There’s no shying away from the fact that 505 Games – and by extension, we – had a banner year in 2019. That momentum hasn’t tapered in 2020 though as we just helped launch Hideo Kojima’s DEATH STRANDING (DS) on PC. To most, Hideo Kojima needs no introduction. To those uninitiated in the surreal brilliance of Kojima though, just know he’s one of a few household names in the videogame industry and the creator of one of gaming’s most iconic series, Metal Gear Solid.
PS4 exclusives, which DS originally was, seldom come to PC (and by seldom we really mean never). When we heard behind-the-scenes about a DS port to PC, we immediately caught on to the significance and charged into preparation. We poured countless hours into meticulously researching the perfect batch of North American media to reveal the news with. Just about everyone we reached out to jumped on covering the moment, and requests for review were as popular as ever, with internal tracker for review requests filling up in record time.
High profile releases require high profile oversight. It’s not uncommon for developers and publishers to pore over each detail of a PR campaign and media target. DS was no stranger to this and fortunately, neither are we. Throughout our time on DS, we provided highly detailed and frequent updates on our research, pitching plans, secured coverage… everything we did needed justification in the eyes of KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS (KJP). It wasn’t overkill either. That’s just the nature of the beast with AAA launches and we’re always happy to accommodate.
There was a ton of weight behind our one-two punch DS campaign with 505, but we’ll skip straight to the knockout: media impressions. We picked and justified a tight list of media to work with on “early access” previews, got to pitching, and secured heaps of interest from our top targets. Throughout the weeks before launch, we had journalists with high-end PCs (we checked!) answer the question PC gamers ask most: how does it perform? Sure enough, 505 and KJP masterminded a flawless port to PC, effectively negating any worries PC gamers may have had – it’s not exactly uncommon to see botched AAA ports to PC – and filling the zeitgeist with high dozens of positive previews.
It can be nerve wracking leading into a game launch, but a strong preview campaign is always a great way to ease those tensions. In other words, we felt pretty damn good about the impending review scores. From PC-focused media who have never played DS before to writers seeking to update their PS4 review with PC impressions, reviews came in strong, putting that coveted stamp of approval on both the game and our work.
Between Hideo Kojima’s DEATH STRANDING and Remedy Entertainment’s Control, the past 12 months or so have been a wild, blockbusting ride through some of gaming’s most highly anticipated and critically acclaimed releases. It’s been an absolute pleasure and honor working with 505 and KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS on DS to secure some truly top-tier coverage:
