Novy PR

Step 1: Make a trailer

It’s hard to believe that some developers choose not to make a trailer. But it happens. While screenshots are easy and straightforward, trailers sound terribly complicated and time-intensive. Don’t let the extra workload deprive your game of a proper trailer. The consequences are often dire, starting with less coverage and ending with non-existing sales.

Step 2: Make every second count

The only thing worse than not having a trailer is having a 3-minute one. No one will watch a 3-minute trailer for a mobile game. The ideal length is 45 seconds to a full minute.

Step 3: Make it dynamic

We like trailers that show off different gameplay mechanics, characters, locations and atmosphere. You can’t have a minute of the same exact gameplay, over and over again. Think of the joy of driving the Pacific Coast Highway versus the mind-numbing boredom of the I-5.

Step 4: Make it descriptive

Text-less trailers might look stunning but will often leave viewers with a big question mark. Is it a sequel or an update? Is it for Android or iOS? Is this a new feature? Is it free? This information must be in there. If the best you can do is list the most important information at the very end, with bullets, that’s still better than leaving everyone in the dark.

Step 5: Make it real

Killzone 2 is famous for trying to pass CGI for actual gameplay. Don’t be tempted to make the same mistake — I know it’s easier to re-purpose the intro CGI or cut-scenes in the trailer, but you will lose your target audience in the process. Gamers watch trailers on YouTube and GameTrailers in order to evaluate a future purchase. They need to see how the game plays, not how great the cut-scenes are.

Step 6: Make your mark

Lush trailers can cost a lot of money. They usually have sweeping 3D art, post-processing, sharp HD visuals and booming soundtrack. That’s awesome if you can pay for it, but it doesn’t mean a more “indie” trailer can’t compete. The YouTube video embedded in the post is for a game currently in production, Planck. It’s for a single level. And it didn’t break the bank. Still, the trailer worked wonders for the game. It made Reddit and many game sites and blogs. It worked because it had  personality. The developer, Shadegrown Games, poured itself in the trailer… And it shows. From the copy to the music choices, everything meshed. If you’re like me, you were dying to play Planck after watching it. So… be creative. Make the trailer an extension of your game. Give it an attitude. That’s the only way to fight the big boys, with their over-produced trailers and licensed music.

Feel free to add great mobile game trailers in the comments. Then tell us why you chose each particular example and what makes it an excellent trailer.

Looking forward to your submission :)

Appy was chosen one of the Top 10 Mobile Developers to Watch in 2012 by Pocket Gamer! This awesome bit of news follows the two Best App Ever awards won by SpellCraft earlier this year. 2012 promises to be epic for the Appy Combine :)

Excerpt:

“US outfit Appy has been around almost as long as the App Store. Spun out by veterans of the console scene, it quickly found scale with its FaceFighter franchise. Subsequent games were interesting but didn’t have the same mass market appeal, at least until the company’s first proper free-to-play release SpellCraft.

It’s certainly not perfect, but it is different to the typical Ville-style games, providing a deeper design mentality, as well as quality of presentation. This, combined with a push into Android and the company’s previous game experience, leads us to expect good things in 2012.”

One of the spells in SpellCraft

Follow this link to read the whole piece.

Liquid Entertainment’s founder and president, Ed Del Castillo, was featured in Gamasutra with a new post filled with valuable productivity tips, [Productivity] Tips & Tricks from a Game Developer. Ed figured out a way to keep projects, the studio itself and personal life on track with select techniques and mobile apps, most of them free (!)

Excerpt:

“There are times that you need to write and write fast. I’m a decent speed iPhone typist and I now take notes on my phone. Draftpad is the simplest, easiest to use note-taking app ever created. I think the thing that turns people off to Draftpad is that there is only one page, but that is its biggest strength.”

Visit Gamasutra to read Ed’s post and don’t forget to leave a comment :)

Indie developer Woo Games has announced its new multiplayer-focused Android shooter, ErnCon. The game has been available as a beta in the Android Market for a couple days now. ErnCon was downloaded by thousands of Android users and it currently has almost a thousand installs, pretty impressive for a game designed/programmed/tested by a single developer :)

Here’s the trailer:

You can download ErnCon here. It’s a free download. If you stumble on any bugs (it’s an open beta after all) make sure to send your feedback to contact@woogames.com.

Next week, I’ll be at GDC. If you’d like to meet, send me an email at luis ‘at’ novypr ‘dot’ com.

Jovan Johson is an attorney with L.A. firm Johnson & Moo. Like Novy PR, Jovan specializes on helping indie and mobile developers grow their companies from one-man start-ups to successful studios with a global audience.

Stray Pixels asked Jovan a few questions about attorneys, contracts, working with foreign publishers and more. Let us know what you think in the comments!

1. When should indie studios seek out a lawyer?

Indies should probably seek legal counsel once they begin working with others, including artists, programmers, marketers, etc. This will help ensure the terms of their agreement are written clearly and structured properly.

For example, last year my partner and I met with a potential client who produced a song (which, of course, is a form of intellectual property) that turned out to be quite successful. Gross revenue was close to $460,000, costs and expenses were approximately $25,000. Under his arrangement with the recording artist the producer’s share should have been $160,000, give or take.

The producer’s first problem was that he drafted the contract he signed with the artist. The document he came up with was quite detailed but didn’t make any sense. I’m not saying that as an attorney. I’m saying that as someone who reads and writes English. Next, he involved himself with investor-partners who were attorneys. The producer didn’t have an attorney review this second deal either. At the end of the day, he’s probably going to wind up with nothing to show for his efforts. In fact, he may be in debt before the ordeal is over. If he would have retained counsel from the beginning, he would probably have $160,000 in his bank account right now.

Some people think they cannot afford a lawyer. If you’re doing business and want to succeed, you can’t afford not having a lawyer.

2. How are mobile deals structured nowadays? What is the publisher role, for example?

The publisher’s role is to promote the game and sell units. They should provide input on polishing the game and a base level of PR and marketing. For that they receive a percentage of revenue, which may seem high to some developers. However, it’s better to have part of a financially successful game than 100% of one that sells 200 copies.

Some publishers have relationships that help with key placements within the Android Market and App Store, but that will not show up as a contract term.

3. What should developers watch for before signing a contract?

It’s always important that both parties have a clear understanding of what’s expected of them. Warm and fuzzy feelings are nice but the content of the written contract is what matters.

Some common issues that developers need to understand before signing a deal are:

•  Can either party terminate the contract before the term is over? If so, how?
•  How will disputes be resolved?
•  What exactly is the developer giving up? Is it worth it?

4. Can working with foreign capital or a foreign publisher affect the way a contract is drafted?

Absolutely. If you plan on dealing with a foreign publisher you may have an issue in terms of choice of law. If the publisher insists on their local law, it’s a good idea for the developer to hire an attorney who is familiar with those laws.

Any deal regarding capital gets complicated quickly because it may be a securities transaction. Most attorneys are NOT capable of reviewing these contracts. Get help immediately if you’re thinking about a deal with capital, especially if it’s foreign capital.

5. Tell us about yourself. Were you always a gamer? When did you decide to focus on indies?

I’ve actually been a gamer on-and-off. Of course, I can remember spending many hours playing Nintendo when I was in elementary school. Same thing throughout high school, college, and after law school. Let’s just say if I get into something, I’m really into that thing. It’s best that I stick to casual games.

One of my brightest friends released a couple of iOS games. He worked with a small team on a handshake deal. This made me wonder about others making games without business and legal assistance. I’ve had a great time working with all of my indie clients. That makes me feel like I’m on to something.

6. Where do you see the game industry in the next 10 years?

I think gaming may go the way of movie studios. That is, large game companies who are financially sound will focus on blockbusters. That leaves a big opening for the indies to produce most everything else.

I also think mobile games will continue eating away at the market share console games have enjoyed for so many years. Game engines like Unity allow for increasingly advanced mobile games. It’s astounding, really. Google and Apple release mobile operating systems at a break-neck pace and developers take advantage of that.

Another advantage mobile developers have is that very few people want to buy a new Sony / Microsoft / Nintendo console year-after-year, but statistics seem to indicate that many people will opt to buy a new iPhone annually.

7. Is there anything else you’d like to say to Novy PR’s clients and readers?

Don’t hesitate to reach out to us for help. We answer emails and return phone calls. Kamal Moo, my partner, focuses on music and film law and has been around the block. We’re currently working with a fan-funded project, Angry Video Game Nerd The Movie. If you have a creative project in the works, there’s a good chance my firm can provide the attention and advice you need.

You can learn more about Johnson & Moo at http://www.johnson-moo.com/. You can also follow Jovan on Twitter.

Here are some PR mistakes new studios will often make. Each (or all) of them can sink your mobile title in a single hit.

Duke Leto knows best:

“The first step in avoiding a trap is knowing of its existence”

1. Launching on a Friday

Fridays are when bad, bad companies like BP put news out so it gets BURIED. Therefore, if you need your game to stand out, the whole idea is to launch on a productive day like Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. Another reason to avoid Fridays is the fact that Friday morning in the West Coast is Friday night in the UK, so you will lose most (if not all) Euro pubs.

[Go here for a great top ten of “buried news: http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=14489]

2. Failing to produce a trailer

Trailers are essential nowadays. They’re a basic complement to posts in sites like Gizmodo or Slide to Play. Through trailers, customers & press alike can understand how the game looks and sounds in motion — in short, how polished the whole thing is except for pure gameplay. So make sure to have a 30-second to 1 minute trailer ready for launch.

Here’s a great example: http://youtu.be/2_ObxR8d6LA

The game is FaceFighter Ultimate, a fun mobile brawler by Appy Entertainment.

3. Engaging in astroturfing

Astroturfing is when PR pros & interns pretend they are the common folk in order to give games they represent great scores/reviews in the App Store or the Android Market. Recently, a famous PR firm was caught doing it, making them look really bad to both prospective clients, the press and iPhone users. NEVER, EVER engage in astroturfing. You can easily get caught red-handed and in full public display.

Le Astroturf. As fake as my French accent

4. Changing the price / business model two weeks after launch

Pricing and mobile apps/games is always a point of contention. There’s a whole school of thought preaching that $0.99 is the place to be since it allows for mass penetration and wide distribution (the Angry Birds model). Others believe every game or app has it’s rightful place in the Great Pricing Pyramid — so games with a niche audience or high production values demand a higher price. That’s what EA and Activision do and I’m with the big boys on this one. However, there’s nothing worse than launching at, say, $1.99 then quickly dropping the price to $0.99 if lacking in sales. Or going for the whole in-app purchases bonanza only to find out no-one is buying — therefore immediately launching a premium (paid) version. Don’t change horses in the middle of the race. Stick to your guns — hopefully, you didn’t take the whole pricing issue lightly and made a great choice in the first place.

Don’t forget to check their user reviews in the App Store

5. Pestering the press with multiple emails/phone calls/voice messages

The press is busy just like you. They work hard and are often underpaid. It’s perfectly fine to send them one email and leave one voice message.

That’s it.

Don’t email them multiple times per day or leave multiple voice messages. Don’t keep calling either — maybe they are at their desk, but can’t pick up the phone due to a major deadline. Annoying journalists is the shortest path to getting ignored for the foreseeable future. No press = no coverage = tiny, tiny sales

Pests are found in many shapes and forms

6. Failing to provide sites with promo codes / premium accounts

Give the press promo codes of your game. Don’t make them buy it. Also, if your game is an MMO, let them know you can max out their character after a couple hours in-game so they get to see the whole world. Don’t make them play 10-15 hours straight just to have access to all the content — journalists have better things to do with their time. Finally, a word of warning: U.S. promo codes won’t work in Europe. If a target publication is in Europe — like the aptly-named Eurogamer — you’ll need to produce Euro codes or possibly reimburse them via Paypal.

No one will buy your game in order to review it

7. Having no presence on Twitter/Facebook/Google+

Twitter is great to keep in touch with your fans on a day-to-day basis. You can let them know a patch is in the works — or that this massive giveaway starts in two days. Facebook, on the other hand, fosters a sense of community, of belonging. You can still “broadcast” like in Twitter, but you need to understand every post will have lots of comments under it. So don’t assume everyone will love everything you say — expect criticisms from time to time. No matter what, use Twitter and Facebook to RESPOND as well. Engage your fans. Answer their questions. Post pictures of the studio, goofy videos, tips & tricks. You’ll thank me later.

Google+, the latest entrant in the Social Media Wars, it a hybrid of both Twitter and Facebook. G+ is perfect for the typical “broadcasts” done on Twitter but it also allows for posts well-beyond 140 characters. G+ is also a much more engaging social network; comments will be thoughtful — and plentiful.

How about you? Do you have any sins to add to the list? Tell your story in the comments!

Dropbox makes everyone’s life so much easier, it’s almost impossible to imagine working and playing without it.

Read the full feature at http://www.forbes.com/sites/victoriabarret/2011/10/18/dropbox-the-inside-story-of-techs-hottest-startup/

The almighty E3 Expo is upon us. Here are some pro-tips for the lucky few who get to attend the most important game industry trade show in the world:

1. Write everything down

Make sure someone takes copious notes during interviews. Every little detail, no matter how small,  must be on paper. It will allow you not only to build a body of knowledge on each journalist (personal interests, beats) but also make following up after each meeting an easier task.

2. Have all your assets (trailers, screens, fact sheets) in a FTP server

DVD-ROMs are so 2002. The best way to give the press all those assets you’ve spent the last two months working non-stop on is an FTP server. On one end, some journalists are now taking tablets or netbooks without optical drives to meetings. At the same time, you can bet your golden coins that their hotel has high-speed broadband, more than fast enough for a few hundred megabytes.

3. Invest in power bars and good ol’ H2O

Trade shows are busy times for everyone involved, from clients to account executives. Avoid fainting spells with lots of water and many, many power bars. You can have them for lunch and dinner, but we usually recommend a hearty breakfast to start the day with enough gas in the tank.

4. Go to bed early

At the risk of sounding like our mothers, we must insist on at least 5 hours of sleep. Hopefully 6. Sleep deprivation will wreak havok with your memory and stamina. Now, if you add clubs and margaritas to the mix, you might approach zombiedom in a day or two, tops. Split your nights in partying and rest nights to keep things on an even-keel, so to speak.

5. If recording video interviews or podcast, scout for a quiet spot

Film school taught us that sound can make or break a picture. Your movie can look like El Mariachi and thrive, but bad sound will make it feel cheaper than straight-to-video monster features. It’s worth your time to find a quiet (or quieter) spot for podcast recordings and video interviews. The press outlet will thank you for it and people on the interwebs will actually understand what you’re saying.

6. Bring extra batteries

Both Android and iOS devices consume energy like ferocious beasts. Don’t assume that your phone will last a full day under load. If you have an Android phone, invest in spare batteries. No kidding, we have 3 of those at home, two of them always charged. If you own an iPhone, buy one of those battery extenders. There’s nothing worse than dead smartphone during a trade show.

7. Have tethering and portable wi-fi hotspots as Plan B

You can NEVER trust the following during a trade show: (1) the show floor’s Internet connection (2) your hotel’s network. That’s why you need to make sure your mobile provider offers tethering for you phone — in case there’s an “issue” with the hotel. Similarly, trade shows are known for having shoddy Internet and mobile connections. Overcrowding is to blame most of the time, but it doesn’t mean you need to suffer everyone else’s fate. Bring your own wi-fi hotspot and enjoy the peace of mind.

8. Be flexible

Things may change in the last minute. Journos can be late, the client can get stuck at a publisher meeting. Use technology to your advantage to keep the pace: text messages are great for last-minute rescheduling, for example. Go with the flow, but make sure to respond to journalists immediately. They are usually in a much tighter spot than you are.

9. Carry all your documents in your smartphone

Sorry iPhone owners, but this one is Android-specific. Use the mass storage capability of your phone to carry all your important files with you everywhere you go. We’ve been saved many times over by a spare copy of important documents. iPhone owners can rely on Dropbox but we still think local access is important. You heard it here first!

How about you? What are YOUR strategies for E3 survival?

Image credit (top): Rie H @ Flickr

Image credit: Android Central, Google

Memorial Day is near. We figured it was good opportunity to address weekends, holidays and PR, a topic often missing from the usual convos.

The First Rule: Don’t do it

The first rule is that you NEVER email/phone journalists during the weekend or immediately before and immediately after a holiday.

• Many journalists will spend time getting their stories ready right before a holiday so they can have some peace of mind. Don’t think for a second they want to be bothered
• Once they’re back in the office, it will most likely take a day (maybe two) before they can “clear” their inboxes
• Journos will often monitor email during weekends and holidays, but don’t count on it. They’re doing so in case something major breaks, not because they hope you’ll email them a press release

The Second Rule: Tricky Friday

Friday is where stories go to die. Friday afternoon might as well be Sunday — Friday morning is “dead” enough. If you’re trying to get something covered right before the weekend, you should have started pitching on Tuesday.

Anything you send out on Friday morning will show up on Friday night if some of your targets are in Europe, a clear infringement of Rule #1.

On the other hand, because Fridays are quiet, journos might have some time to talk. Assuming you have a scoop / exclusive and that you have a relationship with that journalist in particular, maybe they will be up for a quick chat. If you’re lucky.

Stick to Tuesdays and Thursdays for important announcements — why do you think there is such a thing as DVD Tuesday?

The Third Rule: Stay in Touch via Social Media

We said it on Quora that Twitter is a great place to be on Friday night. It’s true: exchanging tweets at 11:30 p.m. on a Friday night is an engrossing experience. Your personal and professional contacts are starting their weekend — they’re finally starting to relax and kick back.

• Assuming you’re not the annoying type, use weekends for social interaction via Twitter & Facebook
• One or two tweets per contact is OK. Three or more isn’t, unless there’s an actual conversation taking place
• Be yourself, not a RoboFlack that likes to stalk journos on Twitter

Weekends and holidays are sacred, so make sure to treat them accordingly.

If you have any follow-up questions, feel free to use the Ask functionality on Tumblr or email us at leglevy ‘at’ gmail dot com.

Image credit: Carl Wycoff @ Flickr