PRAISE FOR GET RICH PLAYING GAMES “A must-read… The first book on the videogame business that’s both insightful and entertaining.” Ed Zobrist President, Sierra Online “Finally, a book that shows you how to make all your dreams come true – and make serious money doing it!” Brian Fargo, Founder Interplay and InXile Entertainment “A home run… touches on all the bases necessary for creating a winning strategy for success in the videogame field.” Bill Gardner President and CEO, Eidos “There’s a fine line between getting rich and losing your shirt in the videogame business, so arm yourself with the essential weapons to succeed: This book’s a cruise missile!” Charles Bellfield Vice President, Marketing Codemasters, Inc. “Reveals the secrets of playing to win… and how to do it making great games!” “Wild Bill” Stealey Lt. Colonel, USAF Retired Founder, MicroProse Software and Interactive Magic “Full of sound advice and priceless resources for those looking to change the face of gaming.” Nolan Bushnell, Founder, Atari, Chuck E. Cheese’s and uWink GET RICH PLAYING GAMES BY SCOTT STEINBERG FOR CONSULTING, COPYWRITING, MOCK REVIEWS AND MARKETING/PR SUPPORT: WWW.EMBASSYMULTI.COM FOR CONSUMER ELECTRONICS NEWS AND REVIEWS: WWW.DIGITALTRENDS.COM TO INSTANTLY REACH 22,000+ GAME JOURNALISTS, OR FOR CUSTOM ONLINE PRESSROOMS: WWW.GAMESPRESS.COM SCOTT STEINBERG’S GET RICH PLAYING GAMES All Rights Reserved © 2007 by Power Play Publishing “Creating Hits” © 2007 Steve Allison “Breaking Into Game Writing” © 2007 Dan Hsu “Reporting Tips” © 2007 Kyle Orland, David Thomas and Scott Steinberg Author’s Note, Introduction and all stories © 2007 Scott Steinberg Cover Illustration Source: IStockphoto No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means – graphic, electronic or mechanical – including photocopying, record- ing, taping or by any information storage retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher. Published by P3: Power Play Publishing 4045 Five Forks Trickum Rd. Suite B-8, #244 Lilburn, GA 30047 www.p3pub.com ISBN 978-1-4303-2028-9 FOREWORD Curiously, today’s videogame business has founded itself on sequels and hits that cost literally millions to develop, produce and market. But don’t be fooled by what you see on TV or in the movies. The real truth of the matter is that there are many ways to make money in the field… even if you don’t have a ton of cash sitting around burning a hole in your pocket. In fact, sometimes capital is a poor substitute for creativity and passion – something the game industry desperately needs more of, especially now! Hoping to strike it rich and see your name up in lights, even without technically ever having played in the big leagues? Allow me to share a trade secret I’ve learned during my years at the sector’s forefront: Plain and simple innovation is what drives the field ever forward, expands it and helps it to uncover new markets and attract new customers. And there’s nothing stopping you from tapping into its potential, right now, this very minute. Case in point: Currently, there are over 15 million hardcore gamers and 285 mil- lion casual gamers. Nonetheless, bizarrely, most of the industry’s output focuses on the former audience, leaving literally hundreds of millions of potential buyers (not to mention the vast majority of the market) out in the cold. Because of this, there are huge opportunities lurking on the sidelines right outside of the mainstream gamer demographic just waiting to be tapped. And a fortune presently sits there untouched, ripe for the taking by those with the insight, talent and wherewithal to deliver innovative products and services destined to engage players’ attention and spark their passion for interactive enjoyment. In other words, you’re more likely to land a high score if you take the road less traveled… So if you have an idea for a new version of a hit product like Madden NFL, DON’T attempt to do it! Remember: Madden took hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of programming hours and hundreds of people supported by a solid business infrastructure to produce and market. Even if you were to develop a com- petitive product, simply marketing it alone would cost millions – and then you’ve still got to go head-to-head with the #1-selling game in its category. The lesson to be gleaned from these scenarios, not to mention years of real-world experience, is as follows. If you really want to score big, instead of attempting to follow in others’ tracks, do things your own way, be smart about your business and look for low-hanging fruit. Doing so can potentially even be as effortless as target- ing openings in markets that already exist with lower-cost games that, with better gameplay (or a little tweaking), could easily become tomorrow’s best sellers. In addition, I’ll also say this: It further pays to know your core skill set, inside and out, and educate yourself thoroughly in those areas you don’t. Combining multiple talents and abilities – as well as possessing the know-how to gauge situations from several perspectives – is vitally important if you ever want to break the bank to boot. Ask yourself… Are you a programmer? An artist? What about a level planner or mod-making expert? Imagine how much more capable you’d be as a combination of all. Many of today’s most acclaimed producers possess greater talents than sim- ple job titles convey. As insiders know, the ability to visualize ideas as tangible graphic representations or edit soundtracks on the fly to better convey desired moods, for example, can add to any game design. Furthermore, when it comes to choosing topics to base products or services around, be sure to think about areas in which you have unique knowledge and can therefore specialize. For example: Ever worked at a gas station? How about a restaurant? Diner Dash is a best-seller – and it’s merely a game about a girl waiting tables. Who knows… perhaps a title featuring a gas station and its overworked attendants is the next big thing? Maybe even being a barista at Starbucks – open as the market’s become today, the sky’s the limit. Consider: There are books filled with games that were popular in pubs 200 years ago that have yet to be converted into interactive form… and they’re already proven to have been played and enjoyed by millions. In my opinion, the mother lode you should be questing for isn’t just a game, but a new game type unto itself. To be specific, one that has not been done before… and something that new technology allows for the first time. People forget that way back when, even Tetris was once such a property. Similarly, Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero struck a chord with fans by turning everyday concepts like dancing and guitar-playing into best-selling titles based on entirely new experiences. Nintendo’s Wii is doing the same thing as we speak as well, with its motion-sensing controllers rapidly giving way to new types of interaction and virtual experience. Frankly, the types of controllers and activities associated with these outings will likely give way to an entirely new era of enter- tainment and record-breaking profits alone. Then again, when it comes to financial success, not everything has to be about software itself… Sometimes, new business models are just as important. Can an MMO game make sense selling spells for a nickel? What about Halo sell- ing bullets for a penny? Is there million-dollar potential in cell phones with built-in GPS abilities that allow for location-based play based on treasure hunts in Manhattan or live whodunits that sprawl across the entirety of San Francisco? Who knows, but these days, such ideas don’t seem so far-fetched, and both brazen entrepreneurs and old-world media titans are waiting with bated breath alongside one another to find out. The main point I’m trying to get across being simply this. The world consistently hungers for new and fun experiences – and no matter how and where they’re delivered, it’s always willing to pay for the good ones. Knowing this, as game enthusiasts, developers, fans, marketers and executives, not to mention fiscally- responsible individuals, it’s our job to champion the cause of innovation and help bring it to market. Take what you will from the following manuscript, full as it is of sound advice and priceless resources for those looking to change the face of gaming as we know it today. Ultimately, the most important thing is that no matter how future ventures pan out, we always have as much fun taking part in them as our customers – and probably more, if anyone’s counting. Nolan Bushnell Founder of Atari, Chuck E. Cheese’s and uWink AUTHOR’S NOTE So you want to be rich, right? Congratulations – you’ve come to the right place! But before starting down the golden road, let’s be up-front. As you’ll soon see from the following collection of assorted essays, how-to articles, interviews and editorials, there’s only one constant when it comes to commercialism. Specifically: For any lone, individual gamer or software development/publishing company, there is no one surefire path to profitability. Certainly, the advice and insight contained herein presents a singular record of sev- eral men and women’s quest for, and achievement of, record financial gain and stardom in the $13.5 billion videogame field. (An industry that brings in more than Hollywood, for those counting… Although astute readers will note that a $600 PlayStation 3 and $60 game do cost more than a $10 ticket and concessions, even if a large popcorn will set you back, what, $125 now?) However, you should never lose sight of the most important maxim: Despite what you may think, in most cases, for these and countless other would-be entrepreneurs with IPOs dancing in their eyes, it’s seldom really about the cash.