Idea: Give free copies of the game to YouTubers in turn that they promote it via Twitch or YouTube?

[Viellain]

Here's a brilliant marketing idea! Like a day before or after (depending on your tolerance for spoilers) the game comes out, give your game for free to famous YouTubers so they can play the game and promote it via YouTube videos. I mean who doesn't like to see their favorite YouTuber play an awesome game? And no this won't really spoil people that much because you can give it out after the game comes out so people won't really know about it until they play the game and even then how else will they hear about it? So this idea should be done for the sake of entertainment, a brilliant marketing strategy, and to help spread awareness of the game.

Please take note of this jens_restemeier. I'm giving you a free great idea you can use that is brilliant marketing idea to help spread awareness of the game. The famous YouTubers are like .000001% of the people that will buy the game and considering they have an audience that will likely watch the video from 10,000 to 10 million people it will really be worth it for how much the word of the game spreads. This is the age of social media and this is the perfect way to just reach out to Social Media. Please actually consider this idea. You can make so much happen by contacting awesome famous YouTubers and giving them a game to play on their channel/stream for everyone to enjoy! Everyone wins!

Who do you want to see play Yooka Laylee? I'm sure everyone wants to see Jontron make a video series on this game.

[selebu]

I read this whole thread in a sarcastic tone and am truly sorry if that was not your intention.

Your fantastic free idea is common practice. Most publishers send their games to YouTubers.
I actually dislike it. But there is no stopping it. Many popular YouTubers are used for marketing, they know it, and they like it (mostly for the $$$).

[Viellain]

[selebu]

Yeah the idea is not bad in itself. I have no problem with YouTubers playing the game, of course not. (Many will do it anyway) And I also have faith in Playtonic that they would do this fair, IF they'll do it (i.e. not bribing them).

It's just when it becomes a main part of your marketing strategy and in return, you pamper those YouTubers so they will give positive reviews, that I dislike it.
(I know a big YouTuber and how he is treated by a certain publisher, and I think they get a little bit too much for "free")

Obviously if a YouTuber is honest and doesn't take those "bribes" it's a different story, but you can never tell.

[Nanirourou]

My knee jerk reaction to a content creator giving away their work for FREE to someone who clearly has the means to buy it is not positive. But thinking it through some more, the game's only £10/$15 at this point... If it was like £40/$60 I would have much more of an issue. I suppose even that it wouldn't be a terrible idea though. It's still cheaper than ad space, let alone making a commercial and buying the air time to show it, and likely more effective in this modern age, I dunno. Give a few people a £10 game, and they advertise for you and tell thousands and thousands of people to buy your game?? That's a helluva deal.

Plus, it's Playtonic's content so I suppose they can do whatever, and give to whoever, they like.

It has great potential as a marketing strategy.

[Jellyfunk]

The low price is for the backers. It will probably be $30 at launch.

[dotEXE]

[karashata]

I have nothing against this idea, having Playtonic offer various YouTubers a free copy of the game to play and/or review certainly wouldn't be a bad thing, as long as they're only offering the game and the YouTubers are not pressured/bribed in any way to take it and/or give it positive reviews. It should entirely be left up to the YouTubers whether they want to accept and play the game (whether they think it's something that fits with their channel and the types of games they typically play, and whether they think their audience would enjoy watching them play the game), and they should give their honest opinion of the game, whether it be positive or negative.

I have a feeling Playtonic won't need to do this, though. I imagine any YouTube personalities that are excited about this game already have plans to do Let's Play videos or reviews of it as soon as they get their hands on it.

[reversalmushroom]

Wouldn't giving the game to let's players to promote it spoil it?

[dance1211]

One of the most important aspects in collectathons is the feeling of self-discovery. Having loads of youtubers play the game fully before the release could ruin it for everyone because, like infinity monkeys on infinite keyboards, all the secrets will come out quickly.

A pre-release demo is going to be best which only does around the first world and then an embargo on any content after that for a day or two? I don't like embargos but if you're still able to see the game, just not the secrets, then I think that would be best.

[Jellyfunk]

"Umm, hey Playtonic, I said Yookolayer in my minecraft video. Can I get a free copy?"

[chameleojack]

No way, we've been ragging EA et al (Warner Bros?) for years about buying off streamers with free games and knick-knacks in exchange for promotional broadcasting. You know they'll buy the game anyway. What Let's Player WOULDN'T buy a Rare alumni game for show?

[Jawson]

No.

I can't stand those people.

[dotEXE]

"Those people" as in people who play games?

[DarkTone]

Or...they buy it on release and review it then.

[Jawson]

[Jawson]

[dotEXE]

His Nuts and Bolts video is hilarious. I think he's hit-and-miss but you see to be acting anti-YouTuber for the sake of being anti-Youtuber. Not everyone is PewDiePie or Markiplier. The twitch users I mentioned earlier in particular (DansGaming, Spamfish, Giantwaffle less so, etc) are great and take serious approaches to their streaming rather than shouting and screaming to appease 12 year olds. You're throwing the baby out with the bath water.

[Viellain]

Well I had no idea some companies were actually greedy enough to bribe people. Did not know it was this ,much of an epidemic, well that's unfortunate. At least Yooka Laylee has strong honor and dignity to not do such a greedy thing. Right? But a lot of YouTubers are somewhat childish in terms of videos. I mostly prefer those dry humored ones that make a really great thought-out joke while playing through the game.

[dotEXE]

There's a big difference between a bribe and a free copy of a game.