This document provides a summary of a presentation about how to monetize your passion in the game industry. The presentation includes the following key points: 1. Add value by volunteering your time and skills, writing about others to gain experience and connections, and being where others cannot to gain unique insights. 2. Embrace opportunities as they arise through hard work and building connections over time via the "snowball effect". 3. Define your unique value and find your niche to stand out from competitors. Promote your work and network aggressively to become indispensable. 4. Focus on quality over quantity and use the 20/80 rule to maximize returns on your investments of time and money. Continually improve

1. An example in the game industry
How to monetize your
passion
http://www.slideshare.net/VGVisionary
HD Redux Edition

2. Table of contents
• Who is this guy!?
• Where does this talk come from?
• Some examples
• Summary
• Questions

3. Who am I?
This is a talk by
Vlad Micu
Now Head of Studio at
Critical Force Entertainment
Used to be the PR Manager of
Grambleworld.com
Did production, game design and creative direction for
arkavis Siam co. ltd. in Thailand
Wrote for many other international outlets including
Gamesauce.org, TechInAsia.com,
PocketGamer.biz, Control Magazine,
Gamer.nl, XBLAFans.com, Casual Connect
Magazine and many more.
@vgvisionary

4. Partners & Clients

5. Our games
Critical Strike Portable
• 16+ million downloads since 2012
• 300.000 DAU
• 4.3 Rating (265.900 ratings)
• Web, iOS, Android, Ouya, ???
• Reskinned multiple times into CM:
Swat & CM: Space
• 3rd party controller support
• Ad revenue based
• Revenue: 0-700 dollars a day.
Company of Tanks (Beta)
• 350.000+ downloads since Dec ‘13
• 2.000 DAU
• 4.0 rating (6807 ratings)
• Google play, coming to WP
• 50.000 euro Appcampus funding for
Windows Phone version
• IAP revenue based
• Revenue: 0-10 dollars a day.

6. Most recently

7. Bad News

8. Good News

9. From passion

10. To career

11. #1: The principle of adding value

12. Volunteer
Three words: behind the scenes

13. Being involved: bringing value
Make yourself invaluable

14. Cover an event as press
“I guess if nothing else, being a part of the gaming press has allowed me
to draw from a nearly unlimited well of knowledge and inspiration
that I may have otherwise never had access to. “
– Chris Morris (Microsoft)

15. Putting the spotlight on others:
bringing value
Write 90% about others and 10% about yourself

16. YouTubers & Streamers are the
perfect example

17. Being where most people can’t be:
bringing value
Travel is a 110% investment in yourself

18. Having knowledge & connections
that others don’t: bringing value

19. Example
Rule for students: never present yourself as a student!
Present yourself based on what you have to offer!

20. #2: The principle of the snowball effect
Good stuff comes to those who work for it
2004
2005
2006
2007
2007
2008
2009
2012
2011
2013

21. The key challenge: Seizing opportunities

22. My first invoice

23. How have you embraced the
power of timing?

24. Examples
•Resogun on PS4 (Housemarque)
• Company of Tanks on Windows Phone(Critical Force Ent.)

25. #3: Defining your value
• Creators
• Connectors
• Organizers
• Business types
Together, they can create awesome start-ups!

26. Which one are you?

27. Freelancer rule #1
• For free or for the full rate, never for a discount.

28. Find your blue ocean
It’s simple Supply vs Demand:
What do you have that others don’t?

29. (Weird) Example

30. Don’t be afraid for change
Even adversity brings opportunity

31. #3: Building your network
Read this book

32. My #1 Network rule: Everyone is interesting!
Example: how I got here

33. Network your *ss off
#wolfireisawesome
“While waiting in line just to get into E3, you may find yourself
standing next to the principle engine programmer for the Halo
team […]. Anyone you see holding a fancy looking camera is
probably affiliated with a major gaming news site, so go say
hello (I stalked as many as possible). […] Any afterparties you
can find are networking bonus rounds.”
- John Graham (Wolfire)

34. Are we pitching to everyone we can?
• Blow people away
• Show your ideas
• An awesome
presentation/portfolio
helps

35. Always be closing
When you present your
services/expertise

36. #4: It’s not what you do
It’s how you do it!
• Create a product
• Run a Webshop
• Organize events
• Write articles
• Give workshops
• Consult
• Stream on
Twitch/YouTube

37. 20/80 rule
Value is created if your ROI > Investment

38. My own first publishing deal
(2009)

39. The Numbers
• 12.000 euros budget.
– 3 members got paid to
made a new prototype
• 1 team member got a full-
time job.
• Pulse was later
developed for 100k by an
external developer.
• Pulse flopped with only
1000 sales on iOS.

40. Another example
16 hours x 80 euros (1680 euro) of my time = 160
hours x 20 euros (3200 euro) of your time
Thus, ROI > Investment.

41. #5: How well/often do you
showcase your work?

42. When was the last time you
applied for a showcase or
competitions?
• To volunteer
• To showcase
• Or even speak

43. Example
www.promoterapp.com/calendar
www.gameconfs.com

44. #5: Do people consider you/your
product a ‘must-have’?
And can you make them believe
it’s ‘must-have’?

47. Are you prepared to do business?
• Website/portfolio/Lin
kedIn
• Elevator pitch
• Business cards
• Referrals?
Check Kadri’s awesome talk here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXRverBntZc

48. Where’s your business plan?
http://www.seriesseed.fi/

49. How well do you know yourself, your
product and your market?
• SWOT analysis
• Competitors
• People with
similar
backgrounds (and
what they’ve
done)

50. #6: What kind of partnerships
would we need to flourish?

51. Examples

52. Our example

53. #7: What are you sharing?
• Insights and numbers
• Valuable contacts
• Opportunities and jobs
• Even a place to stay

54. Especially our mistakes

55. #8: Are you making yourself
better & stronger?

56. My work =
an investment in myself
If you don’t enjoy your job, GTFO

57. Preparing mentally for success,
just as much as failure.
Both Failing and/or Succeeding Hard = Growing Up Incredibly Fast

58. Bonus tip: Quantify your life/work
My numbers (2007-2013)

59. My career in numbers
(2007-2013)
• 22 talks given (next one being at Digital Dragons in Krakow, Poland next month).
• 232 articles written from September 2007 – today.
• 3 website staff managed filled with talented young writers for Gamesauce.org,
Windowsphonefans.com and PSNFans.com
• 1 super-talented development team managed (for arkavis Siam Co. ltd.)
• 13 videogames that I’ve been credited on (only six have been released till this day).
• 30 countries visited in the first 27 years of my life. 9 countries that I’ve lived in.
• 60 video items created with 85.253 views (16324 of which were for Control Magazine).
• 500+ people interviewed as an industry journalist (most of them game developers).
• 4500+ business cards handed out
• 8621 contacts in my Gmail (categorized thanks to Smartr).
• 1200+ hours spent playing League of Legends between summer 2011 and today spread over
my 2x EUW, 1x US and 1x Thai account.
• 1917 friends on Facebook (of which 1016 are Game Industry-related). I’ve spoken at least 5
minutes to 99% of them.
• 2000+ LinkedIn connections I have no clue what to do with.
• 97+ press badges collected
• 3 months per year spent traveling or abroad on average (4.5 months in 2013)
If I can do it, so can you

60. Summary
• Give and thou shall receive
• Find a way to offer value to others
• Create opportunities, seize them and embrace the snowball effect
• Define your value, promote it
• Find your blue ocean
• Expand your network
• Be smart with what you do, 20/80 rule
• Promote yourself
• Become the ‘Go-To’ person and/or have a must-have product/service
• Create partnerships if needed
• Share with your network/community
• Grow as a person
• Optional: keep track of your progress
• Rinse and Repeat 

61. Handy dandy links
• http://www.copyblogger.com/freelance-copywriter-negotiation/
• http://www.wikihow.com/Network-at-a-Conference
• http://entrepreneurs.about.com/b/2009/03/13/top-10-conference-networking-tips.htm
• http://factoidz.com/how-to-get-a-press-pass-for-bloggers/
• http://www.gamecareerguide.com/features/295/so_you_want_to_be_a_games_.php
• http://www.willcocks.co.uk/Introductions.htm
• http://www.whattheydontteachyouatstanfordbusinessschool.com/work-a-conference-notes.htm
• http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/218776/Market_your_games_effectively_with_the_Vlambee
r_toolkit.php?elq=31d0d30f1634498683c3775ea6db8fa3&elqCampaignId=4232
• http://techcrunch.com/2014/01/18/how-to-get-an-mba-from-eminem/
• http://techcrunch.com/2014/01/18/how-to-get-an-mba-from-eminem/
• http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2013/10/28/business-mentorship-and-muses/
• http://www.freeenterprise.com/free-enterprise-tour/inside-edison-nation-charlottes-willy-wonka-
style-warehouse-
inventions?utm_source=Taboola&utm_medium=Article_RSS_Feed&utm_campaign=OngoingPaid
• http://blog.readyforzero.com/how-to-create-a-budget/
• http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-02-19-five-tips-for-breaking-into-the-industry
• http://lifehacker.com/the-most-common-ways-we-fool-ourselves-about-money-1566079910
• http://lifehacker.com/three-common-freelancing-roadblocks-to-avoid-1556393922
• http://lifehacker.com/can-i-really-make-a-living-by-blogging-1537783554

62. Handy dandy links part 2
• http://videogamecaster.com/ - If you want to be come a YouTuber and or Streamer
• http://www.pixelprospector.com/indie-resources/ - If you want to go Indie
• http://lifehacker.com/six-times-we-blow-more-money-than-we-should-and-how-to-1515656181
• http://lifehacker.com/five-one-hour-routines-that-will-improve-your-life-as-a-1560495938
• http://lifehacker.com/how-to-take-a-pay-cut-for-a-job-you-actually-love-and-1542091937
• http://lifehacker.com/how-to-to-better-manage-your-freelance-income-1530335057
• http://lifehacker.com/how-to-strategize-for-a-better-salary-in-your-20s-30s-1504980374
• http://lifehacker.com/be-careful-when-saying-yes-or-no-during-a-salary-ne-1041248749
• http://lifehacker.com/why-you-should-never-be-afraid-to-negotiate-a-higher-sa-1477953403
• http://lifehacker.com/5985903/advice-i-wish-someone-had-given-me-for-my-first-job
• http://lifehacker.com/the-most-common-ways-you-waste-money-and-how-to-save-i-1183447200
• http://lifehacker.com/how-to-take-on-more-responsibility-at-work-without-bei-798774337
• http://lifehacker.com/eight-small-financial-changes-that-yield-huge-results-1502939683
• http://lifehacker.com/five-things-i-wish-i-had-known-when-i-started-working-f-1497900668
• http://lifehacker.com/the-beginners-guide-to-working-from-home-733412770
• http://lifehacker.com/what-should-i-know-before-i-change-careers-512289050

63. Bonus tip: watch my other lectures
www.youtube.com/vgvisionary

64. Contact me
• @vgvisionary
• Mail me at vlad@studioonmars.com
• Slides: www.slideshare.net/VGVisionary
#imlonely

65. Thanks!
Questions?