As I updated my document, I was introduced to a GDC talk called “Making the World Give a D*mn About Your Game” by Mike Rose. Mike discusses the marketing strategies he has come to learn through his own publishing company, diving deep past the traditional nuggets of wisdom often toted around when discussing game marketing. One of the biggest takeaways from the talk was the idea of “magic” when selling a game. Most of the time, luck and effort are pushed as the primary reasons games become successful. On the contrary, Rose explains that luck should be left out of the equation. Rather, successful games focus on working out what the most exciting aspects are and getting people to actually care about it. Reaching out to the audience and supporting the strongest selling points really push a game towards a profitable launch.