Do Game Developers Still Need Publishers in 2020?
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- Опубліковано 19 тра 2024
- In this video, I highlight a conversation I had with David Wehle where we discuss our different perspectives of the pros and cons of partnering with a game publisher.
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Edited by Caleb Furrow
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Yeah... I haven't gotten to this part yet with my game. I'm glad your talking about this now.
I love both of you and you're both such inspirations. Having more videos where both of you are present, giving both of your perspective on things, would be so amazing. Because this was just that.
Surely this debate massively depends on the publisher in question and the game. For example, if a company like New Bloods or Devolver wants to publish your game, its a no brainier. They have large die hard audiences who will buy anything they publish, a solid track record of publishing great games and everyone they're worked with has great things to say about the support they offer to their devs (especially New Bloods). On the other hand, a no name publisher who've published a few games nobodys heard about or that have awful reviews, its probably not worth giving them a cut, since they're clearly not going to give your game as much as they gain from it being successful. If the game fails, they don't care since they didn't lose much, but if its successful they gain lots (money and respect) without putting in much effort.
I love how Thomas and David come together. I love thier sessions
Found your channel recently and its the perfect vibe for me. Seasoned veteran going fully indie for the first time with my own game. Wish me luck!
THank you Thomas for this insightful information. Really appreciate u sharing all this for us.
BRUTAL VIDEO THANK YOUUUUUU
Thank you for making games for us 😊
you guys are the best really... thank you for sharing your experiences with us.
Daniel from Greenville here. Thanks for this, I needed it! I'm almost at the stage where I want to reach out to publishers for my VR stealth game. Making trailers right now.
this helped me understand so much thank you !
First comment! Awesome video Thomas and congratulations on Neversongs release and the FTGD course!
Thank you guys for sharing this.
Fantastic Collab !!
Somewhat unrelated to the video, but are you ever planning to make a video about figuring out what to set the Kickstarter goal of the game as, as well as budgeting in general? Sorry if you already have and I just didn't see it.
Damn right Thomas we got your back
Advertising and headhunting for specific tasks is something some publishers can really help with. Not every dev is as good with PR as Thomas, and sometimes you need some programmer reeeally good as procedural room generation or reeeally good at optimizing unity code, or porting the game to a console without needing all the bureaucracy to get a switch devkit, for example. If you want to "just make games" and nothing more,abandon the indie way and pitch your vertical slice to publishers
This is great and super insightful! This side of games development I don't know about, great advise from both sides, which would help me for my future career! :)
Really enjoy your advices, Thomas. I'm starting to think on looking for a publisher deal, I've been working on my first game for the past 8 months only on my Free time while working a full time job and while I really do it as an hobby and really enjoy doing it, but lately I'm starting to feel really tired because my day job drains most of my energy... My dream is to be a full time Game developer so if that kind of deal alows me to do that I'll be up to it.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
How did it go since last year?
Were you able to finish it?
@@StefanConstantinDumitrache The game is at a very different state, concept wise but no publisher deal. I still have to prioritise my full time job. Also had some personal problems but I'm building the game to be more rogue like so It focused mainly on combat. I expect to release it by the midle of next year. I'm trying to get a good balance between stylish and flashy combat and Souls tactical combat with some unique features. I hope I have achieved that so the game has its own identity
@@rmt3589 Not yet, I had to lower my ambitions a lot and change the concept some times to be in a possible to finish ambition. I expect it to be finish at midle of next year. No publisher deal yet but I will try again when the game is at a more finished state
@@santosMediaStudios I feel that. I overhauled the concept of the game I'm working on. Idk if I'll ever finish it, as I barely touched Unity thus far, bit it'll be awesome if I can! (And easier than the original game)
Thanks you are best Thomas brush❤
Thomas in earlier videos: Hey guys, I'm Thomas Brush...
Thomas in recent videos: Hey! Wow! Hi! How's it goin'!...
...
I like these changes so far lol
Yo we got your back man you will go to newer heights.
Can you talk about your experience developing for consoles and how does it compare to PCs.
For instance, what were challenges the advantages or drawbacks on both platforms?
I think it's a good video as well.
I definitely agree with both of them. David is right about not needing a publisher when you are focused on building your first game. But like Thomas said, it's a great idea to consider a publisher if you feel like your game is getting bigger by the minute and your financial status blocks it from growing further.
That being said, Thomas, have you considered building your own Dev team for Atmos and is there a reason that you still picked Serenity Forge over expanding Atmos team? Cheers guys ☺️
We need publisher so our game doesn't get just 20 downloads
@@glassystudio can't you just pay for ads of it tho
@@alekvassinskiy1286 when you have no money at all, you have to seek publishers
Thomas: Hey, I see you there!
Me @3am in bed on my phone: Bro dont lie
My question is, what if your little idea for your first commercial game just gradually got better and more complicated than you've anticipated in the planning phase, do you still soldier on as a solo dev or do you seek the help and support of a publisher like Serinity Forge or Armor Games?
Thanks, keep going!;)
Nice T-shirt man. The color fits you :D
It's also a matter of getting a publisher who's interested in actually publishing your game. If an indiedev can get a good known publisher that is interested then I say ABSOLUTELY go for it! Not only up front funding but also they can market your game in more advanced and bigger ways. In the end whatever the publisher makes you will get back on the increased sales just from having that publisher.
I tickled the like button. It didn't change anything, but I tickled it.
I agree with @DEVIN RAYTV
Very interesting... But I still feel too in the dark to be able to negotiate a proper deal- I'm terrified of money constraints, but I'm already unemployed due to covid..
Wouldn't putting out my first game solo on steam be the negotiating piece I need to get a good deal- and without one- aren't I SoL? Just Thinking out loud but It's definitely my big issue! I love your videos btw and you make such beautiful games!
Realistically speaking, most of indies won't get publishers because publishers are only look for the great games and/or developers with already huge followers. It is delusional to think you can get a publisher easily like one of these guys.
Updated: After gaining more experience, I take back my statement of saying indies cant get publishers because they are looking for big games or huge followers but it is definitely not a easy thing still. Average Indies can go for the mid size publishers to have a better chances. I found my success after emailing over a 100 publishers and it also depends on whether you game fits the publishers' portfolio.
Agreed. It's a rough road for most indiedevs to get a good publisher to begin with.
are you working on any new games ?
Not true, can tell you that first hand
There are different types and levels of publishers, just like there are different types and levels of game devs.
Publisher also want to do business. I can understand if they need to filter among 10 000 games or more. Audience want to see uniqueness and great game
I think yes.
Like button has been bro tickled
David is one of the most coolest person in this industry
I would love to hear what David has to say... you are constantly interrupting his thoughts
Publishers definitely have their pros and cons. I'm earning a full time income from my games without the use of any publishers but to be fair Im not too bad on the marketing side of the business so depends on the individuals personal skill set and experience.
Cool when you come to dust in 6 min 😂
Thanks by the video! This clarify what the publisher can do for me.
Love Publishers, They Are Awesome!
Thomas: "If you wanna learn how I made those games for everyone and every platform on the planet..."
People In 3000: What is a planet
Bro when is your course is gonna go live?
I love how there advertising a site with the main attraction that "you don't have to know how to code", on a video for fucking game devs
Love from India
This is good 👍👌
I'm planning to develop games on my own after graduation but I haven't thought about doing it full-time because I really want to invent stuff. I have really serious trust issues and that I don't even trust my long time close friends and my family members or even sometimes myself, that's why it's making me really anxious thinking what happens if I get a team to help me like publishing my game and managing a part of my game. I still don't know what triggered this serious trust issues but it always feels like the people will back stab me, steal from me or screw me over. Probably started during my early highschool life.
sounds awful I won't tell you how to solve that (I'm not a therapist) but to trust someone comes with time like if you were to trust me honestly if someone had a million dollars but I would be able to steal it and no one would even know it was me I still wouldn't do it, its just not in me to pull that type of action but you should (don't know your circumstance) trust your loved ones the most since you've known them since you were born. There are a lot of bad people in the world I have some insight on how they think and its a little weird but you have to be smarter than them its hard to catch them but being one step ahead of them works like an anticheat working with publishers if you really have that issue working by your self is probably your best bet just make sure to build hype around your game contacting youtubers, or making even your own youtube channel like check out @Pontypants this guy has made a youtube channel based around his game from the very start and now he quit his job and does not even have to complete his game because all his revenue comes from his game but the point is it brought attention to his game and other youtubers notice that. Hope this helps get that trust issue resolved but don't get comfortable around it because its not a guranteed, but do trust in your family they're your closest people.
Hey, I have a doubt that can i make a game on any movie like harry potter, lords of the ring by just downloading free assets from unity assets store and make environment and using background music of that movie because i have a game idea to work on and i want to upload for free now on online platforms
is there a way to reach publishers ?
how can we reach them or get in contact with them
Look no further than Star Citizen to see why you need a publisher for bigger games
Star Citizen's lead is actually blacklisted, and has been for a while. He's an infamous wheel spinner and basically all their projects have gone way over budget, time, etc.
You should ask the developer
It all depends on the actual deal 🤓👍
Which is better to make games laptop or desktop??
And what are the good specifications for begginers
Desktop, look up Unity specs or Godot depends on your engine and what kind of game youre making
Can game developers remake games like say you make your own dragonball z game?
YOU GUYS ARE SUPPER
Is it me or is the framerate on the webcam... wrong
I'm about to release a mobile game and I'm up in the air about publishers
An interesting conversation. Personally so think I would prefer to remain distant from publishers myself. Time will tell.
Want to go fluffy and cute? Serenity Forge. Want to go full gore and blood? Devolver Digital. Don't forget to look at their game library before submitting your game to a publisher. Like any publisher in any medium, you have to fit in with the game publisher trend/brand/mojo. (Or you'll end up trying to sell a unicorn for a trash metal store)
Its a lot better to go without publisher but its a bit harder and you need some experience.
Most publishers will not want your game, or even respond to you. If you have a huge flowing like the gentlemen here, they will want you.
@Thomas Brush, when is the best time to search for a publisher? At the beginning, middle or nearly end of development the game?
When u have a vertical slice of the project
Which about books just like games you can veary easly self publish these days in fact I find it easy then UA-cam let alone a game even on Itch.10.
soooo did your insta handle change ?
Please change navbar of atmosgame website. It is really bad.
serenity forge wont even answer me.
Well, there might be hundred developer approach them ? Busy men i guess?
Self publishy is possible but difficult
Is it more difficult than making a game though? It's just a lot of formalities, paperwork and making your game polished enough to pass the certification (which you must do anyway, publisher or not).
@@Kubold but as Mr brush said, great publishers will help u make the game
These both look like Lex Luthor (with hair, of course) and Clark Kent from Smallville show in a parallel universe
Does David has a channel?
Yes, Game Dev Unlocked.
I tell you this with love, and in the most gentle way possible… If you think you will get the response from publishers these superstars have, you are in for a rude awakening.
The answer is NO. They need to talk to the only people that matter. Their audience. If you don't know your audience and make a game suited to a different audience, its already a fail. Your audience is your PR which then draws the attention of a publisher. If you listen to your audience they are the players and the payers. All a publish happens to have is an established wider reach, but they use a non-specific sawed off shot gun measure. Publishers are not about the devs or the audiences. They are there to make their investors money, not happy and too many devs think "well they got all the money" but they got all that money from the audience.
UA-cam: "Next up: GDC - You don't need a fucking publisher"
Oh shit, Armor Games is still around?
Whaoh! you see me? S#!t - better put some pants on...
Honestly feel we do not need publishers at all with the existance of steam gog etc
Is it just me or is the video stuttering? Very choppy?
This isn’t book worm adventure
So the only time I find you should publish is if truly you don't care about what happens to the IP/maser copy of the game's files and Want help or cash easily and know you can finish the game and can't bulild a team on your own and don't care about complete control over the product. If you are not that person doesn't do it you will regret it. Edit: And I'm saying that even though I have worked with a few A, AA and 1 AAA publisher... I like all of them I just won't publish with them. As I seen too many horror stories of bad things happening to beloved IPs and this was before Disney owned everything.
Do you own the rights to your published games though? In vast majority of cases people who publish lose rights to their IP I mean look at Kojima the only IP he owns is Death Stranding dispite being the lead and father of Metal Gear Solid... Like the biggest one of the few creators to retain their IP is Goerga Lucas and Star wars and we all know what happened when he sold it. Like I get if it's a one of game whoes IP you don't care about like Mincecraft with Notch but if it's your baby never sell or you'll regret it one day... Or be Mr. Miyamoto Sensai who just has great relations with his publisher.
Don't take parts of your old video and make them another video
can game dev be a good job for me ? '(18 years old)
Depends. I'm 18 years old. If you are up to artistic stuff-- learning new programming languages, drawing, making music, etc.
It'll be difficult, but if you have the pure determination (don't think of money), it'll be a job about passion.
Game Developer need investor with no agenda not publisher now
He's a cool guy and I like his UA-cam videos, but his games suck.
I want to play your games
Please provide me play store link 🔗
Indie Publishers don't exist, as these concepts contradict each other. To be indie is to be independent, to don't have a publisher. To be bound to a publisher means that you are not independent. You can not have both. An "independent publisher" does not make sense. Always be indie and never go to a publisher, don't let money hungry monsters tell you, the artist, how to make your own art.