Marketing Case Study - To Lordran We Go!

FromSoftware is not an extremely well known company, as for their slowly growing market is full of role-playing enthusiasts who are looking for a new world to explore. Who are they exactly? FromSoftware is a Japanese video game company founded back in November 1986. They are a video game publisher company, who has published hit titles such as the Armored Core series and the "Souls" series. And this company is gearing up for their next release, a remaster of their imperfect masterpiece.

The announcement of their remaster has stirred the pot of fans that has only been growing ever since the release of their latest game from 2016, Dark Souls III. Beckoning gamers who may have never

even touched one of their games before, and recalling veterans of the series to go back to what may have been their first souls game. To look back on the history of the souls series, we have to travel back to February of 2009. Demon Souls brought new meaning to what it meant to play a Role-Playing Game, exclusively on their PlayStation 3 consoles. Two years later, they released the next game in this revolutionary series. Dark Souls, the reason why many threw their controllers in rage and wanted to give up so many times. Dark Souls brought life to the series, playable on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, later brought to those on PC.

FromSoftware's value proposition would come from how appealing their games are. Specifically looking at their Role-Playing Games. The Souls series games are notorious for the community nicknaming it the "hardest game made". In recent years, game reviewing groups such as IGN has even compared other games to this series. And the series keeps growing. Multiple game producing companies have tried to make "clones" of Dark Souls throughout the start of the series. Titles like "Lords of the Fallen", "Salt and Sanctuary", and "The Surge". All of these games either take the mechanics from the souls games, or the concept of how some things work. All of these clones only direct people to the source, the original, the masterpieces.

Within my group of close friends, I can confidently say that all of us have fallen for the souls series. And it's not just us who love these games so much, there's others out there that may even dive deeper into the games than us. A review on the Steam Store page says it almost perfectly, in a small paragraph rather than the essays some reviewers write for this game. 

"It's like college. A few people get through it with only a few hiccups, some people drop out as it isn't for them, and the rest squeak by using resources online. The local is gorgeous, the "git gud" frats are irritable, and the crippling depression is just as real. Just try not to go hollow will you?" 

This game has been a bomb with a long, slow fuse. Dark Souls III was the last notch in that fuse, the last installment to the game. Many in the community had lost hope in their favorite series. Until they saw the reveal trailer for the remaster. 

"Firstly, look at my hours played. (921.3 Hours) Got it? Good.. This game is amazing. But, wait until May 25th, 2018 for the remaster. Do not buy this version. You're welcome."

That was a negative review on the store page. And it wasn't even negative, for personally I can agree with him. As much as I love the first game in the series, it was a drag to get it to work on our computers. But with the remaster on its way, we have nothing left to fear.

If I was told to bring these games to the market, I wouldn't know how to do it better than FromSoftware and their partners, Bandai Namco Gaming, have already done. Except for more trailers, updates, and general posts about the games progression. We, as a community, want to know how the game is coming. New players, veterans, and even laid back casual gamers alike want to see this game shine brighter than the entire series. They ended the weird, confusing, and twisted story-line on a good note. Dark Souls III was fantastic, and the perfect showstopper to end on. But Dark Souls Remastered will boldly retake the spotlight, and shine itself for as long as the light shines.

Now, I want your opinion...

a) Would you buy this game? Does it pique your interest enough to see what all the fuss is about?

b) Have you ever heard of any of these games before? A series that's been running for over 9 years now, but still never been heard of or seen by many.

c) If you wouldn't play it for yourself, would you watch someone else play it? You're favorite person on YouTube, Twitch, Mixer, or anywhere else where people may stream. Maybe even your best friend?

Thank you for reading, if I disappear in a month

please do not come looking for me. You know

exactly where I'll be. Praise the sun!

(Extras:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fETc77XokxE&t=7s&has_verified=1)