Lately, there’s been a huge TV advertising push for free-to-play games, with King leading the charge, featuring a number of animated spots for such games as Farm Rescue Saga and Candy Crush Saga. However, Machine Zone may have just taken the cake with its new campaign for the MMO strategy title Game of War: Fire Age.
In an effort to push its highly popular mobile game, the company has unleashed a new global marketing campaign, one that cost approximately $40 million in media and spares no expense on special effects. For good measure, the company has also tapped Sports Illustrated model Kate Upton to appear in the first television ad, goading on players to fight the evil dragons featured within it.
“It is fantastic to be instrumental in the start of a new era in gaming and communications,” said Upton in an email. “I love playing the part of Athena — she’s such a bad-ass character, commanding armies, slaying hydra, charging into battle — the work shows how much fun it is, and I am proud to be part of it.”
However, some have questioned the content of the TV ad, featured below. Polygon, for example, compared the recent ad to “crappy mid-90’s video game” advertising, while others have questioned Upton’s approach towards male gamer, insinuating they can come in and “play with me.”
https://youtube.com/watch?v=uHskC7JRL9M
Some also question the CG effects used in the trailer. While impressive, they don’t represent what the actual game is, as it’s far less visual than it lets on. The ad itself barely features any footage from said game either – a tactic that some game companies are prone to using, like Activision with its live-action Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare commercial.
Despite questionable tactics, this commercial – and Upton’s presence – will no doubt push sales for Game of War, in one form or another.
