This document provides advice for small game developers on promoting their games through press and building communities. It frames the process as a quest, with the developer as the protagonist overcoming challenges like indifference. It recommends developing a community to help with promotion, practicing pitching the game, targeting different sized press outlets, and engaging a outlet's community before an interview. It also touches on using Kickstarter and preparing for tough promotional challenges once a game is complete. The overall message is that promotion requires work, but these tactics can help small developers overcome obstacles to exposure.
Presentation about Marketing for Indie Game Developers
It was a pretty interactive presentation and uploaded after people asked for it! You can get the point up till a bit. But still it was made to accompany my keynote.
In an increasingly feminised society how do brands communicate positively to men? One manifestation of the ‘male crisis’ is the difficulty brands have in connecting with this audience. Men often feel crudely stereotyped in advertising and broader culture. We explore this issue from two points of view – the male audience itself (in all its rich diversity), but also include voice of the ad agency creatives - who actually do the writing.
My name is Alexandria King. I graduated with honors in Psychology from Hoodrat University. I did not receive a degree, instead I got a
one way ticket to poverty on Spirit Airlines. I learned a lot on that long flight. I blog my thoughts. Hoodrat nation Stand Up!
10 Immutable Truths of Entrepreneurship (Updated Keynote)Margaret Wallace
These are UPDATED slides from a keynote I delivered on January 20, 2011 at GameOn Finance in Toronto. Enjoy!
For an questions, please feel free to contact me on Twitter - @margaretwallace
Presentation about Marketing for Indie Game Developers
It was a pretty interactive presentation and uploaded after people asked for it! You can get the point up till a bit. But still it was made to accompany my keynote.
In an increasingly feminised society how do brands communicate positively to men? One manifestation of the ‘male crisis’ is the difficulty brands have in connecting with this audience. Men often feel crudely stereotyped in advertising and broader culture. We explore this issue from two points of view – the male audience itself (in all its rich diversity), but also include voice of the ad agency creatives - who actually do the writing.
My name is Alexandria King. I graduated with honors in Psychology from Hoodrat University. I did not receive a degree, instead I got a
one way ticket to poverty on Spirit Airlines. I learned a lot on that long flight. I blog my thoughts. Hoodrat nation Stand Up!
10 Immutable Truths of Entrepreneurship (Updated Keynote)Margaret Wallace
These are UPDATED slides from a keynote I delivered on January 20, 2011 at GameOn Finance in Toronto. Enjoy!
For an questions, please feel free to contact me on Twitter - @margaretwallace
The 48 Laws of Power - Law 36 - Disdain things you cannot have, Ignoring them...Tariq Al-Basha
By acknowledging a petty problem you give it existence and credibility. The more attention you pay an enemy, the stronger you make him; and a small mistake is often made worse and more visible when you try to fix it.
It is sometimes best to leave things alone.
If there is something you want but cannot have, show contempt for it.
The less interest you reveal, the more superior you seem.
Useful Thoughts From Advertising MentorsVishal Ostwal
I read Praveen Vaidyanathan's tweets a while ago in which he had shared some of the most useful thoughts from his mentors.
All of them inspired me and I felt like the words should reach more people. So I put them together in the following deck.
You'll love them.
They're pure gold.
#Advertising
How To Relax, Be Yourself, And Attract Tons of Gorgeous GirlsGeorge Hutton
http://mindpersuasion.com
Some people think it's wrong or fake or even ineffective to simply "be yourself." But the most successful naturals are themselves, and they get more action than a Hollywood A Lister. To learn how to be your own self and get tons of girls, please visit http://mindpersuasion.com/frame-control/
Are You Over Estimating Your Market Value?George Hutton
http://mindpersuasion.com/
Making economic errors can cost you a lot of money. They can also keep you from finding the perfect partner. Learn More: http://mindpersuasion.com
How to promote a game without spending a dime (almost)Natalia Dołżycka
Your game is about to launch, but you’ve spend it all on stunning graphics and skillful programmers? No problem! This speech will show you that promoting a game can be easy, effective and fun and doesn't have to cost you anything. Learn all the field tested techniques to reach both gamers and press. And yes, there will be real-life examples.
The 48 Laws of Power - Law 36 - Disdain things you cannot have, Ignoring them...Tariq Al-Basha
By acknowledging a petty problem you give it existence and credibility. The more attention you pay an enemy, the stronger you make him; and a small mistake is often made worse and more visible when you try to fix it.
It is sometimes best to leave things alone.
If there is something you want but cannot have, show contempt for it.
The less interest you reveal, the more superior you seem.
Useful Thoughts From Advertising MentorsVishal Ostwal
I read Praveen Vaidyanathan's tweets a while ago in which he had shared some of the most useful thoughts from his mentors.
All of them inspired me and I felt like the words should reach more people. So I put them together in the following deck.
You'll love them.
They're pure gold.
#Advertising
How To Relax, Be Yourself, And Attract Tons of Gorgeous GirlsGeorge Hutton
http://mindpersuasion.com
Some people think it's wrong or fake or even ineffective to simply "be yourself." But the most successful naturals are themselves, and they get more action than a Hollywood A Lister. To learn how to be your own self and get tons of girls, please visit http://mindpersuasion.com/frame-control/
Are You Over Estimating Your Market Value?George Hutton
http://mindpersuasion.com/
Making economic errors can cost you a lot of money. They can also keep you from finding the perfect partner. Learn More: http://mindpersuasion.com
How to promote a game without spending a dime (almost)Natalia Dołżycka
Your game is about to launch, but you’ve spend it all on stunning graphics and skillful programmers? No problem! This speech will show you that promoting a game can be easy, effective and fun and doesn't have to cost you anything. Learn all the field tested techniques to reach both gamers and press. And yes, there will be real-life examples.
This is a slide show presentation for my Professional Communication and Presentation class at Full Sail University. This gives a little insight into my life past, present, and future.
You have 10 seconds: Understanding how to make your game pitch greatDevGAMM Conference
Mike Rose, tinyBuild Games
Here’s the big problem: When you finally get around to launching your game, tons of other games will pop into existence on the very same day. If your game doesn’t stand out, you’re going to get lost in a sea of pixels.
In this talk, Mike will explore a variety of examples, tips and tricks that should help you perfect your pitch. He’ll then open the floor and ask developers at DevGAMM to pitch their games at him… or take requests for pitches if people are too scared to try their luck.
How to get media coverage for your gameAlysia Judge
Getting media coverage will get your game noticed. It starts a conversation with a community, provides design feedback, and provides free advertising. But getting your game on journalists’ radars amid a deluge of daily pitches can be like shouting over a pneumatic drill. How do you cut through the noise?
Pocket Gamer’s Alysia Judge will be sharing her insights on how to approach journalists, what the media looks for in a news-worthy game, and how to construct a memorable pitch. She’ll also be lifting the lid (and risking ex-communication from her peers) on what metrics journalists use to rate a game’s success in reviews, and whether it’s worthwhile for developers to hire a PR agency.
Successful free to play games are a brew of persuasion techniques designed to achieve fast engagement. Here’s a short list and lots of examples of the most notorious persuasive methods and psychological tactics that are used in games you play and love.
Since the narrative has a fundamental role for engagement in games, the design of the gameplay cannot underestimate a prerequisite of aesthetic coherence: the player's actions in the game can't conflict with those of avatar in the story.
Because of this, the theme of the game, which is the semantic nucleus of experience, must be the permanent reference of design.
In this game design talk, Vincenzo Santalucia, game/narrative designer of the official game of Netflix series Suburra, tells about the approach and the design process followed to construct a ludonarrative experience as much as possible recognizable and coherent.
http://mindpersuasion.com/
You can leverage the power of your subconscious mind to obliterate approach anxiety, and feel nothing but excitement and enthusiasm when you see a cutie. Learn More: http://mindpersuasion.com/tools/
Chris Trottier "Designing Games for the 43 year old Woman"Game Diversity
This presentation was done by (and is owned by) Chris Trottier, Zynga. It is being uploaded to continue / further the discussion of diversity and inclusion within the video game industry.
Networking with the pros GDCOnline 2010Jeremy Gibson
This is one of the talks I gave at GDCOnline 2010. It is about how to meet and network with people at a game conference and was voted the #4 best talk at the conference.
5 critical ingredients to massive twitch success author lakeAmelia Heidenreich
So who want's more Twitch success in their life? A lot of times we think about what we want before we think about what our audience wants…and this post has a lot to do with shifting that mentality.
Now I've studied hundreds of Twitch.TV live streamers and content creators. And I find the truly successful are unique from one another, there are some commonalities I keep seeing.
In an attempt to reverse-engineer the success of successful Twitch streamers I've gathered the 5 most important components to growing a channel and having real Twitch success.
2. And now, the part of the
quest that you usually
scroll through
I am your trainer for your quest. Together we will overcome
the bosses of indifference and AAA games and level you up
appropriately
I have extensive experience in Community Management
dating before some of you were born on an old thing called a
“modem.”
I host a podcast called Game Briefs, which just got picked up
by TheUltimateGamer.com – I have seen bad interviews, and
I have seen glory beyond your wildest dreams.
2
3. Before you set out on your first
quest
You have to train…
No, seriously.
Find a way to channel your passion for your game
Stand in front of a mirror, like in the Sims, and practice talking
Call a friend who doesn’t know anything about your game (yeah right) and tell
them about it. Get their feedback
Practice writing emails to game journalists. Run it past industry friends, or if
you don’t have any, do so at the next IGDA meeting
Don’t be afraid of sounding silly or stupid.
Everyone does at some point or another.
I have run a show for 3 years, and you had better believe I have sounded
stupid at times.
3
4. ! Your First task:
Build a community to help you fight your first encounter,
indifference
Will require you to work (you are building something after all)
You have to have the desire to have your community succeed
Your community will stand the test of time
4
5. Fear not- for you have tools to help you!
A shield that gives you +1 personality
A potion that gives you the ability to adapt to feedback
A cloak of humor and fun
Your #1 key on your hot bar- the forums
5
6. What if?
The game sucks?
Nobody comes?
I don’t know how to do any of that?
There is a sudden decline in the industry?
Schrodinger got together with Murphy?
6
7. Mini Boss Battle
Submitting your game to press
You have to know the right strategy going in, just like any other
boss battle
Be “yourself”
Don’t “sell” your game
Offer an interview
Offer incentives and exclusives
Swag
Access
Sponsorship
7
8. Boss Stages
3 tiers of show
Large audience
Minimal interaction with listeners
Usually have to pay for ads within the show or magazine
Medium Audience
Large interaction with listeners
Anxious to have you on their show
Will treat you well if you treat them nicely
Low Audience
Fanboys
Can become larger, and will remember you
8
9. Your Toolkit
Engage their community before the interview
Will give you credibility
Will help transfer their community members to yours
How?
Chat Rooms
Forums
Call-Ins
Be Yourself
It’s a phone call. Treat it that way
Don’t be shy. If you have opinions, express them.
9
10. 10
What to look for
Good Show
Will ask you weeks ahead
of time
Will be produced, with
segments
Will make you the highlight
of the show
Will want you back
Will talk to you before they
record or go live
Not so good show
Will be a spur of the
moment request
Will not be produced
Will talk over you
Will not try to engage you
with their community
Will not help you out if you
fumble in an interview
11. Level UP!
You are now imbued with the following abilities
+1 to Confidence
+5 to Exposure
+3 to Awareness
+7 to Credibility
11
12. Now that you are a level 2
interviewee
Let’s have someone come up here and talk to us about their
game.
No, seriously.
12
13. Ohshi! Someone volunteered!
You are now officially level 5.
I am the quest giver and I can do that.
Let’s talk for 5 minutes about your game.
Everyone will want to do this after you do it, so you’re
officially cooler than them.
13
14. Slide in case nobody comes up
Fine. Here’s my game that will never be made.
French First Person “shooter” where you have
Cheese Grenades, Wine as Potions, and a stale baguette as
your “weapon”
You must try to surrender to the American General (because…
reasons?)
The princess is in another castle.
14
15. Kickstarter
Only works if you have a community
3360 projects funded last year
6099 not funded
If you can get more than 20% raised, you have an 80%
chance of getting your goal funded
Should be used sparingly
Not a very effective PR tool unless it goes Viral
15
16. Congratulations, You have saved
the realm.
Now you start the end game.
Prepare for tough bosses
Use your debuffs
CC is a must
Q/A time?
16