Delivered at Casual Connect Europe 2019. Mobile RPG "Age of Magic" launched worldwide in 2018 and became a huge success for Playkot (reached top51 grossing in China). The game was created by a small but dedicated team under a tight budget and schedule. Learn about principles that led to this success: the way Playkot forms the core team; identification, evaluation, hiring and integration of fanatics; the epic first task for every newcomer and the role trust, freedom and responsibility play in game development. These principles are universal and can be applied to every epic team no matter its size or complexity of their games.

1. EPIC TEAM
PRINCIPLES
Fantastic People and How to Lead Them
ROMAN ZORIN
Producer at Playkot

2. 32 000 000 players
Reached 15
Facebook Top Grossing
14 100 000 players
Reached 68
Facebook Top Grossing
9 500 000 players
Reached 72
Facebook Top Grossing

3. 7 000 000 players
Reached 232 iOS Top Grossing in US
Reached 50 iOS Top Grossing in China

4. AGE OF MAGIC
Mobile RPG
80+ Heroes
3 Story Campaigns
Tomb of Horrors Mode
PvP Arena
PvP Tournament
4 Unique Story Events
Clans
Raids
Challenges
Friends
Chat

5. December 2015 Concept = 3
November 2016 Exit Pre-Production = 12
May 2017 Alpha = 18
August 2017 Beta (soft launch) = 24
May 2018 iOS launch = 30
September 2018 Android launch = 37
MY LAUNCH TEAM

6. WE ARE OF THE SAME BLOOD
You and I

7. ● Painfully Tight Deadlines
● A Lack of People

8. ATTITUDE TO YOUR PROJECT
I Treat Each Work Like it is My Masterpiece

9. “To be sure, an ordinary passerby would think that
my rose looked just like you--the rose that belongs to
me. But in herself alone she is more important than
all the hundreds of you other roses: because it is she
that I have watered; because it is she that I have put
under the glass globe; because it is she that I have
sheltered behind the screen; because it is for her that
I have killed the caterpillars (except the two or three
that we saved to become butterflies); because it is
she that I have listened to, when she grumbled, or
boasted, or even sometimes when she said nothing.
Because she is my rose”
From “Little prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

10. PEOPLE TO TAKE INTO YOUR TEAM
What are We Looking For?

11. 1. Listen to Her
2. Imagine Her in Your Team
3. Ask Yourself if She Will Make Your Team Stronger?
4. Tell Her About Your Attitude To Your Project
5. Tell Her About the Deadlines and Responsibilities

12. ALWAYS BE LOOKING
FOR A SPARK

13. CORE TEAM
Centre of gravity

14. 1. Strong Professional Skills
2. Sets the Standard of Quality in Her Field
3. Creates Fire from the Spark
4. Not an Ass

15. RULES OF HIRING
Technical Test For Core Team >> Interview with Core Team >> Interview with Producer

16. 1. Professional Skills Checked By Professionals
2. Candidate Meets Team Members
3. Taking Part in Hiring Creates Responsibility
4. Test for Fakes
5. Core Team Says "No", it Means "NO"

17. A NOTE ON PERSONAL
Last Moment Important Addition

18. A Professional is always
TAKING THINGS
PERSONAL

19. FIRST TASK
Challenging, Urgent
and next update depends on it

20. EVERYBODY
WANTS
TO BE A HERO

21. WHAT’S NEXT
The First Three Months

22. 1. Clear understanding of Who the Team Needs and Why
2. Backlog of Tasks For Three Months
3. Core Team Mentorship
4. Consistent and Regular Feedback Through the Lead
5. First Three Months Shows the Truth of Your Hire
Successful Integration

23. WHAT’S NEXT AFTER WHAT’S NEXT
Trust, Responsibility, and Freedom

24. PRODUCER SHOULD ALWAYS KNOW BETTER
Than to be an Obstacle for the Team

25. THE MISSION
OF A PRODUCER
To Build the Team That
Will Create a Great Game

26. TAKEAWAYS
1. Love Your Game
2. Look for the Spark
3. The Core Team is the Foundation
4. The First Task is Worth of a Hero
5. The First Three Months are Crucial
6. Trust, Responsibility, and Freedom Carry You Through
7. Keep Calm and Empower Your Team

27. LET’S ROCK
Question Time
facebook.com/roman.zorin
zorin@playkot.com