These are my notes from the GDC 2009 Indie Track Day 2 of 2.
Admitedly, these notes will be of more use to me, than most because they are sparse on details, but I do hope they have some value for folks who also attended and those who did not.
These notes were often written in a hurry and/or after the fact. Thus, I can’t guarantee 100% accuracy. If you think I misquoted someone or made a mistake in my notes, please leave a comment.
24 MAR 2009
The Indie Advantage? A View From Both Sides (Rod Humble Electronic Arts )
- Suggested Budget Split:
- R & D % < 30% of Sales Guesses (forecast)
- Mktng % < 20%
- Bookstore vs. 'Possible Game Space' Analogy - Paraphrased: "Books you tend to read area all in one section of the bookstore. The rest of the store is wide open. Examine those open spaces."
The Art of Independent Game Promotion (Phil Fish of Polytron)
Suggests you:
- blog
- enter every competition you can (IGF, PAX 10, indiecade, etc.)
- google alerts (???)
#10 - PR, not marketing (do the free venues, not the $ venues)
#9 - How press works:
(1) Tig Source, Indie Games, Game Set Watch, Offworld
(2) Destructoid, Joystiq, Kotaku, Multiplayer, Gamelife
(3) CNN, ... (forget about them)
#7 - Treat Journalists as friends (i.e. treat well) - Indie games have to make inately 'good copy' to get written about.
#4 - Participate in the community (I've stopped doing this): GDC, Global Game Jam, Nordic Game Jam, more...
#3 - Disasters are good for press - Screwup == Twice the press (piracy disaster; didn't make linux version; etc.)
#2 - Hype Management - Don't show too early; Overbuilding (hype) can hurt you.
#1 - Be yourself, be cool, be a good personality, don't be a dick.
Be yourself, be cool, be a good personality, don't be a dick.
Missing Topic Title (Subscriptions, etc. alternate $$$ mechanisms)
- Dylan Romero- Toribash
- uses 'Tori credits' to buy textures/services
- Progressed from free -> shareware -> crippleware -> back to free + tori credits to customize
- $ via allowing customization of textures
- stackable subscriptions (?)
- has gone to super-short (24 hour) subscriptions
- 40 slots that can be customized == thousands of $; has thousands of customers that do this.
- Jamie Cheng - (Games: eets, rush, shank) Klei Entertainment
- micro subscriptions
- Daniel James - Three Rings
- Subscriptions (Puzzle Pirates) avg 18 months ($4.95 per month suggested)
- Suggested site: thefloggingwillcontinue.com
- pick a platform; make smallest game you think people will pay for; go for it
Indie Rants (multiple speakers)
I didn't get good notes on this this but Destructoid has a good writeup here.
Managing Indie Teams (Kelee Santiago of thatgamecompany)
- RACI Chart
- Responsible for
- Accountable for
- Consulted on
- Informed
- "Your company might not be for everyone."
- Notes that 360's should not be part of review for raises/annual evals.
- Clever People:
- Aren't flattered by bonuses and promotions.
- Not motivated by cheerleading.
- Won't thank manager.
- Need to be protected from organization "rain".
- Need to feel they are working @ optimal efficiency.
- The Platinum Rule - "Treat people as they want to be treated, which is probably different from how you want to be treated."
Indies: Beyond Single-Player (Jason Rohrer)
- "Pockets of interactivity braided onto rails."
- "The Ebert Challenge" - Convince Ebert games are art.
- Arthouse Games
Hothead Games: Episodic Content and The Evolving Indie Landscape (Joel DeYoung of Hothead Games)
- They won't accept all games.
- They on't control when we launch.
- They don't control pricing, promos, sales.
- Pricing structures are limiting - no bundles and $20 limit
- Can't (sell) preorders on consoles.
- Notes that "Funny games are mostly MIA."
- Veteran teams are costly.
- It's all about the game.
- Know your limits; Get help where needed (lawyers, CPAs, et al.)
- Watch the money (budget).
- Have a plan B (and C, and D, ...)
- Episodic games: Got drop off in sales of subsequent installment).
- "Iterate, do things cheaper and faster."
Making Web Games: The Indie Experience (Miles Tilmann Pixeljam Games)
- Goldfish Effect re: Tasks/Projects - "Expand to fill time you have."
- Interesting
- "If your intention is clear, bad decisions will still probably lead to your goal."
- Don't make AAA
- Work with your complement.
- Communicate everything, even if it hurts.
- Give the player a reason to care (about your game).
Expand to fill time you have.
- Miles Tilman about projects
Making LOVE in Your Bedroom (Eskil Steenberg)
- Quote in unknown context: "As a Tool(kit), multiple inputs benefit us all"
- Believes you should not do concept art.
- Everything you do should be fast and efficient as concept art.
- My observations about his tools (which were awesome):
- His tool is like doodling.
- Clicking on different parts of a model bring up different context-sensitive menus.
- Verse - His real-time net protocol connective (tool) connects all of his tools and game.
- Multiple people can work simultaneously in w/ realtime updates.
- Asks question, "Why do we give good tools to our customers, but not to our staff?"
How to Finish a Game Project You... Hate? (Tommy Refenes of PillowFort)
- "People will promise you anything to your face."
- "When you have the SDK in your hands then you can say "They're going to send me an SDK", because you've got it in your hands."
- Very motivated by working on his engine.
When you have the SDK in your hands then you can say "They're going to send me an SDK", ...