Favorite videogame marketing innovation? Hmm...who could forget the Turok Evolution Baby Naming Contest.

Identity marketing, an innovation only matched by its sheer absurdity.

Favorite videogame marketing innovation? Hmm...who could forget the Turok Evolution baby naming contest.

Identity marketing, an innovation only matched by its sheer absurdity.

There was the gravestone advertisement that never quite saw the light of day. Always thought that was particularly tacky myself.

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem had a short film contest to capture the "essence of insanity." I submitted a script I wrote with a friend. I enjoyed writing the script. Didn't make the cut, though.

"...what's your favorite videogame marketing innovation?"

I'd have to say the non-existant one. Nothing beats that.

MOR-TAL KOM-BAAAAT!

Ah yes, who could forget Mortal Monday, or Fatal Friday?

So I im'd "FFXI" just to see what would happen. It appears to be a bot of some kind (developed by a company called InfiniteAgent) that allows you to begin to explore FFXI's world through IM. Unfortunately, it's pretty informational and not really story driven (or "in character").

When I reached the main section (after reading through the privacy policy), I was presented with the following menu:

FFXI: FFXI Lobby
1 - Final Fantasy Introduction
2 - Worlds & Cultures
3 - Micro Missions - Test your FF knowledge
4 - Alerts - Have FFXI ping you on IM with info
5 - FFXI Website

By typing 1 or 2, you can learn about different aspects of the game such as what is an MMORPG and/or more of the history of the game world.

Typing 5 gets you a link to the website.

Typing 4 allows you to opt into an IM marketing campaign, where Square Enix will pop you an FFXI-related IM once a week until Jan. 04.

The most interesting aspect of this system (to me, anyway) was the third option, the "Micro Missions." If you choose 3, you get the following response:

FFXI: Before we begin, you should be warned: your adventures may bring you clear across the Web and back. Micro Missions are a test of the mind, and you might even learn a thing or two about the world of Vana'diel. Do you wish to proceed?

Yes or No?

I don't have the time to pursue this just now, but I'm guessing this will be a bit like the web-based mystery that accompanied the promotion of the film AI: Artificial Intelligence, though a tad more structured and overt.

This marketing ploy reminds me a lot of EA's failed conspiracy MMO, Majestic, which invaded people's lives outside of the computer, sending email, faxes, IMs, and even phone calls.

I personally would like to see this sort of thing taken to another level with bots that talk to you in character and draw you into the story. What if I had im'd FFXI and started talking to a character immediately?

If anyone has tried the Micro Missions, I'd be curious to hear how they went.

I played Majestic. I felt ripped-off. This smells like Majestic? I am concerned.

i don't know if anyone was repeatedly spammed by the IM ad for the recent Matrix.. i mean it was so bad that I shut down my IM that day. it was noisy and it wouldn't shut off. i was so annoyed..

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