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[Camel]

Hello everyone,

I'm posting here in search of advice of people more experienced than me into this kind of things.
Just 2 questions for now

1.
I'm wondering what's the best time to contact Publishers (Paradox, Jowood), etc.
Do you guys think it's best to keep the game "secret", and don't release any traillers at all, or do you guys think it's best to release traillers, press releases, etc, to attract attention first, and then contact publishers ?

2.
I know my target market, people that like Strategy Games, so i'm looking at people that play Sins of a Solar Empire, Starcraft, etc.
Do you guys think a strong trailler with a press release, will attract the attention of strategy news websites (Strategy Planet, Strategy Informer, etc), or should we try to contact this websites directly with our press release ?
I'm not sure if just uploading a trailler to GameTrailers will do any good.

Any advice would be very welcome
Thanks,
Bruno

[SaturnineGames]

I don't think it matters if the game is secret or not. The big thing to know is that if you get the attention of a publisher, they will likely only pay attention to you once. Once they make a decision, they're unlikely to revisit it. Just make sure you make a good first impression.

[nicolasgb]

I don't think it matters if the game is secret or not. The big thing to know is that if you get the attention of a publisher, they will likely only pay attention to you once. Once they make a decision, they're unlikely to revisit it. Just make sure you make a good first impression.

Have you experienced this? My experience with console publsishers has been the opposite. Granted, if you make a bad impression the first time they may not let you revisit it. So that's an answer, the best first time to show your game is once you have something really polished to show. That applies to a publisher or the market if you chose to release something online first to build up hype before starting pitching the game around.

However, a publisher will seldom invest in your game based on what they see the first time. Usually they will like what they see, say at Gamescom in Germany (august), and ask you to catch up in a few months, say at Game Connection in Lyon (november). Then again in a few months, say at GDC in SF (feb/march). And so on. It's called investing in lines, not dots (http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2010/11/15/invest-in-lines-not-dots/)
The idea is that when you meet a publisher, their business development guy will give you some feedback and see how the game has evolved in a few months, then give more feedback, and so on, until they think you're on the right track and they should sign you a deal before someone else does.


As for press relationships, I have less experience in that area but why not do both? A press release with a strong trailer AND contacting the websites directly?

[SaturnineGames]

I don't think it matters if the game is secret or not. The big thing to know is that if you get the attention of a publisher, they will likely only pay attention to you once. Once they make a decision, they're unlikely to revisit it. Just make sure you make a good first impression.

Have you experienced this? My experience with console publsishers has been the opposite. Granted, if you make a bad impression the first time they may not let you revisit it. So that's an answer, the best first time to show your game is once you have something really polished to show. That applies to a publisher or the market if you chose to release something online first to build up hype before starting pitching the game around.

From my experience, publishers tend to be very talkative and polite at first, but once they make their initial evaluation, they usually don't bother talking to you again.

However, a publisher will seldom invest in your game based on what they see the first time.

The serious talks I've had about publishing deals have all come from the first time.

[moi]

2.
I know my target market, people that like Strategy Games, so i'm looking at people that play Sins of a Solar Empire, Starcraft, etc.

Then you should really consider using Impulse.