I've decided to expand on the pitch post a bit more since my previous post doesn't do justice to some of the elements on the pitch. However, before I get into the nitty-gritty of the pitch document I would like to speak to you about documentation in general.
You see, the more people there are working on a project, the more documentation is required. A lot of projects fail due to lack or inadequacy of documentation (I will not use percents!). It is equally important to have proper documentation and also to have a way (system) to distribute those documents and information to whomever might need it. No point in having a lengthy and descriptive design document that cannot be accessed by your staff on demand, but rather just sitting in a folder on your laptop. There are many websites that provide Source Control for documents or you can setup a server at your office.
Back to the pitch! As we discussed before the pitch should be brief, to a publisher (and a goblin) time is money! Usually before pitching to any one publisher you should consider if said publisher is right for your game. Believe me when I say if a publisher has no prior experience or any titles in your game's genre they will rarely get on board. If you do your homework you will know what games a certain publisher is looking for and that knowledge might save you some time. On the other hand identifying the perfect publisher for your game will increase your chances. Now comes a part that developers hate to admit to themselves. Generally it is less effective to pitch a game similar to another game that a publisher has recently released. I am sure you might believe that your game is the most original ever, but in the gaming industry it is rare to come up with truly new and innovative designs.
Let's talk about the document itself. This goes without saying but... the pitch is a proper formal document, you should not have any spelling or grammar mistakes. It is a very bad impression. This document will be looked over by multiple people!
The Overview (Again!)
What I missed to mention in my previous post is that this section is the first thing the reader lays their eyes upon. Its main purpose is to spark interest in the reader with the use of adjectives and flashy words. I consider the strongest opening is always with the name of the game you are pitching and a few strong words that describe the game, i.e "Garden Horror is a Innovative, Fast Paced, Action/Tower Defense game...". Although be careful not to overdo it.
Showcasing work
It is presumed that if your high concept (or if you just got a meeting with a publisher) got approved you would have had time to prepare some additional goodies to present as well. One of the most common things to present is artwork. All words description is fine but if you present some artwork pieces this gives your project a whole new feel. Now you are sharing your vision with the publisher. A picture is worth a thousand words as they say and an image of your main character for example might be worth a lot to the publisher as well. Additionally you are looking at things like car models and tracks for racing games, weapons and armor concepts for an RPG as well as environmental artwork. Now, a fortunate side-effect of showcasing art is reinforcing credibility in your team which is, believe me when I say, oh so very crucial!
The Main Body
This is the reason I wanted to expand on the pitch since I did not touch extensively on this part of the document before. In the main body you are looking to include a lot of relevant information. This includes a description of the gameplay (i.e. what does the player do in the game) as well as explain what is referred to as the HOOK (more on the hook in one of my future posts). You are also looking at things like game controls and some of the game setting. If your game is in an existing IP (Intellectual Property, i.e. Star Wars) you should explain how it ties to the main story and characters if it does, and how it uses the setting in general.
The next important part of the main body is the walkthrough. Some might say this is optional, I say it ties well with a demo if you have one. The idea is that you describe, step by step, a small timeframe of gameplay (preferably from the demo) but rather try and artistically convey how it would feel when the game is completed. A reader should be able to read this portion and imagine what the finished version of your demo level should look, feel and play out. It should almost always be written from the player's perspective. This part in addition to the demo is a proof of concept type-a-thing where it attempts to reinforce the validity of your gameplay ideas.
Multiplayer Features
If your game relies heavily on multiplayer make this separate sections within the main body and spend some time describing the multiplayer features you plan on having. Keep in mind that multiplayer games generally have more competitors on the market, thus make sure this section answers questions like "How will your game be different than what Call of Duty does?"
The Back of the Box
Figuratively of course, but you have seen the back of a game's box. You will almost always find several key features that define the game. Here write your game's key features. For example you might have something like: (I put more just because it is fun, but usually you need about five of those)
* Long non-linear levels (generally good, depends)
* X hours of gameplay (generally bad as a feature point in my opinion)
* User generated content (a very good feature point)
* Dynamic inventory system (I don't know what that is, but it sounds cool!)
* Your decisions truly impact the world - make or unmake kings! (Too many games claim that, then again if you really have that in your game, kudos!)
* More than 300 different cars (very good feature to have in a racing game, hopefully the cars handle differently though..)
* Stealth like you have never experienced it before (vision and sound!) (Now this sounds cool)
* 3 Unique races (Good feature if the next is true)
* Balanced competitive gameplay
I had some fun with those didn't I? :) Back to the pitch now.
Target Demographics
This one is of great importance to the publisher. It should include the target audience you are aiming for. This lets the publisher know from the get go how and where to market your game. Are you looking at a broad audience or a specific target group, in any case this information should be included. Remember that a Runebound universe remake of the tabletop adventure games is looking at a very specific target audience and if marketed improperly it might alienate the very people that like Runebound. On the other extreme an FPS game set in the Call of Duty universe should be marketed broadly. Here you might also make an argument for the viability of your game on the market. If you are looking to exploit a niche that has not been filled for a while (he he there is a dirty joke in there somewhere) do back your claims with some research and numbers.
This goes without saying but, don't make shit up! They will know.
PC/Mac/Xbox/Playstation/Wii/Other
In other words, platforms. Make sure you define for which of those you will be developing your game. Keep in mind some or leaning towards certain markets more than others. It's a horrible cliche but let's say it - Playstation and Xbox cater to hardcore crowds and Nintendo's Wii is more of a casual console. These notions are not always true of course, but keep that in mind.
Ship Date
First and foremost, if you are developing a game with an year in its title, for god's sake, release it that year. It usually aims to capitalize on an event and it would be stupid to have FIFA 2011 released February 2012. Here you are approximating a release date, not pinpointing it! This is something that would make the publisher feel a bit safer so you should get it right. It is a matter of project management and planning mostly. Have your project manager draw up plans, contingency plans for those plans and then some more. Come up with a realistic date that also gives you some buffer in case anything goes wrong, which it will most certainly will. Keep expectations within reason is what I am trying to say.
Budget
Read the previous post, the budget part is pretty hashed out there. Maybe in addition I would say also, add potential investors that might back you up. There is quite a bit more to say about budgets, but it does not concern the pitch. I will try and make a post out of it sometime if I can.
Conclusion
Finally, you are at the end, but what more to say?! As I mentioned before, credibility is key in the pitch. Showcase your team as much as possible. Say things like - "The world renowned author and the Lore Guy behind such hits as Dark Night, Darkness in the Dark and Darkadia - Darko Darkov is a member of the team and already hard at work on our next title.". It is also a good idea if you mention previous titles you have done as a company (if you have).
So in conclusion of this post, I believe this is quite an extensive explanation of the pitch document. Just a little piece of advice, always give it to someone for proofreading. Preferably someone not involved in the project (make sure they sign a non-disclosure agreement first though!), if they get excited about your idea you are on the right track. If they are confused or indifferent you still have some work to do.
The HOOK - I will try and compile information and make a sensible post explaining what hooks are in presenting games, how they work, what types there are and how to use them for greater effect. In short though, a hook is a piece of information that makes you go "Really? I'd play that!". For example saying that your game's story is written by George R.R. Martin and Peter Jackson is an executive producer on the project. This is a type of hook.
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Until next time.
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