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.
Some of the dislike for these ads and this kid, are coming from a darker place than just, dislike for the ads themselves. But im not going to get into that, let those people be the idiots they are. Great job on the ads Sony. I never felt the PSP needed better games, it’s always had great games, but I did feel it needed more support from you as far as advertising.
Yeah there was the, “get your own” ads, which were very funny by the way, but that’s about it. Now your putting the spotlight on both the games and the system, in the same way that started the climb back to the top for the PS3. Good job guys.
For all you guys who hate this kid. He has more subscribers on youtube, 2x more comment on his profile page and over 3x more channel views than KB. Plus he came months after him.
So no hes not a failure. People like him according to his video ratings.
Awful. very annoying. You really need to give up on the PSP. The PSPGo is a massive failure. The PSP has been crushed year after year by the DS and soon the 3DS will bury the PSP for good. Now probably isn’t the time to be spending millions on an ad campaign for a 6 year old system that no one wants.
This commercial just makes me want to stick to my iphone even more so when it comes to mobile gaming. I can’t stand this kid jawwing up the psp, it sounds terrible to me. The KB adds are way better!
the ad is good. but i dont have money to support another console.
plus im interested in like 4 games.
Please, no more marcus. He’s annoying as all hell. You don’t need a mini Kevin Butler when you have Kevin Butler himself.
@60 TAYLOR SWIFT!!!
Hopefully they keep givin more PSP AND PS3 ads, I LOVED Kev B, but Marcus is alrite too =P
I WANT BOTH!! XD
Love my pspGO
Marcus is okay…not as good as Butler though.
Biggest problem is the lack of a price drop. The was a big factor in the KB ad campaign, so don’t expect the same impact from this one.
There are good games on the way. I’ll be getting Valkyria Chronicles II and KH: Birth by Sleep myself.
These are alright, but just because the script writers are funny. I will never see Marcus as more than just the kid off of Thats So Raven.
KB I basically never saw before except for holiday inn commercials or something, which he basically played the same role so its almost like hes actually KB, which is funny!
With the thrashing you’re taking in the handheld market, I don’t think I’m the one who has to step up my game, if you catch my meaning, Sony.
This is by far the worst and most disappointing ad campaign I’ve seen in a while. Stop wasting money on trying to advertise for it, and put that money towards the development of a new psp. You know one that has 2 joysticks, one that doesn’t make it the easiest thing in the world to pirate for, so maybe devs will actually continually make games for it.
yea peter… don’t care and another thing psn+ is trash i know your lieing about all that great content we are supposed to be getting and value for our buck which is bs put good job lieing to us all.
Wow, lighten up people. The psp is priced well (kids are simply too spoiled today–I’m only 26, and I would have never dreamed of having something this high end when I was young). Get a job, and you’ll appreciate its very reasonable value, psn+ included. Marcus may not appeal to some, especially those around his age, but guys my age think he’s a riot. I can see some potential for hilarious commercials with Marcus. If you want a cheap tween game system and a laughable marketing effort, buy a DS.
As Arnold would say–“Stop whining!”
Kevin Butler
Not a fan. Maybe because I’m not the PSP’s target customer (even though I own several PSP-1000 – 3000s and a PSPgo)… but I’m probably purchasing more content on the PSN Store than the target customer that you’re trying to hit with these ads. Ah well.
give us back Kevin Butler!!!!!
Kevin Butler FTW!!!!
Someone needs to do a better job putting PSP games up on the Playstation Store. I tried to buy Lego Harry Potter and it isn’t online. Why? All new PSP games MUST be available the day they come out in stores. This is one good reason to not buy a PSP Go. I have an original PSP myself but have plenty of memory card space. I bought the PS3 version of Lego Harry Potter instead. Maybe PSP sales would be better if we could buy the games though.
“give us back Kevin Butler!!!!!”
What does that mean? Kevin Butler isn’t gone. He does PS3 commercials. Did he ever do PSP commercials?
Sadly, you guys took a wrong turn at the marketing campaign of the psp. :(
Great commercial, these two go together perfectly.
That is the kid from Role Models right?
Funny Stuff!
The PSP has been hugely successful in Japan, and it’s not because of the advertising campaign. Multiplayer handheld games are huge there because the country is more densely populated and public transportation is so big.
I find “Marcus Rivers” to be a little obnoxious and arrogant, and I don’t find him funny at all (never liked the actor, so might just be my bias). The ad campaign is a nice push, but it’s not going to solve the problem. What Sony needs to do is figure out what will make the console popular outside of Japan and push for more games that fit that market.
I personally don’t mind this Marcus PSP as campaign… but I think it’s funnier and more appealing when Kevin Butler and Marcus are interacting in the commercials…
The first video is interesting because Kevin Butler is a sort of laid back but down to earth kinda guy, while Marcus is more of a crazy, blunt kid. The two work off of each other very well, so I think the commercials should show KB AND Marcus working together!
Just my opinion, but I really think it would help the commercials a lot.
#43, the thing is, aside form games, The PSP is not very good…at all. Especially when it comes to internet browsing, skype or even, MP3’s. The iPhone dit that way much better.
Yes like 5 years ago, the PSP was good for that but nowdays this kind of feature is completly outdated with the competition so I understand that they focussed more on the gaming feature of the PSP.
And they laught at iPhone Games but I Think its the feature of portable device. I’m a hardcore gamer but I have more fun playing mini games on my iPhone than full console game on the PSP and this system lacks this kind of games. I think the portable market is more designed for quick fun little games, not full consoles ones and thats why I completly lose interest on my PSP.
Future of portable device* not feature, sorry for mistake.
I don’t like this. I think they tried too hard to recreate the magic of Kevin Butler and failed miserably.
what really amazes me is the fact that you are doing so much to promote the pspgo, but yet you do absolutely nothing to honestly support it. this is why i will never own a pspgo. my wife and i both have a psp, yet we find it kind of disturbing that not a whole heck of a lot is supported on that platform, granted more than the go, but still not as much as there should be.
Hopefully now we start seeing some good games on the Psn? seriously shouldnt this kind of advertisement been started when the psp first came out? why all of a sudden?
But ya as a Go Owner i really disappointed and unsatisfied of the so called support we have been getting through the Psn. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy Vii, Phantasy Star Portable, Naruto Shippuden : Ultimate ninja heroes 3, Kingdom hearts BBS, etc there are a ton of great games that havent been release on the Psn and there is no excuse for it anymore. Why even bother making a digital only device if it doesnt even play psp game?
Im sorry if im coming off as rude, but like i said as a paying customer im disappointed i got a psp go when my 1k psp died on me and i thought “hey if this is a digital only device sony would have to support it and get all the good games on the psn right?” boy was i wrong. had the Go since December (was an xmas gift) and ya at first it was ok since ya when things are new its not all that great, but its almost a year since this has come out and there are too much games that arent available on the psn.
I agree with Anirask and burnedearth.
Do not put a great divide for the target consumers for a product that could have a broader appeal.
Also, everyone remembers the old PS3 commercials when they seriously pushed for utter coolness too hard. Didn’t work then, will not work now.
I wouldnt care who the spooks men is, Still wont be getting a PSP till you make it the right want. With 2 Joysticks. Bigger screen and lots other stuff.
Coming from a PS fanboy. Tellin you how to do it right
I love his commercials, he is so funny.
As long as they make more KB commercials, I’m cool with it.
lol I love the laugh at 0:10 rofl! He probably should’ve been the PSP ad boy! That said though, I’m a supporter of Marcus. I don’t think KB could’ve done a good job marketing to kids. Kids don’t really respond to older people the same way. That said, of course me as a guy in his early 20s love KB way more.
What the PSP needs is games – not ads like these. Coming from Kevin Butler to this. What a step down. What happened to “The PSP will elevate portable entertainment out of the handheld gaming ghetto”?
I thought the Marcus bit was some X360 hacker extolling the virtues of teabagging on XBLA. Now that I know Sony is actually claiming him as legitimate, I’m glad I never picked up a PSP. Maybe it’s time to pick up another DS.
At least with Kevin Butler, we get humor from a faked cluelessness. When we get attitude from a 12 year old punk, all I’m going to do is tune him out.
I almost feel bad saying it, but this kid is horrible and makes me not want a PSP. Stick with Kevin Butler for the PSP. I understand the idea of making one spokesperson for each system, but this kid is just annoying.
no mention of Digital Comics for PSP ?!?
Will Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep ever come out on the PSP Go? To tell you the truth if they charge an extra $%-$10 for the digital version I’ll still buy it cause this is an awesome game, if this doesn’t come out for the go they will lose alot of psp fans unless another KH comes out exclusively for PSN? Disney of America has no problem with DD especially since u can download a lot of their movies so it shouldn’t be a problem in America.
HILARIOUS TEAMWORK
Kevin Butler=PS3
Marcus Rivers=PSP
(^_^)(^_^)(^_^)(^_^)(^_^)(^_^)
Lol. That lady friend part on the second one killed me.
When Will the Phantasy star portable game be on the play station store ??
Hey Sony you know what would really help sales are REDUCED PSN GAME PRICE for the PSP go. I’m deciding on PSP or PSP go and that was a huge factor and the smaller library and cheaper prices.
I myself am buying the PSPgo next week because of the new Digital Game Pack you guys are offering, but not many people can appeal to the 249.99 price Sony. To really “step up your game” with the PSP and PSPgo they should get price drops.
PSPgo should be 199.99 and the PSP 3000 should be 174.99. I don’t know about you but I think those are better prices, and the bundle pack for the PSP 3000 should still be 199.99. Consider making more bundle packs for the PSPgo, you really only have the Digital Game Pack. Step it up Sony, your prices are the only problem.
KEVIN DONT LEAVE US!!!