Beyond the Game...

Rattlehead

Interesting little article posted over at ZDNet about Angry Birds...

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/mobile-gadgeteer/angry-birds-are-everywhere/3834?tag=nl.e539

It's pretty cool to see an indie developer formulate a brand that in some ways emulates what we see with the bigger companies; start a game with a cute concept or loveable set of characters to milking the franchise with toys, cereal boxes and Saturday morning cartoons.

Who here puts this much thought into the beginning stages of their game design? Do you think about other microcosms you might be able to extend your games brand? Can we expect a QS and Kraken action figure series in the near future?

Would love to hear thoughts!

-R.-

butterbean

I'm not surprised that big developers of popular games would go in that direction. I think it's brilliant! Great for cross marketing, and people may want the toys, not having known anything about the game, and will then go purchase the app.

I had thought about that with one of my platformers that is near complete. I think that a lot of the characters could easily be translated into toys, but I'd have to hope that the game gets really popular before it even touches the possibility of branding it into action figures.

I think it would even make a cute Saturday morning cartoon!

At any rate, I think we will see more of this to come, and with games like "Farmville", Doodle Jump, and others, don't be surprised if we see toys from those apps in the future....

I for one collect gaming toys too, and have toys from games like "Mario Galaxy", Legend of Mana, Secret of Mana, and Kingdom Hearts.

FranzKeller

Maybe I'm the only one, but "angry birds" is not a good game.

But my taste is often a little different than the general population of earth. ;-)

Anyway

Cross promotion goes the other way, cartoons / movies -> game,
So why not go from game to other stuff?

I have done that to a local extent with Radarhead, handing out stickers of the characters
And may do a run of t shirts also? (and set up a booth? ;-)

To me, characters are VERY important, really adding to the overall fun of things

quantumsheep

Rattlehead said:
Who here puts this much thought into the beginning stages of their game design? Do you think about other microcosms you might be able to extend your games brand? Can we expect a QS and Kraken action figure series in the near future?

They would have to be very cute plush toys!

Honestly, I'd never thought of it before. But a good friend of mine recently became my business partner for Project AWE - which will be a non-GS game.

He does everything I really don't like doing. He's made a business plan, a schedule, has costed everything... he's awesome

And near the top of his list is marketing. We've talked about stickers, keyrings, playing card, books - pretty much anything and everything that could have a Project AWE theme added to it.

So yes, as a hobbyist, this kind of thing never occurred to me. But as Quantum Sheep moves into being a business, it's certainly something that has become a higher priority (well - getting the game made first is most important of course!).

Cheers,

QS

Rattlehead

FranzKeller said:
Maybe I'm the only one, but "angry birds" is not a good game.

But my taste is often a little different than the general population of earth. ;-)

Anyway

Cross promotion goes the other way, cartoons / movies -> game,
So why not go from game to other stuff?

I have done that to a local extent with Radarhead, handing out stickers of the characters
And may do a run of t shirts also? (and set up a booth? ;-)

To me, characters are VERY important, really adding to the overall fun of things

I totally agree and I see it the same way. Movies always seem to throw out a bunch of useless garbage we don't need so why can't games. That is why I enjoyed seeing Angry Birds getting the same treatment. Regardless of what a person thinks of the title, they are looking at ways to increase revenue and visibility of the brand and who can't respect that.

Rattlehead

quantumsheep said:
They would have to be very cute plush toys!

Hey! I'd be the first to buy either a set of QS earmuffs (it's freaking cold in Canada in the winter) or a ushanka made to look like a Kraken. If it worked for Valve and the head crab, why not you?

Please keep us in the loop as you move forward with Project AWE. I for one would love to see how you guys take the marketing with this project.

quantumsheep

Rattlehead said:
Hey! I'd be the first to buy either a set of QS earmuffs (it's freaking cold in Canada in the winter) or a ushanka made to look like a Kraken. If it worked for Valve and the head crab, why not you?

Please keep us in the loop as you move forward with Project AWE. I for one would love to see how you guys take the marketing with this project.

Hehe! Awesome!

Project AWE is very different to everything I've done before. It's a very distilled kind of game.

As for marketing, first up will be an improved QS website, as well as a separate one for the main game. Then we're doing something different with the Lite version too - releasing it ahead of the main game, as opposed to at the same time, to build up interest.
We're also hoping to have a FaceBook game up at some point, and we're hoping to include a charity too, in the hope that we can help out others as well!

IT'S ALL VERY BLOODY EXCITING!

QS

Rattlehead

quantumsheep said:
Hehe! Awesome!

Project AWE is very different to everything I've done before. It's a very distilled kind of game.

As for marketing, first up will be an improved QS website, as well as a separate one for the main game. Then we're doing something different with the Lite version too - releasing it ahead of the main game, as opposed to at the same time, to build up interest.
We're also hoping to have a FaceBook game up at some point, and we're hoping to include a charity too, in the hope that we can help out others as well!

IT'S ALL VERY BLOODY EXCITING!

QS

Wow. Sounds you guys are really going to town. It will be really interesting to see how it affects the overall perception of the game and how it is received. Then you'll be wondering if it is super popular due to the gameplay itself or the marketing!

quantumsheep

"Then you'll be wondering if it is super popular due to the gameplay itself or the marketing! "

I think the game will have a very wide appeal. We've told a select few family and friends about it, both gamers and non-gamers, and the usual reaction is:

1. Oh.
2. silence.
3. I have a *great* idea for your game!!!

Once you hit three, there's no going back!

But anyway, I think it's an even split really between marketing and a good game. Just having one of those won't help I don't think!

/puts you down for sheepy ear muffs

QS

peachpellen

Put me down for a QS plush toy. ^-^;

FranzKeller

From what I've read, heard, and seen - the attention (in this overcrowded world)
goes to those who think of innovative new ways to catch the customers' thoughts
- so get those thinktanks fired up! (This is one of them, actually, isn't it?)

(reads...)

Re: Business Partner
Wow, you are so lucky, QS!
I waited for years for one of those to show up, and they never did. (All too busy effectively promoting their own uncreative ideas! But a lame idea is as hopeless as an un-promoted good idea in this world - when will THEY realize?) So I'm going it on my own. Really, the AppStore handles so much of the commerce, I feel my time for victory might have arrived at last. ;-)

-Bitter, but still smiling! In "the land of opportunity", that trained a million designers,
and then outsourced every possible job.

And yet, in this "globalized" economy, at least we can sell to every market at once -
so keep those ideas going, Salad Chefs!

-FZK

quantumsheep said:
Honestly, I'd never thought of it before. But a good friend of mine recently became my business partner for Project AWE - which will be a non-GS game.
He does everything I really don't like doing. He's made a business plan, a schedule, has costed everything... he's awesome

Devils

This is a great thread. I plan on going this route actually some of my game characters I've already seen on a morning TV show in my dreams lol but I have seen them. I keep mentioning my game but have yet to post pictures of some characters all I can say that the wait is worth it. Ian has done an awesome job in bringing my concept to live and I think it will pay off in the long run.

AfterBurnett

You can get Max Vector Tee shirts. No one has bought one yet, including me. Lol