This is an interesting approach marketing.

Thumbnails from prominent YouTubers: JorRaptor (white) and AndyReloads (black).

477 Words | 2 Min Read

Does anyone remember much of 2021? I mean Covid was still a 'thing' and society was incrementally adjusting itself to normality. But I recall being invested in Assassin's Creed Valhalla's (2020) extensive post-launch roadmap. Ubisoft was pumping money just like people were towards GameStop stock in early 2021 - this ultimately paid off for Ubisoft since Valhalla made them $1 billion, a monumental success for the company and franchise.

Before I deviate to the financial performance of video games, how was my thirst for Assassin's Creed Valhalla's post-launch roadmap quenched, given that marketing for the roadmap was minimal? Inorganic content marketing made by passionate prosumers (if you have read my blog posts so far, I would assume you know what a prosumer is, if not read here) who have access to insider information and leak the information to eager people like myself! 

A niche collection of YouTubers such as JorRaptor (891,000 subscribers) and AndyReloads (97,800 subscribers) were and still are my go-to channel for new or leaked information about a game - especially Assassin's Creed. For the most part, their content aims to inform audiences based on the data and information they have access to due to the networks formed in the creator economy or credible leaks found roaming online. Subsequently, they would quickly script, edit and publish the video summarising the information for us to view and engage with. 

But, the reason why I'm dedicating a blog post about this is because from the developer's perspective, having their game, especially when it's unfinished and is likely to face heavy scrutiny by many, leaked to the public can be off-putting. Remember when Take-Two was hacked causing development footage of Grand Theft Auto VI to be leaked, followed by an emotional statement made by Take-Two? 

However, having information like this become available to the public can result in earned media. Would you rather keep things quiet and leave your fans clinging to the smallest amount of information that you can provide, or turn a blind eye to leaked information that will earn you free publicity and retention of your audience's engagement? 

Before you ponder on an answer, here's a brief case study supporting the latter side of the argument. As aforementioned, I was in anticipation of Assassin's Creed Valhalla's DLC (downloadable content) which in an October 2020 video by Ubisoft showcased what was coming, but that was it. I was hungry wanting to learn more. Then came YouTubers like JorRaptor and AndyReloads who had access to the leaked information regarding the DLCs and were able to inform and entertain myself and many others alike. This kept us patient and served as reassurance that it would be accessible in due course. Details about narrative elements were shared, coupled with gaining access into game files to show new outfits, weapons and abilities.

On the surface, I'd select the latter choice as I would want my audience to remain engaged with my product, but adverse implications can arise from this, but that's for a different conversation.