Top 5 Media Tips for Game Developers

Anything is possible in the world of gaming. In the realworld, however, your game can get obliterated in no time if you don’t listenand talk the language of your users. You might have a fantastic product on yourhands. But communicating this on the right channels, at the right time, in theright tone is the order of the day. The gaming world has definitely tappedmarketing in a big way. However advertising dollars can only get you that farif you are a small game developer. More importantly, smaller game developers aremostly cash strapped. Therefore, the right amount of media attention couldactually be a huge ‘game changer’ in their overall success.

As a PR professional and an avid gamer, here are top 5 thingshat come to mind when you want to garner the right amount of positive mediaattention to your gaming app.

Compelling Hook –Whether you are a game developer or a pin manufacturer, you definitely needhat one compelling hook for consumers to engage with you. Since the beginningof time, we are fascinated and moved by a great story. With thousands of gamesvying for media attention, it is important to break the clutter and say what’sdifferent in your game. Several casual games like Timberman hook up their userswith one simple task at hand. In Timberman you are simply chopping a huge treerunk as a lumberjack. Games that break monotony always appeal to a wideraudience. I recently read about DreamWorks andMicrosoft unveiling a dragon-themed exploration game that usesreal-world data like maps, traffic, weather and time of the day. It even applieshis logic to whichever country / city you are in. How cool is that for astory. Anybody loves a great story. The media is no exception. Your game mustlive up to this very basic requirement. Think PR early and not after theproduct is developed. Understand if you are having an awesome story to narrateeven while the game is being developed.

PR Agency / Consultant– Work with them to understand what really sells. If you areon a tight budget, PR consultants can be a good option. They are usually aone-man show and can take up a project like launching your game for the Press.Most importantly, they have the contacts in the media to know where your storyis most likely to be picked, who are the journalists who would love it and howo reach them. Never look at engaging with a PR consultant / agency when yourgame is ready. Make them part of your build about 3-5 months before launch and mapout your exact media strategy. The power of the written word is irreplaceable.So you must make sure you are seen in the press at the right time for the rightreasons.

Game Personality –Today, life does revolve a lot ‘around’ your product as much as your productitself. Be it an iPhone or Angry Birds, these products generate more PR notonly because of what they offer but also their ability to become a personality.The accessories they create around the brand are a great example. Take theGoogle Doodles. I know it’s not a game. But it makes you do something at times.Your action doesn’t solve any problem. But by simply doing a fun thing, theylead users to their own search data on a certain topic. People connect withpersonalities better than they connect with brands. In the case of Angry Birds,he accessories market has exploded. You can now wear the brand, thus enhancingyour association with it. So make your product ‘walk and talk’ at some point.

Pitching it Right – Whenyou pitch a gaming story to media, it is important to strike the right chordfrom the word go. Remember, your email is perhaps your best and the only shoto impress. Subject lines in emails can make or break your pitch. It’s yourheadline for a story you are about to say. If you have already got publicityfor your game in the media, try not to refer to it. No media likes to know thathey are not top priority. Instead, understand what each publication or aspecific journalist prefers to cover and tailor-make the news for them. Pitchhe right thing to the right publication. Lastly, journalists are alsoconsuming information on the go, mostly on their smart phones. So if your pitchmakes them scroll down to the deep ends of the ocean before getting to thepoint, you have already lost them. Keep it crisp and ensure a ‘wow’ factor.

It’s not always about the game – Remember,when you pitch to the media, your story need not necessarily be about your game.It could be an innovative way you developed it using various interesting tools.It could be your visuals that are unheard of, or perhaps investments in yourgame, which is backed a popular personality. Any of these things aspects could makenews. For instance, if your game instantly got one million hits, it’s worthleading your pitch with that because it has the ability to instantly attractattention. The rest of the story can follow. In some other cases, your gamecould perfectly pitch for a trend story. For instance, if the journalist coversnature and environment, it might interest them to know that your game uses realimages of the parks and gardens in your city as part of the game.