Paradox Interactive/Obsidian Entertainment

 

Pillars of Eternity would not exist without the dedicated support of the Kickstarter community, a group of people passionate about the independent turn-based strategy game from famed developer Obsidian Entertainment. So when Obsidian struck a publishing deal with Paradox Interactive, TriplePoint helped the studios create a media strategy that would put the collective community mind at ease while generating awareness of the deal.

 

 

The Challenge

  • Maintain Obsidian’s credibility among Pillars of Eternity Kickstarter backers who might perceive the company as selling out to Paradox with a publishing deal.
  • Spell out Paradox’s role in the relationship and create excitement for launch.

 

 

The Approach

  • TriplePoint developed an approach that positioned the two companies as collaborators, with the partnership announced during a GDC press conference.
  • The CEOs from each company took the stage to discuss the particulars of the deal, and answered questions from hand-picked members of the media.
  • At the same time, an official press release and FAQ were distributed  to the wider press audience, along with a blog post tailored to the community.

 

 

The Results

  • Successful execution of the GDC press conference, which was attended by more than 30 targeted journalists.
  • Seamless distribution of the partnership news across a variety of mediums and audiences.
  • Generated B2B leads for Paradox Interactive from development partners potentially interested in a publishing deal.

 

 

“Obsidian will remain in creative control of Pillars of Eternity, while Paradox will focus on marketing, public relations and fulfillment of Kickstarter rewards for the title.”

 

Alexa Ray Corriea

Reporter, Polygon

Eddiemae Jukes

Eddiemae Jukes joined TriplePoint in 2002 and is proud to be a more than ten-year veteran of the firm. Her expertise in PR ranges from consumer electronics and games to financial and education tech. She’s worked with clients including Livescribe, Nature Publishing, Electronic Arts, Yodlee and LEGO. In her role as Partner/Vice President, Eddiemae creates strategic plans, develops messaging, and provides counsel on product and corporate PR. She has spoken at industry events including Austin GDC and GCDC, and she organized the PR for Games Conference. Eddiemae holds a B.A. in communications from Stanford University.

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Andrew Karl

Andrew Karl is an Account Director at TriplePoint who has been with the firm since June 2011. Andrew brings several years of experience in both high-tech public relations and video game editorial, having co-founded and run a gaming site for two years. While honing his craft at a high-tech agency, Andrew amassed extensive experience in the areas of media and analyst relations, running social media programs and campaigns, and spearheading corporate blogging initiatives. Andrew holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of New Hampshire. A rabid soccer fan supporting Liverpool FC and the United States National Team, Andrew is generally playing FIFA or enjoying a deep RPG, intense RTS, or any game involving zombies.

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Quinn Wageman

Quinn Wageman is a Partner at TriplePoint where he represents various video game and technology companies spanning all major platforms and business models. Quinn helped open TriplePoint’s NYC office in 2007 before moving for the firm to California. Additionally, Quinn has accumulated over six years of business development and B2B sales experience including browser games with Arkadium, wireless communications with NTT DoCoMo, and international trading with ITOCHU. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri International Business program, holding a dual B.F.A. and B.S.B.A. with a minor in Japanese (business-level).

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Gentry Brown

Gentry Brown is a Director at TriplePoint, representing consumer tech and gaming clients. Initially interested in the journalistic side of the coin (with stints at NYU’s Washington Square News and the Orange County Register), she rose to the challenge of representing clients in the ever-changing space that is technology and games, becoming enamored with the fun of presenting and promoting them in a similarly dynamic fashion. After graduating from New York University in 2014 with a BS in Media, Culture and Communications, Gentry decided to head back to her native California for endless enchiladas and the ability to camp year-round, but mostly to be in the epicenter of tech culture.

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Richard Kain

Richard Kain is the General Manager at TriplePoint, with over 15 years of experience in corporate communications, product public relations, and public affairs campaigns. He provides strategy and counsel as well as corporate communications guidance to the agency’s clients. Rich previously worked as director of public relations for Vitria Technology, a publicly traded enterprise software company in Sunnyvale, and started his PR career at Fleishman-Hillard in Los Angeles. He is an active angel investor, with a portfolio viewable at https://angel.co/richardkain. Rich graduated from Haverford College in 1993 with a B.A. in philosophy and history.

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Blane Humphries

Blane Humphries is a Sr. Account Executive at TriplePoint with an established background in video games, journalism, and professional communications. He began his gaming adventures in the mid 90’s with games like Westwood’s Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun, since then ranging in taste from everything triple-A to the most obscure indies. After graduating with honors from Georgia Southern University in 2012 with a degree in Public Relations, Blane became an active member of the games industry as an editor for a gaming blog covering indie titles, and as Vice-Chair for the Atlanta chapter of IGDA. Prior to joining TriplePoint, Blane spent years working in various marketing and PR roles in representation of a range of developers/publishers.

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Kaydie Hansen

Kaydie Hansen is an Account Executive at TriplePoint. Prior to TriplePoint, Kaydie interned at Zeno Group and Ubisoft. She additionally serves as Community Manager of the global joystick manufacturer, Qanba USA. A Bay Area native, she graduated from San Francisco State University with a BA in International Business in 2017. The prospect of double jump and air-dash technology keeps her in the tech hub of the country.

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Alyx Evans

Alyx Evans is an account coordinator for TriplePoint. After graduating from Robert Morris University in 2019 with a BA in Communication and an MS in Organizational Leadership, she pursued her love of gaming and dove headfirst into the industry. When she isn’t working or gaming, Alyx can be found caring for her miniature zoo of reptiles or expanding her favorite anime list. A Pittsburgh native, she loves fries on all of her salads and sandwiches and the only ketchup she acknowledges is Heinz.

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Mike Mason

Michael Mason is an Account Coordinator for TriplePoint, working with tech and gaming clients. After graduating from the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communications in 2018 with an emphasis in Public Relations, Michael moved back to his childhood home of the Bay Area to get out of the rain. After short tenures as an Intern at a sports technology startup and then at an enterprise tech PR firm, Michael joined TriplePoint, accomplishing a lifelong dream of working in the gaming industry. In his free time, Michael enjoys live music, golfing, skiing, and being around his friends and family.

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Sara Green

Sara is an Account Coordinator at TriplePoint. Prior to joining the firm, Sara cut her teeth on esports and influencer relations at the Pittsburgh Knights and Duolingo. Sara spearheaded Duolingo’s first venture into gaming through a partnership with Twitch on a multilingual influencer program. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2019 with degrees in Communications and Public & Professional Writing.

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Nick Shepherd

Nick Shepherd is an Account Director at TriplePoint, bringing over a decade of experience spanning gaming, technology and corporate communications. Prior to joining TriplePoint and after cutting his teeth in the agency world, Nick moved in-house for a prominent games company, where he worked with multiple teams to align all brand communications across press, social, community and video. A Claremont McKenna graduate and SoCal native, Nick is convinced his beloved Chargers moved simply to be closer to him in Los Angeles. You’ll likely find Nick mowing through aliens, robots and warriors in the latest FPS game or losing to much better prepared Madden players online.

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Sam Mosher

Sam is an Associate at TriplePoint, where he combines his passion for video games with his knowledge of press and communications. He is a graduate student at the University of Missouri finishing a five-year BA/MA program in public relations and multimedia journalism. Before working in public relations, Sam worked as an anchor and producer for mid-Missouri’s NPR affiliate and received the Top Scholar award in his undergraduate class. When he isn’t working or playing games, he can be found hosting “Kids in College,” a pop culture podcast, running, or feeding his media diet of music, movies, and science fiction books.

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Jacob Nahin

Jacob Nahin is a communications professional with a decade of agency and in-house experience. In his role as Account Director at TriplePoint, he advises on strategy and execution for Blizzard, Paradox Interactive and GungHo Online. He is also a big-time cat lover! In his free time, he loves playing Pistol Whip on his Oculus Quest 2 and No Man’s Sky on his gaming rig.

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