Perhaps slightly unfairly, but also somewhat ironically, public relations work tends to get a terrible press. However, being able to promote your game effectively isn't just a necessary evil, it's a key part of indie development these days. It's no good just making your meisterwek, you've got to get people excited about playing it long before it actually comes out. Unfortunately, being a programming savant doesn't necessarily make you a great PR person. Luckily, you can now get a leg up from presskit() (pronounced Do Presskit ), a free press kit generating service developed by Rami Ismail , of indie studio Vlambeer .
Vlambeer recently released the well-made Luftrausers , which was an almost instant success in part because gamers were looking forward to it and knew it was coming. Smaller studios and first-time developers won't have that built-in fanbase, but that's no reason they can't release beautiful, well-made press kits to capture people's attention. “For the press, finding out about a game but not having access to information & media for the game means that they can't write about it,” the description at presskit() says. “Of course, developers want to spend their valuable time making games instead of press pages.”
Take this as a public service announcement. If you're developing a game and don't know how to get the word out, do two things. First, set aside an hour to go to presskit() and create your own asset and info pack. Then, and here's the really important bit, send it to PC Gamer .
