When it comes to the gaming industry, there are still a handful of big publishers that continue to dominate the world. Not one of these publishers' approach to marketing is the same, and while that's certainly a strength that helps to keep their brand their own, it wouldn't hurt some publishers to take notes from others every once in a while. For instance, Capcom's current approach to marketing is pretty excellent, and even big-name studios like PlayStation and Ubisoft could benefit from watching closely.
Though Capcom isn't the biggest publisher in the world, it's still a staple of the video game industry, being founded all the way back in 1979. Over the last four decades, Capcom has released countless beloved IPs, from the Resident Evil franchise to Mega Man to Monster Hunter, and though it doesn't have as big of a presence in the industry as companies like PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo, it's still an incredibly important publisher with a lot of experience in the field. And right now, other big publishers could learn some lessons from Capcom's current marketing.
PlayStation, Ubisoft, and Other Publishers Should Learn From Capcom's Marketing
Capcom has a pretty stacked slate of upcoming games. The Resident Evil 4 Remake is set to release in just a few weeks, the long-awaited Street Fighter 6 is finally releasing in June, and the co-op dinosaur shooter Exoprimal is also set to release later this year. At least two of these games have been appearing on "most anticipated" lists since they were first announced, and thanks to Capcom's persistent marketing over the last year or so, fans haven't been allowed to forget about their existence.
It seems as though fans are always being reminded of Capcom's upcoming slate. With every PlayStation State of Play, or Xbox Showcase, at least one of Capcom's upcoming titles makes a sizable appearance, showing off a new cinematic or gameplay trailer. And more often than not, these trailers are some of the biggest highlights of the event, leaving fans with a definite and evolving sense of excitement every time they see more from them.
Capcom isn't just reminding fans about these games, but informing them of what they can expect. Street Fighter 6 is still a few months away, but fans know exactly what they're getting, with tons of trailers already showcasing countless different aspects of the game, ranging from its new control scheme to its customization and characters. Capcom's transparency is a great way to keep excitement levels consistently high during the entire marketing period while ensuring that the final product lives up to expectations.
Others publishers should adopt Capcom's approach to marketing. Right now, PlayStation fans don't really know what's coming within the next year or so. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 has been confirmed for a Fall 2023 release, but fans still only have one cinematic trailer to go off, and that released all the way back in September 2021. PlayStation is sure to have some monumental hits this year, but it's hard to keep fans excited about a product when they're not shown anything until just before its launch date.
Ubisoft is another guilty party, often showing announcing its games with a trailer, and then going silent for a year until about the week before release. Fans are currently seeing this happen right now with Assassin's Creed Mirage, which received a cinematic announcement trailer back in September 2022 and nothing since, leading many to completely forget about its existence. It's imperative that these publishers start marketing their games more consistently during their development, but it's also important that they show trailers representative of the final product, just like Capcom's doing right now.