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Your Game is None of Your Business
Randall RobbinsChapter VPIGDA-Austin
INTRODUCTION
“Every Game Developer deserves to be successful”
Intro :: Background
Intro :: Why We’re Here
•About Austin Game Dev• Austin, TX – One of the capitals of Indy Game Development
• Large Game Development Community
• Talented Game Developers and Artists making great games
Intro :: Why We’re Here
• Issue• Not as much understanding of how to go from
“Game” to “Sellable Product”
• Scope of Issue• Not just an Austin issue
… it’s a Global issue
Intro :: Why We’re Here
•New way of thinking• Mindset: Making a game is like starting a startup
• Need different tools, strategies, and tactics for Business
• The game might be the product, but YOU are the business
“Your game is none of your business”
Contents
• Solution• Lean Canvas• Strategy • Experiments
• Next Steps
• Q&A
SOLUTION
Navigating without a Map
• Talented game dev pours heart and soul into game“Everyone will love it”“Should do well”
• Sends social blast out to everyone• Releases on Steam or App Store
… results are less than ideal
What If
• Knew the game filled a need for players?• Found and got feedback from early adopters?• Grew presence during development?• Knew how many units to sell to cover costs?• Used metrics to gauge traction before launch?
“Every Game Developer deserves to be successful”
BUSINESS PLAN
Business / Lean / MVP Canvas
Business Model CanvasAlex Osterwalder
MVP CanvasAmy Jo Kim
Lean CanvasAsh Maurya
Lean Canvas
Ash Maurya
Case Study Blue-Volcano “Roto Color Runners”
Lean Canvas ::CustomerTarget buyers / players• Who needs your game?
Ideal Personas / Early Adopters• Demographics• Willing to play
unfinished game, get builds; give feedback
Lean Canvas ::ProblemWhat problems / key assumptions are you trying to solve?• “No good [X] games on
[Y] platform.”
Existing Alternatives• Analogs: What games
are people currently buying to fill need?
Lean Canvas ::Unique Value Proposition [UVP]Why is your game• Different or
Worth buying?• Solving a problem over
other alternatives?
Finished Story Benefit
• What + How + Why
Lean Canvas ::SolutionThis is your game
Start with “Pitch Doc”• Book: Game Design
[2nd Edition]Bob Bates
Get validation before beginning development
“Game Design” [2nd Edition] – Bob Bates
Lean Canvas ::ChannelsInbound & Outbound• How are you positioning
your game in the market?
Channel Cost / Benefit
• Which generates the most TRACTION?
• Which provides the most VALUE?
Lean Canvas ::Cost StructureMoney Going Out
List your Fixed Costs• Rent, Bills, Utilities,
Hosting Fees
List your Variable Costs• Software, Hardware,
Conferences, Business Cards
Lean Canvas ::Revenue StructureMoney Coming In
List Sources of Revenue• Game Purchases• Add-Ons, Expansions,
Micro-transactions• Merchandise• YouTube / Twitch
Lean Canvas ::Key MetricsYour metrics that matter
Dave McClure’sPirate Metrics• Acquisition• Activation• Retention• Referral• Revenue
Lean Canvas ::Key MetricsYour metrics that matter
Dave McClure’sPirate Metrics• Acquisition• Activation• Retention• Referral• Revenue
Lean Canvas ::Unfair AdvantageWhat aspects of your game cannot be easily replicated or copied?
Why should customers believe in you?• Expert Game Dev?• History of releases?
Roto Color Runners
Navigating without a Map
• Talented game dev nearly completes game in isolation
• Shows game to family and friends• Gets very little Action-Oriented feedback• Still has to do a lot of rework
• Finishes game and releases on Steam or App Store… results are less than ideal
What If
• Validated game idea before development?• Knew the game was worth playing based on feedback
before the game was finished?• Had quantifiable evidence of traction?• Sold copies of the game before release?• Confident going into launch?
“Every Game Developer deserves to be successful”
STRATEGY
Strategy
Strategy
3 Phases of Game Creation• Idea :: Game :: Product
Questions• Do I have a Game worth creating?• Do I have a Game that resonates with a sufficient market?• Do I have a Product that is sellable and can meet Financial Goal?
Strategy
1st Step: Determine Initial Overall MSC for Product• MSC = Minimum Success Criteria
Example• Initial Overall MSC for Product is to reach $100K in sales in 1 year• Plan is to sell game for $10 on Steam• Need to sell 10,000 copies of game within a year
Strategy
2nd Step: Break down MSC across each Business Phase
Sales Trials Outreach
Product 10K 100K 1M
Game 1K 10K 100K
Idea 100 1K 10K
Strategy
3rd Step: Determine Strategy & MSC for each Phase• Strategy will be different for each phase: Idea | Game | Product• Goal is to test and validate your Strategy• Important to LEARN if you ARE or are NOT on the right path
Strategy Plan ::BackgroundHigh Level• What led you here?• What are you trying to
accomplish?• Why?
Strategy Plan ::Current ConditionRegarding Business• What phase is your
game currently in?
• Quantitative Stats:• Sales / Pre-Orders• Mail Sign-Ups• Early Adopters
Strategy Plan ::AnalysisAssumptions holding you and your game back• Wrong target players?• Not enough retention /
referrals?
How does your game stack up to other games?
Root Cause Analysis
Strategy Plan ::GoalSpecific to Current Phase• What is the Specific
Measurable Outcome?• How long will this
Strategy be tested?
Example: 1000 Trials in 4 Months
Strategy Plan ::ImplementationOutline for achieving goal• How are you going to
get feedback and reach valuable milestones?
Determine plan for • What you will build• Who you will reach• What you will learn and
how it will be measured
Strategy Plan ::Follow-On PlansIf this Strategy works, then What Comes Next?
What makes the most sense for your game and business?• Expand Market?• Add Revenue Streams?
Roto Color Runners
Roto Color Runners
Navigating without a Map
• Talented game dev doesn’t test the product• How many people playing the game• How long people play before dropping out• How many people pre-purchasing the game
• Sounds out social blast and releases on Steam or App Store… results are less than ideal
What If
• Knew – based on qualitative and quantitative results
• Right target audience and early adopters?• Best channels for exposing game to market?• Correct pricing for game?• Game was ready to sell?• Exactly what to do next?
“Every Game Developer deserves to be successful”
EXPERIMENTS
Experiments
Experiments
Lean Canvas & Strategy Sheet are Tools
USE the Tools by running Experiments• Go out: Validate your assumptions • Prove Right or Wrong• Eliminate Wasteful Development
Experiments
Run 1-2 Week Experiments• Address the Following Questions• Are we targeting the right people?• Does our game provide enough unique value?• Is the price we’re asking for too little?• Does our game address a significant enough need?• Are we using the right channels?
Experiment Report ::BackgroundHigh-level goal: Should relate to strategy
What are we going to test, and Why?
Experiment Report ::Falsifiable HypothesesFormulaSpecific action will drive expected measurable outcome in determined amount of time
What is the guess? • By doing X, Y should
happen in Z time
Experiment Report ::DetailsWhat will you build?
How do you intend to measure the output?
What resources will you need to run the test?
Experiment Report ::ResultsSummaryDocument your results:• Was the outcome
expected or unexpected?
• What was the ACTUAL outcome of the Specific Action?
Experiment Report ::Validated LearningWhat did you learn?
Interpret the results: • Didn’t get what you
anticipated? Why?• What is the impact?
Learning is THE KEY part of running experiments
Experiment Report ::Next Action
What experiment makes the most sense to run after this?
Roto Color Runners
Experiments :: Moving Through Phases
After running experiments through strategy period:
• Did you hit strategy goals? Why or why not?
• Do you have enough to move onto next phase?• Yes: New strategy for new phase• No: New strategy with new goal meant to get to next business
development phase
NEXT STEPS
What If
• Business Plan• Found and got feedback from early adopters?• Knew how many units to sell to cover costs?
• Strategy• Validated game idea before development?
• Experiments• Best channels for exposing game to market?• Exactly what to do next?
Take Action!
•Create Initial Canvas
•Create Initial Strategy
• Start Forming and Running Experiments
“Every Game Developer …
WILL be successful”
THANK YOU!