A behind the scenes look at industry standards and trade secrets

B y J a c k D a l r y m p l e C a pA n d C u t . c o m

/v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple 1

o  Lead Video Editor, Technical Director at WB Games’ Turbine Studio for 10 years

o  Over 265 trailers and marketing videos with over 9 million views online

o  SVP Marketing for Ape Law and Bit Fry working on Albino Lullaby and TBA

o  Founder of Cap And Cut, a Boston based trailer house and creative design studio

About Jack Dalrymple

C a p A nd C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

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Brand vs Marketing

What is Brand?

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

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Brand Determines Loyalty

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

Brand an idea -�M e s s a g e a n d Reputation� �Marketing is big data driven - a product pitch m e a s u r e d against sales

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The brand is ultimately what determines if you will become a loyal customer or not.

The marketing may convince you to buy GTA, but it is the brand that will determine if you will buy every single game Rockstar Games will make for the rest of your life.

Marketing Vs Branding

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

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Sour

ce: h

erm

esse

rvic

esgr

oup.

com

A move From Hope to Faith

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

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Under the Marketing Umbrella

What is Marketing?

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

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Marketing 101

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

Everything Leads to Sales

R&D– Focus Groups or Common Sense… � Make What People Want!

Ads – Print, Web, Content, Social

Promos – Bundles and Sales

PR – “The Story” Can Go Farther Than an Ad and Ads Can be Part of the Story

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Marketing Related to Games

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

Place is decided by platform and distributor:

PC • Mac • Linux SteamOS �

PS4 • Xbox • Wii Wii U • OUYA Android • iOS�Google Play �

Facebook�Humble Bumble�IndieGameStand

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4P’s of Marketing

Product – R&D and Development

Price – Depends on the Market

Promotion – Bundles and Sales

Place – How and Where You Distribute

Game Monetization Funnel

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

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MU

ST R

EAD

Sou

rce:

htt

p://

bit.

ly/B

reak

ingI

ntoS

ocia

lGam

ing

How To Get Fans

What makes a game successful

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

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Get Coverage – Who?

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

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o  YouTubers

o  Twitchers

o  Podcasts

o  Blogs

o  Press

Get Coverage – How?

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

Press Kit

Description

Press Releases

Trailer

Screenshots

Demo

Links (website, social media, past press)

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Hey! I wanted to shoot you a quick note because I loved your article on [similar game]. I'm with [Company] and we are making a [type of game] game named [Whatever]. Would you like to check out the demo? Here is a link to our Press Kit [link] and a couple articles written about us [link, link, link]. We would love a review or article from you, but even if not I would still be happy to send you the demo.

Engage With Your Fans

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

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Don’t just be a shill, actively participate and talk to people.�

o  YouTube Channel

o  Tumblr Blog

o  Facebook

o  Twitter

o  LinkedIn

Feed the Beast And Announce

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

Content Marketing – Content is King

Blog Posts – Developer Updates

Concept Art

Screenshots

Videos (Shows, Teasers, Trailers, Dev Diaries)

Playable Demos

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Content Creation

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

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All 3 Does Not Exist

Good & Fast = Not Cheap

Fast & Cheap = Not Good

Cheap & Good = Not Fast

Get Featured In Store

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

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10,000% Increase in Sales when Featured!

How? MAKE SOMETHING REMARKABLE

Reach out, but if the game isn’t unique and amazing it won’t matter.

Trade Shows

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

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o  Press

o  Exposure

o  Feedback

o  Awards

Ads… Maybe not

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

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Ad Return is Minimal – Focus on Social Media, Blogs, and Press

“Every AAA Indie Game has A Long-term Slow-burn Grass-roots Awareness-building Campaign” ~ Chris Hecker of Spy Party

In special cases direct advertising on blogs can open communications for getting features written by the site.

The Difference That Money Makes

What AAA Has That Indies Don’t

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

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Getting Funding For Development

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

Green Light Pitches

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Executive meetings with parent company to either g a i n c o n t i n u e d p r o j e c t funding or immediately stop development. Pitches take a significant capital investment and months of preparation.

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

The Org Chart

22 VP of

Marketing

PR Director

Community Managers

Marketing Director

Brand Managers

Associates/Specialists

Creative Teams (Web/

Video)

Producers

Artists

VP of Development

EP

Producers

Artists/Programmers

Who Makes What?

Ad Agency PR Agency

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

Create Key Art & Ads Secure Editorial (free) Coverage

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Trailer House Internal Artists

Teasers & Trailers Tweaking Agency Assets

Champion/Challenger Strategy

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

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100% Data Driven

System is compounded exponentially for each ad in combination with a landing page.

Round 1 Round 2 Round 3

New Champion

Challenger

Challenger

Challenger

Challenger

Challenger

Champion

Old Champion

Opinions Do Not Matter The Winner

Wins

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

Tracking Pixels

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Research

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

Larger developers have been known to market-test their games to destruction.

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Costly Large Scale Focus Groups and Biometric Playtesting F o l l o w e d b y B o t h Marketing and Game Design Changes

$$ Gets Everyone Their Own Hat

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

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Don’t Steal Other People’s Hats

Be Helpful when You Can

Do Your Job Well

Be Mindful of Your Place

Accept Your Roll

Choose Your Battles

Doing the Job

So Now What?

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

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Indie Vs AAA – Pros of Both

Learn a Wider Variety of Skills and Jobs

More Freedom and Less Approvals

Small Chance for a Huge Payout

Easier to Break Into

Super Hone Specific Skills of a Single Job

Talented People to Learn From

Consistent Paycheck

Looks Amazing on Resume

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

Indie AAA

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Press kit checklist

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

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o  Screenshots – 6 to 12 screenshots of the best of the best of gameplay.

o  Video - Embedded YouTube and links to hires download.

o  Playable Demo – A must have to request press coverage.

o  Past Press Coverage - Every time someone writes a favorable blurb about your game, update your kit.

o  Game Info sheet - One page about the game and the team.

o  Fact Sheet - Links to your website, dev blog, Twitter and Facebook accounts, as well as your email address.

o  Logos and Awards – Tastefully use your logo and if you get awards add them.

o  Use presskit()

Partial Source: http://gamedev.tutsplus.com/articles/business-articles/promoting-your-indie-game-checklist/

PR and Marketing Resources

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

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o  Marketing Your Indie Game: http://is.gd/Rt0pxo

o  An Indie Game Developer's Marketing Checklist: http://is.gd/a6217g

o  How to Format a Press Release: http://is.gd/wAWHxM

o  How to Annoy a Games Journalist with a Press Release: http://is.gd/r361Q2

o  Free Press Release Distribution Sites: http://is.gd/AoXK8O

o  TIG Forums Topic: Press Release Distribution Services: http://is.gd/35Sx0c

o  20 Tips for Indie Game Developers Using Social Media: http://is.gd/UCjs9C

o  PixelProspector.com's The Big List of Indie Game Marketing: http://is.gd/cfd16B

o  Market Your Indie Game on a $0 Budget (Presentation): http://is.gd/C2K5oI

o  Using YouTube to Market Your Indie Game (Presentation): http://is.gd/gl3HRD

o  Developers: Stop Being Shit - Indie Game Marketing (Presentation): http://is.gd/S0EG9X

Remember: Presentation is Everything

Questions And Answers

C a p A n d C u t . c o m /v/ Game Marketing • By Jack Dalrymple

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