Activision Supports Independent Retailers

[Logan Westbrook]

Activision Supports Independent Retailers

Publishing monolith Activision regards independent game stores as key pillars in its business model, and is willing to splash some cash to support them.

Activision has teamed up with games distributor Centresoft in a £30,000 giveaway to independent UK game retailers. Under the 'Promote and Devote' scheme, stores would get point of sale material for DJ Hero and a £300 prize for participating

"Indies are historically key in demonstrating new products, such as the Hero franchise in-store," said Margaret Pearson, Centresoft's commercial director. "Together with their in-depth product knowledge and marketing support provided by Activision, this should be a very successful campaign."

"The independents are a key strategic part of our business due to their unrivalled customer access and service being first rate evangelists for the Activision Blizzard business," said Activision's senior director of sales Roy Stackhouse. "In-store visibility is critical to the success of the Herofranchise and we have seen some of the best in-store and online displays at indies."

It's hardly surprising that the Promote and Devote campaign is more about promoting Activision products than supporting independent retailers - after all, £300 isn't going to stretch particularly far - but I suppose every little helps.

Source: MCV UK [http://www.mcvuk.com/news/36952/Activision-Indies-a-key-pillar]

Permalink

 

[Caliostro]

Was I the only person that laughed reading this?

This isn't "Supporting" indies as much as it is dumping their crap for cheap publicity.

Simple math: Activision had a fuckton of DJ-Hero material left unsold, because it bombed, and made enough money to buy themselves a real Deathstar with "Mewtwo". Meanwhile MWII left a bad taste in the mouth of many gamers (mostly the ones aren't brainless magpies, who'll buy anything shiny) for being such a shameless cash-in with complete disregard for the same community that gave birth to the bloody thing.

Quick way to earn some "rep" back with the hardcore crowd? Support indies! Toss their way some crap that was just rotting away in their warehouses anyways, line their pockets with a perfectly meaningless (for Activision) amount of money that seems like sizable amount for the regular person but that honestly amounts to nothing (again, for Activision) and presto... Cheap and easy "Nerd Cred".

This is as cynical as they come... Yet I expect it'll probably work.

...Go magpies!

 

[DragonsAteMyMarbles]

£300? Seriously? Even assuming we pay double what retailers pay for games, that's only 15 games.

And as far as I can tell, most gamers listen to rock/metal, rather than the manufactured camel crap prevalent in DJ Hero. So I'm not surprised Activision are trying this.

 

[Asehujiko]

Title should have read: Activision demands more advertising by retailers, gives ridiculously low compensation.

 

[Swaki]

what a mayor step...well not back since very few have made the actual step forward, but its a step to the side, why support them? its all in the "virtual"(funk asked me to stop using that word but in this case its a little hard) marketplace or/and online shopping, retailers, even the big ones, are insanely expensive and confusing, i used 3 min finding a copy of assassins creed 2 only to find that it almost cost 20% more than what it costs online, and when i asked the clerk about a few games she had to look everything up at the computer, and this is not a single bad experience, this is every experience (not always assassins creed 2).

if something cant stand on its own, let it fall. (only in this case, im actually a member of the socialist people's party)

 

[Raithnor]

You until I saw the word "UK" in the article this story had me going "WTF?" The only time I buy game from an "independent store" is usually secondhand from an old school gaming store.

Small, non-chain shops haven't sold video games in the states since the '80. The closest you can get is Maybe "mom and pop" video rental shops and those are going the way of the dodo as well.

 

[Booze Zombie]

This is as cynical as they come... Yet I expect it'll probably work.

...Go magpies!

Woah, you got that in quick and you've also saved me the trouble of having to bad mouth Activision, thank you.

You until I saw the word "UK" in the article this story had me going "WTF?" The only time I buy game from an "independent store" is usually secondhand from an old school gaming store.

Small, non-chain shops haven't sold video games in the states since the '80. The closest you can get is Maybe "mom and pop" video rental shops and those are going the way of the dodo as well.

Must be horrible living in the USA, then.

Small shops are all the rage here.

 

[DeadlyYellow]

Small, non-chain shops haven't sold video games in the states since the '80. The closest you can get is Maybe "mom and pop" video rental shops and those are going the way of the dodo as well.

Must be horrible living in the USA, then.

Small shops are all the rage here.

Welcome to American Business Ethics. Big-Box moves in and proceeds to undercut all the locally owned establishments. It's why they've been fighting for years to keep a Target or Wal-Mart out of a nearby town. Nor does it help that there is another one 15 miles away. In any direction.

We still have a locally owned video store, but it also doubles as the main Nerd hub for our city supplying comics/TTRPG Playbooks/Games Workshop supplies.

 

[Buizel91]

think theirs a typo here...it says they gave £30.000...then it says £300

which one is it or are they both different things =S

 

[Caliostro]

think theirs a typo here...it says they gave £30.000...then it says £300

which one is it or are they both different things =S

Oh the irony...

And no, the fault is in your reading skills. £30.000 total. £300 each.

 

[Jared]

Title should have read: Activision demands more advertising by retailers

Seems that way...although dont blame them. Its a market which is been ignored for the most part...might as well do what they can with it!

 

[TsunamiWombat]

Shame that Activision is only doing this as a publicity stunt, and doesn't realize their best weapon against GameStop and used games is to promote other chains.

 

[SageRuffin]

Indie stores are the places to go to for "rare and exotic items". There's a store the next town over called Power Gamer. Prices leave a bit to be desired ($50 for this?! I don't give a damn if it is a Dreamcast game!), but it's the place I go to if I can't find something at GameStop or even Best Buy.

I wonder if those guys still work there...

 

[Cyberjester]

Was I the only person that laughed reading this?

This isn't "Supporting" indies as much as it is dumping their crap for cheap publicity.

Simple math: Activision had a fuckton of DJ-Hero material left unsold, because it bombed, and made enough money to buy themselves a real Deathstar with "Mewtwo". Meanwhile MWII left a bad taste in the mouth of many gamers (mostly the ones aren't brainless magpies, who'll buy anything shiny) for being such a shameless cash-in with complete disregard for the same community that gave birth to the bloody thing.

Quick way to earn some "rep" back with the hardcore crowd? Support indies! Toss their way some crap that was just rotting away in their warehouses anyways, line their pockets with a perfectly meaningless (for Activision) amount of money that seems like sizable amount for the regular person but that honestly amounts to nothing (again, for Activision) and presto... Cheap and easy "Nerd Cred".

This is as cynical as they come... Yet I expect it'll probably work.

...Go magpies!

Emphasis added.

Go magpies indeed.

At least my shiny item is either bouncy or fun and won't get me robbed. =P

 

[Mromson]

Activision is going further and further down my shitlist. I'm currently more likely to burn £300 (in a fire) than to give even a single dollar to Activision.

 

[OmegaXIII]

Title should have read: Activision demands more advertising by retailers, gives ridiculously low compensation.

^ This. I really can't see this being any more than a marketing ploy to try and shift the fucktons of DJ Hero units that rather predictably didn't sell.

 

[sune-ku]

think there's a typo here...it says they gave £30.000...then it says £300

which one is it or are they both different things =S

Oh the irony...

And no, the fault is in your reading skills. £30.000 total. £300 each.

Double the irony.

OT:

Yep this is just a ridiculous marketing ploy by Activision in an attempt to appear that they have a soul.

 

[Caliostro]

Double the irony.

Uh...?