Game developer.. need some answers from those who may know.

[Dom]

Need some help.

If anyone has any knowledge on this subject and can steer me in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated.

Some friends are making a game for the pc (fps) and need some information on the following.

1/ How do they go about getting a distributer/marketing company like Ubi Soft or Activision?

2/ What sort of percentage would the distributer be asking for to market the game?

3/ If a distributer is aquired does that distributer supply funding/payment instalments to the game developer in relation to the percentage of game content/build that can be shown to be completed?

4/ Are the game developers (my friends) required to pay $ to aquire a distributer/marketing companys services??

Thanks in advance.

[modru2004]

first and for most your gonna need a lot alot alot and alot more luck. the chances of your friends completing a game, geting a publisher and it being succesful is about the chance of me winning the lotto. i program some myself and i know that even the simplest of programs can be time consuming and provide many challenges. your friends will have to make their own engine, it is illegal to use an engine from an existing game with out the license. the license for such an engine will run you at least $100k. then they will have to design gameplay elements and story elements and then implement them. if your friends are series about doing something like this i recommend making a total conversion for a well respected game. there was an unreal ut2k3 mod contest with the license to the unreal engine being one of the prizes. this is the sort of thing they need to look for. if they make a good enough mod they might attract the attention of a big time publisher and developer studio. im not saying they can't or won't do it, but its very likely they won't succeed. as for question 1. you need to get in contact with various publishers and provide demos of your friends work. the publisher won't be willing to invest time and money into your friends game unless they think game can make them some money, and that would require your friends to have a working demo to show the publisher. this is why i recommend making a mod for a well known game. the rest of your questions are pretty much up to the contract that is agreed apoun by the two companies.

[Dom]

Originally posted by modru2004 on 12-25-2003 at 11:02 PM
first and for most your gonna need a lot alot alot and alot more luck. the chances of your friends completing a game, geting a publisher and it being succesful is about the chance of me winning the lotto. i program some myself and i know that even the simplest of programs can be time consuming and provide many challenges. your friends will have to make their own engine, it is illegal to use an engine from an existing game with out the license. the license for such an engine will run you at least $100k. then they will have to design gameplay elements and story elements and then implement them. if your friends are series about doing something like this i recommend making a total conversion for a well respected game. there was an unreal ut2k3 mod contest with the license to the unreal engine being one of the prizes. this is the sort of thing they need to look for. if they make a good enough mod they might attract the attention of a big time publisher and developer studio. im not saying they can't or won't do it, but its very likely they won't succeed. as for question 1. you need to get in contact with various publishers and provide demos of your friends work. the publisher won't be willing to invest time and money into your friends game unless they think game can make them some money, and that would require your friends to have a working demo to show the publisher. this is why i recommend making a mod for a well known game. the rest of your questions are pretty much up to the contract that is agreed apoun by the two companies.

They have already purchased a game engine and all involved are top class programers and 3D designers.

[ozzy983]

1)

You need to bring them a demo of your title, then they will make the decision as to whether or not they want to market you. Similar to a record deal. You need to have something they want, you just do not pay them to market/publish your game/software.

2)

It depends on the publisher, but I would think anywhere from 30% and up. Depending on whether or not they think it will be a big hit or not. Otherwise, as in one, they may just make something unreal, and hope you do not persue it any further.

You also need to pay for contracts to sell the game at various locations and online vendors, this costs money too, and is included with the publishing fees.

3)

No, not normally, the game is your companies, and yours alone until it is ready for production (past beta and ready to rollout). You, initially, have to pay, more often than not, to have the game marketed, until they feel it will be a hit and sell. Again, it's about money, they need to make moeny on the deal, not lose it.

4)

Of course, nothing is for free. Just as if you wanted to list something in the newspaper, you have to pay. Same applies here. Normally there is a % that you must pay upfront, and the rest is paid after release.

As others have mentioned, even with the most simplistic of games/software, it takes time, and again, you need an engine, or you will have to build one from scratch, and with anything, that will take a huge amount of time. I mean, think of how long ID worked on the Doom 3 engine, and that was still designed from the Q3 barebones, so there was atleast a template (to my knowledge it wasn't completely re-written). And think of how many programmers they have working on it at any given time.

If you are serious, then I would look for people who have experience, or go with a 3rd party marketing company (freelance), they will atleast get you started, and take care of some of the necessary paperwork, but there are still selling contracts and other legalities which would have to be taken care of, and they are not cheap.

Later,
Oz

[modru2004]

what engine did they purchase?

[Dom]

Originally posted by modru2004 on 12-26-2003 at 01:33 AM
what engine did they purchase?

The one that AvP2 and No One Lives Forever was made with.

[Angry_Games]

Jupiter engine...good engine but not as strong as Unreal's heh.

Dom I worked in this field for a long time, was on the team that made StrikeForce mod for UT, and still have the bowling game on hold for UT2k3...since you bought the engine, your chances are very good that someone will pick you up as the development house no longer has to purchase the license.

bad thing is that you own the license and can make 'unreasonable' demands, and that can put off devs (ie: they dont own the full rights to it, only distro rights, hence, less money).

but overall, owning the license helps tremendously. Now all you have to do is get a running demo as was mentioned above and show it off to all the dev houses/publishers. Knowing ppl in the industry is very key here. Not making huge demands to a house is also key since no one knows who you are and this is your first deal. Be prepared to not make much more than the license for the game cost, plus a little extra for your first title. If its good, the bargaining chips swing 98% your way and if it is mediocre, then you still get good deals the second time around, but if it bombs, you gotta work 5x harder the second time, and there wont be any up-front money =/

[Dom]

Originally posted by Angry_Games on 12-26-2003 at 03:17 AM
Jupiter engine...good engine but not as strong as Unreal's heh.

Dom I worked in this field for a long time, was on the team that made StrikeForce mod for UT, and still have the bowling game on hold for UT2k3...since you bought the engine, your chances are very good that someone will pick you up as the development house no longer has to purchase the license.

bad thing is that you own the license and can make 'unreasonable' demands, and that can put off devs (ie: they dont own the full rights to it, only distro rights, hence, less money).

but overall, owning the license helps tremendously. Now all you have to do is get a running demo as was mentioned above and show it off to all the dev houses/publishers. Knowing ppl in the industry is very key here. Not making huge demands to a house is also key since no one knows who you are and this is your first deal. Be prepared to not make much more than the license for the game cost, plus a little extra for your first title. If its good, the bargaining chips swing 98% your way and if it is mediocre, then you still get good deals the second time around, but if it bombs, you gotta work 5x harder the second time, and there wont be any up-front money =/

Thanks for that info.

[dna]

Sounds cool. You might also think about independent distro - harder row to hoe, but you know what's up. With the internet, you stand a decent chance for success. Lots of different ways to distribute your own product really - you just won't have all that funding up front like you would if you had a distro channel.
And don't forget the ad where you promise to make everybody your bitch