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Ben Schwartz hilariously brought to life the disorganized focus group for the new video game “The Outer Worlds 2,” where he mistakenly gifted the participants, hired dancers, shot a live-action trailer, and all this while asserting that he “nailed it.” The actor and comedian revealed the behind-the-scenes disorder of the sale while honoring his partners Noah Eichen and Marc Evan Jackson. The result is a marketing event that has generated a lot of noise around the highly anticipated sequel.
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The vociferous and improvisational comic genius, Ben Schwartz, completely embraced the ‘Mark’ character, who at Obsidian Entertainment dubbed himself ‘the master of sequels.’ The funny footage depicts him entering a focus group with overwhelming passion, which immediately sets the mood. He has T-shirt guns, gift cards, and an unquenchable drive to ‘big sequel energy’ as his tools. The entire performance is a delightful act of corporate satire of comedy that mocks the sometimes awkward world of video game marketing.
The transcript of the video reveals a chain of ‘accidents’ that make up the core of the act. Schwartz’s character admits to having accidentally bribed everyone, accidentally getting dancers and accidentally booking a live-action trailer. When one of the focus group members, Remi, states that live-action trailers ‘never show the game,’ ‘Mark’ gives the impeccable logic of someone who has already blown the budget asking, ‘Have you perhaps thought that they’re extremely costly and that I already spent the money?’ It is this kind of over-the-top commitment that makes the skit so powerful.
The video was a huge hit among the audience who considered it to be the new benchmark in game advertising. One viewer called it the ‘single BEST game trailer I’ve EVER seen,’ and this was more or less the consensus in the comments. The show’s wildness and honesty certainly struck the right note, managing to cut through the loud noise of the usual game promotions. A user wrote, ‘I’ve never played the first one but I’m definitely getting the second one now,’ signaling that the marketing, however unintentional it was, worked wonders.
Some commentators compared Schwartz’s past characters, hence providing another perspective for the actor’s fans. One user remarked that the entire incident was ‘so Entertainment 720 coded,’ which is a very particular reference to the totally extravagant entertainment company his character Jean-Ralphio co-founded on ‘Parks and Recreation.’ Another user straight away accused him of lacking originality, saying, ‘Mark? I think you mean Jean Ralphio with that entrance,’ thereby implying the comfortable and slightly messy ambiance the actor had created in the pseudo focus group.
Friendships behind the scenes were frequently mentioned, particularly the contribution of Marc Evan Jackson. A comment by a viewer was somewhat sarcastically but very cleverly put, ‘You knew Marc was gonna be the star of the show so your character STOLE HIS NAME. Power play!’ This comment reveals the clever, meta-humor that is very much a part of the show, with Schwartz’s character being called ‘Mark’ which is a playful reference to Jackson’s real name. It is a small but smart detail that keeps the perceptive viewers satisfied.
Yet, not all comments were complimentary, and a spectrum of responses was seen. One user vented in an unusual way, saying, ‘Disappointed to find out The Outer Worlds is not a TV series I have to binge-watch the first season of, with this cast.’ This statement indicates how powerful the actors’ performances were; the sketch was so magnetic that it made the audience want a complete series with the same actors. In a more negative comment, another user, without mincing their words, stated, ‘Sadly this is better than the game,’ which is a mixed acknowledgment of the success of the trailer while putting forward a question mark over the quality of the game it is representing.
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Ultimately, Ben Schwartz’s chaotic focus group ploy for The Outer Worlds 2 is a real testament to the influence of personality-driven marketing. He created a marketing piece that is not only novel but also unforgettable and absolutely hilarious by combining his absurdity and personal humor. In the realm of predictable video game advertisements, this unintentional masterpiece of bribing, dancing and pure ‘huge sequel energy’ has achieved its goal of making a lot of noise and creating anticipation for the game’s release. The campaign was a risk, but it seems to have paid off in terms of laughter and interest. His sold-out Oakland show is another example of his popular appeal. He also revealed his four categories of songs from his work on ‘The Afterparty’. Finally, his unscripted moment with Stephen Colbert on the Late Show was another highlight of his recent work.