倒回20世纪80、90年代，开发商们任务单一：努力工作，按时完成及制作高质量作品。但工作室和发行商得承担开展营销活动和处理PR关系中所蕴藏的风险。

black&white 2

随之而来的是数字发行时代（游戏邦注：即手机游戏和社交游戏时代）。AAA游戏市场呈现疲软之态，经久不衰的游戏市场也开始变得暗淡无光。债权人纷纷关闭发行公司，发行公司关闭工作室。整个AAA游戏行业日渐萧条，几乎处于垂死边缘。

但手机游戏和社交游戏并非罪魁祸首。人们依旧可以持有2009年的社交游戏妖魔化观点，但显然整个社交游戏已经稳扎根基了。多数Facebook用户均玩游戏。Facebook的用户刚刚突破7亿，如果有0.5%的Facebook用户体验游戏，那么游戏就有350万的玩家。

即便是从AAA的视角来看，这都是一个惊人的数字。（游戏邦注：Zynga最新力作《CityVille》是公司迄今规模最大的作品，发行当天就掳获10万玩家的芳心）。

CityVille

现在让我们来看看手机领域。苹果仅2011年第一季度就售出iPhone手机1865万支，未来3个月将有2000万的潜在玩家诞生。

全新世界

当前分散的商业模式变得出奇开放。发行商开始管理预算，因为5000万美元的制作成本着实令发行商们几近枯竭（游戏邦注：相反，据称Firemint在《Real Racing 2》约投资150万美元，而《愤怒的小鸟》成本也将近10万美元）。

iOS的标准化及Adroid的一次开发、销售各地模式，使开发商得以从3大游戏巨头中解放出来。游戏领域又回到完全开放的PC游戏时代，其中开发商一周方可创收，杰出者一夜便家户喻晓。

高度体验性的手机游戏、沉浸式的社交游戏、基于Flash的虚拟世界以及低预算的PSN/XBLA游戏改变了整个游戏行业的面貌，吸引了数百万游戏玩家，远超越AAA游戏，玩家无需借助控制台，完全沉浸游戏体验之中。

开发者们面临巨大挑战和无限机会。新领域没有发行商，没有运营商，只有工作室和品牌，小到3人工作室，大到25人的独立工作室，从Mojang到superbrothers、斯洛文尼亚杰出FPS团队及日本模拟游戏精英团队，他们需明确自身追求目标。

一致性至关重要

副主席无意中发现了他人的Twitter帐号，这是工作室所要表现的吗？还是公司博客更合适？GiantBomb的Q&A部分怎么样呢？

社交游戏玩家喜爱Facebook页面，其页面更新是否反映核心理念？

电视、Google广告屡见不鲜，这些广告主是什么样的公司，为何瞄准这些用户？

开发商脱离发行商和运营商，就可重获主导权，其可以向世界展示自己真实的一面，感觉很棒，颇令人满意。

Evony

回想候博客、论坛就过于泛滥的阶段？电视节目和纸质杂志一统天下的时期？那样的世界早已一去不复返。如今沟通渠道种类繁多，难以传递一致信息。

总体规划

这里讨论的话题主要围绕如何定义品牌和一致性（游戏邦注：针对分散定向交流渠道乍现的游戏领域）。开发商畅游变幻莫测的博客、Twitter和Facebook空间时，需要牢记如下建议。

1. 运用自身知识

避免开发自身半知半解的游戏。必要时，退一步考虑问题，仔细揣摩数据和陌生概念。开发商需表明自己专家的身份，而非呈现怠于核对实况的状态。

2. 将非主题言论转移至个人网站和社交媒介文件

如果开发商对于Time Warner Cable心存不满，使用个人渠道，而非公司博客进行宣泄。此外，如果开发商对iPhone生态系统展开了系统分析，那么就尽情发表看法，别管什么Facebook。

3. 确保所有应用商店版本一致

iTune版本和Android Market及类似的Android应用商店需传递相同信息，开发商应竭尽全力为当前和未来用户发送消息。记得将用户引导至论坛或者社交文件（游戏邦注：应用商店的流量数据通常都极为保守）获得帮助。

4.重新设计网站 迎合用户需求

网站的历史可以追溯到1995年， 但其至今依旧占据十分重要的地位，开发商得确保页面迎合各类用户的需求。例如，如果用户使用iPad，就要避免采用Flash格式。如果用户喜欢柔和、轻松的游戏，那么就供相应的页面。如果用户遍布世界各地，那么网站就应该为用户提供几大热门语言（英语、法语、葡萄牙语等）。

5. 充分利用YouTube

将游戏投放于YouTube能为开发商增色不少。开发商需要让用户明白，他们能够自由将游戏片段上传至YouTube，指定某人阅读热门游戏的评论。开发商应该有问必答，重视每条回复（游戏邦注：这是了解用户的第一步）。

6. 参与播客

播客无处不在，他们是定位明确的现代脱口秀节目。开发商如果参与其中，定会受益匪浅。而且在博客客串演出远比在《Conan》出演角色简单得多。

7. 塑造影响力

找准自己的定位，并坚持不懈，努力成为其中倡导者，推动行业的进步。参与聚会，为IGDA章程的落实贡献自己的力量。开发商如果拥有一定影响力，那么就尽情发挥。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，转载请注明来源：游戏邦）

Welcome to the Cacophony of the Real
 
Back in the late 1980s and 1990s, developers had a single task: work hard, respect deadlines and deliver a quality product. The studio – and publisher – would have to deal with the risk while handling all marketing and PR.

Then digital distribution arrived. Mobile gaming. Social games. The market for AAA games went “soft” and the (supposedly) recession-resistant game industry started to lose its luster. Publishers were closed by creditors. Studios were closed by publishers. Whole countries saw their game industry shrink and almost die of starvation.

But mobile gaming and social games are not the villains here. You can demonize social games like it’s 2009, but they are here to stay. A huge portion of Facebook users play games. Since Facebook just crossed the 700-million barrier, if 0.5 percent of its users play your game you end up with… 3.5 million users.

That’s a staggering number — even from a AAA perspective.

Now let’s look at mobile. Apple has sold 18.65 million iPhones just in Q1 2011. Almost 20 million potential gamers in 3 months time.

Yep, we’re not in Kansas anymore.

THE NEW WORLD

The current decentralized business model turned out to be surprisingly open. Budgets became manageable once again after $50 million blockbusters bled many publishers dry.

(in contrast, some estimate Firemint spent $1.5 million on Real Racing 2, for example – and Angry Birds cost around $100,000)

The standardization of iOS and, to a lesser degree, Android allowed developers to build once and sell it everywhere, freeing themselves from The Big Three. A return to the free-for-all days of PC gaming, we all saw fortunes being made on a weekly basis along with talented developers going supernova almost overnight.

Highly-playable (and welcoming) mobile games, addictive social games, Flash-based virtual worlds, low-budget PSN/XBLA titles… They changed the landscape as we know it. An audience of millions (billions?) was suddenly out there, bigger than AAA could ever be, console-free but eager to play.

We are dealing with massive challenges and astonishing opportunities. In the new world, there is no publisher. No distributor. Only you, your studio and your brand. From crews of three to massive indie studios of 25, from Mojang to superbrothers, FPS-savvy teams in Slovenia and game dev simulation experts from Japan – they all need to explain what they’re here for. Every. Single. Day.

So who, exactly, are you?

IDENTITY MATTERS — MORE THAN EVER

If I am a VC and stumble on your Twitter account, is that an accurate representation of the studio? Is the company blog a better fit? How about that Q&A you did with GiantBomb – or the Game Developer post-mortem?

I am a social gamer. I “like” your Facebook page. Do your updates reflect your core beliefs?

I saw your ad on TV. I see your ads in Google. Who are you, again? And why are you placing ads in front of me?

When you lose a publisher and a distributor, you regain your voice. You can now show the world who you really are and that’s an awesome, immensely fulfilling feeling.

Remember when blogs and forums were already too much? When all that mattered were a few TV shows and print magazines? That world is dead and buried. The sheer number of communication avenues today makes it very hard to keep a cohesive message. And without it, no one will know who you really are.

Welcome to the cacophony of the REAL.

THE MASTER PLAN

The discussion around how to define brands – and identities- in a world filled with targeted, segmented communication channels is just starting. I don’t intend to offer satisfaction-guaranteed advice and cake recipes here. These are just a few things to keep in mind as you surf the treacherous waters of blogs, Twitter, Facebook and beyond.

Stick to what you know

Never write about something you don’t fully understand. If necessary, take a step back and go over any numbers you mention, any concepts you may not be familiar with. You need to message that you are an expert, not that you were too lazy to check the facts.

Keep off-topic rants to personal sites and private social media profiles

If you have a rant against Time Warner Cable use a personal channel to get it out there, not the corporate blog. On the other hand, if you have just completed a full analysis of the iPhone ecosystem, go ahead and tweet, Facebook the hell out of it.

Make sure to match the copy on all app stores

It’s essential that the iTunes copy communicates the same as the Android Market and similar Android app stores. Put your best foot forward every time you send a message to both current and future customers. Don’t forget to lead them to a forum or social profile for support – the traffic figures of app stores are often underestimated.

Redesign your site to match your audience

Websites are so 1995, but also so important still. Make sure your “look” works for all your audiences. For example: if your customers own iPads, avoid using Flash. If they like cuddly, light-hearted games, make a cuddly-light-hearted website. If you have users all over the world, translate your site to the top languages popular with your users (English, French and Portuguese, for example).

Use YouTube to your advantage

Having your game on YouTube is always a plus (unless bugs are the ones getting the spotlight!). Engage with your fans, let them know it’s ok to post in-game footage on YouTube and assign someone to go over comments on the most popular videos. Nothing should go unanswered – showing you care enough to reply is often the first step to truly get to know your audience.

Participate in podcasts

Podcasts are everywhere. Think of them as modern, targeted  talk shows. Assuming you’re OK taking part in the format, you can only gain from it. It’s also a lot easier to get a guest spot in a podcast than on Conan.

and finally…

Make yourself heard

Take a position you believe in and stick with it. Become an advocate. Help the industry advance. Participate in indie gatherings, offer to help the local IGDA chapter. You have a voice – go ahead and use it.

Now that you’re free of publishers and distributors, how do you deal with the multitude of channels available to all of us? What is the secret sauce for crystal-clear back-and-forth in the mold of Valve and other sucessful indie outfits? And who would win in a fight, Yahoo! Answers or Quora? (bonus question!)（Source：Gamasutra）