Promoting sci-fi game

[James Coote]

I'm an indie games developer, and my first game is set in space (it's not finished yet, so don't go looking for it till it's nice and shiny and ready ). Anyway, it will be soon enough, and I want to find ways of promoting it to a science fiction audience

Posting on forums like this one or blogs is one way (though most 'marketing experts' believe it is not worth the time unless you're already on the inside of a community)

I'm looking into getting a table or stand at various conventions.

Although the game has no overt storyline, I've peppered both the game and the marketing material with short pieces of prose (so in the description section on the ship select screen) that are styled to look like extracts/quotes from a story

But I'm on the hunt for other ideas as well

p.s. Sorry if this is the wrong place for this kind of discussion, or you feel I'm being too up-front / 'salesman-like'

[Snowdog]

Perhaps you could tell us a bit more about the game, what type it is, 4x, shoot-em-up, trading game etc.

[I, Brian]

Originally Posted by James Coote

Posting on forums like this one or blogs is one way (though most 'marketing experts' believe it is not worth the time unless you're already on the inside of a community)

Exactly right - if you are active within a community, you gain the trust and respect of the community - and thus encourage people's attention when you do have something of importance to say.

Those who sign up and simply self-promote, have their posts binned and spam, their accounts banned, and their works censored from the community forever.

Just a heads up.

[TheTomG]

It is an interesting question as to how many SF readers actually play games. I know we have some, since we have threads dedicated to particular games or asking what game you are playing just now, but never done a measure or count to see what kind of percentage of the community are indeed games players. For those that do play games, is it SF games that they play?

I can easily see that those in love with SFF and SF novels may find games too restrictive, seeing things brought to life in such detail with little room for imagination, or finding a lack of emotional depth, etc.

Perhaps, a poll?

This might also give you an idea on just what kind of worth you would get from promoting on SF boards more geared to writing, novels and movies as opposed to boards specifically for video gamesters.

EDIT PS and yea what I, Brian said too. Besides there are plenty of ways to be active here - ask for advice on plot and writing, ask for ideas on integrating story into gameplay, share your advice on said matters, and all that good stuff. As well as taking part in our many other discussions (who knows what ideas may be fertilized by such activities.) This may help polish your game in unexpected ways, all without being a promotion troll! And once you've earned your stripes, then you'd be able to promote - and by then you may be a friend to many, so have more folks interested in taking a look, helping, etc, than just spamming promotional materials!

[James Coote]

Originally Posted by I, Brian

Exactly right - if you are active within a community, you gain the trust and respect of the community - and thus encourage people's attention when you do have something of importance to say.

Those who sign up and simply self-promote, have their posts binned and spam, their accounts banned, and their works censored from the community forever.

Just a heads up.

That's why I didn't mention anything about the game itself. Theres an article on gamasutra dot com which I can't link (because I don't have privileges), which is titled "Indie Guide to Marketing: Be Honest, Be Nice." I think that sums up what I'm aiming for, but this post is still kind of sly, I'll admit

Originally Posted by TheTomG

I can easily see that those in love with SFF and SF novels may find games too restrictive, seeing things brought to life in such detail with little room for imagination, or finding a lack of emotional depth, etc.

Not sure I entirely get you. Can you elaborate?

Originally Posted by TheTomG

Perhaps, a poll?

This might also give you an idea on just what kind of worth you would get from promoting on SF boards more geared to writing, novels and movies as opposed to boards specifically for video gamesters.

Definitely. Great idea

Originally Posted by TheTomG

EDIT PS and yea what I, Brian said too. Besides there are plenty of ways to be active here - ask for advice on plot and writing, ask for ideas on integrating story into gameplay, share your advice on said matters, and all that good stuff. As well as taking part in our many other discussions (who knows what ideas may be fertilized by such activities.) This may help polish your game in unexpected ways, all without being a promotion troll! And once you've earned your stripes, then you'd be able to promote - and by then you may be a friend to many, so have more folks interested in taking a look, helping, etc, than just spamming promotional materials!

Well, it was either become an indie games dev or write a sci-fi novel. I chose the former, but definitely, for improving my own recreational(?) writing, and the writing I do for my own games

In fact, all big and many medium sized games have dedicated script writers. Some people make a career out of it, so maybe one day I can do both game development and sci-fi writing!

[pyan]

Originally Posted by James Coote

Theres an article on gamasutra dot com which I can't link (because I don't have privileges),

With good reason...

I'll allow this one due to the general interest of the link, but please don't try to circumvent the rules again. You've already had a gentle hint from Brian (who owns the site), and I'm sure you wouldn't want to tread quite so close to the edge again before you've amassed sufficient posts to be able to link.....

[James Coote]

Sorry, I guess I'm used to referencing all my sources