Marketing and Promotion of Planetside 2

Planetside 2

• PlanetSide 2 is a free-to-play massivelymultiplayer online first-person shooter published by Sony Online Entertainment and released on November 20, 2012.• The game = MMOFPS free to play online• Genre – war/sci-fi• Players elect to join one of three factions –

Terran Republic, Vanu Sovereignty, New Conglomerates

• The first official indications that PlanetSide sequel was in development - September 25 2009. Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) sent a mass e-mail to current and former PlanetSide subscribers - survey to help SOE design the next generation PlanetSide. "We plan to expand the PlanetSide universe with another game and we need your help with the design. After all, who knows the game better than you, our customers, the people who actually play it!“

• SOE registered the domain www.PlanetSide2.com on September 21.

• On October 11, SOE president John Smedley posted on his LiveJournal account that the sequel's working title is PlanetSide Next.

• Little was revealed about the sequel until December 2010, when Smedley said that SOE would be launching a first-person shooter in March 2011, which was soon confirmed by Paul Williams of SOE as referring to PlanetSide Next.

• The working title was later changed to PlanetSide 2. • The official website - updated to show a video

trailer of the upcoming game. Interview videos were taken showing sections of gameplay, but the biggest off-screen game play video was shown at 2012's Game Developers Conference (GDC), showing most of the game aspects.

• SOE President John Smedley announced beta testing on gamespot.com to tease the target audience- August 3 - announced via Twitter that the closed Beta would commence 2pm PDT (GMT-7) Monday 6 August. The beta closed on November 17, 2012, pending the game's official release November 20, 2012.

The Future…• Sony Online Entertainment's President John Smedley mentioned

that a Mac version might be planned for PlanetSide 2. Smedley said: "I absolutely strongly share that view. No you aren't going to see PlanetSide 2 on Linux. You will see it on Mac though". The official PlanetSide 2 Twitter account responded to a question on the topic of a Mac version as "Stay tuned for all potential updates. ^Spoiler"

• A PlayStation 4 version of the game has been said to be released alongside Sony's new console November 2013, Planetside 2 Devs have said that the PS4 Version will be exactly like the PC Version but with Maxed out settings. After the console launch when the game was not released, players learned that the launch has been rescheduled sometime in early 2014

• As a player participates in completing objectives they will earn experience which will increase their character's Battle Rank and reward them with certification points. As the player's Battle Rank increases they will unlock improved certifications, granting the player new abilities or items. These will allow the player to specialize in certain roles by allowing them to improve the weapons, vehicles or tools they use.

Money/Funding

• Free but monthly subscription brings extra customisation and can pay to upgrade enhancements.

• Different levels of monthly subscription – pay more for more features

• Game currency = advantages players who can afford this as they can pay for progress through the game and progress = status in the gaming world.

• Players can pay to gain access to various facilities in the game

Money/Funding

• Money from different types of audience members:• Casual members who play occasionally for free generate

no income but word of mouth or social network an encourage others who might be prepared to pay.

• Experience of the game could lead to casual players becoming hooked and want to buy into some of the additional features.

• Loyal fans are more likely to spend more money AND be a good market for merchandise and secondary products.

Money/Funding• Advantages of being a free online game – no

physical product means no piracy via illegal downloading

Audience Engagement

• Choice is the key• Choice of faction and choice of role e.g. Light or Heavy

Assault Trooper, Engineer, Medic etc. • Website – Tutorials; community-based facilities e.g.

live game streams• Own Youtube channel – interviews with developers;

background information; videos reporting on the game from a number of perspectives, such as the magazine-style Command Centre and a War Correspondent.

Audience Engagement

• Command Centre Videos• Began as part of pre-launch campaign – magazine type

shows in which game’s developers give insider information• Runs competitions asking audience to get involved e.g.

take part in Beta testing or sending in artwork.• Regular news updates.• Access to testing panels• all allow audience members to feel involved in game’s

development and creates the feeling of belonging to an elite group.

• The War Correspondent• Recorded reports from the battlefield, like war

correspondents on TV• Mentions individual guilds (groups of players) and

advance warning is give of the location of the correspondent so that players can be in that position and get a mention by the correspondent.

Audience Engagement

• Has its own Facebook page and players communicate via Twitter.

• Official site also promotes a fan site, Planetside Universe

• Uses Twitch TV – online channel hosts weekly get togethers with the developers who will offer advice and provides live video streaming of games.

Gaining and Maintaining Players

• Pre-launch Promotion• Online game continues to attract players long

after its launch – provides a range of services for exisiting players and creates a platform to encourage new players.

• Prior to launch, promotion largely online• Youtube – closed Beta trials involving bloggers, reviewers and

online commentators.• This would generate interest and lead to word of mouth and social

network chat• Open Beta trials• Youtube campaign – magazine/news style videos wit

previews/interviews/fan art etc• Youtube personalitites = known to many of the target audience

through online video blogs.• Launch event – three Youtube games commentators appointed

leaders of each faction and they encouraged their Youtube followers to sign up online for the Ultimate Empire Showdown. Each commentator heavily promoted the event and they continue to post gameplay videos and updates to encoure both new and seasoned gamers.

Audience• Game has potential for large audience, but taps into a

niche rather than mainstream audience, because it is online and requires higher than average levels of commitment.

• MMO games, so audience is social networking, which helps promotion.

• Could be single players or in groups working together on missions – indicative of Avid gamers, adding to their experience by communicating with others. Avid gamers also appreciate access to the game’s creators – feel part of larger community with shared interests, like an elite – an important gratification.

• The appeal of the three factions• Can appeal to different types of

gamers – sightly different political slants and ideologies.

• Terran Republic• Recruits players by tapping into their perception of

themselves as a part of a mighty whole – more than a soldier – a saviour of humanity – part of ‘something larger than yourself’ – duty, honour and justice – fighting against heresy and anarchy. Set to heavy rock soundtrack.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHN9CdBqSYM

• The Vanu Sovereignty• Technology = Might – wants to annihilate ignorance

therefore gives potential audience members the feeling that they are superior, with strength, intelligence, wisdom and that they are seekers of truth. Rock music with dubstep beat.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxiquygSppE

• The New Conglomerates• Rebels – critical of political imprisonment and religious

indoctrination of the other groups – fight against tyranny. Farther removed from the mainstream by use of the word ‘shit’, the backing track has lyrics telling players to seek payback; nu-metal is also further removed from the mainstream than the other musical backing tracks.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmD26QGtatg

• Each recruitment video identifies different potential audience group – tap into ideas the audience may have about themselves. USP for each faction is political – audience picks whichever group best reflects themselves – allows different types of people to feel part of the gaming community in different ways.

Summary

• Planetside 2 used a number of marketing strategies pre and post launch to maximise fragmented natire of contemporary audiences – the recruitment videos targeted people based on an understanding of the way ideology is part of the construction of self image and identity.

• Building revenue – crucial so audience has to build too = creation of online community aims to create and maintain avid audience behaviour because they demand more than simple engaging gameplay to stay loyal over a period of time.