How to sell videogames Eugen Harton #DayZ And not starve to death <3

Who am I and how to contact me Working on DayZ as Lead Producer Worked on mobile/facebook/PC/Console Started in Enterprise (Operations) 11 years, 7 titles and multiple platforms for almost every title published Linkedin/Twitter/Email/Facebook eugen.harton@gmail.com

I have a game, what now?

Disclaimers! This talk is based on my experience, delivering titles on multiple platforms. Always question your and my perception of the topic. Don`t be afraid to think for yourself. Do your research. Read, talk to people, network. There is no recipe for success, lot can change in short time

When do I start ? Before you start making game preferably Think ahead, platforms might change the amount of work considerably. Look for opportunities in new platforms

So what should I think about? Target audience Target platforms Monetization model Development model Sustainability Upfront/Operation cost Future

Let`s ask the audience Who is working on a game now? Alone or in a group? Who is your target audience? What platform? How do you want to monetize?

Target audience Define the basics Themes Age Crossover Gender Region/Global

Monetization Digital vs retail Free to play Pay to play Freemium Subscription Trading Not all platforms support all models

Development/Sale models Before release Crowdfunding (equity) Investment / Publisher Release Early Access Gold Post-Release Platform conversions Content/Microtransactions

Platforms? Single HW platform can have multiple sale platforms Dedicated HW platforms (Consoles, Accessories) PC / VR Mobile Web

What are the differences? Revenue split Reach (DAU) Approval process Technical requirements Services Upfront cost Patching Process Tax handling Payment details Marketing tools

What platforms are there? (PC) Web based / Client based Examples Windows Store, Steam, Good Old Games, Amazon, Green Man Gaming, Gamersgate, Desura, Indiecity, Facebook, regional social sites etc. Large fragmentation of users / Large variation in HW

What platforms are there? (Mobile) Dedicated stores Examples Amazon, AppStore, Google Play Store, Provider Stores Large fragmentation of users, Large variation in HW

What platforms are there? (HW) Dedicated stores to single HW Examples Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS, etc. No fragmentation of users / No variation in HW (at least for now)

What platforms are there? (Own) Sell directly (Offer a demo) Buy a domain , proper webhosting, mailing list provider Don`t handle payments directly Use dedicated companies (BMTMicro, Plimus etc.)

Revenue Split Yeah platforms have a cost Varied 30/70 (industry standard) Can vary quite a bit Shared add revenue Payment model (monthly, quarterly etc.)

Reach Time your release properly Very large variations in userbase Different discovery models Different visibility options Different marketing opportnuties

Approval Process Direct approval Might involve quality testing Famous TRC (dedicated HW platforms) Community based approval Steam Greenlight

Technical Requirements Technology restrictions Cant use certain redistributables Force engine use Possibility of BlackBox And more

Services available Tools for publishing Tools for matchmaking Player chat Community tools Distribution Framework Stats

Upfront costs Some platforms require a payment before publishing They may also require payment for deploying a patch Be aware of all costs associated with the platform

Platform support Be aware that some actions you need to go through take a lot of time. Publishing, changing prices, sales, making sure your plans go through start talking about them early.

How can I even choose? Do your research, watch for changes, try to target as many platforms as possible without going thin. Not all platforms are available for a starting developer Every game is specific and can succeed or fail based on platform

Success stories We increased revenue with a F2P title by a large margin, just through changing platforms. We created our own portal and shuffled users to it via carrot on a stick to get rid of 30/70 revenue split.

And more! Developer post-mortems are a good way to look into these. Minecraft, Factorio, Stardew Valley. All of them chose a different platform, and approach. Made a fit.

Q&A + please rate my presentation (send me a message) Q&A + please rate my presentation (send me a message)! Feedback is important.