{"id":1565,"date":"2019-01-28T22:02:31","date_gmt":"2019-01-28T22:02:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fundamentally.games\/knowledge-base\/?p=1565"},"modified":"2023-01-31T12:35:10","modified_gmt":"2023-01-31T12:35:10","slug":"adapt-or-disrupt-a-practical-guide-to-surviving-in-a-golden-age-of-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fundamentally.games\/knowledge-base\/adapt-or-disrupt-a-practical-guide-to-surviving-in-a-golden-age-of-games\/","title":{"rendered":"ARTICLE: Adapt Or Disrupt: A Practical Guide To Surviving In A Golden Age Of Games"},"content":{"rendered":"

[fusion_builder_container background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” type=”legacy” border_sizes_top=”0px” border_sizes_bottom=”0px” border_sizes_left=”0px” border_sizes_right=”0px”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hover_type=”none” link=”” min_height=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”left top” undefined=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” padding_top=”0px” padding_right=”10%” padding_bottom=”0px” padding_left=”10%” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” last=”true” border_sizes_top=”0″ border_sizes_bottom=”0″ border_sizes_left=”0″ border_sizes_right=”0″ first=”true”][fusion_title title_type=”text” rotation_effect=”bounceIn” display_time=”1200″ highlight_effect=”circle” loop_animation=”off” highlight_width=”9″ highlight_top_margin=”0″ before_text=”” rotation_text=”” highlight_text=”” after_text=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” content_align=”center” size=”1″ font_size=”” animated_font_size=”” fusion_font_family_title_font=”” fusion_font_subset_title_font=”” fusion_font_variant_title_font=”” line_height=”” letter_spacing=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” margin_top_mobile=”” margin_bottom_mobile=”” text_color=”” animated_text_color=”” highlight_color=”” style_type=”none” sep_color=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=”” margin_top_small=”” margin_bottom_small=””]<\/p>\n

Adapt Or Disrupt: A Practical Guide To Surviving In A Golden Age Of Games<\/h1>\n

[\/fusion_title][fusion_separator style_type=”none” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” sep_color=”” top_margin=”20px” bottom_margin=”” border_size=”” icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”” alignment=”center” \/][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”default” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=””]<\/p>\n

Oscar Clark \u00a0 \u2022 \u00a0 January 28, 2019<\/p>\n

[\/fusion_text][fusion_separator style_type=”none” top_margin=”50px” alignment=”center” \/][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”default” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” content_alignment_medium=”” content_alignment_small=”” content_alignment=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” class=”” id=”” font_size=”” fusion_font_family_text_font=”” fusion_font_variant_text_font=”” line_height=”” letter_spacing=”” text_color=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=””]<\/p>\n

Lesson 1: ‘Hope is not a strategy’<\/strong> <\/span><\/h3>\n
\n

Professional games development has to be a considered act, with a business plan \u2013 assuming we want the chance to make the next game (and the next!).<\/p>\n

Doing what other people have done before won\u2019t bring you the success you hope for \u2013 there are already a dozen (if not hundreds) of games repeating other people\u2019s concepts. Instead, we need to decide if we are going to adapt or disrupt.<\/p>\n

Adapting requires a deep understanding of the market place of games and what the playing audience you are targeting wants (indeed needs).<\/p>\n

It also means appreciating the realities of how players will discover and engage with your game and building something which gives you the best chance for success.<\/p>\n

You must still want to build that game but you are not the target player; and the game should appeal to where the market is moving \u2013 not where the market has been.<\/p>\n

Disrupting is about having the confidence and creativity to redefine where the market will go next.<\/p>\n

This means bringing something completely new to the way content is developed or enjoyed, but is not necessarily just in terms of the visual\/art\/narrative of gameplay. Disruption can come in the way we deliver, support and charge for our game.<\/p>\n

Taking an established game model and applying it to a new platform, marketing approach or business model requires nearly as much creativity as developing a new form of gameplay.<\/p>\n

We still need a deep understanding of the market place – after all you can\u2019t innovate if you don\u2019t understand what is already there.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Lesson 2: Start with a vision<\/strong> <\/span><\/h3>\n
\n

Success is not just having a neat idea for a game. Ideas are important, but not inherently valuable without execution \u2013 indeed they can be dangerous for our survival if not managed well.<\/p>\n

Instead, we need to define our strategy into a vision. A simple statement that defines what we stand for as a team. This can be grand such as “we are going to redefine the way narrative games are played\u201d, to simple \u201cwe make games that players can play on the toilet\u201d.<\/p>\n

Vision statements need to describe a direction, not a destination for them to be practically useful. We need to be able to look at any decision we make as a team and ask if they get us closer to the vision or not. If they don\u2019t, we cut that feature.<\/p>\n

It helps if your vision focuses attention on player needs. That means thinking about what kind of experience players will get from our gameplay. For example, we could break this down into four types:<\/p>\n