[MUD-Dev] Indie MMOG's

[Rob C]

Adam M wrote:
> Rob C wrote:

>> I have to agree with the comment that proper funding is the first
>> and foremost problem facing most small development
>> shops. Speaking from the experience of one of these smaller
>> studios, if you can't

> Was it working only on MMOG's though? I'm not making claims about
> the mainstream games industry; the financials of the three main
> business models for an MMOG give indie developers a much better
> chance than those of a mainstream game.

> Hence funding is much less of an issue IMHO.

I’d agree with you that finding people willing to fund a MMOG is a
good bit easer. The lure of the recurring revenue stream tends to
make the board investor’s eyes light up a little. I still have to
disagree with you about the importance of funding but I’ll get into
that a little more below.

I’m also curious to hear what you feel the three business models for
an MMOG are? Please feel free to send me a private e-mail if you
want.

>> Without the money needed to bring all the pieces together and to
>> hire the people with the experience to bring the project across
>> the finish line, most great ideas will die on the garage floor.

> Without the team...
> Without the game-design...
> Without the ability to deliver...
> Without the project-management...
> Without the salesman...
> Without the ...

> The money may be the first hurdle that causes a team to go
> bankrupt (especially one that was going to fail anyway because it
> had already failed the other hurdles!). That doesn't automatically
> mean it's the most important nor the hardest to solve.

Let me put a caveat to what I’m about to say, without a very solid
game design and a plan on how to bring it to market, no team should
be assembled to start developing a game.

That being said, once you have a strong foundation be create from,
funding can solve most of the problems that a small team runs
into. In response to your items above, Experienced team members can
be hired to help with development, third party fulfillment providers
can create the game disks and deliver them to market at the major
retailers, advisors and consultants can be brought in to give advice
on how to fix current problems and where new one’s may occur down
the road and PR firms are more then happy to take a little money and
let the world know how great your game is.

I agree with you 100% that all of these things would be money down
the drain, if you don’t have a core team in place with a basic
understanding of the business and where it should be going. Someone
with a good business sense needs to be piloting the ship.

>> Blaming bad management for the funding running out before
>> development was finished seems like simple finger pointing, don't
>> get me wrong, it may be the reason but it seems that a little
>> more investigation would be in order before throwing around
>> damming accusations.

> What alternative was there than to say nothing? I thought I was
> pretty clear that I wasn't making accusations, rather that I was
> suggesting alternative explanations?

Good point, hopefully I didn’t come off too antagonistically. I just
felt you were a little damming of these guys management, when the
point Derek seemed to be driving at was the importance of funding
once the company is founded.

Rob C
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