This panel of recruiting leaders in the video game industry will discuss how to hire for growing your company. They will discuss common pitfalls as well as how to chose the best candidate when overwhelmed with resumes.
This session will examine the adaptations for applying Scrum and other agile practices to game development. These changes have been proven to work for successful published titles. We'll discuss the myths of what Scrum can and cannot do. We’ll examine where studios have succeeded and failed with Scrum adoption. We’ll review the benefits of Extreme Programming and examine similar practices that can be applied for artists and designers. Lean Production methods, which have been proven to not only increase quality but also improve efficiencies in production by over 50%, will be presented.
Launched in 2007, GameCulture is a destination for gamers, mass media outlets and entertainment consumers of all sorts to visit and experience a unique editorial voice which provides a sense of how video games, game technology, and game culture are changing the world around us. Too often the positive influence that gamers and gaming has had is marginalized in favor of negative stereotypes and sensationalism. This site stands as testament to the contrary. GameCulture was designed and is managed by veteran journalist Aaron Ruby, co-author of “Smartbomb,” a 2005 New York Times Editor’s Pick, about game culture. The site is owned and run by the Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA), the non-profit organization which represents gamers. For more information, please visit www.gameculture.com
Capturing the New Consumer with Smart PR and Social Media Techniques
Channels that let consumers download games to their desktop or to handheld devices have created the need for new marketing strategies for promoting titles. This session would be packed with tips on different techniques to get your title on major news sites, into the blogosphere and on the sites of niche communities, the new drivers of online word-of-mouth. In the session you will see how developers are using social media – Facebook and Twitter – to build traffic, develop community and make item sales. The speaker will show you examples of PR techniques used by a wide swatch of game companies, as well as be available after the session to answer questions.
In a Flash! Marketing Brands, Goods & Services In-Game Using the Latest Flash Technology
In today’s tough economy, companies are looking for the most cost-efficient and relevant ways to market their brands, goods and services. Over the past few years, viral marketing became the Holy Grail to spread the word about new products and services. Another channel is gaining on viral marketing nowadays – that of online gaming.
Games are not only fun, but they are powerful marketing tools used for generating traffic, reaching targeted demographics, promoting brands, and displaying advertising and marketing messages. This is because online games have become one of the most popular - and fastest growing – forms of entertainment and furthermore, online games are affordable and convenient.With millions of people playing games online, tapping into this market via Flash animated games is a winning proposition. We have seen great success with recent games and in-game advertising.
By developing games in Flash 10, its possible to bring the best Web-based game experiences to market. Flash is the most essential component behind almost everything one does on the Internet today - from watching YouTube videos to listening to Web radio to viewing ads. Flash 10 pushes the envelope and extends online applications even further than was previously capable. With Flash 10, the opportunity exists to make huge strides in terms of visual fidelity.The software offloads rendering tasks to the graphics card, rather than solely on CPU, allowing great improvements in frame rates, faster interfaces and enhanced video playback.In addition Flash 10 automatically adjusts video quality as bandwidth fluctuates.
Consumers are pickier than ever; they demand and expect the most engaging experiences.With Flash 10 online games, companies can inject brands and deliver their messages with real-time effects for cinematic experiences that will delight their users.
In this session, Bergstresser will discuss how companies can brand their goods, products and services in-game and why Flash 10 is the best platform to deliver those games.He will also use examples from his own company, Vector Entertainment, and the challenges and opportunities the company faced in making the decision to use Flash 10 for its casual MMO, Vector City Racers (www.vectorcityracers.com)
Some of the biggest challenges in digital marketing today is not only a studio’s ability to generate sales, but also to sustain relationships with their consumers while also allowing players to develop new forms of engagement through social interactions. This discussion will look at multiple digital strategies game studios can use to target the challenges and benefits of an open digital world. From traditional online marketing practices to viral and social media approaches, we will look at making connections, growing conversations and allowing your customers to contribute to the growth of your digital brands.
Microtransactions – A Big Word Made of Small Revenue Chunks
Historically, online games and virtual worlds have been monetized through subscriptions.But recently, the model has started to change: publishers have seen that an upfront fee is a significant barrier to customer acquisition – potential subscribers have many compelling free, or what some call pay-as-you-go choices for online games to play or virtual worlds to join – and that barrier is now being removed.Today, game publishers and developers are moving toward a more flexible pay-as-you-go model, where microtransactions are used to monetize virtual goods within the games.
With the pay-as-you-go model, gamers start playing for free. As they play, they purchase items and capabilities that are offered by the publisher. The specific items bought typically help them achieve new levels and improve their overall experience; a user might buy special equipment to use in the game, access to an event, or even the ability to go into a premium realm, which would otherwise be restricted to them. A microtransaction system can also allow the publisher to sell these items in-game and the user to purchase them without ever having to leave.
For attendees at the Independent Game Conference, PlaySpan CEO Karl Mehta can address present day market opportunities for developers and publishers to optimize revenue streams by integrated microtransactions and pay-as-you-go revenue models, and why many of today’s most popular games are offering these new pricing models.
Karl can also cover the types of alternative payment methods available on multiple existing platforms and how these can eliminate secondary issues that microtransactions solve, such as billing, fraud and monetization issues. Further Mr. Mehta can address publisher-sponsored, end-to-end solutions that must be implemented to manage the entire scope of the process, from creating legitimate primary and secondary markets, to fraud protection and item delivery.
In summary, the upside of a pay as you go model is that publishers can better control their in-game economies, while employing legitimate primary and secondary markets to control fraud and eliminate commerce system challenges. Publishers can also set their own rules and standards in the online game space, while gamers can better manage their personal play style and finances. In addition, the virtual goods revenue can supplement or even replace waning subscription and advertising revenue, which lets gamers play longer and pay over a longer stretch of time.
The lesson learned for independent game creators is this: adopt a model that allows you the ability to focus all your efforts into what you’re good at; building great games that everyone can enjoy and benefit from.
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