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Social media's role, utility, and future in video game public relations

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Social media's role, utility, and future in video game public relations

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Content SOCIAL MEDIA’S ROLE, UTILITY, AND FUTURE IN
VIDEO GAME PUBLIC RELATIONS

by
Yun Zhang

A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(STRATEGIC PUBLIC RELATIONS)

May 2011

Copyright 2011 Yun Zhang

ii
Acknowledgements

The author is deeply indebted to Professor Burghardt Tenderich at Annenberg School for
Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California, for his patient and
insightful counseling and instructions as the chairperson of the thesis committee. The
author also wants to thank Professor Dimitri Williams and Professor Jay Wang, both at
Annenberg, USC, for serving as thesis readers and for their valuable advice. Without the
help and advice of the three professors, the completion of this thesis would be impossible.

The author’s gratitude is also extended to Ms. Kay June Lee, a professional copy editor,
for proofreading the whole thesis. Ms. Lee’s professional service significantly increases
the readability of this thesis.

The author’s thanks also goes to all the interviewees, whose enlightening inputs in the
interviews not only help the author complete the thesis and give the author a deeper
understanding of the topic as well.

iii
Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ii

Abstract v

Chapter 1: Introduction 1
Social Media and Video Games: Two Evolving Industries 1
Definitions 5

Chapter 2: Research Objectives, Methods and Hypotheses 7
Research Objectives 7
Research Methods 7
Research Questions 10

Chapter 3: An Overview of Social Media in Video Game PR 12
Common Social Media Tools for Video Games 14
Common Social Media Strategies for Video Games 24

Chapter 4: Analysis of Social Media Strategies in Video Games 31
Advantages 31
Disadvantages 38

Chapter 5: The Social Media Framework for Video Games and Social Media PR
Proposals 45
Figure 5.1: Social Media Framework for Video Games 47
The Comprehensive Core—Online Forums and Official Websites 48
The Engagement Component—Facebook 53
The Dissemination Component—YouTube and Twitter 59
Third-Party Endorsement—Portal Websites and Blogs 63

Chapter 6: Future Social Media Trends in the World of Games 68
Social Media Integration 68

iv
Visualized Messages 72
Game Experience Delivery via Social Networks 74

Chapter 7: Conclusion and Primer 77
Summary 77
Primer 80

Bibiliography 82

Comprehensive Bibliography 85

Appendix I: Interview Questionnaires 87
Company Interview Questionnaire 87
Player Interview Questionnaire 89

Appendix II: Interview Transcriptions 91
Player Interviewees 91
Company Interviewees 109

v
Abstract

As two industries that rely on the evolution of computer and information technologies,
video game and social media have undergone tremendously rapid development in a short
period of time. At the same time, both industries share a similar user group, too. The two
similarities lead to the author’s belief that there is a natural compatibility between the two
seemingly irrelevant industries, and that social media is an effective and efficient channel
for video game marketing and PR.

Therefore, this thesis is intended to explore the state of marketing/public relations
activities of the video game industry in the new social media context. It explores the
social-network presence of some popular video games, the online communication
strategies/tactics employed by their companies, and the effectiveness of such activities.
Based on these analyses, the author proposes a comprehensive social media framework
for video games, and recommends corresponding PR/marketing strategies as well.

The thesis also includes the author’s predictions on the possible social media trends for
video games in the future. As conclusion, the author provides a primer that lists
recommended social media “do’s” and “don’ts” for game companies.

Key Words: video games, social media, public relations, marketing, communications

1
Chapter 1: Introduction
Social Media and Video Games: Two Evolving Industries

The video game industry and social media are two of the many new industries that have
grown through the evolution of computer and information technology, and they have
many traits in common.

Both industries started as special interests within small groups, and have since grown into
multi-billion dollar businesses. The first video game was an oscilloscope-based electronic
tennis simulation in 1958 intended for visitor entertainment at Brookhave National
Laboratory (Gettler); today, it has integrated the most advanced computer technologies
and has evolved into a global market worth $46.5 billion in 2009. In 2010, the number
was estimated to be $47.5 billion (Wu, 2010).

The social media industry has witnessed equally impressive growth in recent years.
Facebook, which started as a social website for Harvard University, is today the world’s
largest social network, with $2 billion in revenue in 2010 (O'Dell, 2010). Twitter, the
leading micro-blog service provider, generated an estimated revenue of $140 million in
2010 (Tartakoff, 2009). YouTube, the world’s biggest online video-sharing website, is

2
estimated to generate $1 billion in 2011 (Kafka, 2010), according to a Citigroup forecast
made in March 2010
1
.

The user base of these two industries has grown rapidly, and only continues to gain
momentum. The video game industry has already grown beyond mere “visitor
entertainment” to become popular entertainment, with 67% of American families playing
some form of video game (Association Entertainment Software, 2010, p. 2). The user
base for social media is even larger; a 2009 Nielsen report (The Nielson Company, 2009,
p. 1) showed that two-thirds of the world’s Internet population visit social networking or
blogging sites. Facebook alone now has over 600 million monthly active users (Carlson,
2011).

Notably, the user bases of the two industries overlap. According to an Entertainment
Software Association (ESA) report, the average age of an American video game player is
34 (Association Entertainment Software, 2010, p. 2). This age also falls in the largest
demographic group of Facebook users in the United States, which is 18 to 34 (Smith,
2009).

As an avid gamer who sees gaming as a lifestyle and as a public relations graduate
student who uses social media as an essential channel for communication, the author of

1
Since all the companies above are not publically listed, no financial data is directly available.

3
this thesis sees a natural compatibility between these two hi-tech industries. Based on
studies and personal experience, the author believes that social networks are the ideal
communication platform for video games and that it has the potential to become the
dominant medium for video game PR and marketing in the future.

Therefore, driven by personal and career interests, the author uses research, observations,
and PR knowledge to study the common social media strategies in the video game
industry. This includes evaluating the players’ receptiveness of these strategies in order to
measure how effective these tactics are. Based on the findings, the author will then offer
his insight on the best social media framework for video game PR. In addition, the author
will discuss his vision of social media’s future in the video game industry.

The main body of this thesis comprises of six chapters:

Chapter 2 – A short section on research methodologies. This explains the primary and
secondary research for this thesis, their purposes, and the author’s own hypotheses.
Chapter 2 does not contain the research results; these are included in subsequent chapters.

Chapter 3 – Based on the research findings, Chapter 3 is a presentation of content
analysis. It discusses the overall role social media plays in the video game market, the
common social media tools, and the corresponding strategies that are currently used.

4
Some examples will be given to illustrate these ideas. It should be noted however, the
content analysis in this thesis is a combination of the author, and is different from the
scientific research methodologies.

Chapter 4 – This chapter continues to summarize some recommendations for game
companies’ social media framework. The strategies in Chapter 3 will be evaluated using
findings from the interviews.

Chapter 5 – Following the analysis in Chapter 3 & 4, the author lays out his proposal for
the best social media practices for video games. In addition, some strategies are
recommended for each component of the framework.

Chapter 6 – Following the analysis of the current social media scope for video games,
this chapter looks beyond the current practices to the future of social communication for
the video game industry. Based on the research, the author gives his predictions for the
possible future trends in the social media framework that have been discussed in the
previous chapters.

Chapter 7 – This chapter is a conclusion of all the analysis and recommendations, and
also includes a primer, which gives an overview of the PR strategies and tactics analyzed
above. A summary is made based on all the “do’s” and “don'ts.” Some suggestions for

5
games are proposed to maximize the power of social media and to increase their potential
for success in the market.

Definitions

Since both video game and social media industries encompass various genres that utilize
specific terminology, some relevant definitions will be provided.

Video game – The video games discussed in this thesis refer strictly to major game titles
released on computer game consoles. Examples include World of Warcraft, Call of Duty,
etc. Mobile games on smart phones are not the focus of this thesis, nor are social network
games by Zynga, or other similar game applications on Facebook. However, they are
mentioned and used as examples.

Social media – This thesis focuses on the most common and popular social networks, as a
sub-set of social media. Examples include Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs, and
online discussion groups and forums that allow communication among users. However,
this thesis will also discuss some niche social networks, which are highly relevant but
used only by a particular group of people, such as the Battle.net for Blizzard
Entertainment and the RockStar Social Club for Rockstar Games.

6
Buzz on social media – The buzz mentioned in this thesis refers to the short and frequent
conversations, feed updates, or interactions that happen on various social media platforms.

7
Chapter 2: Research Objectives, Methods and Hypotheses

Research Objectives

The research for this thesis is designed to fulfill the following purposes:

1. Provide an overview of social media PR in the video game industry, and identify
some of the most popular social media PR strategies in the industry.
2. Gain understanding on the effectiveness of the social media strategies above
through the game companies’ perspective.
3. Analyze the receptiveness of the social media strategies above through the game
players’ perspective.
4. Lay the foundation for the social media PR framework for video games (Chapter
4), and offer hypotheses on the future trends of video game PR (Chapter 5).

Research Methods

In order to fulfill the above objectives, the primary and secondary research methods
applied in this thesis are outlined:

8
Primary research

The primary research consists of two components: content analysis and interview. The
content analysis focuses on the video game companies’ presence on major social media
networks, and studies the social media content produced by game companies for
marketing and PR purposes. The research also evaluates social media content offered by
third-party outlets, such as popular game websites like IGN.com. This content includes
news releases, game videos, pictures, conversation topics, activities and events that are
intended to engage target audiences.

Due to the massive volume and dispersed locations of this content, it is almost impossible
for the author to consider all the content under study in this thesis. Therefore, only major
sources analyzed are listed as reference.

Interviews are taken from two perspectives—video game companies and video game
players. Two sets of questions are designed for each group with different emphases: the
questions for companies focus more on the effectiveness of social media strategies in
terms of audience engagement and return on investment, while the questions for players
focus on their satisfaction and receptiveness of the strategies.

9
Despite their different focuses, the two question sets share some questions in common.
Both questionnaires, for example, ask the interviewees about their opinions on the future
of social media in the video game industry— the “must-do’s” and “must-avoid’s” for
social media in video game communication. A full copy of the two interview guidelines
can be found in Appendix I.

There are ten interviewees: three game company professionals and seven ordinary game
players. The company interviewees are communication professionals who currently work,
or have worked, for video game companies, or on a particular game title project. The
player interviewees are avid gamers who have played video games for many years and
have unique insights into the topic. More detailed information about the interviewees is
provided in Appendix II, which also includes a compilation of the answers.

Secondary research

As the only source of quantitative research, secondary research is drawn from three major
sources: books about the video game and social media industries, academic studies and
articles available at University of Southern California Library, and articles from the
Internet. Corresponding sources are footnoted as relevant data is used; all sources are
referenced at the end of the thesis.

10
It should be noted that the Internet is the major source for the secondary research due to
the fact that little academic literature is available on this topic. The URL addresses of the
content from the Internet are provided as footnotes, and the original articles are
referenced.

Research Questions

The questions presented here serve two purposes: to guide the direction of the research
process, and to compare the research results. The author’s questions are as follows:

1. With its extensive outreach and capacity for quic sharing, has social media become—
or does it have the potential to become—a dominant factor in video game PR?
2. Based on the reason above, is social media the preferred channel for players to
receive information about games?
3. Is social media the preferred channel for players to share game-related experiences?
4. Are building online game communities and engaging with users essential to the social
media success for video games?
5. Online forums (bullet board systems, discussion groups, etc.) are the core, other
social network tools (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) are the gateway, ongoing online
activities are buzz generators, and together with offline events. Do these formulate the
best social media framework for the video game industry?

11
6. Is it true that internal social media features of games need to connect with external
social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, to maximize their impact? Otherwise,
will in-game social media features remain isolated to players?

12
Chapter 3: An Overview of Social Media in Video Game PR

Marketing and public relations are very important to the video game industry, especially
in today’s highly competitive market. Trip Hawkins, the founder of Electronic Arts,
presents a compelling description of the role PR plays in the video game industry:

In the game industry, the talk is always technology, technology, technology. But
an equally daunting and increasingly important task is the successful marketing
and promotions. Consider that more than 300 incompatible game platforms have
come to market in the last 30 years and yet cannot name even 30 of them. And
that there are over 2,000 new games created every year across all media, but how
many are hits? (Steinberg, 2007, p. 7)

Therefore, it is natural and necessary for video game PR to utilize social media
components, which have revolutionized communication in the past decade. As mentioned
in the introduction, a natural symbiosis exists between the two industries. The following
reasons contribute to this connection:

1. Both industries rely on computer technologies and the Internet for development.
Social networks are undoubtedly the offspring of the Internet, and video games have
become “full-fledged interactive social experiences” (Steinberg, 2007, p. 149) that
benefit greatly from the Internet. Massive multiplayer online games (MMORG),
multiplayer modes on games, and downloadable content (DLC), are the best
examples of this connection.

13
2. Both industries can be integrated on the same platform. Computers, game consoles,
and mobile devices can all run both games and social media tools, which is very
convenient for the user.
3. Game players and social media users fall in the same age group. As stated in the
introduction, the average age of gamers is 34-35, while the largest group of social
media users is aged 35-49. Since both industries are still growing, the two user groups
will continue to merge.
4. Both users share behavioral traits. According to research by Harris Interactive,
“Gamers are very technology savvy,” and “use websites and other on-line sources
heavily.” (Harris Interactive, 2009) This finding also fits the description of Internet-
based social media users.

Given the reasons above, the author believes social media is a suitable and popular tool
for video game marketing and PR, and this belief is supported by primary research
findings and secondary research data.

According to GameVoice Interactive, a video game-based social media research
company, 1,542,42 conversations about video games were generated on major social
media websites using social media features in September 2010; during the number of
conversations regarding game publishers was 108,850 for the same period (GameVoice
Interactive, 2010, pp. 6,8,9). Compare this huge volume with the relatively short time

14
period, and it is safe to argue that social media is more popular and influential than most
media channels in the video game industry.

This analysis is supported by the interview findings. Most player interviewees use some
form of social media and view it as an important tool in today’s video game industry.
On the companies’ side, the author failed to find conclusive evidence of the number of
companies that use social media. However, given the fact that almost all major game
publishers and developers can be found on major social media platforms, it is reasonable
to assume that social media is an important component to video game companies’
communication strategies. This assumption is supported by interviews with game
company representatives.

Common Social Media Tools for Video Games

According to their characteristics, social media tools commonly used in the video game
are divided into the following categories: tools for engagement, tools for quick sharing,
comprehensive communities, and niche social media tools.

15
Social Media Tools for Engagement

Facebook is the main representative in this category. Social media for engagement
functions as a “persona of a game or a game company”
2
or as a gathering place for game
fans. Their main purposes are to aggregate and connect players, build up popularity, and
act as a spokesperson for players. Facebook is the dominant tool in this category due to
its huge user base and widespread network. Almost all major game companies have set
up fan pages on Facebook both for the company, and for the games they design.

Two kinds of fan pages for video games exist on Facebook—the company page and the
game page. The company fan page is created by the game company and is usually based
on the corporate level. It predominantly plays the role of spokesperson. The information
on a company fan page is more news-based than the information and posts on a game fan
page. A good example of this is the official fan page of Blizzard Entertainment Inc.
3
at
http://www.facebook.com/blizzrd. The Blizzard fan page operates as an extension of its
official website, with content focused on game previews, trailer videos, launch
information, events announcements and photos, and game peripheral content. This page
is “liked” by 550,865 people (Blizzard Entertainment).

2
Player interviewee #1, Chenjia Yin, Appendix II

3
Blizzard Entertainment Inc. is one of the leading video game developers and publishers owned by French
media conglomerate Vivendi. Major products include the Warcraft series, the Diablo series, and the Star
Craft series.

16

The game fan page, on the other hand, is completely game-oriented. It focuses more on
the “persona” of a game and keeps players engaged with topics and interactions related to
the actual gaming experience. The content on a game fan page may be similar to that on
the company page, but is more detailed and specific to a particular game or game series.
An example is the official fan page of World of Warcraft
4
, the leading MMOG from
Blizzard Entertainment. The fan page posts news on the community developments, news
updates, releases, in-game pictures/videos, as well as game manuals for new players. It
also interacts with players by posting questions such as “Who is the best character in the
game?” The WOW fan page is “liked” by 972,024 people (World of Warcraft).

Another kind of game fan page on Facebook is the interest page. These pages are set up
by players and are similar to the official game pages set up by companies, except that
they only feature user-generated content. This makes interest pages more open and free;
they operate as a place for player aggregation, where players share experiences, ask
questions, and share related content from other places. An example of this is the fan page
for Final Fantasy XII
5
, a popular Japanese role-play game (RPG). Posts on this fan page
consist of player stories, comments, discussions, and videos from YouTube shared by
users. A total of 17,834 players “like” this page (Final Fantasy XII).

4
The official fan page of World of Warcraft: http://www.facebook.com/Warcraft

5
The interest page of Final Fantasy XII: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Final-Fantasy-
XII/105594112807018

17

Social Media Tools for Sharing

Twitter and YouTube are social media tools that are best used for content sharing. These
tools have limited functions due to their specific formats. Twitter has a 140-character
limit for tweets and YouTube is a video-only format. Because of these limitations,
Twitter and YouTube can only provide incomplete information, although they have the
ability to quickly and widely disperse information. Therefore, the main purpose of these
tools is to quickly spread information to players and act as the gateway to lead players to
destination sources.

YouTube is the major player in this sharing category. Since video games are visual
products, trailers or actual videos of games are always better than verbal descriptions.
This makes video sharing tools like YouTube highly effective in offering players a direct
contact to the games. YouTube’s role is not only as a TV channel, in which players
passively view videos, but also a channel where players can to post feedback and even
respond with their own videos. Embed codes for videos are also provided, making it easy
for viewers to share the videos on other social networks and websites.

YouTube users can also set up their own YouTube channels, giving game companies a
convenient place to aggregate videos. Many game companies have their own YouTube

18
page. Blizzard Entertainment’s YouTube channel
6
holds all the trailer videos for its major
games, as well as videos for the company’s offline events. The channel has a total of
50,803 subscribers and 1,052,314 channel views (Blizzard Entertainment).

GameTrailers.com (GT)
7
is a video sharing website popular with game companies that
posts only game-related videos. The website shows game trailers, interview clips, game
reviews, and user-generated videos. GT is unique in that it also offers downloads of the
videos on its website.

Twitter is another common sharing tool for video games. With its brief message format
and accessibility, this micro-blog service is an effective tool for game companies to
disseminate key messages to players. Twitter’s compatibility with smart phones and other
mobile devices also increases the convenience of receiving information.

Like Facebook’s different page options, there are different types of Twitter handles for
video games: the company account and the game account. The only difference between
the two account types is the subject; their functions are the same—post tweets of news
and announcements, direct followers to the full stories, and “re-tweet” relevant tweets
from other sources. It should be noted that although Twitter allows discussion among

6
Blizzard’s YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/blizzard?blend=2&ob=4

7
GameTrailer’s website: http://www.gametrailers.com/

19
users via the reply function, such discussions are brief due to Twitter post character limits.
Discussion on Twitter is only a minor function and its importance lies in the social media
tool’s ability to quickly spread information.

The Electronic Arts
8
Twitter handle
9
offers company news, promotion information,
retweets from the EA game accounts, and some interaction with followers. The EA
company account now has 436,827 followers (Electronic Arts). The EA Sports Twitter
handle
10
provides similar information, but is sports game-specific. The number of
followers on the sports account is 60,029 (EA Sports).

Comprehensive Communities

This category consists mainly of online forums and blog networks. These tools are
comprehensive because they include most of the functions that other social media tools
offer. For example, online game forums enable users to post in-depth articles, photos, and
videos; they also allow users to have extensive discussions and social interactions.

8
Electronic Arts is a leading international game developer and publisher based in California. Founded in
1982, EA is well known for its “sports games,” such as the NBA Live series, FIFA series, and Need for
Speed series. It also operates MMOG like the Dragon Age series.

9
The EA official Twitter handle: http://twitter.com/ - !/EA

10
The EA sports Twitter: http://twitter.com/ - !/search/EA Sports

20
Therefore, this category is a more sophisticated and “mature”
11
social media tool and
appeals to core game players.

Online game forums existed even before the rise of social media, although its social
nature is often ignored. An online forum is essentially a collection of posts by forum
members, where the posts are sorted chronically under relevant subjects. In this regard, a
forum relies heavily on user-generated content, regardless of whether it is managed by a
game company or by players. Members can post original or shared text, photos, and
embedded videos. Integration of other social media API (Application Programming
Interface) makes this content easy to share. Some forums even provide RSS feed that
users can subscribe to.

It should be noted that game forums members tend to be more serious players who seek
in-depth information or game solutions. As a casual gamer points out in his interview, “I
don’t register for any forum because I’m not so much into games. For me, Google can
give me anything about the games I’m playing.”
12

11
Player interviwee #1, Chenjia Yin, Appendix II

12
Player interviewee #6, Vinson Lu, Appendix II

21
The Video Game Forum
13
is a popular forum that hosts different discussion groups and
covers topics from industry news, trends, technology, to game-specific conversations, all
sorted by game platform. The forum also allows connections to Facebook and Twitter
and allows members to easily search friends and share content. The Forum now has
51,313 registered members and 102,122 posts (The Video Game Forum).

A blog network is similar in function to the forum, but is slightly different—a forum is
topic-centric and represents the “collective intelligence (Jenkins),” while a blog is
individual-centric and is dictated by the blogger’s interests. A blog can incorporate
photos, audio, video and readers’ comments, and when used in conjunction with other
social media tools, enables visitors to share the content. Game blogs appeal to mature
players, since game bloggers tend to be experienced gamers.

MySpace
14
and WordPress
15
are two examples of blog networks. Both networks host a
significant number of game-related blogs and sort these posts with different tags for

13
The Video Game Forum URL: http://www.thegameforum.com/

14
MySpace URL: http://www.myspace.com/

15
WordPress URL: http://www.wordpress.com. Note that the website for the blog network is different from
http://www.wordpress.org, the website for the blog software.

22
indexing. An example of this is IGN
16
, a video game portal website that includes a blog
network.

Niche Social Media Tools

Niche social media tool for games are only used by a niche group of players who either
play the same games, or play on the same game console. Although the niche tool has
limited outreach, it is highly penetrative and efficient because it engages solely with key
players.

Battle Net
17
of Blizzard Entertainment is one such niche social media tool. This online
platform is a gateway to legally access all major Blizzard games and operates as the
platform for multiplayer mode. It is also an internal social media tool in which Blizzard
game players to “befriend” one another and share experiences. Battle Net also has a
forum for each major game title.

16
IGN.com URL: http://www.ign.com/

17
Battle Net URL: http://www.battle.net

23
Rockstar Social Club
18
is another example. This website, established by Rockstar Game
Inc.
19
, functions as an internal social platform for Rockstar game players. Social Club
allows players to connect to other social media accounts to expand their friend list and
posts friends’ updates on the “Message Wall”—a feature similar to the Facebook wall. It
also hosts multiplayer events to challenge players to various in-game tasks and posts
relevant (updates, video streams, etc.) content on the website.

Still another example is the player network on game consoles such as the Xbox Live
20
for
Microsoft’s Xbox 360 game system, and the PlayStation Network
21
for Sony’s
PlayStation system. These networks operate like Battle Net and Social Club, but are only
used by players on the respective game systems. Therefore they have a highly focused
audience. In addition, these console networks can also connect to “external” social media
tools, thus strengthening players’ ability to socialize and share content.

18
Rockstar Social Club URL: http://socialclub.rockstargames.com/

19
Rockstar Games is a New York-based video game developer and publisher owned by Take-Two
Interactive. The company is known for its controversial gangster-themed games like the Grand Theft Auto
series, and Red Dead series.

20
The official website of Xbox Live: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live

21
The official website of PlayStation Network: http://us.playstation.com/psn/

24
Common Social Media Strategies for Video Games

Based on observations and interview findings, social media strategies commonly
employed in the game industry are two fold-- ongoing engagement and social media
integration.

Ongoing Engagement

Engagement is a key social media strategy for video games, especially after the launch.
Unlike other media products, videos games require players to spend a significant amount
of time interacting. In some cases, such as MMOG, there is no finite end to the game.
Therefore, engagement is an ongoing mission for companies. The following are the
common engagement methods used by video game companies:

1. Online / Offline Events

Some examples of offline events are player parties, contests, and new game launch events.
Some online events include online discussions and in-game challenges. Facebook is the
ideal platform for organizing such activities due to its widespread use and its ease in
sharing experience: a company will usually post an announcement on its Facebook fan
page to create interest before the event, post updates and generate buzz during the event,

25
and upload players’ feedbacks and related content (event photos, videos) after the event.
In October 2010, Blizzard Entertainment hosted its annual BlizzCon, which is a
comprehensive convention (developer panels, game contests, shows and performances)
for players around the world. The company announced the event on Facebook as early as
March 2010 and continuously built buzz among fans by disclosing event details up until
the event. During the two-day event, the fan page posted daily summaries recapping the
highlights and sharing relevant stories from other sources. After the event, the company
continued to upload event photos and videos onto the fan page, and encouraged players to
post their own event-related content. From March to October 2010, 27 BlizzCon-related
posts were posted on the Blizzard fan page with each post having hundreds of responses;
the feedback for posts closer to the time of the event eventually surpassed 5,000
22
.

The Rockstar Social Club is a typical example of an online event. This niche social
website has a separate page named “Multiplayer Events” that announces and manages in-
game challenges. The page also streams live video of the ongoing challenge and allows
real-time chat among viewers. Again, relevant content is shared via connected social
media tools.

22
Official Blizzard Facebook page. Data retrieved from http://www.facebook.com/Blizzard

26
2. User Generated Content (UGC)

Game companies also engage players by encouraging them to produce game-related
UGC—game reviews, game videos, game-related designs or backgrounds, etc. In some
cases, UGC even becomes a subculture independent from the original game. Online
forums, with their core player user base, are often the most popular gathering places for
UGC.

Blizzard Entertainment is known for encouraging UGC. For example, the game company
hosts an annual contest for holiday card design, calling players from around the world to
submit game-themed holiday cards. The contest uses Blizzard’s online forum and
Facebook page as a platform to build buzz and display work. Blizzard’s Facebook page
then creates a photo album that displays all the 114 winning artworks
23
.

3. In-Game Accomplishment System

A common feature of many games on consoles and smartphones is the accomplishment
system, which is designed to encourage longer playing time.

23
The Facebook album for the holiday card design contest:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=269577&id=152083869857

27
The system works by setting different in-game tasks for players to complete in addition to
the game itself. Once a player successfully finishes the assigned task, a corresponding
“achievement” is unlocked and displayed on the player’s profile on the console-based
social network. A player’s accomplishments can be seen by his or her friends on the same
console system and also by outside friends if other social media tools are connected.

Rockstar Social Club is a console-based achievement system that covers all the
accomplishment-enabled games on a particular game console. The accomplishments and
their corresponding requirements are usually revealed after a game is launched and game
developers continually add new accomplishments as the game progresses. Examples of
console-specific achievement systems include Xbox 360’s Achievement System and
PlayStation 3’s Trophy system.

Social Media Integration

Compared to the engagement strategy, social media integration seems tactical and more
concerned with the operation level. However, the integration of different social media
tools is an essential component of organizing a powerful social PR framework: it keeps
messages consistent, allows content to be quickly disseminated, and “makes one always
connected.”
24
The social media integration in video games can be divided into two

24
Player interviewee #1, Chenjia Yin, Appendix II

28
aspects: the interconnection between the common social media tools outside games and
the integration of games’ “internal social tools” with outside tools.

1. Integration With the External Social Media Tools

This integration happens in the social media environment outside games, and refers to the
interconnection among a company’s already existing social media profiles.

This is not a novel idea given the fact that a game usually manages more than one profile
on many social media tools. These profiles are usually interconnected to maintain
consistency and to facilitate dissemination, either on the same platform or on different
ones. The social media profiles analyzed in all the above examples are more or less
interconnected.

For example, Electronic Arts’ has a large and comprehensive social media framework.
This encompasses more than ten Twitter handles for different purposes (company,
specific game, news, promotion, interaction, etc.), one official Facebook page (company),
five game fan pages for different titles, three major YouTube Channels (the EA Official,
Inside EA and EA Sports), and an official EA forum that comprises different categories.
25

On Twitter, all of EA’s different accounts “follow” one another with EA’s company

25
EA also has many profiles on major social media tools that target specific markets outside the U.S.

29
account acting as the central node. The other accounts have their own specific focus and
important tweets on one account are quickly “re-tweeted” on others so that the followers
of a specific account can be updated with all of EA’s developments. Most news and
announcement tweets contain shortened URL links that direct followers to the original
source, whether it be the EA official website, the official forum, or the YouTube channel.
A similar tactic also works on Facebook, except that Facebook also allows for more
interaction and buzz generation.

EA’s YouTube channel, on the other hand, acts as a content-generating source. Not only
does it allow for sharing within the YouTube community, it also allows users to connect
through Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and any number of other social media networks
easily by providing an html code to embed videos into forums and blogs. Therefore, once
an EA trailer or gameplay video is released on YouTube, it will almost immediately
appear on EA’s other social profiles.

EA’s official website
26
works in the same way as YouTube. The website integrates EA’s
Facebook and Twitter handles and displays real-time updates of both. The content on the
website is then linked to both of these social platforms.

26
Electronic Arts official website: http://www.ea.com

30
2. Integration of Internal and External Tools

Integration mainly involves the niche, internal social media tools, and popular external
ones. Examples include Rockstar Social Club, which integrates a Rockstar game player’s
profiles on console-based social networks; Battle Net, which links Blizzard players to
their Facebook and Twitter handles; and Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, which also
connect to Facebook and Twitter. The idea is the same: Let a player’s friends know what
he or she is doing within the game.

The social game company Zynga
27
is a perfect example in this regard. Since Zynga’s
online game applications directly integrate with social media networks such as Facebook
and Myspace, the game itself becomes part of the media. Not only can this integration
increase participation, but it can also allow the game information to appear in the players’
daily feeds, making it viewable to other friends on the network.

27
Zynga is a San Francisco-based social game developer. It develops browser-based game applications that
build on social networks such as Facebook and MySpace. Works include FarmVille, City Ville, Mafia
Wars, etc.

31
Chapter 4: Analysis of Social Media Strategies in Video Games

Based on the discussion in the previous chapter, the following uses interview findings to
provide an analysis of the positive and negative aspects of social media strategies.

Advantages

1. Social media is effective in engaging players.

In line with the author’s research questions, most of the interviewees agree that social
media plays an important role in player engagement. Its effectiveness consists of three
aspects: building buzz, hosting events, and making use of user-generated content.

As is mentioned in Chapter 3, building buzz is a popular practice used to raise interest
and engage potential players before the official launch. As a company interviewee points
out, social media tools like Facebook and Twitter are better suited for buzz conversation
because they are widespread, instant, and allow for direct mutual communication.
Although social media has limitations on the length of content, lengthy content is not
necessary to generate buzz during the pre-launch period. For example, marketers can
post the storyline, background setting and related screenshots of a game on Facebook,
and interact with followers to collect their responses and opinions in real time. Since

32
followers can also be redirected to other sources like the official website and forums for
detailed information, communication with players becomes the major function on social
platforms.

Building buzz also serves to connect each phase during the pre-launch marketing—
keeping the players engaged when no events are taking place. For example, before the
launch of MMO games, there is stagnant period between CBT (close beta test) and OBT
(open beta test) when the game servers are off and players have nothing to do. The buzz
on Facebook “can efficiently keep the players interested and engaged”
28
until the game’s
commercial launch.

Hosting events through social media is a popular engagement activity not just limited to
the game industry. With its expansive user base, social media tools like Facebook and
Twitter can quickly spread invitations and allow players to easily click “I’m attending”,
merging the game into the players’ daily social life. In addition, social media platforms
like Facebook and YouTube enable players to offer feedback, to exchange experience,
and to share event-related content afterwards. The BlizzCon 2010 example in Chapter 3
is a good demonstration of social media’s success at creating engagement with such
events. A player interviewee’s statement summarizes the point:

28
Company interviewee #1, Chan Lim, Appendix II

33
Game companies often post activity notices on Facebook, and I like the idea
because I don’t have to go to the official website or anywhere else. For example,
companies like EA and Ubisoft hosted on-campus game trials before, and they
posted notices on Facebook. When you come back, Facebook is still the place to
share photos or videos.
29

However, the interviewee also finds some online engagement activities to be un-engaging
due to the lack of proper incentives. These findings will be elaborated on in the “Negative”
section.

User-generated content is yet another strategy used to engage players. Unique for its
emphasis on mutual communication, social media would not be any different from
traditional media if only first parties’ content was in circulation on its platforms. User-
generated content has become the main option since the Internet entered Web 2.0 and
communication shifted from one-to-many to many-to-many. Game companies also
embraced this trend a long time ago and have always encouraged UGC for its
effectiveness in player engagement. Blizzard’s annual holiday cards design contest is a
good example. By creating their own game-related content, players are not only playing a
game; there is a shift in identity from receptor to creator, which strengthens the feeling
that “they are part of the whole game.”
30

29
Player interviewee #1, Chenjia Yin, Appendix II

30
Player interviewee #1, Chenjia Yin, Appendix II

34
Currently game-related UGC is mostly concentrated on YouTube, online forums, and
blogs. Content can range from game reviews, artworks, to homemade game videos. Other
social sharing tools such as Facebook and Twitter are relatively unimportant as UGC
sources due to their specific limitations. However, as an interviewee points out, these
tools are still effective in spreading content and generating relevant discussions:

Although Facebook and Twitter aren't great places to post UGC, they are efficient
in keeping me updated on what’ going on in other places, since you can’t focus on
many places at the same time. Also, they are good places to talk about these
content.
31

2. Integration is the key in the social media framework.

Chapter 3 illustrated that integration is a common social media strategy and the
interviewees expressed this as well. However, compared with the integration of external
social media tools like Facebook, Twitter, etc., interviewees tend to focus more on the
integration of external tools and internal tools—such as Battle Net and the console-based
niche networks—and even the integration of external social media and game itself as an
essential component in the social media framework for games. The interviewees
identified the following as two major reasons:

31
Player interviewee #1, Chenjia Yin, Appendix II

35
Firstly, although external integration is important, it is still external—such integration
does not allow gamers to exchange experiences while playing the game with non-gamers.
The video game is a product that relies on the current playing experience, which is hard
to share in real time on external social media. Tools like Facebook and Twitter are
capable of engaging players outside the game, but they currently fail to communicate the
in-game experience. In this regard, some interviewees even picture a live status feed
mechanism for video games and social media. An interviewee gives an example:

I’d like to see that one day, when I make an achievement or challenge inside a
game, my Facebook will automatically generate a status and a screenshot for it so
that my friends know. This is already possible on the Xbox Live network, but it
still works internally.
32

Secondly, the external integration does not help much with player expansion. External
tools are effective in engaging with players and turning light users into hardcore players,
but that happens primarily within player groups. Non-players most likely will not see
game-related information unless their player friends share the content or status updates.
The interviewee’s quote above describes a situation in which players and non-players are
separated in different camps although they are on the same network. Thus, the social
engagement between players and non-players is limited.

32
Player interviewee #5, Ruonan Zhao, Appendix II

36
This kind of integration is the basis for Zynga’s success. According to a Zynga player
interviewee, it is because these social games are so visible on Facebook that Zynga is
able to enroll new players from so many different personal networks:

I started playing Farmville because I saw one of my friends playing it on
Facebook. I think Zynga is smart in using Facebook to invite players because if
one plays its games, many can see them—although these game applications may
not be as serious as the console games.
33

The games may be different, but from a PR perspective, the idea is the same. The
integration of the internal and external social media tools is actually the externalization of
the games themselves, providing easy access not only to players, but to potential players
as well. After all, the business goal for every social media campaign for a video game
should be to increase participation.

3. Social media still has potential to evolve in game PR.

Despite social media’s common presence in today’s game industry, many interviewees do
not think game companies have utilized social media to its full potential in improving
video game communication. The future of social media in games are elaborated in
Chapter 6, and some major points are as follows:

33
Player interviewee #4, Hanxun Zheng, Appendix II

37
Firstly, social media will see more game-related content in different forms. As previously
discussed, current social media tools all have respective limitations on the content they
carry. However, in the future, these limitations may not exist due to the evolution of these
platforms. This will bring more opportunity and greater freedom to social media PR for
games.

Secondly, integrated social media may become the dominant media channel for video
game marketing and PR. Digital distribution, as an interviewee points out
34
, is becoming
a trend in video games, as can be seen with Apple’s App Store. Therefore, it is only
natural that media channels follow suite and make the switch to digital. On the company
side, cost may be another driving force. As a company interviewee stated:

Big games like Black Ops have the budget to run national TV commercials, ads
on buses and benches, etc. So for some small games, such as the online games in
our companies, to compete against them, they will rely on relatively cheap social
media.
35

Thirdly, social media is on track to become the distribution channel for games. Zynga is
already a pioneer in this trend by releasing game applications based on the Facebook
platform and this trend may gradually expand to include more serious games and major
titles. As an interviewee commented:

34
Company interviewee #3, Jenova Chen, Appendix II

35
Company interviewee #1, Chan Lim, Appendix II

38

Social media have become the dominant platform for games because they
piggyback on existing friendships. That aspect will remain in place for a long time.
If they can integrate better with the more mainstream or “hard core” platforms
like consoles, then social media may even edge out regular distribution entirely.
36

Disadvantages

Contrary to the research questions, some interviewees expressed reasons why social
media may not always be an ideal tool for video game PR. The disadvantages are as
follows:

1. Although social media is popular, it is not for every gamer.

The author’s interview shows that social media is currently not the predominant factor in
video game marketing. It is also not popular with everybody—contrary to the author’s
original assumption. Most player interviewees still go to portal websites for the majority
of their game information despite the fact that they are linked to game companies through
social media tools on Facebook and Twitter. According to the interview findings, the
second favorite place for players looking for game information is on online forums. Two
reasons could explain these findings.

36
Player interviewee #3, Dimitri Williams, Appendix II

39

First are the limitations of social media tools. Although social media is powerful in
spreading information, the information is also limited in length or form on different social
platforms: Twitter and Facebook are obviously limited in length and YouTube can only
deliver videos. As one interviewee said:

Social media like Facebook or Twitter are always limited one way or the other.
For example, neither of the two can offer comprehensive game intros or reviews
with videos… Twitter is the least efficient in this regard…Therefore, I think a
forum is a better choice.
37

But even an online forum has its limitations—it is not as effective in connecting players.
The interactions on an online forum are usually limited to its registered members, and
outsiders only have partial access to its content. Although more and more forums
nowadays connect directly to Facebook and Twitter to enable their members to share
content outside forums, such integration is still a new phenomenon.

The second reason deals with audience segmentation. Most of the interviewees are so-
called hardcore players, meaning they are serious gamers with longer playing histories
than of casual users. Many hardcore players started playing long before the rise of social
media when portal websites and forums were the only source of game information.
Therefore, these sites have become a comfortable place, even a niche social media, and

37
Player interviewee #5, Ruonan Zhao, Appendix II

40
these habits have not changed even as new social media tools thrive. Another interviewee
provided a conclusive answer:

Social media may be eye-catching for light users, but is definitely not a choice for
hardcore like me. Hardcores know where to find the stuff on games—that’s portal
sites like IGN, N4G or online forums. These places have everything. Facebook or
Twitter are just re-sharing things from them.
38

Therefore, a company’s social media strategies must differentiate target players, target
social media channels, as well as target the content on each channel for each player group.
As a video game PR practitioner noticed, “social media must differentiate with forums in
terms of target audience and content,”
39
and cannot be treated as a mere duplicate or
extension of the latter.

2. Information bombardment rather than true engagement

Social media is highly effective when it comes to disseminating information to its
widespread social network, however, this can sometimes prove to be a double-edged
sword. The efficiency in dissemination may overshadow the efficiency in reception and
unintentionally become the goal. The result is a counterproductive one—information
overload. Twitter can serve as the negative example in this regard: According to the

38
Player interviewee #4, Hanxun Zheng, Appendix II

39
Company interviwee #1, Chan Lim, Appendix II

41
interview findings, six out of seven player interviewees used Twitter to follow game
companies or titles, and among those six, four of them identified Twitter as the least
efficient social media tool for the same reason: “tweets are too overwhelming.”
40

Numbers illustrate how “overwhelming” Twitter can be. As mentioned previously,
Electronic Arts holds over ten Twitter handles and if each account publishes a moderate
five tweets a day, the total daily tweets already exceeds 50—and this is EA alone.
Although an EA player is not likely to follow all the EA accounts, he or she may still
follow other games on Twitter, not to mention non-game Twitter accounts. Because of
the sheer volume of tweets, it is probable that regardless of their content, many tweets
will be left ignored.

Interviews show that messages that are of poor quality or that lack important content are
a big problem. Although integration is a common social media strategy by game
companies, the integrated social platforms may also result in repeated messages or
“nutrition-less”
41
promotions. The same news may be re-shared on different platforms
with little or no alteration; the same tweet may be re-tweeted first by the company and
then by followers, causing useful information to be blurred with advertising. Instead of

40
Player interviewee #4, Hanxun Zheng, Appendix II

41
Player interviewee #4, Hanxun Zheng, Appendix II

42
calling more attention, such low quality messages could even backfire and anger players.
As one interviewee noted:

Currently the biggest problem with social media is that it is just a loudspeaker.
It’s fast to get everybody’s notice, but it’s also annoying with its boring repetition.
Companies have a pressure to release information, and we also have a pressure
reading them.
42

Therefore, game companies must make sure they are offering clear objective and useful
content when using social media marketing. Only audience receptiveness and message
originality can make the juicy content that encourages proactive sharing. Otherwise, viral
marketing can turn into a repulsive virus.

3. Online engagement lacks real incentives for light users

Despite its effectiveness in connecting players and personifying a game, social media
engagement also has its disadvantages: the engagement primarily relies on players’
loyalty and passion for the game rather than offer real or virtual incentives. This may not
be a deterrent for hardcore players who are already loyal to certain games, but it may
determine whether a light user will engage. As previously discussed, light users are
should be the major target of social media. The result is exactly as a light user describes:

42
Player interviewee #4, Hanxun Zheng, Appendix II

43
I don’t usually follow any games or game companies using social media. I don’t
follow companies or publishers to that extent unless they offer an incentive such
as free DLC (downloadable content) or some kind of pre-order bonus.
43

Offline engagement activities may not have this problem, because for many players,
meeting fellow players is already a large part of the game experience. However, online
activities on social media have to respond with desirable incentives in order to maximize
its engagement over a wider and possibly indifferent audience. Light users may not be
passionate about a game, but they have the potential to be. The same interviewee
continues:

Efforts on social media that would pique my interest are ones that incentivize
participation. For example, to promote Red Dead Redemption
44
, RockStar Games
had potential consumers vote on which bonus items should be included with
which pre-order retailers. It was simple and the payoff for participating was
indirect but consumers were not only exposed to the tile alone but game elements
as well.
45

The true objective is not so much to engage light users, as it is to convert them into loyal
and hardcore players. The incentive may take many forms such as real gifts, in-game
bonuses, or simply participation itself, but the ultimate goal should always be connection,

43
Player interviewee #2, Christian Natividad, Appendix II

44
An open-world adventure game featuring the “Wild West” developed by Rockstar Games.

45
Player interviewee #2, Christian Natividad, Appendix II

44
education and cultivation. As an interviewee who previously worked at a game company
said:

The 80-20 rule also applies in the game industry, where the 20 percent hardcores
generate most profits. But it’s also important to engage with light users or
potential gamers, and include them into the 20 percent. Social media may or may
not be the best way, but incentives are effective for engagement.
46

46
Player interviewee #4, Hanxun Zheng, Appendix II

45
Chapter 5: The Social Media Framework for Video Games and
Social Media PR Proposals

Based on the research findings presented in Chapter 3 and 4, the author uses his own
experiences and observations to design and propose a social media framework for video
games.

The social media framework under discussion refers to a selection of different social
media tools divided into different groups in accordance with their characteristics. These
groups, or components, complement each other and each is assigned a specific function.
Such an arrangement maximizes the advantages of each social media tool and minimizes
its disadvantages, so that the framework facilitates effective and efficient public relations
strategies.

The framework for video games is comprised of the following four major components:

1. The comprehensive center (half-owned, half-earned media);
2. The engagement component (owned media);
3. The dissemination component (owned media); and
4. Third-party endorsement (earned media).

46
The notes in the parentheses indicate a game company’s control over the content in the
social media channels of each component. Owned media means that a company has
complete control over the content for that particular social media channel and it can
participate in relevant conversations and activities. Earned media, on the other hand, are
channels in which companies have little or no control over the content in which players
and third-party media lead conversations and activities. Relevant conversations or
activities do not necessarily happen on earned media: companies need to win players and
media’s interest and endorsement with original, quality content. The reasons for each
component’s media type are explained in the following sections.

Each of the four components uses one or more social media tools most suitable for its
main function and the four connected components complement each another in order to
maximize social media’s power. In terms of content, the framework relies more on the
official content before the launch of a game, and then focus gradually shifts toward user-
generated content once the game is released. Figure 5.1 is an illustration of the proposed
social media framework for video games:

47
Figure 5.1: Social Media Framework for Video Games: Media Ownership & Engagement

It should be noted that only a few of the social media tools are mentioned in this
framework. There are two reasons for this. First, the tools mentioned are the most
common and popular among video game players according to the interviews. Second,
using too many social media tools may result in information redundancy and
bombardment.

The four components’ roles and the social media tools involved are explained in detail
below. In addition, the author also provides his recommendation on the proper PR
strategies for each component.

48

The Comprehensive Core—Online Forums and Official Websites

As the center of the whole social media framework, the core section serves to:

1. Route all game-related information
2. Keep track of the events on other social platforms
3. Function as the primary place for in-depth conversations

For the core, online forums are the major component, and a game’s official website plays
an auxiliary role. This component is only half-owned by companies, because forums rely
heavily on user-generated content in order to function. The official game website is fully
owned media but has a limited role within the framework. This may seem contradictory
to reality, especially when the official website is still a major source of information for
some interviewees. The reasons are as follows:

Online forums are the most comprehensive of social media tools. They typically do not
limit the length of materials and current web technologies already allow users to post
videos or audio clips on a forum post. Forums also enable mutual and multilateral
communication. There are two kinds of forums for games: an official forum that is built

49
and maintained by a company for a particular game or game series, and an independent
forum that is established by players or third-party media covering a wider range of topics.
The official website resembles a “huge billboard for games”
47
rather than a
communication platform. Although most official sites for games also host official forums,
these official forums do not work as effectively as independent ones. As one interviewee
commented:

Game companies are not doing a very good job in maintaining their official
forums. These places are used more for things like reporting bugs, etc. I think the
third-party (independent) forums have the most conversations. But apart from the
official forum, there’s really nothing left for the official site.
48

Another reason why independent forums are more successful media tools is its user base.
As is previously stated, online forums are the preferred source for information for
hardcore players, who are the games’ major contributors. They are also the more
experienced players who understand the games and can therefore contribute more
valuable feedback to the online forums. If these users are satisfied, they will become the
most loyal consumers. Game companies benefit greatly from communicating directly to
the focused and quality user base on these forums; the relationship between the company
and the player is strengthened, and allows for the company to take on a more human role.

47
Player interviewee #4, Hanxun Zheng, Appendix II

48
Player interviewee #5, Ruonan Zhao, Appendix II

50
This does not mean that official game websites are useless or dispensable. They still
represent the brand image for a game, and act as the board for major announcements and
commercials. They are also the hub that connects other social media tools. An example is
the website for Dead Space 2, a horror shooting game by EA
49
.

Recommended Strategies and Supporting Tactics:

Based on the discussion above are these recommendations for best practices in strategies
and tactics.

Before launch:

1. Form strategic partnerships with independent forums:
a. Game companies can partner with influential game forums to create independent
discussion groups for new games and appoint official managers to generate
conversations in the forum.
b. The partner forums should have the ability to connect with major social media
tools like Facebook and Twitter, thus facilitating the integration and “sharability”
of content amongst different social platforms.

49
Dead Space 2 official website: http://deadspace.ea.com/

51
c. If a game company has a strong forum presence, no such partnership is needed.
The official forum is more effective for integration with official website.

2. Engage players on forums with pre-launch content:
a. Gradually release teaser materials in forums to spark players’ interest;
b. Generate and lead relevant conversations with players to gauge initial responses
and collect feedback;
c. Keep track of all the pre-launch activities on other social media platforms, post
updates on forums accordingly, and generate relevant conversations on those
social media platforms.
3. Use the official website as the face of a game:
a. Create an official website as the front page for the new game and use it for
releasing major news, trailers, and announcements;
b. Link the official site to the partner forums and direct traffic accordingly. Share the
content on the official websites on partner forums;
c. Collect hot topics and interesting discussions from forums and post summaries on
the official website;
d. Provide links to other social media profiles on the official website or directly
incorporate conversations on other social tools with the help of API.

52
After launch:

1. Maintain engagement momentum by focusing on user-generated content:
a. On forums, shift from official content to user-generated content. Encourage
players to release game reviews, gameplay videos, etc. to keep conversations
going;
b. Create a special thread on forums that collects problem reports in the game, thus
integrating the official forums and the independent forums;
c. Continue to keep tracks of activities on other social media outlets on the forums,
with an emphasis on user-generated content.
2. Tailor content for different forum users:
a. Differentiate between hardcore players on forums with light users who have been
directed there from other social media outlets; create conversations and content
that specifically engage these newcomers. (e.g. game manuals, walkthroughs, etc.)
3. Generate sustained conversations and engagement for the future:
a. Gradually shift the focus of forum discussions to include future perspectives.
Generate ongoing discussions on the possible improvements of the game, such as
including more downloadable content (DLC), etc.
b. Host panel discussions or webinars on forums to include players’ ideas for new
games or sequels in development. Post discussion summaries on forums as well as
on other social media outlets.

53
4. Post-launch website strategies-- user-generated content:
a. Create a special page that collects popular UGC from forums and other places and
enable visitors to share;
b. Continue to display hot topics and discussions selected from forums, as well as
activities on other social platforms. Provide links to the original sources.

The Engagement Component—Facebook

Engagement is a key function that differentiates social media from other media forms. By
engaging on widespread social networks, game companies are able to reach more
players—both hardcore and new—and encourage participation and contribution to a
game. Therefore, the engagement component takes an important responsibility in this
framework. It is also an owned medium, so game companies can select which content to
use for engagement, putting them in a key position to interact with players. The
objectives for engagement are to:

1. Keep a game relevant to the players’ social life;
2. Integrate with other social media to keep players constantly connected;
3. Reach out to non-players using the players’ social network;
4. Generate game-related buzz;

54
5. Host online and offline events; and
6. Direct followers to the core (forums and official websites) for details.

Facebook is the dominating, if not the only, platform in the engagement component due
to its compatibility with other platforms. Its popularity among players also proves that
Facebook is an effective tool for engagement. The sheer number of active users provides
an immense user base to influence.

Engagement strategies on Facebook should focus on participation and communication
rather than dissemination and discussion. Although Facebook is capable of all these jobs,
a lack of focus would only make Facebook suffer from information redundancy. Such
tactics include asking game-related questions, releasing photos, and conducting quick
polls using Facebook applications. Hosting events is also an efficient way to strengthen
the relationship between players and companies.

Integration is another important feature in Facebook engagement. As interviews show,
players prefer an integrated social media tool to connect the game to the real world so
they can easily share their playing experiences with friends. This integration will
automatically turn game players into spokespeople who constantly broadcast their
engagement with games to their friend network.

55
Game companies should be careful of the volume of information they disperse on
Facebook. As analyzed in Chapter 4, redundant announcements and “nutrition-less”
information render messages ineffective and result in information overload that can anger
players.

Recommended Strategies and Supporting Tactics:

Before launch:

1. Build a strong, powerful and engaging presence while connected with the core:
a. Create an official fan page on Facebook; link the fan page with the official site
and major forums.
b. Automatically promote the fan page to forum users who signed in with Facebook
accounts.
c. For engagement activities and conversations on Facebook, always direct players
to partner forums for details.
2. Engage fans by creating continuous buzz and short conversations:
a. Gradually release teaser materials leading up to the launch;
b. Generate brief conversations related to games. Such as “best game trailers,” “the
best character design,” etc.;

56
c. Use the convenient poll application on Facebook to collect feedback and post the
results on forums for discussion;
d. Release exclusive content as rewards for Facebook followers, such as game-
related wallpapers, icons, original artwork, etc.
3. Engage potential new players through the social network of current players;
a. Launch activities that encourage Facebook fans to invite their friends to like the
game’s page. An example may be a contest for the most connected player, or
rewards for referring the most new followers in a limited amount of time, etc.
b. If possible, design browser-based game applications related to the formal game,
and spread them via fan page followers. Automatically invite friends on the
followers’ social network. The target is new players and light users.
4. In addition to online engagement, use Facebook to organize offline activities:
a. Organize test play or game trial events and invite followers to attend;
b. Organize launch events and provide promotion information. Spread the
information through the social network;
c. Collect feedback and post event recaps on Facebook, and release event photos and
videos to followers.

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After launch:

1. Integrate external and internal social media outlets:
a. Integrate Facebook with internal social media tools, such as Battle Net, Rockstar
Social Club, as well as the console-based social networks. The players’ in-game
status will automatically appear on Facebook. The idea is to always keep players
connected and to allow them to share game experience with friends. Examples:
i. When a player enters a game, his or her Facebook status automatically
updates showing the name of the game;
ii. When a player completes a certain in-game challenge, his or her
Facebook status will be automatically updated with a game screenshot;
iii. For such updates, always include the link to the game’s Facebook page,
official website and forums.
iv. If possible, integrate Facebook with the chatting system in MMO games,
enabling players to communicate with friends outside games;
2. Continue to engage players with buzz while focusing on the actual game experience:
a. Topics may be similar to the ones used for pre-launch, but the focus needs to be
shifted to in-game experience;
b. Again, use the poll application on Facebook to quickly collect feedback;
c. Post the results on the forum to generate discussion.

58
3. Continue to use Facebook to host online and offline events as complements to games:
a. Offline events may include social parties among players, such as the BlizzCon
event. The Facebook fan page can send invitations to followers and provide event
updates;
b. Online events may include challenges and special tasks within the game, or even
game tournaments. Provide proper in-game rewards;
c. Collect feedback and post event recaps on Facebook, and release event photos and
videos to followers.
4. For post-launch engagement, shift the focus from official content to UGC:
a. On the official fan page, host online and offline events that encourage UGC and
invite fans to vote. Collect and display popular works on the fan page;
b. Create an interest fan page on Facebook to shift the focus to user-generated
content. Encourage followers to post self-made reviews, artwork, gameplay
videos, etc.
c. Link the interest page with the official fan page and forums for content sharing.

Game companies should utilize Facebook’s advantages to call for players’ proactive
participation with the proper incentives. Similar to the strategies for the core component,
user-generated content is an essential part of the strategies to effectively keep players
interested and engaged.

59
It should be stressed again that in this framework, Facebook is mainly used to engage
new players and attract non-players. It should not be used too much for information
dissemination, which is the function of the dissemination component of the framework.

The Dissemination Component—YouTube and Twitter

This owned medium component is mainly responsible for spreading game-related
information and content, as the name indicates. At the same time, it also:

1. Serves as a quick interface between players and the framework core, and
2. Allow players to conveniently share the content to create a viral effect.

Although YouTube and Twitter are both major tools for dissemination, YouTube plays a
dominant role in this social media framework for games. Twitter, like the official website
in the core, only works as an auxiliary agent. Two reasons lead to this arrangement.

As mentioned in Chapter 3, video games are visual products that rely heavily on visual
demonstration. YouTube, because of its video format, is naturally more compatible with
video games. Twitter, on the other hand, is limited to text and has to rely on other tools
for photo and video sharing.

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YouTube can also be integrated with other social media tools. The website already
enables viewers to share its videos on Facebook, Twitter, and many other social
platforms. It also provides html codes for users to embed the videos to blogs, forum posts
or websites, offering a more convenient and direct sharing method than Twitter provides.
Therefore, YouTube should be the main source for video content in this framework.
Game companies can use YouTube as a major distribution channel in conjunction with
the official website to release game trailers and to spread popular player-generated videos.
Companies can also embed these videos into forums to maintain continuity. However,
when rapidly releasing video content to a large audience, game companies should also
pay attention to viewers’ feedback and ratings of the released material in order to gauge
players’ responsiveness and the video’s effectiveness.

Twitter, despite its popularity among social media users, has a rather limited and singular
role in terms of dissemination. It acts as the quick interface. Its major function in this
framework is to quickly release up-to-the-minute game-related news and announcements
and allow followers to massively re-tweet to achieve a viral effect. An interviewee’s
reply may represent the similar view of many players: “Twitter is my least favorite social
media tool. It’s limited and doesn’t support photos and videos, which are vital for video
games.”
50

50
Player interviewee #7, Wenzhi Yuan, Appendix II

61
Meanwhile, game company should be aware of the number of Twitter handles it holds
and the number of re-tweets—less is more. Maintaining multiple Twitter handles not only
significantly increases time cost; it also results in repeated information.

Recommended Strategies and Supporting Tactics:

Before Launch:

1. Build presence and maintain connections with the core component:
a. Set up an official YouTube channel and a Twitter handle for the game to release
visual and textual content. YouTube should focus on game trailers and interviews,
while Twitter should handle news, announcements, promotion information, etc.
b. If the game belongs to a series that already has these accounts, continue to use the
original accounts to avoid repetition.
c. Connect the YouTube channel and Twitter handle with partner forums, Facebook
pages, as well as with other relevant social media outlets. Tweets should contain
links to the original sources.
2. YouTube pre-launch strategy: stress visual content, sharability and interactions:
a. Release game trailers and designer interviews on YouTube as well as on official
websites;

62
b. Share the videos to Facebook pages and partner forums, and encourage players to
share videos with their friends;
c. Encourage players to comment on and rate the videos. Examples are
conversations with players in the comments section below a video, or a vote for
the best trailers on Facebook or partner forums;
d. If possible, encourage players to shoot testimonial videos in which they express
their excitement for the game launch and aggregate the videos on YouTube and
embed them onto forums;
e. Live stream the launching events on YouTube, if such activities are planned. Also
embed the video onto forums and the official sites.
3. Twitter pre-launch strategy: encourage quick and moderate sharing:
a. Release tweets on important news, announcements, major events, or promotional
information. Include links to proper destinations in the tweets.
b. For a game release, mainly use the game handle. Also, control the tweeting
frequency to avoid over tweeting.
c. Encourage followers to re-tweet certain key messages by offering rewards such as
discounts, free in-game bonuses, or virtual items.

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After Launch:

1. YouTube post-launch strategy: shift content from official content to UGC:
a. Encourage players to generate game-related videos such as reviews, comments,
parodies, etc., and upload the videos onto YouTube.
b. Organize in-game challenges or contests, and ask participants to post game videos
on YouTube. Live stream the events, if possible.
c. Embed the videos mentioned above onto forums and Facebook, and generate
discussions.
d. Host “the best game video contest,” or similar events and encourage players to
comment and rate. Collect the most popular videos on the official YouTube
channel for viewers to view and share.
2. Twitter post-launch strategy: continue to encourage quick and moderate sharing:
a. Twitter strategies do not change much for the post-launch period. Release and
spread news, announcements, and publicize events. Companies may also offer in-
game rewards to encourage re-tweeting.

Third-Party Endorsement—Portal Websites and Blogs

The first three components in the framework are all media channels owned by game
companies either completely or by half; the third-party endorsement, however, is the

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channel that game companies have to earn with well-managed media relations. Third-
party endorsement in the framework mainly helps to:

1. Increase the credibility of the messages conveyed by game companies;
2. Spread the game-related information to a wider audience beyond the social media
network;
3. Encourage user-generated content and long-term discussions.

Portal websites on games and player blogs are the key constituents in this component of
the framework for the reasons below:

According to the interview findings, the portal website and blog are still a major source
of information for many players because of its comprehensiveness. Portal websites like
IGN.com and GameSpot.com provide a wide array of content and information for the
whole game market in a third-person point of view, offering players a one-stop service.
Similar to forums, most portal websites already integrate social media features and allow
players to share content on other platforms, leave comments, and even start short
discussions regarding a story of common interest. Blog networks work in a similar way;
the only difference is that a blog’s tone is more subjective and the content varies
depending on the blogger’s personal taste.

65
Portal websites and blogs also target a wider player base. As Chapter 4 shows, not every
player uses social media to follow the game industry. As a result, portal websites and the
blogosphere serve as a necessary complement to other social media channels in game
communications. In addition, content on portal websites and blogs can be found more
easily on search engines because they are more static than the constantly undated content
on social media channels. Thus, any player with an interest in the game, whether he is
tapped into social media or not, has access to information and game-related content. In
this respect, portal websites and blogs are essential components that complete the whole
framework with wide coverage. On the other hand, they still have the potential to become
valuable media channels with more authority and credibility by building mutually
beneficial relationships. The media relations to video game are the same as in other
industries—creative content of high quality are always the key.

Recommended Strategies:

Before Launch:

1. Seek third-party media endorsement for the official launch of the game:
a. Identify the major game portal websites and influential game bloggers that are
interested in the game;

66
b. Design a creative media pitch based on the nature of the game to engage game
reporters and bloggers;
c. Generate buzz using the actual pitch material. Example: the encryption pitch of
Call of Duty: Black Ops by Activision.
51

d. Pitch media endorsement for major discussions on forums and Facebook.

2. Engage third-party media with real game experiences:
a. Invite game reporters and influential bloggers to test play the game before the
official launch, and encourage them to generate game previews.
b. Invite reporters and bloggers to experience the game once it is officially launched.
Encourage them to generate first-hand game reviews on portal sites and major
blogs.

3. Constantly share third-party coverage via other social media tools:
a. Forums—Share relevant stories, such as game previews and reviews, from portal
websites or blogs to generate discussion;
b. YouTube—Share relevant videos from portal websites or blogs to the YouTube
account and spread virally; embed the videos to forums;

51
Call of Duty: Black Ops is a cold war-based shooting game published by Activision, an American game
developer and publisher. Activision’s marketing team designed an encrypted media pitch that requires
receivers to solve a puzzle first before seeing the true content.

67
c. Twitter—Use the integrated share features on portal sites and blogs to share major
stories. However, limit the amount of sharing to prevent information
bombardment;

After Launch:

1. Similar to the other components, shift focus from official content to UGC:
a. After the launch, media pitch should focus on user-generated content and game-
related activities.
b. Invite portal websites and bloggers to the online/offline events, such as parties,
game peripheral designs, in-game challenges, contests, etc.; encourage them to
generate relevant contents.
2. Constantly share third-party coverage via other social media tools, as in the pre-
launch period:
a. Forums—Share relevant stories, such as game previews and reviews, from portal
websites or blogs to generate discussions;
b. YouTube—Share relevant videos from portal websites or blogs to the YouTube
account and spread virally; also embed the videos to forums;
c. Twitter—Use the integrated share features on portal sites and blogs to share major
stories. However, limit the amount of sharing to prevent information
bombardment.

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Chapter 6: Future Social Media Trends in the World of Games

Both the video game and social media industries have undergone rapid expansion in the
short period of time since their birth. This growth is still gaining momentum due to the
fact that computer technology and the Internet—the foundations of the two industries—
are also rapidly evolving. As a result, the social media framework proposed in the
previous chapter, which is based on today’s video game and social media environment,
may not be accurate for video game communications in the future.

Following the framework for today’s video game industry, the author has also made his
own forecasts on the possible trends that may take place in the future social media
environment for video games. The predictions below are based on the author’s
observation, experience, and interview findings.

Social Media Integration

The integration of social media tools is the most predictable trend in the future landscape
of video game communication. With the development in computer and web technologies,
the author believes this integration will take place in the following ways:

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1. The combination of the external social media platforms

There are already signs of this emerging in the game world. Facebook accounts can be
used to register for various social media applications like Yelp, Foursquare, Digg,
Groupon, etc., and many game forums already allow players to login with their Facebook
or Twitter information. In the future, Internet users will continue to see more social media
tools become accessible with a master account, and these tools will have more
comprehensive functions. Ultimately, a comprehensive social media tool may even
emerge to include all major functions of the others. Users do not need to change
platforms to release contents in different forms and the master platform would also
enable users to interact and share contents among friends.

A current example for such a master social platform is RenRen
52
, which is China’s
answer to Facebook. In addition to the social feature and newsfeed, RenRen also allows
users to upload videos, post blogs, and form discussion groups. It is also integrated into a
forum that allows users to generate conversations on topics of common interest.

Such a social media platform, if properly developed and managed, would greatly
facilitate and empower the social media framework for video game PR. Under the
proposed framework, the integration of four different components may render a challenge

52
RenRen.com official website: http://www.renren.com/

70
for efficient communication and consistent messaging. However, on a platform like
RenRen, such a challenge would not exist since the platform itself is already integrated.
Game companies would no long need to worry about the limitations, and could instead
focus on engaging players with the best combination of content.

From a player’s perspective, an integrated social media platform would also mean a more
convenient means to receive content.. Players would no long need to switch between
different social media tools to acquire information, saving considerable time.

2. The In-and-Out Integration

The integration of external and internal social media tools is another trend that is already
beginning to mature. Previous examples of Blizzard Entertainment’s Battle Net,
Rockstar’s Social Club, as well as the console-based niche networks like Xbox Live and
PlayStation Network are all integrated with external social media tools (namely Facebook
and Twitter) to some extent. This connection allows players to share a social profile
across platforms. This means that players can identify Facebook (or Twitter) friends who
play on the same game console, and share simple status updates. This trend will continue
to develop with more capabilities.

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From a PR perspective, such an in-and-out integration is also a necessity since it breaks
the wall between the social scopes of gamers and non-gamers, facilitating the experience
exchange between the two groups. These niche networks, although convenient and
popular among players, make the game experience almost inaccessible for non-players—
the two audience groups remain separated. Integration can help bridge players with the
rest of the world, making a game visible to potential players within the players’ social
network.

The future video game world may become an environment in which internal social media
is unified, or at least connected to its external counterpart. Players will be able to share
their real-time playing experience with friends on the social network by posing on-the-
scene screenshots or even live videos. Friends will then see this content in the daily feed
updates and can click to view the details. Once clicked, these feeds will also provide
introductory and promotional information about the game. In this way, both players and
non-players will be engaged simultaneously.

Some game companies have already taken steps in this direction. Blizzard’s Battle Net
users display what Blizzard games their friends are playing and both Xbox Live and
PlayStation Network display a player’s in-game achievements. Despite this, the content
is still concentrated on the niche networks’ side. Only when the social platforms are truly
integrated and mutually shared can the power of social media be maximized.

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Visualized Messages

As useful as integration can be, visualization is a more realistic future for video game PR.
This has already taken shape in the way game companies release their information.
Since video games are a visual product and call for actual playing experience, visual
demonstration is a more direct format than verbal material in video game communication.
Like the motion picture industry, game companies release trailers and gameplay videos
for pre-launch marketing, and game reviews and commentaries by third-party media are
also often in video format. Large portions of game news on major portal sites like IGN
53

and GameSpot
54
contain video clips that summarize the whole article. These videos are
usually more popular with visitors. As an interviewee points out: “I don’t see why
traditional news release is still being used. It’s static and tedious. Video is so much better
and more effective.”
55

The future social media environment will see more video sharing websites like YouTube
and GameTrailer.com, and video releases will almost completely replace traditional news
releases. Trailers and gameplay demos with commentaries will become the standard

53
IGN official website: http://www.ign.com

54
GameSpot official website: http://www.gamespot.com

55
Player interviewee #6, Vinson Lu, Appendix II

73
format for video game press kits, and major social media outlets by that time will
probably be equipped to play videos. Players will also make their own video reviews on
games, replacing lengthy articles, and social media platforms will allow players to
quickly and conveniently share the reviews with their friends. Text releases, although
unlikely to completely die out, will become an old-fashioned format with reduced
function. It will only be used in formal situations like corporate affairs, financial reports,
or legal reports.

Another prediction is players’ interactions with game videos will increase. Currently the
only interaction with video for players (or video viewers in general) is commenting and
sharing, neither of which is truly engaging. Video websites usually display viewers’
comments below a video, but these comments are still kept separately: even if the video
is shared or embedded to other places, the interactive comments are not carried over.
Web technology already has a solution that combines interaction and content sharing. A
Chinese video site Bilibili
56
is using such technologies as allow viewers to post real time
comments onto the video itself. The website was founded by Chinese fans of Japanese
animation and games. While a video is playing, viewers can pause it at anytime and post
comments directly onto the video as subtitles. These comments—or barrage, as Bilibili
users call them—are saved onto the video and can be shared alongside or can be turned

56
Bilibili official website: http://www.bilibili.us

74
off if viewers find them distracting. This new form of interactive video watching is still
new and not widely spread and is not yet supported by major social media platforms.

Nevertheless, the author still believes that interactive videos will become a popular
engagement method in a future video game world dominated by video format. It will
completely change the engagement component of the proposed framework and will
ultimately merge the official contents with user-generated content. There will be no more
official content; once official trailers or game videos are released, players will add their
own comments, turn them into user-owned materials, and spread them alongside the
integrated social platform. Accordingly, the engagement pattern will also shift from
company vs. players to everyone vs. everyone.

Game Experience Delivery via Social Networks

Although interactive video is the future standard for video game communications, it is
still not the final version of real demonstration. The ultimate interaction will be playable
game demos delivered by game companies via social networks.

Unlike motion pictures, which primarily appeal to the visual senses, video games also
require player participation. Therefore, passively watching trailers is not the most
effective way to engage potential players. As a solution, game companies could offer beta

75
versions, organize game tests, and host pre-launch trials with the purpose of providing
players with the true experience of playing the game.

With the advancement of technology, the future may see all these events transfer to social
networks. Game companies can set up test play events on social tools like Facebook,
which would allow players will automatically receive a downloadable game demo from
companies when they sign up for the test. Companies could also embed playable game
demos directly into the website, much like the game applications from Zynga, and
players can share their experiences with friends in real time. This is already happening on
game consoles, where companies deliver playable demos for new games to players on the
internal console-based social network. The future will only see an expansion of such
activities on all game platforms.

The cloud computing technology will also facilitate the real demonstration of video
games. With a main sever that processes all the data and calculation, companies can
simply embed an interface on the social network, and players can directly play huge
games online as if they were playing on their own consoles or computers.

The gaming service company OnLive
57
is a good example of this trend. This U.S.-based
company utilizes cloud computing to provide a game-on-demand experience on the

57
OnLive official website: http://www.onlive.com/ - 1

76
Internet, enabling players to remotely play high-end video games even on low-end
computers. The company has formed partnerships with many leading game publishers,
and its library is gradually expanding. Currently, OnLive still requires players to use its
own OnLive console for connection, and the games it supports are based mainly on the
PC platform. However, it is reasonable to believe that such limitations will disappear as
relevant technologies make headway.

The future world of games will see an integration of OnLive-like services with social
media tools. It is also probable that social media tools like Facebook may develop their
own game-on-demand services. For companies, social networks may no longer be a
simple place for engagement with players in the framework; it may become the
distribution channel itself. Players who try out the game on a social network may
continue to play the official version. Seeing friends sharing their real-time gaming
experience on social networks would mean players are only one click away from the
game; they do not worry about their computer specifications or purchasing a game
console. This will be the ultimate engagement for game companies’ social media
framework.

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Chapter 7: Conclusion and Primer

Summary

The following is a summary of the main ideas of the author’s discussion on social
media’s role for video game communication:

1. Social media is popular, powerful, but not omnipotent.

Social media is undoubtedly an important component to the communication strategies of
many video game companies. This is also confirmed by primary research. Social media is
quick in dissemination, efficient in engagement, and widespread in connection. The
proper combination of online forums, a Facebook page, a YouTube channel and Twitter
feeds will greatly facilitate game companies’ efforts in building a closely connected
player community.

Though important, social media is not everything for video game PR. Social media tools
have various limitations in terms of content, social influence and audience participation,
and are limited in functions. Therefore, game companies must wisely combine social
media component and non-social media outlets in order to achieve well-balanced success
in video game marketing.

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2. Social media is more about engagement, not dissemination.

Although social media is highly effective in disseminating information through its
widespread network, dissemination is not its only purpose. Engagement should be the
ultimate goal for game companies’ social media plan, otherwise social media becomes
just another media channel.

Game companies’ activities on social platforms should be designed to entice players, to
interact with them, and to encourage them to participate. Conversations, discussions, and
user-generated content are all useful ways to facilitate player engagement and
participation. Game companies also need to provide proper rewards for such engagement,
so that players will be drawn to participate proactively. Only when players are taking the
initiative, can social media become really powerful.

3. The proposed social media framework rests on engagement and UGC.

The social media framework proposed by the author consists of four components: the
comprehensive center, the engagement component, the dissemination component, and the
third-party endorsement. Each component relies on one or more social media tools to
function, and each component is more or less connected to an integrated platform. The

79
nuclear idea of the framework is to utilize the strengths of each social media tool to
combine the power of owned media and the credibility of earned media most effectively.
User-generated content is another connection among the four components, especially
during the post-launch period. Unlike a movie, video game is a long-term product that
can be constantly replayed. User-generated content is an efficient way to keep players
engaged and to elongate the “topic life” of a game. Players are no longer just consumers;
they become creators that contribute to the product.

4. Integration is the future for social media in video games.

An ongoing trend in social media is the integration among different social media tools
and this trend will also have deep impact on the video game industry. Fewer and fewer
social media tools will rise with more and more functions, and these external tools will
also completely merge with the internal niche social networks among players. Also, the
cloud computing technology will integrate the real game experience into social media,
making social media an important channel for game distribution.

For gamers in the future, playing games and socializing with friends can happen
simultaneously. The integrated in-game social media features will enable players to
conveniently share the moment with friends via pictures and videos. Friends who see

80
these updates can also participate in the game through the integrated interface. The whole
engagement of the future will revolve around the ultimate product—video games.

Primer

The following is a primer that lists the author’s recommendations for social media
practices in video games. The primer combines the research findings and is divided into
“do’s” and “don’ts.”

Do’s:

1. Do include social media as part of the communication plan for video games. It’s fast,
effective, and engaging.
2. Do choose wisely what social media tools to use based on the game and the target
players. Use a social media portfolio to maximize its power.
3. Do engage players on the social network. Generate buzz, start conversations, and host
online activities to keep players active. Do prepare incentives for engagement.
4. Do encourage user-generated content. Let players become creators with their own
contributions to keep the conversation going.
5. Do integrate external social media tools with internal networks. Always keep players
connected to share their experiences with friends.

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Don'ts:

1. Don’t use social media as just another media outlet. Engage, rather than disseminate
information.
2. Don’t overwhelm players with too much or useless information. Although social
media is fast and efficient for dissemination, releasing too much information too
frequently will only result in information bombardment.
3. Don’t be verbal; be visual. Video games are a visual product. Companies should
prepare more video materials and allow them to be easily shared on various social
platforms.
4. Don’t rely on social media alone. Each media outlet has its own function, and a good
communication plan must combine various outlets to aggregate the advantages.
5. Don’t use social media just because it’s popular. PR is all about using the proper
channels to reach the right audience.

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Kafka, P. (2010, 3 5). Another YouTube Revenue Guess: $1 Billion in 2011. Retrieved 1
17, 2011, from All Things Digital: http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/20100305/another-
youtube-revenue-guess-1-billion-in-2011/

O'Dell, J. (2010, 12 16). Facebook on Track for $2B Revenue in 2010. Retrieved from
Mashable.com: http://mashable.com/2010/12/16/facebook-2-billion-revenue/

Smith, J. (2009, 3 25). Number of US Facebook Users Over 35 Nearly Doubles in Last
60 Days. Retrieved from Inside Facebook:
http://www.insidefacebook.com/2009/03/25/number-of-us-facebook-users-over-35-
nearly-doubles-in-last-60-days/

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Tartakoff, J. (2009, 7 15). Twitter Expects $140 Million In Revenue By 2010. Retrieved
1 17, 2011, from www.PaidContent.org: http://paidcontent.org/article/419-twitter-
expects-140-million-in-revenue-by-2010/

The Video Game Forum. (n.d.). The Video Game forum Homepage. Retrieved from The
Video Game Forum: http://www.thegameforum.com/

World of Warcraft. (n.d.). Facebook Fan Page for World of Warcraft. Retrieved from
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Warcraft

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Comprehensive Bibliography

Association Entertainment Software. (2010). Essential Facts about the Computer and
Video Game Industry. Association Entertainment Software. Association Entertainment
Software.

Blizzard Entertainment. (n.d.). YouTube Channel for Blizzard Entertainment. Retrieved
from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/blizzard?blend=2&ob=4

Blizzard Entertainment. (n.d.). Facebook Fan Page for Blizzard Entertainment. Retrieved
from Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Blizzard

Carlson, N. (2011, 1 5). Facebook Has More Than 600 Million Users, Goldman Tells
Clients. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-has-more-than-600-
million-users-goldman-tells-clients-2011-1#ixzz1BNMKsHBB

EA Sports. (n.d.). Twitter Handle for EA Sports. Retrieved from Twitter:
http://twitter.com/#!/EASPORTS

Electronic Arts. (n.d.). Twitter Handle for Electronic Arts. Retrieved from Twitter:
http://twitter.com/#!/EA

Final Fantasy XII. (n.d.). Facebook Page for Final Fantasy XII. Retrieved from
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Final-Fantasy-XII/105594112807018

GameVoice Interactive. (2010). OpenMic GameVoice. GameVoice Interactive.

Gettler, J. (n.d.). The First Video Game? Retrieved 1 17, 2011, from Brookhaven
National Laboratory: http://www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/history/higinbotham.asp

Harris Interactive. (2009). Moments of Influence. Harris Interactive.

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Jenkins, H. (n.d.). Publications by Henry Jenkins. Retrieved 1 24, 2011, from
web.MIT.edu: http://web.mit.edu/cms/People/henry3/collective%20intelligence.html

Kafka, P. (2010, 3 5). Another YouTube Revenue Guess: $1 Billion in 2011. Retrieved 1
17, 2011, from All Things Digital: http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/20100305/another-
youtube-revenue-guess-1-billion-in-2011/

O'Dell, J. (2010, 12 16). Facebook on Track for $2B Revenue in 2010. Retrieved from
Mashable.com: http://mashable.com/2010/12/16/facebook-2-billion-revenue/

Smith, J. (2009, 3 25). Number of US Facebook Users Over 35 Nearly Doubles in Last 60
Days. Retrieved from Inside Facebook:
http://www.insidefacebook.com/2009/03/25/number-of-us-facebook-users-over-35-
nearly-doubles-in-last-60-days/

Steinberg, S. (2007). Video Game Marketing and PR. Lincoln, Nebraska: iUniverse.

Tartakoff, J. (2009, 7 15). Twitter Expects $140 Million In Revenue By 2010. Retrieved 1
17, 2011, from www.PaidContent.org: http://paidcontent.org/article/419-twitter-expects-
140-million-in-revenue-by-2010/

The Nielson Company. (2009). Global Faces and Networked Places. The Nielson
Company. The Nielson Company.

The Video Game Forum. (n.d.). The Video Game forum Homepage. Retrieved from The
Video Game Forum: http://www.thegameforum.com/

World of Warcraft. (n.d.). Facebook Fan Page for World of Warcraft. Retrieved from
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Warcraft

Wu, J. (2010). Global Video Game Market Forecast. Strategy Analytics.

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Appendix I: Interview Questionnaires

Company Interview Questionnaire

1. Does your company use social media as part of your marketing plan for a game title?
(If not, why do you not use it?)
2. What is the aim of your social media strategies? Is it any different from that of the
traditional media?
3. Before a game is launched, what social media tools (Facebook, Twitter, Youtube,
etc.) do you use to engage potential players? What are your strategies with these
tools? Can you give some examples?
4. After a game is launched, what social media tools do you use to engage players?
What are your strategies for the after-launch period? Can you give some examples?
5. What is your strategy on the blogsphere? Any difference before or after the launch?
6. How do you measure the results of your social media strategies?
7. Overall speaking, how much do you think these social media programs contribute to a
game’s success?
8. What is your most successful social media campaign? Are you able to give some
concrete numbers?
9. Do you use social media as platform for contents release, such as announcements,
game videos, playable demos, etc.?

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10. How do you think of the efficiency of social media tools as contents release platform?
11. If you’re able to disclose, how much do you spend on your social media
communication? This information will only be referenced in aggregate and not in
relation to a specific company.
12. What is the percentage of your social media spending to the overall marketing cost?
13. Compare social media communication and traditional media communication, and
which one do you think is more efficient for video games in terms of Return On
Investment?
14. Which one is more efficient in terms of consumers’ positive feedbacks on the game?
15. How do you see the role social media currently plays in video game
marketing/communication? (For example, it is already doing enough, or it still has
potential, etc.) Why?
16. How would you predict social media’s role in video game marketing in the future?
(Remain the status quo, become dominant, etc.)
17. Can you talk about any specific trend in this regard? Why do you think that (those)
will happen?
18. Is social media currently included in your overall crisis communication plans? If yes,
can give some details?
19. In conclusion, what do you think a game company should do with social media to
engage players?
20. Similarly, what do you think a game company should AVOID with social media?

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Player Interview Questionnaire

1. Where do usually you get information on the latest games and your favorite game
companies?
2. Do you follow any games or game companies on any social media tools? (Twitter or
Facebook, YouTube, blogs, or any online discussion groups)
3. If yes, what are they? On which social media tool? Why do you want to follow them?
4. For the social media profiles for game titles you follow, which one do you like best?
Any specific features that you like about?
5. Which one do you like least? Any specific reason?
6. Do you pay attention to these social media presences all the time, or only at particular
moments (e.g. before or after buying a game, or when you have a problem, etc.)
7. Regarding the game titles you follow on social media, do the companies do anything
(activities, events, etc.) to engage and interact with you? Any examples?
8. If not, what activities do you expect game companies to do on social media?
9. What information / contents (news, game videos, playable demos, walkthroughs,
solutions, etc) do you usually seek on social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube,
blogs, online forums, etc.)?
10. In this regard, what do you think is the best social media tool for video games? Why?
11. Can you name some social media tools that you consider inefficient for your
purposes? Why?

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12. Compare social media and traditional media communication, which one do you think
is more efficient in providing you with a compressive understanding on a video
game? Why?
13. How do you see the social media strategies game companies currently use? Do you
think they are already sufficient, or that they still have potentials for improvement?
14. How do you see social media’s role in video games in the future? (Remain the status
quo, become dominant, etc.)
15. Can you talk about any specific trend you see in this regard? Why do you think that
(those) will happen?
16. In conclusion, what do you think game companies should do with social media to
engage players?
17. Similarly, what you think that game companies should AVOID with social media?

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Appendix II: Interview Transcriptions

Note: Interviewees’ answers are organized in the same order as the questions.

Player Interviewees

#1: Chenjia Yin, USC graduate student, Mechanic Engineering

1. Portal websites on games, social media including forums, game magazines, etc.
2. Yes.
3. I follow a lot of them. To give some examples, I follow Blizzard and EA on Facebook,
Square Enix, Konami, Nintendo on Twitter. In fact there are more, and across all
major social media like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube.
I follow them majorly because I like these companies and their games. Besides, if
they have some big moves, I can learn immediately from their updates.
4. There are many, but for example, I’d say Blizzrd’s Facebook page. I like it
particularly because it offers more balanced information, such as news, event
announcements, videos, photos, and short discussions. It’s a persona of a game or a
game company.
Game companies often post activity notices on Facebook, and I like the idea because
I don’t have to go to the official website or anywhere else. For example, companies

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like EA and Ubisoft hosted on-campus game trials before, and they posted notices on
Facebook. When you come back, Facebook is still the place to share photos or videos.
Forum is another place I like, but it's more mature. It usually offers more serious
information, and popular among hardcore players.
5. Twitter. Twitter is limited in length, and it doesn’t support pictures or videos, which
is inconvenient. It’s more like a gateway that leads users to other destination sources.
6. I pay average attention most of the time. But of course, if my favorite game is going
to be launched, I’ll focus more on it. But usually it’s the information on social media
comes to me.
7. As I said, companies would host various events on Facebook, either online events or
real events. Blizzard has its annual BlizzCon party, and holiday card design contest;
EA hosts game trials on school campus. I like the idea, although I seldom participate.
Discussion is another form of engagement, so to speak. On companies’ Facebook
pages, there are always ongoing discussions about their games, although they are very
long. Same things happen in game forums, too.
8. I don’t think they are enough. I hope to see more user-generated contents.
The power of social media is to turn one-to-one communication into many-to-many,
and UGC plays the key roles for this end. By making game-related contents
themselves, players are no longer just receptors of information; they are creators, so
that they are part of the game.

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9. On social media like Facebook or Twitter, I don’t expect much. Most of the cases, all
they offer is just news headlines with links. Video is good, though, since Facebook
can directly play videos.
Although Facebook and Twitter aren't great places to post UGC, they are efficient in
keeping me updated on what’ going on in other places, since you can’t focus on many
places at the same time. Also, they are good places to talk about these content.
On forums, I expect everything, since I can find almost everything there. But since
forums are for mature players, I’d look for insightful game reviews or discussions.
10. Forums, since they can provide everything. The only problem is that, like I said, most
forum-goers are hardcore players. Maybe that’s not a good place for light users.
11. Still Twitter. It’s limited in both length and format, and therefore can't really give
useful information. Although it provides links, it’s useless; I can go directly to these
links in the first place.
12. I think it’s social media. In fact, online forum is already doing that. Now many
forums already support users to connect with their Facebook or Twitter profiles, thus
strengthening the social capability.
13. I don’t think game companies have maximized social media’s power. Most of them
still use social media with no difference than a billboard. I’d say social media has
much more potential, if companies can spend more efforts in engaging players with
meaningful contents.

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14. I think it will keep growing, and may even become the major media outlet for games.
But again, companies should do better than what they are doing now.
15. First I think social media will merge. Now we have Facebook for social life, Twitter
for quick messages, and YouTube for videos, but they may become one in the future.
This new social platform will be a perfect place for games, since it offers everything.
Second, I think social media may become the place for game playing. It looks like
Zynga, but more complicated: Zynga only offers simple game apps based on
Facebook, but technologies like cloud-computing may even allow social media to
carry more serious games like Call of Duty. Social media will be a channel for
services like OnLive, linking player terminals and the game servers.
16. Game companies should use social media’s power to engage players, makes one
always connected, and let them be part of the game. Encourage more user-generated
contents, rather than official materials.
17. Don’t just use social media as another ordinary media outlet; don’t flood meaningless
information just because it’s convenient.

#2: Christian Natividad, USC graduate student, communication management

1. My usual sources for videogame-related news are blogs such as Kotaku.com and
Joystiq.com. I find that these sites do a good job of posting pertinent news items.
Beyond that, I sometimes check online publications like 1up.com or G4TV.com.

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2. I don’t usually follow any games or game companies using social media. I don’t
follow companies or publishers to that extent unless they offer an incentive such as
free DLC or some kind of pre-order bonus.
3. N/A. See question 2.
4. N/A. See question 2.
5. N/A. See question 2.
6. I do pay attention to particular social media presences insofar as they have a game-
related incentive whether that is monetary or in-game bonus. Usually this would
happen before the release of a game.
7. Efforts on social media that would pique my interest are ones that incentivize
participation. For example, to promote Red Dead Redemption, RockStar Games had
potential consumers vote on which bonus items should be included with which pre-
order retailers. It was simple and the payoff for participating was indirect but
consumers were not only exposed to the tile alone but game elements as well.
8. Unfortunately, more and more often, game companies are relying on increasingly
elaborate efforts when engaging gamers. Online scavenger hunts or impossible goals
are set up to motivate gamers. Perhaps, companies are overestimating the amount of
new media activity gamers actually use.
9. Since y usual source of information on games and developers are blogs, I seek news
most on social media. That is, if you were to categorize blogs as social media.

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10. Blogs are the best tool for social media in that it still has a sense of editorial
management. It has the potential for comprehensive coverage that twitter or facebook
would lack.
11. Twitter and Facebook would be inefficient for the kind of news I want from social
media. They do fine as quick message posts but I seek comprehensive coverage.
12. Both traditional and social media have strengths in game coverage. Formerly,
traditional media were the outlets for publishers and developers to release information.
As new media has risen, developers and publishers are increasingly more comfortable
reaching out to upstarts such as kotaku.com or even smaller oerations. The more this
happens the more unnecessary sites like G4TV.com become.
13. I think the social media strategies companies utilize are fine. I don’t think that is
where they necessarily need to focus on before they have other things in order.
Perhaps work on digital distribution first.
14. As far as social media’s relevance to games, it will need to grow if there are certain
developments in the industry. If the mobile sector of the industry continues to grow
and more gamers come to play apps on their smartphones, then the sheer number of
titles will swarm available spaces for coverage, new media or traditional. Digital
spaces that will show user feedback or aggregate scores for the thousands of new
games will be needed if gamers are to navigate through the clutter.
15. See question 14.

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16. Developers and Publishers need to make social media efforts complementary to the
game experience, not necessary, cumbersome, or superfluous. It’s just a matter of
finding the right balance. Companies such as 2K Games and EA make efforts with
every new release.
17. See question 16.

#3: Dimitri Williams, USC associate professor, Annenberg School for
Communication & Journalism

1. E-mails from friends, online forums.
2. I don’t. I do most of my following via reporting or from links from friends and
colleagues. A lot of these links are to blog posts, but I don’t tweet or do this kind of
work via FB, etc.
When I do use a system, I tend to use LinkedIn to track down or get background on
an individual, not a company.
3. Not applicable.
4. Not applicable.
5. Facebook is great for opinions and socializing, not for hard information searches.
YouTube isn’t a source of any good corporate info. Tweeting I just don’t have the
time for. Maybe it’s great, but email dominates my life.
6. Not applicable.

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7. I don’t use them, so not applicable.
8. Not applicable.
9. I’m not sure what that means. Content? Well, since I don’t use social media for it, I’d
have to say none.
10. Not applicable.
11. See question #5.
12. TBH, when I want to understand a game, I go right to the forums.
13. See question #14.
14. Social media have become the dominant platform for games because they piggyback
on existing friendships. That aspect will remain in place for a long time. If they can
integrate better with the more mainstream or “hard core” platforms like consoles, then
social media may even edge out regular distribution entirely—if they adapt
technically with systems like OnLive.
15. Old school distribution is dying and a new model is taking shape. Lots of companies
want to dominate the new channels, of course, and there is going to be a big fight
over the consumers. Social media has a strong edge in the fight, but hasn’t focused on
the opportunity yet.
16. They should integrate with social media, but guard their IP and content carefully.
They are taking a risk by letting FB become a platform that eventually kills them.
17. Giving them too much power.

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#4: Hanxun Zheng, USC graduate student, electronic engineering (former employee
at a Chinese game company)

1. First I read game magazines such as “Ultra Console Game,” a Chinese game
magazine. General portal sites such as www.gamespot.com is also my preferred
source. I also go to online forums like bbs.saraba1st.com.
2. I follow various companies or game titles on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube,
and bbs.saraba1st.com.
3. I follow them because they sometimes offer incentives like lotteries on these media.
4. No one is the best to me. I don’t think game companies are doing a good job with
social media. They only use them to throw out information. I still think the portal
website is the habitual place for many players for game information, but it’s not a
social media outlet.
5. Like I said, no social media outlet is being used in a satisfactory way. But if I have to
choose, it’s Twitter. Twitter is too limited, and doesn’t even support pictures. And
most companies just flood my screen with too much information. Tweets are too
overwhelming and verbose.
6. No difference for me. I’d pay average attention to general discussions on various
social media. In fact, the information comes to me. But I would first go to portal sites

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and forums, and then turn to social media outlets like YouTube or else if I find
something that interests me.
7. Like I said, some companies offer lotteries.
And some games on Facebook would directly invite me to play, like Farmville. I
started playing Farmville because I saw one of my friends playing it on Facebook. I
think Zynga is smart in using Facebook to invite players because if one plays its
games, many can see them—although these game applications may not be as serious
as the console games.
8. I’d say, offer real incentives, either in-game bonuses or real rewards. Lottery can be a
good choice. Incentive is really important to attract light users or new players.
The 80-20 rule also applies in the game industry, where the 20 percent hardcores
generate most profits. But it’s also important to engage with light users or potential
gamers, and include them into the 20 percent. Social media may or may not be the
best way, but incentives are effective for engagement.
9. Not much. Since I can get news, videos, demos or game walkthroughs on the portal
website, I usually don’t turn to social media.
But I’d go to game forums to see discussions for new games. And I peek into the
official game sites for the same reason.
Twitter occasionally offers good stories, but you have to follow the right accounts.
10. I’d still say portal websites. Well, if that doesn’t count, it’s online forum.

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Social media may be eye-catching for light users, but is definitely not a choice for
hardcore like me. Hardcores know where to find the stuff on games—that’s portal
sites like IGN, N4G or online forums. These places have everything. Facebook or
Twitter are just re-sharing things from them.
11. Facebook and Twitter. I explained the reason for Twitter just now. For Facebook, I
think it is designed for social activities, not for demonstrations and discussions.
Therefore, you can’t use a Facebook page to effectively show a game, nor can you
have long discussions that involve many followers. And most of the replies don’t
mean anything. I don't care how many people “like” the news or not; I only care
about the news itself.
The official site for a game is lame, too. It’s just like a huge billboard for games.
12. I’d prefer old-school websites, because I’m more habitual to them. I like portal sites
because I can find everything I want there. If I can’t find what I want, I just go to
Google; that’s more direct.
I don’t have the time to focus on social media all the time, and I don’t need timely
information for games. On the other hand, most information on social media is just
the copy from portal websites or forums.
13. Like I said, I don’t think game companies are using social media well. Most
information on social media is nutrition-less limited in either length or format, and
can’t help decide whether a game is good or not. Besides, for games, it’s not
necessary to keep players engaged all the time, since there isn’t that much

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information. There is no need to squeeze the toothpaste several times a day, with only
a little each time.
14. No doubt they are becoming more and more important. People need fast information
nowadays, and social media is the best platform in this regard. But portal websites
and forums are not going to be replaced, since they provide a unique environment for
extensive discussions.
15. We will see timely news about games first on social platforms, and then the
information will be shared to major forums for discussions. People will still exchange
their game experiences majorly on forums, and these discussions/experiences will be
aggregated and posted on portal websites. Facebook and Twitter will only be used for
generating buzz.
16. Social media has its limitations, and is not the best stage for games. A stage requires
equipment and actors, but social media is only a loudspeaker. And since this
loudspeaker is cheap, everyone is swarming to it. So game companies really need to
give good contents for social platforms.
17. Don’t use social media just as another media outlet. Currently the biggest problem
with social media is that it is just a loudspeaker. It’s fast to get everybody’s notice,
but it’s also annoying with its boring repetition. Companies have a pressure to release
information; we also have a pressure reading them.

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#5: Ruonan Zhao, USC graduate student, computer science

1. I first go to comprehensive portal websites on games, such as www.ign.com. Big
game forums are also my preference. In addition, I also follow game companies or
titles on Facebook.
2. Yes. Online forum and discussion group are the majority. And like I said, I also
follow game companies on Facebook to see if they have any events.
3. I often go to see the Facebook pages of Rockstar Games, Blizzard, EA, and Ubisoft.
Rockstar often uses Facebook to announce online activities, such as Red Dead
Redemption’s online game party. EA would host new game trials on school campuses,
and would release announcements on Facebook. For Blizzard, it often releases
original game art designs and user-generated contents on its Facebook fan page.
On forums, I would have discussions with other players regarding the game. I also go
to official forums to report the bugs inside a game.
4. Online forum is my favorite. Usually, I hope to see comprehensive information from
various angles on a new game, and the forum threads have both texts and pictures to
fulfill that purpose. Also, on forums, I can have more communication with other
players and game developers. Communication is always the biggest fun in games.
5. Social media like Facebook or Twitter are limited one way or the other. For example,
neither of the two can offer comprehensive game intros or reviews with video.

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I’d say Twitter is the least efficient in this regard. I think Twitter is more for posting
opinions and seeking information, rather than for mutual communication among
people. At least with games, it’s less useful than Facebook. But portal sites like
www.ign.com offer even more comprehensive information. Therefore, I think forum
is a better choice.
6. I go to these game forums and Facebook pages everyday.
7. Yes. Rockstar often organizes online gaming parties on Facebook; EA and Ubisoft
would host new game trials on campus—they also make announcements via
Facebook.
8. Game companies that use social media would more or less organize various events.
9. Usually I seek feedbacks on new games or walkthroughs, game solutions.
10. Definitely forums. Neither Facebook nor Twitter is able to offer long articles with
pictures, such as game intros or walkthroughs. And like I said, forum is the best place
for communication among players.
11. Twitter. The length limitation and the lack of pictures can’t tell much on a game.
12. Personally, I prefer social media. Compared with traditional media, social media
allows players to be part of the communication. For example, players can use rating
system to rate a game, post their opinions, and even release their own walkthroughs
and game videos. And people can also quickly share these contents with others.
13. Game companies are not doing a very good job in maintaining their official forums.
These places are used more for things like reporting bugs, etc. I think the third-party

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forums have the most conversations. But apart from the official forum, there’s really
nothing left for the official site.
On the other side, game companies only use Facebook and other social media tools to
organize events, but that’s not the only thing social media can do. The potential of
social media is thus limited. Social media’s biggest potential is sharing, since people
love to share their ideas and experiences.
14. Definitely it’s playing an important role. As the game industry rises to become a
major entertainment, social media helps people share relevant experience and
understand games.
15. I’d like to see that one day, when I make an achievement or challenge inside a game,
my Facebook would automatically generate a status and a sreenshot for it so that my
friends can know. This is already possible on the Xbox Live network, but it still
works internally. Also, game companies can use Facebook to generate in-game events,
which can track participants and reward them accordingly.
In a word, people are social animals. When we see friends enjoying a game and
sharing experiences with others, we will possibly try that game, too.
16. Develop game-related applications on Facebook; maximize social media’s potential
to let gamers play and socialize at the same time.
17. Not really. Too many feed updates can be one, since it might make players bored and
stop following.

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#6: Vinson Lu, USC graduate student, electronic engineering

1. Game forums, social networks like Facebook or Twitter, official websites, portal
websites on games, online discussion groups, RSS feeds.
2. I’m following Falcom, a Japanese company, on www.renren.com, but that’s not an
official page.
3. I’m following it because that’s my favorite game company. I want to know their news.
4. I prefer forums. They provide more information, more angles than others, and allow
users to search with key words. But I don’t register for any forum because I’m not so
into games. For me, Google can give me anything about the games I’m playing.
5. No one particular. I think each is doing its own job.
6. I pay attention to game’s developments, promotion info before the launch. Just
quickly browse the updates from forums, discussion groups and RSS. After launch,
I’m not looking for anything in particular.
7. The Falcom account I’m following is not an official account, so I don’t know.
8. Not applicable.
9. Promotion info, walkthroughs, plot of the game, relevant game videos, etc.
10. I only use RenRen is this regard. But since RenRen supports blog posts, pictures and
videos, it is more efficient than most of the others, even Facebook.
11. Not applicable.

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12. Social media. It is better because it allows users to interact, comment, and share, so
that users can know different information from different angles. Social media also
aggregates information from everywhere, and thus is a more concentrated and
efficient channel than traditional media.
I don’t see why traditional news release is still being used. It’s static and tedious.
Video is so much better and more effective.
13. I think game companies all pay great attention to social media by holding events,
releasing various contents, leading conversations, etc. I don’t see anywhere for
improvements.
14. I think it’s already in the dominant position.
15. I don't see any trend in particular. Probably it will be become more connected with
games. Also, some major social media tools may rise to include all functions, like
RenRen.
16. Companies should be aware of difference between hard-cores and light users on
social media, and prepare different contents.
17. Companies should avoid flooding information on social media platforms. That’s easy,
and annoying, too.

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#7: Wenzhi Yuan, USC graduate student, financial engineering

1. I often go to general news sites like N4G.com, IGN.com, etc. Forum is another
channel for me to get game information. I don’t use social media a lot, so I’m not
following games or companies.
2. See question #1
3. See question #1. I don’t follow because I can get information from other places.
4. I prefer forums and general websites. They are more comprehensive, and are
convenient. They are the one-stop service I’m looking for.
5. I’m not sure, since I’m not using them a lot.
6. I only go to game forums for all the problems I have. Yes, I go there very often.
7. Before the launch of a new game, there are many relevant posts on forums. They are
game previews, backgrounds, screenshots, or general discussions. Some of them are
posted by game companies. Sometimes game companies will organize offline
activities on forums, too.
8. I’m not sure, since I don’t use it too much anyway.
9. Well, if I were to use social media like Facebook, or Twitter a lot, I would expect
almost everything that I’m already having on general sites and forums.
10. Forum, if you count that as social media. It’s more comprehensive than the others.
11. Twitter, I guess. Twitter is my least favorite social media tool. It’s fast, but it’s also
limited and doesn’t support photos and videos, which are vital for video games.

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12. It’s hard to say. I guess it should b social media, since more and more games are
online now. But traditional media channels are equally important. At least I first
noticed Call of Duty: Black Opts through billboards on the street.
13. I feel like companies nowadays use social media just because they are in the trend.
The information on social tools is not different from that on news sites or other
channels. So I don’t think companies are using social media effectively.
14. Probably social media will become more powerful in the future, and will take more
responsibilities for game marketing. But that depends on players’ behavior. For me, I
don’t really care about the channels; content and information should be the focus.
15. I don't see any trend in particular.
16. Like I said, I think companies should offer different stuff on social media, rather than
use them as another traditional media channel. Otherwise, why would players bother
to switch?
17. See the previous question.

Company Interviewees

#1: Chan Lim, intern, Wonacott Communications

1. Yes

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2. Ultimate goal is to communicate with the players. Also, we use social media as an
extra channel to release news. For example, some artworks get exclusive reveal on
Facebook fan page than gets moved to Games Press account.
In terms of difference, the real time aspect is the biggest one. However, social media
for video games can be tricky as there is strong online community presence (forums)
and social media must differentiate with such forums. While communicating two-
ways with the players, social media should be used as marketing tool.
3. For War of Angels, we used Facebook to create buzz, ask questions, and do polls to
keep them proactive and connected. It is not easy to build interest in a game that has
not been launched yet. Thus, we had to use what we could reveal before the game
launch (CBT in this case.) Good Vs. Evil is one of the main selling points for the
game, thus that aspect was used a lot for pre-launch phase.
4. After the launch it was about keeping the buzz. Also for online games, phasing each
stage out is very important. CBT starts and closes; then comes OBT; then the
commercial launch. Buzz on Facebook can efficiently keep the players interested and
engaged while the servers were off. After-launch, we have been more active on
Twitter.
5. Not particularly. But, many of the stories published by big sites such as IGN and
MMO Hut tend to get picked up by smaller blogs.
6. Facebook has insights for Fanpage admins. It actually measures daily active users,
daily comments and etc, and presents them in numbers.

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7. Good question. I do not know how to answer this, but my guy tells me it’s helping a
lot.
8. I just started with one. Ask again in a year or two, please.
9. Yes, we do release FB exclusive art work/drawing every Tuesday.
10. Well, with video games, there are a lot of assets that do not get used for different
reasons. And if we can use those, the otherwise-not-used assets, to keep players
interested in the game, it is great. In such was FB is a great way to do it. However, for
bigger games and pages on FB, social media can be very strong platform for releases.
(example: Top Gear)
11. I would have to ask my boss about that.
12. Same here.
13. As far as the US video game industry goes, I believe ad buys are the most effective
way, then followed by traditional media relations.
14. Social media is made of players who like our game so it tends to be more interactive
than traditional media, but not necessarily positive.
15. It will expand especially for MMO games that rely on other players. MMO games are
meant to be played by massive number of players and in order to bring a friend in,
social media can be a great place to do so.
16. I think we are already seeing the segregation. Big games like Black Ops has enough
budget to run national TV spots, ads on buses and benches, etc. But some online
games can compete against it, thus they will rely on relatively cheap social media. I

112
am not saying that big games will not use social media, but smaller game will rely on
it more significantly.
17. Budget is the biggest problem.
18. I don’t think we have a written crisis plan.
19. Understand difference between social media and community forums
20. Using it like a community forum while running one already.

#2: Kellee Sandiago, co-founder and CEO, Thatgamecompany

1. Sony Computer Entertainment America, our publisher, do all the marketing stuff for
us. So we don’t use social media particularly for the marketing or PR purposes. We
do, however, have a community manager using social media to engage with players,
but the focus is on community building.
2. N/A. See question #1.
3. N/A. See question #1.
4. N/A. See question #1.
5. Our community manager also writes our company blog, but that’s community
building.
6. Still N/A.

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7. I think social media do have contribution to a game’s success, but the influence is
limited and is hard to measure clearly. Marketing is a combination of all channels,
and it’s hard to measure each channel separately.
8. N/A. See question #1.
9. For our company’s social media, we use them to announce news, development
progress, game trailers, etc. Again like I said, our publisher SCEA takes care of all
the marketing work.
10. I’d say it could be efficient if it is used in the right way. But the efficiency also
depends on the different types of games.
11. N/A. See question #1.
12. N/A. See question #1.
13. Good question. But it’s really hard to tell in general. As said before, social media’s
efficiency really depends on different types of games. For example, social media
marketing may be a good choice for MMO games such as World of Warcraft, since
the game itself is an online social environment. But the same thing can’t be said for
other offline games or games that don’t focus on social.
14. See the previous question.
15. It’s hard to say, since social media’s effects vary from game to game. Game
companies are all more or less involved with social media, since they are the trend
right now. But to me, I think social media is more like a few people with loud voice

114
in a small world. It is efficient for certain games and certain players, but it’s not for
all.
16. I think the social media will definitely continue to grow, and maybe more players will
join, but it will not be everything. It’s only one marketing channel, and it needs to
work with others to have the best result.
17. No comment.
18. Our publisher SECA takes care of it. We don’t have one.
19. Social media should focus on the real engagement, rather than work just as another
advertising channel.
20. See above.

#3: Jenova Chen, co-founder and creative director, Thatgamecompany

1. As our CEO Kellee has said, our publisher Sony Computer Entertainment America
does all the marketing for us, so we are not involved with social media marketing.
Our own social media strategies are only used for community building and to keep
our fans updated.
2. N/A. See question #1.
3. N/A. See question #1.
4. After the launch, our company gets involved a little since we want to focus on the
community relationship and feedback collecting. But we primarily use our forum and

115
Facebook for that purpose. Again, the strategies focus on talking to players to get
feedbacks.
5. Our community manager writes a company blog and updates frequently, but the
purpose is for community building.
6. Since our social media usage is not marketing-oriented, we don’t have specific
metrics for it.
7. I think social media do have contribution to a game’s success, since more and more
players are playing online—either MMO games or Zynga-like games. And online
distribution is also becoming an important channel for game sales. With these
backgrounds, social media tools offer a huge contribution by providing convenient
conversations and advertising opportunities.
8. N/A. See question #1.
9. We use forum, Twitter and Facebook to announce news, and we sometimes post
trailer videos on YouTube. But SCEA does a lot more on that end.
10. I think it has huge potentials in the future. Nowadays we have social media tools that
support all forms of content, but these tools are too diversified—you can’t upload
picture through Twitter, for example. But it has a promising future. OnLive now even
supports game experience delivery via cloud-computing technologies, and that’s the
most efficient way for game marketing.
11. N/A. See question #1.
12. N/A. See question #1.

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13. That depends on what kind of game we are talking about. But my thinking is, with
more and more players playing online, social media will have more influence even if
they are not too influential right now.
14. Social media, since it stresses on mutual communication and sharing.
15. I’m not very familiar with the issue, but I think social media do have certain
contributions to a game’s success if they work well with other media/marketing
channels. But that also depends on different games.
16. See question #10. I think there will be new social media tools that integrate more
functions. And online gaming experience will be another trend.
17. N/A
18. N/A
19. I think social media should engage players, talk to them, and don’t function as just
another advertising platform with flooding information.
20. See above.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Zhang, Yun (author)

Core Title Social media's role, utility, and future in video game public relations

School Annenberg School for Communication

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program Strategic Public Relations

Degree Conferral Date 2011-05

Publication Date 04/26/2011

Defense Date 03/20/2011

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Communication,Marketing,OAI-PMH Harvest,Public Relations,social media,video game

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Burghardt Tenderich (committee chair), Dimitri Williams (committee member), Jay, Wang (committee member)

Creator Email raynezhang121@gmail.com,zhangyun@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-m3784

Unique identifier UC1176047

Identifier etd-Zhang-4542 (filename),usctheses-m40 (legacy collection record id),usctheses-c127-465279 (legacy record id),usctheses-m3784 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-Zhang-4542.pdf

Dmrecord 465279

Document Type Thesis

Rights Zhang, Yun

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Repository Name Libraries, University of Southern California

Repository Location Los Angeles, California

Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu