168 - Releasing

[matt]

Releasing your game is a lot more challenging than uploading a build - at least if you want your game to be successful. In this video, I talk about the things I need to do for Neverending Nightmares and all the stress associated with it.



PS. Perhaps we should start a pester campaign for all the big youtubers once I get keys out. hahah

[JPrice]

Hmmmm I can imagine that it's rather tricky to know when to finalise a game and release it for the press.
If I had to guess however I can imagine that about 1-2 weeks before the full release date would be something that might make things more comfortable. With that you'd be giving them a pretty much fully completed build to review and by the time that it's reviewed and whatever, it'll only be a few days until the full game is officially released to everyone!

As for LP'ers, you could treat them the same I suppose. Although the turn around time for them in playing the game publicly would be smaller so I guess you could release the build to them about a week before the games out (Assuming you wanted to generate some buzz). I think it is a good idea though, seeing as Let's Play's are well suited to a horror game in terms of reaching a wide market. People just like to see other people scared you know hahaa So I do think that you should release it to them before the game fully releases, although for what period of time I'm unsure. Mainly because I don't know of all the procedures that go into prepping a game before launch so there may be things I don't know about haha

[matt]

Yeah, I don't really know either. hahaha I suspect that we will be frantically changing and fixing things until release. There is some art left over from our really early builds before we nailed the art style down. I really want to replace it, but I'm not sure if it will have a bearing on how it is reviewed, so we may replace those assets after we give it out to reviewers. We might want to get keys to important youtubers maybe 3 weeks before just because if we want to make sure they get around to checking it out by the release day, it might be good to give them some time. Maybe they are getting advanced builds of Alien: Isolation, so we want to make sure they get around to checking out our game while it is relevant. I don't know. These are just my random thoughts on the matter. We'll have to see how things play out.

[miumiaou]

are you gonna give keys to French television and magazine?

[matt]

I honestly wouldn't know where to begin. The only French language game press I've ever interacted with is Game Side Story, but I don't think they are super large. I would be glad to give keys to whatever international press I can, but I don't speak French nor do I know what is popular in France, so I'm not sure I can be effective at that.

If you have contact info for any good press in France, I'd be happy to give them keys. I'll probably give keys to any streamers with a decent community or any semi-professional looking game blog or website.

[miumiaou]

I think you should try and contact this channel: http://www.nolife-tv.com/ (here's their contact page: http://www.nolife-tv.com/contact ) because a lot of French gamers like this channel (if you don't understand their contact page they ask (in order) why you contact them (in order: to signal a technical problem- to establish a partnership-to signal a person and the last to any other thing you'll ask) -your name-your Email Address -the subject of the message-The message itself)

There is also Game one that talk about video game (but this one is more mainstream) http://www.gameone.net/ but I think that's more them that are going to contact you if they ever do it.

Maybe you should also contact Jeuxvideo.com because they already have an article about your game but this one isn't really informed (as you can see http://www.jeuxvideo.com/jeux/mac/00050 ... tmares.htm ) (and some people even ask if it is already released or not in the commentary) and it's a reference site

-Gamekult is also a reference site so I think you should contact them http://www.gamekult.com/staff/ (I think you should write to the person on top of the page, to the left)

Also some youtuber that are known in France:
-Squeezie: https://www.youtube.com/user/aMOODIEsqueezie
-Kigyar: https://www.youtube.com/user/teamkigyar69
-Siphano: https://www.youtube.com/user/Siphano13

I think it's all for now (if you need anything just send me a mp)

[matt]

If I send them messages in English will the understand them? I suspect not everyone, right? What should I do in that case?

Thanks!

[miumiaou]

I think they all understand English but in case they're not you can send me an E-mail where you tell me what you want to say to them and I'll translate that ( and if they answer in French I'll translate that too)

[matt]

Okay, sounds good! Thanks!

[RightClickSaveAs]

Do you know what games you'll be releasing against? For horror games, the only big ones I know of currently are both in October: The Evil Within (Oct. 21st) and Alien: Isolation (Oct. 7th). So you'll probably beat those to the punch!