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I had a recent conversation with someone who, after learning my job title, said:
"Oh so you're a PR person, you're basically just a public-facing rep for your company."
I've always felt like Comms is a pretty misunderstood role, so I thought it would be fun to explain it a bit.
"Oh so you're a PR person, you're basically just a public-facing rep for your company."
I've always felt like Comms is a pretty misunderstood role, so I thought it would be fun to explain it a bit.
Now let me preface this by saying no two companies are the same, and my experience is not wholly representative of the role in *any* industry.
This is just how I view Comms in gaming from my limited experience and perspective, and I'm still learning new things every dang day.
This is just how I view Comms in gaming from my limited experience and perspective, and I'm still learning new things every dang day.
If I had to condense what *I* do in Comms into as simple of a statement as possible, it would be:
"I help tell our story, and ensure that it's heard."
Now, how that actually happens is through a herculean effort supported by a lot of incredible people from every department.
"I help tell our story, and ensure that it's heard."
Now, how that actually happens is through a herculean effort supported by a lot of incredible people from every department.
From the moment we hear about a new game, even pre-prototype, we start thinking about how to tell the 'story' of that game.
- Who wants to hear about this game?
- What do they *want* to hear about?
- When do we talk about feature X vs. Y?
- How does our narrative fit together?
- Who wants to hear about this game?
- What do they *want* to hear about?
- When do we talk about feature X vs. Y?
- How does our narrative fit together?
From there, we start to plan. We'll [try to] plan upwards of 2 years in advance to address those questions and much more. Plans get more and more granular as time goes on, and executing on them requires a lot of talking and a *lot* of writing.
For me, that's the core of the job.
For me, that's the core of the job.
The idea that PR / Comms are public-facing reps isn't *inaccurate*, and we do a ton of that.
Over the past 2 years I'll do anywhere from 80-100+ interviews / demos, both behind closed doors or public, during E3 alone. Sometimes I'll have a dev with me, sometimes it's solo.
Over the past 2 years I'll do anywhere from 80-100+ interviews / demos, both behind closed doors or public, during E3 alone. Sometimes I'll have a dev with me, sometimes it's solo.
However, our jobs are way more internally-focused than that.
No single person can be expected to understand *exactly* how a game, a feature, a social post, an interview, etc. will be received, especially when everything we say is on a global stage, but that's where we come in.
No single person can be expected to understand *exactly* how a game, a feature, a social post, an interview, etc. will be received, especially when everything we say is on a global stage, but that's where we come in.
If I'm on a game, you better believe I'm going to do my best to know *every* conversation happening around the world on it. My feed is FULL of various permutations of Ichiban/Kiryu/Majima/Yagami stans, and I love it.
I also try to stay informed on many other games' discourses.
I also try to stay informed on many other games' discourses.
I'll use that knowledge to inform strategy across a bunch of different departments, not just Marketing.
Every campaign (and often every week, or day) brings new and interesting challenges, and we do our best to help overcome them to keep bringing rad games to our players.
Every campaign (and often every week, or day) brings new and interesting challenges, and we do our best to help overcome them to keep bringing rad games to our players.
There's a whole heck of a lot more to the day-to-day execution, putting out the occasional fire, memeing, and contemplating why these meetings aren't just e-mails, but hopefully this thread can help shed a little more light on how Comms is more than just a pretty face.
