Whispering Willows: Funded with Passion

David Logan, FounderNight Light Interactive

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Trailer

Reinterpreting the Problem• How do you start a company and make a quality game

for next to nothing?

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Reinterpreting the Problem• Most Companies- how can this game make money?

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Reinterpreting the Problem• Night Light- how can we make a game that we love (and

still make money)?

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Team• 6 became 30

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Team• The team

–Countless hours working

–Most there entire duration of project

–Full time jobs–Working hard–Little money

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Fueling Passion• So, how did we manage this?• Why’d people want to join the project?

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Fueling Passion• As a Leader I had to have:

– Organization– Clear milestones– Encouragement– Communication

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Fueling Passion• As a Leader I had to:

– Keep people accountable– Create micro tasks– Be understanding– Driving force

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Contest/Conventions• OUYA Create Game Jam• Won Most Immersive Game

– Runner Up- Best Visuals– Runner Up- Grand Prize

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Contest/Conventions• Partnered with OUYA

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Contest/Conventions• Seattle Indie Game Dev

Competition– Won first prize

• Met Yulia, got us into– Indie Prize– Casual Connect

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Contests/Conventions• Composer works for Rooster Teeth (Red vs. Blue)• Got us into RTX

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Contest/Conventions• Contests have:

– Given exposure– Financing– Judged by veterans– Critique

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Community• Kickstarter Crowdfunding• $20k raised

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Community• Kickstarter raised money, but

more importantly built a community– Friends– Family– Complete strangers– Other Indies- cross

promotion and inclusion

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Community• People invest in people

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Community• Fans helped us succeed in the digital space

– Forums– Social media– Youtube videos

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Community• Translators!

– 7 different languages

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Community• Not just $20k earned, 750 backers earned!• They helped us because they were passionate about our

team and our idea!

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What Makes an Indie?• Passion = Indie• Desire to create, despite the odds against you

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What Makes an Indie?• Money likely doesn’t = Indie

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What Makes an Indie?• That’s what started OUYA

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What Makes an Indie?• Indies in the IGF leaking into Gamer’s Choice Awards• GTA V competing with Papers, Please

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What Makes an Indie?• Passion drives Indies• Indies drive innovation

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What Makes an Indie?• It isn’t easy

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Conclusion• Money helped, but passion was

the driving force

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Questions?

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