I'm still designing my first game and it will be awhile before it's finished. Although, in reality, most of my game takes place via a single background screen with the same foreground menu. So, it's nothing complicated. The approach I am taking to selling my game is to reach out to two different audiences. I have a public audience, "which consists of anyone who enjoys playing simple games on their PC computer." I have a main audience, "Which consists PC gamers who fit the subject matter of my game." What's a Main Audience? If I am producing a softball game then I would try and sell it out to "Softball" playing gamers. Here's what I can do: 1)I can travel to the events (such as a sporting event or convention) and meet and engage and talk to my "main audience" as well as pass out free Demo Disks. 2)My Demo Disk will have a "How to Order" screen that comes up everytime you exit the game (exactly how DOOM's order screen comes up) as well as an order form. 3)I can post up my Demo Disk at Internet Places that collect shareware. 4)A company website is nice but a business card is even nicer. 5)Organizations, Leagues, Groups, and even associations, etc. are another target for sending out my Demo Disk and Order Form. 6) It doesn't cost much to place an advertisement in your home state's major newspapers. Placing an ad in a lesser known magazine or going live on public T.V. to announce your game... 7) Go to your city hall if city hall is recorded on camera. Walk up to the podeum, plug your web site address and company name, and walk away. Sneaky but 100% free advertisement:-) All of these are just some examples of my approach. #7 is most ridiculous.

Another way to advertise, would be viral.

Simply post, "Test my game" on gamedev and several other forums.

I doubt going to softball games will help anyway...

You have to produce games. one after the other. All fun, all slick and try to get popular on the internet. your website hopefully will increase in popularity and you might have a chance of making a living. I doubt local advertisement is much use.

Another point is to make it really easy for someone playing your game to mail a copy (or a link to download) to a friend. Make them get something for doing that mailing, like an entry into a sweepstakes you run every so often. (You might want to check with your local lottery commission or similar agency on the technicalities of this)

Quote: Original post by The Najdorf
I doubt going to softball games will help anyway...

You have to produce games. one after the other. All fun, all slick and try to get popular on the internet. your website hopefully will increase in popularity and you might have a chance of making a living. I doubt local advertisement is much use.

I have to disagree here.... Internet based advertising is paltry in value
to face to face interaction with your customers.

Believe it or not but us "Geeks" are Rock Stars! We are Rock Stars!

Just like any rock star band has to interact with their audience to get
known, we must do that as well. Step outside of the "Internet Box."
Get a business card to pass around with your demo disks.

Why wouldn't you pass out a Demo of your "Softball" game to a Softball game?
Why wouldn't you set up a booth at a Softball convention? etc. etc.

The main reason most companies are successful is not even their products.
Companies gain success because they have a talented sales person.

As Game Designers we must also be Salespersons. WE must engage our customers,
research them, understand them, and entertain them. Wine and Dine the heck out of our customers.

In the end.. we are "Rock Stars" and we should behave as "rock stars."

My mistake, forgot to login, the anonymous post was my post.

To sum it: Don't box yourselves in by thinking that your a "corporation"
or a "Game Developer" or a "Geek" or a whatever.

If you think of yourself as a "Rock Star" and behave as a "Rock Star"
then you will have a chance to beat the system. That's how
I see it. Be friendly, likeable, and knowledgeable. There's countless,
cheap ways to market and advertise but the best way is by handing
out your Game Demo Disks as if they are your Music Band's Debut Album.

I sometimes feel that Game Developers need to work on their self esteem.
No amount of arrogance in this field is too much.

Doing face to face marketing can certainly work.. however, it might be hard to make your money back by passing out demo disks, just because of the costs involved in making the disks.

If you're going to a softball event, I think that it would be more efficient to sell the full version of your game instead of giving away the demo. And for people that don't want to buy the full version (i.e. most people) you can give them a flyer to go to your website and download the demo.

Although I'm not sure about the legality of selling cds at a softball game...