Hello,
So how would you recommend going about creating a product image for your new cool game?

Should you spend loads of $$$ on the cover?

Does the game's design affect the image it is projecting?

Does the image of the game affect it's design?

What elements are important when creating the image you want to project with your game?

Internal art, the fonts, the subject matter?

What does your game sound like?
Are the stories that people talk about after they play your game invoke images? or is it full of game mechanics?

??

Hi Mark,

There's really two ways to approach this; either you can come at this from a business standpoint(the goal is to make profit) or from a hobby standpoint(the goal is to make the games I want).

If you're coming from a business standpoint, the thing to do is round up a few hundred thousand dollars in capital, hire some professional business managers and a marketing firm, and let them give the advice. Honestly, that's what the big companies are doing, and that's how they have the media run of videogames, magazines, books, movies, etc. to complement their actual games.

If you're coming from a hobby standpoint, understand that you're not going to make a lot of money at this. Not even enough to really let you quit your job and live on a shoestring budget. Period.

And if that's the case, killing yourself over marketing so that you can sell maybe a few extra copies isn't worth the effort. Get some good art, get it for free if you can, pay only if you must. It's easy enough to find art students who are willing to do art for free provided you give them credit and a free copy of the game for their portfolio. Get a graphic design student and let them do your game. Since you're not on a schedule("Damn, the investors keep breathing down my neck!"), take time and get it to look nice.

Make sure your website is nice, and set up a forum for questions and discussion. Get a community going. Get some reviews on other boards or sites, and get as much actual play reports as possible.

Chris

Just a comment on the art thing. Chris is right, you can get quality art for free rather easily. We have several of our playtesters doing some art for us, and IMO it rivals what you would see in any "big" game. You would be surprised what you can do with relatively little experience with programs like Photo shop. For example, a this picture was done entirely in photoshop using a snapshot of the moon, and IMO it came out pretty good. You would also be surpised how many gamers have experience in subjects such as layout. As you gain testers, find out what abilites they have and what they can offer. Many will help out for the thrill of being involved in a project and to get thier name on a "real" game.