Marketing the BONE game series

[jp-30]

From the Press Release;

...And now Telltale, a company that takes you to the worlds where characters like Bone play and invites you to play with them, will be creating new episodes for PC gaming....

...Telltale Games will compliment this with their first Bone PC episode...

And that there confirms we are indeed looking forward to a series of BONE games. Excellent.

Also from the Press Release;

Bone is also the flagship title for Scholastic's new graphic novel imprint Graphix, which launched in February. "We are thrilled to launch our exciting new imprint with this adventurous, funny and unforgettable series" added Jean Feiwel, Scholastic's publisher and editor in chief, "Scholastic's unique distribution network of bookstores, school book clubs and book fairs will send Bone out to a vast, new multi-generational audience." Telltale Games will compliment this with their first Bone PC episode.

With this new colour version of the comics being distributed via Scholastic, I really hope Telltale get to put full page ads for the game(s) in each issue. Or what about a demo "Coverdisk" with one of the issues? Is that a possibility?

It would be a good way to reach your non-adventure-game-fanboy target audience.

Schoolastic are fairly wealthy, maybe they could get someone to distribute the game by disc.

[jp-30]

Scholastic sell books direct to school kids, right? Via monthly or bi-monthly magazines / order forms?

If Telltale can sell CD versions of their BONE game(s) via the Scholastic distribution setup, that'd be a huge marketing coup.

I doubt you'd see ad's or cd's in the scholastic reprints. They're trade paperbacks, not the original issues. (well I guess technically they could put a cd in the back cover but that'd be pretty rare.

That being said they're actually really good prints with decent coloring, embossing and surprisingly thick paper.

I'm not sure about putting them into scholastic book clubs, Those usually only go through elementary schools and I doubt parents would drop the 40 or 50 bucks on it.

Either way there's a definite planned attack with the new trade paperbacks, the game, and whatever else they have in store (I wouldn't discount a movie if it takes off again).

[jp-30]

I doubt you'd see ad's or cd's in the scholastic reprints. They're trade paperbacks, not the original issues. (well I guess technically they could put a cd in the back cover but that'd be pretty rare.

Well, if what you say is true, that's a pity - quite a lost opportunity to advertise the game direct to the BONE fanbase (as opposed to the Adventure Game fanbase).

[jp-30]

Another thought is simply to give away the Demo CD as added value at retail with the purchase of any BONE comic. Doesn't even have to be inserted into the book - maybe a removable sticker on the cover that says "Get your FREE BONE PC Game demo CD when you buy this comic. Ask at the counter" - then the store attendants just hand out the demo CD with any Bone comic purchase.

Make a few posters to be displayed in-store too to catch the attention of those not specifically looking in the BONE section.

This is the way music stores give away t-shirts, posters, promo CDs etc.

Oh, and would some kind mod please move this thread over to the new BONE forum? Thankee!

I think posting a demo online would be sufficient. It would save all the trouble of manufacturing demo CDs. You gotta figure, Telltale is just starting out. They might not be ready for a big marketing plan like that.

[jp-30]

Well, online demos would cater to broadband enabled adventure fans, but Telltale would want to also hit the Bone comic fans (who may never have played an adventure game in their life).

Marketing the game directly to the existing comic fanbase is a no-brainer - or else what's the point in getting a licensed product in the first place?

Great news

[Steve2000]

Online demo and distribution is the way to go - no question. According to the latest Pew Internet and American Life Project report - about 55% of all internet users have broadband. (http://www.technewsworld.com/story/33471.html).

That number has jumped substantially in the last year or so - meaning it is sure to climb more. Look at the number of people who simply use the internet compared with just a few years ago. Telltale is smart to jump on the bandwagon off online distribution only. They will save tons of money which translates into more money put into their products = good for us!

[jp-30]

There is a world outside of the US of course. And using your stats 45% of all (US) internet users do not have broadband and would probably baulk at any download larger than 10-15 MB.

And there are a significant number of computers that are not Internet connected.

What I'm getting at in this thread are ways to market the game to the existing Bone fanbase, probably via the comics somehow.

Yes, we're all adventure game fans, but there is a huge established audience fot this game who probably are not (or at least don't know that they are yet).

I think it's pretty clear that this game has to be marketed at Bone fans. Whatever country the book is sold in, the game has to follow. If the there is no big distributer to back them up, and the nets the only way to get it, then so be it. Every last bone fan has to be told about it. Where you find Bone you must find a advert for Telltale. After that is when they aim for the general adventure gaming community, and the schools.

[Steve2000]

"There is a world outside US"

Good point JP

"What I'm getting at in this thread are ways to market the game to the existing Bone fanbase, probably via the comics somehow"

I misunderstood. That is a good idea. I like the idea of Bone comics being sold with an insert that has Telltale's website and info about the game. I was just trying to make the point that Telltale needs to keep costs down - and an aggressive internet advertising campaign is much cheaper than giving tons of CDs to graphic novel/book retailers.

There is a world outside of the US of course.

There is indeed a world outside of the US, like the Netherlands. The place where I live and where they don't sell Bone! So if they will put demo discs with comics I hope they'll put it online too cuz if they don't I won't be able to play it.

[artwking]

If they do put out a demo, there is almost no doubt that they would release it online as well, so I wouldn't worry there.

They might, however, do a limited time exclusive demo available on CD that comes packaged with a magazine for a month before they put it online. I wouldn't count that out.

[jp-30]

Another consideration regarding demos CD and magazine coverdiscs is that this is an episodic game. I would imagine that the game engine will be integrated with the first episode of BONE only and subsequent purchases / downloads will just be the new datafile for each episode.

So it would be good to get the (probably quite large) 'engine' portion of the game delivered via disc if at all possible, for those who only have dialup modems.

There is indeed a world outside of the US, like the Netherlands. The place where I live and where they don't sell Bone! So if they will put demo discs with comics I hope they'll put it online too cuz if they don't I won't be able to play it.

Nice to see someone from the netherlands here.
to bad the shopz dont sell bone comics here
but www.bol.com sells them

Well I guess you could talk all day about what Telltale could do with marketing, but the truth of the matter is marketing is hardly ever left in the hands of the developer.

Publishers are the ones with the money, and thus are the ones that have the funds to advertise. Unless of course Telltale has a trust fund baby on the project and has some alternative distrubution methods lined up, but I'm going to wager there's going to be a publisher involved somewhere.

[jp-30]

Gamespot interview

Gamespot: When do you expect to announce a publishing partner?

Dan Conners: We may not. The proliferation of broadband has opened a direct channel to fans of these types of games. We started Telltale to push the market forward and quickly take advantage of advances in technology. There are many behemoths in the industry going about things in a very formulaic way; Telltale isn't down with that. If we do choose to work with a publisher, it will be because we have a shared vision.

Hmm, interesting indeed. Hope it works out, but it's still a fairly unproven distribution model (even Valve had some major issues with steam). But here's hoping.