This post has not been edited by the GamesBeat staff. Opinions by GamesBeat community writers do not necessarily reflect those of the staff.

Homefront marketing campaign

Last month, I challenged this website's community to write about marketing practices in video games as part of the Bitmob Writing Challenge. My sales pitch was a success, as five people turned in great articles, and most of them appeared either as a front-page post or in a Spotlight roundup. Is your body ready for this?

Five ways to improve your game’s marketing campaign
By Nathaniel Dziomba

While he admits he has no business telling marketers what to do, Nathaniel still believes they can promote a game correctly through common-sense methods — like finding the right time frame to begin the hype train.

Publishers and the Homefront of video game marketing
By Mark Purcell

At what point does having a big advertising budget work against you? Mark compares the THQ shooter Homefront’s promotional campaign to Call of Duty’s, whose success the former desperately wanted to replicate. Unfortunately for THQ, its gimmicky publicity stunts did not work out.

 

War, what is it good for? Selling death or so Virgil Games hopes
By Paul Fiander

Speaking of THQ, it also left no stops unpulled when promoting Darksiders II. Not only did the publisher create an elaborate live-action commercial for the cartoonish Zelda-inspired title, but it is also offering the $60 original to PlayStation Plus subscribers for free. Compared to the Homefront campaign, however, the risks here make more sense.

Dead Space 3

Game developers need to stop wasting our time with trailers
By Jon Solmundson

Jon is not happy with the way companies use trailers. While the clips are successful in appealing to certain audiences, they frequently do a poor job of showing the actual breadth of game experiences.

The immorality of marketing
By Steven Lauterwasser

Marketing is obviously meant to increase sales, but is that goal inherently unethical? Steven argues that marketers should behave morally when devising their strategies because the depictions and methods they use influence our stereotypes of target audiences.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the challenge. Please make sure to check out this month’s prompt about the relationship between video games and education.