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[MooseMouse]

I am considering setting up a small KickStarter campaign and/or a Steam Greenlight campaign for the main purposes of promoting my game. For those who have experience with either of these, what do you think of this idea?

My current situation: I am a one-man company without a large fan base. So I am looking for ways to grow it. I recently did a press release for the public beta of my game, and it did not generate much interest. So now, other than paid promo and posting on forums, my promotional options are dwindling.

I will probably just "try it and see", but both campaigns would require significant work to do well (and Greenlight costs $$), so I wanted to get some initial input if possible.

Thanks!
Shawn

[Christian Knudsen]

If you do a kickstarter, have an actual funding goal with a purpose (for example being able to pay an artist or musician or something). Your actual motive behind the kickstarter may very well be to generate buzz, but don't build your campaign around that -- kickstarter isn't supposed to be a marketing platform, and I think a lot of people will sour on your campaign if it just feels like thinly-veiled marketing.

[Ant]

Yeah, it's worth noting as well that Kickstarter and Greenlight have their own audiences so both the quality and type of game matters. Greenlight is populated by console fanboys who emphasise graphics, while Kickstarters are apple hipsters who like to pretend are nerds. Generally though your best bet is to actually come up with a great game instead of worrying about sneaky tips to gain a couple more sales.

[MooseMouse]

Generally though your best bet is to actually come up with a great game instead of worrying about sneaky tips to gain a couple more sales.

Not to derail the thread, but this is a good point. I think I've got a great game. Of course it's my game so I may be delusional. But I am under the impression that even a great game may not spread virally.. that it generally takes great promo even for a great game.

I've got a handful of very enthusiastic players, and my game's average play time is around 20 minutes. Feedback on the game itself is so contradictory and all over the board that I can't get a good feel for what to do next. So, I think promotion is the main thing I need at this point. More players may lead to more of a consensus on what to do to improve the game. Anyway, I am really unsure what to do. I've been working on the game for a year and a half, implementing feedback throughout the process.

So.. how to know when the problem is the game, and when it is the marketing?

[Ant]

I wouldn't worry about going viral since it's not something you have any control over and is no reflection of game quality. It's hard to advise really without seeing a gameplay vid, but the contradictory feedback together with heavy feedback implementation kinda sounds like it might be a bit of a mish-mash of a game. Once you have a clear understanding of the purpose of your game it's a lot easier to know which demographic and places to market to as well compare it against similar games in that field.

[zede05]

That's exactly what we're gonna do as well.  The way I figure it, whatever the cost you spend on getting on these two, you'll get it back via marketing dollars. It's basically win-win. Unless the product isn't that great, then it might backfire. So good luck to the both of us! 

[Chaotic Kitten]

My latest game was the biggest success out of our three games, and I think that it is partially because a game needing public support gives people something to talk about and motivates people to share it.

[seemo]

Probably worth it just for the large amount of feedback you'll get (even if it can often be negative). Exposes you to how people might view your game in unforeseen ways.

[epcc]

I think you should do a kickstarter if you need money and add your game to greenlight if you want it to get on steam. Doing them for any other reason seems odd. They do increase your visibilty, but they can potentially offer you a lot better things.

And you mentioned a press release. Did you just upload your press release to some distribution site or did you build a list of 50? gaming blogs and sent your game to their editors?
I think the latter works a lot better for unknown people.

[worldalpha]

Having done both Steam Greenlight and IndieGoGo campaigns, both of them provided extra exposure.  I would Greenlight gets you in front of a lot more gamers, where as crowdfunding for most just allows you to cement the community that you have, and gives you a sense if people will pony up for what you are offering.

[Impmaster]

Maybe you should do that thing where you get promoed on the Pirate Bay, and people go to your site, and pay you however much they want? I heard that was quite successful for seagaia, the guy who made Anodyne. It should at least bring a lot of exposure.

[petertos]

I have visited your website. Have you made those graphics yourself? They are super cool!

I don't think a kickstarter without a reason will work, if you don't have a fan base neither a 'special feature like saving children' approach it won't work. I have never tried, though. The truth is that I'm becoming lazy these days, I haven't released a game for about a year.

On Greenlight I have no idea.