Public Relations for Game Developers

Gama Network Presents:

Public Relations for Game Developers
By Katherine Oliver
Gamasutra
March 28, 2000
URL: http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20000328/oliver_01.htm

Let’s face it – when you’re developing a game, every painstakingly creative accomplishment is big news. Every new creature, every new tree, every new spell or weapon is something to be celebrated and cherished. Unfortunately, much of it is a face only a mother could love. With so many genres and so many new games developing, launching, and spawning sequels, press coverage is sometimes difficult to get, but can make or break even a great game. Announcing every pizza that the team orders and every new word printed in the manual is a quick way to have your real news make a direct trip from the inbox to deleted - unread.

Truth be known, a lot of developers simply don’t have much time to do any PR for their game or the training in journalism, multimedia distribution, or public relations that it takes to create a strategy and the guidelines for promoting a game. Granted, gargantuan developers often have the funds to hire an agency to do their promotional campaign, but smaller, more focused developers have limited resources and are working to get the game out, not squawk about it. After seeing numerous mistakes, from promoters pelting the press with the announcement of every new hair on the hero’s head to great games getting passed by because the team didn’t feel the need or have the resources to promote it, I have put together some basic PR guidelines for developers. I hope that it saves some time and money and gets the best games in front of the gamers for whom they were created.

Information and Materials You Need

When you begin working on a game and the basic information is pinned down, it’s a good time to announce the upcoming game. Announcing the title, platforms, tentative release date, and genre informs the press and gamers that there is a new game on the horizon and gives them a taste of what the game will be like. The announcement can also provide the game with exposure to the publishing community if a publisher has not yet been chosen.

The announcement should include the title, property information (if the title is property based or a sequel), genre, details about gameplay, platforms the game will be created for, competitive likeness (how the game is like or not like competing games), and information about the developer and development team. Providing the press with this necessary information saves time on reduced follow-up efforts and allows the announcement to go out while it’s still news. If you leave pertinent information out, the press will either prints insufficient information or they will have to contact you, which may take days during times when you’re very busy. If it takes too long or too much effort to get the necessary information, your announcement stands a good chance of dying. On that note, make certain that when you send out the announcement you provide several correct numbers so you may be reached for comments, quotes, or questions that the press may have.

Offering adequate information and making yourself easily accessible will be much appreciated and, in turn, will likely get your game announced to the very gamers for whom you’re creating it. Any artwork or screenshots that are developed add to your announcement, as they provide a visual feel for where the game is going and offer a sample of your artistic and technological style. Artwork also provides a visual bookmark – something that will allow your audience to map the game’s development as well as give them a referent when they are purchasing games to remember your announcement and art.

Newsworthy Events in the Development Process

In addition to the initial announcement of a new game, announcements of the official fansite going live, the game reaching testable beta stage, the game going Gold Master, and of course, the launch are newsworthy events and merit dropping word to the gaming press. In addition to sending a concise, informative press release, artwork is a must. Receiving artwork throughout the development process really allows the press and the consumer to follow the game’s progress and gives them a feel for what the end product will look like.

Sending demos for preview and review also helps gauge the game’s development process and provides useful feedback on the game from the people that know games best – those who review hundreds of games, write hundreds of reviews, and are the primary consumers of games – the gaming press. Occasionally, developers are hesitant to send their precious creation out to the press for review. It may be that the developer has seen some low ratings (12 out of 100) or fear having their graphics slammed for one reason or another. The problem is that if people who review, play, and purchase games all of the time give you a bad review, they will likely not be the only one. It might hurt to expose the demo and put it on the line for throngs of people to criticize and pick apart, but it will hurt a lot less to catch and repair those mistakes now than for sales to suffer as everyone under the sun mocks the finished product. Withholding the demo for testing also creates assumptions in the community about the quality of the game, or lack thereof.

On the other hand, if you create a spectacular game with amazing graphics and advanced technology, the beta will be highly reviewed and excitement will build until release (which can be very good for reputation and sales). A following will develop and consumers will anxiously mark days off of their calendar as the release date nears. And although we are all very aware that those dates are, well, tentative at best, keeping as true as possible to schedule and keeping the press informed of that schedule can do nothing except help your game.

Helping the Press Help You

In addition to providing concise, accurate information about newsworthy events during the development of a title, there are a few simple things that will aid you in being a helpful news source instead of an obstacle to acquiring clear information. The most important of these is being familiar with the different publications. Different game sites and publications have different styles, cover different genres, and look for different kinds of information. Some sites thrive on interviews and diaries from the development team whereas others strive to provide the most screenshots and demos. You cherish your game, you’ve built it from the ground up and you want it to receive individualized attention and consideration. So do these media outlets.

If you make a PC game, don’t send a press announcement to a console-only site. It’s a waste of time and, chances are, the reply will not be favorable. You’ll likely be remembered when you have a title in the future that is appropriate for that site and the game will not receive the attention it deserves. Also, make certain that you know of deadlines specific to different publications and sites. It will help if you know when the editors add news to their sites and when they need to have features and interviews done in order to get them posted. Print publications generally print their deadlines and print schedules to aid contributors in providing timely, appropriate information. Some degree of foresight is necessary when sending information to print media as their publications generally lag a month to six weeks. Providing the name and contact details of one or two key people who can interact with the press throughout the development process will allow a consistent flow of information and an easily accessible point of contact for the editor.

Using Your Website as a Press Resource

Maximize your company’s website by making contact information clear and providing fresh information and development updates. Constantly updating the information about your title allows the press to track your progress and issue your news at their leisure. Creating a section of your website exclusively for the press is also beneficial. The press section can provide art, screenshots, and interview opportunities that merit attention, but are not significant enough to send out individual press releases. The press section should also reiterate contact information for the press liaison such that if someone loses pertinent numbers or email addresses, they know where to find them.

Keeping an archive of issued news and a schedule for developments in the title’s creation helps editors gauge when follow-ups should be done and when they should look for additional information on your title. The developer’s website should be the primary source of information on the game’s development. The website needs to have clear links and efficient organization so that needed information is easily retrieved. Supplying the website link on all correspondence will build traffic to the site and aid editors in collecting the materials they need to keep their audience informed. Providing a list of fansites for your game allows people to further explore your title and the following behind it.

Including the Press in Promotional Events

Promoting the game can easily become an extension of creating it. The momentum a good game achieves during the final months of its creation (when the light at the end of the tunnel is visible) is enthralling. An excellent way to enhance that momentum and build excitement with the press and the consumer is to invite the press to promotional events.

If the development team hits a snag and release will be delayed or if everything is going rather smoothly and the title is going gold master, be open for interviews. Invite the press to the studio to see the development process themselves. Invite them to preview and review the game at different stages. Provide occasional updates in a developer’s diary. Challenge editors to duels and competitions in the game. Nothing is as challenging as trying to beat the developer at his own game. You will become familiar with the editors, what they look for, how they write, their deadlines and preferences, and will include them in promoting your title. More importantly, you can build relationships with other people who share your one true love – games.