Back in September, I had the pleasure of introducing a new face to the PlayStation Nation through our “It Only Does Everything” ad campaign for PlayStation 3. You’ve blown us away with an outpouring of positive feedback to the campaign and for Kevin Butler. In fact, the response was so great that we invited Kevin to E3 where he brought down the house. We also showed the first glimpse of a new campaign featuring Kevin’s new apprentice, Marcus Rivers, who wants to help spread the word about fact that the PSP and PSPgo are the only true solutions for those gamers who want to play the best, richest and deepest games on the go. Today I’m excited to share with you more of this new “Step Your Game Up” campaign, currently airing on over 19 networks as well as during several high-profile events.
The “Step Your Game Up” campaign is all about providing a deeper look into what makes a PlayStation Portable gaming experience more complete and enjoyable than anything else you’ll find on the market. This campaign introduces a new, younger voice to the PlayStation Nation, the fast-talking, quick-thinking, quasi self-appointed Marcus Rivers. By now you’ve probably seen the first ad in the series, “Step Your Game Up,” where Marcus officially steps up to the plate, giving Kevin Butler a run for his money as well as reason to offer him the job. Marcus makes it clear from the start he’s taking no prisoners — he’s a gamer looking for real games to play on the go.
We’ve always known the PSP is for gamers and gamers have high expectations when it comes to content. A skinny app just isn’t enough when you’re used to full-length franchises, exciting storylines, and great graphics. With PSP and PSPgo you can take your console experience with you anywhere with blockbuster titles like God of War: Ghost of Sparta, Patapon 3, SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3, Twisted Metal: Head On, ModNation Racers, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, MLB 10 The Show, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (more), Madden NFL 11, Fat Princess and more. Not only can you enjoy a true in-depth gaming experience wherever you are, but with PSP you can also access your favorite movies, TV shows and music wherever you go. Moving forward, PSP fans can look forward to a series of ads that carry on the tradition created by Kevin Butler, showcasing the value and innovation behind PSP and PSPgo while inciting a few laughs along the way.
We gave you just a sneak peek of the new ads at E3 and can’t wait to share more with you over the course of the next several months. Keep an eye on the PlayStation.Blog as well as www.marcuspsp.com for more details on what’s to come. In the meantime, here’s another look at what we have in store for you — for more of the latest ads, head over to www.marcuspsp.com.
I’m already missing Kevin Butler.
So Eye of Judgement and Invisamals and Eye Pet PSP are not REAL games then? (You know…since the go was designed without an integrated camera).
Marcus is pretty awesome, but i still like KB a bit more ;)
What happened to the Aliens Vs. Predator demo? I want to play it, but it’s not in the PSN store.
I don´t like Marcus at all!. He is not funny, and the advertisement seems forced. KB is funny naturally. When I see and AD I laugh because it seems like he is not acting, but that´s the way he is. With Marcus is the other way around, he annoys.
I am sorry, but I think that you should have stayed with KB for the PSP too!.. or better yet, just launch the PSP 2 already!
Not bad ;-) Kevin’s little intern seems like a good fit for PSP—although this ad wasn’t as funny as KB’s best (but then again, KB’s first one wasn’t as funny as later outings so I am sure Marcus will come into his own).
So, next year at E3, PLEASE get Kevin and Marcus to come to the PS Blog Party!
I love Marcus! Keep making it clear that 95% of I-Phone games are just basic trash!
12
I thought it was good. Appeals to the target age demographic. I will judge after a few commercials. Yea sony your advertisment is all that really needed to step up, the games are there.
Well, if it works, it works. Here’s hoping for more great games for the PSP is the future.
Please discount more of your PSP games on PSN, or at least do it for PS+ members. In stores the prices of games goes down and PSN doesnt reflect that.
I think more will be needed to push the PSP. Did you see the new NPD numbers? PSP needs 3D or something to compete with 3DS.
Sony always wins baby!!
PSP needs a price drop.
hmmm……i’m hoping with the increase of advertising, the psp will get more games and more attention. i would like to see an explosion of new games on the system plus like jwood87 said more on the ps+. after i saw what the store had and the lack of psp games i was a little turned off….I’ll probably wait till next month to see if they put psp games on it. if not, then that should really be something to think about. i like my psp but the amount of time i spend playing on it has decreased a lot.
Keep up the comedic Ads. No other gaming company out there comes close.
Also, any word on a PSP2? The PSP needs another analog stick badly.
instead of wasting money on this dude…how about some better games for psp? support us at LvLone.com as well
I love my PSP – it’s a wonderful system. Using it all the time to play Gran Turismo PSP.
I’m glad it’s getting a new marketing push.
Well, Marcus, you have nowhere to go but up:
May NPD
PSP: 59.4K
Yikeeeeeeeeeeeees.
OH and Hot Shots Tennis Get a Grip is freakin’ INCREDIBLE!
I agree with jwood87.
Also, lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice. Get rid of Marcus…
For real, this Marcus. I like him. The cut of his jib. It’s good stuff.
this Marcus kid is arrogant.. and hes not funny… Butler is fun…
It did need a marketing push (along with a price drop). But not another cringe inducing one that makes you ashamed to be a PSP owner (especially if you are an adult).
What it really needs though, are games. Unless you like JRPGs, there really aren’t any coming in the future.
NCAA football? Sorry, EA put it on the iPhone instead.
Street Fighter 4? Sorry, Capcom put it on the iPhone instead?
How about that Resident Evil that was announced last year at E3? Well, that’s been moved to the 3DS. Along with that Saint’s Row game that was in the works.
And while you’re at it, you need to get the back catalog up on PSN. Square is putting up more of its PSP games up on iTunes (for the iPhone) than they are on PSN. You need to have a serious talk with them.
Things Can Only Get Better for the PSP, right? :D
I like these ads. They go well with the Kevin Butler ones..
and about the PSP2, if they do announce one, its not going to be randomly. It will be around a major gaming conference like E3 or GDC. Wait until then to start complaining about it.
Wow, that was horrible and embarassing. And i love my PSP…
his girlfriend is HOT
I like these ads. At first i was wary of a foul-mouth kid showcasing the psp but now its the obvious choice by far. Keep up the good work sony and marcus.
Man Sony now you’re just trying too hard. That kid was annoying. Kevin Butler is funny. I can already tell these Marcus Rivers ads are going to get annoying on TV all the time.
eh Marcus… stop trying so hard to be “hard”, cuz thats how your coming off as in the ads.
Peter, why don’t you advertise one of the overshadowed feature of PSP which is Remote Play? PSP has so many features that get left behind including podcasts, internet radio, location free player, skype, sense me, internet search, camera (U.S. still never got it) not to mention the browser (need a better browser serious!). It all boils down to one thing PSP2! Make it happen.
where’s the commercial from E3, that one rocked!!
Love these new Marcus commercials. That kid was hilarious in Role Models. I think this new PSP campaign is a very smart move by Sony because it is clearly aimed at the male 13-25 crowd which is the PSP’s core demographic.
Great tv spot! Funny and informative! Great work PR team! Though I hope a PSP2 will arrive nest year. Until then I will have fun whit the loads of games coming to PSP.
PSP2 needs two analog sticks! note one like psp…
“God of War: Ghost of Sparta, Patapon 3, SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3, Twisted Metal: Head On, ModNation Racers, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, MLB 10 The Show, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (more), Madden NFL 11, Fat Princess”
But… but I don’t want any of these games (I already own TM:Head On for PS2). :(
You could’ve at least mentioned the upcomign Valkyria Chronicles 2 and Phantasy Star Portable 2…
Oh, and dropped the PSPs price. Seriously. $170 in its 6th year? The system is priced to high, the games are priced to high, heck even worthwhile memory sticks (16gb & up) are priced to high for such an old system. I’ll continue to love my PSP but you guy aren’t going to win over new people like this.
Listen Sony.. KB worked because there was no aspiration in the campaign to anything cool or hip.
Marcus (any nothing against the kid, he actually does a pretty decent job) just reeks of a committee trying to emulate the KB success while trying to be “hip, cool and with it”. You guys are trying too hard.
Marcus Rivers is pretty awesome!!
These new PSP ads are terrible. You can’t recreate Kevin Butler’s access by hiring someone different to try and do what is essentially the same thing (though the PSP ads don’t really have a punchline to it). If anything, these ads make me NOT want a PSP and if you plan on placing these types of ads out for a PSP2 then forget about it. I’d much rather go with the competitor’s handheld because their commercials don’t feature someone annoying & arrogant (which will attract the same type of crowd to the PSP).
Honestly, you should’ve had Kevin Butler do the PSP ads as well. I would rather take those old squirrel PSP commercials than this new one. I don’t even want to support the PSP or its products because if I do then it will be like supporting this atrocious commercial.
I don’t like it at all. Really big stereotypical attitude and I don’t need to listen a 12 years old kid calling me “dog”. KB is a good actor, funny and clever; this kid is just an annoying bad actor. I love my PSP but I don’t like this new campaign. I don’t the sales on the PSP are going so well to become so pretentious. Teenagers will love either way.
Do not like the new commercials at all. The “Marcus” character’s scripted attitude is trashy IMO.
The mixed reactions above pretty much sum up mine.
Especially the price drop. The games are pretty close to decent now (except for RPGs, a serious problem to be sure).
interesting ads, although Marcus seems like he’s trying to hard, but they don’t make me want to go out & get a PSP.
Marcus rimes with a-nus
The real name of the actor is Bobb’e J. Thompson. That’s one of the reasons why Marcus Rivers doesn’t work as well as Kevin Butler, not just for the attitude. It is obvious that he just an actor reading the script because this kid has several movies and tv shows on his back.
Also I think the campaign should give more useful information to people that don’t care about the psp, like:
1) PSP and internet
2) mp3
3) video/movie
4) picture
5) radio station
6) skype
You guys make a campaign directed to people who already have/like the PSP, that’s not really useful marketing. The same case with the PSPgo, I don’t understand what audience are you targeting.
“I’m tired of these kidds talking about some weak app on a phone!”
I really want to buy a PSP Go, but lots of games don’t come out digitally–they’re UMD only. If I could get any game on Memory Stick, and use it with a PSP Go, I’d get one. I don’t like the PSP3000 because it’s too big; I prefer the form factor of the PSP Go.
I’ve put in this idea several times, and it never gets published. There are many other ideas suggesting some form of copying some games to Memory Stick; however, my idea is different: make a way to copy-protect Memory Stick (if they aren’t already) and release games on Memory Stick instead of UMDs (full packaging, user manuals, and a Memory Stick with the game on it).
We’ve gone to rich snobs owning PSP at pool parties to a thug. I don’t think any ad campaign will help the PSP. Maybe a price drop on all units may boost it.
It would certainly be nice if Sony (and third party PSP developers) would step THEIR game up and actually get more content from the PSP library up on the PSN Store for those of us who actually bought PSP Go models, expecting the Go to actually be supported at least half as vigorously as the PSP 3000 and such…
Having recently come back to the PSP Fold in the past month, I am looking forward to this re-focusing of marketing on the PSP and its library of games. It truly is an awesome system with many capabilities, my favorite of which is the ability to connect to always near full PS3 through the internet. :-D