AND CROSS-PROMOTION WITHIN DIGITAL GAMES Zdenko Mago
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MARKETING IDENTITY SELF- AND CROSS-PROMOTION WITHIN DIGITAL GAMES Zdenko Mago Abstract The exponential growth of online gaming in current digital-gaming sector is causing an increase in the importance of in-game advertising commercial dynamic to the detriment of in-game advertising static forms preferred in the past. Therefore, static in-game advertising found its usability in the field of self- promotion and cross-promotion. The study focuses on a qualitative analysis regarding different ways of how famous digital games developers, publishers and distributors are presenting their brands within digital games considering various forms, explicitness of presentation and integration of self- /cross-promotion in the sphere of digital games. Key words: Cross-promotion. Digital games. In-game advertising. Self-promotion. 1 From self-reference to self- and cross-promotion “Self-reference occurs when a text or a sign process, in some respects, refers to itself instead of referring to something beyond the message it conveys.”1 Besides film, media in which self-reference is the most prominent are advertising and digital games. Advertising uses creative devices of self-reference to draw consumers’ attention toward a message. Digital games create their own self-referential worlds apart from the world of referential fact and realities.2 Santaella even claims that digital games might be considered as the epitome of self-reference, because each new digital game tends to refer to the previous one.3 She also distinguishes seven types of self- referentiality in games (see Table 1). Table 1: Types of self-referentiality in digital games Command, missions and discontinuities Self-reference to game rules and environment. Self-reference via a game (mini-game) within a Metagames game. Metastories Self-reference via a story within the game story. Self-reference via game modes. Some games The personalization of games have been developed based on modes of existing games. Self-reference to digital processing (e.g. loading The game’s materiality screen). Self-reference via relation to other media, Intermediality especially film. Self-reference via game theory that is a theory A game theory of games of games. Source: SANTAELLA, L.: Computer Games: The epitome of self-reference. In NÖTH, W., BISHARA, N. (eds): Self-reference in the Media. Berlin : Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co., 2007, p. 214-217. 1 SANTAELLA, L.: Computer Games: The epitome of self-reference. In NÖTH, W., BISHARA, N. (eds): Self-reference in the Media. Berlin : Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co., 2007, p. 208. 2 NÖTH, W.: Self-reference in the media: The semiotic framework. In NÖTH, W., BISHARA, N. (eds): Self-reference in the Media. Berlin : Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co., 2007, p. 13. 3 SANTAELLA, L.: Computer Games: The epitome of self-reference. In NÖTH, W., BISHARA, N. (eds): Self-reference in the Media. Berlin : Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co., 2007, p. 208. 336 MEDIA BRANDING SELF- AND CROSS-PROMOTION WITHIN DIGITAL GAMES From the perspective of digital-gaming sector companies and their marketing communication, self-referential character of digital games represents a natural Zdenko Mago environment for presentation of their brands. Self-promotion refers to the concept of a company advertising itself, meaning promoting its brand(s), programs, titles or Abstract products within its own programs or titles, while a single medium or a part of one is 4 The exponential growth of online gaming in current digital-gaming sector is causing an increase in the advertiser, advertising vehicle and advertising object all in one. Although, most importance of in-game advertising commercial dynamic to the detriment of in-game advertising static companies use to change their roles with each digital game development project. For forms preferred in the past. Therefore, static in-game advertising found its usability in the field of self- example, Electronic Arts acts as a game developer in one case, game publisher or promotion and cross-promotion. The study focuses on a qualitative analysis regarding different ways game distributor in other, while all those games do not need to be related in any way. of how famous digital games developers, publishers and distributors are presenting their brands within digital games considering various forms, explicitness of presentation and integration of self- Due to this fact, in the context of digital game developer (publisher, distributor) /cross-promotion in the sphere of digital games. brands self-referring within digital games themselves, it is necessary to mention another term, i.e. cross-promotion. Cross-promotion is defined as an umbrella Key words: concept incorporating several different practices creating different outcomes, while Cross-promotion. Digital games. In-game advertising. Self-promotion. promotion itself crosses some kind of boundaries. Norbäck subsequently defines five individual types of cross-promotion: cross-company, cross-customer, cross-media, cross-product and cross-content.5 In the final analysis, it is difficult or almost 1 From self-reference to self- and cross-promotion impossible to differentiate between various types of cross-promotion, often even self-promotion from cross-promotion. Therefore, in the domain of in-game “Self-reference occurs when a text or a sign process, in some respects, refers to itself advertising both self- and cross-promotion can be considered as one advertising instead of referring to something beyond the message it conveys.”1 Besides film, media concept. Self-/cross-promotion in digital games concerns only certain types of in- in which self-reference is the most prominent are advertising and digital games. game advertising. Advertising uses creative devices of self-reference to draw consumers’ attention toward a message. Digital games create their own self-referential worlds apart from After online gaming had become a domain in digital-gaming sphere, the importance 2 the world of referential fact and realities. Santaella even claims that digital games of static in-game advertising decreased in favor of its more flexible dynamic form. On might be considered as the epitome of self-reference, because each new digital game the other hand, static in-game advertising found its utilization mainly in self-/cross- tends to refer to the previous one.3 She also distinguishes seven types of self- promotion field. According to the content analysis of six console AAA game titles referentiality in games (see Table 1). from 2011, each with different developer and publisher, 79.1 % of all static in-game Table 1: Types of self-referentiality in digital games advertisements presented in analyzed games had more or less intentional self- /cross-promotion character – 56.6 % implicitly, 43.4 % explicitly.6 Additionally, self- Command, missions and discontinuities Self-reference to game rules and environment. /cross-promotion within digital games can take advantage of another phenomenon Self-reference via a game (mini-game) within a Metagames related to games self-referential nature called Easter Eggs which are hidden in-game game. rewards for gamers spending their time by exploring all the game aspects. Rewards Metastories Self-reference via a story within the game story. can take a form of various references especially from pop-culture, including other Self-reference via game modes. Some games games. They are perceived very favourably among gamers and they also maintain The personalization of games have been developed based on modes of great popularity due to which gamers themselves share information about their existing games. locations in games. The point is that gamers tend to consider implemented in-game Self-reference to digital processing (e.g. loading The game’s materiality brand references (even commercial in-game advertising) as Easter Eggs and not screen). advertising, thus advertising effect can be generated without the explicit advertising Self-reference via relation to other media, Intermediality especially film. intent. Self-reference via game theory that is a theory A game theory of games of games. Source: SANTAELLA, L.: Computer Games: The epitome of self-reference. In NÖTH, W., BISHARA, N. (eds): Self-reference in the Media. Berlin : Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co., 2007, p. 214-217. 4 SIEGERT, G. Self Promotion: Pole Position in Media Brand Management. In Media Brands and 1 SANTAELLA, L.: Computer Games: The epitome of self-reference. In NÖTH, W., BISHARA, N. (eds): Branding, 2008, No. 1, p. 16. Self-reference in the Media. Berlin : Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co., 2007, p. 208. 5 NORBÄCK, M.: Cross-Promotion and Branding of Media Product Portfolios. In Media Product 2 NÖTH, W.: Self-reference in the media: The semiotic framework. In NÖTH, W., BISHARA, N. (eds): Portfolios: Issues in Management of Multiple Products and Services. New York : Psychology Press, 2012, Self-reference in the Media. Berlin : Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co., 2007, p. 13. p. 147. 3 SANTAELLA, L.: Computer Games: The epitome of self-reference. In NÖTH, W., BISHARA, N. (eds): 6 MAGO, Z.: Implicitný in-game advertising: Nástroj pre self-promotion a cross-promotion v Self-reference in the Media. Berlin : Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co., 2007, p. 208. digitálnych hrách. In Analýza a výskum v marketingovej komunikácii, 2015, p. 34. 337 MARKETING IDENTITY 2 Types of self-/cross-promotion within digital games Based on the way of how digital games developers, publishers and distributors present their brands within digital games, it is possible to determine three types of self-/cross-promotion: direct, indirect, associative. 2.1 Direct self-/cross-promotion Direct type of self-/cross-promotion is the most common as well as the simplest form for implementation. It is a visual presentation of a specific game development subject’s brand in form of logotype placement into the game with various explicitness and integration levels. This way of promotion can be applied into a digital game of any size. There are many examples of highly explicit direct self- /cross-promotion. In online game Damned Nation,7 developer´s Fog logo is placed on a cricket bat – the primary weapon in a fight against zombies.