One of this year’s GDC highlights was a talk by Monica Harrington, a founding member of Valve and the company’s first chief marketing officer. She shared her experiences with the company that brought us Half-Life and Steam.

During her talk, she recounted a pivotal moment when she funded her nephew’s school supplies, only to discover he had instead purchased a CD-ROM copier. This experience helped her grasp the significance of Digital Rights Management (DRM).

In a later discussion with Ted Litchfield from PC Gamer, Harrington elaborated on the difficulties Valve encountered in the late 1990s, particularly the lukewarm reception of Half-Life prior to its launch. The game was packaged in a vibrant orange box that wasn’t immediately appealing to consumers.

Harrington described how Valve relied on Sierra, their publisher, for distribution and the introduction of a ‘Game of the Year’ sticker. This sticker helped validate the game in the eyes of potential buyers, highlighting that it had received avid praise from critics. Likewise, Sierra later reissued the game with new cover art featuring Gordon Freeman.

As it turned out, this strategy was instrumental in boosting sales, setting a precedence for future marketing practices within the gaming industry. In reflection, Harrington expressed the realization that this sticker maneuver may very well have been a first in the industry.

Insights on Digital Distribution

During the discussion, Harrington emphasized the drastic changes digital distribution has imposed on marketing practices, notably how it simplifies the delivery process compared to the cumbersome methods of her earlier experiences.

She stressed the importance of proactive marketing, advising that if one doesn’t think about marketing until the game is ready for release, they may have already missed crucial opportunities for visibility.