Company News How to make friends and influence previews

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: Bethesda Softworks; Fallout 3

Here is an <a href=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19573617/>interesting & insightful article</a> for your amusement:
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<blockquote>A little validation from Masson, a writer for the French game magazine PC Jeux, and others like him can help tip the scales in the competitive game industry, where a cutting-edge title takes many years and millions of dollars to develop. That's why game designers, like movie studios, have learned to lavishly court such tastemakers, the guys who write for the major blogs and magazines and play a key role in today's big-bucks video game industry.
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Masson added Washington to his list of world travels last month, to check out an upcoming title from the Rockville-based game studio Bethesda Softworks. The company flew Masson and about 60 other writers in from as far away as Australia and Japan to give them an early look at the company's Fallout 3, scheduled for release late next year.
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In addition to an hour-long demo and chats with the game's designers, <b>the trip included a two-night stay in downtown's swank Helix Hotel, dinner at Logan Tavern and a private party at a nightclub in Adams Morgan. Airfare, hotel, food, drinks and shuttle bus were provided, courtesy of Bethesda Softworks</b>. Although a few attendees paid their own way, most did not.
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"What we're trying to accomplish with an event like this....</blockquote>It doesn't take a genius to figure out what you are trying to accomplish with an event like this, Pete.
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<blockquote>"What we're trying to accomplish with an event like this is to have the undivided attention of the important people in our industry, that cover the industry," said Pete Hines, vice president of marketing at Bethesda Softworks, whose Fallout 3 will be set in a version of Washington that's been scorched by war. "There are a lot of titles out there competing for attention."
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It looks like Bethesda Softworks is getting that attention: Fallout 3 is scheduled to soon grace the covers of 20 gamer magazines, largely as a result of the event.
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Bethesda Softworks' parent company, ZeniMax, is privately held and won't disclose the game's budget, but it's not uncommon for the budgets of cutting-edge titles like Fallout 3 to exceed <b>$20 million, including marketing costs.
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With this type of investment to recoup</b>...</blockquote>With this type of investment to recoup, one takes no chances and ensures that the game will receive the prestigious "Second Coming of Jesus!" award.
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<blockquote>With this type of investment to recoup, Hines said, his job is to whet the appetites of gamers, and that process starts with getting the press salivating. To build interest in the upcoming Navy SEAL game Rogue Warrior, for example, the company flew writers to Las Vegas, where they visited a firing range and tried sniper rifles and AK-47s.</blockquote>Fascinating. No wonder the previewers returned the courtesy by instantly forgetting what the series was about and giving Fallout 3 an "OMG! Game of the year! The best in the series! And in the world. Like ever!" standing ovation.
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Thanks, Cimmerian Nights

 

[caliban]

Meh, nihil novi.

 

[peak]

It's common practice for most of the bigger publishers to hold events like this for their AAA budget games. Expensive staying and meals paid for as well as other entertainment to whet the appetites of journalism.

THQ/GSC took a few journalists on a guided tour to Chernobyl followed by a showing of the game later, to hype S.T.A.L.K.E.R. I've read about Laserdome-games and other things as well. It's only a question of time until a gaming journalist obtains the title "First Journalist in Space!"

Edit: The most pathetic thing I heard relating to this was when Swedish PC Gamer magazine was offered a full hands-on on Half-Life 2 some time before its release -- and denied it when the mag refused to the publishers demands of having HL2 being guaranteed the front page highlight, something they would most certainly have gotten anyway.

The hands-on went to a competing magazine instead. It's fucking pathetic how this type of PR is handled. 'If you don't agree to give our game the maximum hype:age, well, then you can fuck off.'

 

[AnalogKid]

With this type of investment to recoup, Hines said, his job is to whet the appetites of gamers, and that process starts with getting the press salivating.

Signature material, that is.

If only the majority of press weren't so pavlovian, we might get some good games instead of the press getting good vacations.

 

[Edward_R_Murrow]

Wow.....I'm surprised Bethesda lets news like this out. I wonder if said private party included whores....because it would just be so funny if my old prediction of massive spending on booze and whores was actually true.

As for the actual bribery rammifications....I'm sure they would get shot down by Beth apologists as Bethesda "just being hospitable".

EDIT: Oh wait....the "journalists" are the whores....my mistake....

 

[hiciacit]

The real issue here is: to what extent are the invited gaming journalists prepared to give up their capacity for critical thought in order to score a ticket to the next publisher organized high-profile event. Or the other way around of course.

 

[sportforredneck]

The real issue here is: to what extent are the invited gaming journalists prepared to give up their capacity for critical thought in order to score a ticket to the next publisher organized high-profile event. Or the other way around of course.

But it would be much better to take all the hookers and blow, and then give them the big "fuck you" in a preview. Less hookers and blow, but it's never as good as the first time anyway.

 

[Section8]

From the whoreses mouth, so to speak.

Heh, also:

Some fans of Bethesda Softworks' last blockbuster, Oblivion, still stake out the company's front parking lot, hoping to chat up employees and score their autographs.

Those poor bastards. Can we deprogram them somehow?

 

[Texas Red]

Private party, eh? So 60 sweaty male nerds are "putting the roof on fire"? Why am I not surprised that Pete would arrange for some girls to attend?

I wonder if Il ever see the day when there wont be dumb, biased and most importantly bribed game journalists in the industry? But it seems in capitalism and democracy its perfectly OK to lie to people and cheat them. The free market has failed.

 

[Zomg]

No expense is spared to keep critics with eyes that look in two different directions writing the word, "awesome" at least seven times a day.

Edit - Also, the best part is that since game criticism is so vapid and monolithic that you get a penumbra effect from the bribes down to the lower tiers as a bonus.

 

[SimpleComplexity]

But this is illegal! :shock:


... or at least it should be.

 

[Jedi_Learner]

...

 

[crakkie]

Video evidence of the crimes against journalism.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 01433.html

Really, what Pete does is like political lobbying. There wouldn't be so much favor getting doled out if there weren't so many assholes willing to take it.

note: big long commercial in front of that video.

 

[hiciacit]

PipBoy bobble heads!!!! Yay!

 

[Mr Happy]

20 million? Jeez. No wonder games don't take many risks anymore.

Also, http://www.cvgames.com/?p=2722

 

[Ander Vinz]

Also, http://www.cvgames.com/?p=2722

Interesting.

 

[fastpunk]

Feeling down? Do your ideas suck and you can't seem to come up with nothing great? Are the fans starting to doubt you? When all else fails do it the easy way! HYPE HYPE HYPE-IT UP! It's the best way to get that cash in your pocket!

 

[Bradylama]

20 million? Jeez. No wonder games don't take many risks anymore.

Keep in mind that Bethesda has already payed 1/4th of that just to get the rights to make the game.

 

[Mr Happy]

Keep in mind that Bethesda has already payed 1/4th of that just to get the rights to make the game.

Well, I'm sure they predict that spread over several blockbuster game-of-the year next gen hits, but yeah, 6 million for a series that more than half of your average gamespot user has never heard of seems a bit of a stretch. Judging by preview reactions, its more the Bethesda name then the Fallout name that will sell the copies.

 

[Bradylama]

That's a big "no shit" right there, considering the one comment about VATS being a Fallout staple.

 

[Mr Happy]

So, um, why did they buy the fallout license again? While their at it, they can buy me a lobster dinner.

 

[Bradylama]

According to Pete they're huge fans, but according to Todd the license was dropped on their desks, possibly by fat men in suits smoking cigars, and they were told to have fun with it.

The cause is still a mystery.

 

[Lumpy]

How 'bout we convince them that if they make a free Bethesda Codex Party, we'll stop complaining?

 

[Kraken]

I have a hard time believing the gaming sites and publications can benefit in the long run from this. I don't understand why the biggest ones just don't start cooperating, refusing to abide by any rules the publishers might impose on them. Here in Norway where I live, all the major newspapers simply refused to take pictures when a recent world star was having a concert, since they had to abide by silly rules in order to do so. So they had to use older pictures. As long as all the big ones do it, the publishers like Bethesda would have to back out, or not get any press at all.

 

[Zomg]

That would require that they not be cheap whores staffed by bags of gelatin and hair.