Management tool: game project outline
Some of you may be familiar with the fabric of a business model — a tool from the LEAN toolkit for startups. The tool is a sheet of paper with fields to fill. In the fields with neat marks are entered various aspects of the planned company. The meaning of the canvas is that it covers all major aspects. It also allows you to make decisions in advance in the planning process, taking into account their limitations. Income streams are entered there, for example, the canvas forces you to choose between the downloaded product, the boxed product and in-app purchases (In-App Purchases, IAP). Even if you enter ten sources of income there, then simply seeing the discrepancy between income streams (for example, with your team or marketing channels), you quickly realize that you cannot run such a complex business. The goal of the business model canvas is to help you decide on priorities and scale. In addition, it allows you to start thinking about each part of the company.
I worked with the canvas of a business model in a working group, taking for example an invented company. Realizing how quality the process is, I decided to create a similar tool for game projects. I consider it a point of reference for people creating their first professional project, rather than a tool of experienced professionals. It is suitable for both indie teams and AAA studios, but first of all I wanted to help young students who are studying - students, business start-ups, start-ups - to learn to think about the decisions to be made at certain times. I remind you that the tool is adapted for game projects, and not for companies. Therefore, it is called the “Game Project Canvas”.
(At the end of the article there is a link to a PDF layout of the canvas.)
Everything is very simple. You just need to fill in all the fields. The canvas is ready if it is completely filled and there are no contradictions in it. Filled - it means that in each field there are records and there is nothing more to add to them. The absence of contradictions means that no field contradicts another field. For example, if the basic technology is CryEngine, but 3DS is indicated as a source of income, then there is a contradiction. Let me explain the meaning of each of the fields.
')
Team : people working on a project and their functions. Specify the names, if they are already known, decide on the size of the groups, if the team is large. Example: "John Carmack, graphics programming."
Key partners : publishers, marketing agents, intermediaries. Here should be listed all with whom you are in contact regarding the development, or everyone who has a stake in the game project. It is enough to specify the names of companies. Do not forget to specify the function, if necessary. For example: "Oculus, distributor."
Basic technologies : list all basic technologies - engine, sound engine, hardware platforms, etc. This is a small field, so it’s not possible to list each library here. Example: "Unreal Engine".
Marketing Channels : Reviews on YouTube? Streamers on Twitch? Mailing lists? List each of the ways to reach your customers. This includes the Steam Workshop community and Gamescom, if you visit them. Example: "Streaming on Twitch".
Customer segments : are you targeting mid-level white male players, like most AAA companies, or creating games for a mass audience? Of course, marketing channels depend on what is written here. Example: "Children 9-11 years old."
Cost Structure : How do you divide costs between staff costs and other causes of costs? What budget do you need? Answer these questions by doing approximate calculations. Example: "Total project costs - $ 1.4 million."
Stages : when does the project end? Will there be a public beta, and if so, when? When do you release a product? As usual, take your optimistic plan and multiply the time of the proposed release of the game twice or threefold. Example: "March 2018, open beta testing."
Financing : list all sources of funding for game development. This is not income, but money that you “eat up” before the product is released. If you enter Kickstarter, you should add it to the marketing channels. You also need to double check whether your target audience really uses this platform. If possible, enter the amount of funding for each source. Example: "50-80 thousand dollars from IndieFund".
Sources of income : will you sell the game or IAP? Will there be a subscription? This includes plush toys and collectibles. Of course, in most cases this field is fairly easy to fill, but it also teaches you to always look for new sources of income. If you have a forecast of sales, specify the worst, expected and best options. Example: "PSN, 30-120-300 thousand dollars."
Although the fields can be filled in any order, there is a connection between them. To reach a specific customer segment, some marketing channels are better than others. For publication on the desired platform, you need to select the appropriate base technology. Therefore, I advise you to start with the aspects that are already defined. For example, it can be a technology, a budget, or a target platform and its associated customer segment. Enter all the information known about the project, you can fill in all other fields. So the outline will be completed and there will be no contradictions in it. Start over and fill in all the fields!
Note: This is version 1.0 of the canvas. I am sure that the choice of terms can be optimized, and the icons replaced with more appropriate ones. But I still hope that the outline will help you structure the project at the beginning of development or when formulating the product presentation. Comments and ideas for improving the canvas are welcome!
Game Project Outline Template (PDF)
Original English: The Game Project Canvas Template (PDF)
I worked with the canvas of a business model in a working group, taking for example an invented company. Realizing how quality the process is, I decided to create a similar tool for game projects. I consider it a point of reference for people creating their first professional project, rather than a tool of experienced professionals. It is suitable for both indie teams and AAA studios, but first of all I wanted to help young students who are studying - students, business start-ups, start-ups - to learn to think about the decisions to be made at certain times. I remind you that the tool is adapted for game projects, and not for companies. Therefore, it is called the “Game Project Canvas”.
(At the end of the article there is a link to a PDF layout of the canvas.)
How to work with the canvas of the game project
Everything is very simple. You just need to fill in all the fields. The canvas is ready if it is completely filled and there are no contradictions in it. Filled - it means that in each field there are records and there is nothing more to add to them. The absence of contradictions means that no field contradicts another field. For example, if the basic technology is CryEngine, but 3DS is indicated as a source of income, then there is a contradiction. Let me explain the meaning of each of the fields.
')
Team : people working on a project and their functions. Specify the names, if they are already known, decide on the size of the groups, if the team is large. Example: "John Carmack, graphics programming."
Key partners : publishers, marketing agents, intermediaries. Here should be listed all with whom you are in contact regarding the development, or everyone who has a stake in the game project. It is enough to specify the names of companies. Do not forget to specify the function, if necessary. For example: "Oculus, distributor."
Basic technologies : list all basic technologies - engine, sound engine, hardware platforms, etc. This is a small field, so it’s not possible to list each library here. Example: "Unreal Engine".
Offered value
: what is the most valuable thing in your game? If you make a beautiful walk simulator, it can be a dive, escapism and plot. If you add a gun to the simulator walk, it can be a bloody massacre, a multiplayer game and the ease of streaming in Twitch. Ask yourself what the player gets from your game. Example: "Local multiplayer mode".Marketing Channels : Reviews on YouTube? Streamers on Twitch? Mailing lists? List each of the ways to reach your customers. This includes the Steam Workshop community and Gamescom, if you visit them. Example: "Streaming on Twitch".
Customer segments : are you targeting mid-level white male players, like most AAA companies, or creating games for a mass audience? Of course, marketing channels depend on what is written here. Example: "Children 9-11 years old."
Cost Structure : How do you divide costs between staff costs and other causes of costs? What budget do you need? Answer these questions by doing approximate calculations. Example: "Total project costs - $ 1.4 million."
Stages : when does the project end? Will there be a public beta, and if so, when? When do you release a product? As usual, take your optimistic plan and multiply the time of the proposed release of the game twice or threefold. Example: "March 2018, open beta testing."
Financing : list all sources of funding for game development. This is not income, but money that you “eat up” before the product is released. If you enter Kickstarter, you should add it to the marketing channels. You also need to double check whether your target audience really uses this platform. If possible, enter the amount of funding for each source. Example: "50-80 thousand dollars from IndieFund".
Sources of income : will you sell the game or IAP? Will there be a subscription? This includes plush toys and collectibles. Of course, in most cases this field is fairly easy to fill, but it also teaches you to always look for new sources of income. If you have a forecast of sales, specify the worst, expected and best options. Example: "PSN, 30-120-300 thousand dollars."
Although the fields can be filled in any order, there is a connection between them. To reach a specific customer segment, some marketing channels are better than others. For publication on the desired platform, you need to select the appropriate base technology. Therefore, I advise you to start with the aspects that are already defined. For example, it can be a technology, a budget, or a target platform and its associated customer segment. Enter all the information known about the project, you can fill in all other fields. So the outline will be completed and there will be no contradictions in it. Start over and fill in all the fields!
Note: This is version 1.0 of the canvas. I am sure that the choice of terms can be optimized, and the icons replaced with more appropriate ones. But I still hope that the outline will help you structure the project at the beginning of development or when formulating the product presentation. Comments and ideas for improving the canvas are welcome!
Game Project Outline Template (PDF)
Original English: The Game Project Canvas Template (PDF)
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/317030/
All Articles