Establishing KILLZONE First Person Shooter (FPS) franchise. Obstacles: FPS games are niche, appealing to hardcore gamers, narrowing sales potential. To achieve sales goals we needed to attract casual gamers. Existing FPS gaming fatigue (inferior competitive products early to market). Christmas deluge (competitor Halo spending 5x KILLZONE budget).

8,000+ online postings, sales accelerated - 50% of sales goal within first 3 weeks despite poor game reviews. We definitely won over casual gamers as continued sales momentum is breaking category norms (6 months later), cinema and category firsts. Never before has computer game been shown in cinema.

Invitations were posted within hardcores' online-world. Limited access drove privilege status for event, driving pre-event viral hype. A PlayStation welcome, unseen footage (especially cut for the night in movie style trailer), pre-recorded personalised message from Ray Postma from Amsterdam (KILLZONE developer) - all never been done before!!! After exposing them to KILLZONE we screened a preview of "Resident Evil 2", a movie in the same genre and tone of KILLZONE, and to the taste of our hardcores.

Cinema was the perfect carrier for this intense experience. Premium association via limited access, BIG screen and BIG sound. First-hand discovery and special privileges drove the ownership factor for hardcores, making a memorable impression and showcasing KILLZONE's best features. In support, we prompted hardcores to start talking – with specially designed creative teasers announcing KILLZONE’s arrival on buses, TV and cinema. The experience turned our hardcore target into our communication vehicle - giving them reasons to start talking!

Generating positive word-of-mouth from hardcore gamers would accelerate sales and encourage casual gamers to buy. Needed to connect one-on-one with hardcores to make them the Killzone communication army. To engage with hardcore gamers we delivered the ultimate KILLZONE experience first hand, away from their ‘closed online network’ (web forums/blogs/gaming chatter), free from influencers (they are non-receptive to traditional advertising), in a positive frame of mind. We created a VIP experience event in cinemas: Big screen experience (sound/vision), unseen game footage, face to face with their god, ‘KILLZONE’ developer live from Amsterdam, first hand inside information,special privileges.