My videos for the new XCOM2 game create a niche internet sensation.

I was recently hired to create four unusual pre-launch PR videos for XCOM2, a turn based strategy/action video game. The game takes place in a world in which aliens have taken over Earth, and the player leads a small band of guerrilla soldiers to fight back.

The promotional videos, designed to create anticipation in the UK audience, take the form of video tutorials and walk throughs, but unlike the typical presentation, these are presented by veteran newsreader and children’s TV presenter Fred Dinenage (How – ITV, How2 – ITV) who explains from his post apocalyptic space ship your role and responsibilities as well as the techniques that will help save the planet and defeat the aliens.

Youtube, gamer magazines, blogs and forums were awash with comments. Everything from Americans asking: “who is the bald guy?” to

“hysterical – I needed this!”

“What the Dinenage”

“This may be the greatest piece of regional specific marketing I’ve ever seen.”

“lol what the ****, I actually needed this but what a hilarious way to present it”

“You know **** gets real when Fred Dinenage tells you about an alien threat..”

“what an epic blast from the past… Whoever came up with this idea, give them a raise!”

“Brilliant – this is just perfect – thank you”.

And of course “That’s HOW for NOW!”

PC Games News even theorised that Fred Dinenage was inadvertently responsible for the fall of the Earth in the first place, in this rather peculiar article.

The other three videos in the series

The videos were made for 2K Games at 4MediaRelations.