[GameSpot] - Surprise-Launching Won't Work For Every Game, Says Xbox Marketing Manager

[343iBot]

Hi-Fi Rush seemingly came out of nowhere last week when Microsoft not only announced the game, but also released it immediately. But that sort of strategy isn't universal, according to Xbox global product marketing manager Kelly Lombardi.

On Twitter, Lombardi addressed the newfound discussion over why maybe more games need to surprise-launch like Hi-Fi Rush. "Some of y'all have switched from 'marketing needs to be detailed, I need info on every stage of development' to 'shadow drop every game from now on' so quickly I think I have whiplash," Lombardi said. "The truth is, every game is different, and there's no one size fits all marketing approach."

Some of y’all have switched from “marketing needs to be detailed, I need info on every stage of development” to “shadow drop every game from now on” so quickly I think I have whiplash.

The truth is, every game is different and there’s no one size fits all marketing approach

— Kelly (@kelllombardi) January 29, 2023

Team Xbox held its first streaming event called Developer Direct on January 25. While Microsoft revealed more about games like Redfall and Forza Motorsport, the biggest revelation was Hi-Fi Rush shadow-dropping on PC and Xbox Series X|S. The action title comes from The Evil Within and Ghostwire: Tokyo developer Tango Gameworks.

Lombardi did state that the surprise release of Hi-Fi Rush was definitely the right call for the game. But the marketing manager added: "Does that mean it'll work for every game? No."

Hi-Fi Rush also is available on Xbox Game Pass, along with the notable addition of GoldenEye 007. Xbox head honcho Phil Spencer recently said his platform needs a "steady release of great games," something that wasn't accomplished last year.

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