Games to review wanted

[Mark Sheeky]

Hi folks, the Bytten review queue is running short of games at the moment so if you want your game reviewing then visit www.bytten.com and submit your game. Simply registering as a developer gives you a free link to your site and a profile page to tell the world about your studio.

There have been one or two improvements to the site of the past couple of months including a page showing all of the game reviews, and one showing all of the gold star reviews.

Bytten is run by a small team of volunteers and has published an independent game review each week since February 2003. If anyone would like to write for us, we're always on the look out for new committed writers and reviewers.

Finally, if you have an independent game review blog then send me an email and I will add you to our Blog Mine section.

Mark Sheeky, Editor
http://www.bytten.com

[Jack Norton]

Just registered for my new website Tycoon Games and going to send you my blog link

[princec]

Okeydoke.

Cas

[Mark Sheeky]

Rest assured I won't be reviewing your game Cas, I mean I'm just the editor and administrator now and Andrew and Steve are the main reviewers. I think I sort of accidentally pissed you off or something at one time and it was probably my fault, sorry. I look forward to publishing any review of your games.

If/when you register puppy games I'll update the links in your current reviews to reflect that. Actually that applies to any developer who has a published review but hasn't registered with the new Bytten yet.

Mark Sheeky, Editor
http://www.bytten.com

[princec]

Ah if you did I've long since forgotten It's nice that Bytten is still going after all this time.

Cas

[Jeff]

Sweet, I just registered. Do you do previews of upcoming games?

[Mark Sheeky]

Originally Posted by Jeff

Sweet, I just registered. Do you do previews of upcoming games?

Sometimes but rarely. I'm hoping a new writer will rectify this.

Mark Sheeky, Editor
http://www.bytten.com

[electronicStar]

I think the frontpage really lacks pictures.

[TimS]

Registered!

We're finally done with Blobyrinth: Maze Island Quest (again), and would love a review. I'll submit it shortly.

-Tim

[ChrisP]

Do you ever do re-reviews? Mayhem Intergalactic's review from a while back marks the game down a fair bit for its lacklustre graphics and sound. Since that review, both of those areas have been heavily improved, and I'm curious what kind of score it'd get now.

Also, you should really do some basic SEO on the site... at least put the name of the game in the page title on review pages: "Mayhem Intergalactic PC game review on Bytten", for example. Even better, make the URL syntax nicer, so that e.g. bytten.com/review/mayhem-intergalactic goes where you'd expect it to go. Search engines and users will love you for this.

You're currently on the second page for mayhem intergalactic review on Google, listed after a whole bunch of crappy PAD shareware listing sites which don't even have reviews, and IMO there's no reason why you couldn't be in the top three with a little effort. This is just an example; you'd also get benefits for every other game you review, of course.

[Mark Sheeky]

Good suggestions Chris, thanks. I've just changed the code to implement one of them right now:

Try:
http://www.bytten.com/gamereview.php...0Intergalactic

That can be used for any review, just change the "name=" parameter. In the site though we'll still use id numbers I think. I'm not sure of the implications yet...

No we don't do re-reviews. If we did we would be inundated because "updates" are common in indie games although in exceptional circumstances we will change old ones (like if a bug was particularly criticised was due to the reviewer's PC). That should be noted by everyone; submit finished games only!!

Mark

[Mark Sheeky]

I've just implemented Chris' suggestions.

Not all game names are HTML friendly so the ID is included as a parameter along with the name in all links (either id OR name will work most of the time, there's just a few game titles that wouldn't work with the name alone. ID gets priority). Keywords appear on all review pages too.

Those with published reviews may choose to link to their review using the "name=" parameter if it works:
http://www.bytten.com/gamereview.php?name=gametitle

Mark

[Jamie W]

Hi Mark,

I would LOVE bytten to review my game, Qwak. Defo PM me if you want me to send you a review copy.

Is it possible to get a game review, without registering on your site?

Thanks,
Jamie.

[Arion]

Mark,I would suggest that the 'Review Archive' page can be renamed to "Hall of Fame' page with the highest scored review games listed in ascending order to the lower scored games. This could potentially help journalists to find their way more easily in your games database.

[Mark Sheeky]

Originally Posted by Arion

Mark,I would suggest that the 'Review Archive' page can be renamed to "Hall of Fame' page with the highest scored review games listed in ascending order to the lower scored games. This could potentially help journalists to find their way more easily in your games database.

The "Bytten Charts" page does that. The "All Games" page is probably the easiest way to find one particular game.

Is it possible to get a game review, without registering on your site?

It depends on how you define "possible". Is there any reason why you don't want to register? One point of the process is that the title, price, URL's, and other game info is entered by the developer to make the reviewer's job easier and avoid mistakes. An ordered system of allocating reviews is needed to give the reviewers the right amount of time and each game fair due. It is possible to get a review without registering but the same info would be required and the review wouldn't happen any sooner (the other games in the system would get priority).

Mark

[Mark Sheeky]

I would also like to add that I'm amazed at the quantity of developer registrations that end up in my google spam folder. Apologies if it took longer than it should have to activate people.

Mark

[Jamie W]

Originally Posted by Mark Sheeky

It depends on how you define "possible". Is there any reason why you don't want to register? One point of the process is that the title, price, URL's, and other game info is entered by the developer to make the reviewer's job easier and avoid mistakes. An ordered system of allocating reviews is needed to give the reviewers the right amount of time and each game fair due. It is possible to get a review without registering but the same info would be required and the review wouldn't happen any sooner (the other games in the system would get priority).

Mark

Hi Mark,

Sure, I guess from my point of view, it's easier and more efficient, if I can do the whole "submit game to review site" thing, through E-Mail.

It's a lot easier for me to track what's going on, and who's doing what with my game if I'm working through E-Mail (and I like to track this kinda stuff in a spread-sheet).

Every time I go through the process of filling out web-forms, registering with a site etc ... it's just more jumping through hoops and time consuming ... and it doesn't bode well with a more efficient "do everything by email and track on spread-sheet" type approach that I'm aiming for. I like efficient!

So, that's my rational for wanting to submit by E-Mail rather than web-form. I hope that makes sense?

I'm more than happy to provide you with any info you require. I am happy to wait, and certainly don't want to jump the queue! I just prefer to do it all via E-Mail, because that's the most efficient and time-effective way for me to approach this.

Best Regards,
Jamie.

[Jamie W]

Originally Posted by Mark Sheeky

I would also like to add that I'm amazed at the quantity of developer registrations that end up in my google spam folder. Apologies if it took longer than it should have to activate people.

Mark

I tried to register earlier today Mark, and just this second, it's come through...

[Mark Sheeky]

Originally Posted by Jamie W

Hi Mark,

Sure, I guess from my point of view, it's easier and more efficient, if I can do the whole "submit game to review site" thing, through E-Mail.

It's a lot easier for me to track what's going on, and who's doing what with my game if I'm working through E-Mail (and I like to track this kinda stuff in a spread-sheet).

Every time I go through the process of filling out web-forms, registering with a site etc ... it's just more jumping through hoops and time consuming ... and it doesn't bode well with a more efficient "do everything by email and track on spread-sheet" type approach that I'm aiming for. I like efficient!

So, that's my rational for wanting to submit by E-Mail rather than web-form. I hope that makes sense?

I'm more than happy to provide you with any info you require. I am happy to wait, and certainly don't want to jump the queue! I just prefer to do it all via E-Mail, because that's the most efficient and time-effective way for me to approach this.

Best Regards,
Jamie.

Yes it does, absolutely, because I've been in the same position, especially with press releases. That approach is less work for you, but more work for (in this case) us, so the people who are willing to put in the more work are much more likely to get rewarded by being seen by us. Like all of those press releases I used to email out that in effect got ignored. The ones where I used web forms invariably ended up getting online.

Mark

[Jamie W]

Hi Mark,

I used your web-form...

The box for the cost of the game, only allowed me to enter a price in USD, and my game is priced in sterling, so I put an extra comment in the box to make you (or whoever) aware of this.

Anhyoo, please let me know if you need any further info.

Warmest Regards,
Jamie.

[ChrisP]

Originally Posted by Mark Sheeky

That should be noted by everyone; submit finished games only!!

But it was more or less finished, until Steve (the reviewer) pointed out that the graphics and sound sucked.

Bit disappointing since I'm sure the game would do a lot better now, but your policy is fair enough; I can see your point about being inundated.