Marketing/Design Challenge: Marketing Bullets

jillduffy · 09-10-2008, 05:55 AM

Discuss your ideas and tactics for a solution here for the challenge Marketing Bullets.

jillduffy · 09-10-2008, 06:05 AM

I will get things started by posing a few questions:

1. What kinds of words or phrases push you to make a game purchase?
2. What is your personal criteria when deciding whether to buy a game: reviews (if so, by whom?), box art, developer or publisher name, something else?
3. Would you use humor in your marketing bullet points for this kind of game? Why or why not? Would you use double entendres or puns?

Roxanne BP · 09-10-2008, 06:19 AM

Just to be sure:

Is the game's title Region of Honor or Reign of Honor? It's quite confusing in the challenge text...

jillduffy · 09-10-2008, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roxanne BP

Just to be sure:

Is the game's title Region of Honor or Reign of Honor? It's quite confusing in the challenge text...

Wow. That was some typo on my part! It's REIGN of Honor, though I think Region of Honor would be pretty funny: "The honor, you know, is sort of in this general area."

Protector one · 09-10-2008, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jillduffy

"The honor, you know, is sort of in this general area."

That sentence alone already sounds a lot more interesting than a WWII title called Reign of Honor.

It somehow reminds me of Katamari Damacy's aloof presentation. (Which is weird, I know.)

To be frank (Hi Frank! How's it going!), I pay little to no attention to the bullet points on the back of the box. I think I haven't even read them on most games I own.
So for me, it's quite difficult to decide what potential buyers would want to see in those three points. They always seem pretty lame to me. "Fight exciting battles across bla bla with many yadda yadda!"
Have you ever bought a game based on its bullet points? (Or at least was heavily influenced by them?)

jillduffy · 09-10-2008, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Protector one

That sentence alone already sounds a lot more interesting than a WWII title called Reign of Honor.

It somehow reminds me of Katamari Damacy's aloof presentation. (Which is weird, I know.)

Shall we make this a double challenge and let you do two sets of bullet points: one for Reign of Honor, and one for its spoof Region of Honor?

dornad · 09-10-2008, 06:32 AM

Hi, I'm new to the forums. Pleased to meet everyone.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roxanne BP

Just to be sure:

Is the game's title Region of Honor or Reign of Honor? It's quite confusing in the challenge text...

I think Region of Honor is a typo. It's Reign of Honor.

Roxanne BP · 09-10-2008, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jillduffy

I will get things started by posing a few questions:

1. What kinds of words or phrases push you to make a game purchase?
2. What is your personal criteria when deciding whether to buy a game: reviews (if so, by whom?), box art, developer or publisher name, something else?
3. Would you use humor in your marketing bullet points for this kind of game? Why or why not? Would you use double entendres or puns?

1. I prefer when they tell us credible facts about their game rather than big marketing phrases that means nothing at all. Also, reviews help me a lot to make a choice... it seems stupid, but when it is wrote on the box: "Award winner" or "Made by the developers of "X" popular game", it has an influence. However, I hate the classic "Game of the year". If it was true, every game on the market would be THE game of the year. We are not that stupid...

2. As I said, reviews are a most for any serious gamer. Casual gamers will not search alot for reviews, but if they heard positive comments about a game, they will check for it. Box art is really important too. It is the first impression. When I know nothing about a game and I'm looking for nothing in particular, I will be more likely to take the box and be interested about the game if the cover art is amazing. Developer (more than publisher) name is important to me, but not really for casual gamers.

3. For a WWII game, I would avoid humor, while there is no humor in the game anyway. Patriotic feeling seems more appropriated. Players of this kind of games want to be taken seriously, I guess.

dornad · 09-10-2008, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jillduffy

I will get things started by posing a few questions:

1. What kinds of words or phrases push you to make a game purchase?
2. What is your personal criteria when deciding whether to buy a game: reviews (if so, by whom?), box art, developer or publisher name, something else?
3. Would you use humor in your marketing bullet points for this kind of game? Why or why not? Would you use double entendres or puns?

1. "A Game by Hideo Kojima" .....

2. For me it must be past titles, developer status.
If it's a new game/studio/developer, I'll like to see
concept art/ideas/gameplay mechanics.
3. I would use humor/dbl entendres/puns .... only if they're clever.

EmilyK · 09-10-2008, 08:03 AM

1. I havn't bought a game based on phrases or words (on the box) since I was very young. But back then I think I'd be swayed by an exciting cover, and if the back told me I could play "over 10 levels!" watch "many hours of CG!", anything like that. Yes, I was easily swayed!

2. Reviews play a part, but it's primarily what my friends think (by 'friends' I mean people on games' forums, how sad is that?). Another factor is if this is a sequel to a series I like, that way I'm immeadiately interested.

3. Personally I'd feel distasteful using humour for a game depicting a world war, but from a marketing perspective, if you threw some humour in there then people are bound to notice it, or pick up on it. So I probably would.