Terminals.io is the ultimate place for gaming enthusiasts, journalists, and developers to share in their love of games. Gamers of all stripes can check out some of the hottest upcoming releases from both AAA and Indie devs and receive updates as soon as news drops for any titles they like. They can even request and receive codes to play those games, though preference is given to registered media, streamers, and content creators. For developers and publishers, it's the best toolkit available to get your games out to the people you want to reach, streamlining contact management, press-kit hosting, code distribution, and coverage tracking.

While Terminals.io is ultimately designed for video game developers and publishers, as well as members of the media, streamers, and content creators, it's also a place for gaming enthusiasts to explore upcoming releases. Devs and publishers can list their games via our Terminals Launch Packages while media, content creators, and gamers then visit those game pages to discover new games, receive up-to-minute news on those titles, and request codes to play them.

Who doesn't love free games? That being said the only "catch" is that in return for the game, we ask that you provide media coverage (a review, Let's Play video or similar) for that product. Game developers and publishers want to let the world know about their games; if you are in the media or have a Twitch or YouTube channel (or similar), those same companies want you to play their games and to tell your audiences about them! That's why we often give preference is given to registered media, streamers, and content creators when it comes to keys.

Terminals.io is owned and operated by Evolve PR, a leading public-relations and marketing agency focused on video games. You can find out more on our website, or interact with us on Twitter or YouTube.

First up: we never get access to passwords, nor the ability to post on your behalf, and your information is never shared with any third party unless you explicitly choose to share it. Second: it's only really something you need to do if you plan to apply for media status as connecting relevant social media accounts plays a vital role in the media approval process, and in helping developers and publishers stay up-to-date with your media outlet or channel's progress and growth. We get so many emails and requests for code from people who are impersonating others, in the hopes that they'll get code. We verify the credentials of every person in our media database, so you don't have to worry about someone ruining your image with a publisher or developer. At the same time, by connecting your networks, we can get an up-to-date view of your channel/outlet growth, which will make it easier for companies to see why they should give you games!

Once again this is something you really only need to consider filling out if you're applying for media status. We collect personal information to help us confirm that you are who you say you are, and in some cases to ship you physical products (like swag or physical copies of games). While details like phone number are not required, a more complete profile will help us confirm everything and more easily approve your account for media status. Having location info also ensures that we give you the best possible service: maybe there's an event in your city that we could invite you to; or perhaps we only have game codes for media/content creators in a specific country. Again, we do not share this info with anyone, unless you explicitly choose to share it. You have control.

Once you fill out the information in the required fields, you will be able to submit your account for approval. Once your account has been entered into our media status approval queue, Terminals.io/Evolve PR staff need to manually look over your account. It can take up to 3-5 business days for us to confirm those details, if it's been longer than a week though please reach out and let us know. Note that clicking the email link to confirm your email address and getting your media status request approved are two different things. If you want to make approval as quick and painless as possible, be sure to fill in your profile as completely as possible and connect your social media accounts and channels to verify that you do, indeed, own them. If you do not connect networks, or if it's not really easy to confirm your identity (such as seeing your email address on your YouTube channel), approval may not go through or be delayed.

First off, we should say that requesting a code does not mean you will receive one. There are a lot of factors that come in to play when requesting a code, such as code availability and the amount of other code requests that are being facilitated. In some cases we open up code requests months before a game is actually available. If you're really worried, you can message the PR Contact listed on the relevant game page, but note that we may not respond to these emails in busy times. If you have placed a request and can see it on your profile as "Pending" then we have it, and you should be notified when we've been able to process your request.

It depends entirely on the game. Sometimes it can take minutes, and sometimes it can take weeks. If you're really worried, you can email the PR Contact listed on the relevant game page, but note that we may not respond to these emails in busy times. If you have placed a request and can see it on your profile as "Pending" then we have it, and you should be notified when we've been able to process your request. However, requesting a code is not a guarantee that you will receive one. Once again we'll note that code requests are only open to those with media status.

Each game page has a Contact button that you can use to contact the appropriate person for information / assistance with the product. There's also a "PR Contact" listed on each game page.

It depends on the game and the settings on the Terminal game page. In some cases the limit is set to 1 code, while others may allow you to select more. However, note that just because you CAN request 10 codes doesn't mean you should; if you ask for 10, there should be a very good reason you need them, or else we'll start getting a tad suspicious. Every developer or publisher will have different policies regarding requests for multiple codes.

You can contact the PR representative responsible for a game to ask for giveaway codes, or place a request for multiple codes and add a note that they are for a giveaway. However, in most cases we do not have enough codes to fulfill demand, which makes it even more difficult to provide additional codes for giveaways. Every developer or publisher will have different policies regarding giveaways.

A lot of different factors determine who gets code for a particular game, and each developer or publisher will have its own processes and guidelines for determining code eligibility. Like it or not, the size of your audience--whether website traffic or subscriber numbers--plays a part, though it's not the only determining factor. Audience engagement may also play a role; if your channel has a million subscribers but only 400 people watch your videos, that's something a developer may consider. You should also endeavor to develop long-term relationships with developers and publishers you want to work with; if they don't know who you are, they may not provide code the first time you ask. If you request and receive multiple games but don't provide coverage (videos, reviews, etc.) you may also be passed over for future codes. And, well, if you email someone ten times asking about code, or if you're rude in communication, or if you've previously written a bunch of negative articles about a company's games, they might also get a tad annoyed and pass you over. It's complicated. So if we can offer some advice to increase the chances your requests for code will be approved, do this: build good relationships with developers and publishers, cover the games you receive, act professionally, don't fake your channel/audience numbers, and always aim to grow and improve your audience. Particularly if you have a small site or channel, you have to realize that a major website will almost always get a code before you do. Don't be upset! Endeavor to keep growing and give those developers/publishers reasons to like you.

Not necessarily, but it's certainly the hope. For most games, there are more requests than there are codes available; by taking a code and not covering the game, you're taking a potential opportunity away from someone else who might have really wanted to play and cover it themselves. However, we realize that things happen: you get sick, or you get really busy, or maybe you just didn't like a game and didn't want to crap on it in a review. It's okay to not cover a game you get. But if you do it routinely, you will likely get passed over in the future. When you've covered a game, help us out and click the "Submit Coverage" button to send it in!

You always need to select a region when requesting and it's especially important in the case of console codes. PS4 codes, for example, are region-specific, so if you have a North American PS4 account, you must select the North American region, or else your request won't be fulfilled. In some cases the agency or developer responsible for a game may only have codes for a specific region, so you should always try to choose the region to make life easier for everyone.

Each product page has a "Submit Coverage" button that you can use to submit coverage for a game. This helps the developer or publisher see that you've covered their game, and they can share it with their own audiences. It also means we won't email you asking, "Soooo... when are you going to cover this game?" Win-win for everyone! Please note that we do not track coverage automatically for YouTube or Twitch, so you will still need to send in your videos and streams if you want them to count.

Definitely, that's what our Enthusiast accounts are for! Enthusiasts can use Terminals to get news (click the “Watch” button on a game page), discover new games, and more. You're even able to request review keys, but be aware that for most titles, we'll be prioritizing requests for users with media status.

Yes, though be aware that you may not receive every game you request and you may not be approved for media status right away. Particularly if you're really just getting started, it may be tough to get games directly from developers and publishers. Don't fret; keep producing content, build an audience and a reputation, and eventually things will get easier!

Your information is viewable only to the team at Terminals.io/Evolve PR. We do not share your information with third-parties. Ever. You always have control over your personal information, and can choose whom to share it with.

We do our best and try to assess all media status requests within 3-5 business days. A more complete profile will help expedite the approval process. If you have not received a response to your application within a week, please contact us so we can sort it out.

Generally when code requests aren't open for a game, it's either because we don't have codes yet, or we've run out. If the game hasn't been released, it's likely that we just haven't opened code requests yet; you can click the "Watch" button to add a game to your Watch List, and you'll be notified when code requests open up. If the game's out and codes aren't available, it's unlikely we have any to spare. You can, however, contact the PR representative responsible for it via the game page, though chances are, if code requests are off, there's a reason!

You will have received a message from Terminals.io/Evolve PR staff explaining why you weren't approved and/or what might be missing from your application. Once you've addressed whatever caused your application to not be approved, you can reapply and our team will be happy to reassess your account. Remember: media status on Terminals.io is designed for active members of the media, as well as content creators (streaming and YouTube, for example); if you don't fit within those categories, then you are not eligible for media status.

Terminals.io can be used to discover new games, get press kits, see videos and screenshots, read news and more.

You can delete your account by going to the "Your Data" section of the Terminals settings menu when logged in, you can also message the Terminals.io team and ask us to delete your account for you. You can contact us via the contact form which is linked at the bottom of the Terminals.io homepage, or by emailing us at [email protected]. Upon receiving your message, we’ll promptly reach out to confirm your request (and confirm your identity if needed) and then once we receive that confirmation we delete the account.

If you've changed outlets or renamed your channel, simply visit your profile page and update the information. Your account will need to go through the media status approval process again--after all, you could get approved and then change your info to say you're Albert Einstein. That doesn't mean you're actually him.

An embargo is a specific time and date, before which you may NOT post coverage of the applicable game, and you can see embargo info by clicking on the Key button (if you've received keys), and you will see it when you click to accept a key approval. You must agree to the stated embargo before receiving keys. If you post content before an embargo, you are "breaking embargo," which is a relatively serious offense in the gaming-media world. Breaking embargo may result in denial of future code requests, or at the very least a reluctance to provide you early review code in the future. Embargoes are in place to provide a level playing field for coverage and, in some cases, to protect industry secrets. Stick to them.

No! Request as many game codes as you'd like, but remember that you are expected to cover most of them. If you aren't sure you'll have time to cover a game or do so in a timely manner, don't request it.

Having media status on Terminals means your key request get preference when we are distributing keys. It also means our team may reach out to you for media & content creator specific opportunities based on your outlet/channel. Lastly, having media status will make it easier for you to book appointments with our clients during major shows such as PAX or E3.

Nothing more than what you already do to be absolutely honest. Just keep creating content and using the codes and information we give you responsibly, and we’ll be sympatico.

We’ve tried to list everything here that we consider when making these decisions, but it’s not a cold mathematical equation. When you apply for media status, it’s our staff who consider the request and decide if you qualify, and they’re only human. That said, while mistakes can happen and there will be some slight natural variance between the different members of our approvals team, we do try to keep these decisions as consistent as possible across our whole user base.

No, what’s listed here are simply the different factors we consider when deciding Media Status. Obviously the more of these parameters you meet or exceed, the better chance you have of getting Media Status, but you don’t necessarily need to meet every single quota to get in.

While numbers are important, they are not the sole factor in determining media status. We also consider frequency of content, subject matter, social media activity, and a number of other factors when making the decision to approve someone as media. Our requirements for media status have also changed over time, and it is possible that your friend was approved at an earlier date when those standards were still in flux. That said, we periodically re-evaluate accounts and it is possible for someone to lose media status if they no longer meet our criteria.

If you’re applying under a website or blog then your outlet will need to receive a minimum of 1000 estimated visits per month as judged by SimilarWeb. If you’re applying under a YouTube, Twitch, or Facebook Gaming channel then you’ll need to have a minimum of 500 Subscribers or Followers, 5000+ views on your channel as a whole, and/or 50-100+ average views on your videos. Some level of presence on social media is also preferred and any accounts you connect to your Terminals profile are looked at during Media Status consideration.

Everyone has to start somewhere and no one begins with a legacy of coverage behind them, but we need to see a little starting commitment to assuage any worries. Having a couple months of content under your belt lets us know that your outlet/channel isn’t likely to just disappear after we’ve given you a review code.

Every outlet/channel is different, and will have its own voice and sense of style, but there are some basic things that objectively make some come off better than others. For a website this can include ensuring that articles are free of spelling errors, use proper grammar, and have consistent and readable formatting. For a YouTube or Twitch channel, this can mean having custom art assets, a properly fleshed out channel profile, and videos/streams that are well presented with clear audio and video. Things such as good editing (of both the video and text variety), making sure your content is original and unique, and ensuring that your archive of content is well organized can count as well, but in general it just means presenting your work as clearly and cleanly as possible.

The reason for this rather boilerplate requirement is two-fold. The first is that we host all manner of games on Terminals, some of which are intended for mature audiences. The second is that gaining media status entails a responsibility to at least attempt to create coverage for any games received through our service. That said, if you are under 13, you can have your parent or guardian contact us at [email protected] and with his or her okay we’ll try to work things out.

We need to see some degree of regular activity in order to be assured that any games we send your way have a chance of being covered in a timely manner, and won’t simply disappear into the ether. This means we expect one article/video a week to be published on your outlet/channel at a minimum. We do understand that for some of our users, such as freelancers, that’s not always a possibility; in those cases we expect to see at least one article/video to go up somewhere under your name (or attributed to you in some way) each month. Most importantly, we need to see content going up consistently, without extended or constant breaks in between.

To clarify, this means you have paid for your domain and the hosting needed to keep it live (unless you own your own server) via a service such as Bluehost or Hostgator. This does not include free blogs built and hosted on sites such as Wordpress.com, Tumblr, Blogspot, or Wix. We do this to prevent abuse of our system, because while blogs from those services are easy to create, it’s hard to prove their traffic metrics and discern who actually owns/represents them.

When you sign up for Terminals, you’ll receive an email asking you to confirm your email address by clicking a link. You’ll need to complete this process for us to consider your account for media status, as it allows us to verify that your email is legitimate and you are who you say you are. If you never received this email (and be sure to check your spam folder as it can end up in there) you can have it re-sent by clicking the red banner at the top of the Terminals homepage that will appear if your email is unverified.

We’re not expecting you to cover every game or submit every scrap of coverage you produce around a title, but we are expecting you to treat Terminals and the people who work on it with respect. This means keeping your key requests reasonable and using what keys you do get for work purposes. It also means not harassing any of the developers, PR reps, or Terminals staff you may interact with on Terminals. This can also apply to your general behaviour as a publication, as we reserve the right to remove media status from any outlets or channels found to be doing things such as plagiarizing content or reselling keys received for review purposes.

While we have no intention of dictating what form your content should take or how you should make it, we do require some form of commentary, discussion, and/or further context to be part of it. Specifically, if your channel only publishes raw gameplay footage or just reposts trailers, that would not qualify. We have this requirement both to maintain a level of quality as well as to help curb potential abuse of our system.

While we appreciate all manner of coverage and definitely understand the value of Steam's community tools and review ecosystem, unfortunately we don't have support for those solely creating content on Steam at this time. If you would qualify with another part of the content you create (such as with an accompanying YouTube or Twitch channel) please feel free to still apply, but if you're purely a Steam Curator or Steam Reviewer then we won't be able to provide you with Media Status. That being said, we do encourage developers & publishers using Terminals to reach out to the many wonderful Curators that exist out there through Steam's Curator Connect system instead so they can put those games right into your library.