FromSoftware's Marketing Strategy is 'Insane' Even from an Ad Director's Perspective [Monologue]
A Saturday afternoon.
While watching Shirogane Noel (my favorite VTuber) play Nioh 2 in a live stream, I suddenly thought.
"FromSoftware's Soulslikes (*) are, when you think about it normally, insane marketing..."
I'm an ad person myself, after all. I can't help but think this way.
"Could I design a project like this...? No way, it's too much of a tightrope walk."
Well, now that I've thought of it, I have to write it down.
I'm writing this in real-time while listening to Noel-danchou's screams (which is a bit creepy).
*Soulslike
Refers to a series of action RPGs produced by FromSoftware, such as Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, and Elden Ring, or games from other developers that derive from them and have a concept similar to the Souls series.
In this article, I adopt the stance that the "original" is also included in this definition.
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■ The "unreasonableness" of the Famicom era was a "defect," not an intention
First, as a premise.
The fact that many games in the Famicom era were "unreasonable" was never an aesthetic or a philosophy.
● Low processing power
● Cannot save / few save points
● Unfriendly UI
● Lack of explanation
● Under development
It was just unreasonable as a byproduct of those technical and design constraints.
In other words, the unreasonableness of that time wasn't "done on purpose." It was almost like an accident.
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■ FromSoftware's madness: They "designed" the unreasonableness
FromSoftware flipped those values upside down.
Based on the unreasonable experiences of the Famicom era.
The Souls series is,
● Enemy placement
● Traps for first-time players
● "Traps" coming from unexpected angles
● Irreversible choices
● A narrative style that "doesn't explain" the world
and so on, all designed on the premise that "the player will get frustrated."
Moreover, they present this not as "unfriendly" but as "respect." This is truly abnormal from a marketing perspective.
Marketers and directors usually think like this:
"That concept has a huge risk of backlash. Impossible."
---
■ Doing the exact opposite of standard commercial games
The design of a typical commercial game is as follows.
● Guide the player
● Reduce stress
● Provide frequent successful experiences
● Lower the churn rate
FromSoftware does the exact opposite.
● Push them away
● Don't teach them
● Kill them repeatedly
● Make them think for themselves
It is a suicidal act based on the premise of market contraction. Yet, why has it established itself as a massive market?
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■ What FromSoftware is designing is not 'pleasure'
This is where it is decisively different.
What FromSoftware is selling is not comfort, clarity, or kindness.
● A sense of overcoming
● The realization of having improved
● The feeling of being 'immersed' in the world
In short, it is a 'game that restores the player's self-esteem.' And this is the 'original landscape' (or 'customer insight' in marketing terms) for most gamers.
---
■ The gamer's 'original landscape' where 'clearing the game itself becomes a desire for approval'
Please remember.
When you were in elementary school.
'Wait, you cleared that stage? Seriously? That's amazing!'
A few classmates. You don't need proof. There's no point in exaggerating. But 'those who know, know.'
If we were to broadly define 'Soulslike,' it would be a game where 'clearing it itself satisfies the desire for approval.'
To put this phenomenon in modern terms, it is 'local approval backed by credibility.'
FromSoftware has unearthed this feeling from the collective memory of humanity. As an 'unconscious desire' held by customers.
A beautiful, perfect, yet extremely risky target design. As an advertising professional like myself, I might come up with the idea, but I wouldn't have the courage to adopt a 'contrarian target' as the main strategy. At best, it would be a sub-strategy. After all, I want conversions. And games are products with massive development costs. It's impossible.
---
■ Why it's stronger than SNS validation
Validation on SNS is abundant. But it's shallow. It's immediately scrolled past, consumed, and doubted.
On the other hand, validation in Soulslikes is like this.
● Not for 'everyone'
● Lies don't work
● You know it best yourself
● It's complete with 'those who know, know'
It's the exact opposite of Nintendo's philosophy.
That's why 'I cleared it' isn't bragging or a power move, but a 'password between those who have seen the same hell'.
This is what makes it decisively different from casual games or pay-to-win games.
---
■ So, from a marketing perspective, it's almost like a ghost story
Ordinary marketers and ad agencies think like this:
● Low barriers to entry
● Quick success experiences
● Low churn rates
FromSoftware is like this:
● Barriers to entry? High is fine
● Success experiences? Slow is fine
● Doesn't fit? Leave
Instead, they raise the loyalty of those who remain to an abnormal level. It's a completely religious design.
Furthermore, from an advertising director's perspective:
● Almost no advertising costs needed
● Fans talk about it on their own
● The experience itself is copywriting
● 'Have you played it?' is the password
In other words, they 'created the ultimate word-of-mouth machine without running almost any ads' (especially with their early title, 'Demon's Souls').
No ads needed.
This is a defeat.
For our industry.
Brain destruction inevitable.
I feel jealous.
As an occupational hazard.
But I couldn't do it myself.
---
■ Conclusion: This article is born of 'jealousy'
Yes, this article is born of jealousy. The kind felt by a 'professional' afflicted with the disease of seeing the underlying structure of things.
And to be honest, only things created by people afflicted with that disease become culture that is loved for a long time. History proves it.
The Souls series isn't abnormal because the games are difficult. It's because they managed to establish the choice of 'not pandering to the customer' as a massive, global-scale commercial success.
In that one respect, it is abnormal.
---
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