Today on Indie Game Business we are discussing early access versus simultaneous release for video games with Brian Etheridge from Tripwire Presents! Our topic list is:      When does early access NOT make sense?      Discussing early access with potential publishers first.     Early access as a tool for pitching your game     Early access on console/PC vs. mobile     When to release on early access     Alternatives to early access and we will be taking questions from the community as well! To learn more about the show or our online business matchmaking events for indie developers visit: indiegame.business Indie Game Business is produced by The Powell Group: powellgroupconsulting.com Watch the official live stream: twitch.tv/indiegamebusiness Join the Indie Game Business Discord: discord.gg/indiegamebusiness The Twitters to follow - Indie Game Business: twitter.com/BusinessIndie Powell Group Consulting: twitter.com/PowellGrp Jay: twitter.com/Powell_Jay INDIE: twitter.com/TheRealIndie Thank you so much to Trip Wire Presents for sponsoring Indie Game Business!  Follow TripWire Presents on Twitter: https://twitter.com/twpresents Check out TripWire Presents website: https://www.tripwireinteractive.com/#/ #gamedev #indiegamedev #gamedeveloper #indiegamedeveloper #gamebusiness

Today we are talking with Jacques Benchetrit from Zordix and we will be learning about key debt terms, the M&A process in general, valuations in the press vs in actuality (i.e. how earnouts inflate headlines), the devil in the details of deal terms, and, the fundraising process. Connect with Jacques on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbenchetrit/ https://zordix.com/ To learn more about the show or our online business matchmaking events for indie developers visit: indiegame.business Indie Game Business is produced by The Powell Group: powellgroupconsulting.com Watch the official live stream: twitch.tv/indiegamebusiness Join the Indie Game Business Discord: discord.gg/indiegamebusiness The Twitters to follow - Indie Game Business: twitter.com/BusinessIndie Powell Group Consulting: twitter.com/PowellGrp Jay: twitter.com/Powell_Jay Donate to Extra Life with our link: extra-life.org/participant/IndieGameBusiness Join the Indie Game Business Extra Life Team: extra-life.org/team/indiegamebusiness #mergersandacquisitions #indiegamebusiness #gaming #business #indiedev #gamedev

In this episode, we are speaking with Christopher Kellner from Astragon Entertainment about pitching your indie game. A few of the talking points we will cover are: - various aspects of pitching  - pitching starts way earlier than you think - pitching doesn't end with signing a contract - a prototype is not a prototype and a demo video is not a demo video and much more! We answer questions live from the chat and delve deeper into your game pitching tactics. If you have more questions, feel free to reach out to Christopher on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-kellner666 #indiegame #indiegamedev #gamepitch #indiegamedevelopment

New technology advances, coupled with evolving dynamics around building and managing teams around the globe, have quickly changed the scope of work in our industry: What skills are required to stay ahead of the curve? How can we build and optimize teams working remotely from many locations worldwide? How do we create more transparent, supportive, and mission-driven projects and companies that satisfy the new demands of professionals? In this informative discussion, hear directly from two of the industry’s shapeshifters who will examine a multitude of trends, realities, and opportunities that are driving game industry innovation and the future of work in the present-to-post Pandemic era. Participants Nika Nour, Head of Partnerships, Genvid Entertainment Arthur von Nagel, VP Production, Genvid Entertainment Key Touchpoints -Address the challenges and benefits of running (and participating in) fully remote projects, especially around new concepts; how do you manage global teams effectively and with an empathetic focus to maintain morale and quality of work? -Discuss how to create and maintain a more transparent, rewarding, mission-driven culture that satisfies the new demands of top professionals and emerging talent -Analyze best practices that instill leadership while creating next-generation experiences -Unpack the insane talent market: it's a total bloodbath and the entire industry has recruiting and retention issues; meanwhile there are plenty of devs looking for work who may be left behind

How Ingrid began making games, why she believes in narrative-driven game design, how the war in Ukraine impacted their work. https://twitter.com/MatrixWolfGames https://www.linkedin.com/in/ingrid-wolf-b5130744/ https://www.facebook.com/IngridWolfGames

In this fireside chat with Nika Nour we will get you prepped for all the year's upcoming live events. This will cover everything from networking to safety to researching companies and requesting meetings. #gamedevelopment #indiedevelopment #videogames #mobilegames #indiegames

A discussion about the realities of games marketing and discovery in 2022 covering PR, social media, advertising and influencers. The discussion will provide an insightful look at the current state of marketing your game and provide tips, ideas and things to consider for your marketing campaign. #gamedevelopment #indiedevelopment #videogames #mobilegames #indiegames

In the last 20 years, I have noticed that the indie-industry sorely lacks leadership in structuring departments, department flow, and general organization. My goal for each attendee is to be able to walk out of the meeting knowing the fundamentals of the ebb and flow of each department and how to acquire talent. We will review and discuss how an effective and efficient production pipeline should look through both phase and task. After we get through the QA portion of the pipe, we will touch on sales, taxes, and vacation! We will discuss the different classifications of art and which department would handle the specified tasks. When it comes to interdepartmental tasks, this talk will be more art-centric vs. programming centric. Essentially, this is a crash course in running a game studio. Vincent Michah'El Donatelli Founding Director YHWH Games Vincent Michah'El Donatelli is a 20 year veteran in the video games industry. He has worked in every department within the production pipeline and he excels as an Animator. I have been functioning as the Founding Director of YHWH GAMES!, LLC. for almost 4 years and I am also the Animation Director for our company. I have worked on titles such as Dragonball GT, Transformers 3, and Starship Troopers. I am also the creator of the worlds first Demo Cast - a pre-emptive interview that is also a demo reel. Not only does our studio create and develop our own games, currently, our company is the first and leading video game studio in the world that instructs our mentees how to create and develop video games. We are also going to be the largest AAA game studio that will thrive in the Religious Marketplace. We have an outreach called WOVEN, Widows, Orphans, Veterans, Emergency (Assistance), and the Neglected where we take a portion of funds that we earn from our B2B partners and give back to the community. In the last 2 years, my focus has been letting go of day to day operations so that I can grow our business and expand our vision.

There is so much advice about what you should be doing to make and promote your indie game on Steam. It is exhausting. In this super detailed and actionable talk I will tell you exactly what 3 things you should be doing to get your game seen and give it the best chance to be purchased after launch. No more fluff. No more time consuming busy work that does nothing. Let's do this! My dream is that after this talk you will stop doing most of the things that have zero impact on your game’s marketing. This 1 hour talk could save you hundreds of hours of wasted marketing time so you can get back to making your game. #gamedevelopment #indiedevelopment #videogames #mobilegames #indiegames

Targeted offers, incentives, and cash back rewards are a core marketing strategy for credit card companies, product brands, and retailers for customer acquisition and retention. In this session find out why consumers love it, why companies offer it and how it could make you more money. This roundtable session will include the CEO of a company introducing loyalty and cash back rewards into the gaming industry, a CEO of a game publisher adding cash back rewards into his games, as well as an industry executive who will share his knowledge of the history, current strategies, and best practices of this core marketing strategy. Attendees will come away with a deeper understanding of one the top monetization strategies of major banks, product brands and retailers and how and why it can increase UA, gameplay, retention and profits for their games. #gamedevelopment #indiedevelopment #videogames #mobilegames #indiegames