10 Awesome Video Games Betrayed By Terrible Marketing
1. Brutal Legend
Throughout the 1990s, Tim Schaffer was among gaming’s most adored creative minds, as he was largely behind several LucasArts’ gems (Day of the Tentacle, Grim Fandango, etc.) Likewise, his inaugural release under his own Double Fine branding, 2005’s Psychonauts, became a cult classic.
Clearly, hopes were high for his 2009 follow-up, Brütal Legend, which looked like an awesome action-adventure experience oozing with ‘70s and ‘80s heavy metal style, music, references and even cameos (from Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Halford, Lemmy Kilmister, and Lita Ford). Plus, none other than movie star/Tenacious D frontman Jack Black was starring as roadie protagonist Eddie Riggs.
So, how did its marketing betray it? By underemphasizing – if not completely ignoring – its RTS (real-time strategy) mechanics!
Actually, Schaffer later confessed: “There was definitely a messaging problem with that game. That’s one example of how the openness would have helped that game a lot. . . . [publisher] Vivendi [Games] was like, ‘No. Absolutely not. We’ll never say RTS, ever. . . . EA [Electronic Arts] mostly just didn’t emphasise it.”
To his point, and regardless of whatever other problems Brütal Legend had, its sales and reception definitely would’ve been better if consumers fully knew what they were getting.