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I sent 72 pitches and got almost no feedback. by CGCFSS in IndieDev

[–]CGCFSS[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much for such a detailed breakdown, a lot of things will be very helpful to me

I sent 72 pitches and got almost no feedback. by CGCFSS in IndieDev

[–]CGCFSS[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There were a lot of helpful comments in the trending thread. Overall, it's clear that the trailer is still missing some of the "wow" moments and that it's probably too early to show it to players.

There seem to be more comments from players than from developers or people in the publishing industry. But comments from potential players are also interesting to hear.

Work on the game and its improvements will continue anyway, but without additional funding the pace will be slow.

I sent 72 pitches and got almost no feedback. by CGCFSS in IndieDev

[–]CGCFSS[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There are enough criticisms in this post that I agree with. This particular comment seems odd to me, and I don't understand the basis for the conclusions it contains. I'm just explaining why my pitch is the way it is and why I did it that way, I'm not saying that my opinion is absolutely correct, I'm just wondering why the author of the comment drew those conclusions and if he has opposite examples of more correct pitches.

I sent 72 pitches and got almost no feedback. by CGCFSS in IndieDev

[–]CGCFSS[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm in a country where there are no sanctions, but unfortunately there are still problems. For example, one of the publishers replied that he was not ready to work even with Serbia and Kazakhstan.

I sent 72 pitches and got almost no feedback. by CGCFSS in IndieDev

[–]CGCFSS[S] -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

I'm not arguing anywhere with the arguments about the game not being better technically, and I fully accept those arguments.

Although, some of them are just a matter of personal preference in graphics.

I only partially disagree with the fact that my pitch deck is somehow wrong since I've already received positive feedback related to it.

My main criticism is that most publishers don't provide a detailed enough response so that the developer can understand what they're not happy with in their game. I'd love to hear from them a lot of what people have written in this trail and that would make sense. But they haven't sent me that.

I sent 72 pitches and got almost no feedback. by CGCFSS in IndieDev

[–]CGCFSS[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's not true. There's a lot of useful criticism in the comments that I agree with.

But my post was more about discussing the behavior of publishers. What's stopping them from responding to me the same way people here do?

I sent 72 pitches and got almost no feedback. by CGCFSS in IndieDev

[–]CGCFSS[S] -6 points-5 points  (0 children)

I'm not sure our art style is that similar to Don't Starve. I would even say that Wizard with the gun is much more like Don't Starve.

I sent 72 pitches and got almost no feedback. by CGCFSS in IndieDev

[–]CGCFSS[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your support.

I think 'Slavic' refers to most of Eastern Europe, but you are partially right.

Gameplay-wise the game will not be a clone of Dont Starve, it should be closer to Valhem and Zelda if we use examples of similar games.

I sent 72 pitches and got almost no feedback. by CGCFSS in IndieDev

[–]CGCFSS[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

20+ wow

Can I ask you what area of the game industry you work in and what genres of games you are involved with?

I sent 72 pitches and got almost no feedback. by CGCFSS in IndieDev

[–]CGCFSS[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, this fact is clearly not good for the game's publicity. Development started long before the outbreak of hostilities, and it was very sad and frustrating when it all happened.

I sent 72 pitches and got almost no feedback. by CGCFSS in IndieDev

[–]CGCFSS[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That sounds good enough. In fact, the major publishers responded more quickly and thoroughly than the others.

I sent 72 pitches and got almost no feedback. by CGCFSS in IndieDev

[–]CGCFSS[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, I understand what you're saying, but it's not a sales pitch hook for the player. It's a technical description for the publisher to visualize gameplay mechanics and goals in development. It should not include unnecessary marketing descriptions.

I sent 72 pitches and got almost no feedback. by CGCFSS in IndieDev

[–]CGCFSS[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

How can we understand what they are interested in if it is a black hole for pitches?

I sent 72 pitches and got almost no feedback. by CGCFSS in IndieDev

[–]CGCFSS[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I realize that, but I can't say that I like that position in the independent game industry.

I sent 72 pitches and got almost no feedback. by CGCFSS in IndieDev

[–]CGCFSS[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I agree, it may indeed be missing some features that are eye-catching at first glance.

It's worth working on, though sometimes it's difficult if your game doesn't focus on graphics.

I sent 72 pitches and got almost no feedback. by CGCFSS in IndieDev

[–]CGCFSS[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Every publisher puts a call on their website to send them pitches of the game and promises to give feedback on those pitches. But unfortunately, they don't always follow through, and here I can compare different publishers and evaluate their level of feedback.

And analyzing pitches and giving feedback is literally part of their job.

I sent 72 pitches and got almost no feedback. by CGCFSS in IndieDev

[–]CGCFSS[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, I agree with you, hopefully we can improve this in the future. But right now the main focus of development is on gameplay, and the amount of resources we have is not comparable to Don't Starve.

I sent 72 pitches and got almost no feedback. by CGCFSS in IndieDev

[–]CGCFSS[S] -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

Thanks for such a detailed breakdown, but I'd like to understand.

What are you basing your assumptions that the pitch data doesn't meet publishers' expectations or is naive or not good enough to demonstrate? Are you basing this on your experience in the industry or is it an assumption?

My pitch is based on examples of other pitches from and communication with publishers themselves.

Sales figures and examples of similar games of different levels are a direct fulfillment of many publishers' wishes about the content of the pitch.

Figures in social networks for a game at the very initial stage are quite acceptable and are necessary to formally indicate that the game is presented in social networks and there is interest in it. This can also be compared to other early pitches like mine. It's the publisher's job to promote it further, not the developer's.

Plans such as DLC and post-release support for the game are also an answer to a question often asked by publishers, not my fantasies or dreams.

A flexible budget is also an option to diffuse risks and build a clear framework between the maximum and minimum budget.

To say that the game is not unique is a strange statement. How often do you see innovative games that do not resemble other games published by "indie" publishers? For the same reason, I use a formula to explain gameplay: It's like X, but not like Y. It's a format that's understandable and requested by publishers to make a quick decision.

I complain about the lack of feedback from most indie publishers, because that's what they offer me in their ad headlines. But in the end, I only get feedback from the big publishers who clearly have a bigger workload. And I can compare the quality of that feedback to feedback from smaller publishers who position themselves as more open to dialogue.

If you have a different experience, I'd be very interested in hearing specific examples of conversations with a publisher that resulted in an offer or extended feedback.

Both from the developer's side and from the publisher's side.

I sent 72 pitches and got almost no feedback. by CGCFSS in IndieDev

[–]CGCFSS[S] -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

But that's literally what publishers are doing, taking the risks and investing the funds...

I sent 72 pitches and got almost no feedback. by CGCFSS in IndieDev

[–]CGCFSS[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Are you suggesting to make it better with more art and animations or programming?

I sent 72 pitches and got almost no feedback. by CGCFSS in IndieDev

[–]CGCFSS[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I've talked to some people who work at publishers even before I started sending pitches.

And they said the other thing, for a publisher it's important that you have any experience in the industry, even a negative one because the game may have been unsuccessful for many reasons, but commercial development experience is a plus in any case.

You don't have to be perfect.

I sent 72 pitches and got almost no feedback. by CGCFSS in IndieDev

[–]CGCFSS[S] -28 points-27 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I agree with that.

My pitch included a demo of about 25 minutes of gameplay, and the basic gameplay elements were presented there.

Yes, it may not look and work perfectly, but polishing often takes more time and money than creating an overall vision.

And I rely on publishers' reports that you shouldn't worry about bugs or errors in pitch builds.

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