Pocket Gamer Connects London returns on Twenty second-Twenty third January 2024, celebrating its tenth anniversary. In fact, this additionally means the return of our flagship Very Huge Indie Pitch, the favored pitching competitors that is been offering builders with perception, suggestions, and prizes for years. It is also nice enjoyable. We spoke with the organiser Sophia Aubrey Drakefor her reminiscences and suggestions final week.
What higher option to rejoice ten years of Pocket Gamer Connects than by reconnecting with a few of our most profitable builders? On this new collection, we’ll be taught extra about the place they’re now, what they gained from their pitching experiences, and what recommendation they’ve for anybody heading to London for The Very Huge Indie Pitch in 2024.
First up, we’re catching up with Minidragon, considered one of solely two builders to have gained the pitch thrice, to be taught extra about their previous, current and future.
Sophia Aubrey Drake: We all know you effectively, however are you able to introduce your self and the staff for individuals who might not learn about you?
Hank Choi: We’re Minidragon, an indie studio from Hong Kong that has been making cellular video games since 2013.
You’ve been a part of the BIP quite a few instances and are considered one of solely two three-time winners. What first made you wish to be part of the pitch?
Within the early phases of our startup, we have been very introverted creators. Mainly, we simply put our heads down and floor, morning until evening! That led to loads of points as we weren’t conscious of modifications within the quickly rising cellular recreation trade.
Since then, we’ve consistently tried to place ourselves and our video games on the market, construct connections, and chat with individuals about tendencies. The Huge Indie Pitch serves as one of many huge platforms, letting us really feel the heart beat of the sport trade.
We’ve got discovered to ensure the studio can embrace as many failures as potential
Hank Choi, Minidragon
How did you discover the expertise? What was essentially the most difficult side, and was there something you weren’t anticipating?
If I could quote from a fellow Hong Kong recreation studio proprietor:
“The toughest factor in regards to the recreation trade is that you’ll want 9 months of improvement to create a product, however solely then will you see if that product is successful. If that product seems to be a failure, you have to one other 9 months of improvement to create one thing else, and once more, solely then will you see if that product is successful. If that product seems…”
That is the side that all of us didn’t actually consider to start with, and since then, we’ve discovered to ensure the studio can embrace as many failures as potential. It looks as if success is usually anticipated within the trade, even supposing, most of the time, studios will face failure. Nevertheless, these failures can finally result in huge success.
You’ve got pitched Hyper Dungeon, Pixel Petz, Deadly Funnel, and Dungeon Warriors! on the Huge Indie Pitch. Are you able to inform us extra about what occurred with these video games following the pitch? Did your expertise as part of The Huge Indie Pitch affect your improvement and subsequent launch?
Pixel Petz, Dungeon Warriors (now generally known as Tiny Fantasy) and Hyper Dungeon all grew to become profitable merchandise for the studio. Sadly, we will not share an analogous success story for Deadly Funnel. Nevertheless, for all 4 video games that we pitched on the Huge Indie Pitch, we obtained actually insightful suggestions from the trade professionals who have been judging and have been subsequently capable of make priceless changes primarily based on their suggestions.
The video games trade is continually evolving. How onerous is it to outlive as an indie developer? How have you ever handled all of the modifications because you have been part of The Huge Indie Pitch?
It looks as if having the ability to embrace failure is the important thing to survival on this trade. It’s well-known that Indignant Birds adopted 51 failed video games earlier than its fruition, and Supercell burns by numerous failed prototypes earlier than launch. Many builders, beginning out, are likely to give attention to their success story however don’t plan forward to face up to at the very least 10+ failures.
Is there any recommendation you’ll give to indie builders primarily based in your expertise?
Present your recreation to as many individuals as potential (even higher, the Huge Indie Pitch judges) and take heed to their suggestions. Do that as typically as you may.
With the ability to embrace failure is the important thing to survival on this trade
Hank Choi, Minidragon
How necessary is attending conferences, competitions and networking alternatives for unbiased builders? What recommendation would you give builders contemplating attending conferences?
I consider that simply asking inquiries to fellow builders will assist indie builders enhance drastically. You possibly can be taught a lot from their expertise. You possibly can present them your recreation, and a few of the tiniest modifications within the recreation can result in a big effect on how your recreation performs.
An instance story from us can be this: the degrees in Tiny Fantasy was fairly quick. One other studio proprietor suggested us to make every degree longer to incentivize gamers to “revive” once they die within the center, as it will be extra irritating to start out over on an extended degree. Ultimately, the “revive” mechanic is likely one of the most revenue-generating points.
What’s your studio at the moment engaged on? Is there something you may share with us?
We simply launched a brand new recreation referred to as Return-To-Earth, which is on the market on iOS and Google Play. It’s primarily based on the theme of an area elevator the place the heroine is caught on the high and should battle her means down by robots and aliens. It’s a tremendous fast-paced sci–fi shooter RPG with simple controls.
We’re additionally working onerous to develop a next-gen motion RPG, which ought to be out in Summer time 2024.
Need to point out off your thrilling new recreation? All particulars for Very Huge Indie Pitch at Pocket Gamer Connects London 2024, together with easy methods to enter, might be discovered on our upcoming occasions web page on BigIndiePitch.com.
When you simply wish to attend the convention, then tickets for Pocket Gamer Connects London 2024 (22-23 January) might be discovered on the Pocket Gamer Connects Web site, with mid-term reductions nonetheless at the moment obtainable.
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