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CGDD 4603. The Indie Scene: Getting Your Stuff Out There. Before You Begin*. Get a business Determine which licenses you need in your state Make sure your software is legit! Get a separate bank account Beta test Get a Website (logos, downloads, images) Make sure the game installs!.
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CGDD 4603 The Indie Scene: Getting Your Stuff Out There
Before You Begin* • Get a business • Determine which licenses you need in your state • Make sure your software is legit! • Get a separate bank account • Beta test • Get a Website (logos, downloads, images) • Make sure the game installs! http://www.amaranthia.com/downloads/How-to-Sell-your-Game.pdf
Before You Begin • Protect your game (DRM) • Limited time (with links to buy the game) • Demo version (with links to buy the game)
Basic Problem • Your app is one of thousands available • Need to market your app • Need to sell/distribute your app • Use publishers • Use digital distribution (portals) • Self publish!
Things You’re Probably Aware of • Mobile distribution • Android’s Marketplace • iPhone’s AppStore • Window’s Phone Marketplace • Intel’s AppUphttp://www.appup.com/applications/index • Games for Windows Marketplace
Casual • Try Big Fish • Free localization services • Can submit • PC games (description, images, genre, link to app) • Web Game (description and link) • Mobile game (images and app) http://www.bigfishgames.com/company/game-developer.html
More Hardcore? • Try Matrix Games • Requirements: • name of your company • primary contact information • name of the product • genre • a brief synopsis of the game • any fact sheets, screen shots, and sell sheets • territories available • anticipated gold master/completion date • an FTP location where we can download evaluation versions, if available http://www.matrixgames.com/corporate/submitting.asp
More Hardcore? • Meridian4 • Canadian, eh? • Email only: developer@meridian4.com http://www.meridian4.com/corporate/developers
SteamWorks • 30 million players • Inherent DRM • Is it a mystery? Yes. And no. • See panel on right • See FAQ • How to submit • Must be around beta • Fill out a submission form http://www.steampowered.com/steamworks/index.php
Impulse • Lesser known, but “millions” of users • Keep 70% • Contact through them email https://developer.impulsedriven.com/
Xbox Live Indie Games • 25 million active users • 850,000 daily transactions • Membership • Available through AppHub • $99/year • Allows developing for phone and Xbox 360 http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/Games/XboxIndieGames
Note: Xbox Live Arcade • Must pitch your game and your company • Once OK’d • Fill out submission form • Internal review process • Sign mutual NDA http://www.xbox.com/en-US/developers/xbox360/xbla
Other Game Portals • Arcade Town - http://www.arcadetown.com/ • GameHouse - http://www.gamehouse.com/ • Game Tunnel - http://www.gametunnel.com/ • Grab - http://www.grab.com/ • MiniClip - http://www.miniclip.com/games/en/ • MSN- http://zone.msn.com/en-us/home • Pogo - http://www.pogo.com/ • Reflexive Arcade - http://www.reflexive.com/ • Total Gaming - http://www.impulsedriven.com/ • Yahoo Games - http://games.yahoo.com/
The Heck with It • Try self publishing! • Get an Order Processor (~10% fee) • Plimus • BMT Micro • eSellerate • RegSoft
Indie Press • Marketing • Try “The Indie Press Release Service” • They have contacts (through RSS feeds) • One press release per month • See the 4003 slides on marketing
Advice** • Publishers offer 30-50% for deal • Make sure you get paid (too good to be true) • Ignore nationality (evil is everywhere) • Don’t focus on percentages (100% of $0) • Don’t make exclusive deals • Unless you’re making a LOT of $$ • What if the company doesn’t do anything? **http://www.gameproducer.net/2008/03/25/how-to-publish-your-first-indie-hardcore-game/