Take-Two Interactive’s 2K has found a way to combine such concepts that have been separated by pro and leisure gamers through its creator program, NextMakers.
“We always start with the human and try to understand who they are,” 2K global CMO Melissa Bell told Adweek.
What works for influencers
NextMakers allows creators and publishers to create a long-term partnerships in lieu of one-off relationships. “Too often, publishers and creators work together in a transactional way. We’re changing that by focusing on the process just as much as the product with our creator community,” Bell said.
The program offers perks like direct access to the 2K creator team, revenue-generating opportunities and access to information about upcoming launches. These open lines of communication allow the creators to feel like they are not just KPIs to an influencer marketing team, but truly partners in the game’s success.
“When you’re talking about a game that you’ve been playing since the infancy of it, you never [imagine] you will be working with that game,” said gaming creator Uncle Demi, who started streaming during the Covid-19 pandemic. “It was pretty amazing to see that people at 2K were reaching out to up-and-coming streamers and creators that they thought had potential.”
Most creator programs require creators to have a certain amount of followers and engagement before approaching them. 2K, on the other hand, puts a premium on authenticity over numbers. “It’s about understanding our product offering and the values that that product delivers … connecting that with the player, and then bringing it all to life in the most creative, interesting way,” said Bell.
“It was like they naturally saw my content,” said gaming creator Lele Genkai. “They saw what I brought to the table.”