I’m pretty excited to say that Star Hammer Tactics for PSP has reached beta. All of the games functionality has been written, all of the artwork created, all of the sound effects are making sounds…
So, what now? Well, testing and publishing.
I’ve come to realize over the last few years just how important the publishing part is. As a young plucky coder, I thought that developers did all of the work. We make the games. What else could there possible be to it? Step 1, Game idea. Step 2, Code, Step 3, Release game on unsuspecting public. Right?
Well, not quite.
Publishers in the games industry are generally seen as lumbering giants of organizations, corporate fat cats preying on developers and milking them for all they are worth. (Or at least that’s the view of many developers). Deals are done often in a skewed way that ensures that the publisher takes the least amount of risk, and seemly gets the greatest reward if a game is a hit. (This post I read last week was quite interesting!)
Whether this view is correct or true or fair, I’ve decided that for now at least, Black Lab Games will self-publish through digital distribution outlets. Services such as Xbox Live and the PlayStation Store are moderately accessible to smaller developers, compared with the various retail outlets on offer for boxed games.
Lately I’ve been getting Star Hammer Tactics ready for release on the PlayStation® Store – soon it will be available for anybody with a PlayStation Network account, and a PSP or a PS3. All games on the PS Store require an age rating. That means PEGI in Europe, and ESRB in the US, so I’ve been signing up Black Lab Games to these various organisations, and I’ll have to spend time submitting the game to get is age rated.
At the start of a project, when you’re designing game systems, code systems, presentations of the game etc, tasks like getting the game classified aren’t really on your mind. However such tasks are part of the broad ranging area of “publishing”, and without completing them, the game will never be played by anyone (other than the developers).
There is a lot more to be an independent game developer that just writing code and doing art!
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to plan an advertising campaign.
L8r, Paul
