Metal Slug: Awakening is a role-playing game (RPG) based on the classic arcade shooter Metal Slug. It was developed by TiMi Studios, a subsidiary of Tencent Games, and published by VNG, a leading game publisher from Vietnam. The game was officially launched on August 20, 2023, after a month-long pre-registration period. It quickly became a hit in several regions, especially in Southeast Asia, where it topped the Google Play charts in eight countries.
Source: AppGrowing
How did Metal Slug: Awakening achieve such a remarkable success? What were the strategies and tactics behind its advertising campaign? In this article, we will use the data and insights from AppGrowing to reveal the secrets of Metal Slug: Awakening’s marketing success.
01 Metal Slug: Awakening Leveraged Nostalgia and Innovation to Attract a Large and Diverse Audience
One of the main factors that contributed to Metal Slug: Awakening’s popularity was its appeal to both old and new fans of the Metal Slug franchise. The game retained the original characters, weapons, and enemies from the classic arcade game, but also added new features and elements that made it more suitable for mobile devices and modern gamers.
For example, Metal Slug: Awakening invited streamers who are well-known for elder players to recommend and introduce the gameplay. The game also added a variety of game modes, such as story mode, challenge mode, boss mode, and multiplayer mode. The game also featured high-quality graphics and animations that enhanced the visual experience of the game.
Source: AppGrowing
By combining nostalgia and innovation, Metal Slug: Awakening attracted a large and diverse audience that included both hardcore fans of the original game and casual players who were looking for a fun and engaging RPG.
02 Metal Slug: Awakening Localized its Ad Creative and Marketing for Different Regions and Cultures
According to AppGrowing’s data, Metal Slug: Awakening created ads in 12 different languages, covering 12 areas. Another key factor that boosted Metal Slug: Awakening’s performance was its localization and regionalization strategy. The game was not only translated into multiple languages, but also adapted to different cultures and preferences of different regions.
For instance, Metal Slug: Awakening added local people as voice actors and endorsers for the game. The game translated its ad copy and slogans into various languages, such as English, Chinese, Thai, Indonesian and Malay. This helped the game to communicate its value proposition and features more effectively and clearly to the potential customers. It also showed respect and appreciation for the local cultures and languages, which could enhance the brand image and reputation of the game.
Source: AppGrowing
Metal Slug: Awakening also customized its ad creatives according to the preferences and trends of different regions. For example, some ads featured popular memes or references from local cultures.
By localizing and regionalizing its content and marketing, Metal Slug: Awakening increased its relevance and appeal to different audiences across different markets.
03 Metal Slug: Awakening Utilized In-feed Ads and Facebook Ads to Increase its Exposure and Engagement
Source: AppGrowing
The third factor that influenced Metal Slug: Awakening’s success was its choice of ad formats and media platforms. According to AppGrowing’s data, Metal Slug: Awakening created 3,961 ads in total. Among them, around 75.65% of the ads were in the form of in-feed ads, which are ads that appear within the content feed of a website or app. The ad creatives were mainly images, accounting for around 42.78% of the total ads.
Source: AppGrowing
The most popular media platform for Metal Slug: Awakening’s ads was Facebook, which accounted for 24.53% of the total ads. Facebook is one of the largest social media platforms in the world, with over 2.9 billion monthly active users as of June 2023. It also offers various tools and features for advertisers to target and reach their potential customers.
Source: AppGrowing
By using in-feed ads and Facebook ads, Metal Slug: Awakening maximized its exposure and engagement with its target audience. In-feed ads are more likely to blend in with the content feed and catch the attention of users who are browsing or scrolling through it. Facebook ads are more likely to reach users who are interested in gaming or related topics, based on their demographics, behaviors, interests, and preferences.
Conclusion
Metal Slug: Awakening is a RPG game that achieved remarkable success in several regions by using smart advertising strategies. It leveraged the power of nostalgia and innovation to attract both old and new fans of the Metal Slug franchise. It also localized and regionalized its content and marketing to suit different cultures and preferences of different markets. It also used effective ad formats and media platforms to increase its exposure and engagement with its target audience.
AppGrowing is an international marketing consultant that provides app advertising intelligence and solutions for app developers and publishers. It helps app marketers to monitor, analyze, and optimize their app advertising campaigns, as well as to discover new opportunities and trends in the app market. AppGrowing also offers a free trial for new users who want to try its services and features. To learn more about AppGrowing, please visit its official website or follow its social media accounts.
