game business development
DESCRIPTION
Presentation given at ITU (May09)TRANSCRIPT
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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…)
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Focus of the presentation
Business parameters
Concept design
Game design / technical design
Implementation
First playable phase Beta
Release Post-release activities
Marketing
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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
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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”
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Business development means…
• Implementation of strategic biz plan• Planning • Understanding the big picture• Decision making (partnering, marketing,
public relations, branding…)
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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
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bottlenecks
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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
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How to do the trick?
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Idea Product
Development
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Product B
Idea Product
Development
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Product B
Idea Product
Development
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Product B
Idea Product
DevelopmentIn-house
Partner
subc
subc
subc
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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
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Managing the triangle
Budget
On time
High-Quality / Feature rich Source: Eric Bethke
Ideation /
Innovation /
Research
Development /
Marketing
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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
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Business valuesellingTCO/ ROI
Feature &Function vs.price
Technicalchallenges
Businesschallenges
User Technical
Economic
Innovation
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Business valuesellingTCO/ ROI
User Technical
Economic
Innovation
Technicalchallenges
Businesschallenges
Feature &Function vs.price
Areas for Improvement
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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
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Lego wow experience
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Puzzle pirate registrations
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But but’s
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• 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…
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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
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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?
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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
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”they will come!”
• The art of pitching (ser Guy Kawasaki)
• 10-20-30 rule
• Tweet, retweet, get ranked, rated, listed, interviewed …
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Buzz
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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
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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
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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
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Collective creativity
• Suck it all in (open innovation model)• Crowdsource the players (collective
creativity)
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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)
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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
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ALL SET!
…or… not!
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PROBLEMS!!!
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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
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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
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10 famous product failures
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Plan b’s
• Come up with plan B (and C)• Build up a total picture• Definition of done
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Burnout Paradise
Codename: Bogart
Codename: Cagney
Bikes pack
Trophies pack
Burnout 1.6
Premium DownloadableParty packLegendary CarsToy carsBoost SpecialsBig Surf IslandCops and robbers
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Little Big Planet
Game brandsKnown Figures
User generated
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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
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SpiN
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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.)
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Little big planet
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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)
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Braid
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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)
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Guppylife
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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)
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Watch out for 5 things
1. Balance2. What you deliver is not what they
get3. Prioritize and keep in control4. Communicate!5. Remember agility