The Game Boy: TF2's Spy and Cooking Mama Walk into a Bar...

Posted 05/27/2009 at 9:29am | by Nathan Grayson

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Valve, though, took the whole thing in stride, resulting in a hilarious fictional "hunt" for the employee who let the Spy's video slip onto the Internet undetected.

"Others of you have started a petition to stop Valve from firing anyone over the leak. Once again, this just goes to show you how valuable customer feedback is to us—we hadn't even thought of doing that, but once you see it there in print, it's a fantastic idea. I've been asking people all morning who was responsible and come up empty. But now that I've started firing people, they can't name names fast enough," wrote Valve's Robin Walker.

In a similar vein, Majesco has, on multiple occasions, stayed "in character" for its PR interactions involving casual culinary sensation Cooking Mama. Most recently, Mama herself stamped on the fingers of Activision's "Science Papa" as he attempted to ride on the coattails of her success.

"So you want some dirt on 'Science Papa' to splash on your site? I'll shovel it. We dated briefly (when he had much better hair). And now he clearly wants a piece of the best-selling pie by associating himself with an incredibly successful, and I'll emphasize, happily married, woman. Frankly, he never appreciated my cooking and I grew weary of his tedious 'experiments.' You want real mind-bending science, go figure out how to make Toulouse Cassoulet for your next dinner party of 20 and let me know how it goes, Papa," Cooking Mama allegedly wrote.

Both Valve and Majesco seem to realize a little something about the videogame industry that eludes other companies time and time again. That is, that videogames are a form of entertainment. PR and advertisement firms of the world, I implore you, watch and learn from these two examples. Cut the bulls**t and quit being so uptight. Other industries may appreciate your carefully managed attempts at making your product seem perfect, but we're talking about videogames in the age of blogs and websites here. People will point out what's wrong with your game. There's no avoiding it. Unlike back in print media's heyday, controlling the flow of information and vocally expressed opinion is impossible.

So, instead of pretending like you've got everything under control while gamers see right through your doublespeak, entertain us. If nothing else, leverage your game's characters, world, and attitudes to garner a bit of goodwill. Get input from your writing staff. Let the developers, the real brains behind the operation, say more than just a few canned, pullstring-activated "This game is so, so great" phrases.

Think about it: Even if your game is crap, at least you'll have made an actual human connection with potential buyers. See, great games are nice and all, but loyalty tends to develop fastest on a deeper level. In this industry, you're only as good as your last game. You'd be surprised, though, at what some real brand loyalty can do to get you over the hump in the event of a less than stellar title.

So come on PR/advertisement guys and gals -- don't be faceless robots. Dress in the garb of your game's world, loosen up a little, and get to know your audience. People worked hard to make the game you're promoting. Don't let their blood, sweat, and tears go to waste.

The Game Boy is the soapbox Nathan Grayson stands atop to pass down proclamations about the world of gaming. Installments are posted at least once per week. Also, Nathan's PC appears to be dying. Please keep it in your prayers or Satanic rituals or whatever it is you do.