1.
10.30am on a Tuesday morning
A statistical look at the games press
Simon Byron
director of Games

2.
The experiment
To determine the optimum time for releasing
information to the press
• Who is writing the most?
• When are they writing it?
• What can we do to make them write about
our stuff?

3.
The methodology
• 33 global media outlets monitored
• Just under 28,000 news pieces tracked
• All times BST
• All stories from specific ‘News’ RSS feed where
available

4.
The major caveat
• It was a fucking bonkers two months
– Dominated by two topics:
• E3
• Xbox One

5.
Who writes what when?
Part one

6.
Who writes what?
CVG
DarkZero
Destructoid
Edge
Eurogamer
Gamasutra
Game Informer
Game Reactor
Games Radar
GamesIndustry.biz
Gamespot
GameTrailers
Giant Bomb
God is a Geek
IGN Video Games
IncGamers
Inside Gaming Daily
Joystiq
Kotaku
MCV
Neoseeker
NowGamer
Official Xbox Magazine
Penny Arcade
Polygon
PS3 Trophies
PSU
Rock, Paper, Shotgun
Spong news
VG247
Videogamer
X360 Achievements
Xclann

7.
News stories 01/06 – 30/07

8.
News stories 01/06 – 30/07

9.
News stories 01/06 – 30/07

10.
Who writes what when?

11.
Days of the week stories are
posted

12.
Weekend posters

13.
Morning coverage

14.
Afternoon coverage

15.
Total 24 hour coverage

16.
Total 24 hour coverage ex E3

17.
E3 influence
% of coverage
Time of day

18.
What people write about

19.
May 1st – May 7th

20.
May 8th – May 14th

21.
May 15th – May 21st

22.
May 22nd – May 28th

23.
May 29th – 4th June

24.
5th June – 11th June

25.
12th June - 18th June

26.
19th June – 25th June

27.
26th June – 30th June

28.
Recommendations
• Tuesdays most prolific
– Between 4:00pm and 5:00pm
– But consider slower times too
• Use social media where possible
– Wolfenstein reveal gained 25 per cent more
coverage in first 24 hours
• Keep an eye on the trends
• Be mindful of events

29.
Thank you
simon.byron@premiercomms.com
@byronicman