CD Projekt came under fire recently following the release of the much anticipated The Witcher 3 for what may sound like an unusual complaint. The developers were called out for “downgrading” the game’s appearance compared to previous teasers and promo videos put out and fans saying that the game was misrepresented. This is one of those issues that can either be horrible or a small blip based on how well game developers are paying attention.
Game Evolution:
If there is one hard truth about game development, it is that games rarely look the same from beginning, middle and end of its development. As the game is worked on, things will change that will impact how the game looks and performs. Maybe the engine receives an update or the art team improves their animations and designs.
Or on the other hand, maybe the game will look worse compared to previous versions as we see a lot with promo videos and footage. Most teaser trailers during a game’s development are either based on prerendered footage or a version of the game that is not going to be put into release. For the former, the developer/publisher is simply trying to show off the game looking at the highest quality to wow consumers even though the real game may not look like that, case in point Killzone 2.
Regarding a different version, one of the biggest challenges of AAA or multi platform development is the fact that you are trying to reach as many different consumers as possible; with each consumer having different technical specifications. This is especially true if you are aiming for cross platform and have to deal with console and PC specifications.
Rarely do video games find and keep a unified aesthetic from early in development to release, which has been a major plus from Klei Entertainment
Most developers don’t want to release two completely different versions of a game (one for the consoles and one for the PC) and instead they want to release one version that has a baseline for the weakest platform and can be easily ported to the others.
Netherealm Studios has done this with their fighting games and focusing on the consoles first and the PCs with a third party build.
Whatever the case may be, there is a chance that the game will change and where you as a promoter need to be careful with how you publicize your title.
Managing Marketing:
Just like with any part of a video game, you need to manage the expectations of your audience. This is why a lot of video game promos and previews come with the blurb: ” Title is Subject to Change”
Part of the impact of increased transparency is keeping your fans informed as to what’s going on and making sure that information about your game remains updated. This should go without saying, but if the game is different than what your promotional materials are saying about it, then you need to change them.
MK X has been rated horribly on the PC due to misconceptions from the developers about the support and work being doing on it
Payday 2 for instance, referred to the feature of safe house customization even though that’s not in the game right now and many of their screenshots show the game differently than the actual play experience.
Keeping Track:
There really isn’t much to talk about with this topic, which is the point.
Keeping track of your promotional materials and information shouldn’t be hard to do for most Indie developers. For larger companies, they normally either have someone dedicated to PR within the company, or use the services of a PR firm to publicize the game. As the developer, it’s your job to keep your PR abreast of how your game is going and if anything is no longer relevant.
PR mistakes can be anything from a small issue to very damaging, but they are easily caught as long as you have someone with a keen eye keeping track of everything.
