Seeking affordable marketing ideas-- creative and crazy or banal-- etc... all shoestring budget ideas please...

One is affiliate marketing- pay webmasters per sale using affiliate software (lots on the market).

In these forums there are mainly, maybe only, the posts of Ichiro that are worth to be called 'informations about successful marketing strategies'. Search for his posts.
Selling textures and models is another strategy - DEXsoft is the most successful around this forums.

EDIT:
BTW, do yourself a favor and write a signature in your profile settings with a link to your portfolio that people around here are aware of your great artistic skills. That is a first step in gaining awareness, the basic marketing strategy.

I could come up with 100 creative ideas before breakfast.
However, unless you have your own server and some years of experience with CGI, coming up with a lot of ideas that require server side programming would just be blowing off a lot of hot air.
For instance, I came up with the idea for Flash. That one suggestion made Macromedia billions and created a whole new industry opportunity for millions of Flash animators and Action Scriptors. Technically, one person alone could have programmed Flash 1 in his living room on a "shoestring budget". But those who understand Vector Mathematics are few and far between and can make $120 hr.+.
I see from your profile you are a 3D modelor learning Lite-C. Giving you a multi billion dollar software idea on this forum would likely be a waste, since some other clever programmer here would most likely beat you to the punch. Unless your intention was to start a post for giving away great ideas to whoever wants them.
How about I custom tailor a multi million dollar idea to your own personal qualifications?
I perceive a big lag between the motion picture CG modeling and animation community and those in the gaming industry: both are somewhat "seasonal". If you're working on a job for the next King Kong or whatever, you work your buns off for 9 months or a year and then you're unemployed for months until the next CG flick comes along. The gaming industry is similar in that crunch time usually coincides with the holiday season.
What is needed is a kind of booking agency that can coordinate the two industries. This will benefit the game industry because there will be more hollywood level talent available, as well as saving the movie industry ramp up time having to train green recruits. You can do that with or without a high tech website, and it's technically a marketing idea.
Also, animators have no union. Motion picture or games. Voice talent does. They got a great union. You could start an Animator's Union.

Poppen. I will update my profile a bit more. I will have a look at Ichiro's posts. I'll share more about projects down the road when it's time.


Almost all well-thought game related information/input is valued by me and others here; however, marketing ideas (stress marketing ideas) are the most important in this thread. If you have an idea (Dillinger) that is too important for you to share i.e. Flash then don't share it until you can realize it would be my advice. Utilizing an affiliate program is a good banal MARKETING idea that nonetheless others might not have thought of or even known about.

>Giving you a multi billion dollar software idea...
Who in the hell said anything about "mulit billion dollar sofware ideas"... I'm looking for shoestring budget MARKETING ideas. And you don't know me from adam. Moreover, people have the ability to work in teams you know...


What I'm seeking and what will help the readers (likely independent game developers) of this discussion for as long as it's on the web though isn't so much a conversation about the conversation or the so-called futility of "[100 wasted creative ideas (all before breakfast no less)-- billion dollar ideas wasted on noobs]", but the conversation itself. Let's talk about marketing ideas for small time developers.

Having said that:

I realize that an artist is valued for the IP-the story-the world-the imagination-- by society and not their application of or creation of tech.

It's as though you're saying, why should I put gas into a helicopter when an airplane is faster. It's because the helicopter (artist/independent developers) can do things that an airplane (large developer) cannot. If you don't want to put gas into helicopters (your ideas into conversations like this) don't, but don't then say that helicopters/independent developers/artists/new coders (are not worth the gas). It's unfair to me and unfair to any other artist or independent developer to frame the discussion the way that you have. Off topic as well.

Moreover, it's unfair to any person seeking well-defined and feasible advice/input to get in return a change of subject with "[it's a waste of my time to give you my ideas]." Don't take your bitterness out on me.

>"How about I custom tailor a multi million dollar idea to your own personal >qualifications?"
How about I do the same for you?

All is good when being funny I think. But you're serious. You should respect the people at the party which you are attending, eh.

Also, I agree about the unions...but well off topic that is.

I've no doubt that though new to this forum, you're a talented programmer.

I am worth my salt as an artist.
portfolio


Do you have a simple marketing idea that you can share?

I'd love for you to tell me how!

Vertex, Ichiro always swears by press releases (as Pappenheimer mentioned). He can explain them better than I will ever be able to. In fact, press "Index", scroll down to "Get Your Game Noticed By the Press Right Freaking Now", and click on it.

Sorry I don't have more ideas of my own for the moment.

Actually, being a musician, I once considered making a small but fun game for free that heavily relied on its atmosphere and music -- the game itself being a vessel to advertise our music. If something's free and fun, it'll generally spread like wildfire, but of course you still need to start by getting some people to notice it: YouTube. If you can make a funny or really good video, that's great! Ran Man got heaps of hits and some press for his videos from his Bible games, with people who otherwise wouldn't have written about his game writing articles instead about his video.

Jibb

I do love me some press releases. Paul from Mode 7 Games wrote a nice article for Gamasutra too: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4117/building_buzz_for_indie_games.php

Good read!
Nice.

Jibb