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Self-Publishing games?

Started by July 28, 2005 11:25 AM
4 comments, last by Obscure 19 years, 6 months ago
Hello Everyone! Is it possible to self-publish a game so it is sold on retail shelves? If anyone knows, please reply. Thanks!
It is possible to self-publish I know this company do http://www.introversion.co.uk/

Malal
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Yes it is.
Dan Marchant - Business Development Consultant
www.obscure.co.uk
I will feel free to hijack this and continue: How would one go about doing so?

[Piebert Entertainment] [Ask The All-Knowing Oracle A Question]------------------------------------------------------------GDSFUBY GameDev Society For UnBanning YodaTheCodaIf you want to see yoda unbanned then put this in your sig ------------------------------------------------------------DAIAGA Dave Astle is a God Association. To join, put this in your sig!Founder and High Priest of DAIAGA[edited by - YodaTheCoda on December 10, 2003 1:57:54 PM]
Purely guessing

1) Check to see if there are any legal reasons you shouldn't publish the game (product name, artwork, IP problems) as I doubt you want to pay money just to get end up getting sued.

2) Find a company able to mass produce the media, the artwork and box it for you unless you want to do this yourself on a per order basis.

3) Find companies willing to stock the game for you, then get the boxed product to them.

4) Ignore 2 and 3 and publish over the internet using a company like TuCows? or do it yourself if you can get the bandwidth etc.

Malal
Not purely guessing

1. Develop a game that actually competes with other retail games (because retailers won't stock your game if it doesn't).
2. Market your product with ads in game mags or general interest mags your target market read, plus billboards and internet ads and any other clever marketing you can come up with (will cost many $).
3. Find a fullfilment company to produce the CDs/box etc.
4. Contact the retailers try to convince them to stock your game. You do this by paying them tens of thousands of $ in marketing support contributions plus showing them your marketing plan and the size of you big marketing budget (see point 2 above).
5. You will need sales processing or will have to find a company to handle that for you, as well as warehousing and distribution.

At least that is the proper way to do it. It is time consumming and expensive and you need good contacts within the retail buyers to get them to take your game. Alternatively create something less impressive and try to convince a few local independant game retailers (non-chain store) to take the game.

Put simply if you are a one man band/small indie, with just one product, retail is far too expensive.
Dan Marchant - Business Development Consultant
www.obscure.co.uk

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