Do I Need to Upload Gaming Videos to Use Keymailer

Yous know what everyone loves? Free games! And equally press or a content creator, you can get them. Well, they're sort of free. These are in commutation for making content to let people know nigh the game. And if you're doing a practiced task, you're probably spending quite a lot of fourth dimension on information technology.

PR companies, publishers, and developers will often send out game codes in exchange for coverage. This could exist reviews, articles, livestreams, discussions on a podcast, or other types of content. To keep things brusque, I'll be referring to written content creators similar websites equally 'press' and video/livestreams as 'content creators'.

What is the benefit to you? The obvious is not spending money – it'due south proficient to support game companies, simply if y'all're buying several games a calendar month to create coverage, you've got a bigger budget than most of u.s.. Very big outlets can afford to exercise this… but they'll rarely be asked to and if they are, they'll often motion onto another game. A major advantage is early access. Many companies will send yous games before release so you tin have coverage ready before or on release day.

Go on in listen that you won't get automatically approved for anything yous ask for. Numbers are a factor. Shoot your shot, but a pocket-sized content creator is more likely to get a key to embrace a small-scale indie game than anything AAA. That said, surprising approvals do happen even for bigger games and some indie developers will approve really tiny creators.

There are a ton of other potential factors also. Type of outlet, past content, specialist niche, number of available keys, etc. Every game or person making a decision volition accept different things considered. Sidenote: If you lot accept a selection, I recommend requesting Steam > XBox > PlayStation > Nintendo. I've been informed that the number of keys granted and costs involved tend to make Steam the easiest keys to become canonical for and Nintendo the nigh difficult.

An important factor is your by behavior too. Received game keys from that company earlier and not posted any coverage? That doesn't look adept on you! Posted negative coverage? Well, virtually PR will exist understanding as long every bit it's fair coverage, but information technology is their job to endeavour and get positive coverage. This might be a game cardinal for a fair and balanced review from your point of view, only it's often marketing from their signal of view, so they're more than probable to approve people who they think volition like the game.

And so how practice yous request these keys? If you're press, the most common fashion is finding an e-mail address and asking. Content creators can do this also. Some may take informal contact too such every bit via social media. Either way, brand certain that y'all can prove you are who you say yous are. Imitation central requests are a huge problem for publishers and developers.

Finding a PR e-mail address can exist an absolute pain. They're often not listed publicly. Sometimes publishers don't even handle it themselves and farm information technology out to PR companies… but rarely tell anyone which 1. Information technology's non uncommon to just not go a reply when sending e-mails too. If you do email, I recommend sending a curt self introduction of your channel, mention any suitable niches such equally focusing on RPGs and some information about your numbers such equally subscribers or average viewers.

The other common mode is through websites that requite y'all access to game keys. Here are several services and my thoughts and experiences with them, every bit someone who has managed a website, a Youtube channel, and a Twitch channel.

Woovit

Aim:

This is aimed at content creators on Youtube or Twitch only. Only run a website? Out of luck. Same if you're a streamer or video creator on the other platforms. I tend to use it for data mostly, but sometimes use it on my other projects.

In theory to quality for this, you need 250 followers/subscribers, at to the lowest degree 5 published videos (for Youtube), and to have been around longer than 6 months. The requirements used to be lower and these people still accept admission.

Signing Up:

Not a problem.

Thoughts:

I used to really like one thing most Woovit – pretty much every game, if you meet some set up criteria, you could click the button and have it instantly. 500 followers on Twitter and 500 on Youtube? You tin can get Prison Boss. Keen for a final infinitesimal conclusion if you're streaming or merely not to expect to come across if y'all get a respond. 4000 average views on Youtube or 40 average viewers on Twitch? You lot can get Total War: Three Kingdoms instantly. Admittedly some of these are a bit unrealistic, like this ane requesting Twitch Partnership for a pocket-sized indie game.

The other adept thing nigh Woovit is that it often lists a contact. If you lot don't meet the criteria but peradventure you lot experience you would exist a good fit, you can e-mail them. This could be good if you specialise in a genre, and so your audition is more probable to appoint with that item game.

Recently a lot of games take been set up to 'Utilise' which I feel brings it down. Information technology's not instant for these games. If y'all meet the requirements, yous tin can apply. So a publishers/dev/PR *might* get back to yous. You can't include a annotation or anything though. Nonetheless, it's better than a lot of the other options.

Rating:

High (if you're a Youtube/Twitch channel)

Keymailer

Aim:

This ane is mostly aimed at Youtube and Twitch, but likewise lets yous link Facebook too. You can list a website or blog, but it's not integrated like Youtube/Twitch is where it constantly updates stats and reports any coverage of the game you practice.

Signing Up:

Information technology took quite a long time for them to corroborate my account. Several weeks at to the lowest degree.

Thoughts:

A lot of companies use Keymailer. A lot more don't use Keymailer. It used to exist that content creators would never know which is which and you could asking every game on Steam. These days it looks like games that are available via Keymailer have a 'Asking Key' button and games that aren't take a 'Notify Me' button or but aren't listed. In theory. I recently asked a visual novel publisher whose game is available for request and they confirmed that they hadn't set it up and that they didn't believe anyone else involved had either. There might be some remnant of their onetime tactics still going on.

Keymailer lists a lot of games on Steam and lets you apply for them. On asking developers with games listed in the past, they've frequently replied with 'What's Keymailer?' or 'We're not on at that place'. I'm told that Keymailer essentially take requests for these games and if they've not bought into their system, they go to the programmer/publisher saying something forth the lines of 'nosotros've got 500 people who desire to play your game… why not sign upward for our service?'

I've actually yet got some pending requests for long ago. I just cancelled one and sure enough, it'south shown up every bit a 'Notify Me'. Before it was listed as possible to asking.

When the company is actually on Keymailer, and so it's decent for Youtubers and Twitch streamers. Click the button to asking, look for approval, rejection or a lack of whatever reply. Merely brand sure that you check the button carefully. A lot of mid-sized and bigger publishers volition employ information technology.

I've received quite a few keys through here as a content creator and they occasionally send offers of games unsolicited. Equally press, I've never had whatsoever approvals or offers here and there's no way to listing any coverage that I accept washed on there.

Rating:

Depression (if yous're a Youtube/Twitch channel)

PressEngine

Aim:

This seems more popular among the press from what I've heard, but it includes content creators too. Requirements for content creators are quite low – essentially information technology'southward as long equally you have an agile channel that y'all can prove is yours.

Signing up:

Signing up was overnice and quick. I didn't have any issues.

Thoughts:

They're the new child on the block. Established in late 2020, they've already got a adept selection of games to request. They've been making improvements to their system every bit time goes on too and listen to feedback. That said, I did submit some feedback and they seemed to take it seriously, acknowledged it was a problem and still months on in that location hasn't been any changes made.

Many of the pages on here list a contact method and a skillful amount of information almost the game. They don't really have a unique feature, but there are no existent downsides to this one other than information technology relies on the PR agency to update it. It can prove keys every bit still bachelor when there aren't any if the PR doesn't.

I've had quite a few problems using this – but it's e'er been when requesting something for one specific PR visitor that often uses it. This is a case of it's non the organization, only the user.

Rating:

High

IndieBoost

Signing Upwards:

Information technology took them iii months to corroborate my account.

Aim:

This one lets you lot link Youtube, Twitch, and Facebook over again. You tin list a website or weblog, but it's not integrated similar Youtube/Twitch is where it constantly updates stats and reports any coverage of the game you practise. Information technology seems more open up to websites than some options though.

Thoughts:

They accept a good amount of games listed, though most are indie ones that I've never heard of. In that location are some more recognizable ones mixed in.

I'm not really a fan of their user interface. Information technology shows tons of games at the aforementioned time and they're categorized into genres, but games will show upward multiple times, information technology's not piece of cake to navigate and when you do click onto the page, not much information is shown.

One dainty thing is that I often get invites to comprehend games with pre-canonical keys from here.

Rating:

Depression

Arsenal.gg

Aim:

This is aimed only at content creators.

Thoughts:

I recall that this is fairly new. I don't really have much feel with information technology, but I do know that some big companies like Foursquare Enix utilize it to manage content creator keys. An odd quirk I noticed from using it one time is that the blessing for a key gets sent directly to the email accost that is registered on your Twitch (or presumably Youtube) channel. This could exist a difficulty for multi-member teams.

As well as this, there is no choice to list both your Youtube and Twitch accounts, for people making content on both platforms and wish both to be considered.

Rating:

Depression (Tentative)

Terminals

Aim:

Press and content creators.

Thoughts:

Quite a lot of the games on here are bigger upkeep ones. It makes sense since I believe this is the near plush pick for PR.

This is more of a fully managed system. Terminals staff themselves handle approvals and answer any questions. They're usually actually good at replying to messages and approving rapidly if canonical. I did have one experience where they just never replied for one-half a year, but it seems this was an exception. I will note that their method seems to exist to send out keys to bigger printing/content creators beginning for bigger titles and then wait before sending out others, and then getting things at launch seems less common through this method as a medium or small creator.

Rating:

High

DoDistribute

Signing Up:

I tried to register some time dorsum. I never heard back. There was no mode listed on their website to contact them. I tried contacting them via Twitter to no response. I even resorted to DMing the person behind it on Twitter, again to no response. No-one I know uses information technology, but I've heard a similar story from a couple of other people who tried to sign up.

Rating:

Fail

Steam Curator

Aim:

Anyone who wants to mail service mini-reviews on Steam

Thoughts:

This is an odd one to include, but in that location's a reason. Websites, Youtube channels, and even Twitch streamers sometimes take a curator as an additional outlet. Ours is right here! Why not follow information technology while you're here?

This is an safer way for publishers to send you games. You tin redeem them directly to your Steam profile and tin can't easily resell the games, which is an issue with game codes. A lot of those games for sale on marketplaces like G2A are essentially stolen keys issued for press/content creator coverage.

That said, it's only ane style. Curators can't request games, only receive them. Curators have a bad reputation in a way too, since there are a lot of scam ones, who will e-mail request for codes, who threaten people with negative reviews unless they send codes, and who accept fake followers. There are a lot of suspicious Steam Curators about, including many of the curators with bigger numbers. There's a great write up about some of the people who practice information technology which tin can be found here.

I keep a curator though and occasionally I'll be sent games unsolicited that are relevant to my area. A few publishers also send games to me that way because they want reviews on my website, rather than for a curator review. It'due south actually really difficult to legitimately abound a curator, and then I'd only recommend this as a secondary aqueduct. From working on a few curators, it's non surprising, but the higher the number of followers, the more than unsolicited games seem to come in.

As a sidenote, quite a few developers don't seem to realize how Steam Curator works. I've been sent unsolicited 'giveaway keys' via Steam Curator before past a number of developers. Anyone who is given permission on the Steam curator to redeem keys to their profile can redeem whatever game on there and will need to have higher permissions than a regular follower, so it'due south not useful for giveaways unless yous trust the recipient. I've also seen developers spreading misinformation like Steam group numbers chronicle to Steam Curator numbers and if they don't it's untrustworthy. Another one I've seen spread is that if the chief admin has their profile subconscious or hasn't played all the games, the curator is untrustworthy – but multiple people can contribute to a curator and reviews can be from other platforms. There'southward quite a lot of incorrect data floating about game dev communities.

Rating:

N/A

A gamer since the days of Amstrad and DOS and someone who has dabbled in a variety of professions. He enjoys a wide multifariousness of genres, only has been focusing on visual novels and virtual reality in recent years. Head Editor of NookGaming. Follow him and the website on @NookSite.

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Source: https://www.nookgaming.com/how-to-get-free-games-as-a-content-creator-press/

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