You would be hard pressed to find an upcoming game that does not already have a Web site associated with it. Usually, game players find out about a new project and, if they are psyched enough, dedicate their personal time and resources to create a fan site.

Anyone can set up a game site, whether it is a general news source, or dedicated to a game or developer. But not every site manages to rise above the online clutter. For those that do, the rewards and benefits vary from the simple ego boost of having one of the best Web sites on the Internet to catching the eye – and perhaps a job – working on an official site for a game’s developers.

On RuneGame.com, my job as Site Director and Community Relations Manager stemmed from the work I did on my fan site, Ragnarok. That’s a big title for what is simply a liaison between the community and Human Head Studios (PC/PS2), Atlas Games (RPG), Westlake Interactive (Mac) and the publishers of Rune – Gathering of Developers and Take 2 Interactive.

As more people become comfortable with Web-creation tools, the number of fan sites for games will increase. Official game sites will also need to do more to provide product information and community resources to help with sales and marketing. It’s with this in mind that I’ve listed several reasons why game Web sites are advantageous and how game developers can provide support and gain benefits.

Gamers who simply enjoy everything game related often create the best sites. They understand the need to locate important files, see the latest screenshots, and keep track of updates. These are the first signs your game has a community building around it.

Some developers shy away from fan sites because they don’t have the time to supply them with the latest images, or participate on community forums. But this attitude is counterproductive to your goal: to sell as many games as possible.

When a fan decides to create a site for your game, he or she may email you with the great news. They’re excited and often "star struck" to contact you. Determine in advance how your company will handle these inquiries. If possible, assign someone on the staff to respond to fan site requests.

In the early stages of the site’s creation, the site director will ask for images from your game, story info and game features. If you want to be fair, create a "Fan Site Creation Pack" that can be easily downloaded by anyone. It should contain several key elements: your official logo, the logo of your publisher, screenshots from your game, documents on the story, features and gameplay. Include a Read Me file that clearly explains how this information is to be used on a fan site.

Let’s say you want everything to show your trademark and copyright. In order for a fan site to go up, it must agree to include this information in every page. You may want to include a "contract" which can be printed off your Web site, or be included in the Fan Site Creation Pack. This contract would state the rules of using your game information and require that it be signed and mailed back (or create a Web-based submission form).

You’ll also want to discuss with the development team how the company will handle requests for interviews, screenshots and other files from the public. In most cases, someone is already in charge of handling media inquiries. But fans are special. They may be especially interested in the programming side of your project, and want to interview members of the coding team.

You can handle this two ways: either have one person answer all interview requests, or spread the interviews to selected team members who feel comfortable talking about one aspect of the project. Not all developers like to do interviews. Get a list together of those employees who do and make sure the person handling fan requests has a copy.

Fan sites are also like a double-edged sword. Prior to your game’s release, most of the news and discussions in the community will be positive. You’ll read a lot of "I can’t wait" or "This game will rock" posts from eager fans. Don’t let your head swell too much.

During this time it’s important to develop a friendly relationship with your fan base. With the help of the better fan sites, consider offering prizes for a contest. Or take some time to answer development questions on the site’s forums. Your goal here is to give the company a "human" face. Some questions will be harder than others, and some suggestions of what the fans want in the game may make you wince. Take it all in stride. They’re excited and want the world. Tell them you’ll do your best, but don’t make any promises.

The flipside usually comes after the demo or final game is released. What developer has had a trouble-free development experience? None probably. This will be reflected in your game’s community.

The disgruntled fans will appear, and boy will they test your nerves. This is when the community looks like your worst enemy. People will complain, whine, demand, threaten, and basically make you wish you never had fans. Above all else, ignore the trolls and flamers – people who simply want to stir up trouble for the sake of it.

Don’t despair. If handled professionally and calmly, you’ll see this phase has benefits as well.

What are the complaints about? Is your game buggy? Too long/short? Does it lag servers? While no one wants to hear the game they put two years of sweat into "sucks," a smart developer will look at the constructive complaints as good feedback. Sure, you may have already come across some of the bugs they mention, but unless you announce a patch is coming the same day the game is released, chances are your fans have no idea if anything will be done to fix the game.

If you have an official site for your game, complete with a community forum, make sure to hire a mature, professional person to keep fans informed. The number one complaint people have about game developers is they never tell people what’s going on. The person you select for the role may already be running a fan site for you, so look at who’s doing a great job and ask them to help.

It’s clear that a game’s lifespan is impossible to predict. In the games industry the success of a product is judged by sales. If you sold a million copies, then you had a hit game. But I tend to look at it from a different perspective.

Let’s say you released your game in 1999. You had tons of reviews, interviews and a look at community forums and servers showed them packed with players. Fast forward to 2001. No more reviews. Fewer interviews. But the community forums and servers are still lively. Why?

There are additional ways of measuring success beyond sales. If after a year, fans are cranking out new mods, maps, skins, and playing online, then your website has built important brand awareness for your title and company. You've seeded the market for a sequel, expansion, or repackaging of the game as a "Gold" edition. It's always good to support your fan base, because those fans are the ones who will be first in line to buy your next game.

One way to help with this is to release tools for people to keep adding to your game. But don’t just drop an editor online and wish them luck. Write a few tutorials on how to use it to make new levels and modifications. Answer questions in an editing forum on a fan site.

It also wouldn’t hurt to release a few new "official" add-ons like maps or skin packs. There’s no need for a packaged retail product. Simply use the fan sites or your official site and provide it for download.

The drawback a company may see in this is they’re not going to be paid for it. Chances are your publisher isn’t going to pay you to do any more work on a game that didn’t "sell." So you have a decision to make: wash your hands of the game and move on to the next project, or do it for the fun of it.

You may also notice a few projects coming out of the community that show professional-grade work. Let your fans know you appreciate what they’re doing for your game. Offer advice on tough areas. The benefits are your game is given new life, the community can continue to play your game, and it didn’t cost you a thing to be helpful.