Blast Off! How to get a game startup off the ground Russ Clarke: Founder, Payload Studios @_higekun @TerraTechGame
Develop Conference 14': Blast off! How to get a game startup off the ground
May 24, 2015
Russ Clarke, founder of Payload Studios, gave a presentation at Develop Conference 2014 to explain why and how he left a successful career in mobile game development to work on his own IP and launch his own indie games studio. These are the slides that accompanied his talk.
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Transcript
Blast Off!
How to get agame startupoff the ground
Russ Clarke: Founder, Payload Studios@_higekun @TerraTechGame
Background
• 1998 Stainless Software• Carmageddon 2
• 2005-2012 Ideaworks Game Studio (Marmalade)• Programmer… Tech Director… Creative Director• Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil, Call of Duty, Fable
• Sep ‘12 Pastures New!
© 2014 Terra Tek Studios Ltd. All rights reserved.
Early mistakes
• Unoriginal proposition• No team• Pitching a business formula• Partner in a different time zone• Had to explain the concept
© 2014 Terra Tek Studios Ltd. All rights reserved.
Funding Options
• Loan (nope!)• Publishers• Platform exclusivity• Equity• SPV• Crowdfund
…most routes require a solid demo, audience engagement
© 2014 Terra Tek Studios Ltd. All rights reserved.
SEIS
• Up to £150k• Each investor can own up to 30%• Reclaim half your investment via tax offsets• Reclaim losses• No capital gains• (note special conditions eg parents)
© 2014 Terra Tek Studios Ltd. All rights reserved.
Initial Spending Plan
• Salaries: 0%• Concept Art: 17%• Prototype Assets: 26%• Marketing: 24%• PR, Community: 6%• Admin, Purchases: 10%• Contingency: 17%
© 2014 Terra Tek Studios Ltd. All rights reserved.
Market Strategy
• Early 2013 was thinking mobile first…• BUT incredible competition, UA costs, discovery• No ready-made audience, can’t afford to buy users
• Build community as we go• Early demo, constant engagement• Receptive audience -> PC
© 2014 Terra Tek Studios Ltd. All rights reserved.
2014: First 6 Months
• Showing the game• Growing the team• Getting an office• Live streaming• Saving money
© 2014 Terra Tek Studios Ltd. All rights reserved.
Actual Spending
• Salaries: 0% 0%• Concept Art: 17% 8%• Prototype Assets: 26% 20%• Marketing: 24% 11%• PR, Community: 6% 22%• Admin, Purchases: 10% 16%• Overheads: 6%• Unspent: 17%
© 2014 Terra Tek Studios Ltd. All rights reserved.
Funding Status
• No deal yet…• Big publishers: lot of commitment to close• Digital publishers: haven’t found the right match• Platform deals: need to establish yourself first• Kickstarter:• Built-in exposure, validation• Audience engagement, PR momentum
© 2014 Terra Tek Studios Ltd. All rights reserved.
Backer Distribution
© 2014 Terra Tek Studios Ltd. All rights reserved.
Referrals
© 2014 Terra Tek Studios Ltd. All rights reserved.
Referrals
© 2014 Terra Tek Studios Ltd. All rights reserved.
Roadmap
• Kickstarter 2.5 weeks to go• Steam early access mid October• ‘1.0’ Q1-Q2 2015• Consoles TBA• Mobile …eventually
© 2014 Terra Tek Studios Ltd. All rights reserved.
What Worked
• Having a plan• Using middleware• A concept people ‘get’ quickly• Free public demo (indieDB)• Audience engagement• Making friends
“making your own luck”
© 2014 Terra Tek Studios Ltd. All rights reserved.
Didn’t Work
• Failed to hire a tech lead• Not enough time to chase funding
© 2014 Terra Tek Studios Ltd. All rights reserved.
Could Have Gone Better
• Reaching YouTubers & Twitch streamers• Advance preparation for Kickstarter
Russ Clarke@_higekun
@TerraTechGameTerraTechGame.com
Twitch.tv/TerraTechGamebit.ly/TerraTechKickstarter
indieDB.com/games/TerraTech
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