MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
What’s the best way to announce a new game? A consumer press event like GAMEfest? Tease it through social channels? Book a specialist print reveal?Or how about a good old fashioned PR stunt?
505 opted for none of those this week, announcing that Zumba 2 is coming to the UK in just a matter of weeks during an X Factor ad break.
If you checked Twitter when the ad finished you’ll have seen statements from hundreds of consumers that probably won’t be buying Battlefield or Call of Duty but who say Zumba 2 has gone straight to the top of their Christmas list.
And no wonder.
This year, 505 Games claimed the No.1 UK All Formats spot more than ten times this year. Cynics might point out that this was during one of the weaker years for quantity of new games. But don’t put other publishers’ problems on 505. Let’s be grateful Zumba was there at all in an otherwise dull first nine months of the year.505’s efforts with the game were actually what kept the market relevant to a huge swathe of non-gamers this year.
At a time when we know people are spending less on games – they’re actually spending less on everything – Zumba was the one game that kept the flame alive amongst the mass market. Getting that second game out quickly means those people might not just come back for more, they might remain repeat customers.
MEDIA DARLINGS
Congratulations to all the winners at last week’s Games Media Awards.Whether winner, loser, or spectator, it was a night to remember.
The GMAs spotlight the best publications and individuals that have shaped the games media this year and will influence it during the next.It’s been a tough year for the games media with more pressure, churn and redundancies than usual. But there’s been plenty to celebrate.
Eurogamer’s new website looks great, Future has just come off the back of yet another successful Golden Joystick Awards, and the biggest and best magazines are already making waves on Apple’s digital Newsstand store.
Things like SentUAMessage – which must be something close to the most watched games TV content in the UK right now – are showing how the media is evolving. Outlets like IGN keep scooping up key UK talent.
These moments of glory have been hard fought this year – and now they haven’t gone unnoticed.
