How to properly impregnate your game to the publisher — tips from ACHIEVERS HUB

Elena LobovaBefore the pitch

Before you start preparing the pitch, answer yourself a few questions:

• Do we have a clear vision of the game?
• Do we strongly believe in the game or the concept behind it?
• Do we have a playable demo that reflects how the final gameplay will feel?
• Do we have mockups, screenshots or videos that show how the art will look in the game?
• Can we finish the project at the quality level we want (and can we prove that this level is within our capabilities)?
• Do we know what the uniqueness of our game is, why publishers should pay attention to it?
• Are we aware of the strengths and weaknesses of our team?
• Do we know how long it will take to complete our game?
• Do we know how much money it will take to complete our game?
• Do we know what exactly we need from the publisher/investor?

If the answer to all the questions is “Yes”, then congratulations, you are ready to pitch the game. Otherwise, you should figure out what the problem is, solve it, and ask yourself these questions again.

Tips for pitching live

• Be concise. Ideally, if you can describe your game in less than a minute. If it takes longer, then analyze each word, evaluate whether it is possible to understand the idea of the game without it (if possible, delete it).
• Be clear. You tell people about your game who are not part of the team (friends, family, and even better — children), and then ask them to describe how they saw the gameplay. The closer their description is directly to the game, the better.
• Focus on the main thing. You should not overload the person with minor details during the pitch (except for the situation when he asks about them himself).
• Show me. At the presentation, you need to include a video with gameplay or a demo of the game. Both the video and the demo should not last more than a few minutes. It is important to demonstrate the most interesting things in the game (one of the possible options is to show a vertical slice).
• Be confident in your game.
• Plan your presentation so that publishers have time to ask questions after the presentation.
• Ask publishers questions yourself (it’s better to prepare them in advance). This is your chance to learn more about a potential partner. This way you can make a more balanced choice.
• You should be remembered. Share a business card or a flyer about the game, work on your own style, try to make it memorable.
• ALWAYS write a letter after the meeting (follow up). The sooner the better (ideally, a day or five days after the meeting).

Tips for a written pitch

• It is advisable to write to each publisher personally, without resorting to mass mailing.
• If you are not sending an email to company@ or welcome@, contact a representative of the publisher by name.
• If you still resort to mass mailing, be sure to put everyone in a hidden copy (BBC).
• The shorter and clearer the better. Introduce yourself, say a few words about the game (describe it in one or two sentences), add links (to the build, video, presentation) – this is the perfect letter.
• Don’t forget to add who you are looking for (publisher, investor, marketing support, mentor). If you need money to complete the game, specify the required budget.
• Add screenshots, mockups or images of how the game should look at the time of release. Demonstrate the level of art you can provide.
• Make sure your presentation looks good too.
• Give the opportunity to play your game. Send a link to the build / prototype (it can be a vertical slice or a version with cheat codes that will allow you to quickly complete the game to the main part).
• Add a video that shows the best part of your game. Try to interest the viewer in the first 10 seconds.
• Make sure that all the links in the presentation and letter work, as well as that the reader will have access to everything (without having to register or enter a password).
• Make sure that you have a competent and coherent text.
• Be honest, don’t exaggerate. Try to do without personal evaluation and stamps in the spirit of “the best game”, “unique gameplay” and so on. Let the facts, figures and quality of the game speak for themselves.
• Be polite.

Tips for making a presentation

• Try to make do with 10-15 slides.
• Do not use a large number of fonts and colors.
• Avoid canvases of text on slides. Infographics and numbers are better than text.

General hints

• Try to learn as much as possible about the market, especially about the niche in which you are going to work. Play both successful and unsuccessful games of your genre. Try to understand why some became hits and others failed.
• Collect information about your competitors, be prepared for the question of how your project differs from theirs.
• Know your audience.
• Try to find out as much as possible about the publisher to whom you are going to present your game: what he specializes in, what his audience is, what successful cases he had, and so on. Based on this information, try to explain to the publisher why your project suits him.
• Before the presentation, also try to find out as much as possible about who exactly you will tell about the game: what is his role in the company, what games he specializes in, and so on.
• Try to anticipate the publisher’s questions in advance, prepare answers to them. Some of them are traditional: how are you going to monetize the game, how will you attract and retain players?
• After the pitch, ask for feedback not only on the project, but also on the presentation itself to make it better.
• Practice performing. The more you prepare, the more confident you sound.
• Thank you for the feedback. Don’t try to defend the project unnecessarily. You may not agree with the publisher’s position or opinion, but even if you refuse to work with you, you should not be rude (at least because when pitching another game, you may encounter this person again).

Good luck with pitching!