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Seth Paxton's Blog
We at Detour Games are developing our latest independent video game, RAW, and we need audio! RAW is a 2D, action side-scroller that tells the story of a cyborg juggernaut finding his true purpose in a strange, new war-torn world. He will blast, smash, and dash his way through a comic that stretches six epic chapters!
Here’s where we need you! We are a small, indie team and we don’t have a dedicated sound guy. Instead, we are going to crowdsource all the in-game music and sound effects by offering prizes for submissions. From absolute amateurs to industry veterans, everyone is welcome to participate! All the information, including terms and conditions, general guidelines, and how to submit audio, can be found here.
The contest will go from October 10th until December 2nd, and afterwards we will be hosting public polls to help decide the winners. All serious submissions (whether chosen or not) will earn their creator a free copy of the game once it is released. What are you waiting for? The contest ends December 2nd so get started now!
Finishing a Game
As I work towards completing my own game, I’ve been thinking a lot about finishing projects in general. I’ve noticed that there are a lot of really talented developers out there that have trouble finishing games. Truthfully, I’ve left a long trail of unfinished games in my wake… I think everyone has. Not every project is going to pan out, for whatever reason. But if you find yourself consistently backing out of game projects that have a lot of potential, it could be worth taking a step back and examining why this happens.
I’ve found a rut is the consequence of sticking to tried and tested methods that don’t take into account how you or the world has changed.
Twyla Tharp
One of the first websites I’m getting paid to design :)
Just play it
I am frustrated with video game marketing; not because it’s difficult to market a video game or it requires different emphasis but because it requires no emphasis at all. Advertisements for video games lack the subtle selling points of other ads, they show the content of the game and when you can buy it.
THAT’S IT.
There is no, “You should play this game because…” or “This game is better than…” it’s simply “Here it is.” The levels of targeting and segmentation are practically non-existent, the only real marketing being done is when and where to show the adverts.
What if a company put a lot of thought into the brand BEFORE the game was designed? Shouldn’t we pay more attention to the audience we are catering to? Or are we going to keep making Modern Warefare’s and Forza’s that are the exact same thing as before and hope people buy it this time?
Indie game designers, take note!
Video games are about to plateau, they have already started to, and when the playing field of the industry it even it is going to be a bloody marketing war as to which games you should play. The company that gets the ball rolling first will see the best results and their brand will stick out more than any other.
