Help! I’ve built my game - now what?

Building a game isn’t easy. Once you’ve designed it, created art assets, coded it, tested it, fixed it and finally packaged it you have accomplished more than most. However, all of that work was for nothing - if nobody plays it.

Not all games are meant for the mass market. Indie games, created on a shoestring budget, can quite easily break even with just a few people willing to put down a handful of dollars on it. If you achieve a certain level of popularity (such as Darwinia, from Introversion) then you can even turn a profit.

Of course, your marketing budget is probably in the realm of the zeroes, which makes things more difficult. A triple-A game can saturate every gaming magazine and website with adverts, arrange promotional giveaways every other day, and ensure that all major review sites are in its pocket. You can’t. So you have to be a bit more imaginative - and exploit the fickle and viral nature of the internet.

1. Polish the Website

Basically, the website is what is going to sell the game for you. Look at other popular indie game sites to see how they work, but also look outside the box at software websites in general. The good ones will be simple, easy to use, and direct the user straight towards the download demo / buy buttons. There will be a bullet list of why you should play the game / download the software.

Make sure there are screenshots. Tell the user what system they need. Nothing more annoying than downloading an indie game, only to discover it’s incompatible with Windows.

2. Get a trailer and screenshots

Your marketing is going to differ depending on what it is you are selling. If the storyline is everything, but the graphics and control system are somewhat dated, then use the story to sell it. Make sure the trailer highlights the compelling nature of your story, and make it suspenseful! If your game is all about an innovative new idea, then make sure you highlight it and show it off. Intrigue people. Make them want to know more.

3. Find the right audience

There’s no point in selling a hardcore FPS to the casual puzzle crowd. Equally, just because someone likes Final Fantasy, doesn’t mean that they are going to download your submarine simulator. In some case you might want to avoid ‘gamers’ altogether, and use the subject matter of your game to find the right crowd.

These people can be found on web forums, on deviantart, facebook, livejournal - you just need to run a search for the groups and forums you want. Once you’ve found them, join.

4. Make friends, be valuable

Do not, under any circumstance, start your first post with “Go check out this AWESOME game!” It is spam, you will be banned and/or flamed for it.

Instead, stick a link to the game (make a snazzy graphic if allowed) and put it on your profile or in your signature. Then make yourself useful. Answer questions, be nice, make friends. If it’s appropriate to link to your game, then do so, but for the most part let your signature do the selling.

5. Find a journalist.

I can’t explain how to get your game in the hands of the media better than Kieron Gillen, so I’m not going to try. Read her article titled: How To Use And Abuse The Gaming Press And How The Gaming Press Wants To Use and Abuse You.

Read it, use what you learn from it.

6. Stay in the community

Often sales will start slow, and it’s easy to give up. People need exposure to things - including you. Just because they see the game, doesn’t mean they will buy it. But if they keep seeing it, and hearing about it, eventually they will click.

Make sure that every community you are involved in has a way back to your website.

7. Get other people to help

The one thing we are most susceptible is a recommendation from a friend. Make sure there’s a ‘Tell a Friend’ button on your website, and consider rewarding people who get their friends to play by offering a discount or a freebie. Blizzard gave away a two-week free trial for World of Warcraft for everyone who bought a copy to give to a friend - and it worked, because once people start WoW, they can’t stop WoW.

8. Make friends. Really.

The gaming community is actually pretty small. If you get halfway known as a decent, helpful person, people will want to help you out. Basically, the internet is just a whole heap of interconnected individuals, and the more individuals you make a positive impact on, the better. Small forums shouldn’t be dismissed - you’re more likely to be noticed. Give someone a hand with a bit of coding, and ask them to give you a thank you link.

Without a PR spokesperson, you are the face of your game. I know that I am much more likely to check out and purchase the game of somebody who offers me friendly advice and responds to my questions than to someone who ignores me. Which brings me to my last point….

9. Use the Bloggers

Small gaming blogs are everywhere. Some of them command a decent readership, and many of them are insightful and smart. Send a few of them copies of your game, with a request for a review, and you will probably get it - it helps the blogger out, because they get to bring fairly unknown/exclusive content to the attention of their readers, and it helps you out because you get exposure and back-links. Free advertising, and you get to feel good about cutting a blogger a break. What’s not to like?

With all of this in mind, I recently got an email from someone asking me to mention the Find Your Art School resource. It has information on a number of colleges that offer game design courses - whether in animation, game design, game development or digital media.

Now, I’ve had plenty of emails asking me whether you ‘need’ a degree to get into the game development. The answer is no, not always, but it does help. More than just the qualification, it will also teach you the skills you need to make better games.

And finally, watch this space! Coming on Monday - a brand new look and feel for Write the Game - all spiffy and shiny and such. Check out the preview to the right!

Related Posts

• Selling a Game: Making People Want to Buy
• New Write the Game Layout
• Returning to Diablo
• Five ways to ensure that your game or mod succeeds
• Selling a Game: Word of Mouth

9 Responses to “Help! I’ve built my game - now what?

frank Says:
August 4th, 2008 at 7:33 pm

Gillen’s a dude: “Kieron Gillen, so I’m not going to try. Read her article titled”

Babuluks Says:
September 18th, 2009 at 9:06 am

Охотно принимаю. На мой взгляд, это актуально, буду принимать участие в обсуждении. Я знаю, что вместе мы сможем прийти к правильному ответу.

Mail Entries Says:
November 16th, 2009 at 5:51 am

Nice post. We were looking for this!

Голая Says:
December 15th, 2009 at 7:05 am

Привет ! я хочу спросить как сделать так чтобы мой блог . т.е у меня меню было выкатывающиеся ? простите что не в тему но форума не нашла где тут писать

новости Says:
December 16th, 2009 at 6:49 pm

Смайлов нет тут ?

паломниук Says:
December 16th, 2009 at 9:23 pm

чисто блог

Adena Says:
December 26th, 2009 at 5:16 pm

Bonjour, plein d’info merci pour cette article !

KnireLied Says:
January 21st, 2010 at 4:29 pm

Блог очень понравился. Так держать!!!

Free WOW Gold Says:
June 20th, 2010 at 2:45 pm

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