San Francisky? Well how did you get there? Did you walk n’ did you flew?
i’m very, very excited for all the shenanigans i’m about to get up to in the big windy apple that never sleeps – San Francisco – in less than two weeks’ time. Here’s what’s on my plate:
This will be my third time at the Flash Gaming Summit, a great niche mini-con that precedes GDC by a day (Sunday March 4th 2012) . Last year, i moderated a panel on game monetization. This year, i have a talk all to myself:
Ponycorns and the Price of Popularity (4PM in the Fisher Room)
For many indie game developers, having a hit viral game sounds like a dream come true. The reality is that, especially in the ad-supported free-to-play Flash marketplace, rampant fame comes at a price. The overnight success of Sissy’s Magical Ponycorn Adventure brought with it temporal, financial and emotional costs that were difficult to predict. Ryan Henson Creighton from Untold Entertainment talks about what success actually looks like, and what it’ll cost you. Learn how to prepare for tomorrow’s success today!
Sissy’s Magical Ponycorn Adventure is a finalist for a Mochi Award! This is a great honour. Past winners have included Machinarium, Canabalt, and some web game about stickmen shooting zombies, most likely.
i’m pretty sure this is what a Mochi award looks like.
i’m thrilled to be speaking at GDC 2012 during the Independent Games Summit.
Ponycorns: Catching Lightning in a Jar (1:45 PM on Monday)
The ponycorns fanfare could easily have died off within a week, but Untold was determined to make as much noise as possible, given that initial spark. Attendees will learn about launching alternate revenue streams like the ponycorns merchandise store, preparing press kits, attracting mainstream media attention, entering contests, marketing with a non-existent budget, and following up with franchises or brand extensions, all in the name of amplifying initial interest in a project. When many speakers tell their success stories, they essentially talk about how they were struck by lightning. The take-away for the audience is to go out and somehow get struck by lightning too. Indie game developer Untold Entertainment Inc. was struck by lightning when their game Sissy’s Magical Ponycorn Adventure went viral, receiving worldwide attention and acclaim – most notably because it was co-developed by a five-year-old girl. In this exciting and surprising session, Ryan Henson Creighton reveals how to turn your game project into a lightning rod to attract success, and how to bottle that surge of success without letting even a single spark escape.
Note that (as per my speaking contract :), this talk is completely different from the one i’m giving at FGS. The GDC talk is about attracting and amplifying attention, while the FGS talk is about what to do with that attention once you’ve got it (and, specifically, how much it’s gonna cost you).
(Esplanade Ballroom, South Hall – GDC Play Kiosk #K13 – Wednesday from 12pm-3pm)
My final piece of great news is that Spellirium, the little graphic adventure/word puzzle game mash-up that could, will be exhibited during a very brief window Wednesday afternoon on the GDC show floor.
Since the event hasn’t happened yet, i travelled into the future to take this photo for you.
If you haven’t Liked Spellirium on Facebook or followed @Spellirium on Twitter, please help us out by doing so! We have a meeting with Steam during GDC 2012, and we’d love to show them how many people are interested in the game. Here’s all you need to know about the game.
… no. i’m making that part up.
But one day, San Francisco. One day.
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