Schedule and Budget

Although a detailed schedule and budget analysis are rarely required until after the initial pitching stage, you will obviously be required to give the publisher some indication of the cost of the product, and at the very least an estimate of which quarter of the year you will deliver it in.

Diligent developers will create accurate breakdowns as early as possible using spreadsheets specifically designed to allow fast and accurate assessment of project budgets using predetermined hardware, software, and overhead figures. It is also useful to develop two different breakdowns detailing the game features you can deliver on varying budgets. This shows that you are flexible, and can save a lot of time at the negotiating stage. Most publishers will naturally try to knock down your price, so always go in slightly higher than necessary without pricing yourself out of the market.

Case Study 3.2.1: Team 17

The pitching process has changed dramatically since the early days of the industry. We asked veteran Team 17 Creative Director, Martyn Brown, how they have adapted over the years.

Q:	How has the pitching process changed for developers over the years?
Q:	What types of materials do you prepare before approaching publishers?
Q:	How many publishers do you approach initially, and what do you look for?
Q:	Do you tailor your pitches to the individual publishers?
Q:	What do you think is the most important thing a developer can offer a publisher?

Answers

A:	"The most apparent change is the risk assessment and due-diligence carried out by publishers nowadays. A few years ago, pitches were relatively simple, brief, and to the point. The industry has matured; no matter how good the developer, you need a commercial or business manager to help with the pitching process."
A:	"We prepare many items, from the obvious game design overview and concept materials to a business plan, sales forecasts, and marketing ideas. This can differ from publisher to publisher depending on their individual approach and prior requests."
A:	"I think in the current marketplace there are only a handful of publishers that are capable of doing justice to our titles, so we approach only the major players, most of whom are U.S. based. In terms of publishing, we look for security, presence in the marketplace, distribution capability, and how we can fit into their 'machine'."
A:	"We produce a main core of generic presentation materials that the majority of publishers will see. We have produced publisher-specific content where it is applicable or it has been requested. However, I think it's important to have a well-covered, well-rehearsed pitch in terms of consistent content."
A:	"There are a number of things that are vital to a successful pitch, and I would personally think that the ability, organization, resources, and reputation of the developer are first and foremost. "A prototype that reassures publishers on technical implementation (upon the core platform where possible) is also extremely useful since few, if any, original pitches are made on concept ideas these days. In all cases, developers need to identify areas of publishing risk and allay those fears."