Marathon's Promotional Ride Hits Turbulence Amidst New Rumors
It seems like the waters are getting quite choppy for Bungie's forthcoming sci-fi shooter Marathon. After the recent and quite informal plagiarism incident, where the studio admitted to having done something wrong, the promotional ride for the game is now being tipped by new rumors to take an unexpected ride.
Sony Reportedly Halts Paid Advertising for Marathon
Insider Colin Moriarty dropped this bombshell on the Sacred Symbols podcast, stating that Sony is now apparently stopping any further paid advertising for Marathon. He was reportedly told by someone who knows of marketing strategy in a very big overseas market. Quote:
"there are currently no plans to promote Marathon for a fee."
Now, that is a pretty big statement for a game that is expected to have such a big scale. Is this a measure that stemmed directly from the back-and-forth surrounding plagiarism. Has it been part of the plan all along anyway. Or are there more secrets brewing behind the scenes. Moriarty himself said he wasn't so sure of the exact reason but did call it a "very unusual solution."
Community Speculation and Potential Postponement
Naturally, this news has stirred the gaming community. Many are now speculating that Marathon, which was pegged for a September release across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series, now may encounter a postponement. Thus far, both companies have been tight-lipped on these speculations, leaving fans in a lurch.
Waning Enthusiasm and Alpha Feedback Concerns
While excitement had soared with the initial announcement of Marathon coming from the Destiny makers, enthusiasm seems to have waned with every additional piece of news since. Alpha testing feedback in recent days can be summarized, to put it mildly, as not great. Players were saying that outside of the art direction (which, as we now know had borrowed from indie artist Antireal), there was not much in relation to gameplay itself that really appealed to them.
What Is Next for Marathon.
So what is next for Marathon. Only time will tell if this change in advertising means a change in the development of the game or its release schedule. For now, the community sits back to watch and wait.
