Marketing Thoughts

[BattleGoat]

Hi all!

It's been a while since we've been responsible for all our own marketing decisions and not merely abided by the decisions of our publishers. As such, I thought I would start by getting feedback from our own forum users on what gaming sites they regularly monitor and magazines they read.

My first thoughts had been Wargamer.com and StategyInformer.com, but neither of those sites has yet posted our announcement of the game, and both were sent the press release directly.

So... if you have a suggestion of gaming sites that you feel are the best and are where you go for your information all the time, I would like to hear about it.

Thanks for any positive suggestions!

[Snowpig]

my favorite gaming site is 4players.de - it is in german, but they have usually very good reviews, although they can be quite harsh sometimes. Their reviews

SR2010 - no review

SR2020 - 76%
[*]+ simulation of futuristic events, all regions playable, many possibilities, realistic problems, balanced parties, AI helps player
[*]- hard access, long building times for buildings, confusing battles, complex menu, too small buttons

SR2020CW - 49%
[*]+ politic decisions, DEFCON, research, usable nuclear weapons, AI ministers
[*]- hard access, boring, long research times for space program, only one start date, units are not consistent with their originals, performance issues, to small buttons/sliders, ugly graphics

[barkhauer]

I do not read gaming sites unless I'm searching for specific information via Google, and get a news result from them.

I get most of my gaming news from other players via messenging, social media, etc, or from the Paradox forums.

[goulash]

Is there a site called arcmchair general?

Pretty sure there is

Edit:- there is and it looks like a good place to advertise.

[number47]

I usually like to take a peak every once in a while at http://www.gamespot.com/ ...

[Hullu Hevonen]

..

I usually hear of a new game from Gamersgate and steam. If I get interested I usually google 'Game name' + review. Often I check out IGN, and look at youtube. I would recommend that you contact say wargamer.com and tell them that 'hey we are making a new game' etc(if you haven't done that already. Also, make trailers, if you want to do low budget, do it sort of like an in-game narrated trailer or something, then gimp something. I really like that you guys are active on facebook, supreme ruler pops-up now and then, gives you visibility.

Onething that I really found annoying from the SRCW publish was that Gamersgate et.al didn't put them up for preorder or even put up the game before a few days - a week before release. I would say put it up there on the sites atleast a month before release, with trailers and everything.

Also doing regular(say once a month) video dev diaris and showing of new features could also get people exited about the game before it's released. So basically to summerise try really hard to to be visable in as many places as possible.

Might have gone slighly ...

[goulash]

..

Also doing regular(say once a month) video dev diaris and showing of new features could also get people exited about the game before it's released. So basically to summerise try really hard to to be visable in as many places as possible.

Might have gone slighly ...

Could not agree more, vid dev diaries really suck me in I actually bought Simcity 5 due to dev diaries and ignored all the rest of the flak posted because of launch problems and look where that got me £60 down and game beta (only joking, the game will be great after some patching).

Paradox does devs diaries ok

[Hullu Hevonen]

Also if you have contact info to say wargamer where normal people can send thoughts etc, then send us those and your existing fans can go beg them to do a review already and that way get them interested in the game and show them there's demand

[Hundane]

if you have a suggestion of gaming sites that you feel are the best and are where you go for your information all the time, I would like to hear about it.

Word of mouth advertising is the best advertising....

I dont buy many games but the ones I have bought have been mentioned on forums such as the BG forums and other independent types games forums. Someone mentions a game, sometimes providing a link to info, which piques my interest to check out a demo.

I used to bump a SR2020 thread on the Muzzy Lane forums, they made Making History. They have a topic just for "other games"

Other gaming sites I can recall visiting are AGEOD, Matrix Games, and Armchair General as well as Paradox, Gamespot, Impulse, And Stardock.

My suggestion would be to make some posts on those individual forums. Make your name and your game known to those who frequent those sites.

[Aragos]

Is there a site called arcmchair general?

Pretty sure there is

Edit:- there is and it looks like a good place to advertise.

Yep, I do game reviews for them once or twice a year.

[Sawedoff]

Already posted your release on my forum! Although that place is dead...

I don't get around on the internet much, just check here, Paradox, and Gamersgate from time to time to see if any new goodies are out. I'm sheltered.

I've heard these guys have a following: http://www.levelunlocked.net/ Not sure how big though.

[golden.pole]

I mostly use:

steam
gamersgate
youtube
gamespot
ign
gamefly.com
greenmangaming.com
subsim.com (very good site)
twitch.tv
voltronarmy.com (let's plays and stuff)
sztab.com (military-oriented Polish fan site)
Paradox
EA
Amazon
gamestop
newegg.com (hardware software deals)
gamezone
matrixgames.com
battlefront.com

also civfanatics and simtropolis

[vahadar]

I am a journalist in a (not mainstream) video-game french traditionnal paper publication (IG Magazine), i will ask around, if you have a press release to send me also ( send at christophe[at]degoy.com )

Obviously it wont have the same coverage as the famous websites you mentionned above, but its a little drop that will add to the ocean
It can also be the occasion to make a more lenghty article onthe other titles (i guess it will be more easy to be accepted like this)

For the french website that has the biggest audience for strategy games try this one : http://www.wargamer.fr/
it is the heir of the defunct Cyber Stratège magazine

some other major french langage websites :
http://www.jeuxvideo.fr/r/supreme-ruler/
http://jvn.com/ (that is the website for 2 major french publication : PC jeux and Joystick)
http://www.canardpc.com/
http://www.jeuxvideo.com/
http://www.gameblog.fr/ (they run a TV channel also)
http://www.jeuxactu.com/
http://www.jeuxvideomagazine.com/
http://www.gamekult.com/
http://www.gameone.net/ (a french TV dedicated to games, very popular here)
http://www.gameplay.be/
http://www.nolife-tv.com/ (they have many TV shows dedicated to video games)

By the way why not taking a look at crowdfunding? Like kickstarter, recently some games have been given very high coverage thanks to this (like elite, wing commander new baby Star Citizen, project eternity, Wasteland2, Planescape and so on)

[GIJoe597]

I do not use any web sites for gaming news. I do subscribe to one gaming magazine which has changed over the last 20 years, it is currently PC Gamer.

[Lea]

Russian site Absolute Games
SR 2010: 81/75 (journal/players)
SR 2020: 78/72
SR 2020 GC: --/75
SR 2020 CW: 65/47