When was the last time you were NOT tempted into buying an Assassin’s Creed title? I mean people try their best to ignore the title simply because of the confusing ends to the rather innovative story plot, and the massive boredom resulting from the repetitiveness of every edition. Some people have even compared the marketing strategy of AC/Ubisoft to that of FIFA and Call of Duty. But every year, Assassin’s Creed outsells every other game and beats them almost into oblivion. There must be a secret formula to how Ubisoft manages to end up on the profitable side while the other interesting titles perish before democracy. In India, try asking a kid about the last Bioshock game and he won’t be able to answer, and if you ask the same chap about the next Assassin’s Creed title, his mouth would let out a megalomaniac BLACK FLAG. The reason is purely on their promotional ploy. Let’s get deep into it:
Some hours back, Ubisoft made a new marketing move before the world, advertisers call it interactive trailers, gamers call it the pre-game dope. A neat looking site, which wraps up the high speed net connectivity as well as the Indian broadband speed, with offerings in trillions. Yes, it is the new Assassin’s Creed IV trailer, and in my opinion is perhaps the best looking Black Flag trailer till date. And it is not like every ordinary trailer that you watch, drool and forget, it is a mega interactive trailer. I know it sounds rather regular for people who are hooked 24*7 to the internet and have seen such contests but imagine this for a guy who has hardly the time in the world to come and appreciate an aging franchise? Some would out of blind faith and others (like me) out of sheer awe. This is Ubisoft and Assassin’s Creed’s devil work.
The interactive trailer opens on a wide angle, unusual right? Wait for the name of the trailer: Defy the Horizons, that’s right! Now the wide angle makes sense. The trailer takes you through Edward Kenway’s pirate ship, into the heart of Barbados, scavenging atop the Mayan ruins and into the abyss of the Caribbean Seas. Pretty intense if you are on the same wide angle state of mind as I am. But hey, that’s not it. The real beauty of the trailer lies in its functionality to be paused at times, letting you discover easter eggs. Clicking on such easter eggs opens a pop up and you unlock each of the 13 items hidden from your naked eyes. The real fun of this treasure hunt (Pirates and treasures, it’s all coming alive!) is to keep on pausing the video wherever you think there’s a USP hidden. Easy ones would be Edward’s double sword and the Mayan synchronization scene.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS9-kBECE10]
I know this formula has been done before, with Sony PlayStation releasing their first PS4 ad campaign called ‘Greatness Awaits’. But there’s always fun in discovering items hidden from your plain sight, always. And what joy if this treasure hunting was actually preceded by pirate like action?! Diving under water, jumping off a wrecked ship, star gazing from an ancient monument. And all these picture frames are trying to say something to you. You discover some real Assassin’s Creed geeky stuff which adds to the satisfaction of any hardcore AC fan. From unique QR Codes to avail early bird prizes to serial keys of the upcoming Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag mobile application, Ubisoft has connected with the fans in the best way possible. The medium of innovative videos is not strikingly new, but every interactive video is refreshing the way they are. This one is bang on in that aspect.
Coming back to why so serious about AC4, here’s some fact that you can’t deny. The quality of their teaser videos. Every video game strikes first blood with their video promotions. People need to be assured and reassured that whatever they’re about to buy is quality stuff. The only way to assure them is by showing them a killer video that they simply can’t take their eyes off for a while. People know by now that Assassin’s Creed as a story is mere dragging towards a world saving expectation that can never be completely fulfilled. However, there are thousands of timezones and critical historical instances that are still left untouched. Assassin’s Creed in British India, Assassin’s Creed in Civil War, and Assassin’s Creed in Aztecs, who knows?! So when Ubisoft shows the best combos, stunts, speeches and environmental textures from the game (or CGI), some of the lesser faithful join the blind followers in their quest to figure out what awaits in this next Assassin’s Creed. Likewise, this video can easily boast of the best fighting sequences, CGI and environment (love the underwater whale dive) of all time punched into a trailer. And the best bit being, it’s in a horizontally wider aspect ratio!
The last bit may be the slightest reason why one opts for Assassin’s Creed titles, but it is some observation too. The Assassin’s Creed saga has continuously cherished and promoted indie music artists and gave them a platform in the industry, from where they just made it bigger. From Woodkid (in Revelations) to Imagine Dragons (in AC3) and now this fantastic indie group called Half Moon Run. The pirate trailer is complemented by their haunting and smooth indie rock song called Full Circle and it bloody builds up towards right in the middle when Edward’s ship meets a sea storm in the video. Even though this is an interactive video wherein you need to pause at gentle breaks to unlock items, there will be moments wherein you’d simply want the music to continue with the video.
These are some of the very basic observations that I drew from some of the previous Ubisoft/Assassin’s Creed moves. Until this new interactive trailer totally shook me up to actually pen down my words. Can’t really push you to buy this forthcoming title, but if you’d take my words, I may fall for my old love. Thinking of our old times, just this last time…. Until next time….
Check out the interactive trailer and start the treasure hunting yourself.
