1 | Type | Genre | Title | Link | Year | Description | Extremely small notes of why I found it useful | ||||||||||||||||||||
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2 | Note that I consumed these at different points in my life/career, so my takeaways from each of them differ vastly depending on my experience. Also note I have a degree in Sociology (with double minors in Communications and Social Studies of Medicine) so I'm also coming from a background of already sort of knowing how groups interact and communicate with each other/how they're influenced. There are a TON of other articles, podcasts, and whatnot that I've consumed that have helped me but I can't remember them all nor do I have the time to spend 30 hours working on this sheet sorrrry!! **Important: I did not follow every piece of advice given, nor do I necessarily agree with all of it. I cherry-picked what I liked, experimented, and adapted my strategies accordingly. Take these resources as guidelines, not law.** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | Resource | Community | Indie Game Discord Server Template | https://www.notion.so/Indie-Game-Discord-Server-Template-d330b950274d45878a2ff49cdac84eeb | 2020 | Kickstart your community in just 2 clicks using this ready-made server template + guide. Made exclusively with indies in mind | Honestly I haven't used it but when I saw it it was super cool! | ||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Article | Community | Discord Moderator Academy | https://discord.com/moderation | 2020 | We built the Discord Moderator Academy as a comprehensive resource so that anyone, from first-time moderators to experienced veterans of massive online communities, can find resources to learn about moderation, community management, and more. | A great basic source about moderation for Discord. | ||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Video | Marketing | What to Write So People Buy: Selling Your Game Without Feeling Sleazy | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMGTcgsEN68&list=PL2e4mYbwSTbZkUdVQD0zM3QEyoHhrl_1U&index=37 | 2020 | In this 2020 GDC Virtual Talk, Chris Zukowski teaches you the basics of Copywriting in a way that doesn't feel sleazy. | Good refresher on proper copywriting | ||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Video | Marketing | Empathizing with Steam: How People Shop for Your Game | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJiv14uPOac&list=PL2e4mYbwSTbZkUdVQD0zM3QEyoHhrl_1U&index=38 | 2020 | In this 2020 GDC Virtual Talk, Chris Zukowski explains why he spent months watching people browse Steam shares the results of his research with you. | Understanding the process of how people shop on Steam better (and confirming a bunch of my thoughts on it) | ||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Video | Community | Designing Game Communities for Kindness | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWsIfgx0yps&list=PL2e4mYbwSTbZkUdVQD0zM3QEyoHhrl_1U&index=43&t=403s | 2020 | In this 2020 GDC Summer talk, Kitfox Games' Victoria Tran explains how developers can build game communities with inherent kindness in mind, in order to create a space where players stick around and invite others to join. | Yes I'm going to put my own talks in here sue me!!!! | ||||||||||||||||||||
8 | Video (Paid) | Marketing | Pre-Marketing Marketing: A Guide to Games Market and Competitor Research | https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1026850/Pre-Marketing-Marketing-A-Guide | 2020 | How can you tell if your *amazing* game idea is... actually good? How can you know if it has any sales potential or marketing viability? Successful games need more than just an interesting idea and technical expertise. This is day 0 marketing, broken down. Learn how to gauge if your game idea is one worth pursuing and how to make it stand apart from the crowd via proper market research, creating a competitor analysis, and putting it together in a positioning document. No vague generalizations - this talk is a complete guide on how two industry professionals from both a PR company (Dana Trebella, Spoke and Wheel Strategy) and independent studio (Victoria Tran, Kitfox Games) prepare their games for success. | Sorry me again | ||||||||||||||||||||
9 | Research Paper | Community | Dark Participation in Games | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.598947/full | 2020 | This article provides the first comprehensive cataloging and overview of dark participation in games. This includes defining these behaviors, cataloging their variants, and discussing their social and psychological impact and their potential underpinnings. It is critical to establish a shared language about what these behaviors are in order to effectively understand and combat them. | Better understanding "toxic gamer cultures" and how to define and talk about them (note I'm referenced in this.) | ||||||||||||||||||||
10 | Video | Press | Panel: How to Pitch Your Game to Press | https://youtu.be/PptsOWVniqM | 2020 | Have you ever wondered why some games get covered, and others don’t? In this session, join three journalists as they answer developer questions related to the news pitching process and offer practical advice on how to get news coverage of your game. Attendees will leave with a stronger understanding of how games coverage gets picked and how newsrooms work. | Actual press talking about what attracts them to cover a game, woo! | ||||||||||||||||||||
11 | Video | Marketing | Build Your Own Fan Club: How to Use Your Email List | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZ5H6DeaKKs&list=PL2e4mYbwSTbZkUdVQD0zM3QEyoHhrl_1U&index=23&t=614s | 2019 | In this 2019 GDC talk, game developer Chris Zukowski explains why a well-run email list can be 10 times more effective than Twitter and 5 times more effective than Facebook, and teaches techniques that will get players to join your mailing list, boost your open rates, and turn new players into super fans. | Actually made me care about email marketing haha (note I didn't watch this exact talk, but Chris did the same talk at a local event which is how we connected and worked together on the Boyfriend Dungeon stuff referenced in this talk) | ||||||||||||||||||||
12 | Video | Marketing, Kickstarter | The Grind Behind the $272K Funding Success of Boyfriend Dungeon | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b9MmORx0eg&list=PL2e4mYbwSTbZkUdVQD0zM3QEyoHhrl_1U&index=21&t=456s | 2019 | In this 2019 GDC talk, Kitfox Games' Victoria Tran lifts the veil on the numbers and technical aspects behind the indie discoverability grind that drove Boyfriend Dungeon to Kickstarter success. | Hi is me | ||||||||||||||||||||
13 | Video | Marketing | More Feelings, Fewer Features: Showcasing Your Indie Game Through Messaging and Video | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH40oLUJ-d8&list=PL2e4mYbwSTbZkUdVQD0zM3QEyoHhrl_1U&index=33 | 2019 | In this 2019 GDC talk, editor Derek Lieu and marketer Dana Trebella teach a practical and focused step-by-step process to find your indie game's differentiated message, and how to explain the game's hook via strong visuals and trailers. | Better understanding the relationship between video and messaging | ||||||||||||||||||||
14 | Video | Biz Dev | How to Run a Studio Without a Surprise Hit | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0b89tpU8GU&list=PL2e4mYbwSTbb7jHP_KptSl8BnAkBiaMU1&index=18 | 2019 | In this 2019 GDC session, Christopher Langmuir, Theresa Duringer and Tanya X. Short give realistic examples of how to run a small game studio without a surprise runaway hit. | Understanding the biz decisions behind various studios and helped me consider how community could work into these strategies | ||||||||||||||||||||
15 | Video (Paid) | Community | Humanity: Beyond Data in Communities | https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1025957/Humanity-Beyond-Data-in | 2019 | Data is king. Data analytics are the be-all and end-all... but cold hard numbers cannot tell the story of your player communities alone. In this short presentation, Linda Carlson will challenge the current worship of numbers and discuss why you must never forget the human factors and emotion emanating your player bases. She will outline why it matters, and how to carry the ameliorating message of thoughts and feelings forward to an oft disbelieving audience within the company. | Made me better able to communicate WHY soft skills are so important in the face of many people just wanting metrics. | ||||||||||||||||||||
16 | Video | Community | Game Discoverability Day: Building a Community for Your Game from Scratch | https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1025706/Game-Discoverability-Day-Building-a | 2019 | There are plenty of talks out there about community building and management, but not so many about how to even start a community for your game in the first place. Mike Rose from publishing label No More Robots ('Descenders', 'Not Tonight') has built numerous successful communities via Discord for his games over the years, with thousands of eager members for each - and in this talk, he'll share exactly how he did it, and how any developer can follow his steps and bring together their own community. | Deep dive into Discord metagames which I honestly never used (sorry Mike!!) but was inspirational and interesting to get a sense of what could be done | ||||||||||||||||||||
17 | Video (Paid) | Marketing | PR Success.gif: How to Get Your Game Across in 5 Seconds | https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1026060/PR-Success-gif-How-to | 2019 | In the era of Snapchat, Tinder and a million game releases per day most things have about 5 to 10 seconds to grab your attention, so you better make them count! This session explores the wonderful format of animated gifs and how they can be used to promote your game efficiently to players, press, influencers and other important people. From the question of what makes a good gif, how to record, compress and post them, to best practice examples, this session will provide tips like why the first frame of a gif is key, as well as platform-specific gif advice for Steam, Twitter, etc. After this session you will know how to get the most out of your beautiful animated gif babies and how to convey your game's core message within seconds. | GIF help | ||||||||||||||||||||
18 | Video | Marketing | Making Games That Stand Out and Survive | https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1025773/Making-Games-That-Stand-Out | 2019 | The market for games becomes more crowded every day and shows no sign of slowing down. Hear from Monomi Park CEO and 'Slime Rancher' Game Director Nick Popovich on how you can make your game stand out and survive amongst the thousands of games released every year. Here's a hint: it doesn't involve spending a bunch of money on marketing, but it's also not easy. | Better translating your game design in marketing and the concept of "home" | ||||||||||||||||||||
19 | Video | Marketing | WOKE BRANDS | https://youtu.be/06yy88tLWlg | 2019 | Can a product be truly progressive? How can I free my skin? Let's discuss! | Critical considerations when it comes to "woke" marketing, but also how getting people emotional is an insidious tactic. More critical view on how marketing is done. | ||||||||||||||||||||
20 | Video | Marketing | Making the World Give a Damn About Your Game in 2018 | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWRu3RRqQmY&list=PL2e4mYbwSTbb7jHP_KptSl8BnAkBiaMU1&index=29 | 2018 | In this 2018 GDC talk, No More Robots' Mike Rose discusses what currently works (and what doesn't) when attempting to sell a game in 2018. | Hook vs kicker, importance of Discord (though note I've never implemented any meta-games like he has done) | ||||||||||||||||||||
21 | Video | Biz Dev | Know Your Market: Making Indie Games That Sell | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy0Dfr-mnUY&list=PL2e4mYbwSTbb7jHP_KptSl8BnAkBiaMU1&index=21 | 2018 | In this 2018 GDC talk, Infinite Monkeys Entertainment's Erik Johnson analyzes trends in the Steam marketplace and explores how his game, 'Life Goes On', failed to match the market. | Helped me understand the marketplace more and revenue | ||||||||||||||||||||
22 | Video | Biz Dev | $0 to $1 Million: The Raw Numbers Behind Indie Success | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A4ILaNWaL4&list=PL2e4mYbwSTbb7jHP_KptSl8BnAkBiaMU1&index=9 | 2018 | In this 2018 GDC session, Clever Endeavour Games' Richard Atlas and Kitfox Games' Tanya X. Short compare and contrast the financial strategies of their two companies, which appear to have a lot in common until you look at their respective business models. | Understanding studio goals. Diversification VS focused game studios made me think about how community strategies shift depending on which way studios go | ||||||||||||||||||||
23 | Video | PR | Get Journalists to Cover Your Game: Lessons from Online Dating, Praying and No Man's Sky | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3FPHVBOuks&list=PL2e4mYbwSTbZkUdVQD0zM3QEyoHhrl_1U&index=1&t=1s | 2017 | In this 2017 GDC talk, marketing consultant Thomas Reisenegger explains what it takes to get your game noticed by game journalists, and how you can improve your game marketing by thinking outside the box. | Understanding how to write a press email, "know which god you're praying to" | ||||||||||||||||||||
24 | Video | Events | You Suck at Showcasing Your Game | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB8CvsOjDvg&list=PL2e4mYbwSTbZkUdVQD0zM3QEyoHhrl_1U&index=5 | 2017 | In this 2017 GDC talk, Those Awesome Guys' Nicolae Berbece teaches you how to present and talk about your game, how to build a booth with cardboard and duct tape, why flyers are horrible, how to optimize the play session to fit the harsh environment of the show floor, how the focus should be on building relationships instead of selling copies and overall, how to take advantage of being at a gaming event as a developer. | Had no idea how to show games when I first started, this was a nice overview and gave some cool ideas | ||||||||||||||||||||
25 | Video | Biz Dev | 30 Things I Hate About Your Game Pitch | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LTtr45y7P0&list=PL2e4mYbwSTbZkUdVQD0zM3QEyoHhrl_1U&index=9 | 2017 | In this 2017 GDC talk, Game On The Rails' Brian Upton describes thirty annoying or counterproductive things that you should avoid when you're pitching your game to a publisher. Learn how publishers evaluate the games that are pitched to them, what they care about and what they don't, and what you can do to present your own game in the best possible light. | While it's for publishers, helped me re-evaluate how I talk about the games I market | ||||||||||||||||||||
26 | Book | Marketing | Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction | https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30901608-hit-makers | 2017 | Nothing "goes viral." If you think a popular movie, song, or app came out of nowhere to become a word-of-mouth success in today's crowded media environment, you're missing the real story. | Thoughts on popularity (and what gets popular) | ||||||||||||||||||||
27 | Video | Community | FAKE FRIENDS EPISODE ONE: intro to parasocial relationships (+ playlist) | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3vD_CAYt4g&list=PL7-HzFax9fcxbuDiKPZGdIV69N5-MszEa | 2017 | (Full playlist is linked) A deep dive into parasocial relationships | Ethical thoughts and considerations of parasocial relationships and considering my role in it | ||||||||||||||||||||
28 | Book | Biz Dev | Works Well With Others | https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24612116-works-well-with-others | 2016 | Esquire editor and Entrepreneur etiquette columnist Ross McCammon delivers a funny and authoritative guide that provides the advice you really need to be confident and authentic at work, even when you have no idea what’s going on. | Not really games specific or community specific, but helped me feel better about doing more business-y type things | ||||||||||||||||||||
29 | Course | Marketing | Inbound Marketing Course | https://academy.hubspot.com/courses/inbound-marketing?library=true | 2016 (at time of taking it) | Learn inbound marketing techniques that range from content creation to social promotion to converting and nurturing leads and beyond. By the end of this certification course, you’ll be well on your way to building your inbound marketing strategy. | The first marketing certification I ever did when I was first getting serious about getting into community/marketing/PR. Very basic overview of everything - can't say I use many of the strategies I learned in it (maybe..? it's been awhile). BUT was a great first step into learning more about the field and getting a sense of the lingo. Hubspot has a ton of other courses you can take but I didn't take any of the others. | ||||||||||||||||||||
30 | Course | Marketing | Google Analytics for Beginners | https://analytics.google.com/analytics/academy/course/6 | 2016 (at time of taking it) | Learn the basic features of Google Analytics including how to create an account, implement tracking code, analyze basic reports, and set up goals and campaign tracking. | Honestly for a (smaller) indie studio I didn't ever really need to use it - kept the tracking code and would occassionally peek at it, but other places gave me similar stats. But nice to know for the basics at the very least and depending on where you work prob very important to know | ||||||||||||||||||||
31 | Video (Paid) | Comedy | Bo Burnham: Make Happy | https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Make_Happy | 2015 | Bo Burnham tackles life, death, sexuality, hypocrisy, mental illness and Pringles cans in his dazzling new stand-up special. | The hypocrisy and mental health of having "influence" over people - makes me think a lot about marketing, community, and being a person with influence as a community manager in a studio | ||||||||||||||||||||
32 | Book | Community |
So You've Been Publicly Shamed | https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22571552-so-you-ve-been-publicly-shamed | 2015 | The book explores the re-emergence of public shaming as an Internet phenomenon, particularly on Twitter. | Considerations when it comes to shame, mobs, and internet culture. (Note there are a bunch of iffy things in here but there are interesting points made.) | ||||||||||||||||||||
33 | Book | Marketing | Everbody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content | https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23001125-everybody-writes | 2014 | Everybody Writes is a go-to guide to attracting and retaining customers through stellar online communication, because in our content-driven world, every one of us is, in fact, a writer. | Guide for better copywriting | ||||||||||||||||||||
34 | Book | Marketing | HBR's 10 Must Reads on Communication | https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15824367-hbr-s-10-must-reads-on-communication | 2013 | We’ve combed through hundreds of articles in the Harvard Business Review archive and selected the most important ones to help you express your ideas with clarity and impact—no matter what the situation. | Lol to be honest I read this in an airport while I was waiting for a flight to PAX or something so I didn't get to read ALL of it but I found it to be an interesting dive into "soft skills" and helped me break down what communication is | ||||||||||||||||||||
35 | Research Paper | Community | Unpacking the social media phenomenon:
towards a research agenda | https://beedie.sfu.ca/sms/admin/_DocLibrary/_ic/7ce3fc770bca8d3b3bd39d22c82bb410.pdf | 2012 | "In this paper, we highlight some of the challenges and opportunities that social media presents to researchers, and offer relevant theoretical avenues to be explored. To do this, we present a model that unpacks social media by using a honeycomb of seven functional building blocks" | A social media lens and what building blocks they consist of | ||||||||||||||||||||
36 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
37 | Random note that I write articles/talks/twitter threads/do talks that you can find here: https://sites.google.com/view/thevtran --- I mainly share my thoughts on marketing/community! |