The marketing and hype campaigns in the gaming industry have been both successful and failure. Some games are overhyped and don’t live up to the high expectations such as recently released Fallout 76 and Anthem. They talk about game changing features, lasting appeal and end up being half baked mediocrity. But with Hideo Kojima games, it’s different. They don’t give empty promises, their marketing is artistic, cinematic and involving. It’s mysterious and imaginative. It involves the gaming community to solve it like a puzzle and reveal its grand secret!
Very few people are as imaginative and influential as Hideo Kojima that can make millions of people in the gaming industry to go on a scavenger hunt trying to unveil the secrets of his latest games. In 2012, he revealed MGSV through many teases including a fake developer, a half hidden title reveal and misleading trailers. Each announcement leading up to the full reveal would only give bread crumbs of new info that fans would follow to the end.
Even though they tried their best to make it seem like something it was not, gamers weren't deceived. They searched without cease all over the internet for new news or any confirmation to their suspicions, but even many gaming websites and journalists didn't know what to make of it as this was not seen before in the gaming industry, going as far as making a fake company. Suspicions did not die though, because gamers knew that with Kojima things aren't always what they seem such as when people played the demo of MGS2 and played as Solid Snake but then the full game was actually played as Raiden!
This lead to many conspiracy and fan theorists. All over social media and the internet in places such as Twitter, Reddit and Youtube, many united to share their latest theory’s trying to learn the truth behind the game. YouTube content creators such as YongYea made detailed theorist videos trying to uncover all its secrets. Not only was the marketing creative but also the trailers were cinematic and rivaled even the best from Hollywood! The hype went to unprecedented heights and the fan base grew even larger.
Fast forward to E3 2016, and Hideo Kojima’s latest game announcement has lit the internet on fire. As the first game of his new company Kojima Productions, Death Stranding was revealed in a very mysterious and confusing trailer. Like other Kojima trailers, it gave very little information but just enough to entice gamers and theorists to uncover its secrets. Bread crumbs were made, and the anticipation and hype has made it one of the most anticipated games of this generation.
Each new trailer gives more teases and secrets, and now the latest in the Death Stranding marketing campaign has been like nothing else before. After an announcement on Twitter, it all of a sudden appeared as a livestream on PlayStation’s Twitch channel and looped the trailer in an almost completely black screen for 20 hrs with only a little bit being revealed as more people logged in to view. The more viewers, the more it was cleared up as hands were cleaning the image of the trailer until it was fully revealed. Over 100,000 logged into Twitch to help unveil it, linking up to the theme of the game which is to reconnect society regardless of background for a common goal.
Getting the audience to understand the theme of your game by getting them to participate together to unveil the latest announcement is a stroke of genius! I even unknowingly participated as I was eagerly waiting for the trailer and possible release date. This is the type of marketing campaign that the gaming industry needs, it involves the gaming community and unites them together to learn more of the game.
The genius work of Hideo Kojima and Kojima Productions makes their games feel like a big event. The community involvement and trailer editing is genius. The trailers put cutscenes together that are not necessarily in order to throw people off and the right moody or exciting music is put to make it feel cinematic. The hype of Kojima’s games, such as the Metal Gear Solid series, are not unwarranted as they fulfilled the vision he presented to gamers. Death Stranding is expected to do the same, as it does not promise a straight up shooter or some specific genre, but instead a unique experience that may be a whole genre of its own.
Hideo Kojima is one of a kind, he’s able to combing Hollywood style directing with game development. Many are drawn to him because of his creativity and innovative mentality such as movie director Guillermo Del Torro, Norman Reedus and many other celebrities and game developers. The hype is real for Kojima Productions first big game and the market strategy is smart as it unites and creates gaming communities. The date has been set for November 8, 2019 exclusively on the Playstation 4 and the anticipation of gamers has risen to new heights!
