At yesterday's Devcom, Team17 head of game research Jasper Barnes talked about how indie publishers decide which games to invest in and how understanding what players want from a game can help developers make their titles stand out.
For Barnes, the most important factor when considering a game is whether players will be interested enough to play it.
“I think that's something that people often overcomplicate. It should really be as simple as leaning into an emotion, a previous title that got you excited, or other cultural phenomena—it doesn't have to be the only thing.”
Barnes used a personal wish of a game he would like to see as an example.
“I've been telling people for years that I want someone to make a proper old school survival horror movie like the scene in Jurassic Park where the kids are in the kitchen trying to escape the dinosaur. Tell me you're doing it and I'll try to throw all the money I can at you .”
Essentially, the game's core concept doesn't have to be a game trope or genre.
“It could just be: Here's the moment, here's the nostalgia, here's the link, here's the reason people get excited about this game.”
A solid, original concept can lead to replayability—a factor Barnes was particularly excited about.
“Competition is plentiful at the moment, and it's harder than ever to hold players' attention for long periods of time,” he explained. “A big mistake we see in pitching is people telling us why if a player understands the full context of a 20-hour narrative and sees all the nuances and character relationships, they're going to like the game — they don't like it. it doesn't matter if they're bored after seven minutes, they'll never get there.
“You have to demonstrate that you understand what players are looking for and what they enjoy.
“You have to show that you understand what players are looking for and what they enjoy because that's what they're going to stick with early in the game.”
Barnes acknowledged that while replayability is not the easiest thing to determine, it is one of the main considerations for publishers when they decide to invest in a game.
“At Team17, we get up to around 4,000 pitches a year, which we have to factor in the number of investments we're making at any given time,” he said, adding that being able to play a demo makes the process easier.
“It's a huge help in understanding which of these games really have it already, which of them understand the mechanics, what they're doing, and are starting to deliver on that promise.”
He continued, “That subconscious desire to get back to those games is so important. It's something that doesn't happen often, but when it does, you're on to a winner. So you build a champion as a publisher, so you can find someone to help you manage your game, agree on a deal and execute it well.”
Ultimately, Barnes said, knowing how well developers handle feedback is vital to a strong partnership.
“What you find, right or wrong, is that the publisher will always try to give you some feedback on your game,” he said.
“Even if they love it, they always will [give constructive criticism] which comes from a position of enthusiasm and mutual excitement. But what we're looking for are developers who match that enthusiasm and say, 'That's a really cool idea, we could do that.'
“That's a huge step, both in terms of enthusiasm for the game and in terms of the partnership, rather than just ending it on day one, because you'll find that the publisher is trying to find a way to make this game something special.” .