The PlayStation Showcase is a huge deal for gamers, who wait eagerly for new information to be revealed over the course of the event. It’s streamed live to millions of people around the world, many of whom are streamers themselves who host watch-a-longs on Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, and other platforms.

We had the opportunity to entertain fans with an opening film, but a traditional launch spot wasn’t enough. We wanted to create a high-octane film to reveal as yet unknown information in the most entertaining way possible, encouraging passionate gamers to pore over every frame and inspiring the community to come together to share theories. Our aim was to use the time we had to strengthen ties with our community and excite them about what was to come from PlayStation in the future.

The long-form spot, follows the story of two rival Kings, locked in a battle of wits for control of the city. As each plays a move on their board, the move plays out in the city streets below. Our hero is an unassuming Pawn who advances through the metropolis, avoiding numerous challenges posed by her rivals on the way. A judiciously timed Queen sacrifice allows our Pawn to reach the rival King’s penthouse, winning the game for her team and sparking jubilation throughout the city.

The film takes us on a journey through a city like no other, showing what can happen when play is taken to an unprecedented level. It echoes the feeling of exhilaration that comes with PlayStation’s unparalleled gameplay experiences, as dozens of flamboyant characters playing the roles of chess pieces, do battle in a large city that is laid out like a chessboard.

We wanted to engage PlayStation’s core audience of super-dedicated gaming fans, while simultaneously making an entertaining film with global appeal for casual- and non-gamers.

Our insights were that this core audience, desperate for as-yet-unknown information, would search for hidden details in every moment of the PlayStation showcase. So we went bigger than gamers had ever seen before and would ever expect, launching the entire event with a film that was also a game, and using our heavily-followed social media channels to challenge fans to find every detail.

The response was game-changing. The film, ‘Play Has No Limits’ had 25 million impressions and over 5.5 million views.

The adjoining PlayStation fan competition had over half a million entrants with over 100,000 of them taking home a prize. These included exclusive avatars, consoles, PlayStation headsets, gift cards, and even the King’s rings from the film itself.