we’re left with unique results.

Case 1 – Crazy Taxi Takes You To All Your Favorite Brands:

                                      

        (Get to the Colonel ASAP. Credit: Mweb.co)

When Crazy Taxi hit the arcades starting in 1999 no one had ever seen anything like it. It was a fast paced, punk rock fueled, driving game where you played a taxi driver. It was not a traditional racing game trying to beat out opponents. Instead, players were tasked with driving to an available passenger in what seemed like a downtown San Francisco. Passengers were marked with colors ranging from green, yellow, orange, and red depending on distance to destination (green was extremely short or easy, while red was a longer, more difficult drive). Players were paid various sums depending on how fast they could get to the destination and driving skill, meaning if they were able to swerve through traffic without getting hit or fly through shortcuts or jumps they would be rewarded with bonus cash. There was a limited amount of time that would be replenished somewhat once the drive was completed. It’s important to stress that the game is more of an action racing game, and again, unlike anything seen for the genre. Players do not have a lot of time to think about the destinations or routes. The game focuses on reactions and trying to hold off the time limit from expiring. Marketers realized the potential hit and partnered with Sega to utilize the game for superb product placement.

What made the product placement so great was that the products represented were the destinations players would deliver customers to for fares. The game included Fila, Levi’s, Tower Records, KFC, and Pizza Hut as potential destinations. While Tower Records may not have been able to fully utilize the advertising effectively going forward (a result of a changing market), the other brands still remain household names. Furthermore, in a game about speed and quick reactions, the transmission power associated with the products may have made it even easier for players to recognize what to look for. Instead of a generic location (and there are some in the games), players knew what the destination was ahead of time, even if they had not seen the virtual location previously. This marketing also provided locking power, because if a player were to play it with a friend and barely reach a destination, at least there would be something to talk about in the story following the in game activities. Most importantly, perhaps due to the rapid reaction time and lack to fully comprehend the advertising attempt, there is not enough time for a player to bemoan the use of product placement, because the product simply does not have relevance for its advertising and is instead meant as a key part of the game. With Crazy Taxi being the 2^nd best-selling Dreamcast game in 2000 (selling nearly 750,000 units), it is fair to assume the advertisers got their money’s worth.

Case 2 – Mercedes-Benz has no idea who its audience is and decides to partner with Nintendo:

          (Well those aren’t traditional go karts…)

When I think of Mercedes-Benz, I think of luxury. The high priced cars that hopefully I’ll be able to afford sometime shortly after finishing business school[1]. The longstanding brand that seems to ooze class and success. I do not think of it as the primary vehicle of choice for the inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom. Nevertheless, Mercedes-Benz and its team thought of the idea of partnering with Nintendo to provide a downloadable content pack for the Wii U’s Mario Kart 8 in 2015 which allowed Mario, Luigi, and all of their friends to drive in current and older models of the company’s famous cars. While the jury is out on whether or not it was truly effective, in a very short period of time it has been largely questioned across the industry. Furthermore, it has appeared on several “Blatant Product Placement” lists, which is clearly not the greatest outcome for either company[2].

In attempt to stop publicity from taking on a life of its own, Mercedes attempted to address the rationale as to why it wanted to add its cars to the game. According to Caroline Pitz, the head of product placement with Mercedes, the main factor was nostalgia, as she specifically stated that “Many people grew up with Mario during the last 30 years, so there are quite a lot of 30- and 40-somethings around for which Super Mario Maker hails back to their childhood days and gives them a large dose of nostalgia”[3]. While this quote directly references Super Mario Maker where downloadable content was produced earlier this year from the automaker, the quote still rings true for the efforts in Mario Kart 8.

         (The Super Mario Maker collaboration. Credit: Nintendo.com)

Unfortunately, I would strongly disagree with Ms. Pitz’s assessment on a number of factors. First, the individuals that Mercedes is looking to target are not playing Mario Kart 8. Since the console wars of the 1980’s and 1990’s, Nintendo has been battling against being typecast as a children’s console. As time has progressed that sentiment has not truly changed, if anything, it’s gotten worse. Third party developers who focus on more mature titles have shied away from Nintendo’s recent consoles, continuing the stigma that Nintendo systems are meant for children. While I personally do not agree with this concept (Mario and Zelda are great regardless of age) it cannot be denied that the industry is shifting. Therefore, it would be a mistake to assume 30 and 40 year old individuals are playing Mario Kart on the Wii U, and thus Mercedes is left with individuals who will almost assuredly not be able to purchase one of their cars.

        (It just looks…off. Credit: businessinsider.com)

Furthermore, with a very low install base compared to the Wii, Mercedes missed a golden opportunity from years earlier. Had it partnered with Nintendo back during the Wii era Mario Kart I am positive it would’ve been a more bona fide hit. Back from 2006 – 2012, Wii fever was everywhere, across all age ranges and genders, as motion control turned the industry upside down, and forced the competition to add motion control to their platforms. Furthermore, with a historically large install base, the opportunity to reach a substantial number of individuals was significant. Here is where Mercedes would have been more successful. By focusing on the Wii U, Mercedes missed nearly 90 million consumers[4]. Lastly, the content itself is simply too realistic for Mario. Mercedes has done a good job using its brands in other games on the PlayStation and Xbox, but with Nintendo, I think adding some cartoon effect would have made the product placement more successful. Having a cartoon character driving a realistic car just looks awkward. Nintendo did all the right things with the partnership as it just established itself as a more viable partner to work with, but perhaps some additional quality control would have helped deliver stronger overall content.

Case 3 – EverQuest 2 assumes all gaming stereotypes and gives you the opportunity to order a pizza while you play.

(Game Nom. Credit: Daybreakgames.com)

Let’s face the facts – gamers have not been the recipients of the kindest stereotypes. When I think of how Hollywood, the media, or the general public portrays gaming, I usually see overweight teenage boys with pimples, no social skills, and an affinity for getting angry whenever they lose. Even worse, there is a connotation of stupidity or childish nature associated with gaming, even though the industry makes billions of dollars a year and the average age of a gamer is 34. I myself for a very long time would keep my passion for industry a secret when meeting new people because I was embarrassed of what people would think of me. Furthermore, I’ve been ardent in proving people wrong in that gamers can be sociable and active[5].

Nevertheless, when I think of an individual who plays a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (or MMORPG) I realize these stereotypes are even more enhanced. MMORPGs offer deep and rewarding experiences at the expense of countless hours and grinding for level improvement. Thus, the obese, loner stereotype is only stronger here, South Park even made an episode about how the four main characters played the most famous MMORPG, World of Warcraft, for months to conquer one player who had been killing all other players in the universe. The player in question was obese, old, losing his hair, had a wrist protector (likely due to carpel tunnel syndrome) with junk food surrounded by his computer. In order to defeat the player, the boys decide to go on a training regimen. In their training they gain a substantial amount of weight and pimples across their faces. In truth, it’s actually a very funny episode, but really emblematic of how players are perceived.

With this perception in mind, Pizza Hut thought of a ridiculous (albeit kind of brilliant) means to promote itself to these specific players: /pizza. In EverQuest 2 (one of the older but beloved MMORPGs that helped bring the genre to the mainstream) players had the opportunity to type in “/pizza”, after which, a special Pizza Hut menu would pop up, where you could type in your order, address, and payment information while still in the virtual world. Within 45 minutes, there would then be a pizza delivered to you in the real world. This was introduced in the mid 2000’s (EverQuest 2 was released in 2004), well before online ordering was commonplace. Needless to say, the campaign received a lot of publicity, simply for its ludicrousness. Nevertheless, I think it’s a brilliant marketing strategy overall. Pizza Hut believed it understood the targeted audience well enough to know that to enjoy the game a lot of time was required, and thus gave itself the opportunity to drive sales in a simple partnership. It’s unlike almost any other type of product placement I’ve ever seen before (or since) in media, and it clearly drove content and interest[6]. You really need to give the credit to Pizza Hut in this case. It was able to come up with something so innovative than the typical product placement used in video games. Since then Pizza Hut has partnered with Xbox to provide a platform to order its pizza through your console, so clearly the company has some faith in the platform.

(Clearly there were fans. Credit: EQ2wikia.com)

These are just a few instances of product placement. There have been countless others that have ranged all over the spectrum, whether it’s using an Axe light fixture as stealth in Splinter Cell, a billboard for President Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in Burnout Paradise, or a Verizon commercial in Alan Wake, product placement is everywhere[7]. Furthermore, it appears to be growing steadily with the industry. That being said, it’s not nearly as offensive or effusive as it is in other industries, where it can be downright ridiculous (see all Transformers’ movies). Instead, it seems as if it is either something unique to notice or a mild irritant. Of course, given gaming’s growth more towards the mainstream with the influence of mobile gaming, that all could be subject to change.

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[1] “Shortly” means within 10 years. Maybe?

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQzf4SkZTx8

[3] http://fortune.com/2015/12/15/mercedes-benz-targets-nintendo-fans/

[4] The Wii sold 101 million consoles while the Wii U has currently sold 13.3 million consoles (www.vgchartz.com)

[5] Sometimes we even attract members of the opposite sex. Crazy I know.

[6] Just google EverQuest 2 and pizza to see the publicity.

[7] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jul/03/six-of-the-best-product-placement-video-games

Death of a Franchise

Key Takeaways:

Much like film counterparts, game franchises typically die due to lack of sales and interest

Timing is one of the most important factors in the success or failure of a franchise

Occasionally, a franchise vanishes due to the closure of a development studio

Nostalgia trips are potentially the only way a franchise can be revived, but unless they can reclaim former sales numbers or surpass them, they’ll likely remain dormant

          (Basically…Credit:Whatculture.com)

If you’ve read any of my blogs post since I started up back in April you know I love old games. That’s not to say that I don’t love new games, in fact, The Last of Us is probably one of the best 3 games I’ve ever played. That being said, the gaming industry has become a lot more mature than it was in the 1980’s and 1990’s, and I cannot help but enjoy reliving the wild business antics that are a part of the industry’s history. So many unique and long lasting games and franchises were born from this era. Today, you will never find another game like ToeJam & Earl - a game about two space aliens wandering around a strange looking Earth while searching for pieces of their spaceship and avoiding injury from the likes of mini-devils, Cupid, and what appears to be a stampede of Black Friday shoppers. A game with that concept would likely never make it to fruition in today’s industry without a lot of help from Kickstarter[1]. Yet, even back in the glory days there were still a handful of high quality, unique games that just never seemed to get their feet off the ground outside of a few entries. This post will take a look at a few cases and try to rationalize what went wrong.

Case 1: Vectorman vanishes out of this dimension

                                             

                              (Who could deny Mega Value? Credit: hardcoregaming101.com)

Vectorman had all the makings of a hit in the 1990’s. A run and gun platformer where you played the titular hero, whose role was to take out the evil Warhead. The atmosphere was more on the dark and edgy side, and the main character, a robot made of green orbs, was cool, calm, and collected. His traditional weapon was a ball gun that could blast enemies in multiple directions, and could later be powered up. Furthermore, Vectorman himself could transform into vehicles or items such as a drill or bomb. Due to a significant amount of advertising spending Vectorman and its sequel were both solid hits for the Sega Genesis; however, Sega made one crucial error – it released the games far too late in the Genesis’ lifespan. The original game came out in October 1995, nearly 5 months after the Sega Saturn was released to the public. Sega was fortunate to gain a following for the game, but questions remain whether or not it came at the expense of promotions for the Saturn[2]. Regardless, Blue Sky Software, the developer of the series, promised a new outing by the end of 1997. Unfortunately, that outing never came to be, as Blue Sky closed during that same year, and the project was lost. There are few details behind the end of Blue Sky, but the main rumor is that Sega/Blue Sky were not happy with the quality of the new game. Vectorman than remained dormant until May 2003, when Sega announced that the franchise would be coming to the PS2 (Sega was out of the console business at this point). Then, without much reasoning in October 2003, Sega announced the Vectorman 3 project was dead again, simply stating that it has chosen not to continue with the project[3]. With that, Vectorman vanished, and hasn’t been seen outside of compilations or virtual console releases since.

                               

(A missed opportunity for the Saturn? Credit: Gamefabrique.com)

There are two significant reasons as to why Vectorman vanished, the first of which has to do with timing. As previously mentioned, the original game came out months after the Sega Saturn was released. I actually believe that this was a fine strategic decision. The Genesis had an extremely large install base, and launching a new franchise on a new console with no familiarity to users may not have been the system seller Sega wanted, especially if they did not promote it extensively with the console. Where I see the true error is in the sequel’s release. Vectomran 2 was released in November 1996, a year and a half after the Saturn was on the market. Now it’s no secret that the Saturn struggled from the moment in launched, mainly given it had to compete with Sony’s lower priced PlayStation and the incoming threat from the Nintendo 64; however, aside from the fact the game is in 2D as opposed to 3D, I have no idea why Sega would not choose to release the sequel for the Saturn. Vectorman had established brand equity, and the sequel presented an immense opportunity to generate sales for the Saturn. I realize that during the late 1990’s there was a huge push to move towards fully three dimensional graphics, but when a console is desperate the parent company should do all in its power to make it successful. I understand that Vectorman 2 was also a success for the Genesis, but it could have done a lot more for Sega if it had been put on the Saturn, perhaps even as a bundle with the console. Unfortunately, that’s a reality we will never know.

The other key reason Vectorman vanished is the closing of Blue Sky Software. Although a longtime successful development studio, when it closed the majority of its franchises faded with it. There have been few times in the gaming industry where a development studio or publisher has closed and franchises have made it through unscathed (one example is how THQ’s assets were sold off following its bankruptcy). If an upcoming game from a fledgling developer is not already in a playable format or has not been overly successful in previous iteration, it is even more unlikely anyone will pay to gain rights to the franchise. Furthermore, with turnover and buyouts due to financial trouble, the direction of the franchise may no longer be up to the original studio, and thus, it disappears quietly from existence. Such was the case with Vectorman, and unfortunately it looks like unless a nostalgia fueled campaign exists, he’ll remain in obscurity.

Case 2: Rocket Knight’s Revival Can’t Reclaim Past Glory

(Ready to go. Credit: Youtube.com)

The 1980’s and 1990’s were overloaded with too many mascots. Mario and Sonic led the charge, and almost every publisher/developer came up with one to try to make a name for itself. Konami had the Castlevania, Metal Gear, and Contra franchises, yet those game focused on main characters being people instead of animal/cartoon mascots and were not as approachable as the aforementioned icons. Thus, in 1993, Konami released Rocket Knight Adventures for the Sega Genesis. The game focuses on Sparkster, an armored possum who uses a sword and a jetpack to defeat evil pig invaders[4]. The game is a side scrolling platformer, and is extremely easy to pick up and play (it has a very arcade feel to it). I honestly had not ever played this game up until a month ago, but it hooked me right away as it was extremely accessible and a blast. It was a huge success for the Genesis, and is still considered one of the best games for the console. Sparkster was also an excellent addition to the mascot dominance of the Genesis, following strongly in Sonic’s footsteps. Konami then released two games for the franchise a year later, a direct sequel for the Genesis, and a spin off for the Super Nintendo. While both of those games were not considered as good as the original, they both seemed to find an audience. Building off the new success, Konami did absolutely nothing for 15 years[5]. Sparkster made cameos in various games, but never received a third installment of the franchise, that is, until Mega Man 9 fueled the retro revival in gaming. Due to the success of Mega Man 9 and its return to the early 8-bit graphics, several other companies attempted to bring out their old mascots to see if there was any life in them[6]. This included Bionic Commando, Sonic, Contra, etc. A lot of companies thought this method would both please established fans and save development money. Naturally, this presented an opportunity to bring back Sparkster. The revival was dubbed Rocket Knight[7]. The game contained similar characters and gameplay (with a few tweaks naturally), but also sported updated graphics. Unfortunately, upon release in 2010, the game was met with mixed to positive reactions. It came across at certain times like a cash grab, as noted in the 1up.com review:

But for a fifteen dollar download, Rocket Knight feels strangely underdone, as if you were playing an extended demo. There are only about a dozen levels and not a lot of variety. Although some of the levels make a visual splash and verge on the outright spectacular, the sound consists of only a few whooshes and clanks as you go along, with the obligatory ding every time you pick up a gem. If you were to turn the music off -- and lord knows you're going to want to -- you could play this game in the library without being shushed overmuch. (http://www.1up.com/reviews/rocket-knight-review)

It’s important to realize that in 2010 retro revivals were no longer a new and exciting innovation. Mega Man 9 was released in 2008, the industry had caught onto the concept and embraced it fully. Furthermore, certain successful games stayed fully true to their roots, while Rocket Knight may have tried to change a little too much.

          (1993 vs 2010, 1993 wins. 2010 is just so lame. Credit: Wikipedia.com)

As a result, Sparkster has not been seen since. Once again, there are a few reasons as to why. First, by year end 2010, the game had been downloaded only around 10,000 times. This is probably the biggest kiss of death there can be for a franchise. I would imagine the lack of enthusiasm was twofold: the game had changed too much for those who knew it, but for those who didn’t, there simply weren’t enough games in the franchise to create longtime brand equity. Gamers know Sonic, Mega Man, and the Contra series, even if they had not played any of the games. Sparkster simply did not have the following.  Couple this lack of interest and sales, along with an overall mixed reaction, and unfortunately you have a recipe for the end of a franchise.

While I do believe there is always another opportunity for the future, it seems more unlikely than ever for either Sparkster or Vectorman. If I were to guess, I’d say that Vectorman has a better shot of coming back than Sparkster, simply because Sparkster tried to return and failed. That being said, I would not be surprised if we saw both or neither of them ever again. Only time will tell.

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[1] Ironically, a modern remake of the original was Kickstarted a little while back, it should be out in 2017…I’ll buy it

[2] The Sega Saturn and Sega’s other add-ons to the Genesis are a whole other set of posts, sometime possibly in the distant future

[3] http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/11/21/sega-rumor-clarification

[4] Eat your heart out Angry Birds

[5] Konami needs its own case study. From mishandling Hideo Kojima’s exit to the lack of interest in specific franchises (RIP Zone of the Enders) I have no idea what direction this company is going in.

[6] This is just my opinion the Mega Man 9 started the trend; however, it was a shock to the industry when it occurred so I stand by it.

[7] How late did you stay up thinking of that one Konami?

Pokémon GO Takes Over

Key Takeaways:
 A well-managed brand can create decades worth of value
Moving to a platform with a huge install base provides an opportunity to capture even more value than originally predicted

Never count Nintendo out

        (They’re here to stay. Credit: www.Forbes.com)

Some of you may have seen in the past few months that Pokémon has returned to the mainstream media with a vengeance. On July 6^th, Pokémon Go, Niantic’s Pokémon themed mobile game hit the app store in the United States, and has caused a frenzy across the country. In only a few days since released, it has been able to accomplish the following:

1. Raised Nintendo’s market value over 9 Billion (yes, billion) dollars
2. Topped the daily user numbers of Twitter, Tinder (on Android phones), and more engagement than Facebook
3. Brought to light just how powerful a well handled brand can be sustainable over time

Suffice it to say, the game is a huge success. In fact, the peak daily active users have been so high they have broken the record for a mobile game previously held by Candy Crush. Pokémon Go may even approach the numbers of Snapchat and Google Maps. Few people could have predicted the runaway train of success. As a result, Niantic, The Pokémon Company, and Nintendo have been reaping the rewards. Even I forgot to mention it back in April during my Pokémon post as I focused on the core games. I was aware it was coming but I knew virtually nothing about it, and totally whiffed on the opportunity to talk about the opportunity it would give Nintendo for the future. While the interest has declined mightily after the summer craze, it has had a huge, immediate impact on the industry, showing just how powerful a well-managed brand can be.

                                             

                                            (Wouldn’t you want one? Credit: serebii.net)

So what exactly is Pokémon GO and how did it catch fire since its release? The premise is to create your own avatar and essentially go out in the real world and catch all nearby Pokémon that appear. Pokémon appear at random, and vary by location (I get a lot of bug Pokémon in my neighborhood, trying to say something about my living conditions Nintendo?). When a Pokémon appears on your phone screen, the user needs to touch it, and then a mini game will ensue using the augmented reality system in place. Basically, using the camera in the phone, the Pokémon will appear right in front of the user, and the user will then need to flick pokéballs at the creature in hopes of capturing it. After capturing a Pokémon, users can power them up, look to evolve them, and as the user’s level increases, battle their creatures at a gym. Gyms are real world venues that teams can take over and hold onto over time. Furthermore, there are places called Pokéstops, which are, again, real world locations where users can pick up items or more pokéballs. The game intrinsically pushes the player to walk to new areas to hunt for new gyms, creatures, etc. Furthermore, users can pick up eggs that will only hatch after a walking requirement has been completed. The walking requirements are also based in distance, not steps, and Niantic has prevented cheating by not taking movement data after a certain speed limit. There is currently no trading or battling friends, two of the key cornerstones of the franchise, and needs to be implemented for long term success. As far as I can tell thus far, these are the main objectives of the game, and admittedly, while I do find it fun and addictive, it lacks the depth I enjoy in the core Pokémon series.

                                           

           (The classics. Credit: www.Nerdist.com)

   

Regardless of what I think though, it has to be the most successful game in the franchise since the original Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow. In my opinion, I do not think it’s that hard to understand why it’s become so popular. First of all, Pokémon has never lacked success, with 2013’s Pokémon X/Y selling nearly 14 million copies worldwide. That game was on the Nintendo 3DS, which at the time probably had an install base of around 20 – 30 million users. Pokémon Go was produced for iOS and Android platforms, where approximately 1.4 billion smartphones sold in 2015, so the install base was extremely larger than the 3DS. Since the app is free, there really is no reason to not give it a try, as opposed to the typical $40 price point for the core games. Nintendo essentially found all the users who had previously enjoyed the series but had switched to mobile for their preferred platform. The popularity has even spurned users to pick up old games, as sales of the original titles has increased dramatically. I look forward to seeing how Nintendo positions the renewed interest in the franchise from the app with the upcoming games in the series, Pokémon Sun/Moon.

                                             

                (Pokémon can be anywhere. Credit: Vox.com)

Furthermore, Pokémon Go may be the best secretive fitness app. Staying still to play the game will get you nowhere, you need to go find new places to find Pokémon and greater benefits. While there have been some drawbacks (ex. users walking into traffic, like your graceful author) they have not been nearly enough to outweigh the benefits. Gaming and gamers constantly fight a battle against stereotypes, the biggest being that gamers are out of shape. While more games have been made to get gamers fit, most of them have been fads (RIP Wii Fit and Dance Dance Revolution). Pokémon Go never announces its intention to be fitness, but walking and moving around is inherent in the gameplay. As a result, adults are pleased with the positive impact it’s having on their kids, and I commend Niantic for the sneakily great decision. Lastly, like Candy Crush and other successful mobile games, Pokémon Go does not throw micro transactions in your face. In fact, I had to search through the app to find out if there were purchase opportunities (there is a shop section, but you need to tap into the main menu to get there). It’s these savvy moves that make the game extremely likable and approachable, key ingredients for success in the mobile space. Finally, with the immediate success Nintendo has realized the value of the mobile space, and announced Super Mario Run at the recent Apple conference, an endless runner starring Mario, the company’s most famous character. As a result, the stock has increased dramatically again, as investors approve of the interest in mobile.

                                                   

                    

                                                 

                                     (Pikachu and Mickey together. Credit: Deviantart.com)

I have had a longstanding theory about the Pokémon brand that I believe has been confirmed with the early triumphs of Pokémon Go: Pikachu is my generation’s Mickey Mouse. Although gaming characters like Mario, Sonic, or (my personal favorite) Mega Man have garnered legions of fans, and while Spongebob Squarepants has certainly made a claim for the title, none of the gaming characters are nearly as beloved (I will concede that Mario is close). Spongebob on the other hand is beloved, but the part of his appeal had to do with the humor of the show was great for both children and adults. The humor for adults has certainly waned over time, thus hurting the character’s image. Pikachu on the other hand, is the perfect mascot. Cute but ferocious with a lot of personality, Nintendo really picked the perfect face of the franchise. The fact that he is semi rare in Pokémon Go only adds to the intrigue and appeal of the game. Furthermore, throughout the franchise’s 20 year history, there has never been a truly bad game, meaning that the character has always been associated with a quality product. Combine these attributes with an onslaught of merchandise featuring the electric rodent and you have a clear cut winner, one that clearly is not going to be slowing down anytime soon.

Strategy Gone Wrong

When I began this blog a few months ago I had hoped to focus on successful games and failures. For better or worse, I have spent most of my time on the former, while instead looking at the more obscure instead of outright failures. As a result, I’ve been left to question why the games or genres did not live up to the potential. Well, for this post I decided to focus on a couple of case studies of definitive failure, utilizing some of my key takeaways from earlier posts. These three cases have very little to do with one another, but have done some irreparable damage for both themselves and at times, for gaming as a whole. They also show that no matter what decade, failure is always a possibility. While it is always fun to look at the successes as models for the future, we cannot forget the disasters and the pitfalls to avoid. With that in mind, enjoy the following case:

Part 1: E.T. begins the video game crash of 1983 and is literally buried in a desert.

Key Takeaway Forgotten: “A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad”

                                     

(Well the title screen is legit. Credit: Youtube.com)

Back in the early 1980’s the video game industry was still in its inception. Arcade cabinets had recently become popular and consoles were just beginning to enter households. At the forefront was Atari whose Atari 2600 console was the most popular in the industry by far, with games ranging from adventure, to sports, to action and more. Atari had a dominant share of the market, and all developers wanted a piece of the pie. As a result, Atari allowed developers to make cartridges for its platform without a formal quality control procedure, leading to some poor and inappropriate titles. Furthermore, additional console companies (including the Intellivision, Colecovision, and even Apple) appeared to capture market share. Without the proper quality control in place though, Atari ended up dooming itself, and potentially destroying the entire industry, all of which was largely attributed to one game, E.T.

E.T. the Extra Terrestrial is one of Steven Spielberg’s greatest cinematic achievements. Its tie in game is the face of the video game crash of 1983. The film, released in June 1982, was a critical and commercial success, and an icon of the 1980’s. To profit off of the success of the film, Atari jumped at the opportunity to claim the licensing rights to the brand, and after acquiring the rights to the game in July 1982, immediately moved into development for Christmas that same year. Because of the manufacturing and marketing campaigns, the game’s development needed to be completed just under 6 weeks. Now while games may have had short development cycles in the 1980’s, a 6 week development cycle is simply too short to come up with an entertaining product. There needs to be additional quality assurance testing, focus groups etc. Atari however, determined to remain the market leader, did not believe the time frame was too short, and in turn released a game that holiday season that was buggy, uninspired and not fun. The game revolves around the titular alien, where the players searches to find three pieces of a cosmic telephone to phone home. During the game the player can randomly fall off screen and is constantly hunted by men in trench coats representing the government. After finding all pieces the cycle begins again. Needless to say, with a game very different and less entertaining than the movie it was panned by both critics and fans. However, because Atari thought the brand recognition alone would generate sales it overproduced the number of cartridges significantly. So many cartridges were made that Atari decided to bury them in a landfill in Alamogordo, New Mexico, which were later excavated in 2014 (Google it to check it out, really interesting).

                               

             (Talk about buried treasure. Credit: Variety.com)

The legacy E.T. left on Atari and the gaming industry as a whole was extremely detrimental for the evolution of the business. Atari was forced to take huge losses, and though it remained in the console industry for a considerable period of time, was never able to fully recover to a market leader status again. Consumers shied away from home consoles and arcades for years until Nintendo came into the market with its Nintendo Entertainment System. Arguably most importantly though, E.T. left a horrendous black mark for any licensed games, one whose effect can still be felt today, as good licensed games tend to be the exception, not the norm. What’s most frustrating is that the potential for a great E.T. game was extremely high, it just needed additional time to come up with a feasible and respectable concept. Nevertheless, we are left with the E.T. game that was produced, one that will live in infamy forever.

Part 2: John Romero vexes consumers and then puts out a horrible product.

Key Takeaway Forgotten: “Unique marketing campaigns may be necessary for an inherently artistic game”

                                                     

  

                                              (I see no way this ad could go wrong. Credit: Kotaku.com)

Admittedly, Daikatana was not an inherently artistic game. Nevertheless, it’s imperative to understand its marketing campaign to realize what a failure it was, even before the game was released. For those who don’t know, Romero is best known for his work with John Carmack on Wolfenstein, Doom, and Quake, all first person shooters that help galvanize the genre. He and Carmack were thought to do no wrong. Romero was the more vocal of the duo, and after an extended period of time the two grew apart, specifically during the development of Quake where Carmack did not think Romero was doing enough work. Romero resigned and formed his own company, Ion Storm, where he went on to make Daikatana, a futuristic first person shooter about rival clans. At E3 1997, Romero announced the game for release in Christmas 1997; however, it did not see release until 2000. Although that was a significant problem, the real issue was in the advertising campaign. As early as 1997, a print ad appeared where a red poster backdrop stated in black lettering “John Romero’s About To Make You His Bitch”, with a small additional “Suck it Down” at the bottom of the ad. Naturally, this ad was not well received by just about everyone (even Romero was known to be hesitant before signing off). Personally, testing the boundaries of advertising seems like a solid way to garner attention; however, if you plan to antagonize potential consumers you better bring a product that’s going to blow them away, otherwise you’ll be setting your product up for failure.

                       (I know it’s 2000 but that looks awful. Credit: Superadventures in Gaming)

After countless delays where the product builds were scrapped and reborn, the game was finally released in 2000 with a resounding thud. Averaging mixed reviews for everything from content (including brain dead AI sidekicks) to graphics to technical prowess, the game did not live up to expectations. Romero would later apologize for the infamous ad, citing that he had previously had a great relationship with the gaming community (which is true) and that the ad ruined everything (which it did). Romero has gone on to make other good games, but Ion Storm closed within a year of release, and unfortunately the memory of Romero is left tarnished to some degree.

Part 3: Mighty No. 9 gathers a lot of money at the expense Mega Man fan emotions and then proceeds to do almost everything wrong.

Key Takeaway Forgotten: "Do not blame the fans for your mistakes”

              

          (Blue bomber or bust. Credit: Kotaku.com)

First of all, I believe in Kickstarter campaigns. Shovel Knight is a retro romp for the ages and was born through a Kickstarter campaign, so I know that in the right hands young developers can still create incredible games. So with that being said, imagine the joy that came to my face when I saw that Keiji Inafune, the “father” of Mega Man, was creating a new game, Mighty No. 9. The game was largely influenced by the Blue Bomber, and even more exciting to me was that I could help contribute to the game’s fruition via Kickstarter. The year was 2013 (the month was March if I recall correctly), and Mega Man had not seen a new entry since 2010 when Mega Man 10 was released. Since then, numerous games had been cancelled and Inafune had left Capcom. Things looked bleak for the future of the franchise, but here was a brand new IP, specifically for Mega Man fans.

Mighty No. 9 was a way to get excited again – the team was made up largely of individuals who had worked on previous Mega Man games, the music was being composed by Manami Matsumae, one of the original composers for the franchise, everything seemed perfect. I bought in hard, and ended up donating $251 to the cause. I wanted the rewards, the game, and really to show Capcom that I would go to these lengths to get my hands on a something similar to a formal Mega Man game. With a goal donation amount of $900,000, Mighty No. 9 grabbed over $3 million in donations in 48 hours, and raised a total over $4 million in its lifetime. Everyone was excited for the new beginning. After the Kickstarter ended anticipation began to swell, even though it would be years before the product was actually released. The forums were ablaze, and backers of the Kickstarter seemed to be in good spirits. Then things began to turn. Inafune asked for more money via Paypal (he actually managed to get around $150,000), which seemed odd and unnecessary. Next, controversy after controversy began to spring up. The first controversy I can recall was over the community manager, a young woman who had little experience with Mega Man games that managed to get a role at Inafune’s company, Comcept. She supposedly banned several members of the forums for questioning her expertise, and then was questioned on how she got the job. The whole controversy was extremely ugly, and while her qualifications were fine to question, the misogynistic and boorish nature of some of the backers was completely unwarranted. Soon after the fans began clamoring she lost her job. Now I recall reading that she may have had her own opinions on certain issues, but it is unfair to accuse her of using influence on the game. Furthermore, I think the cruel and unusual attacks on her person were unnecessary. Unfortunately, she did herself no favors by responding to the text assaults. Regardless of the final outcome, it was an ugly look for the game, which had backers wondering where their money was going.

                                               

(Wait how much money did they get to make this? Credit: Youtube.com)

The next controversy came approximately a year after the game was announced. Inafune went on to announce a cartoon featuring the characters of the game. Mind you, we are still another year from the supposed release of the game, and he begins trying to drive up interest in a cartoon for an unreleased game. This is a case where the exposure is a little too over the top. Considering the cartoon promotion seemed very childlike while the individuals who funded the game were probably not the core demographic, I had absolutely no idea why the team would consider this. A year later around the supposed release date there was little news, until Inafune unsurprisingly delayed the game to September 2015. While all of this was frustrating, gamers were still being patient, hopeful the game would still be fun upon release. While announcing the delay, Inafune made sure to note that live-action film would be adapted for the game. Now there would be a movie that no one wanted along with a cartoon no one wanted.

                                             

(Hey can you give us more money for another game before the original game you donated towards comes out? OK thanks! Credit: 1080plus.com)

Then, even with Mighty No. 9 in development hell, Inafune attempted a second Kickstarter, called Red Ash. The game was going to use the same characters from Mighty No. 9, just redesigned to look older. The concept of the game was similar to the Mega Man Legends’ series, where the player assume the role of Mega Man Volnutt, who goes on an adventure unlike the original series (more like a Legend of Zelda game, just with a mega buster instead of a sword). The game consists of travelling to ruins (dungeons), searching for treasure, and fighting huge bosses along the way. They are underrated games in the Mega Man lore. One of the biggest issues with Inafune’s departure from Capcom is that Mega Man Legends 3 was cancelled shortly after he left the organization, even though a prototype was promised to the community. Red Ash was simply meant to take advantage of the loss of Mega Man Legends 3, the only problem was that with over two years waiting for Mighty No. 9 and foolish side projects in the way, fans did not take the bait. With a goal of only $800,000, the funding was not met, although apparently the development for the game is still happening thanks to a timely rescue from a publisher. Overall, patience for Mighty No. 9 was now wearing thin. Before a fan would invest again it was necessary to play the game that was originally promised. Unfortunately, as September 2015 came about there was still no game, and a subsequent delay to February 2016 followed. Fans’ patience was all but gone. You can only imagine how in January 2016 when the game was delayed a third time (to a vague Spring 2016) what happened. Fans were irate and hope in the game was all but lost. Meanwhile, Capcom released Mega Man Legacy Collection, an extremely fun compilation of the original NES games with a ton of challenges for the longtime fans. I highly recommend it if you’re interested in the franchise at all. Being able to come out with a compilation title after announcing the game later than Mighty No. 9's original announcement while also releasing it to the public well before the Mighty No. 9 release was a suave way of still demonstrating the superior Mega Man brand.

Finally, in June 2016, Mighty No. 9 was released to the public. Since its release it has received extremely mediocre reviews, with most critics saying that the soul of Mega Man is nowhere to be found. Inafune shrewdly has taken responsibility of the issues, but still had the audacity to say that “it’s better than nothing” in an interview. While he’s not entirely wrong, I know that if I could have a do over, I would’ve paid $20, just so I could get the game. Although Inafune may want to create a franchise out of this character and game, I have to believe the future is strongly in doubt given the negative experience and reaction. If Inafune and his company had not spent so much time poorly communicating (and occasionally alienating) with the fans, perhaps there would be a better outcome. The entire campaign did not seem to be remotely professional, and that lack of experience showed over the time it took to develop the game. I do believe that limiting the amount of communication and tempering expectations with the fans would’ve lead to a more successful project. Instead, Inafune presented the fans a concept that was simply too difficult for him and his team to live up to, resulting in an unmitigated disaster on multiple levels. The worst part is that this experience has changed my views on Kickstarter campaigns. I absolutely love independent games. Indie games are one of the few areas where I can get that old school challenge I love (ex. Elliot Quest, Limbo, Shovel Knight, etc.) and occasionally artistic qualities you won’t find in big budget releases. However, because of Mighty No. 9, I do not see myself overpaying for a game anytime soon. If I see a game I’m interested in I’ll pledge enough to just get the game, but I believed in Mighty No. 9, and it took my faith (and money), thought about other ways to make more money, and put out a mediocre product. I know for a fact I’m not the only fan left scorned after this game. At this point, I have play time with the game and can safely say it has not hooked me like the blue bomber’s outings. It’s not bad by any means, but it did not live up to the hype that I previously thought it could. Now, I can only hope Capcom brings back Mega Man soon.

Speaking of alienating the fans, check out the trailer below, officially released by the publisher, followed by a parody of said trailer…