And yet, with everything pointing to Christmas, I feel as if something was missing this year. A night of scary movies? Check. Trick or treating as Batman characters? Check. Scaring the neighborhood children? Double check. Buying discount candy? Triple check. With all the ghouliness (yes, I made this word up) leaking out of the real and digital world after nearly a month, what could be missing?

And then, it hit me. Amongst the plethora of new scary movies, costumes, commercials etc. there was a lack of new scary video games. Then, I thought some more. I tend to try at least one scary video game every Halloween, but have I ever  bought a just-released scary video game the week before Halloween? As far back as I could remember the answer was no. With a clear question at hand, I decided to investigate the lack of scary movie releases during Halloween.

Surprisingly, the only scary video game released at Halloween this year was Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare. The zombie expansion to the popular western video game was released on October 26, the Tuesday before Halloween. After more research, it was obvious why this year Undead Nightmare was the only scary video game released the week before Halloween.

September to December is the prime time for video game companies. With holidays around the corner, nearly every week within this time frame has at least one big title. However, this year, one of the biggest release weeks was the week before Halloween. Upwards of 30 video games were released, including coveted titles such as Fable 3, Rock Band 3, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2,  and WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2011. After seeing the stellar line-up for this week in 2010, it was no wonder why no other game companies wanted to go up against the competition.

So, what about the past couple of years? Has there always been big competition the week before Halloween? The answer varies. In 2009, nearly 25 game titles were introduced the week before Halloween. However, the majority of games released were low-key titles, with the exceptions being Forza 3 and Ratchet and Clank: A Break in Time. This would have been a perfect time for a big-time horror franchise (such as Resident Evil, Silent Hill, of Left 4 Dead) to debut a sequel. Instead, the only horror title that released Halloween week was Saw the PC version, a long stretch from a big title.

2008 turned out to be very comparable to 2009. I was happy to see that a semi-scary release was made in the form of Fallout 3. Though the title doesn’t exactly fall into the “scary” category, it does harbor the majority of the same audience and has some of the same characteristics as a classic horror-survival game.

So, what’s the deal game companies? Why not take advantage of the “free advertising” the spirit of Halloween creates? Popular titles such as Dead Space and Left 4 Dead were released just weeks before and after the big Halloween week. Why not tweak the release date just a bit to gain some more fans? The way I look at it, there are unlimited pro’s and minor con’s. Even though most popular horror series already have a gaggle of fans, there might be more people willing to rent or buy the game just because of the time of year.  As long as there are no huge releases (like this year), there is no reason to not coordinate Halloween and a scary game release.

Well, I’ve said my part. What do you guys think?

*To view a full list of the games released during the week before Halloween (or any week in the last three years) feel free to check out Video Game Releases*

As a self-proclaimed geek, I enjoy video games, comics, anime, and the occasional Japanese foreign flick. Continuing my streak of nerdiness, I tuned in Wednesday to watch the latest South Park. Amidst all the Hoarders and Inception parodies, I noticed another continuous element: the presence of Fallout: New Vegas on every commercial break.

Video game commercials are nothing new. For years now, game companies have been releasing commercials to advertise video game products. Even more present are the number of video game advertisements (in numerous medias) that are released between the months of August through December, the “peak” season of gaming as some might say.

So what makes the advertisement for Fallout: New Vegas so different? Well, for one thing, the entire South Park episode was “brought to you by” by Fallout: New Vegas. In other words, Obsidian Entertainment shelled out big bucks to ensure that the South Park episode was dedicated to Hoarders, Inception, AND Fallout. By sponsoring the episode, the company not only ensured numerous showings of Fallout commercials (on two of the three breaks), but also had the opportunity to showcase its newest game at the beginning of the episode.

The showcase of Fallout: New Vegas was nearly two minutes long. It was well done, with just enough information to get your interest piqued, but not enough to savor the quench. Coming from someone who did not enjoy the first Fallout (me and the VAT system just don’t get along), I ended up enjoying the showcase. Even though I had DVRed the entire South Park episode (oh the wonders of technology), I thought I’d watch the showcase just for fun.

Obsidian found a hidden jewel in South Park. Even though video game players and South Park viewers tend to differ in age, the majority of the overall audience for both medias are startlingly similar in age, gender, and overall personality type. For everyone not playing Fallout: Las Vegas, South Park was the perfect platform for Obsidian to cater to its general audience.

In conclusion, all I’d like to say is bravo Obsidian bravo. If you didn’t remind a few old fans and gain a few new ones, I’d be very supervised. Hopefully other video game companies will follow suite in the future and gain some new fans themselves.

Update: Ironically, on Thursday night the new It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (which caters to much of the same audience as South Park) was sponsored by Fable 3. Though this sponsorship did not include a showcase, the idea was still the same. Congrats Lionhead!

For those of you who haven’t read my blog, I started out writing about random topics. First my introductory post, followed by a post about Toyota. My next post is when I really discovered my new PR passion. I have always been a fan of video games, but had never noticed how big a part pr has in the virtual world. What started out as a one-time blog post eventually became the theme of my blog. More than the theme of my blog, video game pr has evolved into my chosen career path.

This is not the end of my blog, just the end of the first chapter of my blog. This blog is now transitioning from something I need to do, to something I want to do. For my last “assignment post” I want to take a quick break from video game PR. Instead, I want to give new bloggers a few steps they may help them find a new passion and career path to follow

1. Explore. Take the time to explore different avenues on the internet. Use your first few posts to explore, in detail, a variety of topics.  By giving yourself some time to explore you may discover new things that spark your interest.

2. Narrow it down. Pick one (or two) topics that you really had a good time researching. Write another few posts about these topics, and give yourself some time to explore them more indepthly. This will give you the chance to decide whether this is something you really have a passion for and would want to focus your blog on.

3. Invest. After finding your passion, invest time in finding new topics within your overall umbrella topic to write about. Not only will is help you discover new and exciting things, but it will keep you up to date on your chosen topic. Keeping up with news stories and new trends is imperative when looking for a career path.

These three steps should help you discover a new passion to enjoy, and maybe a new career path to travel down. I am a perfect example of what a blog can help you discover! Stick around for more posts on video game PR in the future. I am looking forward to beginning this next chapter of my blog, and discovering new parts of video game journalism.

A new design for Xbox Live has been in the works for quite a while. Xbox Live, the online community for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console, is the most popular online forum for gamers around the world.  Over 1 million people log on to Xbox Live daily to kill each other with rocket launches in Halo 3, help each other find orbs in Fable 2, or gather gamer points in Mirrors Edge.  So, when a new interface was annouced a number of Xbox Live users, including myself, were skeptical.  Why change the interface of a system that is already widely popular?

On November 19, the new interface was introduced.  Along with millions of other users, I downloaded the interface update on the fated day. I was mildly suprised when I saw the final outcome. Instead of an updated version of the old Xbox interface, the new interface reminded me of a modernized version of a different console: The Nintendo Wii. The Wii interface features an interactive scrolling system through popular games; the new Xbox interface included this feature, but with a 3D twist. Another popular Wii feature are the Mii’s, little virtual people you can create that have their own community on the Wii interface. The new Xbox interface featured a similar virtual creation known as Avatars, which look like an updated version of the Nintendo Mii’s.

Now, as an Xbox 360 user who does not own a Wii, I was happy with the new update. I loved the new scrolling design, which made it easier to find friends and gamer points. I also enjoyed making my virtual avatar. Quite a few other users agreed with me as well. However, the interface also got a few negative reviews from users of the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, or both consoles. A number of video game critics have accused Microsoft of stealing directly from the Wii interface.

So when it comes down to it, is the new  Xbox interface a good public relations move or bad public relations move? Even though there are uncanny similarities between the two interfaces, I feel that the decision was a good one in the long run. In the beginning there will be some bad press and controversy, but in the end I think most of the public will accept and learn to enjoy the new interface. As a video game enthusiast I am interested in what other think about it .  So now my final question: What are your thoughts on the new interface?

A video game pre-order gift is essentially an added incentive for customers. The pre-order gift has become increasingly popular throughout the last decade, and nowadays it is not uncommon to have a customer inquire about future gifts.  Pre-order gifts come in all shapes and sizes (including key chains, art books, exclusive in-game content, and much more), but the gift is normally chosen depending on the video games specific audience. For example,  the widely popular Harvest Moon series released two games this year, both with its own pre-order gift. Being that that majority of Harvest Moon gamers are female, under the age of 20, or both it’s no surprise that the pre-order gifts were adorable plushy animals. The Nintendo DS release, “Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness,” came with a plush chicken, while the Nintendo Wii release, “Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility,” came with a plush cow.

From first hand experience, the cow and chicken plushes were widely successful. Some avid fans (and new fans) pre-ordered a Harvest Moon game specifically for the pre-order gift.  Like the majority of pre-order gifts, the plushie was only handed out to customers who bought the game after they pre-ordered the game.  Essentially, this meant that some of the newer fans were paying $29.99 (or more) for a plush cow. Even though they were getting the game along with the plushie, they were essentially paying the $29.99 for the plushie and just hoping that the game was enjoyable as well.

The Harvest Moon example is a great case study to show exactly why pre-order gifts have become popular.  The allure they present to both die-hard and new fans is often too much to resist. Even games that don’t follow the “audience rule” and release random pre-order gifts (such as the straw bag released for Little Big Planet) seem to draw in a few customers as well.

In all, the pre-order gift is a ingenious public relations tool for video game companies to use.  It gives customers an added bonus to buy a game, draws new fans in, and is a fairly cost effective method.  Have you ever bought or been drawn to a video game because of a specific pre-order gift?  I’d love to hear some personal stories on the “magnetic pull” of pre-order gifts.

Barack Obama is going to go down in history for a number of reasons: Being elected as the first black president; being the first Democratic president since the 90′s; and being one of the first Democratic nominees to get predominantly Republican states to vote for him.

Barack Obama is also the first presidential nominee to utilize in-game advertising, and other various forms of social media. To strengthen his campaign and reach the younger generation, Obama used a number of unconventional advertising techniques. In early October, the first in-game advertisement for the campaign was seen on Burnout: Paradise, a popular XBox 360 racing game. The advertisement was filtered through XBox Live, the online system that comes with the popular Microsoft console.

Even though the advertisements were only accessible in 10 states, the advertisements were highly talked about via the worldwide web. Through blogs, video game websites, and advertising websites, the buzz quickly spread about Obama’s virtual billboards. The Obama campaign bought virtual advertising space in over 10 games after its success in Burnout, including the immensely popular Madden 2009. What started out as a small virtual advertisement erupted into a public relations phenomenon, thanks to word of mouth and the Internet.

Did video games help Obama win his campaign?  Due to so many advertising techniques being used, the real answer will probably never be known.  But, the in-game advertisements probably did help Obama conect to some of his younger fans.

Do you think video game advertising will start being used more commonly for political campaigns in the future?  I believe that with the video game industry’s exponential growth, it is definetly not out of the question.  Only time will tell.

As it turns out, gaming in libraries has been around for quite some time.  As the times change, libraries have also changed. In the 1980′s CD’s started to appear in libraries, in the 1990′s movies started to appear in libraries, and in the early  21st century the internet arrived in libraries. So would it not make sense that video games follow suit in the later 21st century?

Video games in libraries has created a rare case where two audiences are benefiting from one public relations move. For video games, a library creates another oppurtunity for a child to try I (and potentially buy) a video game, as well as a chance for word of mouth  to spread. For libraries, the presence of video games has brought kids into the library and revitalized the relationship between children and the written word.

Hands-on video games and systems, such as the Wii and Guitar Hero, have also allowed libraries to host tournaments in their local communities. The tournaments not only offer a safe haven for kids, but also enlighten kids about certain games and make the library a “cool” hangout. According to an article in Escapist magazine, these tournaments are also offering education to kids in a fun way.  Jenny Levine, a member of the American Library Association, states that gaming and libraries are a “perfect fit.”  To read more about Levine’s theory, please look at page 32 of this PDF.

Libraries will continue to evolve as the times do, and I cannot wait to see what video games and libraries will do next!

In class, our teacher gave us the option of posting our podcasts on our blog. Originally, I had decided not to post it because I wanted to stick with video game public relations as my blog theme. But, then I asked myself why couldn’t environmental scanning be related to video game PR?

The five main steps of environmental scanning, according to Kendra S. Albright, are as follows: Identify, gather, analyze, report, and decide.  To learn more about these steps, and get a more in-depth look at environmental scanning, please listen to my podcast.  It can be found by following this link:

http://jcomm.uoregon.edu/Members/nemchsab/untitled-1.wav/view

In a previous post, I discussed a video game crisis centered around PR.  If the five steps of environmental scanning were applied to this case, it is possible that the crisis could have been avoided in the first place.  Do you think environmental scanning could have stopped the Little Big Planet crisis?

On a side note, as it is my first podcast I would really like some tips from those of you who listen.  I know I have a mishap here and there, but I would like some creative criticism on my tone, word choice, and whatever else you notice.  Feel free to critique to your hearts desire!

Now, on the other end of the spectrum, a few weeks ago Rio and I also tried the demo for the game Fracture. Fracture is a game that is centered around a terrain deformation system that allows your character to use the surrounding environment as a weapon. Fracture is developed by Lucas Arts, who I am a huge fan of, so I was really excited to try out the dynamics of the game.  Unfortunately,  even though the game possessed a unique idea and engine, when it came down to it the demo just did not work for me.  The engine was hard to control, and the perks of using the ground as a weapon did not live up to the games flaws.  Due to our disappointment in the demo, we both agreed that the game was a rental at best.

As the two stories above indicate, game demos can have both good or bad impressions.  I’m sure there are a number of people who played the demos mentioned above and disagree, but the overall consensus that I’ve seen on message board is that the Mirror’s Edge demo was positively received, and the Fracture demo was negatively received.  Even though demos are meant as a public relations tool to give the customer a chance to try the game and want more, they can sometimes backfire.

So, are video game demos good for a game or bad for a game?  When it comes down to it, I think for the company they are overall bad.  Even though there are lucky companies whose demos lead to big game sales, more often a demo disheartens many fans.  A demo essentially is a great tool for a customer; it lets them decide whether it is worth it to fork out $60 for a game.  But in most cases, it lets them know when a game is not worth the $60.  Overall, I think that a game demo is a great tool for customers and a most likely disastrous public relations tool for video game companies.

Please feel free to post your own thoughts on the video game demo system.  I would love to hear what other gamers think of the whole process.

UPDATE:  For some reason my last two blog posts were not published on the dates they were supposed to be.  I want to apologize to my readers for the inconvenience, I will make sure it does not happen again.