Corporations are evil. Ok Google: how to destroy humanity?

The degree of immersion in the setting determines the loyalty of users. Developers daily face a growing need for involvement, and players always want something more: new locations, levels, characters. Soon created game universes will not be enough and you will need a portal connecting them with the real world. Some companies have long been working in this direction and are not afraid to experiment. A non-standard solution to the problem of involving players has become the sites of in-game corporations.

Umbrella Corporation
Game: Resident Evil
Established: June 2007



Want some cult weapons? Umbrella personally guarantees quality! If this is not enough, there are photos from customers on the site , and numerous video reviews on YouTube.

The site was launched in parallel with the release of Resident Evil 4 on Wii and PC, and then the movie Resident Evil: Extinction was released. When your game is the best-selling in its genre, creating and maintaining a similar site is not a problem. And 168,000 subscribers on the official Facebook account are a good indicator for a non-existent company.

Sarif Industries
Game: Deus Ex
Founded: February 2010



The atmosphere of the site is overwhelming: Eidos Montreal not only created it, but also hacked implant technology on behalf of opponents. So against the background of beautiful advertising and tempting slogans, we see the terrible truth of the Deus Ex universe.
The Sarif Industries website, like the Deus Ex: Icarus Effect book, became part of a promotional campaign for the release of the much-anticipated Deus Ex: Human Revolution prequel. With a webcam, everyone can take a realistic selfie with an implant.

Omnicorp
Game: RoboCop
Established: July 2012



Think it's easy to be a robot? Test your reaction and analytical skills in the role of Robocop directly on the Omnicorp website. The tests, however, are simple and short, but the company's products are presented much better - a detailed description, 3D models and video presentations.

The site was launched with the release of the remake of the RoboCop movie in 2014. Then the studio GLU Mobile released an official game based on this film. Company videos total about half a million views, and the official Facebook account has attracted 30,000 subscribers.

Weyland-Yutani Corporation
Games: Aliens vs. Predator Aliens: Colonial Marines; Alien: Isolation
Established: March 2012



If you want to work in the most powerful and influential corporation on Earth, welcome to Weyland-Yutani. Prove yourself in the training center and evaluate your chances of employment by rating. An employee card is issued instantly ... by you. But, alas, in order to become an employee of Weyland-Yutani, you will have to completely forget about morality and use Internet Explorer, since it was Microsoft and IE that at one time became the official sponsors of this project.

The site was created as part of the Prometheus movie promotion. Therefore, all the interactive features in it are tied to the Weyland-Yutani company of the same name.

Black Mesa
Games: Half-Life, Black Mesa
Established: November 2013



Some companies let the public know about themselves as much as the company needs. Black Mesa works to make humanity's future a better place. You will see this by looking at the site, which is essentially a commercial. True, in the end something obviously went wrong there ...

In 2013, the site looked different: the company's classic business card - description of projects, news, contacts. Since January 2015, an “emergency radio message” about the explosion and evacuation, which quickly spread through the network, was broadcast through the site. So began preparations for the appearance of the Black Mesa shooter on Steam. Today, the site is set to automatically redirect to the game’s page on Steam.

Aperture Science
Game: Portal
Established: July 2006



Christmas is still not associated with Portal? Then go to the Aperture Science website, watch the video again and again ... Get into the Christmas spirit! Want more? The old version of the site is available thanks to web.archive and other similar services that store everything that has ever been on the Internet. The old site is interactivity itself. There are plenty of instructions for using it online. At the same time, many mistakenly take the archive for the company's secret site.
Aperture Science was launched before the release of Portal and replaced with a new version in 2011, right in time for the release of the second part.

Excellia Battlefield Systems
Game: Soldiers Inc.
Established: April 2013



It's time to seriously think about your safety. A couple of tanks and a small helicopter will look quite impressive. For those who have doubts, there are customer reviews, an annual financial report, and the possibility of returning unused products almost free of charge (is 92% of the purchase amount money?).
The site came out simultaneously with the launch of the game.

The Epsilon Program
Game: GTA
Founded: June 2004



You do not want to give some money for a good cause? More precisely, a lot. Seriously, the Epsilon Program will change your life. The underlying ideas are simple and understandable, the revelations of the believers are convincing, and the music on the site ... does not turn off - it looks like hypnosis.
The program first appeared in GTA San Andreas, and the site became part of the game’s PR campaign. Interest in the site increased, respectively, with the release of GTA 4 and GTA 5, in which there are also references to the cult of the Epsilon Program.

Come to the dark side

It’s worth evaluating the success and profitability of these projects only within the framework of the entire PR campaign, however, such experiments not only attract new players, but also support the interest of existing ones: this is a good expansion of the game universe for its real fans, and as a media occasion, such sites make a fuss. around the game project, providing him with interest from potential players.

And which gaming corporations immediately come to mind to you?