Guest blog by Jay Powell and James Barrell.
Whether you’re meeting a publisher face to face or through a video call in one of our indie game business events, you need to be prepared for the appointment. A publisher deals with a lot of developers, especially at a conference. You need to go into the meeting prepared for everything. It is up to you to represent your game in the best possible light and know your title inside and out.
Be Visual
Let images of the game speak to the publisher instead of a wall of text. Include mockups of your game in your pitch. It can be done in a number of formats, but make sure the visual representation of you game is easy to understand. The mockup serves to demonstrate the viewer what can be expected but also lets them imagine what your game will be when it is finished.
Sales Sheet
Your sales sheet will serve as a one page synopsis of your game. This is to allow a publisher to quickly see all of the crucial information on your project. It should always fit legibly on one page and include:
- Game title
- Platform(s)
- Monetization model (premium, free-to-play, subscription)
- Two to three screenshots
- Release date
- Feature list
- Short story overview or description
Pitch Deck
- Game logo and company logo
Game overview with:
- Unique Selling Points. These are what make your game UNIQUE. Not: “Post-Apocalyptic Setting” which is a feature and not unique to your game.
- Story or background overview
- Concept art, screenshots and/or trailers
- Schedule and budget
- Company profile
- Experience of team leads
- Contact information
You should always have a demo ready to go. If that isn’t an option, make sure you have a 5 to 10 minute video ready to show. Everyone wants to see the game in action.
Now go and nail that publisher pitch!
You can find out more about The Powell Group at their website: www.powellgroupconsulting.com. Jay also hosts the Indie Game Business show available on YouTube, Twitch, or your favorite podcast app. Indie Game Business also produces an online business networking event where you can meet with hundreds of game companies over a course of two days without having to travel.
Are you interested in writing a blog for our network?
You can find the guest blogging guidelines here.
