"Game Dev Story": 7 Valuable Lessons for Game Developers

I should not take "Game Dev Story" seriously. I should not listen to a game where "Lunar Writing" is the only truly effective marketing technique. But I did it anyway -- especially for Gamasutra readers

Luis Levy, Blogger

December 22, 2010

7 Min Read

Created by developer Kairosoft, Game Dev Story is an ancient PC game that was first ported to feature phones in Japan then launched on iOS and Android in late 2010. The game is now considered by many one of the most addictive mobile games ever made while also becoming a critical darling.

(STOP! Don't download it before reading the whole post or you might never come back!)

As many of you know, GDS is a tycoon-like business simulation where the objective is to build a game company from scratch through console and PC development. The game is surprisingly deep: not only it manages to closely follow actual video game history by introducing consoles we can all identify, it even charges hefty license fees for each one of them (!)

Many instances of the gameplay border on the absurd as the above-mentioned "Lunar Writing." On the other hand, there are valuable lessons about game development spread throughout the game. It gets players thinking about the big picture -- an awesome feat for a tiny mobile game.

1. Developers, developers, developers

Steve Ballmer had it right: developers are all that matters. GDS will introduce you to Hackers -- supremely talented developers that can single-handedly save your company. While Hackers are unrealistically good at everything -- Program, Scenario, Graphics and Sound -- they teach us that more than funding, cool digs and a mascot, developers are the ones that can make or break a studio. They are the soul of the whole enterprise. Players who disregard this will often throw money at the problem, spend in boosts/power-ups, hire outside talent and never, ever, get an all-around great game. On the other hand, if you focus on generating enough capital from contracts then hiring talented devs, that's half the battle right there.

2. The value of contracts

What's better than a broke studio with amazing new IP? A studio where the lights are on and there's food in the rec room. GDS allows players to invest time fulfilling outside contracts ranging from a few hundred thousand to $1.4 million dollars. In between new games, contracts give developers experience (Research Points) and provide much-needed cash for the studio. The game also teaches players that delivering a project on time is always a good idea (duh!) and that it's risky to take on a project too big for your team (like dissecting a console or developing a new game engine from scratch). Treasure your contracts: they might keep you alive just enough to ship your next IP.

3. Choose your platform wisely

A common mistake in GDS is to spend money buying several different console licenses. Since they're really expensive, it's quite easy to run out of cash and not have enough to actually make a game. Now, if a player takes his or her time to scope the market, it becomes clear that not all consoles are made equal. Some are stronger with kids; others have more market share. Since the game follows history, the Game Kid (a Nintendo GameBoy) is a much safer investment than the Virtual Kid (the Virtual Boy). So a license to the Game Kid pays for itself in a few years while a license to the Virtual Kid can bankrupt your studio. Picking the right platform -- and sticking with it -- is crucial to really move forward within the game.

4. Advertise often, advertise well -- and take PR seriously

Many of the advertising activities in GDS are laughable. A marching band? Blimp sponsorship? Lunar Writing?! However, the game does make a point of showing what you can get out of it: fans. And fans translate directly into revenue. By the time the 20-year session is over, most players will have tons of cash. That's when you realize how much better is to actually budget for advertising and PR. You can do a push during development, one right before debugging (beta?) and a final one right after launch. If timed right -- or near the yearly GameDex, an E3/PAX/GDC of sorts -- sales will soar. On the other hand, a common mistake is to pump all the money in the latest title and leave zero, nada, for marketing. When real-life developers make the same mistake, the consequences can be, let's say, brutal.

5. Serial sequels can kill your fan base

If your game make the Hall of Fame, you get to make sequels. Sequels have some hype and experience points built-in, so they tend to be superior to the original game. Which, again, translates in better sales. This is all fine and dandy -- who here doesn't want an increase in sales? -- but fans tend to disprove of too many games in the same theme/genre combination. Early in the game, I found out that Shooter/Robot was a winning combination so I made three sequels in a row of RobotoZ, my Shooter/Robot franchise. Soon enough, my fans started dropping like flies. According to GDS, they were fed up with the same game over and over again. While making games in crazy theme/genre combinations is ill-advised, variety can greatly expand a studio's reach. This is a lesson iPhone development is teaching more traditional game developers: Firemint, the company behind Flight Control also developed Real Racing, two huge titles in very different genres.

6. Unhappy at a big AAA studio? Start over

It's common to find game developers unhappy at their present location. Maybe management sucks; maybe they're tired of making the same WWII FPS. GDS allows players to quit a game after 20 years, but keep the themes/genres unlocked in the previous game. This is just like leaving a company to start/join a new one in real life. When developers leave a studio behind, they leave with what they learned. They now have knowledge, skills, techniques they didn't have before. Better yet, they can use those in the new company. They can go back to being happy and making even better games.

7. Plan ahead

Planning is a basic skill in any business. Plan for employee vacations. Plan for your yearly taxes. Plan for tough market conditions. GDS illustrates that mechanic with a yearly salary deduction. So if you have a team of 8, every year $5,000,000 will be deducted from your bank account to pay for salaries. If you don't have the money, you might go bankrupt. The game doesn't institute strikes, unhappy employees and lawsuits but the idea of having enough money in the bank for future expenses may not be novel but it's certainly wise. Another example: having acquired a license for the Sonny PlayStatus, I wanted to wait until the PlayStatus 2 came out to upgrade. Since I knew the costs would be high, I stock-pilled on cash so I was ready to get the license AND make a great game. If a players lacks vision, they have trouble getting licenses and paying employees, something we've all witnessed in real-life. Touché, Game Dev Story.

I could have made this into a top 10 easily. How about you? Did you try Game Dev Story? What else would you add to the list?