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TALES FROM THE PULPIT 9/5: TNA video game will succeed where promotion of PPVs ultimately fails Sep 5, 2008 - 4:00:52 PM
TNA has done a better job of marketing their videogame that is set to be released this coming Tuesday than anything related to their actual wrestling product. Last night on Impact, all sorts of footage of the game in action aired during the show. Entrance videos aired in sync with the talent coming out for their matches. When Robert Roode finished off Shark Boy with his finisher, footage of him doing the same thing in the video game aired side to side with footage of the finish of the match.
TNA has some really loyal fans. It’s one thing to ask them to shell out for a PPV by shoveling crap down their throats on Impact, but by presenting their fans with a game that looks incredible week after week on Impact, they’ve virtually guaranteed a large portion of their fan base will be going out to buy the game when it’s released on Tuesday.
Sure, the TNA game won’t be laden with features and options like the WWE Smackdown vs. Raw series, but what Midway and TNA have done is effectively marketed the game for the last month to the point where it looks so good that you have to buy it if you’re into TNA and play video games.
It’s a shame that TNA does so many things right when it comes to how they treat their fans at live events, PPVs, and fan fests. Add another feather to their cap when it comes to their marketing team being able to effectively market the upcoming video game, but it’s a shame they can’t do the same with their actual wrestling product.
I’ll be surprised if the TNA video game doesn’t do well. I’m not sure it will do as well as WWE’s game does in terms of sales year in and year out simply because WWE has a much larger base of fans to draw sales from, but this game should do well for Midway and hopefully set them up for a more feature-intense version of the game.
I’m due to receive a review copy of the TNA video game shortly, so I’ll have a better idea of the overall quality of the game shortly once I get some hands-on time with and be by with a review of the game sometime next week I’m hoping, but in the meantime, the game has been promoted so that I want to play it without even knowing exactly what I’m getting myself into. TNA should be able to do the same thing with their PPVs in terms of marketing them and making people feel like there’s not much possibility of disappointment if they order.
Sean Radican and Derek Burgan deliver state-of-the-art wrestling audio each and every weekend exclusively at PWTorch.com/members. When not writing his obnoxiously successful “Tales from the Pulpit,” Sean compulsively whistles while he works. Contact him at PWTorchSean@gmail.com.
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