Today the power and influence of YouTubers is well known. The biggest stars can make a PC release a sensation overnight, and many court hugely loyal fan-bases, who will follow their recommendations to the letter.

In the early days of influencer marketing, things were rather simple. Game studios needed luck. If their game found itself in the right place at the right time, it might suddenly enjoy a spotlight on a hugely popular 'Let's Play' video.

Today simplicity of influencer marketing persists, but the approach is rather different. In reality, it comes down to what a studio can pay. Some might still get lucky, but most will have to hand over a significant amount of cash to have the most popular YouTubers share their game.

That means many of the best games don't stand a chance of the influencer exposure they deserve. It's a problem that motivated PlayCom to come up with a solution. And that solution turns the entire developer-YouTuber relationship on its head.

As unfeasible as it might sound, PlayCom has found a way to pay developers to have their games featured on some of the biggest YouTube channels.

Called PlaySales, the new PlayCom service is effectively a solution to PC gaming's discoverability problem. Last year alone over 4,000 games were published on Steam. Standing out today is remarkably tough. As it has long been with mobile games, now exposure is as important as the design and development of a game.

Over on YouTube, meanwhile, half a billion views a day are dedicated to gaming content. But approaching influencer marketing in the conventional way – meaning paying YouTubers or their agencies – is extremely costly, tough to track, time-consuming, and ultimately uncertain.

PlaySales, though, works in four steps designed entirely with the developer and studio in mind.

• Firstly, PlayCom builds the studio its own web-store, following official branding, and offering complete approval. That means selling the game from an official space that the developer controls, and that the consumer can trust. There's no need to visit third-party or other stores and websites to make a purchase.

• Next, the PlaySales team acquires a number of digital copies of the game direct from the studio, in the form of Steam keys. That means money up front for the developer.

• Then PlayCom works with its network of YouTubers and influencer agencies, securing the game relevant video spotlights. In those videos, the YouTubers play the game through, just like any normal gaming channel. At the end of the video, the YouTuber is able to offer a distinct discount on buying the game, pointing their fans to the specially constructed official web store. This gives the YouTuber's content additional value, and allows them to provide their viewers with a discounted game. There is no need for the YouTuber or their community to visit external websites or stores they may not know or trust.

• Finally, having purchased a key, the customer can head to the reputable, official Steam store, and start downloading their game.

In a nutshell, that is it. The game developer gets money near the start of the process, with no risk on losing that income, and no need to send money to any YouTubers. Equally, the game gets significant, targeted influencer promotion, and endorsement by a trusted voice.

The YouTuber, meanwhile, is provided with content, and something of a gift to their loyal fan-base. And, of course, the viewer gets a game at a reduced price. In short, everybody wins.

It's a model that has already worked for Brainseed Factory and its innovative puzzle-platformer Typoman. Using the PlaySales service, the team partnered with the popular YouTube channel Funhaus, which courts an impressive 1.1 million subscribers.

Towards the end of Funhaus' glowing play-through of part of the game, the presenters offer a link to Brainseed Factory's store page, and a special discount code. On buying the game at a discount, the viewer receives a Steam key by email, which they can use to download the game.

Taking a look at real viewer comments on the video, sent in response to watching, it is clear that the Funhaus community enjoys an authentic influencer video and develops positive opinions of Typoman. Meanwhile, Brainseed Factory gains an acceleration of brand awareness within the gamer community and beyond.

PlayCom has a team of five on the floor at Gamescom in Cologne, and is keen to talk to studios interested in the opportunity PlaySales offers. Those keen to see more of PlaySales – or meet at Gamescom to explore the opportunity of partnering – can email info@playsales.com.