Chinese publisher Shanda Games said to have spent 8-figure sum for NBA star.
RIFT has a new face promoting the MMORPG in China; Miami Heat point guard Dwayne Wade.
Shanda Games' official website has confirmed NBA basketball player Dwyane Wade's new role as Rift spokesperson. Based on the video here, the catchphrase for the promotion is "RIFT: the true American style, just like the NBA".
According to additional information from website MMO Culture, Shanda Games paid an 8-figure sum in US dollars to hire the basketball player. GameSpot is currently reaching out to Shanda Games for clarification on this payment.
On February 9, Shanda Games announced that it had partnered up with Trion Worlds to publish the MMO in China. The game was praised by critics for its rift and invasions game mechanics, flexible class system, and visuals.
Born and raised from a jungle-laden village in Sarawak, Malaysia, Jonathan Toyad has been playing games since the early 90s. He favors fighting games, RPGs, and rhythm titles above every other genre, and occasionally spaces out like Pavlov's dog to video game music on his iPod.
Considering the averge MMO population doesn't like basketball I don't really see why the company saw spending 10 million dollars on Dwayne Wade was a good idea. That could have paid for 20 well paid developers to add quests, battlegrounds, new dynamics, items, or anything like that. It also could have put an advertisement on every major gaming website and the back of Gamer Informer.
I dont see how his promotion makes the game more attractive. They should have went with something more quirky like Mr. T in that WoW commercial.
1 Like D-Wade seems like a cool guy, he fought hard to win custody of his kids and helped his mom get over her drug problems. That being said, there's no way I would buy a game just because he's promoting it.
1 Like 8 figures? Money well spent imagine all the new content and development they traded for that. Remind me to never buy rift
@abcdefgabcdefgz Trion could possibly be the best at putting out content in the entire MMO genre. Just take a look at their content patches over the course of the original and what they're doing so far with the expansion. Storm Legion just released in November and a month later had its first major patch added. Currently their second major patch is on the PTR. In fact, during "classic" Rift, players asked the developers to slow down on the content patches because they were releasing raids to quickly.
Exactly what the industry shouldn't be doing. I'm not buying or going to play a game because Wade promotes it. This crap just drives up the cost that always somehow trickles down to the consumer. I have never bought a game based on PR, ie. paid advertisement and the like. I do look at numerous previews and reviews on gaming sites however and I don't believe companies pay for their games to be reviewed. This kind of wasted PR mentality is what keeps driving game prices up etc.
1 Like alot of people know who wade is in china. but i think they should've hired kobe, he is a HUGE house hold name in china. same with Jordan, David Beckham, Tiger Woods.
I'm not Chinese neither American. I know who Dwayne Wade is, but I gotta say that the catchphrase for the video is stupid.
3 Like Do marketing moves like this even work? I mean...C'mon...Friends don't let friends buy games commercialized with stars who will never play it themselves. Rift is a decent game, and although I have a hard time really getting into MMO's I did enjoy my month stint. But........C.....Wha.....Who.....Uhh....Dwyane.....Wade?! Eight Figures?!.....That's $10 million ATLEAST. Hey, throw my random a** face on a game that has nothing to do with me, I will do it for $250k and save you loads.
The game was praised for... you know, actually being a real game. Not like the droves of fakes that come out of there.
1 Like All you people talking about sports...pfft...shows what you know Football is where its at and i'm not talking about the fake american football/girl's rugby that they play. That sport has billions of people watching worldwide I mean no superbowl, NBA playoff finals or NHL championship can compare to the Champions League final at all.
So yes ignorant Americans don't know anything about real sports.
2 Like "Football is better!" - random asshole
"No, soccer is better!" - another random asshole
"Nooo, football is better!!" - first random asshole again
Idiot.
7 Like FINALLY! I take all my MMO playing advice from Dwyane Wade, and I've been waiting FOREVER on his opinion on RIFT! Installing now.
I don't suspect this article will get much attention, but I still feel the need to talk about Rift.
I implore every single MMORPG fan to give Rift a try. Having come from every MMO that came before it, I can tell you, beyond any doubt, that there truly is something spectacular about Rift. It's just expertly made, and while I could easily write a long list of unique, incredible things you'd find only in Rift, I'll instead keep this comment short.
For those who are unsatisfied with MMORPGS -- give it a try, I sincerely know you won't regret it.
1 Like @experience_fade And by "give Rift a try" you mean buy it and see if you like it or not. Not everyone has a money tree growing in the backyard.
1 Like Since they were willing to spend that sum of money, they should have hired a hollywood actor instead of a basketball player
1 Like The NBA doesn't even matter anymore. Pro basketball is boring and pathetic. College sports and the NFL are a lot more interesting.
How is stating my opinion displaying any ignorance? Isn't it more ignorant to assume I am American (whether I am or not)?
2 Like @Martyr77 I think she (?) is referring to your lack of knowledge regarding the popularity of the NBA in China.
2 Like Man do they love the NBA over in China. Kobe Bryant is so popular over there that he rivals the best player to ever come from China. I used to love the NBA, but with every passing year I grow more and more uninterested in it to the point now where I can barely watch much of it at all. Same goes for the NFL, but I do like it more than the NBA. College sports is where it's at.
1 Like MMO's and Pro Basketball coming together so that one can learn about balls and the other can learn about swords and all have learned life lessons.....mainly swords can poke out an eye or both.....
Trion Worlds MMO adopting new business model beginning June 12; paid subscriptions will remain available.
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