Everyone at Rogue Counsel “grew up in” a large, fairly traditional PR agency environment – our founders, our part-timers, our freelancers – everyone. We put in the (wo)man hours, have the contacts, got the experience, understand the business, and we get the big idea.
With that being said, indie developers are our specialty because we can relate. If you (Bob, the talented indie) wanted to work for a big brand, you could – and you would – but you don’t. Why? Because you’re passionate about doing your own thing on your own terms, and you got tired with the politics of “no”…
Ditto, Bob. We won’t expound, but could.
Indie game PR is unique. When you’re working with an established brand and/or franchise, you’ve got an automatic “in” with most major enthusiast outlets. When you’re an independent start-up making your dream game ’cause you feel like other people would want to play it, it’s a little bit tougher a whole different ballgame convincing press to cover your project.
There, there. It’s not that your game’s not newsworthy, it’s just that your game is one of hundreds of others, and picking out which ones to cover can be like picking a flavor at Froyo (or finding a needle in a haystack) – the metaphor matters not. What does matter is finding the right PR team to tackle your unique challenges… Gaming PR is not one-size-fits-all. Case in point: MontrealX.
Our indie game showcase kept (and keeps – eek!) growing from the original concept, into what is now a fairly major event coming up next week. As head coordinator, and given the fact that Canada’s Thanksgiving falls before ours’ here in the US (so attendees were very much in the office), I was working on and off over the holiday. As such, family members kept asking what I was preparing for, what was my role, and why were we doing it. I think I answered their questions, but I’m far better at blogging than on-the-spot interrogation, and exclaimed mentally, “to the blogmobile!” (It’s true and I won’t apologize.)
Why did MontrealX come about? During the PR planning process for an upcoming game launch, one of our (amazing) clients asked about attending one of the (semi) larger gaming expos to preview demos of their game. Taking into consideration the fact that an indie developer mixed in with all the big name brands at such an event would be hard to justify price/coverage-wise, my partner and I recommended hosting our own preview event instead. To further entice interest from press, publishers, etc., AND to continue the collaborative spirit of the game development industry in Montreal, we invited a handful of other indie developers to participate. Then more indie devs were interested… And then there were ten.
I can’t speak to the end results because I’m not clairvoyant, but I do know that all the press, publishers and investors attending MontrealX are coming to see these 10 developers specifically. They’re not going to be distracted by big brands or anyone else – just the burgeoning, highly engaging Montreal indie dev mindshare.
Black Friday inspired this soapbox. (Not that it’s not a worthwhile topic; just that we’re still in a tryptophan haze and might not typically blog over the weekend.) Fact is, though, this is a clear reminder of the gaming industry’s diversity. For big brands, Black Friday is THE DAY. Big box retail is THE THING. On the flip side, (most) indies aren’t concerned with Black Friday at all. If anything, they’re in the #SmallBizSat boat – and loving it.
This – all of this – is the fairytale we Rogue Counselors read to our children and puppies at night… except, it’s reality. (Squeal!) We have a rich history with the Montreal game development community, and we’re over-the-moon excited to be hosting the first event in NYC focused specifically on this growing group. Did we mention they’re all riding down together in a bus? YEAH, that’s happening. The PR fairies are making sure someone captures video along the way. If you have questions or topics you’d like to see discussed en-bus, please drop us a line in the comments below.
And speaking of #SmallBizSat… be a doll and follow us on Twitter and Facebook, eh?
Rogue Counsel 