If you’re looking to get into the business of making games, you’ll encounter a lot of people telling you how difficult that is. But resources to guide you past those obstacles are rare. That’s where The Gamedev Business Book from author Mike Futter and Bithell Games comes in. This new work details the actions that studios can take to successfully build and sustain a studio. Futter has a background in business reporting, and he spoke with more than 25 industry pros to help provide examples of what works and what is risky.
Futter wrote The Gamedev Business Book with students and first-time developers in mind. It is available for preorder now at $20 for a digital copy and $30 for the hardcover. The book provides lessons on budgeting, hiring employees, protecting intellectual property, and more. Readers can even go online and interact with worksheets that help illuminate some of these concepts. The idea is to fill in a gap that college and universities tend to leave out of game-development courses.
“There are numerous educational programs doing a great job of preparing developers for much of what they’ll encounter in the industry,” Futter explained in a note to GamesBeat. “But mundane, and vital, business education seems to be a blind spot.”
The Gamedev Business Book features insights from Vlambeer developer Rami Ismail, Romero Games luminary Brenda Romero, and more. Futter wants to use the experience of successful industry professionals to provide a crash course for the next generation of creators.
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“We are heartened that the dozens of professionals we spoke with during our interview process expressed the same sentiment: this is something the industry needs,” said Futter.
This book also marks a new initiative from Mike Bithell’s Bithell Games, which is best known for the indie platformer Thomas Was Alone.
“I am incredibly proud to help bring Michael Futter’s work to game developers,” Bithell said. “One of the great privileges of running a slightly pretentiously self-titled company, is having the power to make things you hoped had existed on your way up exist. I wish I’d had access to the insights and structure that this book lays out. I’m excited to see how the world reacts to what’s been created here.”
