MORTAL KOMBAT – MORTAL MONDAY (1992)
Talking about video game history in the context of games does not make much sense in the age of remasters and remakes. On 14 September (a date specially chosen to reflect the release date of the original MK), we will see the remake of Mortal Kombat, the game that helped define the popular fighting arcade genre in the 1990s and gave birth to a franchise that, alongside Tekken, which was based on similar principles, continues to set the course for this type of games. No one doubts that the anticipated remake will be as fatal as the original 1992 game. The original marketing is to some extent followed by the one from 2023, but back then the developers from Midway Games did without the star cast of Dave Bautista in the lead role. The original ad depicts a battle frenzy in the streets on a normal Monday. Thanks to this presentation, the Mortal Kombat battle cry has caught on and was enshrined forever in the video game hall of fame. But what is important is that the entire presentation feels triumphant - even though at the time, no one yet knew how substantial and influential MK would become. But this lack of self-awareness also reflects to some extent the identity of the game itself, including many of its protagonists. And it is a foundation from which the series has not budged an inch to date.
Video: Mortal Kombat – Mortal Monday (1992)
CRASH BANDICOOT – CRASH AT NINTENDO (1996)
Naughty Dog’s Crash Bandicoot, a mutant bandicoot character, was born as Sony’s response to Nintendo’s popular franchise, which was led by the moustachioed plumber Mario (more on that below). However, it can be considered quite a feat that Sony managed to dominate the television advertising landscape before Nintendo, whose franchises were both older and more popular at the time. Anyone who knows Crash is aware that, compared to the relatively lovable Mario and his pals, the bandicoot is the typical anti-hero you would like to slap around for most of your game time with him. This is an identity that has been associated with him since his first advertising stunt. In it, he went to the parking lot of the headquarters of Nintendo’s competitors with a loudspeaker, ideally insulting everyone in the building. To make matters worse, he also set up his own PlayStation gaming den in the parking lot, where he showed the audience why the system was superior to the competition in many ways. Crash remains popular to this day - but there is no denying that Nintendo remains the dominant giant in the platform game market many years later. Nevertheless, the plumber in overalls has gained a very strong competitor.
Video: Crash Bandicoot – Crash At Nintendo (1996)
SUPER SMASH BROS. – HAPPY TOGETHER (1999)
In the console war between Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox, it is often forgotten that there is another influential player in the market that has held its specific niche since the 1990s. This is no other than Nintendo, which has been credited from time to time as a platform whose games are primarily aimed at children. The structure of Nintendo’s exclusive games has something to do with this, which is geared quite differently from what the two aforementioned distributors offer. This is nicely summed up by a 1999 TV ad that lured players to experience playing as four of the most iconic protagonists from Nintendo’s imaginary worlds for the first time ever in a single title - namely, Pikachu the Pokémon, Mario the walrus-moustached Italian plumber, Yoshi the crocodile sidekick, and Donkey Kong, the gorilla king of his own island. This dream team was a benchmark of sorts in the video game world of the late 1990s, but it is still one of the major brands that Nintendo sticks to with all its might. And why not, in its day, just the union of these characters generated widespread enthusiasm, and it remains true that the Nintendo community values a state where the universes of each hero actively intersect. As the advertising suggests, it promises many hours of fun.
Video: Super Smash Bros. – Happy Together (1999)
GRAND THEFT AUTO: SAN ANDREAS – WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE (2004)
The release of GTA VI is without a doubt one of the most anticipated video game events of the upcoming year. After all, it has been a long eight years since the extremely successful fifth instalment, during which time the developers at Rockstar have only kept the community interested through new content for free-to-play online multiplayer. In the sixth instalment, we return after many years to the sun-drenched and Latino gang-infested Vice City, the GTA universe’s equivalent of Florida’s Miami. But do not expect it to be any less weird and bizarre than we are used to. The literal embodiment of the satirical world of GTA was a video campaign released before the launch of what is still one of the most popular titles, 2004’s San Andreas, which relies heavily on deepening the game world. In essence, it is a series of fictional TV ads for the most controversial products and products popular among the inhabitants of this gaming universe, which has never been afraid to be controversial and sometimes go beyond what the mainstream society is able to accept. This is also evident in this advertising. What is most valuable about it, though, is the fact that it does a first-rate job with the world at its disposal. The ads feature story characters, random NPCs, and products that you will come across on every corner in the streets of Los Santos, San Fierro and Las Venturas (again, cities with a real-world basis – you will virtually visit Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas). Music is a separate topic. Do you like any of the background music in these commercials? Well, listen to game radio – you will definitely come across the music there. That applies to the title track, Rated M for Mature by Guns N' Roses.
Video: GTA: San Andreas – Welcome To The Jungle (2004)
GEARS OF WAR – MAD WORLD (2006)
This ad is often considered to be the best television presentation of a video game ever. The launch of the first Gears of War in 2006 was accompanied by a massive marketing campaign that was unprecedented even in the context of the video game industry. It is a rather sombre advert, supported by the aptly chosen soundtrack, which is a cover of Gary Jules’ popular song Mad World. It fairly accurately captures what the video game set in a dystopian wartime reality is all about in the first place. It is full of irrationality and madness, which would be attested not only by central character Marcus Fenix but anyone who found their way to the new game franchise in 2006. The unorthodox use of licensed music, the fitting of the main premise into a running time of less than one minute, and the pervasive dark and gloomy atmosphere - all of this foreshadowed that Gears of War would be a big hit that we will definitely hear about again and again. That is true even in 2023 when Marcus is still fighting the intelligent but bloodthirsty and uncompromising Locust hordes.
Video: Gears of War – Mad World (2006)
HALO 3 – BELIEVE (2007)
The massively popular FPS Xbox exclusive franchise Halo is still at the peak of popularity in 2023. This was helped by the fact that a year ago, streaming platform Paramount+ released the first season of a series of the same name based on a video game revolving entirely around an intergalactic war between the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) and the alien religious-military alliance Covenant, which has one goal - the complete annihilation of the human race. Players have been enthusiastically entering this conflict from a first-person perspective since 2001, and Halo is rightly regarded as one of the best console shooter experiences ever. But the trailer for the third main game in the series deserves special attention. Bungie and Microsoft have decided to take an unconventional step, which is why you do not see any dynamic action in their presentation. Instead, they serve the viewer epic dioramas straight from the heart of the war, statically capturing exactly what fans of the franchise love most. No action, no gameplay - just wax figures depicting the battle between the two sides of the conflict. This was part of a wider campaign ahead of the release of the second instalment, which aimed to offer the community something of a complete chronicle of the series, focusing on both the lore itself and BTS insights and information. At the very end of the spot, the protagonist, Master Chief, cannot be missed, as he makes one dynamic move to show that the fans can definitely look forward to some serious carnage. Simple and epic.
Video: Halo 3 – Believe (2007)
RATCHET AND CLANK: SIZE MATTERS – SIZE MATTERS FOR PSP (2007)
Insomniac Games’ popular series charting the adventures of space traveller Ratchet from the planet Lombax and his fellow escaped robot friend Clank made a mega-successful debut on PC this July. For many years, however, it was exclusive to PlayStation owners, with which it was so closely associated that Ratchet and Clank became the first ever playable heroes for the handheld version of the PlayStation Portable. (PSP). The game’s 2007 title is thus quite consistent with the logic of the PSP’s marketing plan, whose main asset was giving players the ability to always have their favourite games at hand. Fans of the franchise know well that Ratchet is a die-hard tech aficionado, a motif that the TV ad plays with. The gadget known as the Mootatron plays a central role in the game, effectively turning enemies into bulls and cows. Here it is part of a friendly prank, and everyone would agree that such a life hack could come in handy in real life.
Video: Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters – Size Matters for PSP (2007)
CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS – THERE’S A SOLDIER IN ALL OF US (2010)
Video game advertisements often play on the idea that everyone can be who they want to be in video games. In the case of Activision’s Call of Duty shooters, since 2003 players have become professional soldiers, embarking on complex missions whose layouts are created after long consultations with military strategy experts. A certain verisimilitude and realism have always been the cornerstones of the CoD series. So, it is not unacceptable for developers to relax a little bit in their marketing campaigns. The 2010 advert that preceded the launch of Black Ops is proof that a more comic and light-hearted approach works in conjunction with the brand. The scenery, which seems to have fallen out of a database of game maps, is filled with ordinary people equipped with weapons of various types and calibres. But there are celebrities too. You will be lucky enough to see Kobe Bryant armed from head to toe, or presenter Jimmy Kimmel shooting down a helicopter with a bazooka. That is not something you are likely to see on his traditional late-night talk show. On YouTube, you will find this ad after the age verification because it depicts what it depicts, but it is a hilarious piece that, with a degree of hyperbole, stays true to the ideas and concepts that keep players coming back to CoD with each new title, even after twenty years. On the online multiplayer battlefield, everyone can be a winner - regardless of objective differences.
Video: Call of Duty: Black Ops – There’s A Soldier In All Of Us (2010)
THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM – SKYRIM LIVE ACTION TRAILER (2010)
Starfield, the long-awaited epic space opera from game studio Bethesda, arrived in all brick-and-mortar video game dens and digital marketplaces a few days ago. Its launch is a keenly watched event, as the developers venture into an as-yet unexplored new universe after many years, different enough from their well-known radioactive wastelands in the Fallout games or the rich fantasy world of The Elder Scrolls saga. It remains to be seen whether Starfield will live up to expectations. But it is already clear that it will be difficult in such a tough competition. Bethesda’s last truly massive launch was with the fifth Elder Scrolls with a matching marketing campaign that clearly showed no expense was spared. Its centrepiece was a live-action trailer, which uninitiated observers might consider a promo for the latest Game of Thrones series or any other high-budget fantasy starring dragons and dragon slayers. This is confirmation that a certain reputation brings certain expectations. Skyrim was expected to enter the videogame arena with a fair amount of pomp and epic, which it did thanks to this near-Superbowl presentation. The question is whether Bethesda has not got itself in trouble raising the bar too high. The community logically expects it to be able to surpass itself.
Video: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Skyrim Live Action Trailer (2010)
SONY: LONG LIVE PLAY – MICHAEL (2011)
Over the years of its successful existence, Sony, the owner and developer of PlayStation consoles, has managed to assemble a range of iconic protagonists with whom gamers love to identify themselves with eager anticipation for each new adventure. But with the launch of the new PS3 console in 2011, Sony wanted to prove that the real heroes were somewhere other than the popular imaginary worlds. That is why it invited gamers to the tavern to meet the exclusive club, which includes video game icons such as Solid Snake from the Metal Gear series, the most popular assassin to date Ezio Auditore de la Firenze, Simon Riley aka Ghost from Call of Duty, the tireless adventurer Nathan Drake from Uncharted, and Captain and Commander Shepard from the SS-Normandy spaceship, Kratos, the demigod who is not particularly well liked by other gods across the pantheons, the most effective assassin on the market, code-named 47, the stubborn space traveller Ratchet, and a couple of random footballers vying for the FIFA title. Such a line-up could definitely talk about their adventures and achievements for years, yet in this video everyone just talks about Michael over and over again. Who is Michael? The answer is simple - you can be Michael too! It is basically every single person behind a game controller. Sony knows well that creative imaginary worlds would be nothing without a truly dedicated fan community. And so, it has decided to pay it a tribute through its legends that will never be forgotten.
Video: Sony: Long Live Play – Michael (2011)
ASSASSIN’S CREED: ODYSSEY – MY LIFE AS AN NPC (2018)
Before the long-awaited Mirage, which promises a return to the stealth-focused roots of French Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed RPG series, is released in October, it is worth looking back (given the traditional themes of AC games). The Assassin’s Creed series has changed in recent years, to the delight of some and the annoyance of others. What was originally an urban stealth action game has become a giant open-world RPG, which of course has given players plenty of new ways to engage with the world around them. The series’ evolution was first most evident in its foray into ancient Greece in Odyssey. And the marketing campaign designed especially for social networks, which started as a joke, was perfect in a way. In fact, it consisted of a series of interviews with ordinary NPC characters whose lives were changed at some point due to an encounter with an assassin under your control. These include a poor shepherd who had his entire herd of goats slaughtered overnight, or random witnesses to the iconic Leap of Faith. We encounter people we think of as NPCs in real life too - but Ubisoft shows us here that, despite what we believe, their lives are definitely not a walk in the park. The best influencers are often hiding in places we would not expect. In the immersive world of Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, we could see them literally on every corner, even if we certainly were not paying them any special attention.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/S4B-IC9CvYM
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/MP8lb5LHk_8
Video: Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey – My Life As An NPC (2018)
FIFA 21 – LONG LIVE THE PRINCE (2021)
No list of original video game ads could be complete without at least one mention of the legendary seasonally released FIFA football simulator. Given that football is still the world’s most popular sport, it is obvious that FIFA will probably never be short of new gamers - and it is able to attract them from among those who might not even consider themselves gamers. Simply put, FIFA has a very influential platform with a huge reach, which it uses for many more than just promotional purposes. The main character of the 2021 spot is Kiyan Prince. Who is he, you ask, and why doesn’t he appear live in the spot just once? It is because he has died. Kiyan was the great hope of British youth football. In 2006, when he was just 15 years old, he tragically died after trying to stop a fight, during which he was fatally stabbed. Had that not happened, we might well be thinking of him today as the next Messi, Lewandowski, Mbappé or Ronaldo. FIFA has therefore decided to pay tribute to him and tell his inspiring story in collaboration with the foundation established by the young footballer’s father. Kiyan thus became the first ever fully virtual footballer to be recruited in the game. His father poignantly sums up what this means to his loved ones and legacy in a two-minute spot - because thanks to FIFA, the legend of Kiyan Prince lives on and has had a real impact on the lives and careers of many promising aspiring players both in virtual reality and on the turf of football stadiums.
Video: FIFA 21 – Long Live The Prince (2021)
What can I say in conclusion? As the video game world moves forward, so do the marketing campaigns that precede the launch of games. This can be seen in the examples above. These are often projects that do not lack ambition, and studios can also rely on the nostalgia of gamers, which can be tapped into by focusing on remakes and remasters of still-legendary games. TV presentation is inevitably linked to this, as it has always been part of a wider narrative, succeeded in building entire gaming communities and often managed to offer something extra, which in turn contributed to building the internal world of the games. The upcoming videogame season promises that there will certainly be no shortage of similar gaming and marketing experiences.
