Text messages, especially drunken ones, are a major source of hilarity, and writers Brian Altano and Mike Drucker have emulated the format of people’s everyday telecommunications with their article 'Texts From Video Game Companies.' Rather than mimicking texts between two people however, the pair have personified video game companies and developers, like Sony, RARE LTD, Capcom, Nintendo and more, to satirically criticize their business practices. As you can imagine, comedic gold ensues.
A few of the issues raised in 'Texts From Video Game Companies' include Capcom teasing fans about producing new Mega Man games, the unreliability of Xbox’s Kinect, Sony’s obnoxious advertising campaigns and SEGA trying to remain relevant to consumers despite years of inactivity. The texts themselves are a rather inventive way to voice complaints in comparison to what most gamers do: bombard forums with rage-filled messages.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Satirical Messaging
- Opportunity for brands to use satirical messaging to criticize and mock their own business practices in a humorous way.
- Personification of Brands
- Potential for brands to personify themselves and engage with their audience in a more playful and relatable manner through textual conversations.
- Alternative Complaints
- Innovation in finding alternative and creative ways for consumers to voice their complaints and frustrations towards brands, such as through fictional text message exchanges.
Where This Applies
- Video Game
- Opportunity for video game companies to leverage satire and humor to address industry shortcomings and engage with their audience in a more entertaining way.
- Advertising
- Potential for advertising agencies to incorporate satirical messaging as a strategy to captivate attention and generate brand awareness.
- Social Media
- Innovation in social media platforms to facilitate a more interactive and playful experience between brands and users, such as fictional text message-style interactions.
