PR in the gaming industry

When I started as a public relations specialist in the gaming industry, I soon knew the basics like when to send press releases, to produce relevant news value for the right journalists, etc. But I began to wonder how I could implement PR tactics effectively in the world of games. Now I realise that you need a custom PR approach, which works for a specific (niche) market, in my case gaming.
I would love to share some personal tips for any fellow PR specialist, who wants to or has started working in this great, innovative industry.

1. Know your product, so know your games!
This may sound like the most logical thing in the world, but this PR rule is not always followed through. It’s rather unprofessional if you can’t answer standard questions from game journalists, because you don’t have any experience with the product or service your company is offering. More than once during my career have I encountered PR and communication specialists who are great at what they do, but they couldn’t tell me a thing about video games. I immediately lose interest when this happens, and so will a lot of gaming journalists.

“But I’m just not a gamer.” No problem! You don’t have to be a hardcore gamer or need to have a major retro collection at home to be a good PR for your game company. The beautiful thing about games is that a lot of them are very accessible. Simply showing interest in a game is more than enough.

2. A creative industry needs creative PR
Being successful in a creative industry like gaming, demands originality. Without fresh ideas or an unconventional approach, this market would seize to evolve. This principle applies to all game developers who have to keep their audiences excited, while publishers have to come up with new marketing techniques to let their game stand out. But this should also apply to other players in this industry; from HR managers to, you guessed it, PR specialists.

So don’t stick to the boring, standard press releases, which maybe would have worked in other branches. Take a chance and think of PR tactics that aren’t that obvious. Talk to a gaming journalist in the chatroom of his favourite game for example, or start a friendly discussion on a subreddit. And – if you do PR for a game developer – livestream the game, while answering questions from press and fans. I once even saw a media kit that looked like a game level; the possibilities are endless. So, take a chance and it will be effective.

3. Timing is everything
Embargo and deadlines are things of the past, I hear a lot of my PR colleagues say. This may be the case in most markets, but I’ve noticed an entirely different trend in the gaming industry.

Throughout the years a great number of game news sites have emerged and nearly all of them have the same angle; to bring the news as fast as possible.

As a PR specialist you always aim to meet journalists’ needs, in this industry it means you need to be extra careful with timing. When certain news has already been published at competing news sites, journalists will not be grateful for your late press release.
Embargos in general can help to prevent these kinds of situations. This is also a way to deal with media outlets from different time zones.
Was your press release last-minute or is an embargo out of the question? Perhaps you can make agreements with certain journalists about exclusive content for their outlet, like interviews.

4. It’s a big, small world
The gaming industry has an incredibly large network and everybody knows everybody. It surprised me on multiple occasions how deep some connections go within my network. One time at the E3 game convention, a journalist already knew the content of an appointment I had only two hours earlier.

Of course, this brings a lot of opportunities; you can easily broaden your network if you know how to use your current contacts efficiently. As long as you don’t forget that news travels fast, which won’t always work out in a good way.

My advice is to use your network with care.

5. Be open, but polite
Players in the gaming industry are known for being relaxed and having an open way of communication. So don’t be that stiff PR lady or mister and please skip the ‘dear Sir/Madam’.

It’s truly a delight to communicate with other professionals in the industry semi-casually, but don’t get carried away.
Gaming press might giggle a bit at an over-the-top formal mail, but getting a ‘hi there, Kevin old pal’ at the very first call is not appreciated. This way or approaching a journalist for the first time could come across as you not taking him or her seriously.
So, be friendly but show respect in your communication towards press. Keep it that way and who knows, maybe after a while you can say ‘hi there, Kevin old pal’ without it being awkward.