Detailed strategies on how you can get publisher funding for your game or go the crowdfunding route. Complete with real world war stories from the trenches.
Exciting NEWS!!!
"Source" by Fenix Fire is live on Kickstarter! "Source" is not just another project to Brian, it is THE project. He gives some personal insight of the inspiration for the game and explains it's all about exploration and life. Brian will be at the Indie MEGABOOTH booth 2 at PAX East in Boston April 11-13 2014 where you'll be able to play "Source" live. So, make sure to tell your friends and help make this game a reality with a successful Kickstarter campaign!
Funding Your Game
In this podcast we drill into two primary ways to get funding for your game - Publishers and Crowdfunding. We discuss the proper etiquette to use when trying to raise money for a project and/or a studio. We also give some advice on certain things or behaviors to avoid.
Publishers
The #1 attitude you should have when approaching a publisher is the feeling that the train is leaving the station and it's their choice whether they want to get on board or not. You want to let them know how their money will add to your project and how it will be useful for you if they jump in. Keep in mind no one wants to be a parachute for you. Investors want to be part of the success story.
If you believe in your game, you're going to find a way to make it. You don't want to depend on money from publishers to make your game. Firs,t be able to show the core mechanic and the core game loop and then make a clear plan of what you're going to do with hat money.
Salesmanship
Sales gets a bad rap. Here are some fundamental techniques and advice:
The more you know who it is you're selling to and the more more they know, like and trust you - the less you'll need to do the hard sell, will be more conversational
The less you know them and the less they know, like and trust you - the harder the sell, like a used car salesman
Do not need gimmicks to sell
Need to create and build relationships
Understand in the business world, sales are a very slow process and need to have a lot of respect
NEVER Lie - always be upfront and honest, because it can easily backfire
Meeting With a Publisher
Like a resume, you want to ask yourself how do I get someone at a big company to pay attention to me? First, look for small victories for instance competitions, rewards, honorable mentions or Kickstarter funding. Try to build up credibility to give them reasons to trust you.
Brain shares his experiences with publishers and touches on Mobile Publishers. A word of caution he gives, "If you're trying to raise quick cash, any day in the game industry will not get you there." It is a long road that takes a long time and everybody who's successful in the game industry had to earn it.
General Advice:
The further your game is along, the easier and typically faster the sales cycle is going to be
Don't bend your design just to get get your game funded
When they ask for stuff, then you ask for stuff - respectfully not confrontational
They usually find you or send out a format to email back to them
Work on your community before game is launched
Move forward with the thought that you don't need the publisher
The Pitch
Let's say, you're game has been identified as the specific kind of game the publisher is looking for. What happens next? Well, they will bring it back to a committee or group for evaluation. The #1 thing you can do is understand what that committee is looking for. Work with the ambassador to adjust your pitch. Also, the less amount of people you bring to a pitch meeting, the better.
A 20 minute pitch:
Introduce yourself and your company - talk yourself up
Start a light conversation - pretend talking to only one person
Don't waste any time - pick up controller and start playing
Introduce character, world, goals and details that make your game remarkable