Your Key to Game Exposure: Press Release Roadmap
Hello from the new issue of GameDev’s Journey!
Thank you for those who have subscribed to the newsletter since the last issue. I hope you enjoy and find these things useful as much as I do. In today’s issue:
Press Release Roadmap
Recently released assets
Asset bundles, articles, tips, and more
LET’S GO.
Press Release Roadmap
Media coverage is the lifeblood of your game's visibility.
You want as many players and reviewers as possible to experience and talk about your game. To achieve this, you need to identify the right individuals and get your game into their hands with an engaging press kit.
Let's dive into the two key aspects: creating your press list and effectively reaching out to them.
Building Your Press List
Create a Spreadsheet: Start with creating a spreadsheet using Excel or Google Sheets (or Notion if you are like me). This spreadsheet should include all the necessary info you might need: Name, email, social media links, websites, platforms, etc. Here is an example:
Identify the Right Contacts: Next step is to find the right people to fill this spreadsheet with. List 10 to 30 games that are similar to yours. Then search streamers, influencers, content creators who played/reviewed these games. (Don’t forget small streamers and niche sites!)
Fill in the Details:: Fill the spreadsheet with whatever available on the internet. If you can't find an email address, it might be a deliberate choice by the content creator.
Reaching Out
If you create your spreadsheet early, it should build up in time as you go. And once the right time comes, you can reach out!
When: Michelle Lega, Senior Producer at Armor Games, suggests that you should reach out in these key moment:
Game Announcement
Launch Timeframe Announcement
Demo Release
Launch Day
How: Your email should include: short description of your game, a link to your Steam page, a Steam key, screenshots or/and gifs, and finally, your press kit.
Make sure your email is clear, to-the point, and include all the information necessary. Read this thread by Blitz, a gaming YouTuber, where he talks how game devs should contact content creators. He says it’s important to:
Understand the channel's audience
Include a few images and a link to your trailer and Steam page
Include the status of your game and an embargo time
Assume the content creator knows nothing about your game
Give them time to record content if you want coverage for your game on release date or an update
Keep track of how many times you've contacted each individual to avoid coming across as spammy.
Here is how Joe Henson, one of the developers of Paranormal Tales contacts press. He says, “I try to keep my message straight to the point. But notice the title? That was my hook, and the references were my anchor. All the necessary info, website, press kit, and Steam page were included. (Little tip: I always include their first name and ask if there’s anything else they need to reach out to me)”
Creating an Effective Press Kit
Press kits simplify the lives of content creators.
They should contain all the information these creators need to understand your game's unique qualities and why it's worth featuring. Simple? Yes. Easy? No!
Your press kit should include:
A cool header image
A game description with quick differentiating facts
Downloadable logos and icons
Images and gifs (remember, these are the images press will use. Choose accordingly)
Trailer and other related videos
Pricing details
A "Request Copy" button
Comprehensive information about you and your studio (name, location, publisher, website, social media links, etc.)
Your contact info (make this easily accessible)
Any related links
Supported platforms and stores
Downloadable demo (if applicable)
Frequently asked questions about your game
Ensure all content in your press kit is clear, concise, and in the third person for easy copy-pasting. Remember, all we are trying to do is making life easier for those who want to cover our games and help us reach a wider audience.
You can provide your kit via Dropbox with everything zipped in a single folder, or make it available online. (Experienced devs suggest you have accessible online in any case).
Examples
Tiny & Big in Grandpa’s Leftovers
Tools
Thankfully, there are tools making this process easier.
presskit(): Open, free-to-use and easy tool for creating online press kits.
presskit.html: A static site generator for presskit().
Press Kitty: Easy-to-use tools and templates to create an effective press kit.
IGDB: Owned by Twitch, IGDB provides you simple editing tools. It also enables Twitch streamers to tag your game.
Wanderbots Email & Press Kit Templates
Conclusion
Media coverage can make or break your project. Crafting a comprehensive press list, reaching out effectively, and creating an engaging press kit are essential steps in maximizing your game's exposure. By following these strategies, I hope you can increase the chances of your game receiving the attention it deserves and ultimately reaching a wider audience.
Assets
The Empyrean- Ruins and Fortress Kit
🎮Game Engine: Unreal Engine
💵Price: 64.99 USD
“Introducing an environment toolkit, meticulously crafted with a fusion of medieval Indian aesthetics and assorted cultural influences. Unleash a treasure trove of assets, empowering you to forge majestic castles, formidable fortresses, haunting ruins, and labyrinthine dungeons like never before.”
City Characters
🎮Game Engine: Unreal Engine
💵Price: 11.99 USD
The package contains 12 Male templates and 12 female templates.
Toon Farm Pack
🎮Game Engine: Unity
💵Price: 98 USD
“A massive collection of assets to create beautiful environments to your game. Over 2,200 prefabs, ranging from Modular Buildings, to Animals, Characters, and Agricultural Plants.”
New Free Assets
Fantasy Map Assets Pack Lite (Unity): “This fantasy map asset pack lite can be used to create basic world maps for fantasy style game. It includes backgrounds, overlays, islands, icons, trees, mountains and even photoshop brushes.”
70 presets for TREEGEN 2023 (Unity): “70 additional tree presets for TREEGEN 2023!”
Modular To Do Lists - Offline Project Management Tool (Unity): “This is a free, powerful, easy-to-use tool that lets you create, manage, and organize your projects in Unity entirely offline. It is suitable for small tasks and powerful enough to manage the entire project.”
Me
Reading: Wisdom of Crowds by Joe Abercrombie. The final book of Age of Madness trio. The second book was hell of a ride. Let’s see how the final holds up.
Watching: House of the Dragon and Wheel of Time Season 2 (I hated the first season, but I’m curious how they’re going to handle season 2).
Playing: P:WotR. Going through Act 5. Almost there…
Listening:
Thanks for reading!
Please note that I’ll be away from my computer during October (this was written one month before). I’ll be back in November.
And that’s it from today’s issue of GameDev’s Journey. I hope you enjoyed it and find it useful. If you did, please like and leave a comment. Reach out for suggestions, objections, questions, or just say hi!
But regardless, thank you so much for reading, and have a great game dev journey!