This is much more than a games console

Sony PLAYSTATION®3 has been one of the most eagerly awaited product launches in recent time.  After years of development, it offers deeply immersive game experiences and rich functionality including the ability to connect to online gamers, to store music and photographs as well as play Blu-ray Disc movies.

This is revolutionising home entertainment

The arrival of the console heralds a new era – where audiences interact with games, movies and each other. It is a living, evolving games console that generates action in real time. Our brief was to develop a launch campaign that reflected these qualities and was also a piece of living, evolving entertainment. The heart of the campaign had to live online – and to do this an innovative website and online marketing solution was required.

This is living

We aimed for something more than just the usual campaign website and developed a rich media, immersive experience based around a virtual hotel – a unique, mysterious place visited by an eclectic mix of characters. The hotel and people within it serve as an analogy for the PLAYSTATION®3 – they are living, entertaining and interactive.

This is real entertainment

The site and integrated campaign focuses on the hotel and its guests – a wannabe pop star, traumatised war veteran, football prodigy, photogenic delinquent, sleazy TV presenter, Zen master and Bubba, the receptionist. Virtual visitors can explore the quirks, relationships and ever-changing experiences that occur at the hotel. Users can also check in and submit their own content as well as explore challenges involving victory celebrations, dance moves, chat up lines and sexy underwear designs.

This is an amazing result

The campaign went live in 22 territories in Europe and the rest of the world simultaneously. Initial reaction has been exceptionally positive from the industry and from users who have uploaded more content than anticipated.