Do you think Gears of War's 2006 'Mad World' marketing campaign is the best example at selling a new IP in gaming history?

[Travless]

Discussed on our podcast, Game Pass Gamecast, this week was Gears of War, and one of the topics that was raised surrounding the franchise is its original marketing campaign, and how well it sold Gears as a new IP. It leans heavily into environmental storytelling and the dark, hopeless tone, and left so many consumers instantly intrigued as to just what the hell the game was. Personally, I think it tops the list in terms of selling a new IP in modern gaming (hell, most of media) in the 21st century.

What do you think, Era? What other examples do you hold in high regard in marketing games? (Not a new IP, but I think you throw Halo 3's "Believe" campaign high on the list)

 

[GMM]

Yes

 

[exodus]

I don't know if I can think of a single game that was marketed better than Gears.

 

[Deleted member 17402]

I never once played Gears of War but that is the only video game campaign I ever remember. I can't remember a single other one. So I'd say so, yes.

 

[chandoog]

It's certainly very high up there, if not the very best.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Hmm.

You know, maybe. There have been lots of games that had really stellar and amazing marketing that sticks to me to this day (like Halo 3), but I can't think of any others that were a new IP. Gears feels like it really takes the cake in that regard. If something occurs to me, I'll come back.

 

[collige]

Sonic the Hedgehog. Sega wanted a mascot, and boy did they nail it.

 

[Mullet2000]

That ad was absolutely everywhere when that game came out and had my dad and uncles asking about it even though they don't play games. Definitely one of the best if not the outright best.

 

[MegaSackman]

It was great.

I'd say The Last of Us reveal and the mistery leading up to it was pretty cool as well.

 

[Joule]

smells like self promotion

 

[Patitoloco]

I think Death Stranding is weirdly up there in mystery.

It's reaching people I know that barely get outside your usual FIFA or 2K

 

[Pancracio17]

Sonic the Hedgehog. Sega wanted a mascot, and boy did they nail it.

Click to shrink...

Ooooh, good call. They marketed Sonic so well, they took 50% of the marketshare from Nintendo in just a few years.

 

[Fisty]

Cyberpunk is definitely inching it's way up there. I'm not sold on the game, but I'll be damned if CDPR isnt setting the bar for new IP hype

 

[Travless]

smells like self promotion

Click to shrink...

Smells like a discussion question to me. Self promotion would be:

"CHECK OUT OUR PODCAST LIKE COMMENT SUBSCRIBE SHARE 5 STARS NINJA FORTNITE PEWPEWPEW SUB2PEWDIEPIE LMFAO NERDZ"

At least, that's what I think kids sound like in 2019?

 

[TaySan]

Gears were marketed so well i don't think we ever had a game like that this gen.

 

[thebishop]

Maybe, but I was already sold on Gears way before that commercial. Is it better if an evocative commercial "sells" a new franchise, or if the franchise sells on its concept alone? It's not like the commercial captures the tone of Gears gameplay at all.

 

[Dache]

I only remember the Mad World commercial because of how bad I thought it was when I saw it.

 

[Zephy]

I kever knew this ad was so big. I just remember seeing it once at the cinema before Shrek 2, and thought it was very cool. I think I already had the game though.

 

[EvilChameleon]

The only other video game ad campaign I remember as fondly as the Gears one was the one that parodied it; Bad Company.

 

[banter]

Cyberpunk is definitely inching it's way up there. I'm not sold on the game, but I'll be damned if CDPR isnt setting the bar for new IP hype

Click to shrink...

Eh, the hype for Cyberpunk is up there but there hasn't been an ad that makes you go "oh wow, I want to try that". The best they've done in that regard is show that Keanu Reeves is in the game. That doesn't really say anything about the game itself though aside from there's a famous actor in it.

That Gears ad was huge and was shown with movie trailers before the whole "ads" before movies was really a thing because it fit.

The only other video game ad campaign I remember as fondly as the Gears one was the one that parodied it; Bad Company.

Click to shrink...

I LOVED Bad Company but I honestly don't remember ANY marketing for it.

 

[Deleted member 2254]

Probably. I wasn't even interested in Gears back in the day, but that advertising was so fucking good, and it gave the game a mysterious and dramatic vibe, yet without revealing what it's really about. It made people curious about a brand new IP. That's not easy to do without showing a lot or without throwing in the cult of persona like with Kojima games nowadays or with Romero stuff back in the day ("Romero's about to make you his bitch" ring a bell to anyone?).

 

[pswii60]

Crazy to think it's been almost 13 years!

 

[AlanOC91]

I'm trying to think of past video game ads that were on TV (so I am excluding YouTube) and I can only really think of Gears of War - Mad World being the best.

I'm also thinking of Lara Croft Lucozade but that was more Lucozade.

 

[Travless]

I kever knew this ad was so big. I just remember seeing it once at the cinema before Shrek 2, and thought it was very cool. I think I already had the game though.

Click to shrink...

Personally, outside of TES IV: Oblivion, I think that marketing campaign was the first big push showing off the 360's power to overarching casual gaming audience. While it wasn't gameplay obviously, it still showed what could be rendered on the system, and looking back at it for 2006, it was a pretty hefty jump from the previous gen.

 

[EvilChameleon]

Eh, the hype for Cyberpunk is up there but there hasn't been an ad that makes you go "oh wow, I want to try that". The best they've done in that regard is show that Keanu Reeves is in the game. That doesn't really say anything about the game itself though aside from there's a famous actor in it.

That Gears ad was huge and was shown with movie trailers before the whole "ads" before movies was really a thing because it fit.


I LOVED Bad Company but I honestly don't remember ANY marketing for it.

Click to shrink...

Here's the Gears parody.


And a MSG parody for good measure.

 

[Randam]

Discussed on our podcast, Game Pass Gamecast, this week was Gears of War, and one of the topics that was raised surrounding the franchise is its original marketing campaign, and how well it sold Gears as a new IP. It leans heavily into environmental storytelling and the dark, hopeless tone, and left so many consumers instantly intrigued as to just what the hell the game was. Personally, I think it tops the list in terms of selling a new IP in modern gaming (hell, most of media) in the 21st century.

What do you think, Era? What other examples do you hold in high regard in marketing games? (Not a new IP, but I think you throw Halo 3's "Believe" campaign high on the list)

Click to shrink...

any examples of the campaign?

 

[Dan8589]

There was a Halo 3 video with some old guy, and a load of figurines or something. That got me pretty pumped for Halo 3 I remember.

 

[werezompire]

Personally, I think it tops the list in terms of selling a new IP in modern gaming (hell, most of media) in the 21st century.

Click to shrink...

The Gears ad was memorable, but it's hard to top the Wii Sports/Wii ad campaign.

 

[henlo_birb]

I think so, yeah. It was amazing.

There was a Halo 3 video with some old guy, and a load of figurines or something. That got me pretty pumped for Halo 3 I remember.

Click to shrink...

The Halo 3 Believe campaign was the best in video game history, but OP specified for a new IP.

 

[DailyCalmSpirit]

It's up there for sure but, I think it's kinda corny looking back at it now.

But, no doubt it was a massively successful campaign.

 

[Chip Chanceworth]

I know this a random example, but I remember allot people who weren't at all into games having their MySpace profile song being mad world around 06. Specifically that version of the song, which I believe was a cover. So it definitely felt like it hit hard with the general audience from my prospective. It also aired allot during football which was big by 2006 standards. Gamer or not, it made you look at the tv.

 

[Deleted member 19924]

This just reminds me how bad Gears 5's marketing has been.

 

[olag]

There haven't been that many games that have taken the non bombastic trailer route like all the gears games.It certainly made it stand out.

 

[Fisty]

I know this a random example, but I remember allot people who weren't at all into games having their MySpace profile song being mad world around 06. Specifically that version of the song, which I believe was a cover. So it definitely felt like it hit hard with the general audience from my prospective. It also aired allot during football which was big by 2006 standards. Gamer or not, it made you look at the tv.

Click to shrink...

That was because of Donnie Darko, not Gears

 

[lt519]

Borderlands really nailed it with their TV marketing and "Ain't no rest for the wicked."

I don't think it compares to gears but it has stuck with me for a long time. Also made me a big Cage the Elephant fan.

A Moment To Remember The Song That Sold Borderlands

 

[Hugare]

It was a great, moody trailer. But my answer is no. Not at all.

That's because the mood of the trailer is not translated to the game at all, imo

The tonal change is not as drastic as something like "Dead Island" trailer - game, but It's there

 

[Panic Freak]

The Believe ad was pretty damn good too. Microsoft advertising used to be on point.

 

[Fredrik]

Yes, it was glorious. I really like the recent Rage 2 everything is out to get you trailer as well, mostly because it was 100% aware of the target audience.

 

[Adam Sadler]

It's certainly the most memorable ad for me honestly.

 

[MistahS]

Marketing for the first three games was on point. I remember staying up late to watch the Gears 3 trailer on Jimmy Fallon i think

 

[DrArchon]

The Gears ad was memorable, but it's hard to top the Wii Sports/Wii ad campaign.

Click to shrink...

The Wii ad campaign has insanely sucessful.

You couldn't watch anything without hearing "Wii would like to play" during the commercials at some point.

 

[MiserablePerson]

Marketing for the first three games was on point. I remember staying up late to watch the Gears 3 trailer on Jimmy Fallon i think

Click to shrink...

Seriously, I think every trailer for 1-3 was fantastic. Really wish they could hit those heights again. It's crazy to compare those campaigns to what we've gotten so far for 5. Even 4 paled in comparison, marketing wise, to the original trilogy. And to answer the OP, yes.

 

[Pyro]

Marketing for the first three games was on point. I remember staying up late to watch the Gears 3 trailer on Jimmy Fallon i think

Click to shrink...

This trailer blew my mind back in the day and I listened to that song over and over again. I remember thinking it was crazy when CliffyB was on Jimmy Fallon, thinking it was a glimpse of the future for the medium. I was a dumb 16 year old lol.

 

[burgervan]

I only remember the Mad World commercial because of how bad I thought it was when I saw it.

Click to shrink...

This. It was super lame at the time and continues to be so. The game was great, the ad was laughably stupid.

 

[Calvarok]

it was kind of overdone imo. the game definitely has a hopeless and cynical tone, but it has a human element that isn't quite so neat and buttoned up. the ad is so much cornier and less genuine feeling than the game, which doesn't try to overly tug on heartstrings in a cheap way.

a moment I love in the first gears is when they've been through hell, are waiting for their extraction, and just collapse on the ground exhausted. then they get picked up and sent on ANOTHER mission.

That's what it's about. the churn of humanity by humanity in service of its defense, not just the horror of monsters. I'm playing gears 4 and i feel like the franchise has kept that in mind through the years.

Games have moved on from the point where something like the mad world trailer is impressive. it takes more than that now.

 

[It’s Time To Go]

It's a bad stupid ad. But at the same time, when I first saw this ad, it actually made me aware and desiring not just of the game, but the Xbox in general. So yes, very successful ad.

 

[Deleted member 8861]

An underappreciated new one is AI: The Somnium Files, the game is not even out but it might have the best marketing campaign idea I've ever seen.

You see, a character in the game is a YouTuber so they actually made a virtual YouTuber out of her who uploads (uploaded?) weekly videos on YouTube.

 

[noyram23]

It was HUGE at that time, helps too that Gears was a technical marvel at it's time, funny how down the brand right now though

 

[Adventureracing]

I'd say the first assasins creed would be up there. It's hard to judge nowadays because hype is build through so many different ways with how big social media is.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Yes.