The Business of Games (1)

Many people think that the games industry is an easy, fun place to work and not just that an easy one at that. There are many different ways of getting into the games industry however if you do not know how the industry works then whats the point in being there?

How does a game actually get to the shelves?
There are some essential steps to go through before the game can be sold on the market.

Firstly you need some sort of idea, this will be called a pitch, from the pitch you will get ideas as to what your game can be and how its going to be developed.

Second of all. the idea you have needs a plan of how it will play and any essentials it needs. this could be anything from sounds, characters or even the story.

Thirdly, Your idea needs to be created, in order to create the game it need to be paid for. this is so you have the staff and the specialists you need to create the game in your development team.

Once the game has been made then it can be marketed, this is when the game is advertised to the public whether that is through a tv, radio, trailer or on the internet it needs to have a nice visual appeal.

finally, the game can be sold to the consumer, this can be done in many different ways whether its through kickstarter, steam or in a retail store.

Developer's Pitch

The developers pitch involves a lot of elements. for example one of the main elements will be the Product Overview Document; this is a document that outlines all aspects in the game, this could be genre, what platform its played on, key features or unique selling points.

The developers pitch could also include artwork, a demo of the game, any previous games the company have worked on and even a high level production plan.

Publishers

The first thing you and your team must keep in mind is that the publisher is king. they say whether or not they want a certain aspect in a game because ultimately they are the ones funding you. 

Publishers have certain considerations once hearing your pitch, they have to decide whether or not they would like to put their own money towards this game, whether they think its going to be a success and if so if they can tie the developer into a deal to be exclusive with them. 

Does your game have the 'X' statement? 

Does your game excite the consumer? 

Will your game be unique?  if it is why, how and is it worth the risk?

How do publishers keep control of whats going on and make sure that the game is out on time?

The publisher gives the developers money but with the money comes milestones, if the milestones are not met then the developers dont get the next lot of money to proceed with the creation of the game. 

Both Publishers and developers look at consumer habits, what the most popular genre is, what age range are playing the most games, what people who are stereo-typically thought to play games spending their money on and other demographics that are accessible from the government.