Feature: Taking Your Indie Game To PAX

Author: by Staff

In Gamasutra's latest feature, IGF Winner Andy Schatz (Monaco) and ex-Maxis turned indie Chris Hecker (SpyParty) discuss the decision-making process that led them to getting a booth together at PAX. SpyParty and Monaco are both still under development, but taking a cue from The Behemoth (Castle Crashers), Hecker and Schatz decided it would be worth their while to connect with gamers directly: "Unlike the GDC and E3, Comic-Con and PAX are open to the public, and are primarily for consumers to interact with game companies directly," they write. "These shows do absolutely huge numbers, with 70,000 attendees at PAX, and over 100,000 at Comic-Con." "Having a gamer come play your game, fall in love, and then tell anyone who will listen about 'this awesome game I played' is a different flavor of coverage, and it's hard to quantify how valuable it is," they continue. "Study after study shows word-of-mouth as the top influencer in purchasing decisions, so it seems likely to be quite valuable." The two then detail important logistics of dealing with exhibiting at the show -- in terms of the booth itself -- but also how their games are designed and will be presented to the attendees, and what they hope to accomplish at the show from that perspective. "We have a variety of goals for PAX. Of course we'd like as many gamers as possible to play our games and (hopefully) love them, and then tell all their friends," they continue. "It would be awesome to get some great press out of the experience as well. We're also really looking forward to the playtest aspect of the show." To find out more about their plans, read the full feature, Monaco And SpyParty, On The Road To PAX, live now on Gamasutra.