Post on 29-Oct-2014
description
Kickstarting Shadowrun ReturnsAdventures in Crowdfunding
Mitch GitelmanCo-Founder, Harebrained Schemes
Seattle, WA
Our Aging Hero• Designer, Mayfair Games 1993• Founded Pompeii Design Studio in 1994• Creative Director @ a horrible game co.• Joined FASA Interactive in 1996
– Producer/Designer MechCommander Series– Developed Crimson Skies IP
• FASA acquired by Microsoft 1998– Producer, MechAssault - 1st game on Xbox LIVE– Executive Producer, Crimson Skies– Studio Manager, FASA Studio– Director, Digitally Distributed Games– Director, Xbox Live Arcade 1st Party Studio
• Co-Founder, Harebrained Schemes
It is a Time of Disruption...
• 2005 – Guitar Hero, casual is good• 2006 – Wii, Social is better• 2008 - App Store, cool kids playing• 2008 – Farmville, virtual goods okay• 2009 – Words w/Friends, social & mobile• 2009 – iOS IAP, free-to-play explodes• 2010 – iPad, gaming in bed
It is a Time Undreamed of. . .
• Gamers are almost normal• Playboy’s PMOM is out of the closet!
• Game development is considered a viable career path (wait, what?)
• Even game development schools exist
• 2012 - Kickstarter, crowdfunding
The Rise of Crowdfunding
• Crowdfunding is another tool to monetize your game...
• ...before you’ve finished it
• In some cases, before you’ve even started it
And Here, our Adventure Begins
kickstarter.com
Crowdfunding Basics
• Find your audience• Share your vision • Tell your story• Prove you can do it• Keep in touch
The Pitch
• Keep the video professional, but personal– Don’t over-produce it– Show your face ASAP– People want to be part of a story
• KISS– Keep It Simple, Stupid
• Hierarchy of information– Video– Graphics– Text– Better yet, embed key info into graphics
• Remember most people ONLY look at the videos• Don’t count on key messages in body copy or FAQ
Before You Start
• What worked and what didn’t?• What funding ranges worked?• What reward tiers worked?• What reward swag worked?• What elements of the videos, text & graphics worked?
• What is the right “ask”?
Update Videos
Respond to Your Audience
• Answer questions - promptly• Say thank you – personally• Participate in the dialog – constantly• Publish new content – regularly• Sleep – when it’s over
• And BEWARE of Stretch Goals– Don’t over-commit development– Researched your rewards– Prepare your stretch goals
Stretch Goals
Social Media Outreach
Banner
Profile Pic#shadowrunreturns
Market the Funding
• You need to bring your audience to the funding site
• Reach them where they live– Online– Offline
• Creatively use social media • Drive for high initial velocity
New Reward Levels and Swag
Know Your Costs
• Digital Distribution– Server, bandwidth, etc– 30% platform fees
• Cost of Goods– Low volume manufacturing = high unit costs– More items = lower production per item
• Design and Management Costs– Everything that takes time costs your project
• The 3 horseman of the funding apocalypse– Picking, Packing, & Shipping
The Numbers
• Campaign ran for 25 days• Over 36k Backers• 35 written & video updates• Over 14k Posts on Kickstarter– Plus emails– Plus Facebook– Plus, plus, plus
• $1.9m in funding
The Progress
The Opportunity
• A chance to Validate• A chance to Innovate• A chance to Dream
The Dream
Distance
Game development has become democratized
Crowdfunding Sites
• Kickstarter• IndieGogo• Gamebitious• Fundeadora
The Deluge
• The floodgates have opened• The novelty is over• The marketplace is crowding• Differentiation remains king
It is a Time of Adventure. . .
It is a Time Undreamed of. . .
It’s the AGE OF THE INDIE
Questions?
mitchgit@hbs-studios.comwww.harebrained-schemes.com