time to market: when a worse game is better - mattia traverso - codemotion milan 2016

Time to marketWhen a worse game is better.

Mattia Traverso

MILAN 25-26 NOVEMBER 2016

About Me

About Me

This is me when it’s 3 am and I am working on a presentation for Codemotion

About Me

One and One Story – 2011

About Me

One and One Story – 2011

Here’s work I have conflicted feelings about

About Me

FRU – 2016

About Me

? - ?

What is this presentation about?

It’s not about game design.

What is this presentation about?

It’s not about business

What is this presentation about?

It’s not about marketing

What is this presentation about?

It’s about FRU

So, what is FRU?

So, what is FRU?

So, what is FRU?

So, what is FRU?

game development is serious stuff

So, what is FRU?

So, what is FRU?

The original prototype

So, what is FRU?

So, what is FRU?

So, what is FRU?

So, what is FRU?

So, are we rich yet?

Well…

As of today, FRU has sold less than 10.000 copies.

0,0025%Of the potential audience.

Why is that?

Well.

1. Maybe it’s a bad game?

It’s a bad game.

It’s a bad game.

It’s a bad game.

Well.

1. Maybe it’s a bad game?

2. Maybe players do not like it?

Players don’t like it.

Well.

1. Maybe it’s a bad game?

2. Maybe players do not like it?

3. Maybe the marketing was bad?

Well.

It’s a bad game.

It’s a bad game.

Well.

1. Maybe it’s a bad game?

2. Maybe players do not like it?

3. Maybe the marketing was bad?

4. Well, it is a Kinect game.

It’s a Kinect game. What did you expect?

Well.

Well.

Well.

There’s an estimated 4 million Kinect V2 out there.

Even if the amount that were sold back, thrown away, lit on fire is 50%...

10.000 / 2.000.000 is still quite low.

And in a market with basically no competitors!

Well.

Don’t let your subjective perception of a market fool you.Do your research!

Well.

1. Maybe it’s a bad game?

2. Maybe players do not like it?

3. Maybe the marketing was bad?

4. Well, it is a Kinect game.

So what the heck went wrong?

We were too late.

Is the market saturated?

https://medium.com/steam-spy/on-indiepocalypse-what-is-really-killing-indie-games-3da3c3a1ea76#.uvfh83i9h

Is the market saturated?

Is the market saturated?

Is the market saturated?

Is the market saturated?

Is the market saturated?

If Super Meat Boy were to be released Today…

It would NOT sell as much.

If Super Meat Boy were to be released Today…

It would NOT sell as much.

Because Super Meat Boy was already made.

Super Meat Boy: The Trend

Super Meat Boy: The Trend

Super Meat Boy: The Trend

Super Meat Boy: The Trend

Super Meat Boy: The Trend

Super Meat Boy: The Trend

Super Meat Boy: The Trend

Trends affect your game

It’s not about the saturation of the market, it’s about the saturation of a

trend.

Those games are wildy different!

But wait.

Those games are wildy different!

But wait.

But wait.

While it’s true that games belonging to the same genre can be completely

different from one another, the public will always catalogue them in genres,

binders and labels.

We are interested in the public’s perception of the game’s high level concept,

not the game itself.

Video games critics are not your audience ;)

Trends affect your game

Quality * Marketing * Audience Size

Trends affect your game

Quality * Marketing * Audience Size * Trend Receptiveness

Trend examples

The 2014 survival craze

Trend examples

2013 and linear, narrative focussed experiences

Other trends

2012 and Minimalist Mobile Puzzle Games

To get back to FRU…

“FRU is my original creation and does not follow

any trend.” A foolish man, 2016

To get back to FRU…

Just like your audience follows trends, you

subconsciouslly do as a creator.

To get back to FRU…

Which genres or trends can we associate this game with?

To get back to FRU…

Puzzle Platformers

Party game

Kinect games

Indie games

To get back to FRU…

Puzzle Platformers

Party game

Kinect games

Indie games

Puzzle platformers

Puzzle platformers

Puzzle platformers

Puzzle platformers

Puzzle platformers

Puzzle platformers

http://steamspy.com/tag/Puzzle-Platformer

A sobering exercise. Follow this link, then sort by release date.

To get back to FRU…

Puzzle Platformers

Party game

Kinect games

”Indie games”

Kinect Games

Kinect Games

Give the hate around it, it might not seem that Kinect games were

ever a trend.

Yet that would be a mistake: you’d be judging the peripheral from

YOUR point of view, rather than its audience.

To get back to FRU…

Puzzle Platformers

Party game

Kinect games

“Indie games”

Indie games

To get back to FRU…

Puzzle Platformers

Party game

Kinect games

“Indie games”

Party Games

To get back to FRU…

Puzzle Platformers

Party game

Kinect games

“Indie games”

Big question #1

So, should I make a game based on a current Trend?

Big question #1

So, should I make a game based on a current Trend?

absolutely not!

So, should I make a game based on a current Trend?

First of all, you’d be already late.

Second, this is how creativity dies.

Takeaway #1

Do not follow trends.

But watch them closely.

Big question #1

What you are doing might be original NOW, but will it be once the

game is out?

This is obviously a question for the start of your project, but there a

couple things you can do if you realise this too late.

Big question #1

1. Clever Product Placement

Big question #1

2. Make a shorter game

Big question #2

If I make my game shorter, won’t that ruin my vision?

Big question #2

Takeaway #2

Don’t make a shorter version of your game.

Make a new game that follows your vision but happens to be shorter!

But what if there’s no shorter version of my game?

What if I don’t care about sales?

What if I have a vision and I want to express it?

In conclusion

• Your game’s quality matters, but so does the timing of your release

• Look at where the market is now, and where it will be when the game is

out

• Can you make a shorter version of your game? If so, that’s always the

best alternative.

• Use SteamSpy, read Gamesindustry.biz, look at what the big publishers

are pushing right now

• Don’t make a Kinect game

Thank you

Let’s chat! - @MattiaNotFound