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[AzraelKans]

Well we have a demo of our game out, and is getting some downloads, the feedback we have seen in you tube videos is pretty cool (and very useful, we've made some very important changes thanks to that feedback) but how can we get people to get in touch with us directly? per example to let them know a new update is out?

I made a phpbb forum but all I got the first weeks was spambots.

Is a forum a good idea? or is there other way to get people to start talking with each other about their game experience, and wishes?

[brettchalupa]

This is a super good topic and discussion point. I would be happy to let you know what I think about all of this, and I bet others will chime in as well.

I think you nailed the part about getting feedback from the Youtube video. I mean, as an indie dev, getting feedback is so important. If you want to be able to get feedback before the game is released, posting screen shots and gameplay videos are awesome ways to get feedback. I think trying to centralize the place of feedback is key. I would suggest setting up a blog where you continually post news and any media.

That leads into talking about web presence. Whoever you want to be the face of the game as a developer, make sure they are easy to access. Have a twitter account and a website where it shows you are active and respond. On the website have a contact form. That is the easiest way for people to send long messages and questions via the web.

Now the next part of the question is when they are in the game, how do you get feedback? Well, there are a few options. In the credits or options menu, you could have the website link and some information about contacting you. Secondly, you could write a contact form in the game. That may be more work than it is worth though.

A third option would be to implement some analytics in the game. Dependent on the game's platform, that could be as easy as implementing a third party solution or writing your own.

Lastly, just ask people and look on the web for some feedback. People usually tweet about something they love or hate. They usually share it online or talk to others about it. Set up Google Alerts for the game's name and just have some presence in places you may think it could be posted.
 
As for forums, they aren't something I would consider creating until you have a few games released and a strong community. Rarely is there a reason for an indie studio to have their own forum. Creating a dev log here on TIGSource is a great option, as well as the blog option. I think forums should exist around a certain community idea (indie game dev, multiplayer game, fashion, generic topic x, etc.). The few indies I think that could pull it off are thatgamecompany or Wolfire, but that is because they have such a large following and things to talk about.

[Christian Knudsen]

If you're releasing commercial titles (even just one), you should definitely have a forum. Why wouldn't you supply your customers with a place to talk about the game and get technical support?

[AzraelKans]

If you're releasing commercial titles (even just one), you should definitely have a forum. Why wouldn't you supply your customers with a place to talk about the game and get technical support?

Hmm but isnt possible for them to send that through a contact form? I mean, I have nothing against forums, but Im not sure if people are going to register to a forum just for that.

[brettchalupa]

I think there are better outlets for providing customer support and garnering discussion than having to manage a forum. If you look at what the original poster said, he got bombarded with spambots pretty quickly. That soon turns into more work to manage the forums or making it more difficult for users to register and post by adding CAPTCHA or another anti-spam measure.

I guess what I am saying is, even with one game released it can make sense to have a forum, but part of me doubts that it will be active and have enough users to keep maintaining it worthwhile. I think if the game is released on Steam, the forums that exist there for feedback are great. If it is not on Steam, then the TIGSource forums or another location where community and people exist makes sense.

That is just my opinion and how I would approach it.

[Christian Knudsen]

I'm baffled. Sure, if you only release on Steam, you probably wouldn't need a forum, but that's not what most indies do. And if your forum gets spammed, you set up better security like all the million of other forums out there. That's a terrible excuse for not having a forum! Seriously, with the newest versions of phpBB and SMF and so on all it takes is pretty much dragging and dropping some extra security modules into your forum.

And the TIGForums are mostly for game developers or people otherwise interested in the business. I'd feel really weird buying a game from a developer if they linked to their DevLog on the TIGForums instead of having their own forums!

I honestly can't think of a commercially successful indie developer/company that doesn't have their own forums?

[brettchalupa]

I am not against having forums for an indie game company, I just don't think it is something that is needed to provide customer support or interaction right off of the bat.

There are plenty of successful indie studios and non-indie studios that do not have forums. It is dependent on what type of games you release and what platform you release on. I gave Steam as an example. I gave TIGSource as an example. Your counter points makes sense, but my whole point was there are other options that exist. If the developers are releasing a game on iOS, then there is the reviews and feedback on the App Store.

I think if you are making a game with an online multiplayer component or a user submitted level sharing or item sharing feature, a forum for discussion and sharing makes more sense.

I do not think that a forum is on the same level of having an online presence as is required of a blog and some forum of social media. 

[Christian Knudsen]

Well, I must admit I was only thinking about desktop games and not at all iOS and the like. I definitely agree that you wouldn't need a forum for that. But as indie developers, we're very much dependent on being able to build a community around our games/company and get those 1000 fans that'll help in making a sustainable business. Having a forum allows your customers to interact with each other. Without this, building a community is going to be nigh impossible. Furthermore, to return to the feedback topic at hand, blogs and such are terrible for engaging in discussions with your fans and for your fans engaging with each other -- the format just doesn't support that every well. Forums are designed for this specific task. And the nice thing I've discovered is that some of the best feedback you'll get isn't from players responding directly to you, it's by reading conversations between players on a forum. It's like having a focus group. A forum certainly isn't the only way to get good feedback, but in my experience, it's been invaluable.

Hmm but isnt possible for them to send that through a contact form? I mean, I have nothing against forums, but Im not sure if people are going to register to a forum just for that.

Forums allow for guest posts which require just as much from the user as filling out a contact form. The difference is that the question and reply will be visible for other people to see as well.

[AzraelKans]

Well, I must admit I was only thinking about desktop games and not at all iOS and the like. I definitely agree that you wouldn't need a forum for that. But as indie developers, we're very much dependent on being able to build a community around our games/company and get those 1000 fans that'll help in making a sustainable business. Having a forum allows your customers to interact with each other. Without this, building a community is going to be nigh impossible. Furthermore, to return to the feedback topic at hand, blogs and such are terrible for engaging in discussions with your fans and for your fans engaging with each other -- the format just doesn't support that every well. Forums are designed for this specific task. And the nice thing I've discovered is that some of the best feedback you'll get isn't from players responding directly to you, it's by reading conversations between players on a forum. It's like having a focus group. A forum certainly isn't the only way to get good feedback, but in my experience, it's been invaluable.

Hmm but isnt possible for them to send that through a contact form? I mean, I have nothing against forums, but Im not sure if people are going to register to a forum just for that.

Forums allow for guest posts which require just as much from the user as filling out a contact form. The difference is that the question and reply will be visible for other people to see as well.

Well Im convinced, Im going to try with the forum again, and also I will keep open discussions on the blog. Hopefully we will get some good feedback

http://www.militantgame.com/forum/

[Christian Knudsen]

That's a nice looking forum!

[brettchalupa]

Agreed, it looks awesome.

Be sure to share the value of your forum after sometime and comeback to this conversation in a few months. I am curious as to how it works out! I am not at all at the point where a forum makes sense for me personally, but one day I hope it can!