See what I did with that clever title? This is going to be a long post, so the summary is: VGSmart has returned to full operation. We have some new offerings but no longer offer general press releases. You're welcome to contact me for any/all of your marketing needs. Ok so first, people ask, "What have you been up to all this time?" The answer was my client, Arcadetown, was purchased by Demand Media (who went public last month). This transition occupied a lot of my time, but when things settled down I had an opportunity to do some work purchasing, building up, and then selling off game websites. With a few exceptions (*cough* Gametunnel *cough* it went amazingly well. At the same time I went through a rough divorce and I decided at that time I couldn't focus on everything and VGSmart got cut. Around middle of last year I started to get real tired of the website gig... profitable as it was, it just wasn't any FUN. So I started laying the ground work for the new VGSmart with the help of Amanda at Amaranth Games. At the end of the year I was ready to switch back to the ol' VGSmart. So here I am, back once more to do what I enjoy most: Sell people's games, play games, and give my thoughts about games in general. I have two new offerings: #1: Distribution. Odds are MOST of you reading this don't need help with this item. In fact, I tell ALL my prospective clients "You can do this on your own, you don't need me." Before you jump on my back about it, other than PR work, this is THE most requested thing people want from me. So I have a lot of contacts on distribution and publishing these days. My deal is simple: I will pitch your product to my contacts, negotiate contracts, and help where I can with making the acceptance process painless. I get a % of the net revenue. I am not (at this time) taking the role of publisher, so you get the cash and then pay me. This can be in ADDITION to your existing publishing contracts. If I see a few places you are missing I am happy to pitch to those places for you. All 3 of my new clients (Discussed below) have accepted this in some way. So far none are unhappy with the results so I feel its time to roll it out as an official offering. #2 Ipad/Iphone marketing! Currently at 50% discount while I figure out how to do it, how effective it is, and if its worth doing at all. Feel free to be my test subjects! 100% satisfaction guarantee still applies. Only 1 client at the moment. Will it influence your ability to top 10? Maybe... maybe not. I'm not promising anything, just that you'll get coverage. I've picked up my first batch of clients and BOY are they awesome. First, Amaranth Games. www.amaranthia.com - I have worked with Amanda on and off for years. Its been a year and a half of working with her now and she's every bit as awesome as she seems. I exist to find new outlets for her games and advise her on general business strategy, as well as help build the community on her site. Second, Endless Fluff. www.endlessfluff.com - A new developer and their first commercial game, Legend of Fae. They're ex artists from Gamelab. Their game impressed me enough that I went after them, as I could see they were a little lost in the sea of being a startup indie. The results have been fantastic (86% avg review score), expect to see LoF on Steam later this year. Finally, as of yesterday, Spiderweb Software. www.spiderwebsoftware.com- We all know Jeff, great grumpy guff that he is. Actually he's a really nice guy and I suggest anyone in or near the Seattle area to toss him an email and have lunch sometime. He's made the big leap to try having a real PR guy and I don't intend to let him down! Their new game Avadon is looking sharp and I plan on leveraging his 15 year name to ensure it gets the coverage it deserves. So, yeah, I am back & I will be very picky with who I work with at this time. I simply don't have the time to dedicate to a game that isn't going to be amazing... but if your game is amazing I will find the time to help! This is especially true of distribution, as the better the games I can bring to the table the better the expectations my contacts will have when I bring new ones. Oh and I still work with Arcadetown of course! So like, ask questions, or... tell me I am crazy. Or... just stick a note somewhere to contact me when you're ready with your next game. Side note on that: I PREFER to be contacted about 2 months before the release of a game OR EARLIER. Really, the sooner the better. Not only does it let me make sure I will have time for you, but it lets us come up with a strategy that is more effective for marketing and distribution. -Joe
Welcome back and good luck. I think your inbox will be quite full in the next days (about that game we talked about by email... maybe will have some better ones coming later this year!)
It's good to hear the spring in your step, the autumn in your wisdom, and the winter you have forsaken. Enjoy a lovely summer! Let me know when you can get the attention of college women and readers of The New Yorker, for chump change. We'll talk biz.
Glad to hear you're back around. Amanda (Amaranth Games) always speaks very highly of your work and can't say enough about how much you are benefiting her business.
Keith, if I could attract the attention of college age girls believe me you are NOT the first person I am calling! Bwahahaha... actually I met my current girlfriend at the college near my new place. -Joe
Everyone, I can vouch that hiring Joe to represent Amaranth Games was one of the best business decisions I've made to date. I'm a bit of a hermit, and I love creating games, but I'm not a people person, thus finding partners, convincing them to take my game, and negotiating contracts is akin to electric shock therapy for me. Joe has found dozens of new places to distribute my games. He has managed to get my games in places that I never could. He is VERY persistent. Some of these places have paid off big time. He's gotten me very good percentages. He takes care of the entire distribution process and only taps me on the shoulder if I need to sign a contract or make a change to a game for a distributer. I could keep going, but I suspect you'll get bored. If you think you have a good game, but you're struggling to get it where it needs to go, talk to Joe. One note: be ready for his brutal honesty. If he thinks you need to change something in your game for usability, do it. He knows his s**t.
Sounds great, I think there is a whole category of services like this that is either lacking or not easily accessible for game devellopers without connections.
Welcome back Joe! I've been dreading the thought of all the marketing Ill have to do for my WIP game so you'll be receivi ng an email from me later this year.
It is an excellent new! Your book has been very usefull to me. We have sent an e-mail to you, beacuse we are very interested in your distribution service.