The Publishing Challenge for Independent Video Game Developers The Publishing Challenge for Independent Video Game Developers A Practical Guide Odile Limpach CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group 6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300 Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742 © 2020 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business No claim to original U.S. Government works Printed on acid-free paper International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-367-41674-4 (Hardback) International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-367-41672-0 (Paperback) This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or the consequences of their use. The authors and publishers have attempted to trace the copyright holders of all m aterial reproduced in this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish in this form has not been obtained. If any copyright material has not been acknowledged please write and let us know so we may rectify in any future reprint. Except as permitted under U.S. Copyright Law, no part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers. For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, please access www. copyright.com (http://www.copyright.com/) or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400. CCC is a not-for-profit organization that provides licenses and registration for a variety of users. For organizations that have been granted a photocopy license by the CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at http://www.taylorandfrancis.com and the CRC Press Web site at http://www.crcpress.com A very special thanks to Christian, Juliette, Jean and Roger for their patience and support. With love. Contents Foreword, xiii Acknowledgments, xvii Author, xix Contributors, xxi Chapter 1 ◾ Introduction 1 REFERENCES 11 Chapter 2 ◾ An Overview of the Indie PC and Console Market 13 Imaad manzar LOOKING AT REGIONS 14 SIFTING THROUGH GENRES 16 UNDERSTANDING PLATFORMS 18 REFERENCES 24 Chapter 3 ◾ What Does Publishing Mean? 27 NO “ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL” DEFINITION 28 DETAILED STRUCTURE OF PUBLISHING 29 Distribution 30 Funding 31 Development 37 Support Services 41 Communication 48 vii viii ◾ Contents WHO ARE THE PUBLISHERS? 56 First-Party Publishers 56 Online/Streaming Distribution Platforms 59 Developer–Publishers 59 Media Companies 60 Publishers with Small or Mid-Size Development Teams 61 Mobile-Only Publishers 61 Publishers with an Investment Background 61 Boutique Publishers 61 A CLOSER LOOK AT BOUTIQUE PUBLISHERS 62 ONLINE STORES DISTRIBUTION LANDSCAPE 66 IT IS ALL ABOUT COMMUNITY BUILDING AND SERVICING 76 REFERENCES 85 Chapter 4 ◾ Choosing Your Publishing Strategy 89 CHECKLIST TO CONSIDER EXTERNAL PUBLISHING 91 Do You Have the Right Team to Develop and Finish Your Game? 92 Are You Ready and Able to Produce a Polished Prototype? 93 Are You Ready to Prepare High-Quality Pitching Documentation? 94 Are You Looking for Project or Company Funding? 96 Are You Ready to Enter a Close and Intense Business Relationship? 98 Are You Ready to Spend Time Pitching, Negotiating, and Be Rejected? 99 Are You Able to Finance the Gap Until the Contract Is Signed? 100 What Is Your Cash Flow Situation for the Complete Length of the Project? 102 Are You Ready to Split the Revenue and Recognize the Value of the Partnership? 103 Are You Ready to Eventually Share Your Intellectual Property (IP) and Enter a Long-Term Relationship? 103 Do You Clearly Know Your Objectives for Your Game and Your Company? 105 Contents ◾ ix Are You Ready to Accept Change Requests According to the Publisher’s Feedback? 105 Are You Ready to Fight through and Negotiate a Long Legal Agreement? 106 Do You Know a Lawyer to Support You in Setting Up the Contract? 107 Are You Ready to Manage the Relationship? 108 Do You Have a Long-Term View of the Publisher Sustainability? 109 Do You Understand the Structure and Organization of the Publisher and Their Philosophy? 109 Are You Ready to Accept Strict Deadlines and Adapt Your Production Pipeline Accordingly? 111 Are You Ready to Maintain Clear Documentation of the Project? 112 Are You Ready to Follow a Clear and Transparent Communication Schedule? 113 How Important Is It to Reach as Many Countries as Possible? 113 Do You Have the Workforce and Willingness to Carry Out Marketing Activities? 113 Do You Know Your Target Group, Your Unique Selling Propositions, and Your Objectives? 115 Do You Have the Necessary Budget to Fund a Marketing Campaign? 117 Do You Know How to Best Manage the Lifetime Sales of Your Game? 117 Are You Ready to Cooperate and Share Responsibilities for Building Your Community? 118 Do You Already Have a Vibrant Community and Efficient Social Network Management? 118 HOW PUBLISHING AND FINANCING ARE CLOSELY INTERWOVEN, BY THIERRY BAUJARD 122 Which Financing at Which Stage of the Project? 122 Project versus Company Funding 122 What Are the Different Sources of Financing (Public/Private) 125