Home Gaming Bethesda spent $14 million on TV ads for Fallout 4

Bethesda spent $14 million on TV ads for Fallout 4

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Fallout4ad

Fallout 4 has sold through about a billion copies now (unconfirmed, totally made-up estimate), with just about everybody who plays games getting lost in the Wasteland. It’s a pretty damned amazing game, even if it is a bit of an unstructured experience. Thankfully, the game as a whole is greater than the sum of its often disparate parts.

It’s a damned popular game – but how much of that is down to marketing ad spend? While it’s impossible to really quantify that sort of thing, we can tell you that Bethesda spent a heck of a lot of money marketing it. According to ad analytics firm iSpot.tv, Bethesda spent $14 million just on TV ads for the game; and that’s only for domestic ads within the United States.

“Four separate ads ran 779 times across 21 networks, accounting for just under 15 percent of the gaming industry’s total spend for the month,” says Venture Beat.

Bethesda’s TV ad spend came only second to Activision, who “spent an estimated $18.6 million running 11 different ads 2,475 times in November. Over 90 percent of this push has gone toward promoting its new Call of Duty game, Black Ops III, with less focus on Guitar Hero Live and Destiny.”

EA’s come in third with nearly 10% of US TV video game ad spend with most of its budget pushing Star Wars Battlefront. It may not have been worth it – given reports that the game is underperforming at retail.

Ubisoft’s in at number four, pushing Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate and Just Dance 2016 and of course, that super sexy Rainbow Six Siege ad featuring Idris Elba.

It’s quite a change from the first half of the year. In April, we saw most TV ad spend being done by mobile players, like King, Rovio and Supercell, who spent far too much money last year punting Clash of Clans.

TV video game ad spend in a handy-dandy chart:

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Here’s one of those ads:

Last Updated: December 8, 2015

69 Comments

  1. miaau

    December 8, 2015 at 10:11

    I always imagine big business does not truly know how much return they get from big advertising spend. I think they know they get what they spend and then some back, but how much?

    I think they are too scared to truly find out. I would be too, in their position. Interesting to see games advertised sometimes on SA TV, such quick adverts, it seems like an afterthought.

    Reply

  2. Captain JJ 4x

    December 8, 2015 at 10:14

    They have tv ads for games?

    Reply

    • Ottokie

      December 8, 2015 at 10:14

      TV still exists O.o

      Reply

      • Captain JJ 4x

        December 8, 2015 at 10:15

        I’m as surprised as you!

        Reply

      • Captain JJ 4x

        December 8, 2015 at 10:16

        I actually told someone in a meeting yesterday that I don’t have tv.
        They asked me about two more times just to confirm, because they couldn’t believe it. Hehe

        Reply

        • Ottokie

          December 8, 2015 at 10:17

          The life of streamers xD

          Reply

          • Captain JJ 4x

            December 8, 2015 at 10:17

            Exactly.
            Streaming is the future!

          • Hammersteyn

            December 8, 2015 at 10:17

            I’m getting rather fond of ShowMax

          • Ottokie

            December 8, 2015 at 10:19

            Crunchyroll and Netflix is all I need 😛

          • Captain JJ 4x

            December 8, 2015 at 10:20

            Hulu!

          • Ottokie

            December 8, 2015 at 10:20

            Throw that in to, you are still not paying even half of what DSTV is asking

          • Captain JJ 4x

            December 8, 2015 at 10:22

            Exactly.
            But most people these days get DSTV only because of the sport.
            Luckily the only sport that I enjoy is monster hunting.

          • Ottokie

            December 8, 2015 at 10:23

            Yea sports I just stream as well, the little I actually watch though

          • Hammersteyn

            December 8, 2015 at 10:23

            Do you catch and release mother in law?

          • Captain JJ 4x

            December 8, 2015 at 10:24

            XD
            That’s when the hunter becomes the hunted.

          • miaau

            December 8, 2015 at 12:59

            But my internet is R1100 a month. It works fantastically well and we use it for many purposes, but still a bit high I fell

          • miaau

            December 8, 2015 at 12:38

            ADVERTS. they slow the stream down with adverts. Pissed us off.

          • Ottokie

            December 8, 2015 at 10:18

            For the price of DSTV you can subscribe to so many streaming sites, it ain’t even funny.

        • Hammersteyn

          December 8, 2015 at 10:17

          It’s okay, not everyone can afford a TV.

          Reply

          • Ottokie

            December 8, 2015 at 10:17

            A UHD TV 😛

          • Captain JJ 4x

            December 8, 2015 at 10:19

            TV’s are damn cheap these days. Except if you want a smart 3D curved platinum finished wide angle artificial intelligence personality programmed holographic movement detection user-focused tv. Then it gets a bit more expensive.

      • Hammersteyn

        December 8, 2015 at 10:16

        At least 50 million if you look at this gens console sales

        Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      December 8, 2015 at 10:35

      Old school. I thought everything was millenials and Twitch and whatever it is young kids use these days – holographic projectors in their self-flying cars. I dunno.

      Reply

  3. Hammersteyn

    December 8, 2015 at 10:15

    Sigh….. I could have saved them $14 million. How? One single tweet. Fallout 4 is coming. Boom. Jobs done.

    Reply

  4. oVg

    December 8, 2015 at 10:17

    You can safely say that it is in the public conscious. ZyniMax have..

    Reply

    • oVg

      December 8, 2015 at 10:18

      $$$

      Reply

      • oVg

        December 8, 2015 at 10:18

        $$$$

        Reply

        • oVg

          December 8, 2015 at 10:18

          $$$$$

          Reply

          • oVg

            December 8, 2015 at 10:18

            $$$$$$

          • oVg

            December 8, 2015 at 10:18

            $$$$$$$$

          • oVg

            December 8, 2015 at 10:19

            $$$$$$$$$

          • Ottokie

            December 8, 2015 at 10:21

            The suspense is killing me !

          • Hammersteyn

            December 8, 2015 at 10:21

          • oVg

            December 8, 2015 at 10:22

            bwahahaha

          • RinceThis

            December 8, 2015 at 13:47

            What are you trying to say?!

  5. oVg

    December 8, 2015 at 10:21

    Meanwhile in South Africa

    Reply

    • Ottokie

      December 8, 2015 at 10:22

      • Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!

        December 8, 2015 at 10:23

        DIS BED TYD!

        KOM MAMMA, ONS MOET BED TOE!

        Reply

      • oVg

        December 8, 2015 at 10:24

        BWAHAHAHA

        Reply

      • Captain JJ 4x

        December 8, 2015 at 10:26

        This reminds me. I got a message from the Post Office the other day saying that I have to renew my private box.
        I don’t have one.

        Reply

        • Ottokie

          December 8, 2015 at 10:26

          Tell them it’s a private matter

          Reply

          • Captain JJ 4x

            December 8, 2015 at 10:28

            AND! Get this….Telkom, for some reason, is convinced that my Cape Town number is in Stellenbosch….with my northern suburbs area code. Seriously?!

          • Ottokie

            December 8, 2015 at 10:30

            Western Cape Telkom is probably the most idiotic branch by far.

          • Captain JJ 4x

            December 8, 2015 at 10:30

            I’ve changed it three times. THREE times. Filled in all the forms…gave proof of residency and all. Nope. Sorry…admin is too much effort, so forever you will reside in Stellenbosch, no matter where you move to.

          • Ottokie

            December 8, 2015 at 10:31

            ABSA did this to me, I change my address to my current location. And then 1 month later they change it back to where I lived… 1400km away

          • Captain JJ 4x

            December 8, 2015 at 10:32

            Sometimes I weep for this country.
            No, scratch that, every day I do.

          • Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!

            December 8, 2015 at 10:34

            Pity your brows soak up the tears, we need rain!

          • HvR

            December 8, 2015 at 12:40

            You can not compare the rest of the country to the semi-sentient sacks of useless flesh that works at ABSA.

          • RinceThis

            December 8, 2015 at 13:48

            We know, we can see your eyes? teheheh

          • Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!

            December 8, 2015 at 10:33

            ABSA can GITS

    • Hammersteyn

      December 8, 2015 at 10:23

      Old pic. COD ghosts and BF4 preorder ads 😛

      Reply

      • oVg

        December 8, 2015 at 10:25

        I would not know 😛

        Reply

    • RinceThis

      December 8, 2015 at 13:47

      hahahahaha

      Reply

  6. Original Heretic

    December 8, 2015 at 10:22

    Wow, their marketing machine went into overdrive once they announced it!

    Reply

  7. Marcus

    December 8, 2015 at 10:24

    Their advertising did work on me, I did not like Fallout 3, not one bit. So buying Fallout 4 was thanks to some major hype and also I wanted a single players game for once.

    Reply

  8. Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!

    December 8, 2015 at 10:26

    Speaking of ads and TV etc…..I’ve noticed a strange occurance…..A LOT OF PREGANT WIMMINS….

    Now, think back a few months…..loadshedding….no TV……

    NO TV = SURGE IN BEBBEHS!

    STOP THIS OVERPOPULATION! PLAY GAMES!

    THE EARTH NEEDS YOU TO DO YOUR PART. PLAY GAMES!

    Reply

    • Captain JJ 4x

      December 8, 2015 at 10:26

      This is why they have glow in the dark condoms.

      Reply

      • Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!

        December 8, 2015 at 10:28

        Dude, seriously, I have seen more pregnant women in the last few weeks than I have the whole year

        Reply

        • Captain JJ 4x

          December 8, 2015 at 10:29

          Yea. We have no plans of such nature.

          Reply

          • Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!

            December 8, 2015 at 10:33

            …yet

            I wonder though, will your baby be born brows first, and then 10 minutes later the rest of the baby?

          • HvR

            December 8, 2015 at 12:43

            LOL, plans….. LOL

        • HvR

          December 8, 2015 at 12:43

          Think my wife have been invited to 5 baby showers this year alone.

          Reply

          • DragonSpirit009

            December 8, 2015 at 12:49

            More than half my friends are pregnant. Guess who was left in charge of organizing baby showers <_<

          • The Grand Admiral Chief

            December 8, 2015 at 13:10

            YOU SEE???? Insane

  9. Ryanza

    December 8, 2015 at 11:40

    And CD Projekt Red released a teaser trailer onto youtube, 2 years ago and got gamers across the world, excited and watering at the mouth, at the prospect of Cyberpunk 2077.

    Don’t Support DRM. Cyberpunk 2077 is coming.

    Reply

  10. oVg

    December 8, 2015 at 12:57

    Dont forget the $200 million Black Ops marketing budget. Thats a little less than it cost to make Avatar.

    Reply

  11. RinceThis

    December 8, 2015 at 13:46

    What is a Nintendo?

    Reply

  12. Darren Peach

    December 8, 2015 at 15:28

    I dream of a day when we have those kind of budgets to work in in humble SA.

    Reply

  13. Darren Peach

    December 8, 2015 at 15:30

    Thank fook for America. They may be capitalist pigs, But they know their shizzle.

    Reply

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