Video game companies have invaded Vegas Sphere, making it a sort of battleground—but that’s good business for Sphere. Last Week, Microsoft ran an ad for Xbox on Sphere. The advertisement was part of the company’s holiday season marketing campaign. However, it was also timed to coincide with TwitchCon, also taking place in Las Vegas.
The Sphere (previously called MSG Sphere) is an entertainment arena with an 18,600-seat capacity and the largest spherical building in the world. All the seats have high-speed internet access and 10,000 of those seats allow guests to feel sound vibrations.
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The exterior of Sphere is covered by 580,000 sq ft of LED displays, which gives it a striking visual that imposes adverts on the city’s iconic Strip. Towering 366 feet tall and 516 feet wide at the widest point, the Sphere has changed the Vegas skyline, adding dimension and light to the city.
The ‘Xbox Power Your Dream’ brand campaign started back in October 2020, leading up to the launch of the Xbox Series X|S. This year’s campaign featured a live-action recap of some of the biggest games released on the platform this year.
The live-action trailer titled Wake Up and Dream featured a custom score by Son Lux, a BAFTA-nominated band, and Academy Award nominee for the musical score to the movie Everything Everywhere All at Once. It was a terrific week for Microsoft and Xbox with the closing of the $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
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According to Microsoft, “You don’t need to worry about logic. Instead, play. Experience what your brain can’t find words for. There are thousands of worlds waiting to see what you can do. Because in your dreams, you can.”
PlayStation also took over the Sphere with Spider-Man 2
PlayStation obviously didn’t want Xbox to have all the fun and couldn’t wait for the week to run out before taking over the Sphere. The PlayStation advert was about the recently launched Spider-Man 2 and was shorter than that of Xbox.
The advert first showed the face of Peter’s Spider-man before that of Miles and wrapped up with Venom flashing its sharp teeth with its tongue sticking out. The advert ended with the game’s cover art. This is a sight that the people in Vegas will not get tired of seeing every week.
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Last month, Mortal Kombat 1 also took over the Sphere a few weeks after it was launched. Different characters from the game showed off their skills. The iconic cast of characters ran twice every hour from September 21 until September 25. It was a sight that many couldn’t get over.
Putting up an advert on the Sphere is not cheap. According to a pitch deck for the venue, it cost about $450,000 to put up an advertising campaign for a day on the Vegas Sphere. Although released on Friday, October 20, the game has received massive accolades, making it one of the highest-rated PlayStation games.
On Metacritic, a score aggregator site, the game garnered an average score of 91 from 130 critical reviews. Spider-Man 2 sees Peter and Miles face familiar enemies like Lizard and Sandman and newer foes including Venom and Kraven the Hunter.
A recent interview with the Spider-Man 2 Narrative Director suggests that a Venom spinoff may become a reality if fans of the franchise request it. Meanwhile, it appears Vegas Sphere will be the new standard for AAA games marketing—and the new ring for the console war.
Have you experienced the Sphere before? How would you describe the experience? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.
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