How to Grow a Game Studio Through Challenging Times
summary
Started with a £150k seed in 2015, ships Wonderorlds (2017), signs then loses an EA Originals deal for Project Toast, pitches a $5M project at GDC, pivots a small UGC prototype into a third‑person demo to look “$5M‑worthy,” and finally secures an Amazon Games publishing deal in 2021. Team grows from 3 founders to ~70, experiences cash crunches and is furloughed entire team in 2020, then survives by prioritizing core values (nurture, fulfill, be brave), tighter planning and relentless pitching.
AI-written summary · about
chapters (7)
- 0:00Introduction
- 7:50Starting with three Ps
- 13:31Pivot to Wonderworlds
- 22:20Pandemic survival
- 28:01Scaling and leadership
- 33:18Current state and hiring
- 33:42Q&A
related talks
25mHow to raise your own gamedev studio and survive 15 years and more (incl. 2020)
33mHow to survive as a start-up indie studio before your first game gets launched?
45mThere and Back Again: One Weird Game Dev Trip
47mMultinational Monster: Collaboration Across Countries
26mHow to run business with a hard rock spirit
01h 00mManaging Complex, Creative Projects As An Indie Team
41mBuilding a AA Studio: From Start-up to Fully Funded.
51mLeadership and Communication for Indie Developers: Building Impactful Teams and Vision