From MS Patient to Fitness Junky

September 28, 2012 | 9 Comments

Indie Game Marketing and the new iOS 6 app store “issue”

I am hoping to get a new website up with all the different content I love to write about (my art, my gaming, my thoughts on indie marketing and my fitness) but I didn’t manage to get it up yet so I am posting a different kind of blog post here, for once

There is a huge discussion going on right now about the re-structuring of the apple store and its aftermath for indies. Several articles around the net cover the issues and I do agree with them – but only to a certain extent. So lets take a look at this from a marketing point of view.

Some background for those who don’t know me:
I am currently working for a small indie developer in Norway and am (among other things) responsible for Business Development, Marketing and Public Relations. We are probably one of the very few small indies who have a more or less dedicated person in that area, even though everyone at Rock Pocket Games has to cover a whole range of different responsibilities.

So here is my humble opinion on this hot subject:

Platforms such as the apple store, steam (you could even mention kickstarter as a marketing tool) shouldn’t have been the main focus for indie developers to get attention for their games. It worked when these locations were relatively new, with less products, but at a time where there are more than 150 games being added to the app store daily, that time has come and gone. It’s not only an issue of the sheer amount of new games being released daily overwhelming a potential consumer, but also the fact that in order to gain his/her attention, your game has to be at the right place at the right time. This is something which is hard to influence on a platform of any sorts, unless you have full control over said platform.

Why would you want to compete at the last possible destination in a sales process? Sales and attention are being gained way before the location your product is being bought and those are places you can have 100% control over, such as your website/blog, social media channels, communities, forums or anything else related to the web.

It’s like begging/hoping for attention while we indie marketeers and developers should be focusing on gaining/earning the attention through other means.

Marketing is all about attention. I think we all can agree on that (admittedly, very simplified) definition. However it needs the right kind of attention at the right place and at the right time. In order to achieve this there are better means out there than gambling in the app store game and I think it’s about time we get to terms with that fact. The best game in the world won’t sell if people don’t know about it. Minecraft wasn’t a great game when Notch started development, it was a great idea/design and he used the power to engage and include a whole community onto the development process which in turn made them feel more involved and connected. Being part of an actual project automatically makes people more invested. There is an inherent truth that human beings have a craving to belong to a community, engage and interact. So, right there is a great marketing tool for you. Inexpensive, personal and with long-term merit.

So lets assume Minecraft wasn’t known at all before it got released and it would be an iPhone game only. Now lets assume some people saw it in the “new” section. Some would have bought it, others probably not. That would lead off to a slow start but since Minecraft is a very popular game it would go viral pretty fast with most marketing coming from people who love it so much they tell their friends about it. This shows us that most decisions to buy the game are made outside of the app store via friend suggestions or people blogging about how great the game is. The game is being bought because people trust their friends to tell them the truth.

Not to mention, someone who buys your game by browsing in the app store is also much more likely to just drop it again and forget about it. You don’t want a consumer, you want a fan

I am a firm believer of earning attention through content, community building, trust and placing yourself as a thought-leader and specialist in your field. That means stepping out of the mindset that everything is about your product and thinking that just getting it in front of someone who has never heard or seen of your studio or your game is enough to make them buy it. It’s not enough, not anymore, because you compete with thousands of other studios who do exactly the same.

You need to stand out as a person and a studio. Building trust and explaining to people who you are and what your studio stands for takes time. It takes time to understand who your potential customers are. It takes time to understand what kind of problems you could solve for them. It takes time to write content for them and it takes time to get to know people and make friends. That is the reason you should have a person that is dedicated to do this and that’s the money you should be spending on Marketing nowadays:

The good news?

Expensive Marketing such as ads, TV spots etc are not efficient any more. We don’t need them (or do you seriously not check your emails or browse on your smart phone/tablet or grab something to snack through a tv ad break?).
The new way of marketing is incredibly cost-effective to almost free and has long-term merit

The bad news?

game shop platforms will become increasingly useless as marketing tools
The new way of marketing is very time-consuming and needs a dedicated person

What exactly is the modern way of doing marketing? Well that is my personal opinion and could probably fill a book or at least a few hours of talking but feel free to send me an email and I am happy to share my thoughts

September 25, 2012 | 3 Comments

Solu-Medrol Treatment and its side-effects

Not all blog posts can be positive, especially since I pride myself writing about all my experiences so skip this if you are really not in the mood for some not-so-fun MS issues

But hey, did you know Solu-Medrol treatments for MS symptoms are actually Steroids? Yup, I have officially been on Steroids several times!

Granted, I was actually really happy being able to finally go to the hospital and get the Cortisone Treatment after what was a marathon of acute symptoms, bad luck, slow bureaucracy and general nuisances but I forgot that it’s actually really not fun. Well, I didn’t think it would be fun but it has been over two years since my last treatment and my memory was a bit fuzzy!

First of all, it was different this time. My first treatment here in Norway was certainly a completely different experience then my treatments in Greece. I have to mention that back in Greece I had private insurance and here I am publicly insured through the government. The most important difference was that back in Greece I had a room on my own and was in the hospital for 5 days with constant service, diet and 5 treatments. Here in Norway it was only 3 days on a waiting room with lazy-boys and they let me go home after the two-hour infusion (and with the IV still in my hand, of course). Not sure which was better. I felt dizzy and a bit scared on my own at home, I have to admit. Not the least due to the side-effects during and also now after the treatment is over. Oh yeah, and they didn’t hit my vein properly and didn’t notice, which led to the salt water solution and drug being pumped in my hand’s tissue, causing a swelling the size of an ostrich egg and severe pain due to the pressure. The good news is though that after they took it out the swelling went down within an hour and the pain also went away after a while. After all I got two hands and I wouldn’t want them to not try to ruin the other, too

Not pleasant but nothing to be scared about (which I was, it actually freaked me out but at least now I know it can happen and that it’s nothing too serious ). So if it happens to you, no worries!

My side effects during the treatment are as follows:

Bad metal/sulfur taste in my mouth
dizziness
headache
blurry vision

Side effects currently after the treatment:

Dizziness
headache
swollen tissue (water retention, specially legs)
skin outbreak
blurry vision
fatigue
upset stomach

Fun right? Most symptoms seem to manifest a few days after, as a result of the drug trying to work its way out, maybe?
The swelling I know would happen. It’s water retention. It happens a lot and can lead to quite a bit of weight gain. I found though that limiting or even completely avoid any salt intake until the drug is cleared, can help. Unfortunately that means at least for about a month or longer. I was so annoyed about the whole thing this time around that I couldn’t be bothered with keeping my nutrition in check. My own fault really.

Either way, here are a few tips that normally worked for me to take some of the Solu-Medrol side-effects in check:

Drink a lot of water and avoid alcohol, coffee and tea or anything else, but water.
Reduce Salt intake for about a month during and after the treatments
apple juice really helps against that awful taste you get during the drips
keep your legs elevated but make sure you get up and walk around even if you are really exhausted to get the blood flowing
rest

A healthy diet is important for everyone, but it is especially important for people with lupus and those taking steroid medications. While taking steroids, your cholesterol, triglyceride, and blood sugar levels may increase. For these reasons, it is absolutely essential that you not increase your calorie intake and follow a low sodium, low-fat, and low-carbohydrate diet. You do not need to cut out all of the foods you love, but concentrate on eating whole grain breads and cereals and lean sources of protein such as chicken and fish.* When you need a snack, look to vegetables—they are low in sugar and calories and provide the perfect food for “grazing.” Try to eat them without Ranch dressing or vegetable dip, because these items carry lots of fat and calories. If you need something to accompany your vegetables, try lighter dips like hummus. It is also important that you minimize alcohol intake when taking steroid medications, since steroids may already irritate your stomach. In fact, it is best not to drink alcohol at all, because combining alcohol with certain lupus medications can be very harmful to your liver.

Steroids may deplete certain vitamins in your body, such as vitamins C, D, and potassium. Your doctor may recommend for you to take supplemental vitamins or increase your intake of certain foods in order to make up for these deficiencies. Usually it is beneficial to take a multivitamin every day, but speak with your doctor to see which one is right for you, since some vitamins can adversely affect certain conditions. For example, people with antiphospholipid antibodies, especially those taking anticoagulants such as warfarin (Coumadin), should avoid vitamin K because it can increase the risk of blood clots.

The good thing is that most symptoms vanish fast, really fast, during the treatment. That’s a good thing, no matter what

July 23, 2012 | 6 Comments

Rebif side effects wake-up call

I hate making posts about negative things because they are, if we are honest, always perceived as whiny and unnecessary. Most people like to read about positive uplifting things which is only human

However, today I am making a small exception, so be forewarned!

It’s so easy to forget about an illness if you do well. It’s quite mind-boggling how much the human body/mind can take and how fast we can get used and adapt to a situation. Even the most annoying symptoms can get so familiar that we don’t think of them as part of a bigger problem. I haven’t had an actual episode in like 2 years and even the tri-weekly Rebif injections are just everyday life for me that I don’t even connect them with MS any more. It’s just something I do, a routine I have gotten used to. I am feeling like a live a completely normal life which is great, right?

So, yesterday was one of these days when I forgot to take the Advil after I took the medicine before going to bed. It totally slipped my mind for whatever reason..

In the middle of the night I wake up with the usual, frankly quite horrible side-effects that Rebif still has on me:

cold sweats and chills that shake me every few minutes
joint pain that is so bad it rivals the most horrid rheumatic pain and even breathing feels like a chore
horrible headache
terrible ear pain
stomach cramps
feeling my hands and feet burning like ice despite them being normal temperature

I then normally try to roll up into a ball and try to warm myself, thinking it might stop the shaking and chills before limping to the bathroom to take the pain killers I should have taken in the first place.

So, why am I writing about this and why the title?

Every time I do forget to take a pain-killer/flue meds after I took the MS meds, I am reminded that not everything is ok despite how well I am doing outside of these situations and I honestly think these incidents are actually a good thing (once they are over). Even though the side-effects have nothing to do with my MS directly, they remind me of the fact that I do take quite strong meds three times per week to feel as good as I feel right now and hopefully keep it that way.

But quite frankly, I take these small wake-up calls any time over the alternatives which could happen. It’s a good thing to remind yourself that you need to take it slow and take care of yourself. Some of us just need some outside reminders every now and then

June 15, 2012 | No Comments

Yup I am still alive :)

After a veritable stretch of laziness I am back on track and more determined then ever to keep going. I am currently in my second round of Insanity and a few days away from the recovery week which brings me to the actual reason I am posting an update:

Quite a few of my friends just started with Insanity or other Beachbody workouts and I found these helpful tips today by Jimmy, one of the Insanity Cast crew. That means I just HAVE to share it with you, don’t I?

I wanted to pass along these INSANITY WORKOUT FREE TIPS to you to ensure you get the maximum results you want!

1. GET YOUR MIND RIGHT

Before the first bead of sweat ever drops from you body, you must prepare your mind for your next 60 days. You need to decide right now that you are in this for the full two months. It doesn’t seem like a long time, but you would be shocked the number of people I talk to who quit in the first week.

Things to wrap your head around before starting INSANITY:

 You WILL work hard. Probably harder than you ever have before in your life.

 This is NOT a quick fix! You aren’t going to look like Shaun T by Day 3.

 The scale is not how to judge your progress! Performance & Energy will be your guides.

2. FORM IS KING

I have heard Shaun T say this over and over again: FORM OVER SPEED! Insanity is a rare workout. There isn’t a slow intro to let your body warm up. It comes out of the gate fast and furiously. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and adrenaline Shaun T gives off. You feel like you need to keep up with everyone in the DVD. Let me let you in on a little secret. Most of the people in that video had 60 days to train with Shaun T in preparation to shoot the DVDs. If that group of fitness professionals needed 60 days to be ready, don’t feel bad when you aren’t at their level on day one.

If you are really serious about performing at your max and avoiding injury then WATCH the workout before you do it. That way you can see the progressions and pay close attention to Shaun T’s form. Let’s face it; once the workout starts, we are so busy trying to keep up that exercise form is the first thing to be compromised. And when you compromise form- BAM – that is when you get injured and can’t workout at all. No one wants that, do they?

3. PACE YOURSELF

This could actually be labeled INSANITY FREE TIP 2a because it goes hand in hand with #2. Even though at times you may think otherwise, Shaun T cannot see you through your TV screen. He is not going to jump through the screen and yell at you if your pace is half of the Insanity cast members. In fact, on the many occasions I have had the privilege of training in person with Shaun T, I have seen him tell people to slow down. Your body will actually get BETTER RESULTS at a slower pace if you master perfect form!

When you go faster than you should, you leave yourself open for injuries, discouragement, frustration, and getting light-headed. No one wants that!

4. FUEL YOUR BODY PROPERLY

Yes, there is a Nutrition Guide that comes with your Insanity DVDs! It amazes me how many people want to just jump into the workouts without paying any attention to how to eat during INSANITY.

You probably bought INSANITY because you wanted to look like the success stories on the infomercial or to have abs like Shaun T. Well let me let you in on a little secret: They didn’t get bodies like that eating whatever they wanted to.

Or even worse – many people are not eating enough! There was as much time and effort put into the nutrition guide as there was in creating the workouts.

It’s only 60 days! Don’t you want to give yourself the best chance to get the ultimate results from your investment?

Some people are surprised how much food they are asked to eat, but keep this in mind: You are training like an athlete, so you have to fuel your body like an athlete. INSANITY is not a program to be done without the proper fuel.

In addition to the food guide there are 2 things I use DAILY during my INSANITY Workouts:

Shakeology - It truly is the healthiest meal of the day. It also makes a fantastic pre-workout meal. I drink mine 1st thing in the morning, and do my INSANITY workout about an hour later.

Results and Recovery Formula - Originally designed to be used by people doing P90X, the results and recovery formula was my lifesaver while filming the DVDS. The orange bottles you see everyone drinking from in the Insanity Workout DVDs are filled with Results and Recovery Formula. Put 1 scoop in your water during your workout, and take 1 scoop post workout to replenish lost nutrients and prevent soreness.

5. FIND AN ACCOUNTABILTY PARTNER

The number 5 INSANITY WORKOUT FREE TIP probably should have been #1. Too many people try to jump into this routine by themselves without any support or encouragement. Doing INSANITY is a huge life changer. (It’s not like adding an evening walk around the block to your routine)

What happens when you hit the first roadblock? What do you do when you skip a day? What is the best way to find motivation on the days you don’t feel like working out? Are there options that can be substitutes for what is in the nutrition guide if I have allergies or food sensitivities?

Wouldn’t it be much easier to work with someone that knows the answers to all these questions? I have always attributed my amazing results to the fact that I have always had someone to be accountable to. They would pat me on the back or kick me in the butt – depending on what I needed that day. I have always been very thankful for the different ‘coaches’ I have had in my life.

Don’t make the mistake of trying to tackle INSANITY alone! If you are lacking support, encouragement, and an expert to help then I invite you to CLICK HERE TO CONTACT ME. I am happy to help!

Congratulations on taking a huge step to improve your health and fitness. Your life will be completely changed your life IF you follow these simple INSANITY WORKOUT FREE TIPS.

If you found this article helpful I invite you to come over to my blog and share it!

In this thing together – Coach Jimmy

January 17, 2012 | No Comments

Goodbye 2011 – hello 2012

2011 was a tough year. Leaving Greece and a lot of friends, learning a new language and getting acquinted are just a few of the challenges I had to face. I won’t list all of them here because they are plenty but the biggest challenge was and still is, finding a new pace for my schedules and day to day plans.

Norway has a completely different rythm, one I have troubles adopting to and finding a good schedule. Specially if you are interested in a lot of things and want to keep working out, planning your time is the most important aspect. With having a much longer day to work, having to start much earlier, much less space to work out and other challenges it has been a bit of a disheartening past few month. I started Asylum in Summer and it went really well, until I got my new job and the days got shorter. I haven’t worked out since then and just now started to get over a really bad infection. This made me realize that I really have to get my act together again when it comes to eating and working out.

Having to get up around 7 (latest) and having school two times per week as well as a lot of other interests I want to persue I find hardly time to really focuse on cooking anymore and do not have the proper space to work out. All of this is true, but all of this are also excuses which I can overcome if I want to. It’s not easy though

I got a nice reminder today when a friend sent me this video link. It reminded me how great I felt when I ate properly and worked out. How much more energy I had and how enthusiastic I was about everything. I am going back there..NOW!

Believe me when I tell you that eating properly is going to change your life. Even though she sounds a bit like an extremist she does have a great point and I think her results speak for themselves. Results I’ve seen work for myself too. However, a healthy lifestyle doesn’t cure MS, it will help live with it though and improve living quality