Publicity Of AGS Games

Steel Drummer · Sun 07/01/2007 00:48:41

I find it very annoying how games like FoY or The Apprentice get so much publicity (even during the production phase); and games equally as good, if not better, like Legend Of The Lost Lagoon or Chronicles Of The Red Knight are only read about on the AGS site. I don't think it's because of the developer publicizing it, because the games are mostly picked up by magazines and the like; but certain are so hyped up and they don't turn out nearly as good as planned (I know the backgrounds, sprites, and music in FoY were great, but quite a few people, including myself, found it really glitchy; and we waited years for the demo). It seems like almost any game made by the South African AGS gamers (who are some of the best), buloght, Mordalles, and Afflict, aren't even reviewed on sites like Adventure Gamers. And it's not just because they're from an obscure location, there are famous AGSers from all over the place.

On the other hand, sorry for sounding so harsh about FoY, but I think that these other developers need some publicity too. I'm not saying that FoY is entirely bad, but we have some other good developers who are releasing games faster than Screen 7. I'm done telling my opinion, now I want to know what you guys think about this issue...

scotch · Sun 07/01/2007 01:00:15

Very few AGSers have bothered with promoting their games, and most games go unnoticed by many external reviewers, so if you're concerned about it try telling them about the games. FoY gets a lot of promotion because people remember the Indy games fondly, and it's a well made fan game. The Ben Jordan games, and the Apprentice games, or anything Yahtzee releases have their followings, so they usually get noticed too now.

I must admit I haven't seen the games you mentioned, I don't know how worthy of attention they are, but if you consider them very good and want to share them about then maybe send a link to some review sites.

Personally I wouldn't bother because I don't care enough about gaining a large audience, probably a lot of AGSers feel the same way, and that's why we don't do promotion.

Steel Drummer · Sun 07/01/2007 01:15:31

I'm not overly concerned about getting the less famous games promoted, I just think that they should get as much attention as the other guys' (and girls') games. Also, I don't see why a game like Spooks gets more attention from external sources than a huge epic game like Mordy 2. Most AGS games aren't really promoted too much, unless it's a commercial game like The Shivah.

Vince Twelve · Sun 07/01/2007 01:21:14

Actually, with Spooks, acting as the game's publisher, I sent emails to various adventure game sites telling them about the game in hopes that they would post a news post or a review about the game. Did Mordalles try the same things with Mordy 2?

We're a small niche community. Not a whole lot of people outside of our community are interested in what we do here, or it at least takes some convincing to make them interested. If you want more publicity for a certain game, then publicize it. Complaining about it in this forum isn't going to do much good.

buloght · Sun 07/01/2007 01:25:13

I have 3 short games, I don't think they are worth promotion. I know mordalles doesn't really like promoting his games too. We don't want to be dragged into this (but thanks anyway yoda

).

Gregjazz · Sun 07/01/2007 03:59:13

Quote from: Steel Drummer on Sun 07/01/2007 00:48:41
I find it very annoying how games like FoY or The Apprentice get so much publicity (even during the production phase)

First of all, thanks for your support! It's great how AGSers support their fellow community members.

Okay, I just couldn't resist that. I'm sorry you feel that way about Apprentice. We spent a lot of work on those games and released them for free, so it's kinda disappointing to hear a response like that. And by the way, we spent hardly any time publicizing Apprentice. We announced it on AGS forums, and that was about as far as our publicity efforts went. I guess the games caught on because people enjoyed them, and our whole mission was to bring some fun to people.

FoY is a long-term project which, even though it's taking a long time to complete and release, still maintains interest because in my opinion it represents that nostalgia we have for those old Lucasarts Indiana Jones games. When the game is released it'll be cool because we can relive some of that same feeling from Fate of Atlantis and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

I'm really looking forward to Legend Of The Lost Lagoon, and if it's as good a game as I think it's going to be, I'm sure it's going to get all sorts of publicity and praise.

Steel Drummer · Sun 07/01/2007 05:39:50

Well if there are games just as good as those that are going to get finished faster, in my opinion, they should be more public. Don't get me wrong, I really like The Apprentice, but I'm tired of having so many reviews and stuff online for it yet nothing for this treasure trove of great games which, apparently, no one outside the AGS community knows about.

EDIT:

Quote from: Steel Drummer on Sun 07/01/2007 00:48:41
I find it very annoying how games like FoY or The Apprentice get so much publicity (even during the production phase)

Allow me to rephrase that: I find it annoying how games like FoY and The Apprentice get so much hype. It's like Tom Cruise. The media gets hysterical if he even blinks. Who cares?

Snarky · Sun 07/01/2007 06:38:31

I don't see the point in comparing games that exist, such as Apprentice or the FoY demo, with games that do not, such as Legend of the Lost Lagoon and Chronicles of the Red Knight. Given the large proportion of announced AGS projects that are never completed, it would be ridiculous if these games received as much attention as games that are out there for people to play. How much press did FOY get outside the AGS community before the demo? Not much.

Given the level of hype in its GIP thread, I'm sure that if and when LOTLL is released, it will not be overlooked, either.

Gregjazz · Sun 07/01/2007 07:24:49

Quote from: Steel Drummer on Sun 07/01/2007 05:39:50
Well if there are games just as good as those that are going to get finished faster, in my opinion, they should be more public. Don't get me wrong, I really like The Apprentice, but I'm tired of having so many reviews and stuff online for it yet nothing for this treasure trove of great games which, apparently, no one outside the AGS community knows about.

EDIT:

Quote from: Steel Drummer on Sun 07/01/2007 00:48:41
I find it very annoying how games like FoY or The Apprentice get so much publicity (even during the production phase)

Allow me to rephrase that: I find it annoying how games like FoY and The Apprentice get so much hype. It's like Tom Cruise. The media gets hysterical if he even blinks. Who cares?

Keep in mind that the first Apprentice has been out for over four years, and therefore I wouldn't be surprised if there are a lot of reviews out there on the game. As Snarky said, there's a big difference in how much publicity a game gets depending on whether it has been released or is still in production. And as our fans well know, we keep our upcoming games pretty secretive, so there's really not much publicity at all before the release.

And you know what, I'm really sure great games in production such as LOTLL aren't being overlooked--people are just anticipating its release. In fact, the thread for it in GiP has 30263 views at the moment I'm posting this. Sounds like a lot of people know about the game to me.

m0ds · Sun 07/01/2007 13:44:23

QuoteHow much press did FOY get outside the AGS community before the demo? Not much.

Very true. Anyone has the same amount of chance getting good publicity. You just have to make something that will appeal greatly to the public eye. FoA2 has had several PC magazine articles in the past, double-spreads in fact. Sorry that you feel this way Yodaman, but really, it is just you. You have to ask yourself, are you just looking for mass publicity? I'm certainly not. The fact that happens is a bonus but it's not like FoY is designed to get me, Screen 7 or the developers famous. We're doing it because we love FoA - which I've said millions of times. So, why do you need "so much" publicity? I remember the days when developers used to get emails from people saying how much they enjoyed playing their games and that was satisfying enough. Surely that is for anybody, I know it is for me. Also in our defence, have you played demo version 1.1 yet, or are you still ranting on about 1.0?

QuoteI don't think it's because of the developer publicizing it, because the games are mostly picked up by magazines and the like

Er, yes. You said it yourself. So why did you say all the rest? If your game falls into public eye then so be it, if not then so what? There are plenty of games here that have been played by thousands of people and been enjoyed. If anything, I detect jealousy.

CaptainBinky · Sun 07/01/2007 14:43:39

You shouldn't expect your game to get loads of coverage - if you want press, then you'll have to pimp your game. We've been posting about The Forgotten Element absolutely everywhere (we posted on every adventure related forum we could find and because of this we're now on Strategy Informer, Adventure Lantern, and we have a banner and interview on www.gibbage.co.uk - and the game isn't even out yet) and we shall do another bout of shameless self-promotion when the prologue is released. Even in commercial games land, games do not self-promote unless you happen to be working on something controversial (controversial == cheap marketing).

The fact that games such as you mention (FoY, Apprentice, Spooks, etc) do get coverage is great (even if it would be nicer if more games got mentioned) because it helps spread the word of AGS and perhaps bring more people here - you shouldn't get annoyed that these same games are mentioned all the time, you should feel inspired to improve and promote your own work to get it recognised along with these titles.

Cap'n Binky

Steel Drummer · Sun 07/01/2007 17:00:39

I'm not complaining that my game doesn't get promotion. I'm complaining that other games which are better than the hyped up games aren't getting promos.

m0ds · Sun 07/01/2007 17:13:11

So, you're basically moaning pointlessly. It's not something in our control, or yours. Captain Binky makes a good point.

Quoteyou shouldn't get annoyed that these same games are mentioned all the time, you should feel inspired to improve and promote your own work to get it recognised along with these titles.

Games being better are a matter of taste, and here it's obviously just yours and very few other peoples. Maybe there are more people that feel the same and they should come forward, but as they don't, I can only guess the rest have no problems with AGS games that get good coverage.

Any publicity is good publicity.

buloght · Sun 07/01/2007 17:40:43

Yoda: Our games aren't that impressive, mordalles didn't even wanna release Duty and Beyond, he thought it was a bad game. Please don't mention our games as we do not think it requires any promotion or hype, there is a reason a games like FOY and Apprentice gets so far, they are professional quality, not just another average AGS games.

Afflict · Sun 07/01/2007 18:15:06

"Yislike"

I read this and went WOW, that these titles inspired someone so much that he took it to heart.

On this subject, I just want to say : Different strokes for different folks. Some like it hot... and there are probably a million ways to say it. People like different things and some things appeal more to them than others.

The same with the guys maybe looking for games they want to put in the magazine or site.

I personally haven't released anything yet, however the reason I do work on the art and the work i do is not for some game reviewer to go. "Well done Afflict here let me review your game and slander it all over the net" it's because I like the idea that somewhere I will make some people enjoy there day a little more, and maybe, just maybe get someone to take the next step in making there own art, work or even game!

In conclusion : m0ds has a good point, any publicity is good publicity, not just for the specific game, but for the community as a whole. AGS from CJ and every other game over released in AGS, noted on this website.

Afflict.

LimpingFish · Sun 07/01/2007 19:04:29

I promoted Heartland Deluxe on Adventure Gamers, as I already happened to be a forum member, but that's about the limit of any calculated promotion on my part. I submitted it to Adventure Developers when Erwin_br posted his thread here asking for any new games, if that counts as promotion.

Everything else just happened on its own (the Czech review on plnehry.idnes.cz, the walkthrough and database add to GameBoomers, coverage on a couple of indy game blogs, etc).

These things just happen. A few games do dominate the coverage of AGS in the mainstream gaming media, but they are popular games and they've had time to accumulate any following or cache they might hold within the indy game scene.

I don't really see a problem, but each to his own.

Steel Drummer · Sun 07/01/2007 20:55:22

Quote from: buloght on Sun 07/01/2007 17:40:43
Yoda: Our games aren't that impressive, mordalles didn't even wanna release Duty and Beyond, he thought it was a bad game. Please don't mention our games as we do not think it requires any promotion or hype, there is a reason a games like FOY and Apprentice gets so far, they are professional quality, not just another average AGS games.

Well, theirs are more professional because the grammar and music in the games is better. Your graphics are just as good as theirs though. Look how many sprite jams you SA guys have won! That alone shows that you can release a game just as good as them.

Sam. · Sun 07/01/2007 22:19:36

No it doesnt.

Graphics don't make a game. I'd hope that someone with YOUR artisistic talent would know that, otherwise you should just give up now.

Story and music and accuracy all make a good game, not graphics.

Steel Drummer · Sun 07/01/2007 23:04:43

I improved my art.

Vince Twelve · Sun 07/01/2007 23:07:22

Yoda, everybody's on the same side here. We all want AGS games to get the attention they diserve. There isn't like some conspiracy in which some people's games are getting sidelined.

Don't complain here about it, take a proactive stance. Post in some other message boards about a game you like. Send an email to a website that might want to review it. The worst that could happen is that they could not respond. This thread isn't helping anyone.