Independent Games Summit: Russell Carroll Talks Indie Marketing
September 14, 2007 8:01 AM | Simon Carless
We're keeping on publishing videos from this year's Independent Games Summit, which took place at Game Developers Conference 2007 last March as part of the Independent Games Festival - because a lot of the content is rather intensely useful, we reckon.
The sixth 2007 Independent Games Summit lecture to go up is actually another of my personal favorites, because it's sharp, sensible, and brutally honest - it features Russell Carroll, who indie sceners probably know as the founder of GameTunnel.com, a seminal indie game site.
But Russ is also part of the casual/indie game biz himself, as marketing boss of Reflexive Entertainment, which both distributes casual games and makes its own - Wikipedia has a good list of Reflexive's own-developed titles, and their portal is also v.important for PC casual titles. Russell explains why marketing is absolutely not a dirty word - and has some great thoughts on the nature of indie games in his intro, too.
Here's a direct Google Video link for the lecture, plus a higher-res downloadable .MP4 version and an embedded version:
Here's the original session description: "Want your game to be the one everyone is talking about? Interested in increasing how many copies you've sold? Russell Carroll, who heads up marketing for Wik & The Fable Of Souls creator Reflexive, and also founded key indie game press site GameTunnel, discusses how to maximize your buzz and sales opportunities. Using and abusing the press and game portals, alternative marketing, viral marketing, press release tactics and an overview of brand design and development all will be discussed in a whirlwind thirty minute presentation that will forever change the way you market your games."
(Other IGS 2007 videos posted so far are Matt Wegner on physics, alongside the Gastronaut founders on 'Small Arms' for XBLA, the Telltale folks on Sam & Max/episodic gaming, Gamelab's Eric Zimmerman on 'The Casual Cash Cow', and Braid's Jon Blow on indie prototyping.)
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2 Comments
This was the best session at the Indie Game Summit as far as revealing secrets and tips that Indie Gamers can really use. I loved the entire indie game summit but Russell really dished out a ton of great info that I had not heard anywhere else. Glad to see this video is available now.
hanford | September 14, 2007 5:26 PM
Hello Russ, wondering if you can help with this? Michael Brown referred me to you. This is an extraordinary opportunity for the right Investor but we just don't know how to contact influential people. Of course, there will definitely be a gracious referral fee for you if you help us make this happen. :)
Briefly, with your indulgence, I have developed a Computer Hockey Card Game; the first and only Game of its kind. It is designed for Interactive play on the Internet, targeting tens of millions of Computer Card Gamers/Hockey Fans worldwide. It doesn't get any easier than THIS for an Investor/Producer. :) All the hard work is done; just requires capital investment.
We have also tested a Children's Cartoon version and kids love it! Card Hockey is French translatable and can easily be converted to Soccer too, which is the world's most popular Sport. I can also show you a Golf Card game. We have a functional Computer Demo, Conventional prototype and will provide details, graphics and marketing strategies for the Game if Your Firm can help get this Game in the right hands and on the market or know of someone that can. Thanks for your consideration. Blessings.
Paul
National Card Hockey League
Calgary, Alberta, Canada (403) 288-9502
Paul Fletcher { Founder }
Paul Fletcher | September 20, 2007 9:18 AM