Not a Wargame: Developer/Press Interactions

Thanks for joining us! Here is the video from the event.

Game media outlets play an important role in facilitating interactions between developers, fans and possible fans. Still, most game designers have no idea how to make the most of this important part of the game industry ecosystem. GameSkinny has quickly become an important part of the game media world, giving gamers a strong outlet from which they can be heard. Now they are going to share their insights with developers and show how anyone can work effectively with the press.

Stephen Johnston, Jr. Founder/CTO Launch Media Network

Stephen has been involved in internet development for more than 20 years and ardently believes that the best days of human connectivity are ahead of us. Stephen has unique experience scaling online systems at a human and technical level. Prior to Launch Media Network, Stephen brought some of the first e-commerce sites online in the mid-90s and was instrumental in the nationwide content management system for Cox Communications and early IP telephony e-commerce efforts. He is a technological visionary who is constantly building online tools to meet various needs. Stephen built Sig Launch in 2007, the massively successful Signature/Avatar creator for video gamers with tens of millions created and his Unfavinator.com app is the most popular tool for deleting favorites on Twitter and has been featured on Product Hunt and Lifehacker, among other places.

In 2013, he formed Launch Media Network, building on the massively popular Guild Launch (rebranded as Gamer Launch) product he founded and managed since 2006. At Launch Media Network, Stephen has been the leader in ensuring LMN products are ready to scale and managed the growth of two products “Gamer Launch and GameSkinny” from launch to nearly 5 million registered users and to more than 2 million unique monthly visitors. He has three pending patents for LMN, one related to marketing systems for video games and another related to voice communication systems for connecting gamers and another related to website monetization.

Auverin Morrow, Commissioning Editor and Journalist Training Program Coordinator

Auverin has been with GameSkinny for 3 years, and worked as a part-time editor while she earned her bachelor's degree in English at Virginia Commonwealth University. She graduated Summa Cum Laude in May of 2016, then joined the GS team full time as the Commissioning Editor and Journalist Training Program Coordinator. In addition to designing GameSkinny's 9-week intensive course in digital games journalism, she's also created the mentor program to further instruct advanced writers, hosted writing workshops via livestream, created a smaller 30-day journalism course for aspiring/inexperienced writers, and co-authored GameSkinny's eBook on games journalism. As far as specialities go, Auvering is an expert in long-form content -- especially argumentative and review writing. But in a broader sense, her genres of expertise are RPGs, MOBAs, and the insane world of eSports.

Blane Humphries, Account Manager for Novy Public Relations

Blane has an established background in video games, journalism, and professional communications. He has spent the last three years as an account manager at Novy Unlimited -- a PR agency that works with clients all over the world. Blane pitches regularly to industry publications and has had clients featured on sites like IGN, Polygon, Kotaku, and more. Before his time in PR, Blane freelanced as a games journalists and learned first-hand what it was like to work on the media side of the games industry.

Moderated by Andrew Greenberg

6 - 7 pm: Networking

7 - 8 pm: Developer/Press Interactions panel

8 - 9 pm: Networking

Where: GameSkinny offices. 8010 Roswell Rd., Suite 100, Atlanta, Georgia 30350

Parking: Free

How Much: Free for GGDA or TAG members, $5 all others.

Livestream: https://beam.pro/GGDA