Hello from the new issue of GameDev’s Journey!
Finally returning back to my computer after a month feels good! Thank you to those who read, subscribed and supported GDJ while I was away. I still have a lot of catching up to do, and I'm still not fully back into my game development routine. But I managed put together a new issue for you. Hope you enjoy it.
LET’S GO!
Everything is Marketing
A few months ago, a little after Paranormal Tales shook the indie dev community, I came across this great document by Joe Henson, one of the developers of the game, where he talks about his announcement strategy. I recommend all of you to read it to see how Joe approached the process. Here are some takeaways:
Steam Page: Have your Steam page ready when you announce your game to the world for the first time. (And don’t forget to include a call to action when doing so).
Press List: Joe curated a press list for his game, finding journalists and content creators who cover horror games. And instead of contacting them only when he has a big announcement, he contacted them frequently to build a relationship.
“I kept some of these creators and journalists briefly in the loop about the game during those eight months, essentially trying to develop a relationship with them so that they knew who I was when I eventually reached out to them about the announcement.”
Contacting Press: As we took a look in a previous issue, this is how Joe contacts press:
“I try to keep my message straight to the point. But notice the title? That was my hook, and the references were my anchor. All the necessary info, website, press kit, and Steam page were included. (Little tip: I always include their first name and ask if there’s anything else they need to reach out to me)”
Hooks: Joe ensured he’s making a game that is “marketable”. PT has several hooks: Bodycam perspective, searching for a dog, UE5, etc. All these hooks “hooked” people from different walks of life.
First Announcement: “In my opinion, your first announcement is your most important because first impressions count. It leaves a lasting mark everywhere.” Joe also mentions the importance of leveraging second announcement post: announcing the "release date”. And third announcement post: announcing the actual "launch" of your game (I would also add a fourth post: announcing the “demo” of your game).
Everything is Marketing: “Everything I do, literally, everything, I look at from a marketing point of view. I think, "how can I maximize the game's chance of success?" Give yourself a better chance of succeeding by making your game marketable” says Joe.
And then he finishes with something I find inspiring:
“Don't try to sell a product (your game); instead, try to tell its story - there's a massive difference between the two.”
So ask yourself: Is your game marketable? Do you wear your marketing glasses before making a decision?
Assets
L.V.E 2023 - Lava & Volcano Environment 2023
🎮Game Engine: Unity
💵Price: 70 USD
“Huge pack of lava environments, systems, tools, textures, particles, and models which give you the ability to simulate and create volcanos, caves, dungeons interiors, lava rivers, lakes sea.” It also comes with a highly-detailed manual, which is always appreciated, and a discord server where you can get support.
Behavior 2 | Game Creator 2 by Catsoft Works
🎮Game Engine: Unity
💵Price: 39.99 USD
This asset pack enables you to create your own behavioral AI systems using 4 industry-standard techniques. (Keep in mind that it requires Game Creator 2).
Game Modules 4 - Make {YOUR} Game - Flexible Tools with Stats, Items, Save/Load+
🎮Game Engine: Unity
💵Price: 80 USD
“Game Modules 4 is an extremely flexible bundle of tools and systems simplifying and automating common complex mechanics, designed by game devs for game devs of all skill levels.” This tools include: Save & Load, Stats, Item Objects & Item Attributes, Conditions, Quests, Gametime and more. It also has a vast documentation, YouTube tutorials, and Discord support.
The Unreal Engine Asset Bonanza
A sandbox of open world assets including 3D models for characters, environments, props, and vehicles, high quality mocap animation sets, royalty-free music collections, and more.
New Free Assets
City People Lite: “Free Sample set of Low-Poly Style city characters! Meticulously handcrafted, featuring diverse faces and body shapes. Customizable colors with ease to match your project.”
ArcGIS Maps SDK for Unity: “The ArcGIS Maps SDK for Unity from Esri integrates the vast ecosystem of real-world location data and analytics provided by ArcGIS directly into Unity to help you create the next generation of digital twin experiences.”
All Platforms Save v2.0: “Easy to use save system compatible with all Unity platforms.”
Inspiration
An atmospheric narrative adventure written by Rhianna Pratchett. Set between the pages of a diary and a fantasy story where you run on words and use them to interact with the world around you.
Me
Reading: Barking Up the Wrong Tree by Eric Barker.
Watching: Finished House of the Dragon and Wheel of Time (Season 2).
Playing: Returned to Cyberpunk 2077 to check out the 2.0 update and the new DLC.
Listening:
Thanks for reading!
And that’s it from today’s issue of GameDev’s Journey. I hope you enjoyed it and find it useful. If you did, please like and leave a comment. Reach out for suggestions, objections, questions, or just say hi!
But regardless, thank you so much for reading, and have a great game dev journey!