Gaming is often seen as a solitary activity, but Virgin Gaming, a new Toronto-based division of the ubiquitous brand, has set out to make it a social media-driven event. This week, the website and gaming community announced a new partnership with game development giant Ubisoft – which has offices in Montreal and Vancouver – to become the company’s ‘official tournament provider.’
Fans of Ubisoft games, which include Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, can now joust with one another in a Virgin-hosted environment and in doing so, benefit from the marketing machine behind the global brand. Additionally, involvement with VirginGaming.com may help developers such as Ubisoft expand the reach of their games to a new crowd, thanks to super-sweet Virgin prizing, Rob Segal, CEO, Virgin Gaming, tells MiC.
‘Partnering with Virgin Gaming gives developers and publishers an extension to their own marketing efforts and helps enhance the user’s experience with the games through large-scaled tournaments for cash, points and prizes,’ he explains.
‘Each game added on the Virgin Gaming platform allows Virgin Gaming to reach a different style gamer. A sports gamer may have never before been interested in playing an RPG [role-playing game], yet if you attach that RPG with a chance to win a trip to [Richard Branson’s] Necker Island, or win $25,000 in cash and prizes through Virgin Gaming’s tournament platform, the sports gamer may now be more inclined to purchase that RPG title. Through our partnerships we have already seen success with this approach.’
Co-promotional marketing is in the works, Segal explains, and VirginGaming.com is being promoted through online display and SEO in continuance with the launch campaign announced in June. Cossette handled the launch of Virgin Gaming in Canada, but a media agency for ongoing promotion has not yet been determined, a spokesperson for the brand confirmed. Ubisoft games will also be promoted through tournament-specific promotions by Virgin Gaming and via tournament microsites. As well, Segal says, Virgin Gaming will be promoting Ubisoft titles at stores such as Gamestop and EB Games with POS.
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