DEVELOPER
AND PUBLISHER
R
ELATIONSHIPS
In This Chapter
• Pitching a Game to a Publisher
• Managing the Developer-Publisher Relationship
• Third-Party Manufacturers
5.1 I
NTRODUCTION
D
evelopers must have open communication with their publisher, as the
publisher is ultimately responsible for creating the final packaged prod-
uct and marketing it to potential buyers. Publishers must work well
with developers, because without the developers, there are no products to sell.
These relationships can get very complex, especially if an independent devel-
oper and publisher are working together. More complexity is added if they are
working on a console or cell phone title that is submitted to a third-party con-
sole manufacturer for approval. This chapter discusses the major aspects of the
developer-publisher relationship, from pitching a game to a publisher to manag-
ing the developer-publisher relationship.
5.2 PITCHING A GAME TO A PUBLISHER
As games get more expensive to make and require larger teams, publishers are
very selective about which developers they work with. Wholly owned developers
usually have direct access to the people making decisions about which games to
Chapter 5Chapter 5
74 THE GAME PRODUCTION HANDBOOK, 2/E
develop and, thus, are not under as much pressure to create and pitch a game
idea. If a wholly owned developer does not have an idea for a game, it is likely
that the publisher will have a game in mind for the developer.
Independent developers, on the other hand, must find a publishing partner to
help them get the game finished and on the store shelves. The developer might
have a great game idea and already be in pre-production on it, but unless they can
find a publisher, it is unlikely the game will be released or turn a profit. In order to
find a partner, the developers must pitch their games to potential publishers.
Pitching games is not an easy task, as the developer must be able to suc-
cessfully communicate the full game experience for the player, even though the
game is still not completed—in fact, the game might only be in the concept
phase and have no tangible assets. The publisher must get a clear understanding
from the pitch on whether the game will deliver on this proposed experience and
be profitable.
PITCHING TO A PUBLISHER
Don Daglow, President and CEO
Stormfront Studios
Almost every developer pitches to publishers. Earlier in industry history the
process was much less formal. Long-term developer-publisher relationships played
a big part in developing new games, and ideas would be brainstormed jointly and
then greenlighted. Over the last decade the game industry has changed its focus to
internal creative teams. Like other entertainment media, game publishers now ag-
gressively seek outside developer pitches as a check-and-balance in addition to their
internal creative efforts.
The good thing about this highly evolved pitch process is that an established de-
veloper can readily get a meeting with key decision makers. However, if you waste
people’s time, you can lose that “open door, call us any time” status. So be sure to
make good use of publishers’ time when you pitch. You may not get a deal, but make
sure you leave the room with your reputation enhanced by what went on during the
meeting. The publishers will take your call again the next time you’re ready to pitch
an opportunity.
Because publishers are pitched several hundred games a year, most of them
have some type of pitch process in place, which allows them to quickly under-
stand the game’s potential. It helps them to decide which games are not suitable
DEVELOPER AND PUBLISHER RELATIONSHIPS 75
for their needs and which games warrant more attention and possibly some ini-
tial financial support. The pitch process itself will vary based on such things as
the type of game being pitched, to whom it is being pitched, how far along the
game is in development, and what type of partnership is needed.
Some developers who pitch games do not convey the appropriate information
the publisher needs in order to make an initial decision the game’s value. Since
publishers are reviewing several hundred games a year, it is imperative that the
developer has an understanding of what information and materials are needed
for the pitch. The best way to learn how to successfully pitch a game is to talk
to other developers and to someone in the publisher’s acquisitions department.
Lee Jacobson, the Vice President of Business Development and Acquisitions for
Midway Entertainment, has some concrete advice on what is needed to prepare
a game pitch that will get noticed.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Don Daglow, President and CEO
Stormfront Studios
Publishers commonly send out formalized Request for Proposals (RFPs), espe-
cially for licensed properties or smaller projects. (Larger projects are usually handled
by internal teams of publisher employees.) The RFP will include information on the
property, target platform, estimated budget, and desired ship date. Publishers do
their research before tapping developers, and will send an RFP to the top 3 to 5
teams that they believe are the best choices for a particular project. Some publish-
ers may send out an RFP that is a full game design (including gameplay, characters,
level designs, etc.). In these cases publishers are looking for a developer to handle
the project as a “work-for-hire,” where the design is complete but the developer
provides the “hands” to implement it.
Some publishers are looking for the highest quality work, some for the low-
est price, but most seek to balance the tradeoffs between cost and quality. When
developers respond to an RFP, they will do a write-up that responds to the specific
requests for content in the RFP, describes key gameplay elements, and provides
a ballpark schedule and budget. Prototypes are not usually done “on spec” in re-
sponse to RFPs because they are too expensive. However, developers may refer to
examples from other games that illustrate key points discussed in their response.
Publishers at the RFP stage are most interested in budget, schedule, and whether
the game will be fun—if they had big doubts about talent the developer wouldn’t
get an RFP in the first place.
76 THE GAME PRODUCTION HANDBOOK, 2/E
HOW TO PITCH A GAME
Lee Jacobson, VP of Business Development and Acquisitions
Midway Entertainment
Ten to fifteen years ago, games used to be all about the novelty of the gameplay
mechanics. Now that games have evolved into more mainstream entertainment,
it’s really about telling stories and how the stories are executed. Also, as games
are getting more expensive, publishers have more departments such as publishing,
marketing, sales, and product development, that are weighing in on game decisions.
Because so many people are involved, an independent developer who is pitching
an original game must be able to communicate the idea in a very limited amount
of time. There are three assets that are invaluable for judging a game’s publishing
potential.
First is a very brief treatment of the game. This is a one to two page executive
summary of the game that explains the essence of the game, how it can be posi-
tioned in the marketplace, and how it can be communicated to the customer or
retailer. If you have to go through a long dissertation explaining the merits of your
game, it is likely the mass market consumer will not immediately understand the
game’s appeal.
Don’t spend time creating a detailed design document. At the pitch stage, this
is not important. For one thing, publishers don’t have time to read them. Also, after
a publisher starts working with a developer, the publisher’s feedback will affect the
game’s design. Unfortunately, most developers spend time of writing a document
that details all the gameplay mechanics and all the wonderful features of their game,
but are unable to describe their game in one or two sentences that show why people
will want to buy it.
Second, and it really is becoming the norm, is a playable prototype or vertical
slice of game. It doesn’t need to be long, but it must show how the final game will
look and play—no apologies for visual quality, animation quality, production values,
camera cuts, lighting, and so on. Publishers would much rather see a two-minute
slice of gameplay where the environment looks amazing, rather than a huge world
where you can wander for two hours but that looks horrible.
A highly-polished demo is more likely to get the developer to the next step in
the pitch process. It lets the publisher know that the developer not only understands
what the game is about but also knows what the consumer needs to see. This is im-
portant; many developers lose sight of this and don’t realize it’s not about what they
think is cool, but what the consumers think is cool.
The third thing is a game trailer. It only needs to be 30 seconds to one minute
long, but from the moment it starts, everything—including the mood music, the
DEVELOPER AND PUBLISHER RELATIONSHIPS 77
animation, the setup, and the camera angles—must work together to convey the
emotional experience of the game. It has to be edited right, narrated correctly, and
interlaced with game footage in order to give the publisher an understanding of how
cool the game is.
The high production values of the trailer will reinforce the idea that not only
does the developer understand how to make a game, but they also understand how
to turn it into an entertainment vehicle. These game trailers can easily be dissemi-
nated around the publisher’s organization and allow anyone to immediately get a
feel for whether the game works or doesn’t. Game trailers also are handy since ev-
eryone can pop in the video and easily view the highlights of the game.
Third, developers can prepare other supporting material to demonstrate that
they understand the game’s market and what they want the game to do—for ex-
ample, a very brief overview of the game’s competitive titles and how the game’s
features make it different from what is already out there. Don’t make the mistake
of listing technical features as game features, such as better real-time normal map-
ping. Instead, focus on what distinguishes the game and how the publisher can sell
it to a mass audience. Other information to include is a summary of other games
created by the developer and the review scores. Information of this nature helps the
publisher determine how risky a particular developer may be. Finally, include a top
line assessment of the schedule and approximate budget; this information will get
more detailed as the game makes it further in the process.
The typical deal is the standard publisher-developer model in which the pub-
lisher funds 100 percent of the game’s development as an advance against future
royalties and sales of the game. In this deal, the publisher typically provides the
third-party commercial software, the tools, and the development kits. The devel-
oper is required to fulfill monthly milestones that are evaluated on a regular basis by
the publisher. Various royalty structures can be brought to bear on this. As the risk
profile changes from the publisher to the developer, the deal can change.
There are also co-publishing deals. In this instance, the game is usually fully
funded by the development studio, and they are looking for a publisher who can
package the game and distribute it to retailers. The publisher will get a distribution
fee, which is usually a percentage of the game’s sales. The fee depends on what the
publisher brings to the table, which can range from packaging and distributing the
game to funding the marketing campaign.
5.3 MANAGING THE DEVELOPER-PUBLISHER RELATIONSHIP
After a developer and publisher have committed to a relationship, the relationship
must be maintained, regardless of whether the developer is independent or
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