If you’re a regular Twitter user and have a social bubble, most of which has been created by professionals, journalists, and personalities from the video game industry, you’ve likely encountered some short game series over the past few weeks. Overcharge: UnboxedAn original toy shooter game that went viral on the platform recently for no apparent reason and gained millions of views in just a few days.
In fact, the reasons behind Hypercharge’s social explosion are clear and can be pinpointed with a quick glance at clips circulating on Twitter. Seeing puppets, action figures and toys unpacked to fight in some arena inspired by our old childhood bedroom can only be instantly intrigued, and we bet the first thoughts that came to mind while watching these videos were the same as many other people. : “But when is this coming out? And for what platforms? I want to play now.”
You should have seen our face when we discovered, after some research, that it was developed by a team of 5 developers known as Hypercharge: Unboxed. digital Cybercherries, It’s not a promising pre-alpha standalone game, but a complete game that’s been around for a while on both PC and Nintendo Switch. The fact that we had never heard of such an inspiring title gave rise to the idea that it was a project in development, even if it wasn’t entirely our fault, as we’ll soon see.
In fact, in this article, we will talk about one of the most successful marketing moves of recent years and examine a case study that may lead universities to enter social media management courses in the coming years.
Little Soldiers turns into a video game
Before moving on to the analysis of this phenomenon, it is worth underlining that behind the not-so-transparent marketing dynamics, there is a surprisingly valid game with all these qualities that could emerge from the trailers that appeared on Twitter, in any case. Hypercharge: One without box first or third person shooter It battles us as an action figure in some PvE and PvP modes where you face off against other toys led by AI or human opponents. In its cooperative, local and online trend, the game is structured as a four-player tower defense; here the goal is to protect the three bases arranged in different parts of the map from waves of enemies. collecting resources scattered around the environment.
Besides this method, which is somewhat like the main method of all experience, there is a multiplayer industry Set in the same arenas of co-op where up to 8 players face off in fierce combat, but failing to always give sufficiently precise feedback on footage, it’s still an indication of the work to be done on the netcode front. Also, the game is the work of a team of just five developers, and while there are some flaws, especially in the gunplay space, it’s surprising how high the overall quality the studio can achieve with so few development resources.
In short, Hypercharge: Unboxed will not be remembered as one of the most solid shooters in video game history, but after all, Cybercherries’ creature did not deserve it in any way. very cold welcome Received at launch. Steam statistics show that before these weeks exploded, the title never exceeded a thousand active users, a sign of how clear its qualms were, that it was absolutely overlooked after its release.
The phenomenology of a marketing hit
How do you bring a real-value video game back from oblivion? He’s probably doing the opposite of what the Cybercherries were doing at the time, because none of us remember his shooter’s existence. In this case, what happened on Twitter is supposedly “Buzz Marketing“is a type of initiative that aims to exponentially multiply interactions and discussions about a particular product using primarily word of mouth rather than traditional forms of promotion. We’ll never know if he was behind the Hypercharge boom: Unboxed was cold and calculated strategy of some marketing gurus or what happened, Joe on the game’s Twitter page. If it’s the result of a lucky chain of events that he didn’t even know had set him free.
In any case, it all started with the cunning replacement of the Hypercharge brand, which should now be a failed indie. promising project under development: On the Twitter page, all references to versions currently available on Steam and the Nintendo Store have suddenly disappeared and all communications have turned to an Xbox version that will be released in the near future. The name of the profile hints at a link for Xbox players to sign up for, but slightly winks at the existence of a beta, but it turns out to be a simple newsletter. Nothing the tweets say is absolutely wrong, but by choosing what to omit and what to very subtly implicate, the work helped to produce oddly enough. collective hallucination This caused the interest in the game to peak.
After some very aggressive promotional tweets, when the videos were reposted by some Twitter personalities associated with the world of video games, Hypercharge: Unboxed definitively fulfilled its parable of the world of the dead. Cory Barlog, Tom Warren, Jeff Grubb, Jake Luky and others expressed their respect and interest in the game on their profiles, bringing one of the videos to the monstrous post of the well. 14 million views. The buzz has turned into a tangible result for the studio, which has seen Hypercharge rise to number four on Steam’s bestseller rankings, and even judging by the platform’s data, the title continues to have a very active array of players, almost inexplicably. players. low, usually below 500.
The numbers are going in opposite directions, and it’s hard to predict whether Hypercharge will emerge once and for all from the anonymity that currently characterizes its lifecycle, or whether it will be doomed to disappear as it almost always has. to media phenomena that shine with the reflected light of social media. As we told you, the game has obvious qualities, and its arrival on Xbox, perhaps Game Pass, could buy it more time. If you are interested, our invitation is to try it first hand, thanks to one. Free demo Available on Steam, maybe you come here to tell us what you think. Summer won’t be revolutionary for you, but a few hours of fun is guaranteed.
Source: Multiplayer
