Situation Overview

Although VR’s road to mainstream acceptance has been slower than many expected, with major roadblocks that include prohibitive pricing, repetitive content, and cumbersome design decisions, Wonacott partnered with Polyarc Games to launch Moss and overcome these obstacles while proving the future is bright for VR games.

With the late-February launch of Polyarc’s PS VR opus coming up fast, we refined and focused our efforts to a tight window before launch to reintroduce the game, confirm the release date, offer pre-launch impressions and coordinate a review program. As Polyarc worked diligently to finish Moss, we focused executing on a “Know Our Core” plan with limited new assets and rare access to the dev team for interviews to maximize impact for a game Forbes would later say “Makes PSVR Worth Buying.”

Wonacott Approach

Following the game’s strong debut at E3 (and subsequent showings of the same demo), we leveraged the initial interest in Moss to develop a highly-targeted media list of Moss advocates for some of our early outreach around scheduling interviews. Utilizing this tactic helped us put the game back on the radars of our top targets, despite not having actual news to share.

This especially paid off once we were able to ignite the countdown to launch as Sony posted the first new game impressions in eight months on its blog. We used this beat to further Moss’ reemergence into the limelight as we pitched and secured coverage with most of the top gaming media based on this appearance on PlayStation Underground.

One of our top priorities throughout the campaign was to “know our core,” and with only a few weeks to work, this concept became the backbone of our efforts. As social media once again began buzzing, we made sure to monitor all platforms to identify more Moss fans, adding each to the now greatly expanded target list. We populated the media list with specific editors and influencers that had shown glowing support of Moss – it’s expansive size a testament to how excited people were for the game. Expecting Moss to make a significant impact with certain gamers, we pitched contacts outside of our usual band of news editors, sometimes directing our efforts towards previews editors, social media managers and contributors.

We also carefully managed key distribution once we had the final version of the game, making sure editors and influencers who had supported the project since its reveal received codes first. Once done, we then coordinated a tight distribution to hundreds of media round the world with just three hours to spare before the game’s Midnight launch. All of this was also simultaneously happening while we pitched the “Available Now” press release to secure coverage and managed trick international review embargoes.

Because so many outlets chose to focus on reviewing Moss, we actually saw less news stories from the launch than we normally do. Thankfully, the vast number of positive reviews we secured served as a far better substitute and truly propelled the game’s momentum throughout the launch period.

Influencer Outreach

With Moss’ adorable mouse protagonist Quill at the helm, influencers were an obvious focus for us due to their ability to connect with their audiences. Polyarc produced an incredible set of Moss merch including high-end posters and Quill statues that had people on social media simply ate these up and were constantly vying for a place to purchase them. Naturally, we combined these two aspects and decided to organize a mass giveaway via YouTube and Twitch amongst our core list of targets.

Because VR is still trying to find mass appeal, we focused on hosting these giveaways with VR-focused influencers. Doing so allowed us to ensure the merch was being won by people who’d go on to champion the game to other PS VR owners and maximize Polyarc’s ROI on giving away expensive items for free.

Achievements

Moss took the VR world by storm and it’s clear Polyarc’s fantastical take on this emerging medium will have a lasting effect on the industry. With only a month to execute, Wonacott amplified this hype to reach over 675 million Unique Monthly Visitors and 46 million Twitter Followers. We’re still seeing the coverage we secured roll in and expect these numbers to increase even more.
Our “know our core” approach to games PR resulted in numerous placements from each of gaming’s top media including IGN, Kotaku, Game Informer, Eurogamer and Destructoid. As for the VR-focused media, arguably Moss’ most important vertical, we maintained close relationships with nearly all our targets, landing consistent hits from UploadVR, Road to VR, VRFocus and more.

We found more success with planning and pitching the influencer giveaways as we collaborated with top VR-specific influencers PSVR frank, PSVR Without Parole and more. Several broader influencers were receptive to our idea too as we worked with Jesse Cox and Hey Charlie, along with YOGSCAST members Heychrissa and the Vidiots.

By far our biggest undertaking, the push for reviews paid off extremely well thanks to our targeted media list of Polyarc friendlies. As of now, Moss has 53 Metacritic accredited reviews and sits with a Metascore of 85, making it one of the best reviewed VR games of all time. In total, Moss was reviewed by over 100 outlets and influencers across the world, putting positive scores in front of hundreds of millions potential viewers.

We knew following-up our smash hit showing at E3 would be tough, but Moss is a testament to how pairing a groundbreaking game with razor sharp PR can guide the media’s limelight back towards a cooling topic. But don’t take our word for it, check out these choice quotes about Moss from some of our core media and influencer targets:

• “Moss is a quintessential VR experience” – Ryan Winslett, CinemaBlend
• “[Moss] could easily be a flagship series for PlayStation VR.” – Jordan Devore, Destructoid
• “This is VR that’s capable of changing people’s perception of the platform from one that’s a novelty, to one that’s a legitimate, exciting progression for gaming as a whole.” – Ian Higton, Eurogamer
• “Moss is easily one of PlayStation VR’s best titles to date…” – Alessandro Barbosa, GameSpot
• “‘Moss’ Suggests Maybe You Didn’t Waste That Money Buying a VR Headset” – Patrick Klepek, Waypoint
• “…breakthrough new title that excels in terms of technology and sheer charm.” – Metro UK
• This game will change Virtual Reality forever – Nathie (YouTuber)
• “…Moss is one of the most memorable and immersive VR adventures I’ve ever been on…” – Chandler Wood, PlayStation LifeStyle
• “Moss reminds me of why VR is so great.” – Chris Jecks, Twinfinite