How to get a Publisher? Thread

So, I just recently started my own studio, and while we can release the game on our own with a small kickstarter, I'd really like a publisher to help bring in more profits, that way we can work on more ambitious projects in the future. I already talked to one publisher (3D Realms) who stated that they liked the idea, but it didn't fit their marketing strategy right now, and needed polish (and a demo or vertical slice). I can understand why, but does anyone on here have tips to help get publishers more interested in the game? Or do I just need to write a better pitch?

Hello, Dakota here from Living Dream Entertainment.

If you want a publisher you either need a history of successful games behind your back or a very, very promising vertical slice. In business, and being a developer is indeed business, everything is a matter of risk and benefit. Everyone needs a bit of history to prove they can at least make a game start to finish before getting a publisher to back them.

Hope that helps and I wish you the best,
Dakota President/Founder

Yeah, that's pretty much what Mike at 3D Realms said. Thanks for the input!

Wise words

If you don't want to do a Kickstarter you can leverage Social Proof. This is just an idea...

- Put up a Lead Page online (make sure the domain is rockin, literally a single page)
- Make sure the page has an amazing Trailer (even if it's just sliding images and such, music needs to be top notch)
- Make sure if people are interested in getting this game they can enter their email
- Once you have a specific amount of emails with interested people use this number (of interested people) as social proof that a market for the game is real to the publisher (they LOVE to know an audience is ready to spend money)

Think of it as a way to validate your idea in a very passive way. Totally might work or it might sink to the bottom of the ocean of dead dreams, but at least you tried something.

Thanks mondog. Right now we're slated to have a demo done for June 15th, and I'm going to start advertising for people to be a play tester. All they have to do is fill out a small thirteen question survey (11 of which are yes or no, or 1-10 answers).

nstav13, have you actually contacted any publishers? I think the biggest thing that makes your game not get published is neglecting to attempt to make contact with a publisher. Everybody will give you your ABC's on social proof and proving to these guys that your game is worth being published, but if you right a profound email, send an awesome game, and start up a conversation, that is what gets you published. It is the publisher's job to ensure sales, that's the reason you get a publisher in the first place. You don't need to prove that people are into your game, because the publisher themselves have a social following. "Oh, look at this new Devolver game, this new Adult Swim game, the guys who published Terraria, etc."

Yes I have. I contacted 3D Realms, but they decided to pass because we didn't have a demo and they felt a horror game wouldn't fit their current marketing strategy. Since then, we've been hard at work on a demo which should be ready on the fifteenth. After it's done we're going to start showing off to publishers. While they may the ones with a social following, I am still going to allow the community to play the demo. I'd love feedback from other people, and they may provide insight or an idea that we have't thought of that could make the game much better.