All Day Gamer

Chris from GamerOverBoard.com is back with another guest post. This is a open letter he sent to 2K Sports regarding Don King Presents Prizefighter.
Here it is:

First, I’d like to thank you for delivering the most realistic boxing experience to date in Don King Presents: Prizefighter (DKPP). In spite of the less than stellar reviews that it garnered, true boxing fans appreciate your efforts in keeping the integrity of the sport in tact. While the game is not perfect, its core mechanics are just what boxing enthusiasts have been asking for, such as the realistic stamina and truly challenging A.I. that makes each bout against the CPU feel like an actual boxing match rather than beating on a human punching bag. Prizefighter is a terrific boxing simulation and the more time I spend playing it, the better it gets. It’s just a shame that 99% of video game websites do not understand the sweet science and miss the point entirely in what 2K achieved with Prizefighter.

However, I do want to say that your marketing strategy for DKPP was a complete mess in my opinion. 2K’s over-emphasis on the documentary-style career mode and under-marketing the gameplay will prove to be DKPP’s undoing. 2K seems to have had an identity crisis with DKPP. It tried to win over casual gamers and boxing purists alike but instead turned off both sides with its middle of the road marketing. Your target market is unclear. All the previews and pre-release videos lacked the flash that would wow the casual gamers and lacked the technical aspect that would reel in boxing fans. One video preview in particular was downright atrocious and should not have been allowed by 2K to be released, as it made a complete mockery of DKPP. It almost seems like 2K went out of its way to ensure that only the most unflattering gameplay footage made it out to the public. Since the game was released I’ve posted a couple of low-quality videos of my gameplay footage over at YouTube, I suggest you check those out. I can guarantee you that those clips hold DKPP under a much better light than any of the ones viewable at IGN or Gamespot. The DKPP footage from those two websites gave many people the impression that 2K was hiding something or was not confident in its own product. I personally was not affected by those videos as it was obvious to me that most of the awkwardness in those clips were due to the people playing the game and not so much the game itself. Fortunately for me, I was right. But who knows how many potential buyers walked away upon seeing those videos? Several thousands? Word of mouth goes a long way especially with rival gaming companies infesting various forums to constantly bash your games, posing as just your average joe’s. There’s no need to give them fuel to flame, but that’s exactly what 2K did with the pre-release videos.

I am hoping that 2K will continue its Prizefighter franchise even if this one turns out to be a commercial failure. There’s a lot of room for improvement, and thankfully most of the improvement needed is in the marketing strategy, not so much the gameplay itself, although DKPP could benefit from having fewer bugs (ex, commentating skipping/repeating, CPU opponents inexplicably losing their A.I. and just standing there doing nothing) and less awkward animations (particulary punches thrown from the leaning position). The most important thing to keep in mind is that 2K Sports fans love 2K because of their commitment to authenticity and gameplay, not the flash, smoke & mirrors and dumbed down gameplay that some companies are known for. It is also important that you identify who your real fans are and pay attention to the intelligent and constructive criticisms rather than the ignorant ranting that are common in most forums. I am confident that if 2K Sports sticks to its guns, stays faithful to the sports they are representing and makes no compromises, it will be universally recognized as THE number one company for all sports video games.

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