Believe In Halo 3 Marketing

Published
by
Matt
on Sep 29, 2007
in Analysis and Products
.

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the last 6-9 months, you know about Halo 3. Since the announcement, the marketing machine for the uber-anticipated 3rd episode has been in full swing. Some of it has been good, some if it has been not-so-good, some has been incredibly elaborate and intense and some of it, like the ad below, has been great. The latest commercial, entitled “Believe” shows an incredibly detailed model of the turning point in the battle for humanity backed by Chopin’s “Raindrops”. If you haven’t seen the entire thing, it’s definitely worth a look.

This has been a truly massive campaign, spanning almost every media you can think of. They even have a Halo 3 version of Mountain Dew, most likely a first for video games. And how did it fare? I’m pretty sure 170 million dollars in the first 24 hours is a sound success. That’s more than the Spiderman and Harry Potter movies if you’re counting.

This is incredible for me, as someone who has been playing games for a long time, because 10 or so years ago, there was barely any mainstream video game advertising at all. How things have changed. I guess you just have to believe.

  • Great analysis there. I agree that Halo 3 made a lot of it's money early, and that it (most likely) won't have the punch of a major box office hit, but it doesn't have to. The point I was trying to make was not that Halo 3 is a completely dominating money-monster, but that, for video games, this was pretty impressive. The scope of marketing for this game was beyond anything I'd seen before and am really impressed by it's execution. No, it might not level out with movies in terms of total sales, media tie-ins, and products, but for an "emerging" media, it's a great step.
  • scrt77
    Oh, yeah, but Believe, Videogames are here to stay, they are HUGE Entertainment properties and the industry as a whole continues to grow.
  • scrt77
    The Halo 3 campaign definitely changed the way videogames are marketed, few titles can, or will, get this sort of treatment. MS did an incredible job and I wouldn't be surprised to hear if Business schools start to include the models in their classrooms.

    However, Halo 3 might have beaten Spiderman 3 in 24 hours, but that is subjective.

    It is a marathon, not a sprint.

    Halo 3 had something like 1.5 million pre-orders, the majority of its revenue will come from the first 2-3 weeks on the shelf. And though open weekend is critical for movies, properties such as Spiderman and HP remain at the box office for weeks and weeks and continue to fill seats.

    I also do not think Halo 3 will convert non 360 owners to go and buy a $400 system to play $60 game. Pretty much anyone who wanted to play Halo 3 bought a 360 already, and MS makes more money on the console than the game.

    Also, cost. Movies are $10-$12, Halo 3 comes in 3 various packages ranging from $60 to $140.

    And finally, in the end, when you figure in Worldwide box office, toys and the almighty DVD sales, Spidey and The Wizard leavee Master Chief in the dust.

    Sorry if this seems a little all over the place, wiping the sleep from my eyes and the coffee hasn't sunk in.
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