(Picture of the development version)
Here’s a fantastic new idea for marketing a coin-op game, by using an app for a popular portable device to draw attention to a particular game. Namco America has done just that for Pac-Man Battle Royale with the release of their new iPad and iPhone applications. The iPad demo will be available tomorrow on the 28th, the iPhone app will go live next month. This is not a full release of the game to these platforms fortunately – what it does is let’s players try out a quick demo of the coin-op version and then it will drive them to the Pac-man Battle Royale Facebook page where the user can find a Pac-Man Battle Royale machine near them.
This is a much better way to help drive sales at the arcade out then something like a full console release, which generally kills those sales. I don’t have an iPad or iPhone to test it out but it’s great to see new ideas being tried out like this which will help locations out while using popular technology to do so. I really think that there is a lot of potential to be found in using smartphones with coin-op games and driving sales at a location so hopefully ideas like this will flourish in 2011 and beyond.
For the full press release, click below
January 26, 2011
NAMCO AMERICA INTRODUCES iPad / iPhone promo apps for Pac-Man Battle Royale
Namco America is excited to announce their first iPad / iPhone app specifically designed to drive players to a game location. In conjunction with the release of Pac-Man Battle Royale, the free iPad demo will be available from the iTunes store on January 28th. Players who download the app will be introduced to the new hit video with a 1 round teaser game. After the round they are directed to the Pac-Man Battle Royale Facebook fan page where they can find the “Real Deal” in a game location near them. Going live in mid February, the iPhone app will have the game demo and a location finder that will use the iPhone to direct them to mapping that will lead them to a nearby location. Operators can register their locations or players themselves can “drop a pin on the map” and register new locations that they find.
“Pac-Man games have always been one of the most popular mobile apps. Tapping into the huge Pac-Man fan base through their mobile devices in order to introduce them to this brand new coin-op experience is something we have been looking forward to. Since Pac-Man Battle Royale is a completely new type of Pac-Man game play, we wanted to expose the concept to as many new players as possible. What better way than to give them a free taste on their iPhone or iPad then drive them to a location to complete the experience” said Frank Cosentino Namco’s Senior VP. Once the fans get a taste of eating other Pac-men, they never stop!
Pac-Man Battle Royale, the first 4P VS Pac-Man game where you can feast on your friends… is available now.
For more information contact your Namco America distributor or call or visit Namco America at 847 264-5610, www.namcoamerica.com
Excellent marketing idea. I wish other Arcade games were more promoted also.
Hope they don’t release a Pacman Battle Royale full game for iphone/pad so PMBR remains Arcade exclusive
Same here. I know a lot of people that played it at E3 have been clamoring for a console version but honestly this game is tailored so well to coin-op and on top of that console gamers already have two versions of the new Pac-Man for consoles.
oooh so cool to hear, I have an Ipad and will download it tomorrow. such a wonderful idea of promoting their arcade games. by playing this demo they’ll want more and when the app indicates where you can play a machine near them then they’ll go and check it out and it’ll be better having mutiplayer and seeing people rather than people you can’t see over online gaming. besides it’ll be with the joystick rather than the awkard onscreen touch joystick
Very impressive! I love the innovative approach taken here – giving a taste without blowing the whole game, and then directing players to locations. That it’s only for iPad/iPhone is a minor irritation (I don’t have either), but Namco marketing directly to players is a great idea and I hope this type of promotion isn’t a one-off.
just had a look on app store and can’t find anything. is this promotion only for american itunes customers?
It might be. The app was developed by Namco America, I’ll check and see if they plan on a European release
I don’t see why just releasing it in the US. It should be worldwide especially if they want to make more money out of it and get their product recognized. Thanks arcadehero let me know if they do or not 🙂
HA! I just commented a few days ago about the high price of PM:BR and that there most likely was going to be an iPad/phone release by the fall and here we have them releasing the game on the iPad/phone PRIOR to the release in the arcades, lol.
I do admit it’s a great marketing ploy.
Still, PM:BR costs too much any way you try to cut it.
“Releasing the game” is a tiny bit of a stretch since it’s only a one level demo thing and no single play but that was forward thinking on your part. 🙂
I put the app on my iPad and had a whole bunch of people try it out at a function I was at on Friday night into Saturday morning. The game got a lot of attention and people were genuinely interested in it.