Promoting The Gp2x Further...

[craigix]

Hi Everyone, Craig here,

I'd like to hear your ideas about how we might promote the GP2X further in the UK & Europe.

I was thinking of doing something for youtube maybe (it is expensive though, about $8,000 for front page exposure for one week).

Let me know of any ideas you think might work on youtube and also in other areas, or even how you heard about the GP2X to start with...

Thanks,

Craig

 

[tshroom]

I actually heard about the GP2X on Engadget. I personally think word of mouth is the best form of advertisement. If you impress your current customers they will tell their friends and they will tell their friends. It might be a good idea to include swag in the GP2Xs that you sell. A catalogue/flyer or demo videos on VCD. Anything the original buyer can hand out to their peers to get them interested and aware the the system exists.

 

[Magnulus]

Well, Firefox had that competition for advert videos. You could do something similar and then post the winning videos on YouTube and Google Video as a regular member and on any websites, etc you might have. All these demonstrational vids, etc that people are posting are interesting, but they're hardly that promotional. Have a competition and think up a good prize. Money is good, but so is hardware and that kind of thing. (for example free copies of Vektar, Payback and... any... secret... 3D games... you might or might not be working on... *wink wink, nudge nudge*)

Personally, having finally decided that I want to make films for a living, I'd jump at the chance to get some experience while at the same time promoting my favourite handheld.

EDIT: I heard of the Gippex by complete fluke on Lik-Sang, so I can't give much kudos to word of mouth.

 

[Gadget]

I think you need to put together a video presentation of the GP2X. Not the crappy quality we see over youtube etc. Videos showing off the wide range of GP2X games, emulators, video / audio functionallity etc, emphasising things such as the size, quality screen, SD card support etc.

If you had a well put together video that covers most aspects of the GP2X, then maybe you could get some of the Linux / PC magazines to throw it onto one of their cover discs as a feature? Other than that you have word of mouth, and maybe some kind of affiliate program.

We need more developer / gaming websites to take interest in the GP2X. I mean, imagine if IGN reviewed the GP2X... TheRegister.co.uk did an article on the GP2X, which is where I picked up on it, and I am sure many others did as well.

The GP2X is a wonderful device, and it's one of my best purchases over the past few years. I took it to Kos last week on holiday, and back in the appartment in the evenings I played 'Day of the Tentacle' and MAME. I completed DOTT and was amazed at how much fun it was, and how well the GP2X handles the stuff we throw at it. I took the entire Series 9 of the Simpsons as well (25 episodes squashed down to just over 500Mb) which helped enormously on the plane!

Maybe you need a T-Shirt campaign. Something along the lines of 'GP2X - The smart persons PSP'. It might rattle a few PSP owners...

 

[Yono]

Hi Everyone, Craig here,

I'd like to hear your ideas about how we might promote the GP2X further in the UK & Europe.

I was thinking of doing something for youtube maybe (it is expensive though, about $8,000 for front page exposure for one week).

Let me know of any ideas you think might work on youtube and also in other areas, or even how you heard about the GP2X to start with...

Thanks,

Craig

Are you the one buying up ad space in retrogamer magazine? I read it in the US (imported) and think that it is a good place to advertise. Definitely keep it there.

 

[nickspoon]

I found it on Lik-Sang when looking in the GP32 section. Love at first sight

 

[moz]

i would of thought its the job of GPH to advertise

 

[Draken]

Advertising in other mainstream computer and tech magazines would help I guess.

 

[JaqMs]

You must appeal to:

1 Emulation scene
2 Game developer scene
3 Multimedia organizer program developer scene
4 PC freeware scene (ports)
5 People looking for a cheap PMP
6 People looking for commercial-quality games
7 Music tracking scene

If the video has 5 whole minutes of showing emulators running on the GP2X that will only target the select few people that want to play emulators. If you want to keep the GP2X in the popularity it has right now, do not appeal to the catagories I mentioned, and instead, solely target the emulation scene (which I think many of you think is the best idea for the commerical). Just mentioning "SDL" could bring in many developers.

Also, the video should (somehow) show how easy it is to place files in the GP2X and run them, so that people are not baffled on how it works.

 

[Aninhumer]

If we're only intending to point people to the video perhaps google video would be a better service. Or any similar high quality hosting.

Perhaps you could offer free promotional material to anyone who wants it, I imagine delivery would be quite cheap (considering it would fit inside an average envelope and wouldn't really need to be insured).

I like the competition idea, it worked well for firefox, but we must remember that firefox has quite a few more users than the gp2x

 

[Wite_Noiz]

You must appeal to:

1 Emulation scene
2 Game developer scene
3 Multimedia organizer program developer scene
4 PC freeware scene (ports)
5 People looking for a cheap PMP
6 People looking for commercial-quality games
7 Music tracking scene

If the video has 5 whole minutes of showing emulators running on the GP2X that will only target the select few people that want to play emulators. If you want to keep the GP2X in the popularity it has right now, do not appeal to the catagories I mentioned, and instead, solely target the emulation scene (which I think many of you think is the best idea for the commerical). Just mentioning "SDL" could bring in many developers.

Also, the video should (somehow) show how easy it is to place files in the GP2X and run them, so that people are not baffled on how it works.

Geez... any adverts made by you will be so interesting...


I heard about through TheRegister and fell in love straight away.

Not sure on the viability, but sponsoring LAN parties on something might be a good start. Plenty of geeks there.

 

[Dzz]

Advertisements featuring a Korean woman physically dominating a Japanese woman could get some attention.

Edit:

 

[pantera6]

I read gamesmaster
a magazine in england, its a magazine which critics all gaming devices and games.
Mayby asking them to advertise or mention it in their magazine would be good.
For the rest of europe, i would also find the same typre of magazines.
I hate to say though, but no-one clicks on links on youtube, unless by accident or it really stands out from the crowd.
Newspapers are a good bet aswell if you ask me, alot of people read newspapers, (hate to stereo type) but people who read newspapers are often older people, meaning people who lived the days of nes.

 

[Goity]

Lol, I found out from this scary nutter at school :S

 

[Nickmon]

Hi Everyone, Craig here,

I'd like to hear your ideas about how we might promote the GP2X further in the UK & Europe.

I was thinking of doing something for youtube maybe (it is expensive though, about $8,000 for front page exposure for one week).

Let me know of any ideas you think might work on youtube and also in other areas, or even how you heard about the GP2X to start with...

Thanks,

Craig

I dont mean to be funny Craig, but I really think you should look at making the advert you use in retrogamer/Games TM a little sharper its in need of an update. (IMHO)

Unfortunately Im no good in that department, but I am sure some one here would be able to help you and maybe swap a few hours work for a BOB of something..

What I think is wrong:

Not easy to see who you are, include an address people like that still
The GP2x pic at top is just too big
There is too much text on the bottom half, makes it look complicated
Update the bottom pics with real images (I understand there could be copyright problems with roms, but there must be enough freeware stuff to use) or have a link on the page to a www site with some samples of the emulators and roms..

Better Custom GUI shots may be show a couple of skins
Use nice speech bubbles or round icons with a small amount of text, fast to the point text on them (like the round green circle on page 21 or retrogamer26), IE high impact, eye catching points..
You have other products plug them to (power lead, bob, tv lead, batteries recharges etc)

I just asked the Mrs what she thought:
Its dull - the advert
Does not make me want to go out and get one
Cant be bother to read the text - too much, too small to see

Just my 10 cents, worth

Any one out there able to help redesign the ad...>

 

[greenmikey]

If you are going to do youtube adverts then you need to call out as many members to make unique videos of doing things..so if people browse they will keep interest.

Usually if I buy a product I will do as much research as possible...videos are a great resource, and having more is usually a great way to find any one persons niche. I like the youtube idea..but we cant let craig down, also if the videos show more technical things as well as the normal videos it will attract people that arent strictly into pirating romz for a larger epeen.

 

[Magnulus]

How about getting it featured on Indie Superstar, the new videocast for indie games.

I've got some words for you from Nick Tipping of Moonpod, the team behind Starscape and the upcoming Mr. Robot:

Interestingly, we were approached by the European arm of Game Park to make Starscape for their Euorpean launch of the GP32 - sadly, the European launch was scratched so nothing ever came of it.

Why don't you guys at GPH contact them again? It seems they'd be interested if payed for it. From being a regular at their forums, I gather that they're really fond of Starscape and that they intend to do more work on and around it.

There's a nice full page ad for the GP2X in this month's UK 'Games' magazine. Nice to see them pushing it, but I'm not sure they got across any particular gaming aspects of the unit. I'd guess saying "it's a handheld that runs linux" to Joe Average is not going to be of any use. Yet they can't show loads of pictures of great games running under emulation, because it's illegal.

Very true words that lead us to this last quote:

You know, if I were them, I'd fund some of the better indie developers to make games for them - it wouldn't cost much to them, and it would give GP2X gaming a shot in the arm (or is that ARM - hohoho!) and give them something to promote in games mags.

Imagine a handheld with Gish, Chuzzle, Darwinia, Space Tripper. Maybe even Starscape!

They could also do with pulling out all the stops to get some form of opengl running on it at decent speed.

I'd generally KILL for Gish, Starscape, Oasis or Titan Attacks on my handhheld, and you'd definitely have a unique collection of games by doing this.

AFTER you have some really really nice-looking and previously PC-only games, maybe it'll be easier to get people interested through your ads?

 

[Yono]

You know, if I were them, I'd fund some of the better indie developers to make games for them - it wouldn't cost much to them, and it would give GP2X gaming a shot in the arm (or is that ARM - hohoho!) and give them something to promote in games mags.

Imagine a handheld with Gish, Chuzzle, Darwinia, Space Tripper. Maybe even Starscape!

They could also do with pulling out all the stops to get some form of opengl running on it at decent speed.

I'd generally KILL for Gish, Starscape, Oasis or Titan Attacks on my handhheld, and you'd definitely have a unique collection of games by doing this.

AFTER you have some really really nice-looking and previously PC-only games, maybe it'll be easier to get people interested through your ads?

Oh man, that would be really sweet. It would definitely be a great addition to the commercial game collection.

 

[Magnulus]

It totally would, and at the same time, it wouldn't destroy the GP2X's reputation as an Underdog system that embraces the open culture of gaming if they invested in something more original than a GTA clone.

No offense on Payback, but a GTA clone, however nice-looking, will only serve to prove that the GP2X isn't as good as the PSP on 3D games. It looks really good considering the hardware, but if someone unfamiliar with the GP2X sees the game, they'll think "uhh... GTA looks much more awesome than this."

However, if they see GISH or STARSCAPE on it, they might go "ooooooh! I can take that WITH me?! Neat-o!"

Personally, you'd be better off marketing something like... oh... something based on a certain game called something like Snowman or Abominable or something. Yuppie or something... All right. Yeti. Any plans there? I hear some crazy things. Any rumor checks?

 

[bbodin]

or even how you heard about the GP2X to start with...

I'm in the US and first heard about it on the arcade controls forum/consoles section as someone had posted asking if anyone had any opinions on it.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?board=15.0