Scottishgames.net is the only website out there, which will run news and updates from every games-related company in Scotland. Whether you’re a developer, a technology company, a freelancer or a part-time team, the site exists to support you and give you visibility and credibility in an increasingly saturated market.
To make this work, we need your news. We need to know what’s going on. Scotland has over 150 games-related companies, six universities and colleges producing game-related graduates, as well as many events, festivals and stuff which is games-related. In 2013 we produced over 100 games and in 2014 we expect that to nearly double.
We know marketing seems scary – and one more activity which takes time away from actually making things, but it can help. It can make sure you’re on the map. It makes the difference between a Google search throwing up nothing, or showing that you’re an active company with something to say.
With so much happening in the games market, it can be tough to get any sort of coverage. Scottishgames.net can help. We will write about you and make sure you’re covered on an equal basis with the larger, more established companies.
To do that however, we need your news. You can tell us things confidentially. You can embargo news until it’s ready to come out. We have no reason to break news or upset companies by trying to outdo other web sites for exclusive coverage. We can sign non-disclosure agreements if it makes you happy, but we’ve been doing this for ten years now and managed to avoid causing anyone problems because we’re untrustworthy.
What is news? It’s what your company generates in terms of activity. New projects started, new games released, new staff employed, new offices acquired. Events taking place, award nominations, anything which is an advance for your company is likely to be of interest to your peers, colleagues and the wider industry.
Why would you tell anyone that sort of thing? Because it means you’re actually working. It means you are achieving things. You’re not an impenetrable black box which produces zero information. It shows the world you’re actually doing stuff.
This activity can help in oh so very may ways. If you’re looking for funding, for staff, have a game you’re working on, then letting people know can be hugely helpful. It means people know your name and what you’re doing. If you’re planning to work in the games sector to do more than work on a single title, trust us – it will help you.
And we’re not talking about a press release. You can send us a three line e-mail, a tweet, or a Facebook message. We’ve written entire articles on new projects, based on a 30 second phone call and an e-mail containing a single image. We can take that and turn it into something exciting.
This doesn’t stop you getting coverage anywhere else. Kotaku, Polygon, Develop, Pocket Gamer or the other games media won’t refuse to write about you because you’ve been covered on SGN.
And the coverage on Scottishgames.net is not the end of the story. Every single story we post is shared on the Facebook Group, Google+ page, Twitter and LinkedIn. We’ve even started a Reddit sub group share the more publicly exciting stories with the world.
And we tell everyone when we’ve written about them. Give us a story and as soon as it goes live we’ll let you know and send you the link.
Why? Simple. So you can share it, like it, rank it, rate it, blog it, tweet it, retweet it and otherwise tell the world that you’ve been covered, that the SGN thinks you’re cool (and we do think you’re cool).
It’s perfect content to be shared via all of your own social channels. It can go up on your website, your own Facebook page, your Twitter account. Each and every single share increases the opportunities for people to find you, follow you, get excited about your game, or recognise your company as one they need to know more about.
There are over 150 companies in Scotland’s games sector. Around a dozen will actually rebroadcast anything written about them. That’s an awful lost of lost opportunities.
Worse still, there are only 3-4 companies who will actively share updates and stories from other people. So rather than using the regular SGN updates as a perfect (and free) way to make social channels more active and build a more visible and credible industry, most companies are ignoring the rest of the industry they’re part of…
Moving forward, we hope to make the editorial side of Scottishgames.net far more pro-active. We want to use freelance journalists to start creating more content, add to the news coverage and build in interviews, company profiles, analysis, editorial. All the additional content to make the website THE go to place for everything to do with the video games sector here in Scotland.
We can even syndicate this comprehensive and active news service to some of the country’s public sector organisations. So everyone in the world can see just how exciting and interesting and active and creative Scotland’s games sector actually is. Right now. As opposed to two years ago, when their website was last updated.
That will only work if we become more comfortable with sharing news and talking about what’s going on. We’re experts, dammit. We’re here to make you look GOOD. If you tell us something that’s not exciting, or that isn’t actually news, we’ll tell you. Privately. We won’t sneer or share things which will reflect badly on you. We’re splendid like that.
Trust us, we’re here to help. Send us your news. Follow the Scottish Games Network on
When you have something to say, LIKE your own news. SHARE news from your company and your colleagues a few times per week.
Scotland is producing some amazing things. We’re not being recognised as a pioneer in the global games sector right now because outside a very few games, nobody knows what’s happening.
We can change that.
