This document discusses the marketing of the video game Red Dead Redemption. It describes the marketing mix including cinema advertising, collaboration with retailers for pre-order bonuses, downloadable content packs, trailers promoting the western setting and storyline, and a short film adaptation. It also mentions the original soundtrack and cover art drawing from the western genre.

1. Red Dead Redemption
Marketing

2. MARKETING MIX
• Cinema advertising campaing
• Bluetooth-enabled content download
• Collaboration with GameStop and Rockstar on a pre-order bonus.
• Vote for outfits which gave different features to the game.
• Other bonuses available through other retail chains.
• «The war horse» – rare and better quality horse.
• «Golden guns» – quick up the progress up the ladder of fame.
• Walmart offered a 20dollar giftcars and a deck of playing cards.
• If these chains got exlucivity to these products, it would be benefitial to both
parts, as the chains would be the only one selling the item therefor marketing
on that item.
• Official Rockstar Games store offers a RDR-t-shirt as the pre-order bonus.
• Some bonuses additional content is only avaliable on PS3
• New gang hideout
• Outfit for gang
• This is a major advantage for PS3, as it makes it easier to chose PS3 rather than
Xbox360.
• The Rockstar Games Social Club
• The RDRcar driven by Joey Logano.

3. Downloadable Content
• Outlaws to the end
– Avaliable to all users of PlayStation Network and Xbox Live.
• Legends and Killers Pack
• Liars and Cheats
• Free Roam Pack
– Cancelled and combined with the Liars and Cheats
• The Hunting and Trading pack
• Undead Nightmare
• All the packs bring new features to the game depending on the pack. It
could be guns, horses, maps and trophies and achievements. This again
links in with the intertextuality with the western film genre.
• They were all still available only on PS3 and Xbox360, which shows the
growing technical convergence of the platforms.

4. Trailers
• First one came form the demo of the game Rockstar had sent out to
Sony to get them to put the game on the Xbox. This shows
intertextuality (trailer draws on the western film genre, and cross-
media convergence.
• Later several were posted online leading up to the release of the
game.
• How does a trailer promote the game and appeal to target
audience?
– Iconografy: such as outfits and horses, locations, props and guns.
– Graphics: is a showcase of visual aestetic and gameplay, to show the
player what to expect.
– Characters: All well-known in the western
setting, Sheriff, Indians, Mexicans, Hero, Outlaw, Farmer. Sets a
background story and gives a little away about the storyline.
– Dialogue: The characters rural, country accents set the environment
and tells about the battle between superior and inferior. Different
accents show difference in culture, this gives a realistic variety and the
game feels more lika a film.

5. Short Film
• In North America, television network Fox presented
Red Dead Redemption: The Man from Blackwater, a
half-hour machinima short film directed by John
Hillcoat on May 29, 2010. It was broadcast in the
United Kingdom on June 5, 2010. The film explores an
alternate take of the main storyline's first act. Shortly
after release, the whole film became downloadable
through Rockstar's official website
• This shows the intertextuality between the game and
the western film industry, and how both industries
benefited for each other. The short film made the
audience both want to play the game, and watch a
western full movie

6. Soundtrack
• Red Dead Redemption Original Soundtrack is the
soundtrack of video game music used in the
game. The music was mainly composed by
Friends of Dean Martinez member Bill Elm and
ex-member Woody Jackson along with additional
contributions from various musicians.
• This is an example of synergy between media
texts within the game, as the soundtrack was
made exclusively to the game with it’s only
purpose to help the game’s dynamics.

7. Game Cover
The cover builds on the intertextuality
between the western film genre and
the game in many ways.
•The character looks like Clint
Eastwood and is posed in a way that is
similar to a famous still from one of his
movies.
•The use of guns.
•The red background says “there will
be blood”.
•The American flag’s stars sets the
environment and some of the
storyline, as the player usually knows
about the battles for power that was
common during the time of the Civil
war.
•Indians.
•Territory
•Rebel agains the law
•The horses in the background does
the same as the stars.
•The brand showing who are the
developers behind it, makes the game
trustworthy and if you are a gamer you
know what to expect.