1st Edition

Innovation and Marketing in the Video Game Industry Avoiding the Performance Trap

By David Wesley, Gloria Barczak Copyright 2010

    Innovation has played a major role in the long term success of the video game industry, as software developers and hardware engineers attempt to design products that meet the needs of ever widening segments of the population. Innovation and Marketing in the Video Game Industry identifies patterns that will help engineers, developers, and marketing executives to formulate better innovation strategies and successfully bring new products to market.

    The book shows how some video game companies have used radical innovations to attract new customers, including parents and senior citizens and how video games have come to be used in a variety of socially beneficial ways. The authors compare product features, marketing strategies, and the supply chain to help better understand this valuable industry.

    Introduction

    1. Shigeru Miyamoto and the Art of Donkey Kong

    2. Nintendo’s Dark Age

    3. PlayStation Dreams

    4. Xbox Empire

    5. The Brain Age

    6. Rings of Death

    7. The PlayStation 3

    8. Blu-Rays and Netflix

    9. The Wii Revolution

    10. Game Development and the Rise of Casual Games

    11. Guitar Hero Nation

    10. Conclusion

    Biography

    David Wesley is a Research Manager at Northeastern University's College of Business Administration in Boston.

    Gloria Barczak is Professor and Chair of the marketing department at Northeastern University and former director of the Executive MBA program.

    "A great read for anyone interested in video games and the entertainment business. Wesley and Barczak craft a compelling read based through the history of video games - the unexpected success stories and colossal failures - which give us a foundation of learning that help those of us in the industry make better decisions in this new era of gaming. The rise of social games, micro- transactions, virtual goods and ever changing platforms force us to learn from our past and continue to think out of the box." Tom SperryCEO of Blade Games, Founding member of Microsoft Games Group

    "This riveting and highly enjoyable book fully documents the history of the fascinating video game industry. From Donkey Kong and Mario Bros. to Xbox, Wii, Guitar Hero and Rock Band, David Wesley and Gloria Barczak take us through all the twists and turns of the video game industry, uncovering the stunning triumphs and errors that mark an industry changing so fast that, at times, top management at the leading companies are barely able to keep up, let alone develop sound marketing plans." Anthony Di Benedetto, Professor of Marketing, Temple University, USA

    "Easy to read yet powerful in its insights, this book emphasizes the importance of consistently identifying and effectively serving customers' needs as a path to long-term corporate success. The ability of collaborations with those outside the company's walls such as suppliers and certainly customers themselves is shown to be a source of developing value-creating products and services while avoiding complacency that can stifle innovation and ultimately, lead to corporate failure." R. Duane IrelandDistinguished Professor of Management, Mays Business School, Texas A&M University, USA