Throughout my game programming courses I've been developing essentially a prototype for the game I ultimately want to make. We have a class in the curriculum that teaches us about the Proof of Concept and how to develop it. I plan to finish the prototype, hopefully within the next few months with a small group of friends. Ok that's great, I have a prototype, I have a proof of concept, what do I do now? What's the best way to get this out there, how do I pitch these two things? What's the classic method for getting these into people's hands, make a meeting with a publisher and see if they'll bite? Is crowdsourcing a better option for a small team? Does it have distinct advantages over the classic method? Are there disadvantages to crowdsourcing that a small team should be aware of? In the PoC you list the game's selling points, do those translate effectively into a crowdsourcing program account? I've seen the power of crowdsourcing, I mean Star Citizen just hit $200M, but I'm no Chris Roberts. For us non-legends of the video game world, what's effective and why?

A lot is based on skill and background. I have to work on my own niche based games because I lack talents. A portfolio is good for showing off games you've worked on in the past. I have no knowledge in professional development, only Indie. If you're taking the indie route you'll need to complete the game. In the meanwhile you'll want get information on the game out to the public to build a bit of a buzz and early fanbase. Create a dev blog, keep people updated, post in forums. Supply art shots, samples, writing, ect.

1. Create a website.

2. Post your project here and on all other niche based forums.

3. Put it in your signature.

4. Utilize social media. (pages and posting)

5. Find all your own personal friends that would like the game and give them a copy, especially if it's the first game. Grass roots is important.

6. Try to get the game of Steam, Itch, ect.

7. Hit the streets.

I'm going to experiment with point 7 this summer if Other Realms is finished. Pass out business cards, crowd fund publicly with a paddlers license, even sell some right there while working via download code. I think that is going to be a big aid. If you have  cool project people will be drawn to it.

You could use conventions, gatherings, and meetups as well. People getting together to talk about their project in person is perfect. It's the best way to meet people and make friends in bigger numbers.

Most people don't hit the magic million by launching on Steam and doing no work. That's the problem with these dreams. It's not impossible, but a lot of people are going to have to work hard to get numbers and viewers. Like I said, it depends on talent and circumstance, niche size, and other aspects.

Wolfe, read several other threads on this subforum about marketing. Standard practice is marketing cost = development cost.

On 12/5/2018 at 11:24 AM, Tom Sloper said:

Wolfe, read several other threads on this subforum about marketing. Standard practice is marketing cost = development cost.

That would be pretty good on a fair budget.

Small budget, I always see the best as word of mouth and business cards. SEOClerks is a website that lets you pay for tweets and mentions. Leverage your friends, and make them your first beta testers. If they like it, ask them to share to their social media. I'm not looking at my other post, so I may be saying this twice, but don't be afraid to leverage the outside world. Some people have horrible luck online. Crickets. If you go outside and talk to people that aren't busy you're guaranteed a face to face engagement. This was the way people built ALL the businesses back in the day. There was no internet. And it worked. Think of it this way, if I run an IndieGoGo with only a few people looking and raise $40 dollars, could I not have raised $200-300 in the streets with a peddlers license? Don't let online issues stop you, at least try the other. Hit up conventions, get out there. If it's your first market building experience the first fans should be the friends you make. 

I look at street crowd funding like I see it. I give people money all the time. Panhandlers. You get a business paddlers license, and it's a license to panhandle with a business cause. People will give you money every day and take a business card. Bam! $0 dollars online. Money and promo offline. Of course, some people have better luck.