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RETAILBIZ: DARKSIDERS: WRATH OF WAR 28 MCV 11/12/09
WWW.MCVUK.COM
RELEASED: JANUARY 8 FORMATS: PC PUBLISHER: THQ DEVELOPER: IGIL GAMES PRICE: £49.99 DISTRIBUTOR: ADVANTAGE CONTACT: 0121 506 9585
THQ lends players the powers of War, Horseman of the Apocalypse, in this action-packed adventure… by James Batchelor THE END OF THE world is no longer nigh – it was about 100 years ago. THQ’s action adventure Darksiders: Wrath Of War invites players to experience the Biblical Apocalypse, and not just as a survivor. Gamers take on the role of War, one of the Four Horsemen tasked with purging the Earth. When the deity is betrayed and the world is brought to a premature end, War must scour what remains of our world to find out who is responsible. It’s a strong premise for an original adventure, and one THQ believes will be able to draw in gamers in the postChristmas sales. “We have very high expectations for the release of Darksiders this January,” says product marketing manager for UK and Europe Mark Cook. “As the first core gaming release of the year, we anticipate that gamers will use their collateral of unwanted or completed Christmas games, gift vouchers and Christmas money to pick this title up as the first must have title of the New Year.”
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Given the sheer volume of major titles hitting the High Street during 2010’s opening quarter, THQ is working hard to make sure Darksiders stands out and realises its full potential, both in terms of sales and public reception. “We have been targeting the core gaming and fantasy audience for several months now, utilising several phases of creative to excite and engage the The game has picked up a consumer,” says Cook. strong following of core “The core gaming gamers. We fully expect them community is at the heart to embrace Darksiders. of both the product and Mark Cook, THQ our campaign, and we’ve built a phased campaign that has been running for several months now, objects from their environment as creating an ongoing intense hum of projectiles, such as lampposts, cars and activity punctuated by spikes around buses – features which have already key editorial drops with supporting proven to appeal to the target audience. online media. ON THE WARPATH ”Most notably, Darksiders spearheads “The game has been picking up a strong our recently announced multi-million following of core gamers and we fully pound sponsorship of Sky One’s Stargate expect Darksiders to be embraced by Universe. It has been on TV for the past the gaming community,” says Cook. month, generating on average over “We have just received our first review 900,000 viewers per episode and will score of 10/10 from Play US magazine, continue to drive through to January.” and this really sets the benchmark in This promotion will soon extend to quality we’re targeting.” include sponsorship of Stargate SG-1 Key to Darksiders’ appeal is the intense gameplay, in which players can unleash the full power of War, from his brutal mystical attacks to his devastating, oversized sword. As they progress, they will unlock more angelic and demonic weapons, as well as the ability to use
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and Stargate Atlantis re-runs on Sky One, Two and Three, which will drive awareness of Darksiders to an even larger audience. The publisher has also drawn up a robust PR campaign that will see preview coverage appearing in the specialist press, both in print and online, throughout December with covers secured on Play Gamer and 360 Gamer. THQ has also arranged a strategic partnership with IGN UK, which will see exclusive video features, interviews and a dedicated Darksiders section appear on the site in time for launch. The Darksiders campaign will also feature an extensive community drive with exclusive events with the PSN and XCN community members throughout December to create brand ambassadors for the game in the run-up to launch. Finally, there will be a full suite of POS available, including standees, window vinyls, posters, cubes and more. Cook adds: “The game is an eclectic mix of action-adventure and RPG gaming, set in the visually breathtaking world of Joe Mad’s apocalypse which really helps it to stand apart from competitors.”