Lone Star Studios: TV Advertising Analysis

Our client is Lone Star Studios. They are up and coming game development studio. The studio released an indie game before which was a minor hit. They are in a process of developing a game called Flight Academy which simulates a learning pilot through various stages of a flying academy ultimately leading them to flying in combat. The game is supposed to be the studio’s first major release so they are doing everything to get every details right which has increased the expenses. The game is still six months from release date and the funds don’t seem sufficient. Too add to the woes, the studio sponsored a survey in Kotaku, a gaming website, about preordering the game and the results were poor. The result was very important because preorders have

One effective way to promote the video game is through media advertisement. Advertising in media, either on television or on the internet, has played an important part in increasing revenue and interest of a product over the years. Advertising a product such as a video game is essential for any startup company to be able to promote the game and increase the sales for the game. Deloitte conducted a survey involving 2000 participants ranging from 14 to 75 years regarding the effectiveness of television advertising and what they found was “86% of Americans stated that TV advertising still has the most impact on their buying decisions”

Apple introduced Metal, a programming interface, in 2014 which provides lowest overhead access to GPU which maximizes the developer's potential to pack in better features in the app.("Metal for Developers"). The developers can create a toned down game with similar sections which can act as a demo for the main game as well as provides users with updates about the game. This trend has been popular with users since they have the ability to experience the game before purchasing and are able to give quick feedbacks and the game can be polished to fit user requests(Hunter). Given that there is not enough interest and the funds are low, crowdfunding solves the cliché of killing two birds with one stone. The cost of developing the game can be offset by using crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo. These crowdfunding sites help raise funds to finish the project while still retaining full rights of the game. These sites provide a platform for creators to showcase their ideas and request for funds to make that idea a reality. Some kind of reward must be given to the people (backers) who donate money towards the completion of the project. Rewards can include thank you letters, signed video game artworks, and exclusive contents once it is completed. Some of the most successful projects in Kickstarter have been games including Pillars of Eternity which