本文原作者：Chris Shrigley 译者：ciel chen

所以你做出了一款游戏。那么接下来呢？

你的游戏现在已经基本上算Alpha了。你埋头苦干了个把月制作构建，现在的你在家里懒洋洋地躺着，终于看到了终点线。你打算在发行赚钱之前，再花几个月打磨和调整你的最新力作使之平衡。事实上，当你在Google搜索营销、PR、社区建设、发行时，整个全新的世界都是对你开放的。你在网上会看到尸检报告、听闻恐怖故事、以及看到GDC展会的视频、还会看到一些游戏，因为缺乏曝光或者叫人感到无趣而在开发最后小几个月崩解、或者在发行过程中消失得无影无踪。然后现在，你坐在那里，担心着你的极品创作，这个你注入几个月创意和精力的结晶。一个隐隐的可怕想法从你心底蔓延开来——一种恐惧，一种害怕你的游戏会失败的恐惧。

还有很多事有做呢！如果你像我一样，你也会有你的局限性。这里需要一定程度的坦诚，尤其是在这种即将临近项目尾声的现实情况下。我们都有不同的技能，并且我们都对我们在做的事很拿手，但是没有一个人能成为所有领域的专家。举个例子，我最首先是个程序员，然后我也可以在不得已的情况下做很多其他领域的事（除了美术，我的美术真的很烂），但是对于商业拓展、营销、PR和社区建设呢？不不不，这些对当下的我来说就是个迷，我从来都没有碰过这些领域，结果又一次我逼着自己做了一次与这些有关的工作内容，而我并不称职。这对我来说是游戏开发过程不怎么有趣的一部分，我保证你们大部分人也这么认为的。除了那些营销书呆子除外。

再把范围扩大，看看其他的团队成员，我猜你有个“苗条精致”的团队，拥有的技术都是构建游戏所需要的必须技术，这可以从你队伍人员职能的五花八门看出来。小、杂、独立的游戏开发团队典型都是仅靠所需方面的天才/技术员组成来完成游戏的制作的。一个程序员、一个艺术家、一个设计者、一个音乐师（如果你幸运的话）、一个制作人（如果你不幸的话（开玩笑开玩笑的！我爱制作人！）），甚至这些角色可以由一个人来担任。事实是这样的，如果你要小本经营地运作你的项目，这种情况很典型，通常你都是押上家当然后在靠其他人的好心把这个项目完成的。集钱来寻求专业的细节部分帮助，从而使你的游戏能够带给现成玩家是一件很有挑战的事。这种诱惑通常只会把事情搞砸，这些事还是得自己上。这对于不擅长营销领域的你来说也许是个难题。况且这里不仅仅是营销，还有PR，这让你得离开你的黑乎乎的办公洞穴出来跟人类交流（抖）。过程中会有很多合同、保密协议（NDAs）、以及其他需要争取的法律文件；需要安排的活动和会面；需要筹集的资金。成百上千万的大事小事在你做出了一款游戏之后再等着你。如果低估了专家和专业人员的价值，你会很危险的。

营销和业务发展在项目的开始阶段不会是要求列表中的重头戏，他们直到最后才会受到关注。找寻发行商可以解决一切小型独立游戏开发团队会面对和纠结的问题——营销/PR、广告、活动、分销、经费、产品支持等等等等。这实在是太好了对不对，不过这些可都是要付出相应的代价的。发行商会要分成，这取决于你的业绩，而且很有可能被狮子大开口。然后你的那一份还要分给Steam和其他分销平台上，最后你几年的辛劳可能跟得到的回报根本不成比例。当然了，好的发行商会把你的游戏带入下一个阶段，况且大蛋糕的一小块终究比迷你蛋糕的一大块要好些吧。嗯……我喜欢蛋糕。无论怎样，一个好的发行商可以为你带来很多有价值的东西，所以这是个你要考虑的路子，好好算算。

非此即彼，你也可以选择自己做发行。你可以修修补补地做一个计划、做个Kickstarter众筹、通过你的朋友帮你宣传，缠着一些网站和Youtube给你一些报道，然后祈祷。也许你会为此投入一大笔钱。也许你会好运。这个方法的存在的问题是——会失败，而且基本上都会。对你的游戏成品有效的营销是做游戏过程中潜在的至关重要的一步。

要清楚的是，这篇文章不是为了支持自发行而反对传统发行商的，反之也不支持。是用发行商还是自己发行，你是先弄清楚自己的情况和需要。这两条路都有各自的好处和坏处。这篇文章接下来是一对说明和想法，都是我根据过去几个月对这整个主题的观察得来的。你知道的，我做的游戏也还是个Alpha呢……(咽口水)。

所以，是自发性好呢，还是找个发行商呢？

这是个大问题……

为了得到“专业化的”帮助，让你放弃游戏中的一小个部分是否值得？每个想要盈利的游戏开发者都需要坐下来好好坦诚地聊聊这些事。我们要权衡利益与代价。是分下品游戏利润的七成好些呢，还是分到好很多的上品游戏利润的二成好呢？当然了，你不一定需要放弃你游戏的一小部分来得到专业帮助。你只需要资金。因为专业人员是需要报酬的。

发行商vs.合作人

这里还是有区别的。一段合作关系，比起直接的发行交易，会有额外的无形资产，比如：热情、创造力、对游戏各个方面的的投入（超远资金的投资）包括营销，经销、以及生产。一段合作关系通常建立在互相信任和讲信用的基础上，常常有大量项目合作以及持续和相互成功的前提条件。而拥有一个真正在乎你正真想和你合作来让你尽你所能做出最好游戏的发行商，是我们都希望得到的。

理想发行商的特征

“平台和聚光灯”。理想的说来，发行商应该退居二线，促进开发者和游戏的成长，把开发者和游戏放在首要地位，而不要置身于开发者和游戏之前揽功劳。游戏和开发者才是这个领域的主角。发行商应该为开发者和游戏做一名称职的大使。

“个人关系”。这跟游戏可及性有关。你的发行商有多大的影响力和可用性？与你合作的“负责人”或者销售经理又或者联系人是否称职？有没有很多“绊”？每次与他们交互的时候跟你说话的是同一个人吗？你知道是谁在负责发行的哪部分还有发行商的组成人员吗？知道谁能把事情做成做好吗？如果能同你喜欢的人以及有认可文化的发行商真的事有帮助的。还要知道他们是否认真把你的利益考虑在内，以及他们是否能在真枪实战的时候为你鼎力相助。

“真诚和现实主义”。每个参与的人都必须能够彼此坦诚地交流而不是在钱、截止期限和其他会对游戏造成影响的因素上勾心斗角。双方都要能够在提出问题和回答问题的时候有换位思考的意识。资金是很重要，它是让这段关系运作的源头。钱从哪里来又要花到哪里去？要如何分配和花它？

拜托发行商给你项目资金是一件严肃的事，不是开玩笑的。这事关资金和声誉，所以要严肃对待，每个细节的处理都要一丝不苟。作为去开拓可能发行商的游戏开发者，你要负责对发行商的工作产品和名誉做些调查。在你打算跟任何人谈谈之前科普一下自己。查查他们的网址、YouTube频道、业务和反馈。了解他们是如何成功的，以及他们的成功方法是否对你的游戏适用？

一旦你跟一个发行商进行了严肃的谈话，跟他们要求提供推荐人（是的你可以这样要求）。跟那些已经跟该发行商签约了的游戏开发者聊聊。但是不仅是那些已经成功的。还要知道发行商是如何解决那些表现并不那么好的开发者/游戏的？这会让你知道很多关于发行商是如何对待开发者以及他们在事情发展不顺利时是如何表现的。

对发行商提出的问题

简单的问题…..你要如何让我们赚到比自己发行游戏还要更多的钱？

发行商能提供的并不都是你会感兴趣的或者跟你的情况相关的。你有可能是被完全资助的。你有可能只是需要通向特定平台的途径。你可能是迫切地需要钱来维持游戏的运转或者需要书面文件的帮助。

这些都是你在确定签署协议之前，需要考虑和向潜在发行商提出的问题。

营销/PR——广告、活动和社区

发行商能提供些什么呢？他们的能力范围是什么？他们都有什么样的资源？他们是否有个团队？他们的基础是什么？他们是否对某个特定国家是特别在行的？我们的游戏会被发行在哪里（国家/地区）？他们是否能通目标市场的语言？他们是否知道国家/地区之间的细微区别？他们要如何发行这款游戏？要求举出以前的其他游戏的活动案例。他们是否能让Streamers和Youtubers知道?那Social Media呢？社区建设和管理是如何的？营销活动的典型预算或开销是多少？要如何花这笔钱？这些开销是否能收回？他们是否有参加过活动？是国际的吗？看看他们的业绩如何，还有他们是如何支持其他游戏的。

分配——频道、数字平台、零售、推销和活动

这里主要是有关渠道方面的。Steam、PSN、Xbox这样的渠道。在首页上的位置、游戏的广告推送、推销之类的。发行商跟各个经销渠道都有怎样的关系和接触途径？你要自己做一些调查功课。看看发行商的业务目录，有没有适合用在你游戏上的？是否有机会和他们的其他产品进行交叉推广或者“协同发展”吗？

资金注入——发展资金

你需要多少资金以及什么时候需要？对此要明确清晰地了解，因为合同是不会让你你“重签”的。你到底真正需要多少钱，不论是短期上还是长期上都要了解。等资金不足回头跟发行商要的时候只会削弱你的地位，并且可能意味着你要放弃自己游戏的一些东西作为代价。修改合同不仅难而且贵。

生产项目——测试、音效、本地化、画外音配音、视频制作等等

交易内容是否含括了生产服务？这些对于发行商是大成本项目，所以生产项目都有什么，要如何收回成本？发行商所提供服务的专业技术是什么水平？他们要承包给谁？你是否能和他们有直接接触还是有所限制？

其他说明/想法

当在谈协议的时候，不要为空头支票买单或者承诺任何事；如果有什么不清楚不明白的，就问清楚，问到能有一丝不苟的解释为止；要求他们给出成功范例；弄明白资金是如何运转、流进流出的；搞清楚算账的原理和支付安排是如何构成的；了解任何影响资金的提醒和条款；发行商是如何收回成本的？什么是思量过的“成本”？什么时候能收回（安排）？这里不存在蠢问题，只有没弄清这些而失败的可悲开发者。

持续性。知道你发行商的健康状况。是谁投资的发行商？谁在买单？要关注及预测潜在问题。了解风险，准备好“备用方案”。为未来做打算和自我定位。了解你的资金需求。整个系统下来，想得到回报是需要时间的，为你的下一个项目做好打算。

和发行商/合伙人交流真的是极其重要。要频繁并且早早地交流，避免“惊吓”彼此。还有不要疏忽了重要的内容，如果有什么不清楚，就把它弄清楚来。当然还要了解决策人是谁。

IP和所有权对于一个游戏开发者来说真的是很重要。游戏对于你来说就像孩子一样，而IP就像它的灵魂。从长远上来讲，IP是你最有价值的资产，不要把IP售卖出去成为任何协议的一部分，对未来那些还要基于这IP制作的续篇和附加游戏做点考虑。发行商是否对更长远的合作有兴趣？合同里是否有任何附加条款限制了你在别处对自己的IP进行开发？发行商是如何对你的IP进行定位，向全世界推广的？你的IP不仅事关游戏，而且是其他任何跟它有关的机遇，可以是书籍、T-shirts、漫画书、“玩偶”、游戏卡、电影、任何。拥有所有权就是拥有控制权。

有各种各样的发行商和五花八门的承诺，你得了解你自己的发行商（无所不知）。要掌握各种动态，驱动交易的进行还有掌控住你的游戏和IP，比起你需要它们，它们更需要你，因为如果交易黄了你还可以自发行。

确保你跟团队和跟合作人的个人协议都很面面俱到、清清楚楚的。了解公司结构和所有权、资金如何分布、支付计划、账目、法律事项、承包商的管理和支付方式、账户的保存方式和费用跟踪。合同很重要，没有合同一切都是空谈。

大体的营销/PR说明

如果你选择了自发行，考虑雇佣一个PR专员或者营销公司来帮忙吧。营销和PR是一项艰巨需要全职的工作，这就是艰难的真相和现实。总有些人在得到合理的报酬的情况下会给你帮助的。要知道即便是简单但专业有考量的计划和时间线都会对大部分人起到非常大的帮助和指引。

社交媒体——Facebook没多大用；Twitter比较好；Reddit比较有难度，你必须按照他们的规则来玩不然就得被罚。总体来说，用社交媒体来作为你的公司或游戏网站的一个通道是比较不错的选择。可能的话，组成围绕着你自己的网站的社区，你会因此保住你游戏内容的所有权。

网站/微博——大部分人为了游戏会建立并完善自己的网站。说到底，游戏才是这里的重点嘛。一旦你拥有了几个游戏，把它们集中在同一个公司网页就有意义了。围绕着这些游戏做网站和社区完善是个相当大的工程量，所以要机智地安排你的时间。准备好“宣传资料袋”，它要包含所有未来游戏记者所需要的一切有关你游戏的报道。然后写一份几句准确说明你的游戏内容的描述，即“电梯游说”（ Elevator Pitch）。做一些简短的副本，可以被复制黏贴到博客或者评论的那种。以及准备好各种质量和大小的推广用截图、渲染图、视频。

游戏媒体——通过email宣传之类的；在Twitter上进行互动，做email声明和报道游戏的发行。这时一个营销专员/PR专员会给你帮大忙，尤其是他们人脉广的话。

大众媒体——为游戏想想别的宣传角度，让非游戏媒体也能感兴趣——广播、电视、报纸之类的。想想游戏有什么特别的场景设定或者时间设定是非游戏爱好者也有兴趣的？游戏是不是有社会或者环保意识啊？里面是否存在政治或者对时事的主张？

Youtube——Youtube是营销游戏的一块重要部分。知道“Youtube网红名单”吧——http://videogamecaster.com/big-list-of-youtubers，找到对你游戏感兴趣的网红谈谈看能不能帮你宣传、你可以给他提前体验游戏的特权等等。

Twitch——Twitch上面全是游戏的内容和视频女郎（主要还是游戏多啦）。Twitch最近通告说打算增加一个销售平台来作为Twitch streamer的频道。这给游戏开发者可是提供了很大的利好，而且对于streamer来说也有了很多机会，所以你要去了解你的Twitch Streamers并且认出对你游戏类型感兴趣的那部分人。

展会和秀场——考虑给游戏做个demo版本来晒一晒游戏。人们其实就是想简单地拿起来就玩，所以一定要给个控制器。如果这款游戏要耗费很大精力或者不适合展会上玩，那就别浪费钱在展会上了。当然你要是想去逛逛跟酷毙了的人们一起嗨一下那就去吧。

Kickstarter——要把这个平台作为营销策略的一部分。建立一份邮寄名单；组件游戏受众；为支持者们做一个游戏的特殊DEMO版给他们玩；过一段时间把一样的Demo放到官网上让所有人能下载；设立自己能做得来承受得起的奖品给达成成就的玩家（不要衣服、本子、手办之类的实体奖品，虽然很酷但是做起来还要邮寄给玩家又贵又耗时间），所以尽量做电子版的奖励比如原声带以及特别音乐曲目下载权、电子版美术原图文件，要知道支持者对游戏中的卷轴和“英雄殿堂”也是情有独钟的。

尾声

对于多平台的游戏发行，就要为不同用户量身打造去讲不一样“故事”。你得知道PC用户想看到的是什么，PS4/Xbox用户又想要什么，要能做到最直接地迎合他们的口味。所以不同平台想要的东西都不同，这让我们必须对每个平台都做出相应不同的UI/UX（用户体验/用户界面）。

广告对于游戏的宣传未必行得通，因为它不是一个有效的交流模式。人们通常都把广告屏蔽或者无视了。除非是去宣布一些“重要”的事例如特价或者重大更新，否则广告没什么效果。

跟游戏社区保持密切联系。他们的评论和等级评定是很重要的，所以可以想想在STEAM上发些“收藏卡片”还是成就什么的。

本地化游戏，提供其他语言支持版本。像法语、德语和西班牙语等等。这个就根据你的数据显示看看你的游戏哪里人玩的多来决定。

祝你好运！

本文由游戏邦编译，转载请注明来源，或咨询微信zhengjintiao

So You’ve Made a Game. Now What?
by Chris Shrigley on 03/17/17 10:42:00 am
1 comments

The following blog post, unless otherwise noted, was written by a member of Gamasutra’s community.
The thoughts and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not Gamasutra or its parent company.

So You’ve Made a Game. Now What?

Your game is almost Alpha. You’ve slogged through months of making and building, and now you’re in the home stretch with the finish line in sight. You plan on spending the next few months polishing and tweaking and balancing your latest masterpiece, before pushing it out to the world and making your fortune. Well, not quite. There’s quite a bit more to be done. In fact, a whole new world is just being revealed to you, as you Google about marketing, PR, community building, and publishing. You’ve read the post mortems, heard the horror stories, and watched the GDC videos, of games collapsing in the last few months of dev, or disappearing into the abyss on release, through lack of exposure or apathy. And now you’re sitting there, worried about your extraordinary creation, something you’ve poured months of creativity and energy into. A slow dread is spreading in your belly. A fear that your game will just, well, fizzle.

There’s so much to do! And if you’re like me, you have your limitations. A certain level of honesty is needed, particularly around the realities of the situation, and the ever looming end of the project. We all have our various skills, and we’re all good at what we do, but no one is an expert in all things. For example, I’m a programmer first and foremost, and I can turn my hand to a range of other things in a push (apart from art, I’m crap at art), but biz dev, marketing, PR, and community building? Nah, those have always been a bit of a mystery, and something I’ve historically ignored till the last minute, and then done a half-assed job with, once I actually force myself to do it. It’s just not a very interesting part of the game dev process to me, and I’m sure most of you will agree. The Marketing nerds won’t of course.

Looking wider to the rest of the team, my guess is that you’re running lean and mean and have only the skills you need to build the game, represented in your motley crew. Small, scrappy, indie dev teams are typically made up of the bare talent/skills needed to get the game made. A programmer, an artist, a designer, a musician (if you’re lucky), and a producer(if you’re unlucky (I kid, I kid, I love Producers)), and even those roles are usually covered by a single person. Fact is, if you’re running your project on a shoestring, which is typical, you’re probably all in and already relying on the kindness of others to get the work done.  Finding money for professional help with the nitty gritty part of actually bringing the game to a ready audience, can be challenging. The temptation is to bumble through and do it yourself. This can be a tough proposition if marketing isn’t your bag or what you do. And it’s not just the marketing. There’s PR which entails leaving your dark cave-of-an-office and talking to other Humans (shudder). There are contracts and NDAs, and other legal paperwork to wrangle and navigate. There are events and interviews to schedule. Money to be raised. A million little and big things to do once you’re done building the game. Discount the value of experts and professionals at your peril.

Marketing and business dev are not high on the list of requirements at the start of a project, and only really gets any attention towards the end. Finding a publisher can help with a whole range of problems that a small indie dev can face and struggle with. Marketing / PR, advertising, events, distribution, funding, production support, etc. etc. That’s great, but all that comes at a cost. Publishers will take their cut, and depending on your track record, that cut can be the lions share. Then you factor in the piece that Steam or other distribution platforms take, and you could end up with not a lot for your years of toil. Of course, a good publisher can take your game to the next level, and a smaller slice of a bigger pie, is still better than a big slice of a tiny pie. Mmmm, I like pie. Anyway, a good publisher can bring a lot of value to the table, so it’s definitely a route that should be considered, provided the math works.

Alternatively, you can self publish. You can cobble a plan together, run a Kickstarter, tap you network of friends to spread the word, pester sites and Youtuber’s to give you some coverage, and cross your fingers. Maybe you can throw a bit of money at it. Maybe you’ll get lucky. The problem with this approach, is failure. Basically.  Effective marketing of your finished game is potentially one of the most critical parts of making it.

To be clear this article doesn’t favor self publishing over a traditional publisher, or vice versa. Get a publisher or self publish. It just has to make sense for your situation and needs. There are lots of pros and cons for both routes. The rest of this article is really just a bunch of notes and thoughts about what I’ve found out the past few months looking into this whole subject. You know, being as my game is just about Alpha.. Gulp.

So, to self publish or find a publisher?

This is a big question ..

Is it worth giving up a piece of your game to get “professional” help with this stuff? Everyone making a game for profit, needs to sit down and talk about this stuff honestly. Weigh up the benefits versus the costs. Is it better to own 70% of something that does kind of crappy, or 20% of something that does a lot better? Of course, you don’t necessarily need to give up a piece of your game to get professional help. You just need money. Because professionals like to get paid.

Publisher vs Partner

There is a distinction. A Partnership, rather than just a straight publishing deal, will have additional intangibles, such as;  Enthusiasm, creativity and investment (beyond financial) for the game, across all aspects of the game, including marketing, distribution, and production.  A partnership usually comes from trust and credibility, built over multiple projects and consistent, mutual success. Having a publisher who actually cares and works with you to make the best game you can, is something we can all hope for.

Desirable Publisher Traits

“Stage and Spotlight”. Ideally, the publisher should put the developer and game front and center. The publisher should take a back seat and promote the developer and game, and not take credit or push themselves ahead of the game and developer. The game and developer is the star here. The publisher should be an ambassador for the game and developer.

“Personal Relationship”.  It’s about accessibility. How responsive and available is the publisher? Do you have a dedicated “handler” or account manager or contact to work with? Is there a lot of “churn”? Do you speak with a different person every time you interact with them? Understand who does what and what the structure is at the publisher. Know who can make things happen and get stuff done. It really helps if you like the people doing the work, and the “culture” of the publisher. Do they have your interests at heart and will they have your back in a knife fight?
“Honesty and Realism”. Everyone involved must be able to talk frankly and not pull punches about money, deadlines and anything that could impact any aspect of the game. Both sides have to be able to ask and answer questions with transparency. Money is important. It’s the thing that makes the relationship work. Where is the money coming from and where is it going? How is it distributed and paid out?

Wooing a publisher is a serious business. It’s no joke. There’s money and reputation at stake, so take it seriously, and be scrupulous in the detail.  As a developer approaching a possible publisher, it is your responsibility to research the publisher’s body of work and reputation. Educate yourself before talking to anyone. Check out their website, Youtube channel, Metacritic scores, buzz and feedback. How have they been successful, and how can that be applied to your game.

Once you are talking seriously to a publisher, ask for references (yes you can do that). Talk to developers that are already in the publisher’s portfolio. Not just the successful ones. How did the publisher deal with a developer/game that wasn’t performing well? This will tell you a lot about how a publisher treats a developer or behaves when things aren’t quite so rosy.

Questions to Ask a Publisher

Simple question.. How will you make us more money than if we did this ourselves?

Not everything a publisher can offer will be of interest to you or relevant to your situation. You may be fully funded already. You may just need access to a specific platform. You may desperately need money to keep the lights on, or help with paperwork.

These are things to consider, and questions you should ask a potential publisher before committing ink to paper.

Marketing / PR – Advertising, Events and Community.

What can the publisher offer? What are their capabilities? What resources do they have? Do they have a team? Where are they based? Do they specialize in a particular country? Where will the game be marketed (countries/regions)? Can they speak the language in that market? Do they understand the nuances of the country/region? How will they market the game? Ask for examples of previous campaigns for other games. Do they include streamers and Youtubers? How about Social Media? How about community building and management?  What is a typical budget or spend on a marketing campaign? How will it be spent? How will the cost be recouped? Do they go to events? Worldwide? Look at their track record and how they have supported other games.

Distribution – Channels, Digital, Retail, Merchandising and Events.

This is mostly about access. Steam, PSN, XBox. Placement on storefronts, inclusion in promos, merchandising.  What access and relationship does the publisher have with the various distribution channels? Do your own research. Look at the publisher’s catalog. Where does your game fit? Is there opportunity for cross-promotion or “synergy” with their other products?

Funding – Money for Development

How much do you need and when do you need it? Be specific and clear, as contracts don’t get a “redo”.  How much will the money actually cost you, both short and long term. Going back to your publisher for more money after the fact will only weaken your position and will probably mean you have to give something else up in return. Modifying an agreement can be difficult and expensive.

Production – Testing, Audio, Localization,Voiceover, Video Production, etc.

Are the production services part of the deal? These are real costs to the publisher, so what are they, and how are the costs recouped? What level of expertise does the publisher have in the services they offer? Who do they contract out to? Do you have direct contact with them or are they a walled garden?

Additional Notes / Thoughts

When negotiating an agreement, do not settle for wishy-washy answers, or assume anything. If there’s something that isn’t clear or understood, ask for clarity and for it to be explained in excruciating detail. Ask for examples. Understand how the money works. How it flows in and out. How the accounting works and pay schedules are structured. Understand any caveats and clauses that affect the money. How are publisher costs recouped? What are considered “costs”? When will they be recouped (schedule)? There are no stupid questions, only sad and broken developers.

Sustainability. Know the health of your publisher. Who funds the publisher? Who pays them? Pay attention and anticipate potential problems. Understand risks and have a “Plan B”. Plan for the future and position yourself for the future. Understand your requirements on the money side. Payments take time to filter through the system. Plan for your next project.

Communication with a publisher/partner is super important. Communicate regularly and early. Try to avoid surprises, and don’t ignore important stuff. If something isn’t clear, make it clear. Know who makes the decisions.

IP and ownership should be really important to you as a developer.. The game is your baby and the IP is its soul. IP is your most valuable asset, long term. Do not sell the IP. Do not make it part of any agreement. Think about the future and sequels and additional games based on the IP. Does the publisher have any interest longer term? Are there any exclusivity clauses written in that would prevent you developing your IP elsewhere? How is the IP positioned, promoted and messaged by the publisher to the world? The IP isn’t just the game. It’s ANY other opportunity that comes out of the idea, be it books, t-shirts, comic books, “plushies”, trading cards, movies, anything. Ownership is control.

There are lots of publishers and lots of promises. Understand your publisher (know everything). Stay in charge. Drive the deal and keep control of the game and IP. They need you more than you need them, because you can always self-publish if the deal is bad.

Make sure your personal agreements with your team and partners are squared away and very clear. What is your company structure and ownership? How is money distributed? Understand disbursement schedules, accounting, and the legal stuff. How are contractors managed and paid? How are the accounts kept and expenses tracked? Contracts are important. No handshakes and vagaries.

General Marketing / PR Notes

If you self publish, consider hiring a PR person or marketing firm to help. Marketing and PR is hard and is a full time job. That is a hard truth and reality. There are people out there who will work for a reasonable fee, and give you a “leg up”. Even a simple, but professionally thought-out plan and timeline would be a huge help and guide for most people.

Social Media - Facebook is useless. Twitter is better. Reddit is perilous and you must play by their rules or be punished. Generally, it is better to use Social Media as a funnel to your company or game website. Build your community around your own site if possible. You will also keep ownership of your content that way.

Website / Blog - Most people build a site for the game and promote that. The game is, after all, the point here. Once you have a few games, it makes sense to gather them under a company site. Making websites and promoting community around them is a fairly big job, so spend your time wisely.  Have a “Press Kit” available. It should contain everything a would-be game journalist would need to put a pieces about your game together. Write an “Elevator Pitch”, a couple of sentences that says exactly what the game is about. Make some short pieces of copy that can be copy/pasted into a blog or review. Have various quality and sizes of promotional screenshots, renders and videos available.

Have a mailing list sign up, Stay in touch and engage your followers/community regularly. Cross post to social media, providing links to get people back to your site. Get on Indie game dev and player community forums and get involved with their communities. Get involved with communities interested in your genre of game. Once you have the beginnings of a community around the game, consider hiring a fulltime community manager, because running it is a lot of work.

Game Press - Reach out with email etc. Follow on Twitter and interact. Email announcements and press releases. A Marketing / PR person can be super helpful here, particularly if they are well connected.

Mainstream Press - Consider other angles for the game that may be interesting to other, non-game media. Radio, TV, print.  Does the game feature a place or a time that has interest outside the game? Is it socially/environmentally conscious? Does it make a political or topical statement?

Youtube - Youtube is an important part of marketing your game. “Big List of Youtubers” .http://videogamecaster.com/big-list-of-youtubers - Find influencers interested in your genre and communicate. Early access to game etc.

Twitch - Twitch is all about games (and cam girls), but mostly games. Twitch recently announced plans to add a sales platform as part of Twitch streamer’s channel. This has great possibilities for developers, and opportunities for streamers, so know your Twitch streamers and identify the ones who may be interested in your genre of game.

Expos and Shows - Consider a demo level that shows the game off in isolation. Controller is a must. People just want to pick up and play. If the game is too involved or not right for an expo, don’t waste your money. Unless you just want to hang out and party with super cool people.

Kickstarter - Use as part of a marketing strategy. Build a mailing list. Build an audience. Build a special demo level for backers to play. Offer the same demo for general download on the game website, later on.  Add manageable and affordable rewards and stretch goals. Keep away from physical good, like t-shirts and books and figurines. While these things are super cool, they are expensive and time consuming to package and mail to backers. Try and keep your rewards digital, like soundtrack download and bonus music track, digital art portfolio, backers credit roll and “Hall of Heroes” in the game.

And Finally

For multiplatform launch, have a distinct “story” tailored to each audience. Know what the PC audience expects, and know what the PS4/XBox audience expects, and pander to them directly. There are different expectations on each platform. This extends to UI/UX for each platform.

Ads don’t really work. Not an effective form of communication. People block/ignore ads. Exception is to announce something “important” like a sale, or a major update.

Stay engaged with community. Reviews and ratings are important. Consider “trading cards” and achievements for Steam.

Localize the game to support other languages. French, German and Spanish.. Watch your metrics and see where your game is being played.

Good luck!（source：gamasutra.com ）