The holiday shopping season is a time to shine for the video game industry, especially 2013. Because of the overwhelming hubbub generated by such things as releases as GTA V and the impending launch of the Xbox One and the PS4, it’s important to stand out as much as possible, even if you have a well known commodity. Generating any kind of news or buzz for your upcoming product only helps, especially when discussing the act of anticipation building. Getting people excited about something that’s about to come out is obviously extremely beneficial, and of course, social media plays a huge role in the process.
That’s why the following tweet by Origin concerning preloading files for the Battlefield 4 beta test is considered a newsworthy item for those that follow the video game industry:
Pre-load of the Exclusive #bf4beta is live NOW! Are you in? Pre-load and be ready on Oct. 1st: http://t.co/HrfELAqzwG
— Origin (@OriginInsider) September 29, 2013
In the grand scheme of things, preloading a few hundred megabytes worth of information is no big thing. However, add the keywords “Battlefield 4” and “open beta test” to it, and you have the ingredients to generate consumer excitement. Giving people an extended preview of a popular title is a good way to stoke their interest, and adding to this anticipation with terms like “preloading” is the Pavlovian thing to do. The details about the beta are available at official BF4 website, and it indicates those who have pre-ordered the game will be allowed to play around in the beta starting tomorrow, October 1.
On October 4, the Battlefield 4 beta will be open to whoever would like to take part. The game launches on October 29 for the PS3, Xbox 360, and the PC. It will also re-launch when the next-gen consoles hit the stores.
[Lead image courtesy of EA]