Where do I submit indie game press releases?

[teoma]

I recently got an account at GamesPress.com, and I noticed that most of the titles on there are these big AAA games. There were a few indie games on there but not many. I figure that any review site or magazine dedicated to small or independent games wouldn't even bother with gamespress because you'd have to sort through 100 AAA games to find one indie one.

So, my question is, where is the best place(s) to post press releases for indie games? I guess I could email editors individually, but is there a better way?

[Sillysoft]

There are press release services you can hire to send out your release to lots of editors. http://www.softpressrelease.com is one that I have used and was pleased with the results.

[RinkuHero]

I wish there were a way to opt out of getting press releases actually. I'm an editor on http://www.indiegames.com/blog/ (and not even a common editor, I post one or two articles there a month at most) and I get press releases *every day* because of that. Most of them for boring casual games that the blog would never review.

So, what I mean is, just be wary of using press release services because sometimes they'll say things like 'we'll send this to thousands of places!' and the places they're sending them too often aren't the kinds of places that review the type of game you are press-releasing.

I suggest building up your own list, gradually. Have it include anyone who has ever reviewed your games and anyone who reviews games similar to the kind that you make. Build up relationships with the press, don't blindly shoot out press releases in a shot gun manner. A good list of 100 or even 50 places to send it to is worth a lot more than 1000 places that your game would be irrelevant to.

[teoma]

I suggest building up your own list, gradually

That's kinda what I've been doing anyway. If you don't mind me asking, as an editor, do you prefer the formal 'press release' format, or just an email with a description of the game and links to screenshots, video, ect. I realize editors have a job to do, and if I make stuff easier for them then everybody benefits.

[RinkuHero]

An individual email would probably stand out more to me than anything officially formatted, especially if I know the person, but that's just me, I doubt I'm indicative of the press in general. But in general I think press releases are incredibly ineffective compared to "connections", even loose connections such as having seen someone's name and game before somewhere. The only game I ever reviewed after getting a press release about it was Democracy 2, and that was because I knew of cliffski from these boards and enjoyed Democracy 1. By far most of the games I review are those I discover on my own through browsing game-making forums like this one, the TIGSource forums, the GMC (Game Maker) community, and so on. But again, I don't think I'm typical, most reviewers likely don't actively seek out games to review and may rely on press releases.

[teoma]

Thanks, I guess I better get posting on the GMC. I want to do a combination of emailing editors/bloggers and posting on forums (GMC, Gamedev, ect..). I also want to contact sites that don't normally deal with games, because the game I'm working on has a uniquely relaxing feel about it, so I want to market it as a 'stress relief product', as well as an actual game. I think if you only market to people already playing indie games you're kinda setting your own limitations.

BTW, I've been wanting to send info about my game to the indiegames.com people - should I use 'editors@indiegames.com'? My game could definitely be described as 'casual', but the core game mechanic is so unique that I think it also fits well within the 'indie' space. I can assure you that it's not a match-3 game about organizing your sock drawer.

[RinkuHero]

I'm actually not sure where that email goes to -- I would guess that it goes to Tim W (the founder of the blog and by far the most frequent poster, he posts there pretty much every day). So yes, I recommend sending it either to him or to me (I tend to focus on reviews of Game Maker games, for instance I reviewed about five or six of the best 'YoYo Games' Winter Contest' entries). My email is rinkuhero@gmail.com if you want it.