Marketing
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GTA 6 gets a custom PS5 welcome screen for pre-orders and more after Sony brags Rockstar's new game runs…
Sony Interactive Entertainment is heavily promoting Grand Theft Auto 6 on the PlayStation 5, featuring custom welcome screens and store page highlights, despite it being a multi-platform release. Sony emphasizes how the game will leverage PS5's features for an immersive experience, a level of promotion not typically seen even for their first-party titles.
Fateless Games hires Raid: Shadow Legends veteran
Fateless Games has appointed Noam Sagie, formerly of Plarium and a key figure in the marketing of Raid: Shadow Legends, as its new Chief Marketing Officer. Sagie will lead global marketing efforts for Fateless' upcoming cross-platform RPG, Godforge, as the studio prepares for its launch. The hire signifies Fateless' commitment to bringing a major title to market with experienced leadership.
Sony Scrubs Most Mentions of GTA 6 'Playing Best' on PS5
Sony has removed most social media mentions of Grand Theft Auto VI "playing best on PS5" shortly after launching a marketing campaign. While the original PlayStation Blog post retains the phrasing, associated YouTube, X, and Instagram posts have been taken down. The article notes that information regarding the game's utilization of PS5 hardware remains accurate, highlighting features like DualSense controller integration and fast loading times.
DEVINITIVE SHOWCASE RETURNS: BIGGER, MORE INTERNATIONAL, AND MORE AMBITIOUS IN ITS 2026 EDITION
The devINITIVE SHOWCASE is returning for its 2026 edition with an expanded scope, aiming to be more international and impactful for the Spanish-speaking indie video game scene. The open call for submissions is now live until July 16, inviting developers from Spain and Latin America to participate. The event seeks to provide visibility to independent developers and connect them with players, press, and industry professionals.
PSA: Splatoon Raiders' Daily Prologue Comics Start Rolling Out Today
Nintendo has begun releasing daily prologue comics for the upcoming game Splatoon Raiders, titled 'Deep Cut's Island Misadventures'. The first issue, 'Crash Landing', is available now on the Nintendo Today! app, with 30 daily issues planned leading up to the game's July 23rd release. A game-specific Direct is also scheduled for June 30th.
Sega Says Sonic Racing And Shinobi Sales Have "Fallen Short" Of Expectations
Sega has acknowledged that sales for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds and the recent Shinobi revival have fallen short of expectations, despite positive critical reception. The company plans to update its sales and marketing strategies and continue supporting Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds with additional content. New titles for legacy franchises like Crazy Taxi and Virtua Fighter are also planned for 2027.
Game Crossovers and Collaborations
Riot Games is hosting a Valorant-themed 'pub' event in east London, promoted by a British takeaway personality. The article also briefly mentions that Tom Cruise was considered for the role of Master Chief in Halo.
GTA 6 pre-orders to start this month as fans fear the price reveal
Rockstar Games has revealed the cover art for Grand Theft Auto 6 and announced that pre-orders will begin on June 25 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. While the price remains unconfirmed, Take-Two Interactive aims to assure fans it will align with the industry norm of £70. Marketing for the game is expected to ramp up this summer, with a new trailer also being a strong possibility.
Spidey Tracker is a meta ARG featuring Ned Leeds, officially launches alongside second Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer…
Ahead of the second trailer release for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, an alternate reality game called Spidey Tracker has officially launched. This fan-powered website, mirroring Ned Leeds' in-movie tool, will track Spider-Man sightings globally as part of the film's promotional tour, which also involves product placement from Samsung.
Control Resonant Is Receiving Remedy’s “Biggest Marketing Campaign” To Help It Weather A Crowded Calender This September
Remedy Entertainment is launching its "biggest marketing campaign" for Control Resonant to ensure it stands out in a crowded September release window. Communications director Thomas Puha stated that the company trusts the quality of the game and is supporting it with extensive promotional efforts. The game is also competitively priced and features multiple factions and a combo-focused combat system.
"Do you want a new game or not?": Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet skipping State of Play is fine, former The Last of Us dev says, because making a trailer costs 4 months of work
Former Naughty Dog artist Del Walker explained that studios like Naughty Dog skip events like State of Play to avoid losing development time on trailers, which can cost up to four months of work. He suggests players must choose between seeing game footage or receiving finished games sooner. The article also touches on speculation regarding The Last of Us 3.
Sunday Postmortems/Retrospectives
Developers from Maxis have stated that the previews for their game Spore were more ambitious than the final product, creating an unachievable fantasy for players. This retrospective discussion highlights the challenges of managing expectations in game development and marketing.
GTA 6 had "all the studios in the world" planning around the Rockstar Games behemoth, A Plague Tale dev says
Asobo Studio producer Eric Chort stated that many game developers are planning their release schedules around the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6. He explained that GTA 6's immense marketing and player attention creates an 'ogre' effect, forcing other studios to strategize around its release window to avoid being overshadowed. This strategic planning is evident as numerous major titles are being released in the months leading up to Grand Theft Auto 6's November launch.
Bounce 2 is a sequel to an Atari "PONG killer" that I'm pretty sure never existed
Bounce 2, a PC game available on Steam, is presented as a sequel to the obscure 1983 Atari 2600 game Bounce, which was intended to be a 'PONG killer' but released during the video game crash. The article suggests the backstory of the original Bounce may be a marketing tactic, as evidence for its existence and impact is scarce. Bounce 2 itself is a multiplayer game inspired by PONG, featuring characters that can jump, kick, and dash, with mechanics for attacking opponents and swinging arms to hit the ball harder.
PS5 Fans Think Sony Is Pushing God of War Laufey Harder Than Wolverine
PlayStation fans are noticing that Sony appears to be promoting God of War Laufey more heavily on social media than Marvel's Wolverine, despite Wolverine's earlier release date. This has led to speculation that God of War Laufey might be closer to release than initially expected. However, the article suggests that the difference in promotion could also be due to the amount of new gameplay footage and developer interviews released for God of War Laufey compared to Marvel's Wolverine.
Oxygen Levels, Shoe Types, Cigarette Butts: GTA 6's Most Unhinged Fan Is Investigating Rockstar
A dedicated fan is employing unconventional methods, including monitoring oxygen levels, car values, and cigarette butt counts outside Rockstar North's offices, in an attempt to predict the release of the next Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer. The fan's elaborate investigation aims to gauge employee activity and stress levels as indicators for new marketing material.
Rumour: Halo PS5 Trailer Was Planned for State of Play, Sony Allegedly Angered by Removal
A rumor suggests that a Halo trailer captured on PS5 Pro hardware was originally intended for Sony's State of Play showcase but was removed at the last minute by Microsoft. This decision reportedly angered Sony, potentially requiring them to re-edit their presentation.
GTA 6 Gets Its Barbenheimer As Barbie Compilation Sets A November Release
Atari is releasing Barbie Rewind, a compilation of 16 classic Barbie games from 1991-2007, on November 12th for PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. This release is positioned close to the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6, creating a humorous counterprogramming effect similar to the 'Barbenheimer' phenomenon.
"We made a series of mistakes": GOG apologise for emailing Nazi symbols to people in newsletter about Slavic fantasy game
GOG has apologized for a newsletter promoting the game "The End of the Sun" that inadvertently featured runes commonly associated with Nazism. The company cited a series of mistakes in their review process, including an "unfortunate visual association" and incorrect logo usage. The developers of "The End of the Sun" also issued a statement clarifying their lack of connection to extremist ideologies and their awareness of the symbol's dual meanings.
Random: This Publisher's Promoting Its PS5 Lineup with Retro Box Art
Publisher Annapurna Interactive is promoting its upcoming PlayStation 5 lineup with press kits designed to resemble retro PlayStation box art. These mock-ups include designs for Silent Hill: Townfall (PS2), Control Resonant (PS2 Greatest Hits), The Lost Wild (PS1), and Demi and the Fractured Dream (Nintendo 64).
