2: Publishers Are Your Biggest Fans

#2: Publishers Are Your Biggest Fans

This misconception probably accounts for more broken development deals than any other. Realize that publishers are not game players. Specifically, this means that:

• Not all publishers like playing games.

• Not all publishers know gamer lingo.

• Not all publishers know how your real-time strategy game is different from its competitors.

• Not all publishers have your interests at heart.

Publishers Are Not Game Players

Sure, most publishers have game players working for them, but just because they publish games doesn't mean that everyone there loves videogames. And even the people there who do like to play games won't want to (or won't have the time to) play through yours entirely, getting stuck on the hard puzzles and trying for days to beat the tough bosses.

This means that any demo you send to a publisher should also contain walk-through documentation, and preferably a way to quickly jump to the game's most exciting parts. A guided tour is also a good idea, as is anything that will let the publisher see why they would want to publish your game, without having to actually play it. You want to make it very easy for them to see why your game is better than the other submissions they have received—you need to hook them as quickly as possible.

Don't Assume that Publishers Know the Lingo

They know some of it—for example, genres—but they don't usually know the meaning of words such as llama or camper or LPB. In addition, even if you're pretty sure they do understand these terms, you should leave them out of your documentation, because they're a form of slang and make you appear unprofessional.

Publishers Don't Know What Makes Your Game Unique

Taking this to heart is essential to developing the proper demo and pitch. Although it might appear on the surface that publishers are only interested in me-too titles, underneath, most publishers want something that's new—just not too new. By explicitly presenting what makes your title unique, you do yourself a big favor.

Publishers Pursue Their Own Interests

Finally, realize that publishers do not always have your own financial, creative, or artistic interests at heart. Both parties are in it to make as much money as possible, which naturally puts them at odds with each other. For example, what you see as an awesome design idea, the publisher might see as a financial risk, while the licensed property the publisher wants you to use in the game to drive its sales might seem unnecessarily stifling to you. Contract negotiations are a difficult and sometimes distressing process for this reason.

You can spend all day debating whether this is good, but at the end of the day, it is reality. Just remember this fact, and you'll go a long way toward establishing empathy toward your publisher. Knowing what the other side is after is often your most valuable tool when negotiating.