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Talk overview
• My background
• Ways I tried to start
• Bootstrapping - Zen of Sudoku
• Building and selling your casual game
• The next phase
Definitions
• Core - “hardcore” games• Casual - “games for everyone”• Portal – Web site that sells games• Bootstrapping – Building yourself• Ichthyology - Scientific study of fishes
Painted frogfishAntennarius pictus
Caveats
• This is just my experience• Talk proposal 6 months ago• I'm not saying this is the best way
– ...and I'm not sure I would do this again– Knowledge is power
• Casual getting more competitive• Read the IGDA Casual Games whitepaper
– http://www.igda.org/casual
Myself
• Charlie Cleveland– Game Director, Unknown Worlds
Entertainment (founded 2001)– San Francisco start-up with roots in core– Two full-time founders, 5-10 distributed
collaborators– Our goal: unite the world through play
Natural Selection
• Wanted to make real-time strategy/first-person shooter hybrid– Marines vs. Aliens online team game
• Released as “total conversion” on Half-life engine in 2002– Distributed team of 10, 18 months to v1.0– 65,000 lines of C++– Budget = $30,000 U.S.
• Played for 1.5+ billion player-minutes• Plan to build IP and establish reputation• Money will come somehow
Natural Selection
Play movie
What went right?
• Built good IP• Learned how to make online RTS/FPS• Learned how to hire and run a distributed
team• Player donations ($22k/year)
What didn't
• Pretty much everything after release
• Supported game for years instead of figuring out how to grow business
• Thought it would be easy to:– Get investors– Hire team– Make a game– Make $
Starting through investment
• First thing I tried, thought it was slam-dunk• Takes about a minimum of six months• Hard to convince• Most expensive way to get $• Investors never say “no”
Things not to say to investors
• “Our team is mostly college kids in other time zones”
• “Why would I want to sell the company?”
• “Profit isn't our goal – we want to unite the world.”
Bootstrapping through contracting
• Gearbox, Demiurge, etc. did it
• Need a team
• Good business development
• Other people's projects
• Can pigeon-hole you
• Got one game deal: 39% metacritic
Realization
“If you don't get what you want, it is a sure sign that you did not seriously want it.”
- Rudyard Kipling
Making games
• Our talent/passion is making our own games– ...not pitching– ...business plans– ...working on other boring games– ...convincing others to let you
Bootstrapping
"Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance but to do what lies clearly at hand."
Thomas Carlyle (1795 – 1881)
• Most game companies of yesteryear were able to bootstrap - casual approximates yesteryear
• You won't need team, contacts, much business development
• Not just for “trivial” or “small” companies
Sony's vision
• In 1945 Japan:– “To establish a place of work where
engineers can feel the joy of technological innovation, be aware of their mission to society, and work to their heart's content.”
– “To apply advanced technology to the life of the general public.”
– “To pursue dynamic activities in technology and production for the reconstruction of Japan and the elevation of the nation's culture.”
First product
Rice cooker
Bootstrapping Rule #1:Cash flow, not profit
• Cash flow– Aim for short development cycle– Short payment terms (45 days)– Recurring revenue– Piggy-back on product/service with large
install base if possible– Retail takes too long
Profit
• Profit – good, but cash flow better– Building audience– Market share– Branding– Infrastructure– Contract negotiation
Bootstrapping Rule #2:Don't plan, do
• Doors open and close, business models shift, opportunities come and go
• Can't predict success
• You have nothing to lose
• Games (should be) small and quick
• So start building
Zen of Sudoku
• Designed to be the most accessible Sudoku
• Relaxing – no game timer, no game end
• Teaches you all aspects of game
• Print and play unlimited puzzles
Zen of Sudoku demo
Show movie
Zen of Sudoku resources
• 22,000 lines of C++• Used the Popcap framework• 10 months development (design/code)
– Started selling beta after 5 months• Part-time artist (5 hours/week)• Part-time musician (20 hours total)• Part-time sound fx (15 hours total• Talent free or paid on back-end
Zen Distribution
• Demoed to distributors at Casuality 2006• Since have signed
– Steam– Oberon– Shockwave– Garage Games– Retail (Best Buy Target, Walmart, CompUSA)
Zen sales data
Aug 06
Sep 06
Oct 06
Nov 06
Dec 06
Jan 07
Feb 07
Mar 07
Apr 07
May 07
Jun 07
Jul 07
Aug 07
Sep 07
Oct 07
Nov 07
Dec 07
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
Monthly cash flow
Retail
Portals
zenofsudoku.com
Actual Projected ?
What went right?
• Cash flow• Backup plan
– Next game will be better• Some happy customers• Great @ Sudoku• Closer to my Dad
What didn't
• Not that much cash flow• Sudoku theme• Money slower than expected• Development longer than expected• Audience factors out of your control
– Your game may not sell depending on other games you can't plan on
Design parameters
• Most important decision you will make• Familiar, but with a twist• Include “progress” elements• Theme• Accessibility - mouse buttons, keyboard• Software rendering
Choosing a project
Technology
• Popcap engine is great– Free– Simple (36,000 lines C++)– Software rendering support– Good community support– User-interface code tedious– Portals used to it– Requires BASS license of ~$200– Windows/download only– http://developer.popcap.com
Flash/Zinc
• Flash/Zinc very promising– Development time down to ~3 months– For games without a lot of action/redraw– Probably still need to program– Free Mac/Flash versions– Flash Pro 8 + Zinc = $1,000– http://www.multidmedia.com/
Build options
• Make sure it's easy to build versions for portals– Different intro/logo screens– Make easy to remove external URLs
Distribution
• Main approaches– Shop game to every portal yourself– Shop game to portal who will then shop for
you– Sell game/IP outright– License source for re-branding
• Don't take exclusive distribution deals• More the better• ~25-50% royalties + ad revenue
Distribution methods
• Easy to get deals!• Casuality
– Next one is July 17th-19th in Seattle– http://www.casualconnect.org/
• Minna Mingle• Sending game via e-mail works too
What have you achieved?
• Your own company and IP• QA process• Customers!• A team that can work together• Valuable game knowledge• Cash flow...solvency?• Possibility of a hit
Now what?
• Make a sequel, or a new casual game– You know the technology, process, workflow– You understand casual much better– You have contacts, partners– You can negotiate better royalties– Mac, palm, iPod...but real work
Natural Selection 2
• Making Natural Selection 2 on Half-life 2 engine
• For digital distribution on Steam• Will probably come back to “casual” in
some form• The lessons learned are applicable to
“core” games (pacing, attention, learning curve, theme)
Takeaway
• Not sure if this is a success story or not– I bet my 2nd casual game would sell 2x and be
done in 4-6 months• Keep development time down
– Less chance of competitors clogging up distro– Less time to cash flow– Use Flash
• Take bigger risk
More takeaway
• It's not just about money– Ability to design fun game with constraints– Assembled a team and learned to run it– Intellectual property– Business development experience
• Once you can do something small at very high quality, you can scale it up
Questions?
• Please fill out your evaluation forms
• Presentation will be available at: http://www.unknownworlds.com/blog
• ...and good luck!
Appendix• IGDA Casual Games white paper (2006)• Art of the Start – Guy Kawasaki• The Bootstrapper's Bible – Seth Godin• Bootstrapping in the age of blockbuster budgets – Al Reed, GDC
2006• Built to Last – James Collins, Jerry Porras• Micro-ISV – Bob Walsh• Blue Ocean Strategy – W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne• Angel Financing – Gerald A. Benjamin + Joel B. Margulis• The Experience Economy – B. Pine and James Gilmore