Advice for Indies: Getting Noticed

I've seen a lot articles promising solid advice for independent and amateur developers but most of that information doesn't address a fundamental prolem: how do you get news editors to pay attention to your game? With that question in mind I want to give some practical advice to indies out there on how to do a better job of getting your games noticed.


Fuck Press Releases


If you're a small indie developer, press release services that charge little money promise to get you noticed and on the big sites. Most of the time this stuff gets ignored because it doesn't stand out. As a news editor I get a lot of mail about games but most PR people that handle small game properties don't do a good job of explaining in plain English why the products they are promoting deserve some attention. Try to be personable, direct and show metered level of enthusiasm.

Forget about the buzz words, the feature lists and all the other hyperbolic nonsense associated with that format, first and foremost. Tell me about the game. Tell me what the hook is. Tell me something interesting that is going to make me stop and take a look.

Bottom to Top

Another way to get noticed is to think small first. Build some momentum by using blogs and sites that cater to indie developers. Show your target a forum thread where fans are talking about your game. Send me links to other sites that have put your game in a good light. It's called peer pressure, and while it won't work for everyone it works for a lot of web sites because they don't like to miss out. Building buzz this way has the potential to get you coverage in places you might not otherwise reach.

Target your Audience

Know your audience and target them. If you make RPG's or strategy games try to get your games noticed on sites that specifically cater to these kinds of gamers. If you can establish some coverage you can use that to your advantage to build even more coverage on other sites.

Try, Try Again

Don't give up. Until someone says "leave me the fuck alone" keep telling them about your games. No, I don't mean spam them to death, but it doesn't hurt to keep trying and to occasionally follow-up on some information you may have already sent them that they haven't posted.


WIP..

Finally, do your best to test your game and make sure it is ready for public consumption. There are plenty of places that you can get some decent feedback on your game. Make sure it is ready for prime time and -- if it isn't -- make sure you listen to reasonable constructive criticism on your game. At the end of the day your work has to speak for itself, so make sure it is ready to stand up to the many challenges it is about to face.

Finito

I'll continue this conversation on an ongoing basis in this space, but I hope some of this advice is useful. Mileage may vary, some news editors are jerks and some people are just plain mean, but con't let that deter you from attaining your dreams.


Indies Rule!