Publisher Presentations as Promotional Paratexts

Abstract

This article will explore the increasing prominence of ‘publisher presentations’ — online streams where game publishers like Sony, Nintendo and Devolver Digital showcase their upcoming products directly to consumers through pre-recorded livestreamed presentations. Digital publisher presentations are a recent form of videogame advertising, having emerged during the 2010s amidst the decline of trade shows like the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), and this article argues that they should be considered as a key contemporary promotional paratext that offers insights into how their respective publishers attempt to shape their brand identity and corporate vision. This article identifies a range ..