crowdfunding - funding for indie games

Crowdfunding

Funding For Indie Games

¿CrowdFunding?

Collection of small amounts of capital from many individuals to achieve a goal.

Campaign lasts a certain amount of time.

The "investor" gets a reward for their money.

Benefits of Crowdfunding

Pre-ordering your game, obtain money to complete development.

Validate your game idea.

Control your actions.

Creative independence.

Earn more recognition.

DarkSide of CrowdfundingNot reach your goal and having to stop your project.

Say goodbye to publishers.

Demand much time and labor out of you spend developing the game.

Not adequately plan may complicate legally.

Don’t pay attention to Trolls!

Not so new

Year: 1885

Pedestal Statue of Liberty

Pulitzer

$102,000

120,000 backers

During 5 months

¿and the indie developer?

It is the individual or company that is developing a video game without external financing.

Is not backed by a publisher.

Braid

Cart Life

Journey

To Leave

Amnesia: Dark Descent

Son of Nor

Benefits of being indie

Creative freedom.

Owning your IP (intellectual property).

Larger % of profit from sales.

Manage your own time.

x 0Can’t pay for talent

Losing motivation on the way

Not able to afford advertising and marketing

Reject publisher support

Disadvantages

High costs of publishing, legal stuff and software

licences

Team

Realistic

Prototype

Presentation

Budget

Rewards

Stretch Goals

Marketing

Campaign Checklist

Presentation

Record a good quality video.

Show the product.

Gather a community that will help the cause.

Be clear and transparent.

Be realistic ifyou plan to do this

Realista

It’s like trying to make Avengers with your 3 friends

You will not be able to do it.

AAA games cost 50 million dollars.

3-5 years of development.

1000 people working (actors, programmers, artists, designers, marketing)

Realistic

Ideas are worthless.

What matters is execution.

Execution is the multiplier.

Idea vs. Prototype

Ideas are a nightmare

An idea is not a video game.

A game design document is not a game.

A drawing cannot be played.

A video game can be played.

Awesome game never seen before where

mages that live in the dessert have to use

their terraforming powers to survive.

Idea Example

Prototype Example

Gameplay Trailer Son of Nor

http://youtu.be/3kaT8wVjp3s

Budget

Calculate the time needed to complete the development.

Resources for the team.

Salaries for your team or payment for external developers (concept artists, music & sound).

Cost of crowdfunding rewards.

Licensing and publishing fees.

Crowdfunding platform commission.

Artists

Programmers

Designers

Marketing

Audio & Music

Game Designers

Gather the Team

Rewards

A reward could be a digital download game.

(usually $10-$25)

Being in the game credits.

Participate giving ideas for development in exclusive forums.

Concept Art Books.

Merchandising of the game.

100% Funded

Stretch Goals

When you pass the original goal you can offer to your backers new goals to achieve in exchange of new features for the game like New Game Plus or achievements.

Stretch Goals

Marketing

Create a community before launch the campaign.

Marketing

Social tools: Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, etc..

Marketing

Frequent Updates of the development during the campaign.

Marketing

Email to bloggers, journalists from different game sites.

Cases which exceeded the original goal.

Divinity: Original Sin $400.000 -> $579,610

Double Fine Adventures $400.000 -> $3,336,371

Shovel Knight $75000 -> $311,502

Torment: Tides of Numenera $900.000 -> $4,188,927

Ominious $500 -> $1,171

Telepath Tactics $15.000 -> $41,259

Distribution

Crowdfunding sites

Largest crowdfunding site.

All or nothing. You have to reach the goal in a given time.

15% commission

Exclusive for USA & UK.

Kickitforward Initiative

kickstarter.com

Not as big as Kickstarter.

Open to all countries.

5% commission

No need to reach the goal.

indiegogo.com

No need to reach the goal.

Hispanic audience.

There isn’t much competition with other projects.

lanzanos.com

Time is nowHaz el juego que quieras jugar.

Ser feliz con lo que haces.

Indie gaming is growing.

Tools available to everyone.

You can start learning on your own.

Funding made possible by crowdfunding.

Make the game you want to play.

Be happy and love what you do.

@CarlosOporto

@LionInnGames

lioninngames.com

facebook.com/stillaliveStudios

@SonofNor

http://kck.st/ZT8VUu