Miscellany Studios

A studio with a simple focus: classic for a new generation

1 Table of Contents I

What is Miscellany Studios? 5

The Problem 6

The Solution 11

About “DC3” 12

Market Research Results Part I: Financial Analytics 17

Market Research Results Part II: Consumer Taste Analytics 21

Market Research Survey Conclusions 24

Survey Feedback 27

Financial Information Part I: Revenue Streams 28

Expenses 31 2 Table of Contents II

About the Company 32

Company Overview 33

Market Analysis 34

Competitive Landscape 35

Direct Competitors 36

Indirect Competitors 38

Competitive Advantage 39

Business Marketing and Growth 40

Assumptions 41

Marketing 42 3 Table of Contents III

Growth Plan: Year 1 44

Growth Plan: Years 2 & 3 45

Growth Plan: Year 4 and Beyond 46

About Miscellany Studios 48

Miscellany Studios Team 49

The Miscellany Studios Story 52

Executive Summary 53

Contact 55

4 ● Miscellany Studios is a game studio that has one goal in mind: to create great games that offer fresh takes on classic design sensibilities ● Our first game in development is “DC3” (working title), a spiritual successor to the series.

5 The Problem

6 The Problem

● In the early 2000s, there was a wealth of unique niche games for consoles like the PlayStation 2 and GameCube ● In particular, a great deal of innovation was happening in the roleplaying game genre, culminating in genre-blending hits like Dark Cloud and Dark Cloud 2, a series known for mixing dungeon-crawling action with city-building that impacted the game’s world in profound ways ● Though these games sold well (the Dark Cloud series has sold over 2,000,000 copies) and have a dedicated fan base, industry professionals moved on to other trends

7 The Problem

● Nowadays, the AAA RPG market is dominated by games like FromSoftware’s Dark as well as titles from western developers like 4 and The Witcher 3. ● Despite the incredible quality of some of these games, there is a still a demand for a revival of classic series like Dark Cloud

8 The Problem

● The Dark Cloud fanbase is growing and anticipation for another game in the series is mounting ● Fans have taken to writing petitions asking developer -5 and publisher to make a ● Every , gamers on Reddit and across the internet expect an announcement of new entry in the series for the PlayStation 4-- but to this day Sony has been silent about the game

9 The Problem

● In 2017, Gears for Breakfast released A Hat in Time to tremendous critical acclaim ● The game was made on the blueprint of classics like Banjo-Kazooie and , but logically expanded on the formula and added new elements to ensure that players had a fresh experience ● A little over a year after its release, the game has sold over 1,000,000 copies, proving that retro game revivals have a place in today’s fiercely competitive indie game market

10 Our Solution

11 “DC3” - a Dark Cloud spiritual successor that will bring the original’s classic and beloved gameplay into the modern era

12 DC3 Features

● A Complex Storytelling Approach: Understanding that nuanced storytelling is in demand now more than ever in video games, our studio is taking time to craft an emotionally compelling story that will touch on universally appealing themes like overcoming loss and growing up in spite of resistance to doing so ● Our game will take place in a modern setting ○ We are taking story cues from ’s 2006 masterpiece Mother 3, which many have considered to be a thematically complex literary masterwork

13 DC3 Features

● Real Time Action-RPG Combat: A skill-based battle system with a high degree of difficulty and a wide variety of weapons to use. ● Miscellany Studios is taking cues from the Devil May Cry series, which is known for its fast-paced and rewarding combat system ● Our goal is to include frenetic, complex, and rewarding combat that stays true to the spirit of Dark Cloud while greatly expanding on its simple systems

14 DC3 Features

● Procedural Dungeon-Crawling: Dungeons, much like the original Dark Cloud series, will be procedurally-generated ● The core gameplay will revolve around traversing dungeons, fighting enemies, and collecting materials to use in the city-building portion of the game ● Dark Cloud’s dungeons, while extremely fun, sometimes lacked variety ● We are planning on employing an algorithm that allows for greater diversity with regard to scenery and enemies in dungeons 15 DC3 Features

● The game will employ a colorful cel-shaded art-style for a timeless look ● In this respect, We are heavily inspired by ’s 2002 masterpiece, : The Wind Waker ● Through its heavily-stylized graphics, the game remains beautiful despite decades of advancement in technology ● Like The Wind Waker, our emphasis will be on bright, vibrant colors, a minimalist approach to models, and a cel-shaded aesthetic that will lend itself to a more cartoony look

16 Market Research Results Part I: Financial Analytics

17 Market Research Results

● We conducted a digital survey in April consisting of 41 questions ● The survey was deployed via video game groups on Facebook and game development sections of Reddit ● Recorded 395 reponses after weeding out spam ● Out of 395 respondents, 384 had indicated that they play video games-- meaning that 384 responses were useful. ● Received helpful information regarding demographics, price-point, and preferences for various game elements 18 Market Research Results

● An overwhelming majority of survey respondents were male (~89%), mostly in the age range of 17-26 (~74%) ● The majority of respondents indicated that they were interested in video games for the PC (~83%), (~64%), and Playstation 4 (~45%) ● Not surprisingly, around 40% of respondents play video games on mobile platforms ● ~60% of respondents spend most of their time playing games on PC, with ~32% spending most of that time with the Nintendo Switch, and ~22% with the PS4

19 Market Research Results

● Most survey respondents buy games digitally (~86%), with just about half buying from brick-and-mortar, and a little more than a third (~37%) buying online through retailers like . ● Among digital retailers, about 90% of respondents feel that is digital storefront ● Most respondents (~92%) play indie games and about half (~52%) have spent money on an indie game in the past year ● Around 52% of respondents spent between $11-20 on their last indie game purchase, and about 83% prefer pay-to-play games with no microtransactions

20 Market Research Results Part II: Consumer Taste Analytics

21 Market Research Results II

● Of the respondents, about 89% are interested in RPGs. ~80% are interested in action games, and around 85% indicated an interest in adventure games ● Our survey shows that an interest in single-player games is alive-and-well, with ⅘ of respondents answering that they “really enjoy” single-player games ● More than ⅔ (~69%) enjoy cartoony graphics in video games, with ~72% indicating that they enjoy colorful graphics

22 Market Research Results II

● ~77% of respondents enjoy the gameplay style of Nintendo exclusives over Sony exclusives ● Around 54% of respondents indicated that they played and enjoyed A Hat in Time or similar revival games ● About 26% had heard of Dark Cloud ● 64.1% of survey respondents were interested in DC3 based on our description of the game

23 What does this all mean?

24 Market Research Survey Conclusions

● Through careful analysis of the responses to financial questions on our survey, we have gained a lot of insight into an ideal price structure for DC3 ● The game will launch on Steam and the Nintendo eShop ● It will cost $19.99 with no additional transactions ● A mobile aspect is being considered at this time ● Questions about demographic will improve our approach to marketing

25 Market Research Survey Conclusions

● The questions regarding game preferences are being heavily factored into development ● The warm reception to the game’s concept validated that there is interest in this type of title ● Given the preference toward Nintendo exclusives over Sony, we are structuring our game more in line with Nintendo philosophies (more emphasis on gameplay and less on a cinematic quality) ● Questions about genre and graphical style reassured that our vision is in line with what players would like to see ● A plethora of other responses to other questions on the form gave helpful data to our development team

26 Survey Feedback

● In addition to data collected from our questions, we received a number of positive responses from our “additional feedback” field at the end of our survey ● Along with well-wishes, many respondents provided their email addresses and offered to become beta testers ● “Although RPGs aren’t my normal go-to, it does sound interesting. Ones that [include] actual playable combat, like Zelda-style fighting, do feel a lot better to play than point-and-click RPGs. . . best of luck on your game” ● “If you're making a Dark Cloud 3 in a similar art style I want to be first in line to buy a copy because you are doing the work of the gods.” ● “Good luck with the development of your game. [I didn’t] know about Dark Cloud and that game does look interesting and might give it a look and follow you guys later on.”

27 Financial Information Part I: Revenue Streams

28 Primary Revenue

● One-Time Game Purchase ○ As per the results of our survey, people overwhelmingly prefer paying once for a game, as opposed to the popular “games as a service” model ○ To further increase our value proposition, our titles will be receive occasional free content updates ○ A demo will be available to incentivize purchases ○ Sales may be held periodically (likely during the Christmas timeframe)

29 Secondary Revenue

● Merchandise ○ We are seeking a partnership with Fangamer, who currently creates merchandise for indie darlings Undertale, Stardew Valley, and Super Meat Boy ○ Merchandise will include clothing, character plushes and figures, and artbooks ■ Clothing options will include hoodies, tee shirts, and socks ■ Merchandise will strengthen our brand by providing a physical presence

30 Expenses

● Fixed: ○ LLC Fees - $120 filing fee, $20 annual report filing fee , $250 biennial Business Entity Tax ○ Steam Publishing Fee - $100 for each product ○ Unity Plus - $299 per year, required after a game exceeds $100k in sales ○ Website - $150 every three years through HostGator ● Variable ○ Salary for employees ○ Insurance costs ○ Taxes ○ Marketing ○ Digital Marketplace Cut ■ A percentage of each sale that will go to the digital storefront. For example, Steam takes 30%. ○ Unforeseen costs (computer maintenance, etc.)

31 About Miscellany Studios - Company Structure

32 Company Overview

● Miscellany Studios will be a limited liability company operated in Hamden, CT ○ The company will consist of two salaried employees: the owner/lead programmer and lead artist ■ Three consultants have provisionally agreed to contribute their talents prior to launch in exchange for a 5% equity in the company each ● Equity split will currently be 80% in the hands of the owner, and 5% for each other party ● With Hamden’s proximity to universities like Yale, Quinnipiac, University of New Haven, and SCSU, there is a great degree of access into the networks of those schools ○ A closeness to Quinnipiac will be especially useful in the future, as the proprietor of the studio is a Quinnipiac student and will have the future potential to leverage his alumni network

33 Market Analysis

● Around 2.5 billion people in the world play video games (European Mobile Game Market, 2016) ● ~80% of the game industry’s 2017 revenue (36 billion dollars) was made up of software sales ● About 47% of global gaming revenue is made up of PC games (DigiWorld, 2016) ● 63% of revenue from Steam game sales (4.3 billion dollars) come from North America and Western Europe (Geekwire, 2018) ● The PC gaming industry is expected to be worth 33.6 billion dollars by 2020, and is growing steadily

34 Competitive Landscape

35 Direct Competitors

● HammerHelm ○ https://store.steampowered.com/app/664000/Hamme rHelm ○ Available in early access on Steam since 2017 ○ Developed by SuperSixStudios (and is their debut title) ○ Combines simple third-person action gameplay with town-building ○ Sold for $14.99 ● Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale ○ https://store.steampowered.com/app/70400/Recettear _An_Item_Shops_Tale/ ○ Available on Steam, released in 2010 ○ Developed by -based studio EasyGame Station, localized by Carpe Fulgur ○ Mixes building management with dungeon-crawling ○ Sold for $19.99 36 Direct Competitors

● Dark Cloud & Dark Cloud 2 ○ https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/dark-cloud- ps4/ ○ https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/dark-cloud- 2-ps4/ ○ Re-released with up-rendered graphics on the PS4 in 2016 ○ Inspired the genesis of Miscellany Studios with its brilliant marriage of action-RPG gameplay and satisfying city-building elements ○ Sold for $14.99 each ● ○ https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/rogue-galax y-ps4/ ○ Re-released with up-rendered graphics on the PS4 in 2016 ○ Widely considered to be a spiritual successor to the Dark Cloud series, but lacks the city-building aspect of the original games ○ Sold for $14.99 37 Indirect Competitors

● XI ○ https://store.steampowered.com/app/742120/ ○ Available on PC and consoles, released in 2017 ○ Developed and published by Square ○ Classic turn-based RPG gameplay with charming art by legendary manga artist Akira Toriyama ○ Sold for $59.99 ● 2 ○ https://xenobladechronicles2.nintendo.com/ ○ Available exclusively for the Nintendo Switch ○ Developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo ○ Action-RPG gameplay in an setting with a heavy emphasis on side quests ○ Sold for $59.99

38 Competitive Advantage

● Aggressive Pricing ○ A $19.99 price-point presents a strong value proposition for the type of game that we’re offering ○ Our survey shows that most people feel comfortable spending this much on an indie game ● Niche Game ○ Data from our survey and across the internet suggests that, among the people who have played Dark Cloud, there is a growing demand for this type of game to enter the market again ● Consumer Involvement ○ Survey respondents indicated that correspondence with the companies that make the games that they play is important. To this end, we will manage an active social media presence where consumers can contact us and provide feedback. We can then easily integrate player feedback into our games 39 Business Marketing & Growth

40 Assumptions

● Game Sales Figures ○ 1,000 copies sold in month 1 ○ Growth: ■ 10% monthly growth in number of game copies sold in year 1 ■ 5% monthly loss in number of game copies sold in year 2 ■ 10% monthly loss in number of game copies sold in year 3 ● Merchandise Sales Figures ○ 1% of current player base every month beginning in year 2 ● Physical office space will be unnecessary for our first three years as our team will be working from home

41 Marketing

● Year 1 ○ $12,000 yearly budget, $1,000 monthly ○ Paid advertising via social media ■ In addition to advertising via Facebook’s sponsored post program, Miscellany Games will maintain an active social media presence (on Facebook. Instagram, and ) to keep in touch with players. This will also double as advertising ● According to the Pew Research Center, 91% of adults between the ages of 18-29 (our target demographic) use social media ○ Free copies of game distributed to review outlets, influencers on YouTube and Twitch ○ A development blog will be maintained and regularly updated on our website

42 Marketing

● Year 2-3 ○ Monthly budget will be kept consistent with year 1 ○ Paid advertising via social media ○ Beginning in year 2, merchandise will be made available ○ To combat diminishing sales, two major content updates will be released in year 2 and one major content update in year 3 ○ In year 3, we will begin advertising for our sequel

43 Growth Plan: Year 1

● Establish a player base. We anticipate a two-year development window for the game and will launch in mid-2021. Our team has agreed to work on a volunteer basis until the game is finished and available for purchase. During development time, we will begin maintaining social media accounts and updating a development blog to build anticipation for our launch ● A few months before launch, we will begin making use of Facebook’s sponsored post feature for further exposure ● Make a demo of our game available prior to launch that will allow players to experience the first portion of the game ● Collect feedback via social media channels and email to update our game and make changes in accordance with expectations

44 Growth Plan: Years 2 & 3

● Continue growing our player base ● Release two major content updates in year 2 and one in year 3 to revitalize interest in our game ○ Updates will be released for free and will add new areas and features depending on consumer feedback ● In year 2, we will begin selling merchandise online with Fangamer ● Establish a convention presence ○ Beginning in year 2, we will attempt to showcase our upcoming updates and titles in development at conventions like PAX and GDC ● Begin development of a sequel to DC3 in year 3

45 Growth Plan: Year 4 and Beyond

● During development of further titles, we will seek to expand our company and hire more employees ○ As we take on new hires, our games can grow in scope and complexity ● We plan on renting a physical office and hiring interns from Quinnipiac and other local universities ● At the beginning of year 4, we will release the sequel to DC3 and decrease the price of the original by half to encourage series newcomers to give the original a try ● In this timeframe, we hope that VR technology will have progressed to a point where it is truly viable and free of the technical bugs that plague it today. If such is the case, we will devote resources toward VR ports of our prior titles and VR versions of our new ones

46 Growth Plan: Year 4 and Beyond

● Beginning in this timeframe, we want to allow our games greater exposure internationally ○ The Asian Pacific market is the largest gaming market in the world ○ China alone makes up 41% of video game market revenue worldwide ● To facilitate this, we will hire professional translators on a contractual basis for the following languages ○ Chinese ○ Spanish ○ French ● More languages may be added if the demand arises ● Our team already has the capability to translate our games into Japanese, which will open our products to the Japanese market from year 1

47 About Miscellany Studios: Our Team & Story

48 Miscellany Studios Team

● Liam Sheehan - Lead Programmer & Owner ○ Currently attending Quinnipiac University ■ Pursuing a BA in Game Design and Development ○ Coding Experience ■ Scala ■ Java ■ C# ■ JavaScript ○ Software Skills ■ Unity ■ ■ Photoshop ○ Creative writing skills ■ Wrote the manuscript for his first novel at age 10 ○ Strong leadership skills and is able to convey ideas easily and effectively ○ Extremely modest 49 Miscellany Studios Team

● Chris Sheehan - Marketing Consultant ○ Currently attending Sacred Heart University ■ Pursuing a BS in Marketing ○ A natural salesman with a unique approach to advertising. ○ Possesses a magnetic charisma and enthusiasm for all projects he’s involved in ● Nathan Kennedy - Lead Artist ○ Over 10 years of experience in web design and illustration ○ Gifted in digital and traditional art ○ Software skills include Photoshop, Illustrator & Clip Studio Paint ○ Composes music & is well-versed in Ableton

50 Miscellany Studios Team

● Ossama Awan - Art Consultant ○ Graduated from Quinnipiac with a BA in Graphic Design ○ Enormously talented in digital and traditional art ○ Experienced character designer and concept artist ○ Software skills include Photoshop & Illustrator ● Julian Saria - Writing Consultant ○ Currently attending Southern Connecticut State University ■ Pursuing a BA in English ○ Holds an infectious passion for the English language and poetry in particular ○ Natural storyteller ○ Adds a desirable je ne sais quoi to all of his works

51 The Miscellany Studios Story

● Brothers Liam and Chris Sheehan have been passionate about video games for their entire lives. When Dark Cloud was released, the two brothers spent countless hours playing it, and this enthusiasm carried into the second game, which Liam considers to be one of his favorite games ● After over a decade passed since the release of the second entry in the series, hope was dying for any chance of a sequel ● During one of the frequent late-night game discussion between the two, Liam said offhandedly: “well fine, I’ll just make Dark Cloud 3 myself!” ● Nathan, Julian, and Ossama have been friends with the two for years and share a creative passion and enthusiasm for games ● They were logical picks due to their diverse skills and talent

52 Executive Summary

● Miscellany Studios is an independent video game studio in Hamden, Connecticut. The first game in development from the studio is an action-RPG city-builder hybrid with the working title “DC3” ● “DC3” is a game that will revive the style of PS2-era roleplaying games like Dark Cloud and Rogue Galaxy-- the likes of which are not available on the market today despite growing demand ● “DC3” will feature fast-paced and responsive combo-based combat, colorful cel-shaded graphics, and procedurally-generated dungeons to allow for a great degree of replayability ● Game will be distributed via Steam and the Nintendo eShop and will feature no further transactions beyond an initial purchase to ensure that customers know that they’re receiving the full product ● At the beginning of year 3, we will start developing a sequel and further titles

53 Thank you for your time!!

-Liam

54 Feel free to reach out with any questions! Liam Sheehan [email protected]

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