Don't give early access to big youtubers

That's...again, how marketing works.
Youtubers with a pretty moderate level of subscribers who ask for a copy may get one, but developers are always going to give copies to the big-name Youtubers first. Because they're the ones with the most viewers.

Big-name Youtubers didn't just become big-name Youtubers by praying hard to the Youtube Gods or something, they gained viewers by producing a lot of content, being funny or interesting, etc. They worked for it.

 

Meanwhile, the rest of us should practice restraint, and not worry about someone else getting the game earlier than the others. Our turn will come on day.

 

Half or something like that of people who got Minecraft heard about it first in Youtube video. By giving famous youtubers Starbound you pretty much get yourself a commercial for just 15 or so euros. Dunno how you but I'd send my game to as many YT celebrities as possible, just to maximalize the intrest in the game!

 

I totally agree with the idea of giving the game to big-name youtubers, and V for Vendetta did a good job clearing some things up for me. I just have to ask at this point how much earlier youtubers would receive the game. Would it be an indicator of a near-release or would it be given to them some time far off from release?

 

To be fair, youtubers probably won't attract as much fans to starbound as opposed to mincraft, since a lot of people have heard of it through other sources. But I agree that youtubers can give starbound more publicity, and attract more people.

 

Yep. Most of the games I've ever bought I did so because a Let's Play on YouTube made it look fun and interesting.

 

Okay, i would love someone to explain to me please how them getting it early helps anything. Now please keep in mind, i said early. If they get the game at the same time as everyone else, the videos still get made and then when people see the vids they can come on over and buy the game. If they get it (very) early then the people see the videos and come to see it's not released. They may still buy, but they may be put off and not. But even if you were to assume they would not be put off at all, what is the benefit? The same amount of people still buy it.

Now if you refuse an early (probably free) copy to these people would they refuse to make a video? If so, is that the kind of people you really want showcasing the game? Not to mention someone Will make a video, even if they won't. It will spread, and perhaps someone else who isn't as well known gets the most popular starbound vid and people look into their stuff. Would that really be so bad?

 

Couple weeks before Beta / full version would go fine, I guess. Giving the guys the thing extremely early would results in reviewers genuinely getting pissed of ugs and toher issues and just calling the game meh. Which would, you know, suck. A bit.

 

It's hard to say for sure, but I'd say it would be a pretty good indicator that beta is near.

 

Thanks molly

 

Oh great, a hint-- waaait, we'd figure that out ourselves anyways!

 

I remember the Yogscast playing terraria previews a few months before the game came out to us, so I'm not too sure about that. But then again, I know nothing.

 

That's just not how marketing works, man.
You want your release to generate as much hype as possible, no matter what sort of game you're making. Therefore, you want videos of your game being made and viewed leading up to release.

Say you release a game and you have not given the game to a single journalist prior to release. Nobody has reviewed or covered the game, because they have not had a game to review.

...your release day sales will fall pretty flat, and release day sales are crucial. If your game is already popular, like Starbound is, then yeah, you may still get a lot of sales from people who have already been waiting for the game. But those are dedicated fans-- your central fanbase-- and many of them have probably already pre-ordered.

But outside of that dedicated fanbase, nobody's going to have much to say about your game because nobody's played it yet. There aren't any reviews online so they have nothing at all to go by, nobody to tell them if it's good or worth buying. So they'll wait, and if they wait there's a pretty good chance they'll just forget about it and not end up buying the game at all.

Because early access is already the industry standard for press and reviewers, when a game doesn't offer early access to the media there's sort of a default assumption that it's bad. Good chance of a bad reception just because nobody's said anything about the game.

 

Here's a good video:

It's a two way street for sure and having people taking notice of your game outside of your own personal community is very good for sales.

 

I honestly hope they do. As long as they don't do so too long before all the pre-orders get access.

It's good exposure.

 

This is the part that i have the problem with: Release day sales. You guys are offering pre-orders (which have nailed over a mil and a half by the way) so it really doesn't matter how many sales you get on release day. People were able to purchase for a while now. Once beta is available one of two things is going to happen. Either people cannot buy in or they can. If they can, the sales continue to pour in, if not... well i wouldn't understand that decision. But in either event, if not release day, then you will get the sales when the videos do get made. Unless like i said: The youtubers refuse to make them because they didn't get their early copy. Is that the case?

I watched some of this and i suspect you didn't read my post fully. I am not saying there's a problem with youtubers getting the game. Them making videos is awesome, and it's how i actually determine whether i'd buy a game or not. But my question is Why early. What is the benefit to early as opposed to with everyone else? The video getting made sooner is the only thing i can think of. Maybe the idea of the exclusivity and such bugs me more than others. And that actually confuses me since i've heard the term "entitlement" thrown around more on this forum than i have anywhere... ever. But the people throwing that around are okay with the kind of attitude some certain youtuber had in tweets? I've actually unsubbed and don't watch his crap any longer because of that nonsense.

But again, maybe it bugs me more than others. In the end whatever is decided is what will happen and that's that.

 

It...really does. Release day sales are extremely important.

 

Don't get me wrong bud I definitely read over your post a few times. I don't have much for the argument of 'early' but after watching so many indie games go through the same process I can attribute my own, whether or not credit worthy opinion, to saying it does help for people to 'hype' the game with early builds on YouTube. It has a massive impact on release, whether or not good or bad the impressions always stir up some sort of buzz that helps market the game.

 

Fair enough, i guess i just don't see why. I would imagine people are just going to buy the game whenever they hear about it. If buy-in is available through beta till release then people will just buy whenever it is they hear about it. If the beta shows up on steam, as tiy stated he wants to/is thinking of, then tons will buy when they spot it there. If the videos of these entitled few who get their early copy all come out on release day of the game then you'll have a number of how effective their contribution is. If you release the beta to those who wish to buy in on steam, you'd get to see how effective just a steam release is in terms of advertising. I dunno, it all comes down to timing the way i see it. But maybe there's just something i don't see. I know i usually wind up buying a game whenever it is i hear about it and decide it's a worthy game to purchase. Unless i see all the advertising for it when there's no actual way to purchase it, then it's either i forget about it all together or i wait till i can get it. I suppose i've come to feel that with pre-purchasing being so prominent now a days, a release day isn't what it used to be.

 

All I want is that if this happens (which will most likely be), give it to ockpii, he really deserves it with his work on YouTube for SB. He was the one getting me into SB.