Creating a fan base.

[Seth M. Drebitko]

Good day,
I have been trying to decide on different approaches to my getting a setting heavy game into the public and have pretty much decided that creating a fan base that would spread the word (assuming they liked the game) is the best approach. My goal is to put out 4 role playing books, and a novel as the initial line. What I would like to do is once I have all of these things ready for sale a couple months ahead of time start sending out pdf copies of each book to raise some hype.
My question is how many copies should I leak out to be most effective and should I send the entire product or just samples of each book?
Regards, Seth (sorry for the messy post tired, and fighting cat for my key bored)

[Luke]

if you'll permit me a poorly thought out allegory: what you've said is akin to, "we can solve poverty and famine by giving out cans of beans and soup."

I think you're missing some steps, if building a fan base is truly your goal.

The best way to build a fan base for a game (on no budget) is to play the game with as many other people as you can. Games need to be played in order to be fully apprecaited. You get people to play by running demos at your LGS, going to cons and promoting the hell out of your game and running events at your local gaming club. You then support interested players by providing them with materials. It also helps to be polite, enthusiastic and a little bit crazy.

-Luke

[Seth M. Drebitko]

Forgive the first post it was not well thought out thus horribly worded and I should have waited till I was not so busy to post it. I do plan on running games however I have a very small group of very apathetic people that I have been able to find living near me. What I am looking to do is once the work is in a presentable format pass it around to some people on-line so that they and their groups can get into it. What I am hoping this will do is create a buzz so that when I am able to schedule some time for cons I can announce it and the people that have heard of the game will already know of it and have told others who in turn will hopefully want to purchase the product.

So my first question is basically what is the best way to raise buzz about a product along side simply just giving out PDF copies as part of a contest with the underlying motive of generating buzz.

Forgive the first post it was not well thought out thus horribly worded and I should have waited till I was not so busy to post it.
Regards, Seth

[TonyLB]

So my first question is basically what is the best way to raise buzz about a product along side simply just giving out PDF copies as part of a contest with the underlying motive of generating buzz.

Have a really good product.

Sorry, that's really pretty much it.  You can give out free copies until doomsday, but most of us don't have access to the sort of media-saturation that you would need to actually get inside people's heads and convince them that they're excited about something that doesn't engage them on its own merits.  If they get your PDF for free, read a few pages into it, then close the file you can't hit them with billboard, TV, radio until they're convinced that everyone else thinks your game is the greatest thing ever, and they reopen the PDF for a second look.

The only media we have that get that kind of constant hit, hit, hit exposure on gamers are message boards.  It's generally considered poor form to pay money or favors for people to represent themselves as enjoying your product ("Misery Bubblegum got my whites 50% whiter than leading brands!") and so you get the Catch-22 of the feedback cycle:  the only way you can get people to generate buzz by posting on message boards is to have them already thinking about and enjoying your game.  You need buzz to create more buzz.

This is a virtuous cycle if your game is so good that alot of people who read it want to post about it.  It's a vicious cycle if your game doesn't generate that kind of excitement in very many people who read it.  And that, as they say, is that.  There are all sorts of techniques and strategies about giving people initial and repeat exposure, but what it basically comes down to is this:  you put a certain amount of energy and resources into giving people their initial exposure and either the amount of exposure they then give to other people exceeds your initial investment (a virtuous feedback cycle) and you start getting "buzz" or it falls short (a vicious feedback cycle) and you don't.

[Ben Lehman]

I'm strongly opposed to free copies as a buzz-generating tool, except maybe in the instance of free copies to particular people.  Well respected reviewers, for instance.

What is good, however, is getting people (not you) to play your game and write about it.  Pretty much anyone not-you writing about your game in public, especially about play of your game (if it's actually fun to play, of course) is buzz in the internet era.

yrs--
--Ben

[Certified]

I'm strongly opposed to free copies as a buzz-generating tool, except maybe in the instance of free copies to particular people.  Well respected reviewers, for instance.

What is good, however, is getting people (not you) to play your game and write about it.  Pretty much anyone not-you writing about your game in public, especially about play of your game (if it's actually fun to play, of course) is buzz in the internet era.

yrs--
--Ben

I defiantly have to agree, as far as generating Buzz, try to avoid giving out free copies unless there's a trade off involved. That said, what I've tried to make sure that I run demos with some frequency. One a month is a goal, but right now it's maybe 2-3 months between them. Normally at different comic shops in the area, I'll bring in flyers or a poster with my card and direct them to the website for a couple of weeks before hand. Conventions are another good place to be, if there's a gaming room, let your presence be known. If you're going out of pocket try to get reusable adverts, cover art posters with no DDT but contact info. Quarter page black and white flyers aren't too expensive and a page sized customer flyer for the shop, if they'll put it at the register.

[Ron Edwards]

Hello,

My conclusion after all these years is this: buzz is only real when it reflects actual enthusiasm. However, you can help promote actual enthusiasm by providing feedback, and most especially a community context for people to share their experiences and to receive that feedback.

Think of letters pages in comics - the readers not only enjoy the comics, but they can communicate with one another about their enjoyment, butt heads with each other, match their wits with the editor, and otherwise participate in a community. When you provide this, and if your game is any good, you will start seeing buzz as a side-effect. You don't have to make it happen, and indeed if you try, it will suck.

Instead, facilitate that community to occur, just by having a "place to be" online where their participation is appreciated, and all promotion after that is easy as pie.

And yes, this is a big design feature of the Forge.

Best,
Ron

[Joshua A.C. Newman]

Sincerity is clearly much more sustainable than manufactured hype, yeah.

[MatrixGamer]

Prelude

You've got a game, that's the first step. It doesn't have to be perfect yet. As you play it with people you will see the holes (and correct them).

It is nice to have the basic rules of the game available to players (on a web page?) but I don't think it generates buzz. I second Ron's comment about the lack of utility of buzz without it being real.

Playing the game at clubs, stores, and conventions gets real people doing actual play. Without this a game isn't really anything but a bunch of words. As you do this, have fun! If you're not having fun I assure you no one else will.

Here is my experience at pursuing this kind of goal. When I started working on Engle Matrix Games in 1988 people looked at me real funny when I said "Okay, tell me what happens next." They swore it was unplayable, cheating, stupid, or you'd need a Phd to play it. I felt that people making arguments on what happens next in a game was a good idea and that if I was willing to do the foot work it would become a part of the hobby. My first goal was to tell 100 people about the game in a year. I did so by putting out a news letter and by writing MANY articles in other amatuer newsletters. New I wanted 100 people to play the game. I went to conventions and started making friends. I liked meeting other newsletter editors and fellow game makers. I found them very supportive and fun to be with. All the time my game ideas were refined and improved.

Around 1995 I got the idea that I should publish the game professionally. This was because I noticed that people didn't think a home made game was "real" but a printed game was. I wanted the idea to spread and since I couldn't afford to print and give away - I had to do it as a business. Also I noticed that people just don't seem to value what they get for free. PDF products do away with this equation though, except for the people not valuing free stuff part.

After 1995 I was really no longer on the "gee isn't my game neat" trail. I do enjoy the "be professional about your business" trail I am on but I don't recommend it to everyone. Dave Arneson told me in the early 90's that he was sorry I was intent on the "push Matrix Games" thing - he said it would ruin my hobby. He was right about that. I now just don't have the time or energy to play that I once did. It could be phase of life stuff though - I mean I've just spent the last week doing a medical records chart audit at work and as of May I'll be the senior social worker at the Indiana University Health Center...and my cat is a turd.

Keep on smiling!

Chris Engle
Hamster Press = Engle Matrix Games

[Seth M. Drebitko]

Thanks very much for all the help you have all provided it will be very useful. I will have to be taking a break from things for now as soon I leave for a basic training. I do plan on picking things up and running a couple games in AIT or at least working on things. I will not be able to post much until September but I will try and sneak on to the boards as much as possible.
Regards, Seth

[Sydney Freedberg]

Good luck in Basic, and take care out there. (AIT = Advanced Infantry Training = combat infantry, right? Hooah).

[Sydney Freedberg]

Grrr -- cursed disabling of "edit" button -- AIT = Advanced Individual Training. Hooah anyway.

[Seth M. Drebitko]

Actualy I am going to be an MP hooah any how though.
Regards, Seth

[Ron Edwards]

Too much socializing.

I think this thread has met its goals, so now is the time to call it closed.

Best,
Ron