The Game Has Changed: What is PR in gaming in 2024?

We’re not even halfway into 2024 and gaming has all but flipped on its head. Live gaming events like E3 are going away, indie games are running the market through sheer creativity  and it seems like every day a known studio is laying off talented staff. So many things in gaming are changing in 2024 and public relations is no different. 

But first…

What Is Public Relations?

Public relations is a term that was popularized by Edward Bernays (Freud’s nephew) and Ivy Lee in 1930. In its simplest form public relations is managing and disseminating information to the public. 

However, in gaming it tends to look a little different.

What about PR in the games industry?

Short Answer: Public relations team within the gaming space help their clients tell their stories. 

Long Answer: There is a long list of activities that Reverb personally offers clients to help venerate their stories and bring awareness to new audiences. Here are just a few that we find most of our success with: 

• Creative Pitching to Media
• Press Release Drafting and Distribution
• Message Development  Media Kit Creation
• Customized Media List Generation and Management 
• Media Training and Demo Prep 
• Preview and Review Key Distribution: 
• Media Tours – In-Person and Virtual
• Outbound Communication Coordination Across All Channels 
• Crisis Communications and Rude Q&A

So What is Changing In 2024?

After peering into my crystal ball (social media, Steam charts and long Zoom calls), it’s pretty easy to see that 2024 is bringing some paradigm shifting changes into the game industry.  year alone we’ve seen titles like Helldivers and Palworld absolutely shake the space and this is just the beginning. Here are some of the biggest changes so far: 

Less events, more on the line:

You’ve probably noticed by now that less gaming events are happening. E3 is no longer around and 2024 is the first year Blizzcon will be entirely online. While we’ve seen a decline of in-person events, they still are a powerful tool for lots of games. This means any chance public relations companies get to work with in-person events going forward can mean a lot more. Learning how to make the most of these moments will be what separates good agencies from great agencies. 

Triple A – No Longer The Safest Bet:

What was once the safest bet for investors has now become a risky bet for consumers. Triple A studios increasingly are seen less favorable and 2024 has already shown us that smaller studios such as Palworld and Helldivers can have quite a large impact. Not to mention the Playstation is half way through it’s console cycle and has no first party games this year.

Influencer Narratives:

The Influencer Era  is only just starting. It seems like every other daywe hear about a streamer taking a contract large enough to make an NFL player jealous and that is for good reason. Companies are finding that streamers often hold lots of purchasing power for their viewers, which in return means public relations agencies need to make sure they are communicating well with streamers and their audience.

The Game Is Always Changes

The gaming market is constantly shifting to meet consumer demands and public relations follows suit. It’s important to find a public relations team who not only recognizes this but capitalizes on these opportunities. Feel free to reach out to us at hello@reverbinc.com and book a free consultation to see how we can help with your pr needs.