14 DAY TRIAL // Dead Rising 2, Capcom's latest iteration in its zombie killing video game franchise is rapidly approaching its release date, and before that, Capcom has revealed that the downloadable prequel, Dead Rising 2: Case Zero, proved to be the most profitable move it has ever made to promote a game.
In case you didn't know, Dead Rising 2: Case Zero, was launched a few weeks ago exclusively for the Xbox 360, as a downloadable title priced at 400 Microsoft Points, meaning 5 dollars.
In just two weeks, the title racked up over 500,000 downloads, which translates in quite a nifty profit for Capcom, as well as a lot of publicity for the upcoming title.
According to the Japanese company, Case Zero was even more profitable than the a multi million dollar TV ad campaign, and also generated a profit, meaning it was a win across the board.
“It’s the most dynamic sales weapon we have ever had in our arsenal, giving us the equivalent exposure of a multi-million pound TV campaign,” said Capcom’s UK product manager Karl Reader.
“We foresee other publishers will follow suit. With increasing development budgets and increased risk, several smaller projects is only sensible. What we are seeing is a precursor to episodic gaming with Capcom at the helm.”
Reader continues, saying that the downloadable game prompted a surge in pre-orders for traditional retailers, as customers were ecstatic after experiencing the prequel.
“This style of digital distribution is a win-win scenario for all parties. Retailers will enjoy a surge of pre-orders that traditional campaigns only aspire to. Consumers enjoy six hours of gameplay for a low price."
“Finally, it serves as a barometer for us as a publisher, allowing us to gauge demand for the title and adjust our marketing plans for Dead Rising 2 accordingly.”
Capcom has already announced that it will release a downloadable epilogue, entitled Dead Rising 2: Case West, also exclusive to the Xbox 360, but, as we reported yesterday, this doesn't mean it is alienating PlayStation 3 users, at least according to the executives from the company.