
IndieGameBusiness®
Candid conversations with veterans of all aspects of the business side of games. We firmly believe that great games from all developers need the support they deserve to succeed. This podcast exists to provide that support.
IndieGameBusiness® is produced by The Powell Group, a video game consulting firm specializing in business development, marketing, and licensing. Our CEO has been in the industry for 20 years and closed countless publishing and licensing deals. The Powell Group monitors over 3,500 game developers and 750+ publishers.
Latest episodes

Oct 11, 2023 • 50min
Fundraising Hacks for your Indie Game Business
Did you know that over 50% of indie games never make more than $4,000 because of a lack of funding and exhausting self-funds mostly in the development phase?
Primarily, most indie studio starts from self-funding. But after some time to make ends meet while designing new games simultaneously? That’s some hassle indeed. Not to mention the obstacles one needs to face while raising funds for your dream project. Funding is one of the main challenges facing an indie studio trying to create a video game.
Each step of the process, from developing or acquiring certain assets to selling them, takes money, and without adequate funds, the game may be over before it really starts. Finding the right investors might be challenging, yet they are a regular source of financing as investors aren't the only source of funding. Besides after securing funds comes the proper distribution and management of the fund. I will share my past and recent encounters with funding and my talk will focus on what to do and what not to do during investor hunting, managing investor relationships while managing funds.
#IndieGameFunding, #IndieStudioChallenges, #FundingStruggles, #InvestorHunting, #ManagingFunds

Oct 11, 2023 • 1h 4min
Business Succession and Continuity for Solo Indie Developers
Solo indie sev life has a lot of appeal: you have total control over your studio’s creative, technical, and business decisions and seeing your game through according to your vision.
But solo dev life gets hard. You’re running a business by yourself in addition to the creative aspects, so what happens if you become severely ill? What kind of external support do you have set up for when times are good, let alone when disaster strikes?
You might think that succession and continuity planning only applies to larger companies, but here’s why and how indie teams of one need to set them up!
#SoloIndieDev, #IndieGameLife, #ContinuityPlanning, #IndieDevChallenges, #SoloDevSupport

Oct 5, 2023 • 1h 3min
Working With a Publisher While Releasing Your First Indie Game
Join Arnaud Planche, Founder and Director of Bontemps Games, as he takes you on a captivating journey of creating a wholesome game.
In this video, Arnaud shares insights into what inspired him to start working on the project and provides firsthand experiences of pitching the game.
He also delves into the process of working with a publisher for the first time and discusses the meaning of a wholesome game.
Arnaud shares why he specifically chose to create a game with a wholesome theme and reflects on how game development has matched his expectations.
If you're interested in learning about releasing your first commercial game, pitching ideas, collaborating with a publisher, or anything related to making a wholesome game, this video is a must-watch.
Stay connected with Arnaud Planche on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArnaudPlanche and LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/arnaud-planche for more updates.
#IndieGameDevelopment #WholesomeGaming #PitchingIdeas #PublisherCollaboration #GameDevelopmentJourney #BontempsGames #indieGameBusiness #indiedev #indiegamedev
Chapters

Oct 5, 2023 • 1h 5min
5 oopsies you're making while marketing your game!
As an indie dev, you wish you could only focus on making your dream game while others help you with the marketing part, huh? But what if there’s little budget and have to do it by yourself? No biggie, because you can do much to help your game reach your audience with very little!
The problem is... there seems to be a consistent type of mistake all devs make, even marketing people themselves! So, that's the purpose of this session, teaching you what you can do and what you should definitely NOT do.
We all want solutions, after all, not problems!
#IndieDevMarketing #GameMarketingTips #BudgetMarketing #IndieGamePromotion #MarketingMistakes

Oct 4, 2023 • 1h 1min
Company Growth & Investment Strategy
The session will cover various topics such as the various methods of company growth and fund acquisition, types of investments in gaming, comprehending the requirements of both publishers and investors, as well as gamers. We'll also discuss negotiation strategies, approaching gamers and fostering connections, navigating challenging economic times, and more.
#GameCompanyGrowth #FundAcquisition #InvestmentInGaming #NegotiationStrategies #GamerEngagement #EconomicChallenges

Oct 2, 2023 • 1h 2min
Baby On Board: The Sweet Baby Inc Story
Sweet Baby Inc is a client-based narrative development company working to bring video game stories to life and collaborating with teams all over the world. Working as a diverse crew, they've worked on over 70 games taking a representation-led approach to narrative, and an adaptable, solutions-based approach to every project. While outsourced writing and story work aren't unheard of in the industry, SBI has helped hew a new path towards deeper collaboration and worker-focused production, opening doors for new and marginalized voices to thrive.
#SweetBabyInc #NarrativeDevelopment #GameStorytelling #DiverseCollaboration #RepresentationInGaming

Sep 30, 2023 • 60min
Unleashing the Power of AI to Personalize Games
We’ll explore how AI can revolutionize the gaming industry by driving innovation in game design, enhancing player engagement, and fostering player fulfillment. By leveraging insights from cognitive science and AI, game developers can dynamically tailor game experiences to match each player's unique playstyle and preferences. By understanding the player's cognitive skills, personality traits, and motivations, developers can offer personalized game recommendations, optimize gameplay difficulty, progression, rewards, and balance, all in real-time.
#AIInGaming #GameDesignInnovation #PlayerEngagement #PersonalizedGaming #CognitiveScienceInGaming

Sep 30, 2023 • 1h 2min
The Decisions it Takes to Run a Successful Game Studio
Join us for a fireside chat with Tatyana Dyshlova, CEO and co-founder of FuzzyBot Games. She will talk about her experience starting a studio, getting funding, growing a studio, and all the other things that are needed to for a successful studio.
#FiresideChat #GameStudioStartup #FundingJourney #StudioGrowth #SuccessStories

Sep 28, 2023 • 1h 6min
Discussing how to maximize your IP with a video game lawyer
Intellectual property law is a complex and fascinating field that is critical to any video game developer. Understanding the nuances of intellectual property will help game developers create an effective strategy that maximizes the potential in their IP. This presentation will provide a comprehensive overview of intellectual property law, equipping attendees with the knowledge and tools they need to create an effective intellectual property strategy roadmap.
#IntellectualPropertyLaw #GameDevIP #IPStrategy #LegalKnowledge #IPStrategyRoadmap

Sep 22, 2023 • 1h 9min
How the Video Game Industry has Evolved Since 2001
Welcome to IndieGameBusiness! In this episode, we are excited to have Larry Kuperman, Director of Business Development at Nightdive Studios, as our special guest. Today, we'll be delving into the evolution of the video game industry since 2001 and discussing the current state of gaming.
Larry will share insights into how the industry has transformed over the years, reflecting on key developments, trends, and innovations that have shaped the gaming landscape. We'll explore the challenges and opportunities that have emerged and how studios like Nightdive have adapted to these changes.
Additionally, we'll address recent events and the general tone of the industry, considering topics like the sustainability of careers in game development.
To stay updated with Larry Kuperman and Nightdive Studios, you can connect with him on social media:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LarryNightDive
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larrykuperman/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larry.kuperman
Join us for this engaging discussion on the evolution of the video game industry and the current state of gaming. Don't miss it!