E3 2013: Game Companies Need Better Swag, Here’s What They Need To Do

Literature – Toss

Because it’s 2013, game companies – and I’m not just trying to pick on Focus, everyone does it – love to hand out literature. Leaflets, pamphlets, books, bigger books, coffee table books, it’s all really really dumb when you realize they could just hand you a business card with a web site on it where you can go wild reading things or looking at concept art. It is rarely interesting and never worth the weight. Remember I mentioned I still had 50 pounds of swag around from the good ol’ days? Most of that is printed material. It’s garbage. You will never look at it once, much less dig it up years later. They aren’t collectible and they have no value – that is unless you’re one of the people who keep the grim tome of The Art of Dead Space around the house for intellectual engagement. Publishers: do you know how much money and manpower you would save not transporting, managing and handing out all this crap. It’s seriously the worst. I’m sure there’s some statistic somewhere that indicates retention rates for this stuff, but just give it up. It’s the future now.