News
The Sad Truth about PR in Video Games
Cordova, TN; September 19, in the year of our Lord 2014--Family
Friendly Gaming, the industry leader in covering the family
friendly video games is cataloging the sad truth about PR in
video games. PR can stand for press relations, or public
relations. They are similar with a few different nuances. Some
companies have internal PR employees, and others hire outside
vendors known as PR firms. A PR firm/PR employee works to make
their employer look good. This can come out in propaganda
statements, spin, focusing on the positive only, and more. Every
video game journalist needs to be on guard, and to understand
the motives of the statements they are being given.
One of the most interesting things I have noticed from press
releases is all these companies that describe themselves as
‘leading.’ Call me crazy, but there is only one team a year that
wins the World Series. There is only one team a year that wins
the Super Bowl. There is only one team a year that wins the
World Cup. There is only one team a year that wins the NBA
Finals. There are not twenty teams all tied for first place. If
you take what the PR firms tell you as gospel you will think
they are all leading. Overall sales, and overall profit are
great ways to tell who is actually in first.
The most disgusting thing that happens in the video game
industry is punishment for reviews. We have experienced it here
at Family Friendly Gaming. I have talked to numerous other
gaming journalists who have experienced the same thing. A PR
firm does not like a review, complains about it, and then
conveniently forgets to send over a press release. That way your
gaming outlet is late in reporting the news. Or they
conveniently forget to send a reviewable copy of something. Some
go as far as purposely fail to respond to emails - this is
referenced as black listing. See the PR only want awesome,
positive, go out and buy this product reviews. They use
unethical methods to get their desired outcome. Plenty of gaming
sites have caved into the pressure.
Coming in close in terms of being the most disgusting is
selfishness. The PR firms are paid handsomely to try and get
coverage of their client’s products. What happens when we in the
gaming media make them a lot of money? They get to stay
employed, and some earn bonuses. They don’t share with the
gaming media even though we made them that money. What happens
when we pass on running their stories? They can get mean, nasty,
and out comes the punishment stick again. I have lost track of
how many threats I have received from PR employees because I
won’t give them their way. Temper tantrums from two year olds
seem mild in comparison.
Poorly targeting stories irritates me to no end. I get all kinds
of odd press releases. From diapers to automobile web sites.
Over a year after our Kickstarter and free app policy was
implemented we still get flooded with requests to make their
dreams come true. Not one of those PR employees care they are
poorly targeting. They are trying to get their client as much
exposure as they can. Even when it is way outside our coverage
parameters. It is amazing how rude, ugly, and hateful they are
when I politely explain to them what we cover. I learned
something - they don’t care. They just want their way. They see
us as a way to make themselves rich.
There are a few good ones out there. I know the negative people
can drown out the positive people. There are PR employees who
make sure advertisements are sent our way. There are PR
employees who buy us games from their own budgets when we were
mistakenly missed. There are PR employees who send us money as a
thank you for the promotion we helped them earn. There are PR
employees who quickly and honestly tell us they can not get us a
reviewable product and why (then they make sure we get a copy of
the next product). I just wish the bad ones would learn from the
fine example the good ones have set. I also hope all of the bad
PR employees read this news article.
God bless,
Paul Bury
Family Friendly Gaming