Was there ever such a thing as professional courtesy?

I think there was.

Am I the only one that is disillusioned?

I don't think so.

Recently, I've been discussing this very topic with all kinds of people who work in many different types of industries and they couldn't agree more! Actually, they get more fired up than I do. And that tells me something, because I get pretty fired up!

Maybe it's the times that we live in. Maybe it's the always-connected, fast-paced, information-snippet, ADD, MTV, no-ethics-no-conscience, instant gratification, spoiled society that we live in that is to blame.

Maybe it's technological advancements that are the culprit. After all, technology makes it extremely easy to ignore people.

Voicemail message: press #3 to erase
Email message: hit the delete key
Instant message: block the user
Cell phone call: push the "ignore" key.

I'm trying to figure out when it has become so acceptable to be so disrespectable.

Can the disrespectful not see that the most successful people in business embrace the concept of courtesy, not only professionally, but personally too?

Maybe they can't. Obviously they don't.

Why is it that I can reach out to a guy who I have never met that is worth hundreds of millions of dollars, is unbelievably respected, and is a pioneer in one of the fastest-growing industries in the world and he responds to me almost immediately?

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Moving on ...

Once again, we are extremely lucky to have two great guest contributors to this month's e-newsletter.

Shane Francis of the Shane Francis Company shares with us his Top 6 Wish List to help you maximize your game assets to create killer videos, trailers and commercials. And Bert-Co's John Bourquin answers a reader's question about how to get the most bang for your buck when creating packaging on a limited budget.

Also, congratulations are in order!

First, I would like to congratulate my friend Bill Gardner on becoming the new North American CEO of Eidos/SCi. Good luck Bill; they are very lucky to have you!

And to my good friends at RipeTV, congratulations on the launch of your network on Comcast ON DEMAND! I'm looking forward to a great success story!

As always, I hope that you enjoy this month's issue of "Outside The Box" and thank you for all of the positive feedback that you send our way. We enjoy putting it together for you each month and it is nice to know that you look forward to reading it.

Oh, because I said I would, I'd like to send a hearty "hello" to Dana Chan at NVIDIA!

Until next time ...

Joe Cerbo
President
PRICE

But, in doing so, we rely on the game developer or publisher to partner with us; the more we have to work with, the easier it is for us to help the game company achieve its goals. What we're suggesting is that we -- and any other media company -- will do an even better job for you if you take to heart this little Top 6 Wish List of ours:

• Tell us what sets your game apart. We need to understand what it is about your particular game that makes it different. You had something in mind when you built the game; we need to know what. Help us understand the message you want to deliver so we can craft that message out of the assets you give us. We understand that you're enthusiastic about what you developed, but a laundry list of the dozen or two dozen attributes needs more focus. Distill that list down to the essential few items. We always say that you can really only juggle a few balls at once. If you throw too many in the air, you'll drop them all.
• Be careful with what media you capture your game footage on. Sure, everything looks great on a PlayStation 2 or an Xbox. But when it's converted to the TV world, you're dealing with a different technology. How you capture your game footage shouldn't be an afterthought. The audio and video levels need to be set correctly. And, by all means, consider digital beta or beta SP as your format of choice. Mini DV is cheaper and easier, but the resulting video will never look as crisp and clean and high-res as if you'd done it on a deck. You can do the game capture at a professional post-production facility at probably a couple of hundred bucks an hour -- or spend the $500-$800 to rent a deck. Here's where you can spend a little bit of money to get a lot of results.

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Q: I’m responsible for the packaging of a new PC game title. Unfortunately, our budget is extremely limited. In regard to the printing, what can I do -- taking in to consideration our “limited budget” -- to make our box really “pop” and compete with the bigger-budget titles?

A: John Bourquin is vice president of Los Angeles-based Bertco, which has been a leading provider of printed materials of 75 years. John replies:

”Most packaging for the PC industry today includes foil stock, holographic foils, embossing, debossing, foil stamping, multiple colors, windowing, etc. What sells on the shelf is a result of getting the attention of the consumer, no matter what it takes.

"Great titles are a plus, but if you are developing a new and exciting title, your competition with scads of money to invest in the package will have a definite advantage over the 'plain Jane' package.

”The cost for the die, the die cutting, the gluing, no matter what is printed, is all generally the same. Where you can spend a lot of money is fancy stocks coupled with some creative embossing or foil stamping. Everyone seems to be doing it. If it were my checkbook, I would opt for something in a solid color, UV-coating, and MAYBE a foil stamp without the embossing. A gloss black package with a bright contrasting color for type -- "a fancy font" -- is sometimes a refreshing look that does not compete with the multitude of other packages. Bright red, green, or even orange might work well. The fewer the colors, the cheaper it is to print. (You don't really need to print your package on a 6-color press, now do you?)"