Zoom 2/Zoom - Release 2 (1996)(Active Software)[!].iso/texts/amoszine/arts/sb_marketing1.asc

Text File | 1992-03-06 | 12KB | 256 lines

@5
                          MARKETING YOUR PRODUCT
                            Part 1   Steve Bye
                          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
@6
Writing a complete game or util in Amos is one thing, trying to get it
released commercially and making a few quid out of it is a completely
different ball game.  I don't profess to being a wizard at marketing
(far from it) but I have had six commercial releases in the past six years
and I have picked up a few pointers that I will reveal to you now that I hope
will give you a slight edge.
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                             COMMERCIAL RELEASE:
                             -------------------
@4
If you really believe in your product this will be your first port of call.
DON'T waste your time or money unless your product is of the highest standard
in EVERY department. Take a look at the following check list:

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IS IT GOOD ENOUGH?:

          It is very difficult to get a genuine response of what people
          REALLY think of your game. Obviously you think it's great, your mum
          thinks it's the bees knees, your mates say it's brilliant- FOR YOU.
          Well the software houses don't care if it's a good effort by your
          standards! what counts is if it's good by the HIGHEST standards.
          The best way I know of to get a genuine opinion is to get a games
          playing mate and let him/her play it but don't let on that you
          wrote it. Don't say a word, watch his every move. Does he have
          trouble getting into the game? using the menus? How long before he
          got bored? Did he find it too hard? etc. etc. write it all down so
          you can later tweak it all up. When he finishes (don't rush him)
          ask him why he's finished and what he thought of it in general.
          Don't be surprised if he slags it off as you must remember that he
          thinks it's a 30 quid game. If he really likes it then you may have
          passed the first hurdle. Remember one persons reaction to a game
          doesn't mean he is right or wrong, everyone has their opinion,
          everyone likes/dilikes certain types of game, he may of just not
          been in the mood. So what I suggest is testing it on at least three
          people for differing opinions.
@5
ORIGINALITY:

          What's the point of another Space Invader? Unless you have made
          it very different and of the highest standard you are wasting your
          time. Your game will probably end up in the PD.
          A good example of this is the commercial game SUPER SPACE INVADERS
          which was different enough and of a very high quality.
          The problem of originality is that a totally new concept may be
          overlooked as just a WEIRD game so maybe a good mix of familar and
          innovation could be the key.

@1
GRAPHICS:
          First impressions count 100% with commercial games.
          If your graphics do not at least equal the stuff in the charts let
          me tell you that you do not stand much of a chance. The answer to
          this is to rope in a quality artist to do the graphics for you,
          easier said then done. You could put a free advert in Amoszine I
          suppose. Alternatively if the software house REALLY likes your game
          they may get a gfx artist to do it for you. (see later)

@4
PRESENTATION:

           If you are sloppy you diminish your chances as
           sloppy=unprofessional. When you feel your game is complete look
           at every screen and every bit of text and polish it until it
           shines. Any program can be improved so you have no reason to
           say "That will do". Why spend months writing a game and then ruin
           it's chances by sloppy presentation. Of course it has to end
           somewhere so I suggest comparing it to a similar commercial
           program and weigh up the pros and cons from there. Other factors
           on this subject are:
           If it's written in Amos try to cover this up, we all know
           Amos is great but the perception of commercial houses is not that
           favourable toward programs written in ANY basic, although there
           may be a few exceptions. ie: for educational games. Bugs are
           another huge factor, though if the game is good enough they may
           just ask you fix them. But too many bugs shows sloppiness and we
           what that equals! What you need to remember is, if your game is
           accepted by a commercial software house you are then a
           professional programmer and the approach applied by a proffesional
           has to be err..professional.

@6
PLAYABILITY:

          If the commercial reviewer likes the look of your game he will
          take a quick go. It amazes me how many programmers make the simple
          yet crucial mistake of making the first few levels too hard.
          So make sure at least the first few levels and the menus, if
          any, are easy to get into. There is a line to draw on how easy to
          make it, so be sensible.
@5
SOUND:

          The backing track can add a really good atmosphere or totally
          ruin the atmosphere, especially if it's crap. In-game sound fx
          are essential in nearly EVERY game, don't use hissy or rough
          samples it's better to use no sound or just music than crap samples.
          There are tons of Sound FX disks available from the PD if you
          can't do your own.

@1
NOTES:

         Unless you want a court case on your hands don't use anyone elses
         music or graphics unless you are totally and utterly sure they are
         copyright free. This can still be dodgy though and anyway if a
         house recoginises PD graphics or music in your game it may put them
         off. If you have no choice but to use pd music/gfx then state
         clearly you have used them in your game FOR NOW and if they accept
         your game they will probably get an artist or musician to do it for
         you. This will probably cost you out of your royalty or lump sum.


@6

                       APPROACHING THE SOFTWARE HOUSES:
                       ===============================
@4
1) Target your top five houses that deal with your type of game. If you have
   written an educational game you will probably be wasting your time sending
   it to OCEAN or GREMLIN. So find a house that deals in your games genre.
   It would probably be advisable to approach budget labels if this is your
   first game.

2) Write on the label CLEARLY (don't scribble) the following info:

   TITLE, MACHINE, MACHINE REQUIREMENTS,

   YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER

   Make sure you test it and it works on an A500 and A1200 at least, unless
   it's machine specific like AGA only.

3) The covering note should be just that, A NOTE. Don't write an essay they
   don't have the time. However a brief and informative description of the
   game is a good idea. It is important to slap a few cheats in the game if
   possible so the reviewer can take a look at all of the game. Don't forget
   to tell them what the cheats are and how to use them.

4) Now make a copy of your game on a NEW branded disk then load and run
   the game start to end. What's the point of risking sending in a faulty
   copy? Then do a virus check on the disk, stick the label on and bung it
   in a NEW jiffy bag. DON'T put it in an envelope and tape it up!!

5) Type out your letter and check for spelling mistakes < (important)
   Then save a copy of it to use later on other software houses.
   Print it out and pop it in the jiffy with your disk and seal it up.
   If you don't have a printer ask a mate or borrow a typewriter at worst.

6) To find addresses of software houses just look on the cover of games,
   in the magazines adverts/reviews/news sections there are loads of places.

@5
THE WAITING
-----------
   This is the worst bit, where you are waiting in anticipation of an answer.
   And to an impatient git such as myself it's bloody torture.
   There are lot's of ways of approaching this but here are a few ideas.

   Send your package off and wait and wait and wait. Give it about six weeks
   then write a letter to them saying politely that you are presuming they
   are not interested in publishing your game and that you will be offering
   it to someone else in a weeks time. If they do want it they will call you.
   If they don't want it you probably won't hear from them.

   Alternatively, you could say in your covering note that you will ring in
   a few weeks time to see if they are interested, and do that.
   Not recommended really.

   Or you could state in your letter that if you don't hear from them by a
   certain date that you will presume they are not interested. (nicely)

   Probably the best method, albeit a bit risky is to send it to loads of
   houses at the same time. If you do this and get accepted by one then
   make sure you write (not phone) to all the other houses saying thank you
   but XXX has now accepted the game. So keep a record of all your sends.

The main crux is that you don't want to waste six months every time you
submit a game. But in reality if your game really is good you will hear from
a house within a 2-3 weeks! If you don't you can assume they probably are not
interested.

@6
What I have described above is what is termed as an unsolicited approach and
there are a few houses that don't like this method. By unsolicited I mean
they were not expecting you to send it in!  what these houses prefer is that
you send a written thesis of the games design and a demo version of your as
yet uncompleted game so they can have a say in how you write it. In effect
they end up telling you how they want the game written, which I find
unacceptable. But you may prefer this approach, it's up to you.


THE BIG DAY:
===========
   Okay, let's say your game is accepted. You will probably be offered two
   choices:

LUMP SUM
--------
   You will be offered a one off payment for your game. If you are unknown
   or it's a budget release this may not be much, it could be as low as a
   few hundred pounds. Of course if your game was a flop you may not of even
   made that in royalties. But what if it's a bestseller? Sick as a parrot!
   I leave this for you to decide after you've read the next bit on royalties.

ROYALTY
------
   You will be paid a percentage of the sales of your game. If it's a good
   seller you do well if it's not you are sunk. There is the added worry of
   how honest the house is and whether they will EVER pay you, read your
   contract thoroughly. I don't know what the average percentage now days
   is as I haven't had a game out for a few years and not at all yet on the
   Amiga. In my Spectrum days it was 10-12.5% and I made thousands.

@5
NEXT ISSUE:
==========
I will be covering Submitting you r program to Licenceware outfits such as
CLR and F1, a subject I feel a little more qualified to write about as I
run F1 and have had Licenceware titles released with LAPD on the Atari ST.
(I've also been turned down by CLR)

ISSUE 3:
========
I will cover the complex subject of dealing with the magazines. The best
ways to get a review and even how to get on a cover disk. Like we did with
Touch 'N Go on The One (and others to come)

ISSUE 4
=======
I'll go into selling your product by yourself, how to get the best
advertising deals from the mags and some warnings on the tricks they play on
you and the response you can expect from the outlay. I am looking forward
to revealing some little known (or spoken about) gems in this issue.

@5[5ISSUE 5
=======
I will go into the twilight world of getting fame in the Public Domain.
Bottom of the barrel it may be, but this is where a lot of good programmers
started and there are quite a few ways you can manipulate PD to your
advantage!! All will be revealed.


@1
* IF YOU HAVE HAD ANY GOOD OR BAD EXPERIENCES WITH SUBMITTING SOFTWARE TO
  ANYONE SOFTCO/LICENCEWARE/PD/MAGAZINES THEN WRITE IN AND TELL US ABOUT IT*
@6


                                                KEEP CODING.....Steve Bye.