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Far Cry 3 And The Stranger In A Strange Land Don’t think you guys realise just how many press releases get crammed in our cramholes on a daily basis. And just how many of those press releases are batshit crazy. So let’s take a look!
You know, we get asked the following quite a lot: “hey, you guys should find out about [some game] “. It’s asked like finding a lot of stuff out in this indsutry is easy. Well, it’s not. And you know why it’s not easy? Because of games PR. The slick-haired filter between what we want to know and what game companies get to tell us. While some (some) are proud gamers and are also super-helpful, others are clueless, and some – the worst kind – are lying shitbags. Want to know more? Brandon Sheffield’s written a nice piece over on GameSetWatch, giving you guys a helpful breakdown on how games PR works, what’s wrong with it and what he thinks can be done to fix it.
Opinion: The Game Industry’s PR Problem [GameSetWatch]
If there’s one thing I’ll miss about being a games journo, it’s the promos. They can range from truly excellent to downright WTF, but today THQ has firmly landed in the former category with this branded Saints Row 2 bulletproof vest, which arrived on my doorstep this morning.
It’s not a real vest, just a decent approximation, though if I walked into a bank with this baby and a spray-painted cap gun, I’m sure I’d end up on the ground with a real weapon stuck in my back. That’s what I like to think, in the fantasy land in my head, anyway.
It’s a shame – of sorts – that it has my name on it. It’d make an excellent giveaway otherwise. A less exciting photo of the other side, after the jump.
Update: Okay, not only has THQ confirmed it’s for Saints Row 2, but it’s written on the back of the vest. Where did the confusion come from? Ultor is present in both games.
Fresh off declaring war against the humble R4 cart, Nintendo have issued yet another statement to the press outlining the progress they’re making against software piracy, which has to be the 3rd or 4th they’ve sent out this year. It reads: Nintendo takes a global approach to piracy and has pursued the illegal game copying devices in 11 countries this past year.
Nintendo has worked with enforcement officials in Belgium, China, Denmark, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Korea, Netherlands, Spain, UK, and the US, seizing close to 30,000 infringing game copying products, as well as taking actions against those distributors and manufacturers.
Good for them! Problem is, this kind of approach is about as effective as those “police announce record drug bust” stories on TV. 30,000 “products”? That’s not even a drop in the ocean. Issuing bold PR statements like that isn’t showing us you’re making progress. It’s only drawing attention to the fact you’re not. Nintendo: 30,000 illegal pirate devices seized so far in ’08 [GI.biz]
Over at MTV Multiplayer, Stephen Totilo is hip-deep in Reviews Week, his week-long look at all things having to do with game reviews, from advertising concerns to stupid PR tricks, such as the following response former GameSpot reviewer Alex Navarro received when asking a PR rep when the review for a certain Wii game could be posted.
If the review is 9.0 or higher you can post immediately. Lower than 9.0, could you please hold until launch day, November 19th? Thanks.
Based on communications I’ve had with PR people over the years, yeah…I could definitely see this happening. In this case the GameSpot folks opted to just buy the game at a store and review it, but it makes you wonder, doesn’t it? Video Game Company To Wii Reviewer: Save The Panning For Later, Okay? [MTV Multiplayer]
Activision Announces Big Announcement: Eh, what? All I can say is that I received an email from Activision Oz’s PR earlier today stating that “tomorrow, Activision will be making a major announcement which will involve a press release and other assets”. Feel free to be confused – the publisher does this sort of pre-hype all the time – while I mentally prepare myself for a press release and assets.
Last week, Gamasutra ran an interview with Tom Ohle, vice president of PR & marketing for CD Projekt, creators of The Witcher. They obviously get to talking about games PR, and in particular some of the challenges facing a public relations team when deciding how to market a game. While I don’t agree with many of their points (Ohle’s or that of the interviewer), especially that “major blogs just don’t really cover” the PC that much (we try to give it it’s due whenever & wherever possible), it’s still an interesting read, if only for Ohle’s idea that even a site with just one reader’s worth taking care of, because that’s still one potential customer. Q&A: CD Projekt’s Ohle On The Witcher, PR’s Place In The Blogosphere [Gamasutra]
Sorry, that was a little alarming. You, of course, knew that already. It’s not as if games PR types sit around in ivory towers getting their information from carrier pigeons and whispers on the wind. They find out what you like, don’t like and go “eh” about their games by, yes, trawling through your favourite forum, and reading up on what you – Average Joe – thinks about their games. Same goes for developers as well. Keen to hear more about how it all works? Please, hit the link below for the full 1UP feature, which features chats with, among others, PR reps from 2K & Capcom, as well as NeoGAF owner Tyler Malka. Chairman of the Boards [1UP][Pic]
Hey, PR types: CGI trailers are misleading. Screens can be, too. Fact sheets are boring, community Q&As never really tell us anything and for God’s sake, no more developer diaries, OK? If you want to get reader’s attention, do what Vivendi just did to start drumming up attention for their Ghostbusters game, and give the people they want. They want to see some cool shit. Like this fully-restored Ectomobile, which made an appearance at a Minnesota Best Buy solely to promote the new Ghostbusters game. Well, that and fulfil the fantasies of hundreds of grown men, all of whom wish they could have stepped right in, got down to the point and cleaned up the town. Oh yeah. Restoration Project Finished [GB Fans, via Boing-Boing]
Another one bites the dust.
While I’m happy and all for Matt Slagle’s move into a job he seems to be really jazzed about, I’m not so thrilled about what it means for games’ journalism. As the National Technology and Business reporter for the Associated Press, Slagle was one of the few mainstream reporters out there who really got gaming and it’s disheartening to see him leave. We need more people like Slagle covering the biz, not less. At least they still have Lou Kesten. Let’s hope the hire someone to work with him on ever-expanding beat.
Jubilant, yet still depressing press release on the jump.
