game business development
DESCRIPTION
Presentation given at ITU (May09)TRANSCRIPT
Game development not only fancy design
• It is also about Business:
Getting a job, making a product (game), pitching, getting funding, putting the game out and getting publicity (buzzing, creating hype, networking, marketing…)
Focus of the presentation
Business parameters
Concept design
Game design / technical design
Implementation
First playable phase Beta
Release Post-release activities
Marketing
Take aways
• Adjust goals – follow up, have plan B• Utilize tools and market data (lots of free
stuff available!)• Buzz part of development process• Branding potential• Process & communication• 5 action points
The FUN of BizDev!
• But you just want to keep it small and cosy?
• Still you SHOULD think about business because small business is business too
• “Strategize, design, research & analyze”
Business development means…
• Implementation of strategic biz plan• Planning • Understanding the big picture• Decision making (partnering, marketing,
public relations, branding…)
Why business planning matters?
• Have the job done• How to stand out• Success in team-based business is about
being a good facilitator• You do not need a business development
department for this
bottlenecks
Stop whining!
• (Often) money or execution is not the problem but communication
• Bottleneck is not the problem – current process does not work
• Start from your comfort zone• Keep in mind the whole process• Think alternatives (you’ll need them!)• Get a mentor
How to do the trick?
Idea Product
Development
Product B
Idea Product
Development
Product B
Idea Product
Development
Product B
Idea Product
DevelopmentIn-house
Partner
subc
subc
subc
Communication & convinsing
• Business development is team work• Define and share main and sub-goals• Bond necessity with potential• Pull the whole thing together without
getting stuck with one (e.g. tech) or another (e.g. marketing)
• Scale up and down when needed
Managing the triangle
Budget
On time
High-Quality / Feature rich Source: Eric Bethke
Ideation /
Innovation /
Research
Development /
Marketing
Budget
On time
High-Quality / Feature rich
The Sims
Diablo
Baldur’s Gate
Starfleet Command
QuakeUO
Dropout games
(no goals satisfactory achieved)
Source: Eric Bethke
Managing the triangle
Business valuesellingTCO/ ROI
Feature &Function vs.price
Technicalchallenges
Businesschallenges
User Technical
Economic
Innovation
Business valuesellingTCO/ ROI
User Technical
Economic
Innovation
Technicalchallenges
Businesschallenges
Feature &Function vs.price
Areas for Improvement
tools
• Just like in game development, business development is also about tools & elements
• Depends on the type of game, platform etc.
• ”90% resources spent on wrong things”
• Right fit
Lego wow experience
Puzzle pirate registrations
But but’s
• Development process
• Branding
• Target group
• Goals or changing them
• It is not my company
• Buzz / pitch (often)
• Assessments of marketing
opportunities and target
markets
• Intelligence gathering on
customers and competitors
• Leads for possible sales
• Follow ups
• Business model / design…
we utilize Scrum!
• We do sprints – not planning• No magic potion• Scrum supports business value driven
sw process • Steering real-time, make trade offs time-
features-quality-cost
just the type of a game i would love to play!
• Buyers are not necessarily gamers
• They might have no any idea of a game structure, mechanics, interaction…
• How to communicate with illiterate?
8 kinds of fun
SensationGame as sense-pleasure
FantasyGame as make-believe
NarrativeGame as unfolding story
ChallengeGame as obstacle course
FellowshipGame as social
framework
DiscoveryGame as uncharted
territory
ExpressionGame as soap box
SubmissionGame as mindless
pastime
Source: Marc LeBlanc
”they will come!”
• The art of pitching (ser Guy Kawasaki)
• 10-20-30 rule
• Tweet, retweet, get ranked, rated, listed, interviewed …
Buzz
The End ≠ beginning
• Numerous examples where the beginning was something else than the final product
• Coincidence vs. luck vs. planning• Don’t fell in love with your idea (too
much)• Get to know potential customers• Try to remain flexible• It is ok to do things differently
It is not my company!
• Independent• Big publishers• Network• Are you hoping to make economical
success or something else?• All mentioned will affect the process &
commitment
Learn from the others
• Don’t waste your time in redoing things or doing things wrong
• Learn from others (create buzz and network) e.g. http://jussilaakkonen.wordpress.com/, http://startuplessonslearned.blogspot.com/, Twitter feed, Gogogic (Iceland) efficiently utilizing FB
Collective creativity
• Suck it all in (open innovation model)• Crowdsource the players (collective
creativity)
this will be the best game ever!
• Branding: utilizing social networks
• Visibility = quality
Valuable post or design = more links = more visibility = better quality (game experience)
Disciplines
1. Differentiate (who are you, why are you?)2. Collaborate (one stop shop, score card, brand
agency, integrated marketing team)3. Innovate (never same thing, zigzag-model)4. Validate (audience in creative process)5. Cultivate (business is a process), pattern of
behavior, brands = people
Source: Marty Neumeier: on branding
ALL SET!
…or… not!
PROBLEMS!!!
When all fails
• Learn to appreciate the resolution – to better understand the problem
• Learn from failures and differentiate• Failure is a very important event in
the creation of knowledge
Lessons (i’ve) learned
• Moderate team building• Funding: have plans, have second plans• Balancing!• In times like this – tools become very
relevant• How to change direction• Polish the core
10 famous product failures
Plan b’s
• Come up with plan B (and C)• Build up a total picture• Definition of done
Burnout Paradise
Codename: Bogart
Codename: Cagney
Bikes pack
Trophies pack
Burnout 1.6
Premium DownloadableParty packLegendary CarsToy carsBoost SpecialsBig Surf IslandCops and robbers
Little Big Planet
Game brandsKnown Figures
User generated
8 factors in business development
1. Expectations & feedback2. Tools & resources3. Consequences & incentives4. Skill & knowledge5. Selection & assignment6. Motives & preferences7. Resilience & directed action8. The game plan & success mind
Inspired by: Professional Services Marketing, co-authored by Mike Schultz and John Doerr
SpiN
SpiN
1. Technology-driven (expectations, resources, incentives, success mind)
2. Started from a test case3. Publisher: ”Not going to work, women
don’t get 3D” (feedback, skill & knowlege)
4. Company focused on 3D technology skills
5. Generating buzz (trailers, discussions etc.)
Little big planet
Little big planet
1. Idea-driven (Expectations & feedback, Skill & knowledge, Selection & assignment)
2. Participation – all can design games (Tools & resources)
3. Tools for players (The game plan & success mind, directed action)
Braid
Braid
1. Indie, enthusiasm-driven2. No clear business consideration at the
beginning, no extra marketing needed, community buzzed about the game and publishers contacted (Skill & knowledge, Motives & preferences, Resilience & directed action)
Guppylife
Guppylife
1. Business-driven (Resilience & directed action, the game plan & success mind)
2. Brand development3. Buzzing inside the community via friend
networks4. Feedback from a focus group
(Expectations & feedback)
5. Own technology development (Skill & knowledge)
Watch out for 5 things
1. Balance2. What you deliver is not what they
get3. Prioritize and keep in control4. Communicate!5. Remember agility
