1. Marketing and Promotion of
Planetside 2

2. Planetside 2
• PlanetSide 2 is a free-to-play massively
multiplayer online first-person shooter
published by Sony Online Entertainment and
released on November 20, 2012.
• The game = MMOFPS free to play online
• Genre – war/sci-fi
• Players elect to join one of three factions –
Terran Republic, Vanu Sovereignty, New
Conglomerates

3. • The first official indications that PlanetSide sequel
was in development - September 25 2009. Sony
Online Entertainment (SOE) sent a mass e-mail to
current and former PlanetSide subscribers -
survey to help SOE design the next generation
PlanetSide. "We plan to expand the PlanetSide
universe with another game and we need your
help with the design. After all, who knows the
game better than you, our customers, the people
who actually play it!“
• SOE registered the domain www.PlanetSide2.com
on September 21.
• On October 11, SOE president John Smedley
posted on his LiveJournal account that the
sequel's working title is PlanetSide Next.

4. • Little was revealed about the sequel until
December 2010, when Smedley said that SOE
would be launching a first-person shooter in
March 2011,which was soon confirmed by Paul
Williams of SOE as referring to PlanetSide Next.
• The working title was later changed to PlanetSide
2.
• The official website - updated to show a video
trailer of the upcoming game. Interview videos
were taken showing sections of gameplay, but the
biggest off-screen game play video was shown at
2012's Game Developers Conference
(GDC), showing most of the game aspects.

5. • SOE President John Smedley announced beta
testing on gamespot.com to tease the target
audience- August 3 - announced via Twitter
that the closed Beta would commence 2pm
PDT (GMT-7) Monday 6 August. The beta
closed on November 17, 2012, pending the
game's official release November 20, 2012.

6. The Future…
• Sony Online Entertainment's President John Smedley
mentioned that a Mac version might be planned for
PlanetSide 2. Smedley said: "I absolutely strongly share that
view. No you aren't going to see PlanetSide 2 on Linux. You
will see it on Mac though". The official PlanetSide 2 Twitter
account responded to a question on the topic of a Mac
version as "Stay tuned for all potential updates. ^Spoiler"
• A PlayStation 4 version of the game has been said to be
released alongside Sony's new console November
2013, Planetside 2 Devs have said that the PS4 Version will
be exactly like the PC Version but with Maxed out settings.
After the console launch when the game was not
released, players learned that the launch has been
rescheduled sometime in early 2014

7. • As a player participates in completing
objectives they will earn experience which will
increase their character's Battle Rank and
reward them with certification points. As the
player's Battle Rank increases they will unlock
improved certifications, granting the player
new abilities or items. These will allow the
player to specialize in certain roles by allowing
them to improve the weapons, vehicles or
tools they use.

8. Money/Funding
• Free but monthly subscription brings extra
customisation and can pay to upgrade enhancements.
• Different levels of monthly subscription – pay more for
more features
• Game currency = advantages players who can afford
this as they can pay for progress through the game and
progress = status in the gaming world.
• Players can pay to gain access to various facilities in the
game

9. Money/Funding
• Money from different types of audience members:
• Casual members who play occasionally for free
generate no income but word of mouth or social
network an encourage others who might be prepared
to pay.
• Experience of the game could lead to casual players
becoming hooked and want to buy into some of the
additional features.
• Loyal fans are more likely to spend more money AND
be a good market for merchandise and secondary
products.

10. Money/Funding
• Advantages of being a free online game – no
physical product means no piracy via illegal
downloading

11. Audience Engagement
• Choice is the key
• Choice of faction and choice of role e.g. Light or
Heavy Assault Trooper, Engineer, Medic etc.
• Website – Tutorials; community-based facilities
e.g. live game streams
• Own Youtube channel – interviews with
developers; background information; videos
reporting on the game from a number of
perspectives, such as the magazine-style
Command Centre and a War Correspondent.

13. Audience Engagement
• Command Centre Videos
• Began as part of pre-launch campaign – magazine type
shows in which game’s developers give insider
information
• Runs competitions asking audience to get involved e.g.
take part in Beta testing or sending in artwork.
• Regular news updates.
• Access to testing panels
• all allow audience members to feel involved in game’s
development and creates the feeling of belonging to an
elite group.

14. • The War Correspondent
• Recorded reports from the battlefield, like war
correspondents on TV
• Mentions individual guilds (groups of players) and
advance warning is give of the location of the
correspondent so that players can be in that position
and get a mention by the correspondent.

15. Audience Engagement
• Has its own Facebook page and players
communicate via Twitter.
• Official site also promotes a fan
site, Planetside Universe
• Uses Twitch TV – online channel hosts weekly
get togethers with the developers who will
offer advice and provides live video streaming
of games.

16. Gaining and Maintaining Players
• Pre-launch Promotion
• Online game continues to attract players long
after its launch – provides a range of services
for exisiting players and creates a platform to
encourage new players.

17. • Prior to launch, promotion largely online
• Youtube – closed Beta trials involving bloggers, reviewers
and online commentators.
• This would generate interest and lead to word of mouth
and social network chat
• Open Beta trials
• Youtube campaign – magazine/news style videos wit
previews/interviews/fan art etc
• Youtube personalitites = known to many of the target
audience through online video blogs.
• Launch event – three Youtube games commentators
appointed leaders of each faction and they encouraged
their Youtube followers to sign up online for the Ultimate
Empire Showdown. Each commentator heavily promoted
the event and they continue to post gameplay videos and
updates to encoure both new and seasoned gamers.

18. Audience
• Game has potential for large audience, but taps into a
niche rather than mainstream audience, because it is
online and requires higher than average levels of
commitment.
• MMO games, so audience is social networking, which
helps promotion.
• Could be single players or in groups working together
on missions – indicative of Avid gamers, adding to their
experience by communicating with others. Avid gamers
also appreciate access to the game’s creators – feel
part of larger community with shared interests, like an
elite – an important gratification.

19. • The appeal of the three factions
• Can appeal to different types of
gamers – sightly different political
slants and ideologies.

20. • Terran Republic
• Recruits players by tapping into their perception of
themselves as a part of a mighty whole – more than a
soldier – a saviour of humanity – part of ‘something
larger than yourself’ – duty, honour and justice –
fighting against heresy and anarchy. Set to heavy rock
soundtrack.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHN9CdBqSYM

21. • The Vanu Sovereignty
• Technology = Might – wants to annihilate ignorance
therefore gives potential audience members the
feeling that they are superior, with
strength, intelligence, wisdom and that they are seekers
of truth. Rock music with dubstep beat.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxiquygSppE

22. • The New Conglomerates
• Rebels – critical of political imprisonment and
religious indoctrination of the other groups – fight
against tyranny. Farther removed from the
mainstream by use of the word ‘shit’, the backing
track has lyrics telling players to seek payback; nu-
metal is also further removed from the mainstream
than the other musical backing tracks.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmD26QGtatg

23. • Each recruitment video identifies different
potential audience group – tap into ideas the
audience may have about themselves. USP for
each faction is political – audience picks
whichever group best reflects themselves –
allows different types of people to feel part of
the gaming community in different ways.

24. Summary
• Planetside 2 used a number of marketing
strategies pre and post launch to maximise
fragmented natire of contemporary audiences –
the recruitment videos targeted people based on
an understanding of the way ideology is part of
the construction of self image and identity.
• Building revenue – crucial so audience has to
build too = creation of online community aims to
create and maintain avid audience behaviour
because they demand more than simple engaging
gameplay to stay loyal over a period of time.