Marketing Your Game

General
21

How much better is the COG label than the Hosted Games?

22

They’re advertised more, they get company sponsored cover art and editing, and they generally get priced higher.

23

I see that games range from 2 to 4 $ about. who decides how much they sell for?

24

$1-$5, if you wanna include everything. :stuck_out_tongue: CoG decides.

25

When it comes to Hosted Games, the word count is usually what decides the price. For example, you get a 50-k-word app for a dollar, a 85-k-word for $ 2, a 120-k-word app for # 3, etc.

26

Yeah I thought that would be the case. does any one know what hosted authors have also written for COG label?

27

Just Paul Wang (the author of Sabres of Infinity for HG and Mecha Ace for CoG) but Jim Dattilo wrote Zombie Exodus and he’s also writing A Wise Use of Time for CoG.

28

so where do all the other authors for COG come from?

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29

Previously published authors.

30

When you (or CoG) say “previously published authors”, what does that actually mean? Writers with a following and a book list on Amazon?

31

Generally, yes. “Authors with published works to their name can apply to write and publish a game under the “Choice of Games” label.” Even then, it’s down to CoG’s decision whether or not they want to put you under that label; I’d assume your works would have to be well received and at least somewhat successful.

32

Too bad there is not a known overlap between people who like my writing and the game-playing universe :blush:

33

ooh so most of the writers who have written for COG are people who have published normal writings somewhere else? and just a small few who came from the hosted games?

34

i guess that COG over all wouldn’t wanna take many hosted game authors seeing that they wouldn’t wanna lose money just on royalties and such…

35

Yeah, exactly.

Not necessarily. If the HG author is really successful and well received, it’s in everyone’s interest to have him/her published on the official label.

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36

so is COG more interested in certain kinds of games only or more if the author is doing well with their works?

37

@RockStarPenguin It’s on a case by case basis I believe (someone do correct me if I’m wrong). At this point, if COG believes the game presented to them will be interesting enough to it’s market (and it’s long term repeat buyer audience (whoever bought a COG or HG game)) and that they can turn some sort of a profit in the long run with the type of contract you want (IP rights + 25%Royalties + Lower up front commission V.S. No IP rights + No Royalties + High up front commission) they will most likely be interested in your game.

I’d go so far as to say if you picked the 1st option (25% Royalties + IP rights + Low upfront commission) COG would almost prefer that rather than you picking the option that would cost them a high ticket upfront, which in turn if that “investment” flops they are left proverbially “high and dry”. Whereas with the 1st option the “investment” is low and the author of the game only makes money if COG makes money, a win/win for all parties. (Keep in mind this is all speculation and by no means is any of this guaranteed to be true in any way, shape, or form. For full details please refer to COG themselves).

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38

I might point out that us HG authors don’t get any up front payments :stuck_out_tongue: just royalties.

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39

@Samuel_H_Young which is one of the reasons I don’t understand why COG doesn’t push HG’s as much as COG’s. They could get much bigger ROI (return on investment) per marketing dollar they spend with paid HG’s. Perhaps it’s because they don’t filter as much as they do with official COG’s, or maybe it’s because they want HG authors to reach greater heights and give them a “boost” with COG’s (which would be touching of them) maybe it’s even both.

40

I think the main reason is that they don’t necessarily want people to base their company off of HGs, but they also want to give unpublished authors an opportunity to have their works published.

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