Valve Says Ad Agencies Are "Worthless," Going it Alone for Portal 2

[NLS]

That just means Valve just saved themselves 25 million dollars:

http://www.1up.com/news/valve-launching-25-million-campaign

I'm pretty sure the TV ad won't be the only promotion we will see for Portal 2, plus distributing tv commercials, posters, cardboard stands etc. isn't free either. So they will obviously save some money, but there's still costs attached.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Well Valve really doesn't have a problem with fame, but other companies might need a bit of a boost in advertising.

 

[Dastardly]

Permalink

With the current state of technology, a lot of these "middleman jobs" are going to start disappearing... or at the very least becoming part-time hobbies, rather than dedicated professions.

What separated these ad men in the past wasn't so much their ideas. It was the resources they had available to dedicate to putting those ideas on paper or screen. You couldn't just use a single computer and a suite of software to get all of these things done, so it was cost-effective for a company to hire out to the folks that already had all those resources.

If you've got a computer and a few free weekends, you can get the basic hang of a lot of the software needed to put together a video with some basic effects. And ideas? They're a dime a dozen, really. Even the best of them. It's about resources, and those are far easier to come by now. Yes, it's partially about experience, too, but having the resources affords someone the opportunity to experiment and gain the experience. Entry level is a much stronger position than it once was.

You can see the same kinds of things happening with the music industry. A lot more artists are self-produced. They have the equipment to record, mix, package, advertise, and distribute their own stuff digitally (and even physically, for a few bucks more). Everyone can "get their goods to market," so the gates to that market have been thrown wide.

With fewer technological barriers to entry, more and more hobbyists are producing quality products--at least good enough for their purposes. Ad companies, producers, hell, probably even accountants are going to see more and more decline if they don't find some new tricks that Joe Public can't pull off at home with at least workable success.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

It is now official. Valve is !@#$ing awesome. High five to EVERYONE at the company!


*lol "great Cavement" as a captcha...that's hilarious*

 

[Valksy]

I don't think an ad ever convinced me to buy a game. My choices are usually driven by having a demo to play, and checking reviews for details that are important to me (like campaign lengths). I don't know that advertising works for games - especially when you see the fine print at the bottom "graphics not representative of gameplay".

Go for it Valve - At the very least it is an interesting idea.

 

[Ajna]

Well, no-one knows the material better than they do. They're not selling cars or kitchenware, they're selling games and if the 'Meet the ...' vids are any indicator, then I'm expecting something special.

On a similar note, is anyone else getting PISSED OFF by the Homefront advert before almost every Escapist video?

No matter how much fun we may have here, the Escapist is a business, and they need to make money somehow. If you really don't want the ads, they sell a membership to get rid of them. Your own choice if you want to watch the ads or not.

OT: I can't imagine why Valve hadn't done this sooner. They don't seem like they need the "help" an ad agency would provide. (Unlike a lot of people in this thread, I'm not saying "help" in quotes because of some sort of misplaced disdain for marketers. Rather, I don't think that Valve needs assistance from anyone when it comes to advertising.

 

[Ajna]

I don't think an ad ever convinced me to buy a game. My choices are usually driven by having a demo to play, and checking reviews for details that are important to me (like campaign lengths). I don't know that advertising works for games - especially when you see the fine print at the bottom "graphics not representative of gameplay".

Go for it Valve - At the very least it is an interesting idea.

*fingers crossed I don't double post by accident*

I don't think the point of an ad has ever been to get you to buy something outright. It's to make you want to learn more, and pique your curiousity. A car ad won't make you buy a car, but it may make you google that car model to see if it's any good, should you happen to be car shopping anyway. An ad for a movie won't make you watch it, but it may interest you enough to look at reviews of it.

Similarly, an ad for a game you were unaware of may make you interested in its release, so you'll then look it up and see if it's worth your money.

Obviously for people on a gaming website, an ad for a Valve game is useless. But that's not what this is, this is a TV spot. They're trying to interest the more casual gamers, who have an xbox, but only have a few games for it, and use it as a movie player as often as a game console. People like the people on this website are already decided on if they want to buy it.

EDIT: Gorrammit, why is it every time somebody posts after my latest refresh, and I want to quote them, nobody posts in the time since my last post? Plenty of people posted in the time it took to write the first post, but the second? Noooooooo...

2nd EDIT: Wanted to clarify the tone of my post: Wasn't trying to be snide, just was clarifying a purpose. Sorry if it was read as otherwise.

 

[DustyDrB]

Valve, how dare you say that! Now I'm gonna have to check up on my friend in advertising...

Spoiler: Don...Don, it will be OK. They mean nothing by it. No, please don't...

 

[Baresark]

Best idea evar!!! Ok, that aside. Ad companies are paid to come up with ads, but if it's a product they are unfamiliar with, what could they possibly do that wouldn't be a derivative. Halfway through this article I had an idea for a portal ad that I can pretty much guarantee no ad agency can come up with... holy crap, I just thought of another one!!!

Ridiculous these agencies. When you pay someone to do the same thing over and over again, you get the same thing they always did.

I look forward to see what they came up with.

 

[SenorNemo]

The parts of my brain that wear hipster glasses and read Ayn Rand novels obsessively are thrilled about this. I kind of agree that Valve doesn't really need a TV spot for Portal 2 to be successful, but even so, I'm looking forward to seeing where Valve goes with this. Almost every trailer I've seen come out from them has been brilliant. And who knows, maybe a TV spot will introduce some potential gamers who had never given a second thought to the game to look into it.

I don't think an ad ever convinced me to buy a game. My choices are usually driven by having a demo to play, and checking reviews for details that are important to me (like campaign lengths). I don't know that advertising works for games - especially when you see the fine print at the bottom "graphics not representative of gameplay".

Go for it Valve - At the very least it is an interesting idea.

*fingers crossed I don't double post by accident*

I don't think the point of an ad has ever been to get you to buy something outright. It's to make you want to learn more, and pique your curiousity. A car ad won't make you buy a car, but it may make you google that car model to see if it's any good, should you happen to be car shopping anyway. An ad for a movie won't make you watch it, but it may interest you enough to look at reviews of it.

Similarly, an ad for a game you were unaware of may make you interested in its release, so you'll then look it up and see if it's worth your money.

Obviously for people on a gaming website, an ad for a Valve game is useless. But that's not what this is, this is a TV spot. They're trying to interest the more casual gamers, who have an xbox, but only have a few games for it, and use it as a movie player as often as a game console. People like the people on this website are already decided on if they want to buy it.

EDIT: Gorrammit, why is it every time somebody posts after my latest refresh, and I want to quote them, nobody posts in the time since my last post? Plenty of people posted in the time it took to write the first post, but the second? Noooooooo...

2nd EDIT: Wanted to clarify the tone of my post: Wasn't trying to be snide, just was clarifying a purpose. Sorry if it was read as otherwise.

I've come to more or less the same conclusion, especially given how generally reluctant to spend money gamers generally are. I don't think your tone comes across as too snide.

 

[dragongit]

If anything I can see a direct ad campagn from their pre orders for Portal 2. Pre Ordering on Valve currently gives those who do a free copy of Portal 1.

Now think logically, the vast majority of those buying Portal 2 will no doubt already have a copy of the first game, especially during the weekend the game was already free. What does this mean?

Those who have a copy already, will potentially give it to friends who have not ever tried or may not have been previously interested. This will drum up interest, and I garentee you at least 5% of those who recieve a free copy of Portal 1 will go on to perchase the sequel. If not more.

Honestly I couldn't give my own copy away to my friends since they already have it, I may have to whore myself out to a community for someone to pick it up.

 

[VGC USpartan VS]

Good.
High five to Valve !

Really hope the PS3 version isnt as unplayable as the first Portal.

ps3 is getting the best version

I disagree, PC is getting the best version. Why? It's VALVe we're talking about here.

 

[Vayce]

Valve releases are like crack: the stuff sells itself! No need for ads!

 

[Verlander]

I bet it's the exact same rubbish though, those companies are professionals at what they do for a reason. I'm sure Valve could make a great advert aimed at those already in the know about the game (like the Valentines Day one) but not one that attracts new customers, without it being the same drivel that normal advertising companies come out with. I reckon this is a money saving plan more than anything else

 

[themerrygambit]

I'm a multimedia designer by trade and I've worked for many so called "ad agency" types in the past and I've never met anyone in Marketing that deserved their overblown salaries.

Instead of cutting teacher's salaries republicans should focus on the wholesale layoff of all bobble headed marketing execs because they really don't do anything productive.

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

Valve's already got the experience of an ad agency. You could argue the additional stuff they release with the game is better than the game itself.

You could, but you probably shouldn't.

 

[D0WNT0WN]

Good.
High five to Valve !

Really hope the PS3 version isnt as unplayable as the first Portal.

Ahem, the PS3 version of Orange Box was fine, the loading times were a bit long and Team Fortress 2 was baron of all life but otherwise Portal & Half-Life were very playable.

Otherwise I am really looking forward to this, loved the first Portal.

 

[Waaghpowa]

ps3 is getting the best console version

Fixed for you.