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Get Your Game Noticed By the Press Right Freaking Now
#264773
05/08/09 04:33
05/08/09 04:33
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 681 Massachusetts, USA
Ichiro
OP
User
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OP
User
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 681
Massachusetts, USA
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I think we finally figured out a decent way to get the word out about our (3DGS) games, and wanted to share some stuff that worked. Here's why I think this method worked:1. Kotaku, Rock Paper Shotgun, IndieGames, Joystiq, IndieGames, etc. picked up either the initial announcement, the alpha release, or both. (See: http://tinyurl.com/rbqc4g) 2. From the initial announcement, alone, the game's crappy-looking prototype videos, alone, got about 100,000 hits. 3. We've received somewhere from 6,000 to 10,000 downloads of the ugly alpha demo in one day. 4. We're finally running into people at game dev conferences that have played our games. This really makes me happy. Here's what I think did the trick:1. There are several things we tried to make unique about our game. Take the name, "AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! - A Reckless Disregard for Gravity." You either love it or hate it. Or both. But the press has received it warmly. There's also the post-alpha game mechanic: jump off buildings, and flip fans off for points. Something unusual enough for press to want to write about. Here, take these two titles: Name: AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! - A Reckless Disregard for Gravity Description: You dive off a skyscraper, relying on quick reflexes to negotiate the intricate tangle of girders that make up the City. You perform aerial stunts at terminal velocity before parachuting into the arms of your cheering fans. As you descend, you toss the spectators a thumbs-up -- or flip them off -- to boost your score. ~vs.~ Name: Thunder Armada Description: Take to the skies and destroy the Kaldorian Empire in your G-Space-Fighter in this fast-paced action-style game! Features: Over 9 different levels. 15 different weapons. 2 power ups. Jaw-dropping, eye-popping backgrounds. The second description is boring. Every game has something cool and unique about it. It's not that it has 9 levels. Screw you, Mr. 9 Levels! The press never writes about a game because a game has over 9 levels. 2. We sent out a press release. We did this by contacting individual press outlets, but press release services could also do the trick. Here's what we used most recently: Press Release: Dejobaan Games, LLC releases playable alpha of "AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! -- A Reckless Disregard for Gravity." Dejobaan Games has announced the publicly playable alpha of "AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! - A Reckless Disregard for Gravity" for Windows. The alpha shoves you off of floating skyscrapers in eight levels set over an alternate Boston, MA, and ends with an upsetting "thank you for playing" speech by the studio. You can check out their work-in-progress at www.dejobaan.com/aaaaa.In AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!!, you dive off of a building and rely on quick reflexes to negotiate the intricate tangle of girders that make up the City. You perform aerial stunts at terminal velocity before parachuting into the arms of your cheering fans. While other skydivers have it easy, you have to earn the adoration of the crowds by gliding within an eyelash of that glass super-skyscraper at 91 miles per hour. The game is scheduled for a Q3 2009 release, and will require Windows XP/Vista, a 1.5GHz processor, 1.5GB memory, a 3D card with 256MB memory, and Microsoft DirectX 9.0c. Visit Dejobaan Games online at www.dejobaan.com, and follow them on Twitter at @RoRoDejobaan. # # # Press info: Press kit with screenshots and video available at www.dejobaan.com/aaaaa.Videos: http://www.dejobaan.com/aaaaa/media/aaaaa_alpha_1.wmv http://www.dejobaan.com/aaaaa/media/aaaaa_alpha_2.wmvScreenshots: http://www.dejobaan.com/aaaaa/media/AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA_Alpha_PNG_Screenshots.zip http://www.dejobaan.com/aaaaa/media/AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA_Alpha_JPEG_Screenshots.zipPress contact: aaaaa.press@dejobaan.com Your keyboard quivers under the gentle caress of your fingertips. 3. ModDB. Seriously. 4. Other stuff, but it's 12:32am. Und So... I can't claim that we know everything. But I thought I'd share a few things that have worked. If anyone feels like sharing what's worked for them, I'm all ears as well.
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Re: Get Your Game Noticed By the Press Right Freaking Now
[Re: Ichiro]
#264808
05/08/09 10:40
05/08/09 10:40
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 150 Switzerland
Hitsch
Member
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Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 150
Switzerland
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This is amazing, and you're still gaining momentum There are two videos featured on Gametrailers right now. http://www.gametrailers.com/player/48956.html And people seem to like it in the comments. It sure is nice to see that 3DGS games can get that far. And you're game really rocks.
Last edited by Hitsch; 05/08/09 10:59.
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Re: Get Your Game Noticed By the Press Right Freaking Now
[Re: Ichiro]
#265230
05/11/09 09:18
05/11/09 09:18
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 4,506 Germany
fogman
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 4,506
Germany
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"4. Other stuff, but it's 12:32am."
So - are you up for now? Any additional tricks?
no science involved
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Re: Get Your Game Noticed By the Press Right Freaking Now
[Re: fogman]
#265465
05/12/09 15:52
05/12/09 15:52
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 681 Massachusetts, USA
Ichiro
OP
User
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OP
User
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 681
Massachusetts, USA
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That's a good question. Just to expand on our findings: 5. Pursuant to #3, ModDB really did well for us ( http://www.moddb.com/games/aaaaa-a-reckless-disregard-for-gravity). Submit your title there, with an interesting set of screenshots and regular news, and you'll gain a fan base. 6. Social networking - Set up a Facebook page ( http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dejobaan-Games/65299606629) and a Twitter account (@dejobaan/@roroDejobaan). Use them regularly for news that people actually want to hear. Don't talk about your dog or how crappy your day was. 7. Did I mention press releases? I think we got about 30k visitors from that one press event. More as it comes, if anyone's interested.
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Re: Get Your Game Noticed By the Press Right Freaking Now
[Re: fogman]
#265702
05/13/09 18:28
05/13/09 18:28
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,185
mpdeveloper_B
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,185
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Couple of extra suggestions: 1. Become friends with GamersHell, they are nice and will post just about anything you have for them about your game. Including advertisement-style news (aka sales). Also GamersHell links to GameTrailers, they will put almost all videos you submit to GameTrailers, also gets you alot of press. Proof: GamersHell GameTrailers2. Try to talk with Steamworks, get a contract with them, and start submitting stuff. It makes you closer to putting games on Steam, which is a huge audience. 3. Start a blog, it doesn't have to be about your game specifically, but one about your game company with some added stuff. Blogs will always get people to look around your site. Ours gets us alot more visitors than just our game sites alone. 4. RSS feeds. 5. Try to Digg alot of your stuff, that's also press. edit: BTW Ichiro, I posted your public alpha yesterday.
Last edited by mpdeveloper_B; 05/13/09 18:51.
- aka Manslayer101
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