Advantages of the Worldwide Model

Case Study 3.5.2: What to Include in a Package to a Worldwide Publisher

Here is a checklist of the materials you should provide to a worldwide publisher:

• A 10- to 15-page game overview that includes thought out and detailed concept, look and feel, details on gameplay including number of hours, types, and depth of gameplay.

• A technical design review featuring unique technological aspects, polygon rates, frame rates, and so forth, including how different technological features will affect the budget.

• Technical requirements of the final product.

• Pre-production time scales and budgets.

• Estimates of schedules and budgets for the complete project, including milestones.

• Video or rendered/interactive demo that shows core gameplay. With a demo, include a detailed walkthrough.

• Localization overview with an estimate of the localization effort, including approximate number of words, files, bitmaps, different voices, and so forth, and any unique localization issues, such as a proprietary engine limiting ability to subcontract localization.

• Competitive analysis, including similar products in the same category (with sales results for those products) and strengths and weaknesses compared to those products.

• Copyright information, including: will specific actors need to be hired? Are there union involvement issues, or specific approvals required?

• Unique selling points of the game.

When most developers begin to think about getting a publisher for their game, the publishers in this category are the ones that come to mind. What most people do not realize is that there are far more publishers that can handle these deals than they think. Around the globe, there are about 50 with the capital and distribution networks to handle a multimillion-dollar game on a worldwide scale. Many developers will only submit their title to the top 10 or 12 that they see consistently in the press. Here are the advantages of the worldwide model.

Alleviating the Risk Early

For companies that need to have a source of revenue early in the development cycle, this is the best model to use. Companies in this situation that stand a realistic chance of obtaining a contract with a major worldwide publisher are generally new teams with a wealth of experienced individuals and companies that has been in the industry for some time and want to get a second or third team moving on a project. If a team has a solid track record, these publishers will sign based on design documentation, technology demos, and a solid timetable of milestones. This will allow the team to work on the game without worrying about not being paid, and will save the developers from investing time in a project that will never see the store shelves. Provided all the milestones are met, the contract will cover the expenses of the project as long as it is in development.

Access to Professional Testing Facilities

Few developers have the time or the facilities to fully test a game for gameplay balancing, bugs, and compatibility. Choosing a worldwide publisher will completely eliminate this burden. The publisher will be responsible for this testing and for promptly reporting any problems to the developer. The publisher will also have a wealth of experience with games in the genre to help let you know what features and gameplay elements have worked well with retailers and consumers in the past. Many developers might believe that too much of this input destroys the game that they have envisioned, which is true when this feedback gets out of hand. However, when handled correctly, it can make the difference between a poor selling game and a top 10. Keep in mind that selling to retailers can be as important as selling to gamers. If the buyer for a major chain has a problem with the game, a significant portion of the market can vanish from under your feet. Which takes us to our next point...

Better Access to the Retailers and End Users

In today's retail market, being excluded from the shelves of one store can put a severe dent in the sell-through of a game. One retailer deciding not to stock a game can cause a ripple effect down the line. Other retailers will see that it is not being stocked and can turn the game down based on this as well. Worldwide publishers not only have great access to all the retail channels, but they also have the weight and clout to turn a "no" or "maybe" into a "yes." Through the promise of other titles or promotions, a worldwide publisher can get a title onto some store shelves that a smaller publisher would not have the ability to do.

Worldwide publishers also have the experience with similar titles to know what the end users and press liked and disliked. Developers can use this experience to create a better game and consequently a bigger hit.

Name Recognition

Some worldwide publishers will publish titles that sell great despite bad reviews. How does this happen? Gamers often buy products based on the track record of the publisher; they have faith in that company to consistently deliver a quality product. By signing a contract with one of these publishers, a developer gains an instant fan base and potential customers.

This name recognition will also carry over to the next title from a developer. By having one or more titles published on a worldwide scale by one of the larger publishers, the developer will be able to capitalize on the acquired notoriety when approaching other publishers in the future. This is a valuable tool in the process of selling and negotiating future titles.

Marketing

The larger publishers simply have more money to invest in marketing. More money invested here will generally translate into better sales. The best games in the world will not sell if they are not marketed correctly, and sometimes the extra marketing dollars will save a title that is not receiving the great reviews that everyone had planned. Small publishers will finance a few ads and some Web advertising, but the bigger publishers can produce the TV spots and in-store advertising that really push units out the door.

Worldwide publishers can also afford to pay for more and better shelf space for their products. There is a reason why the games from the worldwide publishers are always up front and in the face of the consumers: the publisher pays a premium for this location.

In addition, the more a publisher markets a game, the more name recognition the developer gets for future products. Again, this is a powerful tool for future negotiations and sales.

Relationships

One of the biggest benefits of working with a worldwide publisher is the relationship that a developer will build. Publishers will generally look to teams with which they have had a positive experience in the past to handle contract deals. These deals, which can range from add-ons to ports to the next title in a franchise series, are difficult to obtain without a prior relationship with the publisher, but can be a huge boost to the team.

A good experience with the publisher will also make things much easier the next time a developer needs to pitch a game to them. They'll remember what went right and what went wrong, and reward good teams accordingly. If a developer created a hit for them, the last thing they want to see is that team working on a project for a competitor.