THQ has hired former Midway executive Mark Cook to lead its newest marketing campaign in Europe. Cook, who was laid off from Midway proceeding their acquisition by Warner Brothers, will be the marketing manager for their upcoming original IP, Darksiders.
Darksiders, set to release in January, has a seven-month marketing campaign ahead of it. Cook talked about the companies’ strategy for starting to market the game early on.
“We decided early on that it was important to own a space with the release of Darksiders,” said Cook. “Releasing in January allows us to build anticipation for the title, engage consumers with the Darksiders brand through the peak period and set the tone for 2010 as the first major release of the year.”
This seems like a smart decision. Original IPs don’t market themselves. By promoting the game over a long period of time, THQ can ensure the game gets the attention it deserves. Additionally, the game’s post-holiday release date is an obvious attempt to avoid getting drowned out by the already crowded line up.
