1 / 44

Bootstrapping - Building and Selling Casual Games

Learn about the Zen of Sudoku and how it helped bootstrap a game development company. Discover the challenges and successes of building and selling casual games.

Download Presentation

Bootstrapping - Building and Selling Casual Games

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Talk overview • My background • Ways I tried to start • Bootstrapping - Zen of Sudoku • Building and selling your casual game • The next phase

  2. Definitions • Core - “hardcore” games • Casual - “games for everyone” • Portal – Web site that sells games • Bootstrapping – Building yourself • Ichthyology - Scientific study of fishes

  3. Painted frogfish Antennarius pictus

  4. Caveats • This is just my experience • Talk proposal 6 months ago • I'm not saying this is the best way • ...and I'm not sure I would do this again • Knowledge is power • Casual getting more competitive • Read the IGDA Casual Games whitepaper • http://www.igda.org/casual

  5. Myself • Charlie Cleveland • Game Director, Unknown Worlds Entertainment (founded 2001) • San Francisco start-up with roots in core • Two full-time founders, 5-10 distributed collaborators • Our goal: unite the world through play

  6. Natural Selection • Wanted to make real-time strategy/first-person shooter hybrid • Marines vs. Aliens online team game • Released as “total conversion” on Half-life engine in 2002 • Distributed team of 10, 18 months to v1.0 • 65,000 lines of C++ • Budget = $30,000 U.S. • Played for 1.5+ billion player-minutes • Plan to build IP and establish reputation • Money will come somehow

  7. Natural Selection Play movie

  8. What went right? • Built good IP • Learned how to make online RTS/FPS • Learned how to hire and run a distributed team • Player donations ($22k/year)

  9. What didn't • Pretty much everything after release • Supported game for years instead of figuring out how to grow business • Thought it would be easy to: • Get investors • Hire team • Make a game • Make $

  10. Starting through investment • First thing I tried, thought it was slam-dunk • Takes about a minimum of six months • Hard to convince • Most expensive way to get $ • Investors never say “no”

  11. Things not to say to investors • “Our team is mostly college kids in other time zones” • “Why would I want to sell the company?” • “Profit isn't our goal – we want to unite the world.”

  12. Bootstrapping through contracting • Gearbox, Demiurge, etc. did it • Need a team • Good business development • Other people's projects • Can pigeon-hole you • Got one game deal: 39% metacritic

  13. Realization “If you don't get what you want, it is a sure sign that you did not seriously want it.” - Rudyard Kipling

  14. Making games • Our talent/passion is making our own games • ...not pitching • ...business plans • ...working on other boring games • ...convincing others to let you

  15. Bootstrapping "Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance but to do what lies clearly at hand." Thomas Carlyle (1795 – 1881) • Most game companies of yesteryear were able to bootstrap - casual approximates yesteryear • You won't need team, contacts, much business development • Not just for “trivial” or “small” companies

  16. Sony's vision • In 1945 Japan: • “To establish a place of work where engineers can feel the joy of technological innovation, be aware of their mission to society, and work to their heart's content.” • “To apply advanced technology to the life of the general public.” • “To pursue dynamic activities in technology and production for the reconstruction of Japan and the elevation of the nation's culture.”

  17. First product Rice cooker

  18. Bootstrapping Rule #1:Cash flow, not profit • Cash flow • Aim for short development cycle • Short payment terms (45 days) • Recurring revenue • Piggy-back on product/service with large install base if possible • Retail takes too long

  19. Profit • Profit – good, but cash flow better • Building audience • Market share • Branding • Infrastructure • Contract negotiation

  20. Bootstrapping Rule #2:Don't plan, do • Doors open and close, business models shift, opportunities come and go • Can't predict success • You have nothing to lose • Games (should be) small and quick • So start building

  21. Zen of Sudoku • Designed to be the most accessible Sudoku • Relaxing – no game timer, no game end • Teaches you all aspects of game • Print and play unlimited puzzles

  22. Zen of Sudoku demo Show movie

  23. Zen of Sudoku resources • 22,000 lines of C++ • Used the Popcap framework • 10 months development (design/code) • Started selling beta after 5 months • Part-time artist (5 hours/week) • Part-time musician (20 hours total) • Part-time sound fx (15 hours total • Talent free or paid on back-end

  24. Zen Distribution • Demoed to distributors at Casuality 2006 • Since have signed • Steam • Oberon • Shockwave • Garage Games • Retail (Best Buy Target, Walmart, CompUSA)

  25. Zen sales data Actual Projected ?

  26. What went right? • Cash flow • Backup plan • Next game will be better • Some happy customers • Great @ Sudoku • Closer to my Dad

  27. What didn't • Not that much cash flow • Sudoku theme • Money slower than expected • Development longer than expected • Audience factors out of your control • Your game may not sell depending on other games you can't plan on

  28. Design parameters • Most important decision you will make • Familiar, but with a twist • Include “progress” elements • Theme • Accessibility - mouse buttons, keyboard • Software rendering

  29. Choosing a project

  30. Technology • Popcap engine is great • Free • Simple (36,000 lines C++) • Software rendering support • Good community support • User-interface code tedious • Portals used to it • Requires BASS license of ~$200 • Windows/download only • http://developer.popcap.com

  31. Flash/Zinc • Flash/Zinc very promising • Development time down to ~3 months • For games without a lot of action/redraw • Probably still need to program • Free Mac/Flash versions • Flash Pro 8 + Zinc = $1,000 • http://www.multidmedia.com/

  32. Build options • Make sure it's easy to build versions for portals • Different intro/logo screens • Make easy to remove external URLs

  33. Distribution • Main approaches • Shop game to every portal yourself • Shop game to portal who will then shop for you • Sell game/IP outright • License source for re-branding • Don't take exclusive distribution deals • More the better • ~25-50% royalties + ad revenue

  34. Distribution methods • Easy to get deals! • Casuality • Next one is July 17th-19th in Seattle • http://www.casualconnect.org/ • Minna Mingle • Sending game via e-mail works too

  35. What have you achieved? • Your own company and IP • QA process • Customers! • A team that can work together • Valuable game knowledge • Cash flow...solvency? • Possibility of a hit

  36. Now what? • Make a sequel, or a new casual game • You know the technology, process, workflow • You understand casual much better • You have contacts, partners • You can negotiate better royalties • Mac, palm, iPod...but real work

  37. Natural Selection 2 • Making Natural Selection 2 on Half-life 2 engine • For digital distribution on Steam • Will probably come back to “casual” in some form • The lessons learned are applicable to “core” games (pacing, attention, learning curve, theme)

  38. Takeaway • Not sure if this is a success story or not • I bet my 2nd casual game would sell 2x and be done in 4-6 months • Keep development time down • Less chance of competitors clogging up distro • Less time to cash flow • Use Flash • Take bigger risk

  39. More takeaway • It's not just about money • Ability to design fun game with constraints • Assembled a team and learned to run it • Intellectual property • Business development experience • Once you can do something small at very high quality, you can scale it up

  40. Questions? • Please fill out your evaluation forms • charlie@unknownworlds.com • Presentation will be available at: http://www.unknownworlds.com/blog • ...and good luck!

  41. Appendix • IGDA Casual Games white paper (2006) • Art of the Start – Guy Kawasaki • The Bootstrapper's Bible – Seth Godin • Bootstrapping in the age of blockbuster budgets – Al Reed, GDC 2006 • Built to Last – James Collins, Jerry Porras • Micro-ISV – Bob Walsh • Blue Ocean Strategy – W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne • Angel Financing – Gerald A. Benjamin + Joel B. Margulis • The Experience Economy – B. Pine and James Gilmore

More Related