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Geek Culture / Publicity - DarkBASIC games

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Andy Igoe
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Posted: 8th Jun 2003 23:24
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I was wondering what internet sites where good for publicising freeware and commercial games - and what magazines around the world have a coverdisk that supports freeware programmers?

It is a shame to make a game and not be able to share it with many people because of bandwidth constraints and not knowing 'hang-outs' of games players.
Pneumatic Dryll
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~thane/char01.jpg[/img]
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MikeS
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Posted: 8th Jun 2003 23:33
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There was a post in the newcomers corner about this.

http://www.darkbasicpro.com/apollo/view.php?t=11238&b=7

I don't know if they will help, but you can check them out.

This one personally caught my attention

http://www.gamethoughts.com/developers/publishingfaq.asp

Although I'll need to look into it a little more.



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Ian T
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Posted: 9th Jun 2003 02:16
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I believe there was a site called GameTunnel which focused on share/freeware games... not sure, that was a little while back.

--Mouse

Famous Fighting Furball
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Arrow
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Posted: 9th Jun 2003 07:56
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Send some demos to some Gaming mags, you might get lucky.

Teenage Male Geek + Female Remotly Intersted in Common Geek Activities = Teenage Male Jackass
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MikeS
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Posted: 9th Jun 2003 08:00
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PneumaticDryll, are you involved in anyway with a garage games project?

Just pondering, I think I might have seen your name posted somewhere about that.

maybe I'm just going crazy



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Martyn Pittuck
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Posted: 9th Jun 2003 10:51
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email the editor of PCG he will put it in, just say here is my game, stick it on your disk, dont even have to write a review.

The Outside is a evil place to be, too much light, too much noise and too many distractions....
I went outside once and my FPS rate dropped to 5.
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Andy Igoe
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Posted: 9th Jun 2003 11:24
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Yellow you are going crazy. Either that or my fame (or notoriety) has permeated outside of my own domain.

I've asked PC Format to coverdisk my Asteroids game for the UK - does anyone know any websites/emails of non-UK magazines I could contact please?

Pneumatic Dryll
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Martyn Pittuck
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Posted: 9th Jun 2003 15:48
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ask PCG ask PCG, they had SW3 on it a while back and if you ask nicely would probaly agree to interview a ammeture games dev (or ae you a semi-pro?)

The Outside is a evil place to be, too much light, too much noise and too many distractions....
I went outside once and my FPS rate dropped to 5.
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Shadow Robert
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Posted: 9th Jun 2003 17:08
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yeah ask PCG-UK, they'll love everything DarkBASIC
if you need international noticeability apply to have it placed on Fileplanet there is a current audiance of 4million users - if you make the main news that is alot of people noticing your game, plus free hosting (or atleast mirror)

Within the Epic battle of the fates the Shadow and the Angel will meet. With it will harbinger the very fight of good vs evil!
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Arrow
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Posted: 9th Jun 2003 17:20
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I'ld look into Game Informer, they do some good work, tough but fair, they're the most unbais gaming mag I've read.

Teenage Male Geek + Female Remotly Intersted in Common Geek Activities = Teenage Male Jackass
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Killer Sponge
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Posted: 9th Jun 2003 17:36
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i agree on PCG. They do love DB stuff, (looking back about 1-2 yrs ago when they had that massive DB feature and every disk for 6months had a demo of DB on it thats what got me started with DB) PCG gets alot of buyers and it should publisize your game massivily in the UK however foriegn magz, No idea, sorry

Current Project: KS Modeller Function Library & Editor
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Andy Igoe
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Posted: 9th Jun 2003 21:46
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I'll have to wait on PC-Format before I try PC-Gamer as they are both UK. I guess PCF will be a week or so mulling it over or however long it takes these days.

I also contacted Game Informer, but I am not sure from the website that they have a cover disk. Handy contact for when launching commercial games but I don't think they will be able to help me distribute Asteroids.

Pneumatic Dryll
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Shadow Robert
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Posted: 10th Jun 2003 00:39
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i wouldn't bother Pneu, they're own by the same publisher "Future Publishing" what is available content for one is also for the other.

PCGUK does have a bloody large Worldwide readerbase though, i mean the fact that Microsoft have bought and now host the PCG site on thier Gamer site thingie ... probably the best loved PC mag that i know of - never really liked PC Format much, same goes for Amiga Format they were both very paper thin and kinda boring - atleast in PCG even if the reviewer doesn't like the genre he/she's been given they still give the game a fair cop

Within the Epic battle of the fates the Shadow and the Angel will meet. With it will harbinger the very fight of good vs evil!
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Andy Igoe
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Posted: 10th Jun 2003 01:11
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The thing that always bothered me about Future Publishing, and this wont effect most people here, but it's their advertising rates.

They are substantially more expensive than the rest, significantly so, and somehow they get away with it. The years cloud the numbers now but I think they where charging £20K for a spread that in another magazine only cost my boss £3K.

Now to an extent I don't mind that, but my problem is this: The saving is not past on to the end consumer. On face value Future Publishing appear to be creaming it in from every direction.

However the last time I looked they where still the No. 1 selling magazine (although I admit I dont read games mags anymore and haven't for years now) and you just can't argue with that.

I suppose they would say if you want the best you have to pay for it.

Pneumatic Dryll
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Shadow Robert
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Posted: 11th Jun 2003 18:13
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its true though Pneu... you get what you pay for, PCGamer is a 250-300page magazine with a CoverDvD/TwinCDs - it covers games previews, reviews, current major topics within the industry, cheats, budget reviews, hardware reviews, software problems + prize, letters + prize, humourous screenshots + prize - i've not had it for a month or two but they even have on occasion a Game Idea's section which also had a prize... plus the monthly competition and hardware problem solving and internet/online area.

You could argue that perhaps £5 is a bit steep for it, but when you have a good 4.2Gb DvD full of crap you'll never need and some damn decent current Demo's - plus everything the mag has ... then compare to the paperthin 100ish page PC Format which just really has reviews and nothing else. Not hard to see where all that future publishing cash is actually going eh

Within the Epic battle of the fates the Shadow and the Angel will meet. With it will harbinger the very fight of good vs evil!
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spooky
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Posted: 11th Jun 2003 19:47
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My company used to have a full page ad in Amiga Format, ST Format, PC Format and a few others I can't remember. At our peak we were advertising in nearly 10 mags every month. We used to sell games and stuff. The advertising bill was absolutely huge.

Funny thing about Future Publishing is how easy it is get the price down. Just say you are seriously thinking about it and then let them keep phoning you back with lower and lower prices. They are usually so desperate for some advertising they will nearly give it away. Just don't cave in too early!

Gronda, Gronda
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Andy Igoe
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Posted: 11th Jun 2003 23:31
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The problem the firm had that I was working for, Sonic, was our size. We where so big on advertising that we placed an advert in every computer magazine every month, sometimes we even did the national papers. So Future knew we wheren't going to say no.

Amazing isn't it, that buying in bulk can sometimes work out more expensive.

The company btw was Intermediates, some here might recognise them as Special Reserve, other might recognise them from the two girls in bikini's used to advertise the RAM. Now there's a story, I had a long discussion with the guy responsible for using those girls one day...

The long and the short of it was, yep - we know the club magazine (catalogue to you and I) is going to get 'spoilt' on this page, but we also know that RAM sales are up over 300%.

So you heard it here first, Bikini's sell!

It's quite funny really because there was this girl called Emma in sales who was modelling the club T-Shirt until I told her that story on the way home one night. I don't think she ever got in my car again, I think she thought I meant 'my' club magazine.

Pneumatic Dryll
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Shadow Robert
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Posted: 12th Jun 2003 04:19
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i always thought Special Reserved looked tacky to be honest, only online/mag advertised companies i bought from were PC World, Gravis & Gameplay

and to be honest only once did a PC World ad catch my eye because i noticed their price for a graphics card and though "yup, i need to upgrade and thats bloody cheap" lol
the Gravis was in a similar respect because i saw the Aftershock on there, then i saw it reviewed and though "Hmm wonder what a PC Dualshock pad would be like" ... pretty bloody good was the answer, cept FFB is really shight on the PC, got around that but Dx's builtin just isn't even close to the N64's or Playstations even now.
It's because of the stupid joysticks being catered for rather than joypads i think.

but i got alot of games form Gameplay - something about a 6page mini-mag that always grabbed me to want to buy something lol

Within the Epic battle of the fates the Shadow and the Angel will meet. With it will harbinger the very fight of good vs evil!
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MikeS
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Posted: 12th Jun 2003 04:57
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Of lately many of our games are getting more technically and grahically advanced, I think we need to find a way to get our games out for more people to see.

Has anyone ever seen tech tv's Extended play(X-play its now called)
They once did a program with a 10 minute segment about independent developers, and maybe if we asked nicely they'd do a short segment on some of the dbp/db games, and db/dbp being the affordable programming language that anyone can use.At least if they mentioned the site name some more people may flock over here to see what's going on.

Well I guess it's worth a shot for some of us to try.



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Shadow Robert
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Posted: 12th Jun 2003 13:16
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well good luck trying ... last time i had a dealing with a TV Exec i was forcefully ejected from the TV Studios (best not to know)

would be interesting to see a DBP Exposé - but then i still think the UK Convention in August (if it is still happening, christ where is Lagmaster!) should be a DB/DBP Expo have 2 days of useless tech demo's get some public interest with someone like PCG doing a cover spread on it hehee
Would probably be tacky this year, but next year people would actually be trying to impress

Within the Epic battle of the fates the Shadow and the Angel will meet. With it will harbinger the very fight of good vs evil!
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Martyn Pittuck
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Posted: 12th Jun 2003 16:46
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Where is lagmaster?

Who knows?

I have not seen him in ages, he does not reply to emails etc. Could a DBDN member PM Rick and ask him if it is happening?

Cause if not maybe DBS could do it, still in Harlow as there are quite a few places to do it, and it is easy to get to.

The Outside is a evil place to be, too much light, too much noise and too many distractions....
I went outside once and my FPS rate dropped to 5.
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The Game
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Posted: 12th Jun 2003 17:00 Edited at: 12th Jun 2003 17:13
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About a 1 1/2 years or so ago they had articles on the techtv website and some segments on tech tv's screen savers for people looking to create games...one of the recommendations was darkbasic..that's how I originally found out about this program.

Edit - Found the article on it...wow..it was over 2 years ago it was covered.. http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/answerstips/story/0,24330,3010679,00.html

I am the game and I want to play.
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Andy Igoe
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Posted: 12th Jun 2003 18:51
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I've not heard back from Future, they've had half a week already *sniff* I am gonna have to apply elsewhere...

Pneumatic Dryll
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MikeS
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Posted: 13th Jun 2003 00:20
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Well either way the db community is rapidly growing, so the publicity will come eventually.

For now we'll have to try our luck with sending into every possible pcgamer/pcformat,etc. magazine and website possible.




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