Kotaku: public relations

The Problem With Games PR

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 23:00:00 MST

You know, we get asked the following quite a lot: "hey, you guys should find out about [some game]". It's asked like finding a lot of stuff out in this indsutry is easy. Well, it's not. And you know why it's not easy? Because of games PR. The slick-haired filter between what we want to know and what game companies get to tell us. While some (some) are proud gamers and are also super-helpful, others are clueless, and some - the worst kind - are lying shitbags. Want to know more? Brandon Sheffield's written a nice piece over on GameSetWatch, giving you guys a helpful breakdown on how games PR works, what's wrong with it and what he thinks can be done to fix it.

Opinion: The Game Industry's PR Problem [GameSetWatch]

Gaming PR In The Age Of Blogs

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 06 May 2008 03:00:00 MDT

Last week, Gamasutra ran an interview with Tom Ohle, vice president of PR & marketing for CD Projekt, creators of The Witcher. They obviously get to talking about games PR, and in particular some of the challenges facing a public relations team when deciding how to market a game. While I don't agree with many of their points (Ohle's or that of the interviewer), especially that "major blogs just don't really cover" the PC that much (we try to give it it's due whenever & wherever possible), it's still an interesting read, if only for Ohle's idea that even a site with just one reader's worth taking care of, because that's still one potential customer.
Q&A: CD Projekt's Ohle On The Witcher, PR's Place In The Blogosphere [Gamasutra]

Public Safety Notice: Games PR Are Watching You Post

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:30:00 MDT

Sorry, that was a little alarming. You, of course, knew that already. It's not as if games PR types sit around in ivory towers getting their information from carrier pigeons and whispers on the wind. They find out what you like, don't like and go "eh" about their games by, yes, trawling through your favourite forum, and reading up on what you - Average Joe - thinks about their games. Same goes for developers as well. Keen to hear more about how it all works? Please, hit the link below for the full 1UP feature, which features chats with, among others, PR reps from 2K & Capcom, as well as NeoGAF owner Tyler Malka.
Chairman of the Boards [1UP] [Pic]

Aeropause says Phil Harrison is a Stupidhead

egauger — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 18:40:40 MDT

Phil Harrison says the darnedest things.

Let's stop talking about Sony's fuckups for a moment here and address the specfic insanity of their most vocal yokel. Aeropause is on the job.

In a post that reads like the greatest hits of Sony PR blunders, blogger Richard names Harrison the Gilligan of Gaming:

Phil reminds me of Gilligan because he is the comedic relief that gets us through the day. He is the scapegoat for the rest of the cast (Sony) and everything seems to be his fault, even though the blame lies with many. Phil has what I deem the worst job at Sony, the fall man.
The PS3 will be a good machine, even though it may be overpriced, but every time Phil speaks we have to hear comments like "The HD era doesn't begin until we say so" or "High definition as far as the consumer is concerned means high definition movies, which means Blu-ray disc." These statements are so far from reality that I can't imagine anyone even saying them.

No need for imagination, of course, as Harrison has repeatedly made an ass of himself and his company, responding to criticism by just digging himself deeper. Please, please shut up. Eliza Gauger

Phil Harrison, the Gilligan of Gaming [Aeropause]

Sony America's PR Mistress Flees

brownlee — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 09:40:02 MDT

SCEA publicity chief Molly Smith is the first rat doggy-paddling off of Sony's PS3 public relations Titanic.

Having managed Sony America's PR machine for over ten years, it's a bit surprising that she'd leave so suddenly.

But consider this: even the most superhuman PR mind would find themselves in a difficult and stressful situation given how badly Sony is blundering this launch. It doesn't help matters when guys like Phil Harrison seem to be getting kicks out of issuing absurd comments to the press. You can just imagine a bleary-eyed Molly Smith sitting at her desk at 8am, praying the phone won't ring. Then it does; she answers it with a quavering voice. "Huh-huh-huh-hello?" she pitifully asks. Then she leaps to her feet, waving her arms hysterically around her head. "THAT IDIOT SAID WHAT?!?!?!" FLORIAN ECKHARDT

Sony Spin Chief Quits [Next Generation]