14 DAY TRIAL // One of the big launches before the long summer gaming gap is Red Dead Redemption, the Western themed shooter coming from Rockstar, the development studio which is best known for publishing the highly successful Grand Theft Auto series. The game is now out on the United States market, with the launch date for Europe set for May 21 and at least one analyst believes that Rockstar might have a hit on its hands, one which could lead to a franchise to rival GTA.
Doug Creutz, an analyst watching the videogames industry for the Cowen Group, believes that the game could sell between 2.2 million and 4 million units in its first year, basing his predictions on “very strong pre-order demand.” The analyst further says the game “is poised for breakout success” and that it could lead to publisher Take Two having a very good fiscal year even though it does not launch a title in the Grand Theft Auto series.
Part of the big preorder success of Red Dead Redemption can be attributed to the pretty significant pre launch advertising campaign which Take Two and Rockstar have put together for the game. For the first time the two companies ran pre movie ads, using such popular titles as Prince of Persia (ironically a movie based on a videogame), the new Robin Hood and Iron Man 2 as vehicles for Red Dead Redemption.
Rockstar also managed to generate anticipation and interest for its game through significant bonuses linked to preordering the title. A Deadly Assassin outfit is available to all those who reserve their game at retailer GameStop while other outlets are granting gamers access to golden guns and a new war horse. Those who pre order from the Rockstar official online store can get a Red Dead Redemption T-shirt with their purchase.