Call Of Juarez: Bound In Blood is the sequel to Ubisoft’s 2007 original, with action that focuses on chaotic gunfights in a setting rarely visited by the FPS genre – the Wild West.
Players are invited to trade in their war-torn European villages and alien worlds for the dusty plains and rocky mountains of the cowboy’s realm in a title that the publisher believes is one of the strongest games to arrive this summer.
“Bound In Blood is one of those titles that has a lot of heart,” explains Ubisoft’s brand manager Matt Benson. “Commercially we believe this title is going to be extremely successful. It has fantastic visuals, an extremely strong narrative, and a lot of time and effort has gone into building a compelling single-player story in a unique setting. From bandits to gunrunners, through stagecoach chases, prison breaks and hold-ups, it has it all.”
The game follows the story of Ray and Thomas McCall, two brothers in the Confederate Army fighting in the American Civil War. When they hear their home in Georgia has come under siege by Union forces, the two desert their posts and head home to rescue their family.
Since Westerns are part of such a cherished narrative genre, Ubisoft has taken care to ensure the game has everything you would expect from such a tale. As a result, fans of Clint Eastwood and pals should be more than satisfied with Bound In Blood, while avid gamers will find a fresh challenge in an increasingly stale genre.
Article continues belowAdvertisement
“At its core, Bound In Blood is a strong first-person shooter, with some intense shootouts and extremely tense standoffs, which is what the old West was known for,” says Benson.
“There’s an arsenal of revolvers, rifles, gatling guns and cannons also to keep FPS fans happy.
“One of the coolest elements is the dynamic cover system, which allows players to take cover during those intense gunfights and edge out to find the best shot. It’s going to make for some great multiplayer shootout moments.”
NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN
The range of multiplayer modes provides everything shooter fans expect, ranging from classic deathmatch to Benson’s personal favourite, Wild West Legends. This mode plays up to the setting’s heritage by recreating classic historical events, such as the gunfight at the OK Corral.
While the summer is usually a quiet time for games retailers, Ubisoft is confident that Bound In Blood will meet with commercial success. The game’s well-timed release ensures that it will be prominent enough to capture the attention of its target audience.
“We think that this title is going to be a sleeper summer hit and will provide a pre-Q4 gaming fix for both FPS fans and action gamers alike, with a compelling 12-hour single-player campaign that offers immense replay value and a variety of multiplayer modes that will keep it out of the bargain bin,” he says.
“It’s going to be the perfect title for those post A-Level/GCSE/university examinees to kick back with as well as appealing to long-time Western fans.”
As one of the publisher’s biggest titles this quarter, Call Of Juarez: Bound In Blood will be supported by Ubisoft’s full marketing weight. The overall campaign will be heavily targeted at core gamers and fans of the original, and will be focused around the TV promotions.
“We’ve got a TV campaign with a solid launch weight booked, delivering wide audience coverage during the week up to launch and beyond,” says Benson. “We’ve also got a real piece of standout TV creative in my opinion.
“We’ve engaged the core community early on, with specialist print to drive pre-awareness and pre-order in the months up to launch. We will also have strong in-store presence throughout the launch period, and various pre-order campaigns running online.”
Ubisoft will utilise media across various specialist sites starting a week before launch. A range of promotional tools will include a flash mini-game and an iPhone app that will be pushed across lifestyle online media.
A rich, focused specialist PR and community campaign with plenty of assets has resulted in plenty of coverage for the game. However, the publisher has one last trick up its sleeve that should prove to raise the Call Of
Juarez marketing above the standard of similar initiatives.
“We’ll be positioning the launch day as the day of the Gold Rush,” explains Benson. “We’re giving away £10,000 worth of solid gold, gold-plated iPods and games consoles. This activity is tagged across all media including the TV, and will drive consumers to a destination at Juarezgold.com shortly before launch.”
Fans of both the original game and the first-person shooter genre are certain to be keeping an eye on Bound In Blood, and with Ubisoft’s extensive marketing plans raising awareness in the run-up to launch, expect the game to perform well when released.
