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 Massive Indie Pitch, the favored pitching competitors that is been offering builders with perception, suggestions, and prizes for years. It is also nice enjoyable! In truth, solely not too long ago, the group spoke with the organiser Sophia Aubrey Drake for her reminiscences and ideas.
What higher solution to rejoice ten years of Pocket Gamer Connects than by reconnecting with a few of our most profitable builders? On this ongoing 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 Massive Indie Pitch in 2024.
First up, we’re catching up with Jeroen Janssen from Completely happy Volcano, winner of our first-ever PC version of The Massive Indie Pitch and considered one of our runner-ups on the Massive Indie Awards 2017, to be taught extra about their previous, current and future.
Sophia Aubrey Drake: Please introduce your self and the group.
Jeroen Janssen: I am the CEO of Completely happy Volcano. We’re a smallish Indie recreation studio from Belgium. We have labored on video games equivalent to You Suck At Parking and The Virtually Gone, and even earlier than that, a small cell recreation known as Lava Fever. We’re about 20 folks proper now, 10 in Belgium and one other 10 unfold over everywhere in the world, principally distant. Proper now, we’re engaged on two new video games that we’re very enthusiastic about.
You’ve been a part of the pitch on quite a few events. You not solely received the first-ever PC Version of The Massive Indie Pitch however have been considered one of our runner-ups at The Massive Indie Awards 2017 in Shenzhen, China. What first made you need to be part of the pitch?
On the time we first attended the Pitch in Brighton throughout Develop, we have been nonetheless pretty unknown as a studio. So we thought that being part of any award could be good for us as a result of that helps offer you pedigree and a status. It additionally helps with issues like advertising and marketing, as you might have a superb probability of being featured on Pocket Gamer, which additionally helps with Google hyperlinks and all of that stuff. So any awards are good, and we have been actually attempting to be a part of occasions and competitions the place attainable.
Once I noticed there was a Massive Indie Pitch throughout Develop:Brighton 2017, which we have been attending anyway, I believed it was an ideal alternative. We hadn’t utilized upfront, however I managed to enroll on the day. I bear in mind being very nervous as a result of I had no expertise in pitching again then. Nonetheless, going to those totally different tables and solely having 5 minutes to pitch our recreation to numerous units of skilled judges, actually taught me loads.
This primary expertise helped me hone the pitching fundamentals and learn to maintain a pitch. From one desk to the subsequent desk, I used to be in a position to replace my pitch and make it a little bit bit stronger primarily based on what the earlier set of judges had mentioned. This capability to adapt and develop rapidly was one other worthwhile ability I gained throughout my first pitch.
To today, I nonetheless use all of those expertise and take the identical method to pitching. Once I pitch our video games, say at Gamescom or GDC, usually, we’ll have 30 or 40 conferences in every week. I method every assembly as a mini-pitch and an opportunity to learn to enhance for the subsequent assembly, with a few of my greatest conferences reserved for later within the schedule to make sure that the pitch has been extensively honed and examined. So yeah, the pitch taught me a worthwhile life ability, too, I suppose!
This capability to adapt and develop rapidly was one other actually worthwhile ability I gained throughout my first pitch
Jeroen Janssen, Completely happy Volcano
What was probably the most difficult side? Was there something you weren’t anticipating?
Except for really having to pitch? I’m naturally very introverted, or no less than I used to be again then. Again then, we had solely simply began our studio, and I used to be very shy. You then’re thrown to the wolves, and also you simply need to dive into it.
I say you’re thrown to the wolves, however I wasn’t anticipating how good and pleasant the judges are. They actually attempt to put you relaxed, particularly after they see that you simply’re nervous. In addition they ask good questions. They begin with easy questions after which go to the arduous questions as soon as you might be settled in. They’ve been a pleasure to pitch to.
What occurred with The Virtually Gone and You Suck At Parking following the pitch? Did your expertise as part of The Massive Indie Pitch impression your growth and subsequent launch?
The judges offer you suggestions not solely in your pitch but in addition in your recreation, and it’s good as a result of they arrive from very totally different backgrounds. They’re journalists, publishers, scouts, skilled builders, and many others. This actually helped us, each as a studio and when it got here to our video games.
What occurred? Properly, The Virtually Gone received signed by Playdigious, which we have been actually actually glad about, and it’s out now on PC, cell and Nintendo Swap. We received a lot of superb suggestions. We did discover that folks both actually love the sport, or don’t perceive it, and that’s high quality (primarily based on the suggestions and evaluations, most individuals are within the love class). Total, we have been actually proud of every part as a result of it was the sport that received us going as a studio and confirmed that we might make a top quality recreation.
You Suck At Parking was a rollercoaster trip, albeit a superb rollercoaster trip. We began with the sport as a single-player recreation, like a type of motion racing recreation, and that is the model we pitched at The Massive Indie Pitch. Then we confirmed it to Hiro Capital, they usually appreciated the sport. So that they they made an funding in us, which clearly gave us a little bit cash to make the sport greater. And so we modified it from a single-player recreation to a multiplayer recreation, with complete seasons and continued post-release content material.
Nonetheless, when this all took place, the single-player model was principally finished. So including the multiplayer model after we thought we have been completed, porting it to all the consoles and including a bodily launch was a number of work. Actually, it was actually arduous to do all of that. However it was a worthwhile expertise, and now we’re in a greater place to do this once more. Yeah, it was some powerful instances and really worrying, however ultimately, we launched You Suck At Parking on all main platforms to a extremely good reception. We’re actually happy with it.
You’ve grown, realized loads, taken on extra challenges and launched some profitable video games. What would you contemplate your greatest change as a group because the Massive Indie Pitch?
The most important change needs to be our progress by way of personnel and our expertise. After we received the funding we got the likelihood to rent extra senior folks. Earlier than this, we have been a really junior group. I might even embody us founders in that, too, as we had no earlier expertise in video games as a result of we had come from promoting.
So, we had a really junior group. Although I need to stress it was an excellent group, and I’m actually happy with them. Fortunately, each member of that group remains to be with us, although they’re clearly not juniors anymore.
However the funding, alongside our rising status, gave us the flexibility and the cash to herald extra people who find themselves extra senior and have extra expertise, which, after all, brings one thing else into the studio. Bringing in additional senior, skilled folks additionally helps your junior folks be taught quicker as a result of now they’ve a wealth of information and assist backing them up. This shift within the construction of our group is certainly the largest change we’ve skilled over the past couple of years.
The video games business is consistently evolving. How arduous is it to outlive as an indie developer? How have you ever handled all of the modifications because you have been part of The Massive Indie Pitch?
It’s actually actually arduous proper now. Surviving your first recreation is the toughest half. In fact, surviving your second or third recreation isn’t precisely straightforward, however issues get simpler with every launch. So it does get higher, however it’s powerful proper now, particularly beginning up an organization. There may be nonetheless some huge cash, however it’s a must to work arduous for it.
For instance, the funding we received wasn’t straightforward, however it was loads simpler in comparison with now. Proper now, valuations are very low, and the due diligence could be very excessive. It additionally takes loads longer to get from A to Z, and that’s true for each fairness funding and publishers and platforms as nicely. Platforms have all the time been slower as a result of they’re so large, however it takes a very long time these days to get the cash that that you must make your recreation. I feel that’s a giant problem that we’ve proper now.
Is there any recommendation you’ll give to indie builders primarily based in your expertise?
That’s a troublesome query. Regardless of being comparatively small, we’re so far-off from after we began Completely happy Volcano, and the way issues have been on this planet again then. Issues are so totally different proper now.
If I needed to begin an organization by bootstrapping it with none cash, I might in all probability do the identical that we did again then and begin after hours with a really tightly scoped recreation, specializing in simply getting it on the market as quickly as attainable. I really feel that is good recommendation. Give attention to making a tightly-scoped high quality recreation and launch it as quickly as you’ll be able to. This recreation can then act as a showcase for you and your growth shifting ahead. It shouldn’t be an RPG with over 10,000 hours of playtime, as there’s a superb probability you received’t have the ability to end it. Make a small recreation displaying your love for the enterprise and your expertise, and work your method up. That’s what we did, and it’s what I might do right this moment if I needed to do it once more.
Give attention to making a tightly scoped high quality recreation and launch it as quickly as you’ll be able to. This recreation can then act as a type of showcase for you
Jeroen Janssen, Completely happy Volcano
How vital is attending conferences, competitions and networking alternatives for unbiased builders? What recommendation would you give builders contemplating attending occasions?
It’s every part. Constructing a community of friends, particularly different studios, is so vital. We’ve received a extremely good community right here in Belgium. Sure, it’s small, however everyone knows one another nicely, and there’s no competitors as a result of everyone is growing totally different video games. So, we consistently be taught from one another and supply assist wherever we are able to.
Growing this sort of community is so vital, and I feel conferences are a significant a part of that. For instance, through the pandemic, because of all the digital conferences, we have been nonetheless in a position to join and communicate to folks to make these vital connections. In some ways, it was loads simpler for some builders. Now, it’s a bit more durable as a result of it’s a must to journey, and that’s not for everyone. It’s a must to have the means and the time to do it. Nonetheless, even going to native conventions and getting your self out there’s so vital.
By means of rising our community, we’ve now received to the purpose the place if I need to present our newest recreation to publishers, there’s a superb probability I’ve a contact, and if I don’t, I probably know somebody who does. This not solely helps pace the method up and be sure that we get seen but in addition improves the suggestions we get again from publishers.
What’s your studio at present engaged on? Is there something you’ll be able to share with us?
As I alluded to within the first query, we do at present have two video games in growth that we hope to have the ability to reveal extra about quickly, as we’re actually enthusiastic about them each. Nonetheless, what’s attention-grabbing that I can share is that we’re engaged on each of those video games concurrently as we need to launch one recreation per 12 months and turn out to be a multi-project studio.
That is one other large change for us, one which exhibits our progress as a studio. As you realize, making video games is actually arduous and actually lengthy. You’re employed for 2 or three years on a recreation, counting on the income out of your earlier video games, which does quickly cut back after launch. So, having a launch yearly would imply that we are able to generate constant income yearly, and that would assist us develop the studio even quicker.
Need to indicate off your thrilling new recreation? All particulars for Very Massive Indie Pitch at Pocket Gamer Connects London 2024, together with how one can enter, may be discovered on our upcoming occasions web page on BigIndiePitch.com.
In the event you simply need to attend the convention, then tickets for Pocket Gamer Connects London 2024 (22-23 January) may be discovered on the Pocket Gamer Connects Web site, with mid-term reductions nonetheless at present accessible.
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