Planetoid Pioneers - The ' Pre-Mortem'

1. The ‘Pre-Mortem’
www.slideshare.net/VGVisionary

2. Quick Disclaimer
Nothing in this talk is new,
but we just don’t talk about it often enough!

3. Table of Contents
1. A recipe to slow-cooking games
2. Endless iteration?
3. Pivot? Totally Pivot!
4. Letting go and inviting in
5. Staying afloat and funded till ‘release’

4. Who is Data Realms?
This is a talk by
Vlad Micu
Business development manager at
Data Realms
Data Realms has
25 folks (mostly contractors)
in 11 countries
on 4 continents
Previously created
Now working on
+14 amazing developers <3
@DataRealms

5. Cortex Command
NeosForme’s Highlight Compilation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XefWNU62CFU

6. Pros and Cons
• Unexpected organic
modding community
• Incredibly fun to watch
• Lot’s of lessons learned on
game design
• Resulting in extended
shelf life, HR talent pool
and more vision for next
game
• Suffered from initial
missing PR strategy and
unclear messaging.
• No online multiplayer
• Lack of community
management
• Unclear messaging

7. 1. Slow-cooking games
• Less stress
• Taking the time for ideas
• Bigger scope?
• Diverse team

8. No such thing as an overnight success
Alexander Bruce on Antichamber’s ‘Overnight Success’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOlcB-JxkFw
• Cortex Command: 10 years
• Antichamber: 7 Years
• Rocket League: 7 years
• Stardew Valley: 6 years
• Owlboy: 8 years

9. 2. Endless Iteration?
Some more sources:
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/238773/10_seminal_game_postmortems_every_develo
per_should_read.php
http://www.pixelprospector.com/the-big-list-of-postmortems/

10. ‘Done’ vs Iteration
• Tech & Tools vs Content
• Hard to explain?
• Not pick up & play
• Legacy and Expectations

11. 3. Pivot? Totally Pivot!
Sources:
https://pando.com/2014/04/05/third-life-flickr-co-founder-pulls-unlikely-success-out-of-gaming-failure-again/
http://www.wired.co.uk/article/ilkka-paananen-interview
"Overwatch: How Blizzard Created a Hopeful Vision of the Future" - Jeff Kaplan https://youtu.be/5-mh2hJDaGQ

12. 4. Letting go and inviting in

13. Fishing for Talent
• Half of the Planetoid
Pioneers team are former
Cortex Command
modders
• Modding communitiy =
amazing talent pool
• Built the ‘Pioneer
Program’ to increase
community infrastructure
• Admitting and embracing
the creativity of our
audience.

14. Players vs. Makers dynamic
Champions, potential hires, etc.

15. Seems to be quite the trend

16. User Generated Content is
everywhere
• YouTube & Twitch
• Fan Art & Fan
Fiction
• Modding
• In-Game Assets

17. More importantly: leadership
• Trust
• Flexibility
• Delegation
• Communication

18. Building the right team
• Team = Not a family, not
a sports team either.
• Responsibility > Authority
• A sense of belonging
• Pursuing their own
interests.
• The right people for the
right now.

19. What also kept/is keeping our
team busy
Just to name a few things…

20. 5. Staying afloat & funded till
‘release’
Sources:
http://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2014/03/20/airbnbs-unlikely-journey-
from-obama-os-cereal-and-barry-manilows-drummer-to-10-billion/
https://www.airbnb.nl/obamaos

21. The #1 Skill is still Resilience
The Fins have ‘Sisu’ (perseverance)

22. Summary:
• Slow-cooking games
works (for some)
• Iteration is a luxury
• Don’t discount pivoting
• Your team is everything
• Money = gasoline!

23. Contact me
• @vgvisionary
• Mail me at vlad@datarealms.com
• Slides: www.slideshare.net/VGVisionary

24. Thanks!
Questions?
Or let’s talk more outside so the next speaker can set up!