THQ and 5th Cell, one a publisher and one a developer under the wings of a growing empire which is starting to fall. The casual empire – what happens when a publisher has preconceived ideas on the demographic a game should be marketed and played towards.
5th Cell entered the gaming arena with mobile games. In the past few years it has become a small niche little developer under the wings of THQ and a market which it’s games failed and at the same time captured. From titles such as Drawn to Life to Locks Quest. What is under the development teams hat which killed the game from the beginning. Setting them up for a ride of money but at the same time nothing.

5th Cell put onto the market a few years ago Drawn to Life with the help of publishing giant THQ. A publishing company which since the bigger 3 have evolved stuttered down with likes of Atari to the casual market before anyone else. They had their own ideas to market a game which could of won on either ground.

Drawn to Life had a few problems, it wasn’t an AAA game and at the same time it wasn’t something to be treated as crap. The Nintendo DS title was released with hopes to become a success from both consumers and the development team. As well as the big publisher who was already counting in the money which didn’t happen.

Gamers first noticed the title when Drawn to Life was said to be a platform adventure simular to Mario and the alkies. But with a twist, you the player got to draw your own character and other objects in the gaming world.

Before the titles release many reviews and hands on suggested the title wasn’t going to be a blockbuster game. But the campaigns before release which THQ had could be the only things which they kinder did right. But they were far and few – partnering with only a small number of various publications who had sacks of money which could also back up the gamble which the company was going to do with the title.

Caught up in the mess of marketing, 5th Cells game Drawn to Life ended up having an identity crisis of who wants the title. In America the campaigns were broad and captured many demographics but only existed in few. One of the biggest was the short lived completion by IGN which people over 18 could make a character which would appear in the title. A nice idea if only the winner was from a younger crowd. THQ Australia chose a different approach which showed the kiddie aspect of the title.

THQ Australia couldn’t give a crap about who won the completion in America and the other achievements which the company did overseas. The Australian marketing campaign for the title pushed the title into magazines such as K-Zone. The magazine for little kids who think they are cool. Pushing money into competitions and other partnerships with the magazine for the title, which could have worked if they didn’t forget the adventurous and interesting path which THQ took in America.

Once the release in Australia was around the corner, THQ pushed out a pre order campaign of either a DS case or for some stores a note pad. It was interesting to the point that it drew in some sales, but if it was enough to satisfy THQ is another question…

5th Cell was quite for a bit, after they announced a new Nintendo DS game. Something different, something awesome they said. Well the game Locks Quest had some nice ideas but THQ’s marketing squished it down from tweens and teenagers to little kids and tweens. The marketing for the title which I have seen squished what hope anyone had of been able to walk into a game store and with a straight face ask for the title.

But before Lock came other title out of 5th Cell, released in the same month another title came out which was unexpected but at the same time was expected. Drawn to Life was back, and when the original hit the scenes many people suggested a Doodle Bob version. Well it seems they got their wish when the second title came out – a Sponge Bob version.

It had some quirks but overall the game was more watered down from an already very simple and slightly flawed engine. With many of the levels feeling unsatisfactory or uninteresting. The title was a bastard version of Drawn to Life with modals changed and the whole over world crapped up. A big fat Sponge Bob sticker was slapped on to it. It could of worked.

In fact right now it can’t be said if it will or not. It does have the famous duo splashed on it and for fans a Doodle Bob theme to it. But what is sad is the very simple and uncreative story behind the title. This game will probably sell to the tween demographic if THQ puts the name out a bit and then sits and watches as the crap is eaten up by people who don’t know any better. The simple and no effort feeling from THQ’s casual game marketing strategies will do well with a game with no content such as the Sponge Bob Drawn to Life. A stripped down version of the original with nothing more but Sponges and Bobs to replaced what could have been.

Locks Quest is something which has potential and made me interested in the title. But 5th Cell has scrapped what has made Drawn to Life good and started fresh with flaws where there shouldn’t be. The title could do well for anyone, it has a Lost Magic feel to it, but it will be lost like magic if THQ doesn’t put any pressure to other sections of the market they have for the title.