Business Plan – Martin Wilkes

Presenter Outline

Having a business plan is one of the most crucial things to own while working for yourself. If indeed you’re expecting to make money then planning out your goals and how to reach them makes a strong foundation, although the plan is not concrete and can be altered, the thought remains the same, why do you want one?

How does the topic relate to the Games Industry?

Fail to plan means you’re planning to fail. Start with an analysis of the games industry. Create a marketing plan by dividing the markets up that exist within the games industry such as retail chains, mac store, app store and android. Creating a viable entity with a well-executed plan is a sure way to compete in the games industry. The plan will identify who you are, what you do and how the business intends to distribute the revenue it creates.

Journal Entry - week 9 - Bridh Athanatos 1365312

“The Game Developers’ Association of Australia (GDAA) was formed in December 1999 to increase the profile of the Australian interactive game industry both domestically and internationally in order to:

• Promote the growth of the game industry in Australia
• Represent the interests of GDAA members
• Attract capital and publishers from offshore
• Retain and attract talent in our local industry
• Promote a sense of community within the industry”

“About the GDAA |  Game Developers' Association of Australia”

How does the topic relate to my own ambitions in the Games Industry?

A note to my future self; Begin with a business plan, samples are available from the business Victoria website. You will need to include an executive summary which quickly identifies what value is on offer and important objectives and features of the entity. Writing the plan is next, this should be done for each product. Rebuild the business plan when necessary, takes away inhibitions when change and opportunity present themselves. Finally by having an exit strategy removes doubt as to when the business is reached a goal. Possibilities in the form of partnering, dissolving or selling the business would make excellent indicators a goal has been reached. A further reduction to the executive summary to personalise yourself and the business plan (in one sentence), is the mission statement.

Competitor information is important; recycling ideas saves valuable time and prevents you from re-inventing the wheel. Comparing your release to a similar business and marketing model to follow what has worked previously or even currently. While the indie scene (freelancers) struggle with lack of recognition and resources, in most cases self publishing is the only way to begin.

Knowing the target demographic is a common marketing tool for connecting the right people with the right product or service. Replicating similar entities on the market can save valuable resources instead of conducting your own market research. Taking 10 game titles similar to your own and analysing the area they are focusing on is a good technique for gathering important information. The plan should also include a SWOT and risk analysis. Risks include the loss of a team member or lack of funds.

Releasing a game before Christmas is a result of poor market planning, this period of the year is when competition is fierce; big companies rely on their large advertising budgets. Where as January is the time Martin refers to as “granny money” when kids have money to splash about by their own, and after they have received their primary wants, they consider secondary options.

Public relations methods used to help get your story out onto the market place include having a website, videos on YouTube, being nice while networking, regular communications with contacts and posting on websites such as game press. Using a technique called the 100-day marketing plan means you notify all publicity channels in a need to know fashion:

1. Attempt to print/publish, contact the press and offer exclusivity, co-ordinate and agree on a date.
2. Prepare to publish content on websites such as forums, social media and blogs.
3. Publish on your website

This is important to maximise your exposure on print mediums, such as magazines, which have a publishing lag due to editorial administrative tasks. This means putting a hold on publishing to instant online resources such as the web, this keeps exclusivity within the magazine, a value provided to their subscribers. While magazines do not impact sales, they help to legitimise your entity’s reputation, and this is important with organisations such as Films Vic when choosing your product over another.

While doing your best can sometimes fall short, and bad luck may pop your bubble, recovering from bad PR is sometimes too time-consuming, thus changing brand names may be your only choice in succeeding.

An action plan for your business would include building a website, organising PR, contacting film Victoria asking for financial assistance.

Bridh Athanatos

Reference

“About the GDAA |  Game Developers&#039; Association of Australia”, viewed 20th May 2011, <http://gdaa.com.au/about>