Developing for Consoles as an Indie in 2015

Developing for Consoles as an Indie in 2015

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  Developing for Consoles asan Indie in 2015 Sarah Sexton, Voxelles Kevin Geisler, Young Horses
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  Before we begin… Getup Stand up Come on put your hands up! “May Be With You”
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  Why it’s OKto care about what we have to say:  Sarah is a…  Microsoft Technical Evangelist The only games evangelist in Chicago  Unity Indie Game Developer Presented game at last ICG meeting  SheBuildsGames.com blogger Interviews with female developers  Voxelles: Women in Game Original member & organizer Development Co-Founder Internet Famous
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  Why it’s OKto care about what we have to say:  Kevin is a…  COO of his own company  Young Horses programmer & producer  Critically acclaimed indie game developer  DePaul University B.S., Computer Games Development WAY MORE Internet Famous
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  Getting on Consolesas an Indie in 2015  Consoles are closed platforms. They demand quality over quantity (unlike app stores).  To prove you are serious, you should:  Be a Registered Company or Sole Trader  Have a Static IP (Required for developer/publisher support websites)  Have a “track record”  Have a VAT or Tax number  “The Big Three”  XBOX ONE (Microsoft)  PS4 / PS Vita (Sony)  WiiU (Nintendo) Games are serious business.
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  What do youmean, “Track Record”?  “One shipped game, three years’ experience.”  …More like guidelines than actual rules.  More of a way to ward off people that aren’t serious.  Console-makers want a legal business entity.  Sole Trader (Single Individual)  Corporation (Group)  C-corp  The corporation itself is a taxable entity  S-corp  The individual is a taxable entity  Partnerships  LLP (Limited Liability Partnership)  Nintendo and Sony seem to be more lax about track record than Microsoft. Do I look like a businessman to you??
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  What’s this abouta Static IP address?  For web security, Sony requires a static IP. A lot of indies can just use services such as Open VPN, through a server.  Sites like DigitalOcean.com let you rent out a virtual private server.  Microsoft requires two-step authentication, but does NOT require a static IP.  Nintendo only requires a single username and password to look at documents on their website. You still have to encrypt files uploaded, however. Breaking Code: Dad-hat Hacker
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  The Process beginswith…  Console-makers (Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo) expect simultaneous release across all consoles.  In the mind of the console-maker, if the features are the same, the release date ought to be the same.  Otherwise, there should be unique features to the platform to justify a late arrival.  Another work-around is simply renaming the game (example, “Gold Edition”) What is the “Parity Clause”?  Your Name  Address  Website  Games already released
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  Expensive Items  Required:Errors & Omissions Insurance  This covers Intellectual Property & Copyright violations, etc.  Using an insurance broker, the cheapest E&O insurance you might find could be to the tune of around $2,000.  Optional: Foreign Country Rating boards  To release in foreign countries, your game must be rated by the official ratings boards, PEGI (Pan-European Game Information).  This can also cost roughly $2,000, depending on the country.  United States requires ESRB rating, approx. $800  Maintaining your game’s website URL  Hardware (USB & video cables, etc.)  Video capture device for making a trailer But I have a family to feed…
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  Microsoft  Apply forthe ID@XBOX program.  If accepted, you receive two (2) XBOX ONE DevKits and a Unity Pro license for free.  This process may take several weeks / months.  Overwhelmingly large number of applicants  People often do not fill out the form correctly, so Microsoft cannot contact them  If you know someone in the ID@XBOX team who is willing to stick their neck out… ;)  If you know a Microsoft Evangelist, she may be able to help! ;)  Reach out on a monthly basis to Microsoft:  Send game-play videos!  Send a PC build! www.xbox.com/developers/ID
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  Xbox One  Asan indie, it may be too late for the Xbox 360.  Parity clause:  Case-by-case  If not releasing cross platforms simultaneously, all console makers will want something special.  Kinect, special character model unique to that platform, a special name www.xbox.com/developers/ID
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  Sony  As anindie, PS3 is still worth looking at if you’re using Unity.  Everything is negotiable. You can barter for what you need.  Timing  Exclusivity length  Marketing & funding  Pub Fund:  Sony doesn’t own your IP rights  You can get an advance on sales/royalties in exchange for limited platform exclusivity. www.nohurdlesjustgames.com
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  PlayStation  Sony isthe only platform who does actually demand:  an attached file proving that you are a registered company  an attached file describing the game you want to develop (for example, a GDD)  .PDFs are preferred  Sony requires a static IP address.  Response time from Sony is fast – only 1-2 weeks.  Sony generously doles out DevKits. www.nohurdlesjustgames.com
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  Nintendo  As anindie, Wii is pretty much dead.  Apply for Nintendo’s Self-Publishing Program.  Choose the way you want to develop (or both):  Unity  Nintendo Web Framework  May take a month to get a response, or maybe none at all.  They loan DevKits for “1 year”  There is an opportunity to buy refurbished DevKits in addition to what you are loaned for about the cost of a PC. www.WiiU-developers.Nintendo.com
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  Console Development Environment SDK is downloaded from each company and installed.  DevKits are connected over a local network.  Visual Studio integration allows deploying to consoles and loading files from PC over the network, without explicitly making and pushing builds.  Tools available for profiling bottlenecks on Xbox and PlayStation platforms.  Additional tools are included for final packaging, which can be cumbersome.
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  Console Design Considerations Naming and branding guidelines must be adhered to for release. (Proper names for buttons, proper usage of capitalization.)  Important visual elements must be within TV-safe margins.  User management and controller assignment edge cases must be thoroughly tested.  Requirements must be met for load times, warnings, and other issues related to maintaining general consistency on each particular platform.  Additional items like achievements, saves, leaderboards, generally require a fair amount of implementation time.
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  Community  If theconsole-makers don’t believe you have a good game, they will not be quick to get back to you.  If you show great promise as a developer, all 3 of these companies have opportunities to loan/give you their Dev Kit for free.  The Chicago games community is very supportive!!  Indie City Games (obviously)  Chicago Unity 3D MeetUp  Indie City Co-Op + weekly Friday Indie Lunch  Voxelles: Chicago’s Women in Game Development  Chicago Gaming Union  International Game Developers Association (IGDA)  Indie Video Game Developer Association
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  Questions? Thank you:  http://gamasutra.com/blogs/SlawaDeisling/20150223/237040/How_to_get_ on_consoles_as_an_Indie.php http://www.gamedevblog.com/sixty-second-shooter/  Kevin Geisler, Phil Tibitoski, & Devon Scott-Tunkin for consultation!  Fan artists for Octodad fan art! Shameless Plugs: Voxelles: Chicago’s Women in Gaming SheBuildsGames Chicago Video Game Law Summit “Octodad: Dadliest Catch” I Make Games Project YouTube Channel Games for Everyone Play for Change Lab at DePaul CDM