Blog Report: October 7th

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/10/it-only-does-uncharted-2-among-thieves/

It Only Does UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves from PlayStation.Blog
by Peter Dille
Oct 2, 2009

Sony has been on a holiday blitz lately, with the recent price drop of the PS3 and release of the PSPgo. To accompany these hardware releases, the will be pushing new marketing campaigns and the PS3 campaign “It only does everything” seems to be successful. This article is a post of the third commercial (to my knowledge) in that campaign and it is doing things a little differently. Most advertisements for the PS3 have been either relevant directly to the hardware (display features, price, style, etc.) or a mash-up of both first party / third party software titles. This new commercial however features only one first party software title, Uncharted 2. Within the past few days reviews have surfaced in anticipation of launch. Luckily, it is slowly ramping up to becoming one of the highest rated games of this generation, if not all time. With that in mind it seems like Sony may actually be on track to salvaging this console generation, simply by acknowledging that the hardware is not the only thing you need to consider when developing a console. The games people play are equally, if not, more important than the hardware it is developed on. For Sony, having an exclusive title like Uncharted 2 should help generate sales this holiday season. The humorous tone of this marketing campaign has been apparent from its onset and the new commercial is trying hard to keep the laughs rolling. It starts with a gamer requesting help from Sony, because his girlfriend has been watching the game as if it were a movie, for two days and she still does not realize it is a game. Watch the full video on the blog to see how it plays out.

http://setonstun.com/2009/10/gamers-doing-good-games-that-give/

Gamers Doing Good: Games That Give
JP Sherman
Oct 2 2009

Here is an interesting promotion, a flash based, casual gaming website that operates as a portal for charitable donations. Basically, registered users and guests alike are able to experience a number of browser based games, and by doing so, 70% of the ad revenue is donated to a number of different charities. I myself gave it a try and if you’re looking to spend an afternoon playing some Solitaire, Blackjack, Sudoku, etc; then you can do it and generate some funds for charity. It reminds me of a Stride Gum promotion that was going on last month, where a number of struggling arcades were in a competition to score the most points in a flash based game. Doing so would result in a $25,000 stipend for the winning arcade. You can find more information on that at http://savethearcades.stridegum.com/. Games that Give may not be the first of its kind, but it certainly is an ambitious venture, with over 5,000 registered users so far and $2,500 in ad generated charity. I wonder if any of these major gaming developers had considered an option like this for some of their games. Essentially, Pop Cap games have made the flash based platform into a viable industry with games like Peggle and Plants vs. Zombies. Could they too utilize a similar business model as Games that Give, maybe on some of their older titles? If they did, would they experience a stronger sense of loyalty from the community by giving back? From a PR perspective, this may be a good model for certain developers, but for now, if you have any free time, stop by and play some games.