Cryptozookeeper is done, download link inside

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 3:39 pm

Okay, I am open to all suggestions on how someone promotes a game like this in 2011.

Flack · Post by **Flack** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 7:11 am

Hmm. Let's brainstorm.

I suppose the first thing I would do is go after the people you know that write reviews (one of which is me). I'd track down all the people that wrote reviews for the IntroComp and the big fall IF Comp and e-mail them all and ask for reviews.

This is an idea that I'm not sure applies to you, maybe it does and maybe it doesn't, but whenever you create X about Y, that really gives you three demographics to advertise to (bear with me). For example, if you make a movie about UFOs, while the ideal demographic is "movie fans who are interested in UFOs," you've also got movie fans, and UFO fans. In that scenario, you might advertise your UFO movie in UFO circles.

So for Crypto (and again, maybe this is a stretch) you've got "text adventure fans who are into Cryptozoology" (a niche almost as narrow as a book written about people who grew up calling Commodore 64 BBSes ... and maybe narrower!), but you've also got fans of text adventures, and fans of cryptozoology. Maybe hit up some bigfoot forums or something and post an ad? I dunno, maybe it's a stretch and maybe those guys aren't into IF.

Here's another idea. Write up a really good press release type thing and start submitting it to game news sites. I'm telling you, those places are starving for news stories. They have to post news updates every day, several times a day. The less editing the press release needs, the better. Just write up a thing about how your game has been released and that it's free for download and ... hmm ... definitely mention how it combined classic IF and RPG elements, and has pictures and music and that it's free. A quick blurb from Kotaku or one of those sites could double your downloads overnight.

Speaking of media, you could e-mail Earl from Retrobits (the guy who interviewed me) and tell him about your game and ask if he would like to interview you and do a podcast. At least once a month people buy my book and tell me they heard about it from the Retrobits interview I did 4 years ago. That's one cool thing about the Internet ... shit lives forever.

I read about this type of marketing once in a book ... you could make up some little 1/4 page ads for your game, maybe just the cover of the DVD, and then go down to the public library and stick them in Bigfoot/Crypto books. I don't know if the payoff would be worth it, but how awesome would it be if you were a kid and you opened up a library book and found an ad for a free game?

Personally if it were me and I had the bail money available I'd fake a Bigfoot sighting and then write the name of the game on your back.

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 9:22 pm

Flack wrote a review of it here:

http://www.robohara.com/?p=3662

Thank you, Flack. You raise a number of good points, and I appreciate you taking the time to put that together.

I can't go like feeling I am not creating something, so I am onto the next project. I'll make 50 hard copies starting August 1st. I'll make a note of it in the "Projects" subsection of Metafilter, and I'll ask Jason to mention the game when the hard copies are ready to ship, but that's pretty much it. I've spent the last five years saying how horrible the gaming press is on Caltrops, so I can't be particularly surprised at their collective behavior. I learned a number of good lessons that will pay off, but it's back to the IF Comp for me.

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 10:49 pm

I created or updated pages for Vark, Lex, Roody and Flack at the IF Wiki tonight!

Roody_Yogurt · Post by **Roody_Yogurt** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 3:25 pm

I'm famous-er! I'm famous-er!

Flack · Post by **Flack** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 4:55 am

Ice Cream Jonsey wrote:I created or updated pages for Vark, Lex, Roody and Flack at the IF Wiki tonight!

Well, huh. That's something.

Should I go make entries for my games as well? I need to check someone else's profile to "get it". I should have done that, instead of typing this. Where my fucking coffee. At McDonald's, that's where.

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 7:15 pm

I am a man of few sorrows, I'd like to apologize to Flack for not doing exactly what he told me in that earlier post. I got depressed for a bit, but I am back on-board.

I'd like to apologize to Roody, IF the picture used is not deigned flattering. I think it's fun. (David shrank the size of it, though.)

I'd like to apologize to Flack for not making pages for his games yet.

I will now continue "be"ing jelly.

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 8:05 pm

Roody says I should submit it on a flash disk to the Onion AV club. I will decide on August 1st if I am making DVDs, if not I shall submit a flash drive to the Onion AV club.

In this thread, what follows will be me working on the text of how I am going to notify "Metafilter Projects" about my project. I already paid the $5 and waited the obligatory week you have to wait before posting.

Roody_Yogurt · Post by **Roody_Yogurt** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 10:50 pm

Heh, I didn't see my picture the other day when I checked. It still isn't working on the page itself, but I could see it when I clicked on the image link.

Anyhow, yeah, looks good. I need to start incorporating doors into more of my pictures.

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 10:06 am

The IF Wiki was hacked. I think #ifwiki-editors on the mud had more. I will probably have to reupload the photos.

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Sat Sep 17, 2011 1:25 pm

I edited Roody's earlier post, as I put a new torrent up with the latest / final version.

http://www.seedpeer.com/details/3801252 ... inux].html

I also uploaded it to The Pirate Bay, but it hasn't shown up yet.