The Hearthstone Method of Marketing

Blizzard struck gold with a very specific release method of Hearthstone; will they be able to do it again with Heroes of the Storm?

I've been curious about Blizzard’s online trading card game Hearthstone for a while now. Since it was launched, it seems to have taken hold of a number of people though a deadly combination of nostalgia for the glory days of World of Warcraft, simple game mechanics and a multitude of streamers that are entertaining and thoughtful.

It also did not hurt that Blizzard created a demand for the game through a staggered beta release; however, the genius part of this plan was to give high-influence streamers and personalities access to the game first.

This allowed for an extreme degree of free marketing and hype to be built, especially when you consider that the amount of streamer-to-viewer interaction with the game is higher than usual: personalities take suggestions from their chats in order for which moves to play, and the game’s “take-your-time” playstyle makes it easier to explain what’s going on. Educated viewers are engaged viewers, so naturally Hearthstone had a winning formula.

The Coming Storm

As Blizzard announced their entry into the DotA-like genre with Heroes of the Storm, I couldn't help but wonder if we would see a very similar structure. The company has a very tough road ahead of them, competing with juggernauts League of Legends and DotA 2. They've already announced they’re making some radical changes to the genre, but I'm willing to bet that it won’t just be in-game incentives that will make new fans switch.

At the moment, the genre (MOBAs, ARTS, DotA-likes, or “Hero Brawlers”, like Blizzard chooses to call them) are oversaturated. While there’s no shortage of newer games (like EA’s Dawngate or DC’s Infinite Crisis), they have not and will not be able to command an initial audience like Blizzard will be able to. Heroes of the Storm will be free, which seems to be the standard, but their marketing juggernaut will likely serve as the tipping point. Since so many others play the company’s other titles, it will be easy for them to jump ship.

A key part of this strategy will be streamers, and a staggered release to the right people may have prospective players clamouring over beta key invites. However, the streamers also have extra incentive: they have learned from Hearthstone that the people that stream the game first gain a substantial following for displaying a unique, gated product.

It’s a gold rush in its most classic sense; getting good at the game and streaming it before anyone else does could make a career.

It’s a gold rush in its most classic sense; getting good at the game and streaming it before anyone else does could make a career. It worked for TrumpSC, who switched from StarCraft to being the Hearthstone streamer, and Blizzard is hoping that people will see the same pattern with HotS.

The end result is an extreme win for Blizzard, as they get legions of free advertising, the buzz of being a new player in the genre and can avoid the hardest obstacle when competing with incumbents: getting a player base when there’s something more established out there.

This also will likely kick-start their eSports hopes, as well, as a team-based game needs teams to play it; fans who watch rosters like Na’Vi in DotA 2 or TSM in League of Legends can see their fame, and will want a venue to try their hand at the same success. They will see a ripe, new playing field in Heroes of the Storm, without having to grind through the legions of hopefuls elsewhere.

With some luck, Blizzard may even tempt organizations — or if they’re lucky, existing rosters — to try something new. This is similar to what Infinite Crisis developers have done to existing League of Legends team compLexity, who, by playing, lends their credibility and fan base to a game that has a significantly smaller following.

As Blizzard could count on fans following popular personalities, a professional team or streamer dumping DotA or League for HotS is everything they could ask for: they would get an infusion of eSports-ready fans, along with players who are willing to take the game seriously. It would also allow them to market the title as a contender to organizations like MLG, which are likely smarting from the departure of League of Legends and the smaller mass appeal of DotA 2.

Heroes of the Storm offers a more approachable experience than either of these two titles due to the potentially smaller burden of knowledge and the already-established fan base from Blizzard’s other games.

With the elimination of items and streamlining of play, HotS’ also boasts a roster populated with familiar characters, reducing the barriers to entry. A player who has never touched any games in the genre may be more comfortable learning with Diablo, Thrall or Raynor to guide them; it arguably worked for Hearthstone, as gamers unfamiliar with trading-card games could recognize many characters from World of Warcraft.

It feels like there’s one piece of the puzzle left to fill: streamers and rabid community that is only grown, not bought. A successful launch does nothing unless the Blizzard can follow up with opportunities for their scene to flourish.

However, if they can harness the same magic they did with the release of Hearthstone, it will go a long way to bolster their portfolio of solid, competitive games; it may also cause Valve and Riot to perk up their ears, and we’ll see competition that will benefit everyone.