NextGen Gaming: Cosmic Horizons Launch
How we helped NextGen Gaming achieve 300% of projected sales targets through a strategic creator-driven launch campaign for their flagship game.
Cosmic Horizons Launch Campaign
Overview
NextGen Gaming, an independent game studio, approached B4 six months prior to the launch of their ambitious open-world sci-fi RPG, "Cosmic Horizons." As a mid-sized studio competing against AAA publishers, they needed a launch strategy that would build anticipation, drive day-one sales, and establish a passionate community around their new IP without the massive marketing budgets of larger competitors.
Challenge
NextGen Gaming faced several critical challenges for their game launch:
- •Limited marketing budget compared to AAA competitors launching similar titles in the same quarter
- •New IP with no established fanbase or community
- •Need to explain complex game mechanics and unique selling points effectively
- •Crowded release window competing with several high-profile titles
- •Requirement to reach a highly specific target audience across multiple gaming platforms
- •The challenge of standing out in a saturated digital advertising landscape
Strategy
We developed a multi-phase creator strategy focused on authenticity and community building:
Phased Creator Approach
Rather than a single launch-day push, we designed a 4-month campaign with distinct phases (teaser, preview, early access, and launch) to build sustained momentum.
Creator Diversity
We engaged 64 creators across different segments of the gaming community, including RPG specialists, sci-fi enthusiasts, game mechanics analysts, and entertainment-focused streamers.
Progressive Exclusivity
We structured a tiered release of game information and access, with increasingly detailed reveals through creator partners that rewarded audience engagement.
Community-Building Focus
Rather than treating the campaign as pure promotion, we positioned creators as founding members of the game's community, encouraging them to build dedicated viewer groups around the title.
Co-Creation Opportunities
We worked with NextGen to allow selected creators to design in-game items and name locations within the game universe, creating unique content their audiences could directly experience.
Technical Deep Dives
We paired developers with technically-minded creators for in-depth explorations of the game's innovative systems, attracting the core RPG audience most likely to become community evangelists.
Execution
The campaign was executed in distinct phases:
- •12 highly influential creators received mysterious in-universe artifacts with cryptic messages
- •Each creator received different pieces of the narrative puzzle, encouraging community speculation
- •Creators and their communities collaborated to decode messages, with NextGen's community team subtly guiding the investigation
- •Culminated in a coordinated "discovery" stream where creators and communities unveiled the game's first teaser
- •28 creators received early build access to specific game segments
- •Each creator showcased different game systems and world areas
- •Developer interviews paired with showcase streams to explain design philosophy
- •Community challenges where viewers could influence what creators explored next
- •Interactive polls allowing viewers to make key character decisions
- •24 additional creators joined with full early access
- •Daily scheduled content across multiple platforms
- •Creator tournaments and challenges with in-game rewards for viewers
- •Developer AMAs hosted by creators
- •Exclusive reveal of the endgame content by top-performing creators
- •All 64 creators produced launch day content with unique discount codes
- •Creator-hosted server launches and community onboarding
- •Ongoing weekly creator challenges sponsoring community growth
- •Meta-game where creators and their communities competed for in-game territory control
- •Creator-driven tutorials and guides for new players
Results
The campaign exceeded NextGen's most optimistic projections:
Key Learnings
The campaign revealed three crucial insights that NextGen has incorporated into their ongoing marketing strategy:
Mystery drives engagement
The phased mystery approach generated significantly more community engagement than traditional game marketing. By turning the marketing campaign itself into an interactive experience, we created community bonds before the game even launched. This "marketing as community experience" approach has become a cornerstone of NextGen's ongoing strategy.
Creator diversity matters
The strategic diversity of creators proved critical to reaching different segments of the potential audience. Technically-focused creators drove deep engagement with core RPG players, while entertainment-focused streamers broadened appeal to casual players. This dual approach resulted in both depth and breadth of community engagement.
Co-creation builds lasting communities
The co-creation elements—where creators helped design in-game elements—generated the highest engagement of any campaign component. The ability for viewers to experience content directly connected to creators they follow created powerful community attachment. This insight led NextGen to develop a robust creator integration system for their post-launch content strategy.
"The B4 approach completely transformed our launch. Instead of just broadcasting our game to potential players, they helped us build a thriving community that evangelized for us. We didn't just sell a game—we launched a community-driven phenomenon that continues to grow months after release."
EKElena KoshevayaMarketing Director, NextGen Gaming
Campaign Details
Industry
Gaming / Interactive Entertainment
Platforms
Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, Discord
Creator Count
64 gaming creators
Campaign Duration
4 months
Content Pieces
620+ (streams, videos, tutorials, community events)
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