Hellblade 2 launched on May 21st with huge success, both PC and Xbox players were enjoying the continuation of Senua’s Story. The graphics and the engaging gameplay went above and beyond to impress the players. However, there are some ups and downs within the community following the game’s release.
Hellblade 2 met with many controversies before and after its release. Some were driven by the game’s story telling and gameplay being very slow, while some emerged after fans saw an interview with Ninja Theory Studio Head Dom Matthews as a special guest.
Xbox’s Silent Marketing for Hellblade 2
Before the release of Hellblade 2, many fans of the series were speculating and theorizing why there is no ad campaign for the game when it is so close to launch. The theory converted into a controversy when YouTube channel Kinda Funny Games interviewed Dom Matthews, the Head of Ninja Theory.
In the interview when asked where is the marketing for Hellblade 2 by Xbox, Matthews avoided the whole question by saying the following words:
I am super focused on Tuesday (game’s release day), like, the last couple of weeks have been to get the game done. I’ve always believed games can be art and you can take creative risks.
Hellblade series has the potential to be the flagship title for the Xbox platform but after the initial promotion, Xbox really didn’t promote. When the series is this popular, big publishers usually make grand announcements, create flashy trailers and do very extensive marketing campaigns. There was none for Hellblade 2.
Hellblade 2 release flew under the radar for most players who are not a fan of the series or don’t usually play story-driven games. These decisions raised eyebrows. Fans have been wondering why Xbox didn’t go all out to promote a title that is this popular.
The Unanswered Questions about Xbox’s Marketing Strategy
Microsoft’s Xbox Games Studio, despite being the powerhouse of a studio, didn’t push too much for the release of Hellblade 2. Not only the marketing strategy was missing but also the lack of a physical release made the fans disappointed.
Theories like “Xbox doesn’t think the game was ready for prime time” and many others like this one also don’t create a positive image for a game in the community. This decision (Not to promote) also didn’t help Xbox when console players learned the fact that their game would be locked at 30 frames per second (FPS).
This strategy was a risky gamble by Xbox but the developers at Ninja Theory worked their magic and made the game successful with their hard work and storytelling. Still, the question of Why Xbox didn’t market Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II very much remains in mystery.
