The history of video game popularity in America has been a rocky one; the video game crash of 1983 was particularly distressing. In recent years however, the video game industry has made a heroic comeback; increases in technology have made video games a crucial aspect of American entertainment. As the popularity of video games continues to rise, icons from the industry are becoming popular fashion statements.
The diversity of today’s gamers makes it hard for everyone to enjoy the most popular show of video game loyalty: The T-Shirt. Many people prefer to look more professional in their day to day lives, and t-shirts don’t portray the most polished of looks. Video game branded belt buckles, on the other hand, are unobtrusive while still making an impression. Custom buckles can display anything a company could fathom; buckles can be customized with a game screen shot, a diecast shape of a character from a game, a company name, the name of a best-selling game, the possibilities are truly endless. For example, everyone who was a part of the creative team that developed Mafia Wars 2 received belt buckles with the game logo as an added reward for the launch of the game. Some other companies and video games that have taken advantage of the free marketing that customized belt buckles offer:
- Call of Duty
- Sonic the Hedgehog
- Metal Gear Solid
- Gears of War
- Atari
- Halo
- Super Mario
- Pac-Man
- Space Invaders
Custom belt buckles can be bestowed upon fans in a number of ways:
- Additions to collector’s editions of games.
- Incentives for pre-ordering games.
- Additional revenue source.
- Free advertisements.
- Rewarded to employees for work on a project.
- Prizes for promotional contests.
Custom buckles are an excellent medium to encourage hype in a video game; they allow the wearer to make an unobtrusive, yet bold statement. The possibilities for belt buckle styles and promotions for getting them in the world is truly boundless.