VGPR #014: It's Called Gratitude

Obligatory but heartfelt Thanksgiving reflections, cute dog pix

[Hi, I'm Lizzie Killian, founder at FIFTYcc PR. You're reading VGPR, a newsletter featuring interesting developments and topics impacting public relations in the video games industry. If you’re enjoying this newsletter, please consider subscribing or sharing with a friend or colleague. Send feedback, questions, and ideas to vgpr.insider@gmail.com, or drop me a note on Twitter.]

In this issue: Lots going on in the media! Obligatory but heartfelt Thanksgiving reflections, cute dog pix

Thanksgiving Things We Can all Get Behind

Gratitude. A little cheesy, but it’s never the wrong time to take a few minutes to appreciate what you have. I’m grateful for a lot of things and to a lot of people.

Focusing on my work in PR, I’m grateful for smart, sharp, and reliable colleagues. A great team lets each member be more than they thought was possible, and I’m lucky to work with many great teams. I’m grateful for clients that trust me to find something that’s going to be great for their specific circumstances. I’m grateful to the friends I’ve made across the industry, who taught me so many valuable things.

Here are some more things I’m grateful for, VGPR-style:

Throwback: Stanley Parable Dev Davey Wreden on Press

I’m grateful for laughter, and any chance to laugh about PR in general. Back in 2013, when I was still a wee PR baby, I came across a blog post from Stanley Parable and The Beginner’s Guide developer Davey Wreden on writing to the press to pitch your game. Anyone familiar with Davey’s work could guess the post is hilarious, but it also really makes clear the importance of marketing and fostering relationships with the press. It’s a great perspective directly from the dev side, and was funny enough to stick with me all this time.

How *not* to pitch Kirk Hamilton at Kotaku

Since the original blog no longer exists, I got Davey’s permission to repost the entry in VGPR. He also offered a great reflection looking back on what he said in the original post:

As for whether I still feel the same on the topic, I guess as time has gone on I rely less on heavy drinking to promote my games, and moreso on abstract concepts such as “normal conversation” and “the quality of my work.” But hey, who knows, maybe I’m missing something there.

👌 You can read the full blog post here.

Questions to Ask Before Creating a Game Trailer

I’m grateful for the time and professional space to be able to step back from the seemingly-endless PR task list and try to ask broader questions about whether an approach makes sense.

GamesIndustry.biz has a new article about stepping back to ask important questions before creating a game trailer. It’s easy to go on auto-pilot when it comes to your PR plan and releasing a trailer (ie. “we do things this way because that’s what everyone does!”), but I guarantee that having thoughtful answers to these questions will help you get the most out of your trailer efforts. Read "Seven Questions to Ask Before Creating a Game Trailer."

Filipino Time

I’m grateful for the support of a great family, and to be a part of the Filipino-American community. October was Filipino American History Month and I was invited on a Giant Bomb podcast along with other fellow Fil-Ams in games PR and publishing.

Jan Ochoa @_janjerome

November is almost done but I AM STILL CELEBRATING FILIPINO-AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH! @michaelphigham and I are BACK for Episode 2 of our series with some kapamilya in PR and publishing. Thanks to @lizziekillian @j_legs @jempanada3 @bbcgarcia giantbomb.com/shows/celebrat…

I talk about how I got my start in the games industry, moving from media to PR, and ultimately how I ended up starting FIFTYcc. In true Filipino-time fashion, a podcast recorded in October was eventually released in… November.

Listen to it here!

In the Media

Lots going on lately!

• Embracer Group (formerly THQ Nordic) acquires 12 (!!) game studios, as well as PR firm and influencer relations agency Sandbox Strategies (congrats!)

• IGN launches new show “The Review Crew”

• USgamer future unclear, staff is laid off

• Mike Williams has joined PCMag as reviewer/writer

• Conan O’Brien introduces Team Coco's new gaming podcast called "Good Game Nice Try"

• The Washington Post’s Launcher is hiring a new video game reporter

• Mike Andronico is leaving Tom’s Guide and joining CNN Underscored as Senior Writer

• Following layoffs, ESPN confirmed “it would no longer provide dedicated daily esports content beginning in January, though it would continue covering events and news on a story-by-story basis”

PR Jobs

• 2K - Global Communications Director – AAA & Sports (Novato, CA)

• Bethesda Softworks - Public Relations Manager (Rockville, MD)

• Bossa Studios - Marketing Director (London, UK)

• ICO Partners - Communications Manager (Social Media & Influencer Marketing) (Brighton, UK)

• Niantic - Senior Communications Manager, Technology (San Francisco, CA)

• Microsoft - Executive Communications Lead, Storytelling (Redmond, WA)

• Pearl Abyss - Director, Public Relations and Communications (Manhattan Beach, CA)

• Riot Games - Marketing Communications III - LCS, North America (Los Angeles, CA)

• Rockstar Games - Manager, Communications (New York, NY)

• SEGA - Communications Manager (Irvine, CA)

• Team17 - Head of Marketing Promotions (Nottingham, UK)

• Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment - Sr. Specialist, Integrated Communications (Burbank, CA)

Thankful for him too

Malkin works hard

…and rests hard. Find some time to rest this week!