Refining Tunic's Marketing Strategy

The highly anticipated game Tunic was first unveiled at Microsoft's E3 2018 press conference, generating significant buzz and high expectations. However, this initial exposure also created challenges for the game's publisher, Finji, in managing player expectations and accurately conveying the game's unique features. In a presentation at Megamigs, Finji co-founder and CEO Bekah Saltsman discussed the publisher's 19-month effort to refine the game's marketing message and address potential issues before its release. Saltsman identified three key problems that Finji needed to address: the misconception that Tunic was developed by a solo creator, the mismatch between the game's actual combat style and player expectations, and the difficulty in conveying the game's focus on discovery and secrets without revealing too much. To tackle these problems, Finji implemented several strategies, including creating a new demo that showcased the game's challenging combat, offering exclusive access to the development team to selected media outlets, and designing a press kit that encouraged collaborative problem-solving among journalists. The publisher also established a Discord server for 500 members of the press, where they could discuss the game and share hints without spoiling its secrets. These efforts helped to refine the game's marketing message, ensuring that players had a clear understanding of what to expect from Tunic. The game ultimately launched to critical acclaim, with an 85 Metacritic review average that grew to 88 when it was released on additional platforms. Saltsman emphasized the importance of continually evaluating and refining a game's marketing strategy to ensure that players have accurate expectations and that the game's unique features are effectively communicated.