So you created the game. What's next?

The game is almost able to alpha version. For months you worked hard on it, the last spurt remained to the goal, and the finish line is already visible. You plan to spend the next few months polishing, setting and balancing your masterpiece before showing it to the world and making a fortune. But this is not entirely true. There is still much to do. In fact, a completely new world will soon open before you while you google information about marketing, PR, creating a community and publishing a game. You read post-mortems, heard scary stories, and watched videos from GDC about games falling apart during the last couple of months of development or missing in the abyss after the release due to insufficient publicity or apathy. Now you are concerned about the fate of your wonderful creation, in which you have invested months of creative work and energy. Fear gradually takes hold of you. The horror of the fact that your game can simply sink into oblivion.

There is still much to do! If you are like me, then you somehow lack experience. We all have different skills and do a good job with our work, but no one can be an expert in all areas. For example, I am first of all a programmer, and I can deal with a lot of other things (except graphics, I’m not strong in it), but business creation, marketing, PR and community creation ... No, for me it was always a mystery, and I always I ignored these aspects until the last moment, after which, finally, I forced myself to do this part of the work somehow. Just for me, this is not a very interesting part of the game development process, and I think most will agree with that. In addition to marketing fans, naturally.

If you take the team as a whole, I can assume that it possesses only the most necessary skills for creating the game. Programmer, artist, designer, musician (if you are lucky) and producer (if you are unlucky: just kidding, I like producers), and even these roles are usually combined in one person. The fact is that if you are limited in budget (as is usually the case), then you are most likely to invest in full, and rely on the kindness of other team members to complete the work. Finding money to help professionals work to attract an audience can be difficult. There is a temptation to understand and do everything yourself. This can be very difficult if marketing is not your fad. And it's not just about marketing. There are also public relations (PR) that make you get out of a cozy office cave and talk to other human beings [shudders]. There are contracts and agreements on nondisclosure, paper legal work that needs to be understood and understood in it. There are exhibition schedules and interviews. Need to seek funds. Million small and large tasks that need to be completed after the game is completed.
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Marketing and business development are not in the list of priorities at the beginning of the project, and they are only paying attention to the end. Having found a publisher, you will be able to get rid of a whole heap of problems faced by a small indie developer. Marketing / PR, advertising, events, distribution, financing, support in the production, etc., etc. This is great, but everything has its price. Publishers will take their share, and this share may turn out to be the lion. Considering the part that Steam and other distribution platforms take, you may not have much left over the years of hard work. Of course, a good publisher will be able to raise your game to a new level, and a small piece of a big cake is still better than a big piece of a small one (I love pies!). Anyway, a good publisher can put a lot of effort into you, so this way is definitely worth considering.

Or you can publish the game yourself. You can make a plan, organize a campaign on Kickstarter, ask your friends for help in spreading information about the game, slow down websites and video bloggers and hope for the best. Perhaps you can help yourself with money. Perhaps you are lucky. The problem with this approach is that it leads to failure. More often. Effective marketing of the finished game can potentially be one of the most important parts of its creation.

I’ll clarify: I’m not saying that an independent publication should be preferred to traditional publishers, or vice versa. Find a publisher or publish it yourself. It all depends on the situation and your needs. Both ways have their pros and cons. This article will be devoted to notes and thoughts that I have understood over the past few months, considering this topic. My game is also almost at the alpha stage ...

Publish yourself or find a publisher?

Is it worth sharing a part of the game to get professional help? Anyone who makes games for the sake of earning should think and honestly discuss this topic. Weigh the benefits and price. Will you benefit by sharing money? Is the growth in sales and revenue part of the revenue? Of course, you do not need to share part of the game to get professional help. You just need money. The bigger, the better. Because professionals need to pay.

Publisher or partner?

Between them there is a clear difference. Partnership, in contrast to the usual deal with the publisher, has additional nuances: enthusiasm, creativity and investments (not only financial) in the game and in all its aspects, including marketing, distribution and production. The partnership usually relies on trust, gradually builds up in several joint projects and strives for common success. We all hope to get a publisher who cares about us and works with us to create the best possible game.

Publisher Desirable Properties

"Scene and spotlights" . Ideally, the publisher should draw all the attention of others to the developer. The publisher itself must sit on the back row and advertise the developer and his game, without exposing himself forward. The stars should be the game and the developer, and the publisher should be their representative only.

“Personal Relationships” . This refers to the openness of the publisher. How responsive and willing to cooperate? Will you have your own curator or manager? Does the publisher have a big turnover? Do you have to communicate with a new representative of the publisher every time? Understand who does what and what is the structure of the publisher. Find out who is responsible for what and is able to make decisions. It will help if you like working with people and the "work culture" of the publisher. Does he protect your interests from the bottom of his heart and will he cover his back in case of serious problems?

"Honesty and Realism . " All involved should be able to speak honestly and not “smooth corners” when discussing money, terms and everything that affects all aspects of the game. Both sides should have the right to ask questions and answer them with all openness. Money is important, it is they who are the cause of your cooperation. Where do they come from and where does the money go? How are they distributed and paid?

Caring for a publisher is a serious matter. Reputation and money are at stake, so take it seriously and be scrupulous in the details. Tying relationships with the publisher, you take responsibility for the study of its previous projects and reputation. Gather information before negotiating. Check out the publisher’s website, its Youtube channel, Metacritic ratings, rumors and reviews. Find out what he has achieved success, and how it can be applied to your game.

Start a serious conversation with the publisher, ask for recommendations (yes, you can do that). Talk to the developers from his portfolio (not just successful ones!). Find out how the publisher behaved if the game was not too popular. This will tell you a lot about the publisher's attitude towards developers and his behavior in case of trouble.

Questions to ask the publisher

A simple question: how do we make more money with you than without you?

Not all that the publisher offers will be in your interest, and not everyone will take into account your situation. You may already have full funding. Maybe you just need access to a specific platform. You may desperately need money, or need help with paper work.

All this needs to be discussed with a potential publisher and ask him questions before putting his signature in the contract.

Marketing / PR - Promotion, Events and Community

What can a publisher offer? What are its capabilities and resources? Does he have a team? Where is she located? Does the publisher specialize in a particular country? In which markets will the game be represented (countries / regions)? Are there any employees who speak the language of this market? Do they understand the nuances of the country / region? What will be the marketing of the game? Ask for examples of previous campaigns in other games. Does the publisher use the services of streamers and video bloggers? What about social networks? What about community building and management? What is the standard budget or the cost of a marketing campaign? How will the money be spent? How will costs be reimbursed? Does the publisher participate in events? All over the world? Learn the story of the publisher and find out how he supported other games.

Distribution - channels, digital and retail sales, merchandise and events

These aspects relate mainly to the availability of the game. Steam, PSN, XBox. Placing on shop windows, inclusion in advertising materials, attributes. What kind of access does the publisher have to different distribution channels and how much success has it achieved? Study the question yourself. See the publisher directory. Where does your game go? Is there a possibility of mutual advertising or linking to other products?

Financing - development money

How much money do you need and when? Be precise and detailed - the contracts do not correspond. How much money you actually spend in the near and far term. Returning to the publisher with requests for new amounts will weaken your position and possibly oblige you to make concessions. Modifying a contract can be a daunting and expensive task.

Production - testing, sound, localization, voice, shooting videos, etc.

Are manufacturing services included in the contract? These are the real costs of the publisher, so what is their volume, and how are these costs reimbursed? What level of competence does the publisher have in the services it provides? Who does he hire for work? Will you have direct communication with contractors, or communication with them is difficult?

Additional remarks / thoughts

When negotiating an agreement, do not dwell on vague answers, but do not suspect anything and everything. If something is incomprehensible or unclear, ask for clarifications and detailed explanations. Ask for examples. Understand how money works, how it comes and goes. How are the accounting and payment schedules. Understand all reservations and conditions affecting money. How are publisher costs recovered? What is considered a "cost"? When are they reimbursed (schedule)? There are no stupid questions, there are sad and broken developers.

Sustainability. Find out how well the publisher feels. Who finances it? Who pays him? Take this carefully and prepare for potential problems. Understand the risks and make a "Plan". Plan for the future and plan for positioning yourself in the future. Understand what your monetary needs are. Payments need time to leak through the system. Plan with your next project.

Communication with the publisher / partner is super important. Communicate regularly and discuss everything in advance. Try to avoid unpleasant surprises and do not ignore important points. If something is not clear, discuss it. Know who makes the decisions.

Intellectual property and property rights should be very important to the developer. The game is your child, and intellectual property (IP) is his soul. IP is your most valuable resource in the long run. Do not sell IP. Do not make it part of the contract. Think about the future, the sequels and additional IP-based games. Does the publisher have long-term interests? Are there any written terms that prevent you from using your IP in other places? How is the IP publisher positioned, advertised and presented to the world? IP is not just a game. This is ANY other opportunity arising from the idea, be it books, t-shirts, comics, plush toys, collectible cards, films, etc. Ownership is control.

There are many publishers and they make many promises. Understand your publisher (find out everything). Be responsible. Manage the deal and keep control of the game and IP. The publisher needs you more than you do, because you can always publish yourself if the deal doesn't suit you.

Make sure that personal agreements with your team and partners are negotiated and clearly marked. What is the structure of the company and who owns it? How is the money distributed? Understand the disbursement schedule, bookkeeping and legal aspects. How are contractors managed and paid? How are costs recorded and tracked? Writing contracts are very important. Do not be limited to verbal agreements and whims.

General Marketing / PR Notes

If you are publishing on your own, consider hiring a PR specialist or marketing firm. Marketing and PR are complex, this is a full-time job. Such is the cruel truth and reality. You can find people who will work for you for a reasonable fee and support you. Even a simple, but professionally thought-out plan and timeline will be a huge help and guidance for many.

Social networks

Facebook is useless. Twitter is better. Reddit is risky, you need to play by its rules, otherwise you will be punished. In general, it is better to use social networks to redirect to your company or game website. If possible, create a community around your own site. So you succeed and retain ownership of your content.

Website / Blog

Most create a website for the game and promote it. In the end, the game is on it. If you have several games, then it makes sense to collect them on the company's website. Creating websites and building a community around them is a pretty serious job, so spend your time wisely. Prepare materials for the press (press kit). They must contain everything necessary for the gaming journalist to be able to add an impression about the game. Write "Elevator Pitch" - a couple of sentences telling about the essence of the game. Create short texts that can be copied and pasted into a blog or reviews. Prepare advertising screenshots, renders and videos of different quality and size.

Create a registration for the mailing list. Stay in touch and communicate regularly with the community and subscribers. Cross-post to social networks with links to the site. Check out indie developer and player forums, chat with their communities. Contact the communities that are interested in the genre of your game. Having laid the foundation of the community of the game, consider hiring a community manager, because this work takes a lot of time.

Game press

Contact journalists by mail, etc. Follow them on Twitter and chat. Email notifications and press releases. A marketing / PR specialist will help you a lot, especially if he has good connections.

Ordinary press

Think about those aspects of the game that might be interesting to another, non-game press. Radio, television, print publications. Perhaps the game uses a place or time of interest outside of it? Maybe it addresses social / environmental issues? Perhaps it sets out political views or other topics?

Youtube

Youtube is an important part of game marketing. “Big list of YouTube”: http://videogamecaster.com/big-list-of-youtubers - find influential video bloggers interested in the game genre, and chat with them. Give them early access to the game, etc.

Twitch

Twitch is dedicated only to games (and girls with webcams), but mostly games. Twitch recently announced plans to create a sales platform as part of the Twitch streamer channel. This gives great opportunities to developers and streamers, so know Twitch streamers that are useful to you and find those who might be interested in the game genre.

Exhibitions and shows

Consider creating a demo level that shows the game at its best. Controller support is required. People just want to step up and play. If the game is too complicated or not suitable for exhibitions, do not waste money.

Kickstarter

Use it as part of your marketing strategy. Organize your mailing list. Create an audience. Collect a special demo level, which will be able to play invested in the game. Later post the same demo for public access on the game website. Create achievable and acceptable rewards, as well as inflated goals (stretch goals). Avoid material rewards, such as T-shirts, books and figures. Of course, they are very wonderful, but at the same time expensive, and packaging and shipping take a long time. Make rewards digital, for example, downloadable soundtrack, bonus music track, portfolio of digital images, names of those who supported the project in the credits and in the “Hall of Heroes” of the game.

And finally

When released on multiple platforms for each audience, you need to prepare your own story. Know what the audience expects on the PC, what the audience expects on the PS4 / XBox, and please them. The audience of each platform is waiting for something of its own. This also applies to individual UI / UX for platforms.

Banners don't really work. This is an inefficient way to communicate. People block or ignore ads. An exception may be a notification of an important event, such as a sale or a major update.

Keep in touch with the community. Reviews and ratings are important. Consider adding cards and achievements to Steam.

Localize the game to support other languages: French, German and Spanish. Look at the metrics and find out where they play your game.

Good luck!