The Powell Group is focused on business consulting to help developers find publishers for their titles, find contract development work, and build plans to self publish their own titles if needed.
The IndieGameBusiness is a Powell Group initiative that has a diverse and supportive community that teaches business development, licensing, and marketing to developers of all levels. They began as a Twitch channel three years ago and now live stream their episodes to five video networks and have a podcast that is carried on eleven platforms. They also host free webinars, manage a Discord with over 2,000 industry professionals, boasts a virtual conference that is the longest-running in the industry, and are adding affordable MasterClasses to this list soon as well.
The next IndieGameBusiness Conference is coming up December 8th - 10th, 2020. Register using the code "IWOCON" and enjoy a generous 25% discount. Register now!
Q: In your experience, what are the areas of the industry that indie developers need the most guidance?
This one’s easy! ;)
It’s absolutely the business and marketing side of games. There’s simply nowhere to learn it and only a fraction of the developers start their projects thinking about it. This is the entire reason we started IndieGameBusiness.
Q: What advice would you have to indie developers who are new, or who are just starting a new project?
Start planning your marketing and community building from the first day you have a screenshot to show. You need to build your OWN community. If you’re going to look for a publisher it shows there is interest in your game and you’re committed to supporting that community. If you are planning to self publish, that community is who will be buying your game and helping you promote it.
Q: What is your favorite part about the business you’ve chosen?
Seeing companies succeed. Whether we were heavily involved in the process, just did an intro to someone, or helped them through IGB, I love knowing that we helped someone launch their dream.
Q: Helping game developers reach gamers must be incredibly rewarding. Can you share a story where you feel your services made a huge difference in bringing a project to a much larger audience?
It’s difficult to pick just one over the last 20 years. My first clients back then were companies like Paradox, Starbreeze, People Can Fly, DICE, and Haemimont Games. I’m incredibly proud to have structured some of their very first publishing deals and see them around today.
The last three years have been incredibly rewarding as well through what we’ve done with IndieGameBusiness. I know at least half a dozen people landed full-time jobs at the Career Day event we did this summer and I know of several developers who scored publishing because of our events. It’s the stories like those that make me smile from ear to ear.
Q: We understand you organize the IndieGameBusiness Online Conference, annually. What can you tell us about it? How would an interested developer get involved?
I started the online event in early 2019 but we had been researching how to do one properly in late 2018. I wanted to provide a way for developers to benefit from the level of talks and sessions normally seen at GDC and the other big conferences, but without the cost of those events.
We make it super easy to get involved, passes to participate in the sessions are completely free, and the meeting system passes start at $50.
Just go to https://indiegame.business and use the code "IWOCON" for a 25% discount when you buy your pass. The next IndieGameBusiness Conference is coming up December 8th - 10th, 2020. Register now!
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Wishlist IWOCon 2020 here.