How to Succeed in the Indie Games Business, with Jay Powell

Playmakers - The Game Industry Podcast

In this episode:

Jordan sits down with Jay Powell, the founder of The Powell Group, a video game consulting firm specializing in business development, publishing support, and licensing. Jay has over 20 years of experience in the games industry, working with companies like Other Ocean, Spill Games, and Deep Silver. He also leads the Indie Game Business Initiative, which produces a weekly podcast and virtual business conferences to help indie developers understand the business and marketing side of game development.

Jay shares his insights on how indie developers can strategize their approach to publishers, avoid common business mistakes, and navigate the publishing landscape in a post-pandemic world.

Topics covered:

• How to strategize your approach to publishers as an indie developer
• Avoiding common business mistakes made by small studios
• Current opportunities in the game development market for indie devs
• The impact of the pandemic on publishing for indie and small teams
• The role of platforms like Microsoft Game Pass in today’s distribution landscape

For more game industry tips:

• Learn more about Jordan & Bright Black
• Listen on iTunes | Spotify (Support the show and leave a review)
• Visit www.playmakerspodcast.com for the full blog post and more!

Timestamps:

[03:28] Jay’s career journey and how he started The Powell Group

[06:15] The biggest mistakes indie developers make when approaching publishers

[10:48] Understanding the publishing landscape and your options

[14:00] How to prioritize your pitch to publishers

[18:10] The role of playable demos in pitching your game

[22:36] The impact of COVID-19 on indie game development and publishing

[27:50] Opportunities in the market for indie developers

[32:06] The role of platforms like Microsoft Game Pass in indie game distribution

[35:40] Jay’s advice for indie developers

Resources & media mentioned in this episode:

Connect with Jay Powell:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter

Learn more about The Powell Group and Indie Games Business:

• The Powell Group
• Check out The Indie Game Business Podcast
• Indie Game Business
• Indie Game Business - Twitch
• Get your free list of over 600 game publishers!

Games,platforms, & companies mentioned:

• Microsoft Game Pass
• Spill Games
• Deep Silver
• Other Ocean
• Steam
• Amazon Luna
• Google Stadia