The most watched video game trailers for 2018 have been revealed, and gamers aren’t the only ones excited about them. Game trailers can get millions of views, here’s a look at which games got the most in 2018.
Which amazing video game trailers got the most YouTube Views?
According to the figures published by video analytics firm Tubular Insights, there were 19,800 game trailers uploaded throughout 2018. These trailers generated a combined 2.4 billion views on YouTube alone. They also attracted three times the average 30-day engagement rate.
The numbers don’t come as a surprise though as YouTube has been a popular platform for launching games, but these trailers also gained a lot of attention on other platforms:
- Facebook: 578 million views
- Twitter: 66.2 million views
- Instagram: 38.8 million views
This level of engagement illustrates just how popular video game-related content is on any platform.
The most-watched game trailers of 2018
The list of most watched video game trailers for last year shows some interesting trends. Five of the games on Tubular Insights’ top 10 list are for mobile games, illustrating the growing popularity of the category. There were trailers for popular franchises like Fortnite and PUBG, but there were also surprises coming from newer titles.
#1. MARVEL Strike Force
An interesting thing about the MARVEL Strike Force mobile game trailer is that it was originally a TV spot that was later uploaded to YouTube. The trailer has since attracted 68.4 million views on the platform. Tubular Insights said that the combined release for both TV and online settings helped the trailer gain more traction on the latter.
#2. Miraculous Ladybug & Cat Noir
The trailer for TabTale’s mobile game attracted 38.9 million YouTube views since it was uploaded in April 2018. The game is itself a promotional tie-in with the Netflix animated series of the same name. Like MARVEL Strike Force, the trailer for Miraculous Ladybug & Cat Noir took advantage of different platforms simultaneously to generate more interest in the game.
#3. Fallout 76
Fallout 76 was one of the highly anticipated titles to come from the popular Fallout game franchise. Its trailer attracted 34.3 million views since release, even posting the highest average 30-day view count for 2018 at 29.6 million views. The game itself was not able to live up to the massive hype, receiving a lot of negative reviews.
#4. Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 was another highly-anticipated sequel for a popular title. The third trailer for the game gained 28.7 million views on YouTube since it was uploaded on May 2018. It also snagged the highest seven-day view count for game trailers in 2018, at 23.9 million views. Unlike Fallout 76, the game had a good reception upon its release, becoming the top-selling game for the year.
#5. My Talking Tom 2
The Portuguese trailer for the My Talking Tom 2 is the only foreign language trailer that made it into Tubular Insights’ top ten list. It is also noteworthy for gaining 22 million views despite being uploaded only in November.
Some lessons from the top game trailers of 2018 by YouTube Views
One lesson that you can gain from Tubular Insights’s 2018 list of most watched game trailers is the importance of cross-platform marketing. Aside from showing their presence on social media, game developers also created TV ads for their titles. This not only increased their reach but also helped draw more views towards the online platforms.
Catering to a more global audience is also essential. Gaming itself is very much a global industry which encourages developers to create trailers for different regions. This could be as simple as providing subtitles for your videos or recording a foreign language track to accompany the trailers.
Trailers are just a small part of the marketing strategies used for video games. Popular titles often employ other tactics to hype their release. Some titles, like Fortnite, even take advantage of user-generated content to reach out to casual gamers.
Take a closer look at the top game trailers for 2018, and you will learn more about how you can better hype your own content. Who knows, your trailer might become the most watched for this year.
Date: April 16, 2019 / Categories: View Tactics, / Author: Rich Drees
