Intent Social Media launches in USA

MCV publisher Intent Media has officially opened its new US division.

Called Intent Social Media, the company will be dedicated to creating cutting-edge online content for developers and publishers via officially-sanctioned but independently written blogs.

The operation is run by former Edge Online editor-in-chief Colin Campbell, who joined Intent Media in March.

Intent Social Media has already been signed up by Atari-owned MMO studio Cryptic to run its Champions Online Daily News blog, which will support the team’s next online title.

Campbell says the firm will push the boundary and help change the way the industry interacts with its audience.

“In the past, marketers had to buy advertising, or use PR to persuade journalists to tell their stories for them,” he said.

“But that’s no longer the case. Now you can tell stories directly. Blogs like Major Nelson and Capcom Unity are enormously powerful ways for companies to reach out to consumers directly; without the necessity for the standing media, which is ultimately a middle man.

“These direct-blogs are definitely going to be an integral part of the marketer’s toolkit. The debate now is how best to create and implement these conduits. We are going to be a big part of that conversation.

“We can help game-makers tell journalistically rich stories and thereby build community as well as building media brands around games IP. We can build these things better than anyone else.”