Wednesday 24 April 2013

Analyse the marketing campaign for ‘Halo 4’ to understand how different media platforms are used to promote computer games


The computer games industry is at the forefront of pushing the boundaries of media forms of mass communication.  Marketing campaigns employ innovative tactics to promote new games or consoles.

By studying games such as ‘Halo 4’ you can gain an understanding of why audiences are moving toward games as a medium of choice.  Some games are so sophisticated that they place the user in a pivotal role in deciding the narrative.  Rather than being a passive consumer the user can actively make choices that influence the narrative. This transforms the viewing experience into one of active participation. One could suggest that this may be the future of entertainment.


Watch this extended trailer for ‘Halo 4’ and note how it marries the mediums of film and games design to create an innovative marketing campaign.

Use the links in the resources section to gain a full understanding of the marketing techniques employed in the campaign

Discuss the following in your response;

v  How the marketing campaign employs the mediums of television, film and gaming on an internet platform
v  The marketing devices used
v  How this approach to marketing is innovative
v  The appeal of the science fiction genre
v  The appeal of a ‘first person shooter’ game
v  Intertextuality; similarities to other films, television shows or games
v  The narrative of discovery of new worlds
v  How these marketing device appeals to a range of audiences


You will consider the texts in light of this examination question and offer your written response;

o Explore the marketing strategies used by your selected industry. Use the examples you have studied to illustrate your answer.

This article include a detailed analysis of the marketing campaign and explains how the global sales of the Halo franchise prove that it is bigger than film franchises.

This video offers a preview of the Halo feature


This article discusses the trailer and how the film and games industry combine.

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