Chapter 2.2: Writing a Business Plan for a Game Development Startup

Overview

Fran ois Dominic Laram e

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Preparing a business plan might well be the single most important action taken during a game development company's startup phase. Not only will the business plan help secure financing, but the research process leading to it will strengthen the promoters' knowledge of the market, solidify their business strategy, and establish their credibility with clients and partners.

Multiple business plan formats, sharing much in content and structure, have been published over the years. [Gumpert96], [Touchie98], and especially [Bangs98] present several alternatives. The model described in this article is a hybrid modulated to the needs of game developers. The author has used variations of this model to write business plans for several successful clients since 1998.