We’re about a month away from the highly anticipated release of The Dark Knight Rises, the final chapter of Christopher Nolan’s Batman legend. So far, we haven’t had much of a viral campaign set in the world of the film. But being so close to the release date, Warner Bros. has announced an in-browser tie-in strategy game as well as a partnership with Chrysler for a unique contest. More on both after the jump.
The Fire Rises, an online “real-time strategy game”, was recently announced to launch on Tuesday, June 19th. It will be part of Warner Bros. online marketing for The Dark Knight Rises, since we don’t seem to be getting anymore official ARG action (but who knows?). The news of this game was first revealed by Batman Wikia, who got an exclusive preview. They explain the set up:
The Fire Rises casts players as henchmen, out to get their own piece of Gotham’s pie. With lackeys of their own, players secure territory, spawn various crew members to take out a relentless stream of deadly security officers, and loot valuable gear from nearby buildings, all before Gotham PD shows up in full force and puts an end to your crime spree.
You’ll need a good strategy and a sharp mind in order to successfully pull of the heists. The more you steal, the more crew members you can unlock, including Catwoman. The game will feature three level when it goes online Tuesday, but more will be unlocked closer to July 20th. You can also play against your friends, to see who has the biggest influence over Gotham and compare headquarters.
In other news, Warner Bros. and Chrysler have partnered to bring fans the Imported From Gotham City contest. The contest allows fans to create an original, co-branded tv spot featuring The Dark Knight Rises and Chrysler brands. Christopher Nolan will select the winning spot which will be aired on television around the release of the film. The winner will may also be flown to Los Angeles to take part in production and finishing of the commercial and then flown to New York for the premiere of The Dark Knight Rises.
Contestants will have two weeks to create their commercial utilizing tons of assets, including Chrysler 300 car footage, film footage and music from the trailer that they can remix for their spot. At the end of the contest, a gallery of submissions will go live on Saturday, June 30, and a four-day public voting period will begin. The top 3 commercials at the end of voting will then be evaluated by Christopher Nolan and he will choose the winner.
The Dark Knight Rises in theaters and IMAX on July 20th!