How to Send Press Releases as a Game Developer — An Analysis of Key Options by FatPony

Announcing a game or informing about its update to a wide audience is not rocket science. However, there are nuances. Co-founder of the marketing agency FatPony and head of publishing at Indie GO Fund, Danila Kamenev, shared what options exist in this field.

The original text was first published in Kamenev's Telegram channel “Tired Publishing”. This is an edited and expanded version.

Danila Kamenev

Assuming you have already prepared a press kit for the game, which includes:

a file with the press release (preferably formatted in Google Docs, as .docx doesn’t open for everyone);
game and studio logos (ideally in .png format with a transparent background);
key art in high resolution (not concepts, but the one also used for the Steam cover design — beautiful, marketable, suitable even for a physical box cover);
screenshots (with gameplay, without ads, ideally with and without interface);
basic information about the developer studio and the game (team size, engine, price, platforms, a brief description of the game and its features);
trailer.

What do you do with it next, and how and whom to send it to?

There are several options. Let's discuss them.

Option One — Do It All Yourself

Assembling a contact database with several hundred journalists and bloggers, writing a template email, creating a table to track the results of the mailing, and conducting it is not hard, but it takes a sea of time and effort, which could be spent on the game.

Pros:

free of charge;
if you manage to establish a dialogue with a popular influencer, it can be very effective.

Speaking of high efficiency, the effectiveness largely depends on the specifics of the game, not just the quality of the press release or finding the right contact. In some cases, the game may already be at the peak of popularity, significantly easing the mailing process. For instance, games reaching IGN often get attention even after sending a mere letter due to high interest from the audience and the media.

Cons:

you constantly need to search for contacts and make acquaintances, as being unknown can reduce mailing effectiveness; your email may not even be opened;
you need to have an understanding of PR.

Cost:

while you won't spend money, you'll waste a significant amount of time on routine and communication.

Option Two — Hire a PR Agency

A PR agency is a tool, akin to a jackhammer, accomplishing specific client-driven tasks. When working with an agency, it’s essential to understand why it is needed, what tasks it will solve, when, and be ready to respond promptly to their requests. Ultimately, the client must clearly comprehend the result the agency can deliver.

Pros:

if you know how to work with them (including setting specific tasks), the results can be impressive.

Cons:

you need to know how to work with them;
some act unethically, such as mailing outdated databases;
rarely delve into the product (the agency is unlikely to study the game in detail, analyze its target audience, seek additional promotion channels, and develop unique product positioning);
expensive.

Cost:

starting from $3,000 per region (this cost typically includes mailing to agency contacts, press, and bloggers).

Option Three — Use the Keymailer Service

Keymailer is a platform that simplifies interaction between game developers and streamers, bloggers, reviewers, etc. It also allows developers and publishers to distribute game keys among creators.

Pros:

the service is automated;
a large press database is available;
can send over 1,000 emails at once.

Cons:

low conversion to publications;
high risk of encountering scam curators.

Scam curators are individuals posing as streamers or Steam curators using accounts with inflated followers (bots) to request game keys. Their goal is to resell the keys on other platforms.

Cost:

starting at $150.

The platform offers many services, from sending press releases to contacting bloggers. Each service increases the final bill.

Option Four — Use the Terminals.io Service

Terminals.io is a similar service to Keymailer but with several distinctive features. It offers a higher quality press/blogger database. However, the service costs more and doesn’t work with all games, requiring pre-scheduling of the mailing date.

Pros:

shows good efficiency;
especially useful when working with bloggers.

Cons:

expensive;
time needed to launch campaigns;
must work simultaneously with press and bloggers (no separate media or influencer campaigns);
limited slots (may be refused if all slots are filled).

Regarding the latter: it depends not on the number of press releases at a specific time, but the load of the agency managing the service’s development.

Cost:

from $2,000;
there are four pricing plans, the best value-for-money plan is $3,000, which also includes follow-ups.

Option Five — Use the PressEngine Service

PressEngine is another platform designed to simplify interaction between game developers and journalists (it helps distribute both press releases and content keys). One of its USPs is analytics that tracks who opened emails, activated keys, and created content based on provided materials.

Pros:

good efficiency.

We have a case where we sent 1,000 emails using the service and got 57 openings and over 100 key requests.

Cons:

very lengthy registration;
uncomfortable dashboard system;
presence of scam curators;
difficult to get approval.

In theory, getting approval requires just sending a letter, but obtaining a response and reaction is a separate challenge.

Cost:

$450 per mailing.

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These are standard options for working with the press for 99% of publishers and indie developers. You can combine and mix them at your discretion.

Now you know what to do with media mail-outs. If you have questions, I’ll answer them in the comments!

By the way, we are currently looking for projects to fund at Indie GO Fund.