The first thing to notice is that the current way games are being marketed is starting to become deficient because of the spectacular increase in information that has transformed the purchasing patterns of consumers. Internet access has allowed them to gain an unbelievable amount of information on a company’s offering prior to making a purchase. Aside from parents wanting to gift a game to their little kid, who might still base their decisions on appealing box art, most of us no longer make haphazard gaming purchases and are less and less affected by marketing techniques. Nowadays, users are much more careful about where their money goes. As a result, consumers have become a much more cautious bunch.
To give an example, if a PC or console gamer knows a particular game they want is finally out, but if after a few clicks on the Web, they read and discover that the game is badly optimized for PC or has any other problem that affects or annoys them, they will simply not purchase it. Whereas two decades ago, they would have not known about these issues and would have purchased the game, later regretting it. But the company would have made a sale.
Today, with a simple click of a button, we can all have access to the latest news surrounding all the finer details of any product available. And this is bad news for manufacturers. Magazines, forums, news websites, and reviews will not fail to mention all the bugs, issues, and game-breaking problems games might have at release. This is a good thing for the consumer as it helps them in their decision-making process, but it’s awful for companies. Gamers today will not spend one dime if they are not sure the game is well worth their money.
Consequently, it is now virtually impossible to fool videogame customers. If for example, a firm tries to sell DLC that is already in the disc itself (a common practice), players will come together and spread the news like wildfire on forums and social media. That firm will most likely then face boycott and denigration, which will undermine their sales, PR and brand image all at the same time. Often, much to the regret of the people perpetrating these actions.