I'll pull a long quote to highlight, though really the whole piece is something I'd share with my team:
"I know a lot of game developers who assume that, thanks to the rise of influencers and social media, pro media's place in the equation is diminished or negligible. If everybody now has a voice, who cares what one writer with a website thinks?
At points in the past, I’ve been sympathetic toward this view, but as time goes on I'm starting to think it misses something important. The fact is, on the internet as it exists in the 2020s most conversation occurs around headlines and in reaction to those headlines. And journalists are the ones producing the work that the headlines ultimately derive from.
The point is this: Although it’s true that traditional media has lost some of its importance for things like getting your game discovered, it’s actually still critical to the way games discussions happen online in a way that isn't appreciated by most players or developers."
This is all absolutely true. It's a shame that people read less, and I think there's a much wider, societal issue, that's evolving there, but abandoning traditional media simply isn't the answer.
Even people within my studio at executive level have said "Does anyone care about gaming outlets anymore? Let's just work with influencers" and it entirely misses the point. I'm going to generalise here, so forgive me, but influencer don't tell stories. A lot of them are investing in producing content, covering your game, making 3 or 4 assets out of it, getting paid, and moving on. Even earned influencer coverage can be extremely basic -- a playthrough.
There's no story there, there's no headline. It just *is.* Using outlets wisely, like you pointed out with the team at Arrowhead, can help drive conversation across the board.
"...most conversation occurs around headlines and in reaction to those headlines"
My wife and I talk about gaming news often, and not once has she said, "[INFLUENCER] mentioned [X]," our conversations always derive from more official coverage.
"I know there’s a lot of fear around opening up to reporters, but the vast majority of people who write about games professionally actually care about games and want to write fair, accurate work."
Absolutely. Nothing breaks my heart more than seeing ignored embargos and outlets reporting on leaks, or just pure misinformation in a race to get clicks.
I'll pull a long quote to highlight, though really the whole piece is something I'd share with my team:
"I know a lot of game developers who assume that, thanks to the rise of influencers and social media, pro media's place in the equation is diminished or negligible. If everybody now has a voice, who cares what one writer with a website thinks?
At points in the past, I’ve been sympathetic toward this view, but as time goes on I'm starting to think it misses something important. The fact is, on the internet as it exists in the 2020s most conversation occurs around headlines and in reaction to those headlines. And journalists are the ones producing the work that the headlines ultimately derive from.
The point is this: Although it’s true that traditional media has lost some of its importance for things like getting your game discovered, it’s actually still critical to the way games discussions happen online in a way that isn't appreciated by most players or developers."
This is all absolutely true. It's a shame that people read less, and I think there's a much wider, societal issue, that's evolving there, but abandoning traditional media simply isn't the answer.
Even people within my studio at executive level have said "Does anyone care about gaming outlets anymore? Let's just work with influencers" and it entirely misses the point. I'm going to generalise here, so forgive me, but influencer don't tell stories. A lot of them are investing in producing content, covering your game, making 3 or 4 assets out of it, getting paid, and moving on. Even earned influencer coverage can be extremely basic -- a playthrough.
There's no story there, there's no headline. It just *is.* Using outlets wisely, like you pointed out with the team at Arrowhead, can help drive conversation across the board.
Excellent newsletter, thank you!
"...most conversation occurs around headlines and in reaction to those headlines"
My wife and I talk about gaming news often, and not once has she said, "[INFLUENCER] mentioned [X]," our conversations always derive from more official coverage.
"I know there’s a lot of fear around opening up to reporters, but the vast majority of people who write about games professionally actually care about games and want to write fair, accurate work."
Absolutely. Nothing breaks my heart more than seeing ignored embargos and outlets reporting on leaks, or just pure misinformation in a race to get clicks.