Tom van Dam, head of business development at NetEase, explained that investors who are willing to invest in mobile games are looking for.
NetEase actively invests in Western mobile projects. Recently, the Finnish startup Reforged Studios received $2.5 million from the company. Van Dam told what big investors like NetEase expect from the game.
First of all, the project should have a potentially high return on investment (ROI). But this is not the only thing the depositor is looking for. Van Dam noted that investors are interested in companies that are not just trying to earn as much as possible, but really like to make games.
The head of the business development department at NetEase advised not to describe the game as “the main competitor to market leaders.” This will scare off investors, and the project will be “doomed to failure.”
In conclusion, van Dam noted that a team that is looking for an investor for a specific project needs to have the appropriate experience. That is, investors are unlikely to want to invest in a midcore game that is being developed by former “casuals”.
Source: Pocket Gamer