Business Plan
The Mother Lode of Decision-Making
Compilation of plans
Game industry business models, specifically monetisation models, are quite different from other tech companies. The most crucial element of any business – how to bring in money – is something a general tech incubator can rarely help with, when it comes to games. It reflects a complex, ever changing network of strategic decisions, in which most companies need industry specific support. This also applies to publishing platforms and visibility on them.
A business plan is usually a written document for a specific addressee or purpose and is a compilation on plans (financial plans, marketing plans, recruitment plans, operation plans, etc.). In addition, a business plan can serve different purpose and address different stakeholoder.
As a business developer coach, you will provide guidance in designing different issues of the plans with different emphasis d. A business plan is focused on operation with a higher degree of candour and self-analysis, when designed for internal use, and focused more on “making a good impression” and presenting your plans in a favourable light when designed for external stakeholer, e.g.
- an elevator pitch or a pitch deck for a game investor will differ from
- applying for funding with a public authority or a loan from a bank.
Toolbox
Universal
- Elite Game Developers: high quality source with a lot of free content for an ambitious game start-up (e.g. VC funding, board work, strategic thinking, etc.)
- Game Developers Conference YouTube: huge amount of resources with case study presentations
- GDC Vault: “Going Indie: 10 Questions to Help You Decide if It’s Right for You”
Business Model
- Board of Innovation: canvas supporting service and business development
- Strategyzer: business model canvas for initial planning
- Ash Maurya: Lean Canvas
- iPlanner.NET: software to develop a business model / business plan online
- Jönköping University: indie games case study – business models in the game industry
- gamesindustry.biz – Writing a business plan: advice for indie game developers
- Zachary Strebeck: indie game studio business plan
- Chartboost: writing a mobile game business plan
- Guesstimator for Steam: tool for understanding the business proposition of creating a game
Market Research
- Newzoo: great source for data trends
- GameAnalytics: to collect, visualise, and understand player data all in one platform
- SteamSpy: market research tool for PC games on Steam
- GameRefinery: market research for mobile games
- App Annie: market research tool for mobile games
- KTP – Studies in the Video Games Sector: Polish gamers research & the state of Polish video games sector
- game – The German games industry 2019: German game industry report, including some helpful data for indie games
- SGI – Game Developer Index 2019: Swedish game industry report, including some helpful data for indie games
Templates & Model Documents
- Elite Game Developers: templates
- Startup Estonia – Model Documents: e.g. shareholder’s agreement, NDA, etc.