175: The Short Shelf Life of EGP Apparel

[Jared Newman]

The Short Shelf Life of EGP Apparel

For a brief period in 2008, indie game designers got a foothold on retail shelves by bundling their games with fashionable T-shirts. Unfortunately, it didn't last. Jared Newman takes a closer look at the failed experiment that was EGP Apparel.

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[L.B. Jeffries]

Wait, they sold the CD of the game along with the T-shirt? That almost seems like the reverse of how you'd sell a new IP. Get someone interested in your art, have the info of what is going on readily available. Or in converse, have someone interested in your game and have the info about getting the art readily available.

 

[xitel]

Wow. 7 days per game with one developer? I'm normally inclined to look the other way with these kinds of games, but that's actually somewhat impressive. I heard World of Goo wasn't that bad either.

Wait, they sold the CD of the game along with the T-shirt? That almost seems like the reverse of how you'd sell a new IP. Get someone interested in your art, have the info of what is going on readily available. Or in converse, have someone interested in your game and have the info about getting the art readily available.

Actually, it sounds like a pretty sound marketing idea to me. Not many people are going to buy an expirimental game, but if they bought a cool looking shirt and just happened to get a copy of the game with it, they would a) probably play the game at some point, seeing as how it's free, and b) spread advertisments for the game while the publisher doesn't really have to spend much money at all.

 

[L.B. Jeffries]

Wait, they sold the CD of the game along with the T-shirt? That almost seems like the reverse of how you'd sell a new IP. Get someone interested in your art, have the info of what is going on readily available. Or in converse, have someone interested in your game and have the info about getting the art readily available.

Actually, it sounds like a pretty sound marketing idea to me. Not many people are going to buy an expirimental game, but if they bought a cool looking shirt and just happened to get a copy of the game with it, they would a) probably play the game at some point, seeing as how it's free, and b) spread advertisments for the game while the publisher doesn't really have to spend much money at all.

Maybe, I don't speak for everyone but I tend to look at free CD's that come with a product as some sort of advertising junk that's barely a game. Now I've read this article I'm all ears, but I tend to chuck stuff like that and keep the t-shirt.

 

[Playbahnosh]

This thing crashed in on itself, and there is a reason for it.

Releasing t-shirts with some weird, artsy stuff on it, and slapping a game on the sleeve. The shirt you are wearing says something about you. If you are wearing a shirt with Mario on it, that means you are a Mario fan, a game addict or a nerd. Wearing a simple blue shirt means you don't really want to stick out of the crowd...etc. Very few people knew about the games at the time, so buying and wearing those shirts meant one of two things. Either you are a nonconformist who wants to stick out of the crowd by wearing some obscure artsy shirt noone knows about, or you don't care what you are wearing just liked the design.

I don't think many people bought the shirts for the game. I think most of them though about the CD, like L.B. Jeffries said, some advertising junk, the game that came with the shirt and not the cool game that the shirt is about.

But if the game was marketed first, then the shirt released, it would've been simple merchandise, fan stuff, and there is nothing experimental about that. It's a Catch-22 right there...

Innovation became a bland concept and games used and abused it to the point where it means nothing anymore. People are tired of all the "innovation" around, every single piece of good is advertised as innovative, be it a game, software, t-shirt or anything else. People are tired of buying "innovative" stuff and getting the same crap they are used to. This is why they don't trust experimental things or really innovative stuff anymore.

I feel really sorry for the indie scene...

 

[CanadianWolverine]

*shrug* Why would I want a t-shirt? What function does it serve? T shirts are cheap quality goods, even with the best of art on them, I purchase clothing with decent thread counts of a quality material if at all possible - polyester cotton fibers really don't hold up well, if the faded t shirts that hang like rags in my closet are anything to go by.

If I wanted to try out a game, I would look online at their website and through services like Steam and Impulse.

 

[hiphopalbino]

are these the guys www.shortershelflife.com ? I couldn't find the mario shirt.