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Episode Summary

Your game announcement isn’t just a moment it’s a make or break opportunity that can set the trajectory for your entire launch. But here’s the thing: most indie developers are doing it completely wrong.

Think launching a Steam page counts as announcing your game? Think again. In this comprehensive episode, we’re joined by Robby Bisschop from Pirate PR, who reveals the insider secrets of what actually constitutes a proper game announcement and how to execute it flawlessly.

From crafting press releases that get opened to building relationships with major outlets like IGN and GameSpot, Robby breaks down his entire playbook. You’ll discover why you can “re-announce” your game even if your initial Steam launch fizzled, learn the exact anatomy of press releases that generate coverage, and get the step by step process for pitching to major gaming outlets with an 80% success rate.

This isn’t just theory it’s battle tested strategy from someone who’s helped countless indie games break through the noise and capture the attention they deserve.

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Meet Our Guest: Robby Bisschop

Robby Bisschop is the founder of Pirate PR, a specialised PR agency focused exclusively on indie game marketing and media relations. With over three years of experience in game PR, Robby has built an impressive track record of securing coverage for indie games across major outlets including IGN, GameSpot, Rock Paper Shotgun, and countless YouTube channels.

What sets Robby apart is his hands on, data driven approach to PR. He doesn’t just send out press releases he builds genuine relationships with journalists and content creators, tracks open rates and engagement metrics, and continuously refines his strategies based on real world results. His client roster includes successful indie titles like Katanaught and Pirates Outlaws 2, and he’s known for his transparent communication style and willingness to share knowledge with the indie dev community.

Robby’s philosophy centres on authentic relationship building rather than mass email blasts, and his success rates speak for themselves: an 80% acceptance rate with GameTrailers and consistent coverage across major gaming outlets.

Website: PiratePR

LinkedIn: Robby Bisschop

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Key Takeaways

“The chances of somebody watching your trailer in its entirety are close to zero. They’re basically treating it as an interactive slideshow where they just click at random intervals and see does this game interest me?”

— Robby Bisschop, Pirate PR

• Real Announcements Require Press Outreach: Simply launching a Steam page isn’t a game announcement. A true announcement involves sending press releases to major outlets and securing coverage from gaming press and content creators.
• You Get a Second Chance: If your initial Steam page launch fizzled, you can treat it as a “soft launch” and do a proper announcement later. As long as major press and creators haven’t covered it, you still have your announcement opportunity.
• Relationships Trump Mass Emails: Building genuine relationships with journalists and content creators is far more effective than sending mass emails. Robby maintains personal connections and tracks engagement to ensure his pitches land with the right people.
• Press Releases Have a Specific Anatomy: Successful press releases follow a proven structure: compelling title with hooks, subtitle with key details, trailer embed, curated quotes, comprehensive press kit, and clear contact information.
• GameTrailers Has an 80% Success Rate: With a decent trailer, you have an 80% chance of getting featured on GameTrailers. The key is professional presentation and proper timing.
• Trailer Optimisation is Critical: Most people don’t watch trailers from start to finish they click through randomly. Your trailer needs to be compelling at any point someone might jump in.
• File Sizes Matter for Email Delivery: Keep press release attachments under 10MB total to avoid spam filters. Use JPEGs instead of PNGs and compress GIFs to ensure your emails actually reach inboxes.
• Timing and Embargoes Require Strategy: Coordinate your announcement timing with events when possible, but don’t rely on embargoes for press releases save them for review code distribution to trusted contacts only.

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Show Notes & Mentioned Resources

Helpful Articles:

• What needs to be in your Press Kit?
• Build a Press Kit for Your Game With Our Notion Template!

Tools & Software

• Prezly: Professional press release distribution platform used by Pirate PR for creating polished, trackable press releases
• Press Engine: Combined press list and key distribution tool that allows filtering by platforms and genres
• Keymailer: Platform for distributing game keys to content creators and press
• Lurkit: Creator outreach platform (mentioned as having scammer issues)
• Kit: Email marketing platform recommended for indie developers
• MailChimp: Popular email marketing tool (noted as having lower deliverability for PR)
• Notion: Recommended for creating press kits and organising PR materials
• Trello: Used by Robby for managing PR workflows and tracking coverage
• Easy GIF: Tool for compressing GIFs to reduce file sizes for email
• Giphy & Tenor: Platforms for uploading game GIFs to increase discoverability

Games Mentioned

• Katanaut: Recent Pirate PR client that saw significant wishlist growth after proper announcement
• Pirates Outlaws 2: Client game featured during Steam Next Fest
• 10 Dead Doves: Lovecraftian horror game that inspired Robby’s “Dovecraftian Horror” pun
• Painting VR: Early Pirate PR client where Robby coined the term “VRtists”
• Trifox: Game with memorable Firefox themed GIF content
• Spilled: Boat cleanup game by solo developer Lente with unique personal story
• Aaero: Rhythm based on rails shooter recommended by Robby
• Expedition 33: Game with soundtrack Robby listens to on repeat

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