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With the publisher discussion it seems like a good time to share our gamedev story of how @RingOfPain came to be...
A debut game from a small indie team of nobodies, with no viral tweets and only a few hundred followers.
A debut game from a small indie team of nobodies, with no viral tweets and only a few hundred followers.
Last year I exhibited at Gamescom 2019 with our demo, a trailer, a 10 page pitch deck, and a lot of GeloRevoice.
What kind of offers would I get? If any?
Let's start with where we were at... and how we got there
What kind of offers would I get? If any?
Let's start with where we were at... and how we got there
We were 1.5 years into development with a solid 5-10 minute demo, which I couldn't have made without savings, freelancing and govt funding.
Soon after starting the project I saw @FilmVictoria had a govt funding round.
~3 months into solo dev I applied, here's a few pitch pages.
Soon after starting the project I saw @FilmVictoria had a govt funding round.
~3 months into solo dev I applied, here's a few pitch pages.
The vision was pretty close to the final game, aside from the story and specific themes which evolved...
Half a year later I was successful and received ~AU$30k, which helped me hire a few contractors to help with audio and code polish.
Half a year later I was successful and received ~AU$30k, which helped me hire a few contractors to help with audio and code polish.
By Gamescom the goal was to get a publisher.
Our 'out' if no one wanted to sign our game would have been to enter Early Access last year.
At Gamescom my pitch deck was way more slick and we'd *just* won a spot in the PAX Aus Indie Showcase so I slapped in that accolade.
Our 'out' if no one wanted to sign our game would have been to enter Early Access last year.
At Gamescom my pitch deck was way more slick and we'd *just* won a spot in the PAX Aus Indie Showcase so I slapped in that accolade.
I had meetings with a handful of diverse publishers and was scouted by some others on the show floor.
The reception we got was as varied as the deals on offer.
Let's get to the juice...
The reception we got was as varied as the deals on offer.
Let's get to the juice...
We were a reasonable way into development, within a year from launch, and I had a pretty modest indie criteria for our "Ask":
~US$200k to hire a small team (and myself!)
Marketing assistance
Testing assistance
Relevant audience access would be a bonus
~US$200k to hire a small team (and myself!)Marketing assistanceTesting assistanceRelevant audience access would be a bonus
The deals I was offered were mostly around 40:60 in our favour (after recoup). A few had better rev share terms
One publisher offered 60:40 in their favour. I asked why their cut was so high and they said "It's negotiable. Some indies just accept it"
One publisher offered 60:40 in their favour. I asked why their cut was so high and they said "It's negotiable. Some indies just accept it"
Notable exceptions were the Chinese publishers I talked to, who generally asked for a baseline of 50:50.
Don't underestimate Asia.
Even without an Asian publisher a large portion of our sales are in Asia... I'm not sure what that'd look like if we'd partnered
Don't underestimate Asia.
Even without an Asian publisher a large portion of our sales are in Asia... I'm not sure what that'd look like if we'd partnered
By the end of Gamescom I was keen on 3 publishers who each seemed like a great fit for different reasons.
Straight after Gamescom I'd emailed our deck and demo to everyone, and @JohnPolson from @PlayHumbleGames followed up literally 2 minutes later with a question.
Straight after Gamescom I'd emailed our deck and demo to everyone, and @JohnPolson from @PlayHumbleGames followed up literally 2 minutes later with a question.
We emailed daily for the next 1-2 weeks, and had a deal by the end of the month.
This is absolutely not normal!! (but I'm glad it was possible)
It may have been catalysed since the Megacrit crew had tried Ring of Pain
and Humble had published the Slay the Spire ports.
This is absolutely not normal!! (but I'm glad it was possible)
It may have been catalysed since the Megacrit crew had tried Ring of Pain
and Humble had published the Slay the Spire ports.
Backstory: I'd reached out to Megacrit asking for feedback a year into dev. Despite making a very different game, I was keen for (honest!) feedback from folks in a similar space.
You never know where or how little interactions will influence your life.
You never know where or how little interactions will influence your life.
Anyway, the terms offered were close to what I'd requested so I was happy to hit the ground running!
I'm not really sure what the best approach for each party is here - to offer your terms or ask for theirs?
...Likely depends on who (and what) you're pitching.
I'm not really sure what the best approach for each party is here - to offer your terms or ask for theirs?
...Likely depends on who (and what) you're pitching.
If you're the one stating initial terms it's important to know what's reasonable. All my knowledge came from talking to other indie devs, so it's great to see this public publisher dialogue on terms and deals!
Hopefully my one data point can help someone else.
Hopefully my one data point can help someone else.
We're proud @RingOfPain's turned out to be a good investment for Humble and us, it wouldn't have been the same game without their support.
Could we have found success without a partner?
Who knows, but our needs were met and we're in a good place. (Plus they're a good crew)
Could we have found success without a partner?
Who knows, but our needs were met and we're in a good place. (Plus they're a good crew)
The toughest part of this industry is how unpredictable it is. The games landscape changes year on year.
One of the most important factors for me is time.
And to be realistic; I don't believe in (or expect) perfection internally or from a partner, we're all imperfect.
One of the most important factors for me is time.
And to be realistic; I don't believe in (or expect) perfection internally or from a partner, we're all imperfect.
Sometimes people with less money have more to lose, so I'd encourage indies to be confident in your games and learn how to sell.
No matter who you partner with, you need to care about and value what you're making.
Good luck!
No matter who you partner with, you need to care about and value what you're making.
Good luck!
I should probably link our game, huh
Spoiler alert: it doesn't end the way my pitch doc suggests. https://store.steampowered.com/app/998740/Ring_of_Pain/
Spoiler alert: it doesn't end the way my pitch doc suggests. https://store.steampowered.com/app/998740/Ring_of_Pain/
