project websites are often the first, and could be the last impressions that people get of a particular project. i''ve noticed so many people who are trying to attract new members to their project by provide links to these horribly designed websites... making a good looking website is the first key step to creating a successful project..it is the face which u present to the world... why dont people take this seriously enough? think about this... would u be willing to buy an expensive product from an online store that lookes as if it was put together in 5 minutes? then why would some one want to invest a large portion of their valuable time to a project that gives the same impression?

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Original post by mentalstatement
making a good looking website is the first key step to creating a successful project..it is the face which u present to the world... why dont people take this seriously enough?

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Perhaps because this isn''t necessarily true. Given a mindblowing demo with advanced features and a site with graphics that were obviously designed in five minutes or less, which would leave a greater impression on you? The sites of many small or independent developers often serve more as an online journal to note progress and new screenshots rather than intentionally market their project, and so naturally the sites are less polished than they could be. You could even say that an unimpressive site is actually a good sign since it might mean that the developer is more concerned with C++/VB/<insert your favorite language here> than HTML (a good thing).

RapscallionGL - arriving soon.

true true.. however some people (mainly myself) would not stick around long enough to see the demo.

hehe, well, that''s your problem isn''t it

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Original post by mentalstatement
horribly designed websites...

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Please define.

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as if it was put together in 5 minutes?

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Is that a clue?

mentalstatement,

I do notice this, yes. And RolandofGilead, I think he means webpages that look like word documents.

Agreed.

Unless you''re selling/handing out your game physically (standing around outside your local game store with a stack of CDs), the internet is both your distribution and your marketing medium. The website you set up acts as both packaging and advertising.

The care that''s put into a website, in my mind, reflects the care put into a game. If I see a crappily designed site with a few impressive screenshots here and there, I won''t think ''they don''t have time to build a website,'' I''ll think, ''this person either hasn''t made time to build a decent website (something that could be done in a few hours); or, they won''t put the effort into the bits they enjoy less (website design).''

If it''s the first, then the person is disorganised, and I wouldn''t trust the stability of their app (because if they didn''t have time to make a decent website, did they have time to properly test it?); if it''s the second, then I wouldn''t bother with the game as it''s likely to be unbalanced (all the effort will have gone into the weapons or the shader-based graphics, and there won''t have been any proper planning of things like gameplay).

There''s no excuse for a crappy website. When I say crappy, I mean something where no effort has been made (because some people just don''t have the aesthetic skill; that''s not their fault). You can now download something like PHPNuke - complete with different themes - and install it in under 30 mins.

I think this thread might belong in the Business forum...

(BTW, when The Refinery opens, I''ll be offering web design services at a very reasonable price )

Superpig
- saving pigs from untimely fates, and when he''s not doing that, runs The Binary Refinery.

If a project''s website is on Geocities, I''ll tend to think a lot less of it. I usually think that someone who knows what they''re doing could find a better free host, or shell out a little money for a paid one.

The worst is when a project asks for members with a site that says "Coming soon" or just plain doesn''t have a site.

I think the main problem is that people go public with their projects way too soon... there´s tons of sites around without any real information apart from "We´re making a game, it´s going to be cool".

My advice: if you don´t have at least a full design doc and scribbles, don´t bother. If you´re halfway serious, you´ll have screenshots or a demo.

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Original post by Hase
I think the main problem is that people go public with their projects way too soon... there´s tons of sites around without any real information apart from "We´re making a game, it´s going to be cool".

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That''s what I think too. Lots of people get an idea for their game, and instantly run around trying to recruit people. I won''t join a project like that, because what are the chances that "Project Leader" is going to remain interested for more than a week?

I wouldn''t dream of trying to get a team together for my game until I''ve finished the design docs, made a spiffy website, have a good-looking and interactive demo, and have put a good chunk of time into it.

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