too many games full stop. I think we need to start getting more creative in the way we market games. For the past few years, we’ve relied on tried and tested tactics, but as the industry grows, we’ve got to look at how brands outside our own industry stay successful. What can we learn from the likes of Lego or Nike? We’ve reached out to the mainstream, now we must evolve in the way we speak to this new audience where their time and attention is so limited.
Early GOTY contender, but only 300k copies sold
Rana Rahman: Things aren’t bleak from a macro perspective. Multiple industry research firms state an upward trajectory, albeit a cooling of the curve. Newzoo reported that the global game market is growing 0.6% year on year, to £205.7 billion by 2026, despite the recent recalibration happening across the games industry right now, as key big players have likely been exploiting hype curves intentionally, and making massive layoffs. I personally believe that
Q.
Are the days of Twitter/X (Twix?) and mass-email-pitching numbered. What will replace them?
Anita Wong: A good joke? I’m kidding, but also I’m not. We should be more targeted in our approach anyway, and part of that is knowing how (or if!) that joke will land. In more serious terms: do your research, build better connections, and you’ll see results.
Samantha Hardesty: I’m always banging on to my team about how much I hate mass email pitching. The ‘spray and pray’ approach has been dead a long time and although it can absolutely get results, it’s lazy and journalists see right through it. I also don’t think that X’s days are as numbered as people seem to think - people stick to what they know and it’s still a great place to speak to journalists directly, particularly in gaming. Ignoring its flaws, X is still a great place to connect.
the games industry has reached a saturation point, and weaker aspects of the sector will be rooted out (such as high churn hypercasual which is waning, but still huge), and a wave of consolidation will likely occur, as it does in tech. After all, the entire games industry is a technology industry vertical.
Alex Verrey: We have here many parallels with the movie business where sequels and reliable blockbusters are now falling out of favour as consumers seek something new and original. Hogwarts Legacy was not a sequel, it was based on an established franchise for sure, but it delivered wish fulfilment in spades, using IP that was both popular but not overcooked. When you deliver something fresh and the quality is high, games usually find their audience. It’s not a perfect answer for sure, but then if we all knew the secret to a successful game all the time, we’d all be living like Rock Stars!
Danielle Woodyatt: Relationships are still our most valuable asset in PR. X still has its place for now and while we’re seeing lots of folks migrating to newer social media platforms, our approach from a comms perspective stays the same: build personal relationships and figure out how each individual prefers to be approached. For some it might be email, and others, a good old fashioned phone call. There’s no one size fits all approach when it comes to effective comms and we don’t expect that to change anytime soon, even considering the rise of AI technology.
Stefano Petrullo: AI can be used for the greater good with appropriate regulation. In communication, AI can be used to do certain mechanical jobs and analysis while humans focus on creative ideas and building
If hands are still a problem for AI, what hope its PRing abilities? February /March 2024 MCV/DEVELOP | 19
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