How to Pitch Games to Investors and Publishers: A Developer's Guide by Astrum Entertainment

What should be in a pitch to make it intriguing to a potential partner? Andrey Rybin, the Head of Operations at Astrum Entertainment, shared insights on this topic in his column for App2Top.

Andrey Rybin

A pitch is a well-established term in game development and other IT industries that refers to a project presentation. It's frequently heard in business circles.

It can be one of the key moments in a developer's life, but be prepared in advance that to be successful, you might have to deliver several pitches and learn from your mistakes.

Preparing for Pitching

Pitching is the process of conveying your project to interested parties. It can include not only a presentation but also other materials to strengthen the pitch. Before starting presentation preparation, a developer should determine the project’s positioning: its target audience, core mechanics, and commercial potential. This will help understand what assistance the game needs from the publisher or investor when preparing the presentation.

During the pitch, it's essential to demonstrate the project itself. A game prototype can enhance the presentation. It helps the publisher better comprehend the project concept and trust the team, while the developer can better explain the project and pre-test its appeal. To successfully present your project during the pitch, the prototype should meet the following requirements:

Gameplay Loop. The prototype should demonstrate the gameplay loop and the game's key feature: a gameplay mechanic, unique visual style, character control peculiarity, etc.
Simplicity. Avoid making the prototype excessive. If the game’s key feature is a gameplay mechanic, using gray boxes (simple geometric figures in place of detailed objects) or stock assets suffices. However, if the primary feature is a unique visual style, it should be reflected in the prototype.
Prototype — not a vertical slice. Attempting to create a complete build of the project may require extensive effort and time but merely prove the project's original concept is unsustainable.
Clarity. The prototype should be clear to an outsider without additional hints.

If a playable prototype cannot be created, the publisher's initial focus will be the pitch deck, the proper presentation of which we will discuss below. Also, even if a presentation and prototype are available, adding a project trailer to your pitch is advisable. Issues may arise with launching a prototype, but everyone can view a trailer. As with other materials, it should primarily highlight the gameplay and the project's key features.

Publisher and Investor: Working Characteristics

It's essential to distinguish between working with publishers and investors. Primarily, publishers focus on the product, while investors focus on the team. Publishers usually have more influence over the product and its promotion compared to financial investors, while a large strategic investor might gain full control over the studio. Publishers rarely collaborate with projects in early development stages, while some investors may meet a developer’s needs from the project's inception.

One advantage of working with a publisher is their strong product competence and ability to assist with any aspect of game development, including technical aspects, QA, localization, porting, community/platform/hiring work, and legal matters, among others.

When preparing a pitch, it is crucial to consider the particularities of different publishers or investors to tailor the presentation as relevantly for each case as possible. To boost efficiency, publishers often choose a specialization, which can vary significantly. It might be based on the platform, for example, or the distribution model. Let's detail some potential specializations:

Platforms. Mainly, publishers choose one or several platforms to work with, such as PC, consoles, mobile platforms, VR, web-based, tabletop games, and more.
Genres/Project Scale. Typically, publishers opt for a few genres wherein they possess the most expertise. Additionally, some publishers are more adept with small-to-medium indie projects, while others handle large-scale GaaS (Games as a Service) or MMORPGs.
Distribution Model. A publisher might specialize in either a single or multiple distribution models, like buy-to-play (one-time purchase), pay-to-play (subscription model), or free-to-play (freemium model).
Geographical Regions. Often, publishers focus on one or several regions to enhance work efficiency, resulting in situations where different companies publish a game in different countries.
Project Readiness Stage. Most publishers prefer projects at the final production stage, though some willingly assist teams in development, even at the earliest stages.

Investors can be divided into two major groups:

Strategic. Large companies interested in acquiring part of a studio or its full absorption with subsequent integration into their production processes to boost their own capitalization. This group is more inclined to invest in proven teams in later development stages. They can provide teams with plentiful resources but limit creative freedom.
Financial. Various funds and private investors ready to finance a project even in its early stages. Their goal is to find and nurture teams for a profitable future sale of their share. Cooperation with this investor group allows for greater creative freedom and collaboration with other partners but involves smaller total investment amounts.

By studying the market and determining a long-term collaboration goal, a developer can form a list of targeted publishers or investors and prepare a pitch to meet the needs and expectations of potential partners.

Pitch Structure

There are three main types of pitches: elevator pitch, idea pitch, and funding pitch, differing by their time frames and content. Developers should be prepared for all.

The Elevator pitch might be useful at industry events when a developer unexpectedly encounters a potential investor "in the elevator" (hence the name). This is a brief presentation lasting no more than 30 seconds, covering questions like: "Who are you?", "What is the project idea?", "Why is the project relevant?", "Why will the project succeed?"
The Idea pitch is a contest-type pitch lasting about three minutes. Besides describing the project, its features, and mechanics, it should include information about the business model and market forecasts.
The Funding pitch is a comprehensive project presentation lasting about 10 minutes, during which the developer should detail their project strategy, market capacity, competitive environment, and team experience, covering all previously mentioned points.

An effective pitch should be concise, clear, and persuasive. The optimal presentation length is 10 slides. Let's delve into their content using examples from presentations submitted to companies like Astrum Entertainment and VK Play.

Slide 1: Capture Attention

The first slide should grab attention, perhaps using an attractive game cover or company logo. It's important to convey the project's mood at this stage.

An excellent example of a first slide was presented by the team behind Synchro Bright Future. It immediately conveys the game's setting and tone, reflecting the project's overall visual style.

Slide 2: Concept

The second slide should briefly reveal the game’s main concept without delving into details. The publisher should understand what’s going on in the game and what the player does.

The Synchro Bright Future team provided a concise one-sentence project description and briefly indicated essential game details: platform, engine, and the development stage at the time of the pitch. It's also important to remember that the presentation might reach decision-makers on the publisher’s/investor’s side who have not witnessed the pitch. Therefore, the information should be understandable to them as well.

Slide 3: Gameplay Demonstration

The next slide should contain a video, which can be a full teaser trailer or a simple gameplay footage. The video’s goal is to show that the game is real; it's better not to mislead the publisher or investor with specially edited footage. Show the project "as is," while ensuring the prepared materials colorfully and clearly reflect the gameplay.

The Synchro Bright Future team prepared a concise one and a half-minute video showcasing key gameplay elements, introducing the game world, dialogue system, and character voiceovers. Gameplay can be demonstrated not only in video format but also as a GIF.

Slide 4: Uniqueness

The fourth slide should display the unique selling proposition that makes the game special. Highlight the game’s most crucial elements to aid the publisher in forming a marketing plan. It’s important to understand that uniqueness in the gaming industry doesn’t necessarily mean groundbreaking gameplay or revolutionary ideas. A project might stand out, for example, with an unusual setting or gameplay elements diverging from genre standards.

The uniqueness of some games is largely found in the visual aspect. The Exodus of the Ancients team showcased the unique visual style of their project on this slide and outlined the game's main features in brief points, further elaborated by the speaker.

Slide 5: Market Support

The fifth slide should focus on market support. Mention the existing fan community, media coverage, or plans to participate in festivals. This shows that the game is already appealing to consumers, distinguishing the developer from others.

If the project hasn't reached the active promotion stage and lacks a fan community, display the platforms planned for use, as the Slimevania creators did.

Slide 6: Numbers

The sixth slide reveals the business model and provides a competitive analysis. Indicate return forecasts and explain their calculation methodology, release platforms, market segments, and genre tags, as well as find similar games and display their results.

The specifics may vary from one project to another and depend on developers’ capabilities. The Exodus of the Ancients team demonstrated product references from similar projects, while Synchro Bright Future provided a budget allocation for development.

Slide 7: Development and Schedule

The seventh slide outlines the development schedule from the project’s current status to its release on selected platforms. If the project aims for long-term support, display the update periods in the schedule: different formats of additions, location updates, new game classes, etc. The schedule should highlight critical milestones, like trailers, alpha/beta versions, early access, events, and marketing activities. Research the publisher's profile to align the developer’s schedule with the potential partner’s release calendar. Demonstrate the budget and work schedule, so the publisher knows what to expect in the financing event.

The Exodus of the Ancients authors provided a detailed development plan, giving a clear understanding of the project’s current development stage.

Slide 8: What You Need from the Partner and What They Get in Return

This slide should depict what the developer wants from the publisher. Experts note that during pitch prep, developers should already have an answer to a question the publisher might ask: "What do you want from us?" Clearly outline funding needs and what it will cover, describe the partner's expected role, display profit forecasts, and ensure developer needs align with publisher capacities and experience.

The Exodus of the Ancients team not only specified the sum requested from the partner but also explained how these needs would be addressed.

Slide 9: The Team

Publishers pay a lot of attention to the development team, often more than the project itself. Highlight experience, stressing those who worked in large studios or on successful projects, and assure all that the developer possesses the skills and experience necessary to realize the project.

The Slimevania authors in their presentation discussed the team composition and role distribution. To bolster the publisher's trust, they showcased a previous successful project development experience by their studio.

Slide 10: Seal the Deal

The final slide should leave an impression. Display more illustrations, project screenshots, eye-catching art, or projected sales information and provide contact information so the publisher can reach out to the developer. Any idea that helps convince the publisher or investor to invest in the project is appropriate on the last slide. Also, include direct links to the build and other materials for easy access directly from the presentation.

The last slide for the Synchro Bright Future team showcases another colorful project art. It's also useful to leave your contact info and links to the project's social media.

When the Magic Happens

A publisher and investor are potential partners who can help a developer bring their project to a broader audience. Developers should work on their presentation skills, be ready for negotiations, and present themselves as reliable partners. Remember, publishers are as eager to collaborate as the developers, and "magic" can happen regardless of the game’s current development stage. The most crucial factors are the project’s idea and commercial potential; the publisher will then be ready to provide all necessary assistance to co-create the best product with the developer.