If you must to promote a rough & bad-designed game, what will you do? Lets disscuss ways of promotion, then we can promote our games better. please do not say "I will modify it to the best"

Please keep in mind that I am not involved in the game industry at present, so take this advice with a grain of salt.

From what I've seen in the industry, the most common route is to market it at a budget price and push it through retailers like office max and staples. Games like this should have some sort of hook or gimmick that make it a good impulse buy. I remember there was this shooter called redneck rampage that came out back in the Doom/Duke Nukem days. I remember thinking the demo was a riot. However the game itself wasn't exactly a classic. People still remember it though, because it had an outrageous, funny hook. If you come out with a budget price and packaging that makes someone chuckle when they pick it up, then you can pull off sales no matter what is actually in the box.

Now, what if you have a big budget, full retail price game that has poor design? Clever marketing can still squeeze out some sales. Make your game seem like a bigger deal than it is. Do countdown banner ads and sweepstakes on the major game news sites. Try and get PoP (point of purchase) displays together (i.e. standees, posters, etc. in retailers).

If you have another game coming out in the future that is highly anticipated, pacakage an exclusive demo for that game in with your current, low quality release.

You would promote it the same way you promote any other game.

I would get some experienced professional marketers. That might mean hiring them short-term, contracting with them, or buying a professional service. Experienced professional marketers will know how to ensure your advertising money goes to your target customers, and can craft your messages to get the best message across.

If you don't have the money to get professional marketing services, you need to spend time figuring out what your target customers really want to see, figure out where your target customers will get the message, and then take steps to give them your carefully crafted message.


[ As an example but completely off the point of your game: I currently see a banner ad showing a bunch of bouncing smiley faces. I am not the target audience and I really dislike the ad. But the people who want their product are people who like ads showing bouncy smilies, so their marketers have done the right thing. On the other hand, their marketers have incorrectly selected the target audience by showing it to me. ]

Well, I think if you come in it thinking its a failure, it'll be very difficult. Personally, I try to change my own perception of it. Look for the honest beauty in it. If it's "rough" it shouldn't be compared to a polished game but more a casual game. When you find that niche that it fits and you personally can see it, then I think the techniques for marketing will come readily.

Personally I'd just call it a Halo/Half-Life serial killer (especially if it's a RTS or MMO) and then run some quotes that were hacked together from random words in reviews that slagged the game.

"This game is so bad...ass" - EGM
"This game is so ... good ... I wanted to explode my own head" - Random online website.