DWS15 - Game Summit - Three Gates - Don Geyer

Don Geyer CEO – Three Gates StudioVisby, Sweden

Bachelor of Science Game Design and ProgrammingGotland University

Master’s DegreeGame Design Uppsala University

PhD ResearchGame MechanicsUppsala University

Founded 2010

Offices in:

Visby, Sweden

Nanjing, China

Game Development

Unity Experts

Technical Solutions

Simulation

3D Visualization

Threegates.com

Starting your Studio

You have the best game idea ever!

What to do?

What everybody will tell you.

Starting your Studio

You have the best game idea ever!

You need money.

The Publisher

The PublisherNetworking

The PublisherThe Big Meeting

The Publisher

No Hit

No Deal

The PublisherMorning Period

Reality

Worlds greatest game idea

We need a company

We need a stable team

We need a demo

Reality

Reality


We need a company


We need a demo

Reality

Recruiting your team

We need a good GDD

Reality


We need a company

We need a GDD


We need a demo

Reality

Present your idea - What you expect

Reality

Recruiting your team

Stakeholders want influence...

RealityYou rationally present the best game ever

RealityPotenial team members may have strong opinions

RealityThey might be dangerous

RealityIn the end cooler heads prevail and you get your way

Reality


We need a company

We need a GDD

We need a team

We need a demo

Reality


May take more time and resources than you have

It might be a little harder than you thought

Reality


So do you cut features?

Reality


So do you cut features? NO

You do a Kickstarter

Reality


Reality


We need a company

We need a GDD

We need a team

We need a demo

Reality – Step 2

Release the game

Reality – Step 2

Release the game

Get a publisher to help

Reality – Step 2

Released the game on Steam and Boxes

Total 85,000 copies

– but not nearly enough to cover the time and resources we spent on the project – 22 person team

Things we learnedThings we learned

Too many stakholders in a game project = dangerous


Only one project is too risky for our small studio


Familiarity is important

Add too many new features you really need time to user test them thoroughly


A short runway can result in low quality or not hitting feature requirements


We learned allot about the team members

What NextStudio Survival


Streamline the team – cut costs

Went from 22 down to 11 team members


Multiple revenue streams

Work for hire

While we figured out what to do we decided to take whatever work we could.

Studio StrategyStudio assessment

Internally and externally with consultants

Strengths – Weaknessess

Studio StrategyMission Statement

We created a very defined mission statement of what the studio was and where we planned on going.

Studio StrategyBusiness Plan

Creating the business plan really helped us to define our goals and strategies both creatively and financial.

Studio StrategyPut out the word for work

Calling all contacts

Work for HireWork for Hire

Work for Hire

Work for Hire

All the time we were doing WFH projects we were learning, improving and squezzing in our own stuff.

Work for Hire

So when we built a new tech we would try and see if we could create a cool game mechanic using it.

Studio Projects

Also just look at doing some small projects based solely on popularity

Studio Projects

Conclusions

Sharpen your teeth on work for hire projects

Conclusions

Be prepared for hard times

Conclusions

Have a contingency plan

Conclusions

Develop a long-term Studio Strategy

Questions?

Don Geyer [email protected]

DWS15 - Game Summit - Three Gates - Don Geyer

Devices & Hardware

Transcript of DWS15 - Game Summit - Three Gates - Don Geyer