Someone must have the answer!

The most likely candidates would be the IDA and Enterprise Ireland I guess. Has anyone approached them or know of previous applications?? It would be nice to know what their impression is of the potential for a game’s company in Ireland.

I know it’s viewed as a very risky business BUT with potentially huge revenue. I think, in the end of the day, regardless of the type of business, investors such as the above are mainly interested in your business plan. If it makes sense and is realistic you’re off to a good start.

What about even a small start, like outsourced graphics, or localisation?

I would imagine that the government sponsered schemes would require some substantial private investment before they’ll pitch in with their own. What about the Venture Capitalist firms? I dont know how you go about researching who they are though!

just thoughts.

-mike

In response to Inch, setting up a company that performs a
service would be easier as it would be easier to show you
have a market. Basically, you show that there’s a requirement
for localising games that are already selling. Of course, that’s
no easy task. I have a background in localising games and there
are a few large companies that are doing that already. Plus,
with the likes of XBox, PS2 etc., games are being localised as
they are being developed, usually in house.

Raising money right now for anything tech is tough.

I would agree that getting started offering a service is much easier but I can’t speak specifically to the Games Console market. Be aware though that you more than likely will not get investment for a services company.

What a services company will do is let you pay the bills while you get on with developing your business plan (yes, dull for creative people but nonetheless essential), your management team (again maybe not the most interesting but essential), your Intellectual Property, and all of those other supporting items that are demanded by those you are courting for money. If you are feeling like any of these conditions is unfair, remember that he who pays the fiddler names the tune.

So what do you need to succeed? Patience. Persistence. A thick neck, you will be refused a lot. Find a way to survive while you are getting there, if you can do this through offering services in the games industry, all the better. It will take hard work unless you are lucky and there are no magic pills that I have found to date.

Sound depressing? :-) Well, I founded my company 2.5 years ago and it was the best decision I have made yet. It is hard work, mostly because you will demand higher standards of yourself than any previous employer ever did, but it is extremely rewarding and despite all the work, very liberating.

Regards,
Alan

If you’re a first time developer looking for investment, looking to venture capitalists isn’t really viable as they tend to invest larger sums of money than you’ll probably be looking for, so you’re too small a fish for them, but hey, you may get lucky.

Try the banks!

If they do approve a loan chances are its going to depend on you to finish the game in order for you to be able to pay the loan back, therefore its in their interest to make sure you do. If things start to get sticky at the end, they may be more willing to cover extra costs as they need the game finished too. This extra money is going to cost you large portions of your rights to the end product, but at least you’ll finish the game and have a completed life-cycle under your belt!

D.

If I was going to do this, I’d get a small team together and work part-time on it for nowt until we had a spiffy prototype. Then go tour the publishers. Only after signing a deal of some kind would I look for investment – and depending on the deal with the publisher that wouldn’t be necessary.

Another way to do it would be to start a company doing other software work, contracting, consultancy etc and at the end of a year or two plow the profits into developing a prototype full-time.

Either way I reckon that there is no viable business without a publishing deal for the game, so it’s very risky trying to get funding without that deal in place.

So, doing the prototype on a shoe-string, or doing it with your own money.. and then finishing the game with the publisher’s money – is that the model? Are there other ways?

D.

Hi,

There is one place where you can get a chance to meet some VC’s and pitch your idea to them is at the First Tuesday events.

The First Tuesday website is
@ FirstTuesday

xunil

I’ll agree with that, that’s where I met Aphra, Mal and the lads from Torc for the first time.

Aphra usually sticks anything relevant up on the GD.ie website, and if you haven’t been to one I’d recommend them, even just for purely informational purposes as well as getting the chance to meet people.

Jamie

My passion is for 3D environments (first person) and I’ve explored the options of licensing 3D engines which isn’t cheap.
Lithtech:
“Our pricing is based on a per-seat model, whereby Jupiter is priced at $10,000 per seat per project. We also charge a distribution fee of $25,000 upon gold master.”
The Unreal2 engine is a snip at $300,000

Also, engines have a short shelf-life so starting on a game now means releasing it in a world where the HL2 and DOOM3 engines are already 2+ years old. :(

I honestly believe that a love for gaming and an infinite supply of self motivation are essential qualities for anyone wishing to work on a game.
I would really like to work with an Irish team on a mod (maybe losing and gaining people along the way) before I would commit to a project that could take 3-4 years. I also feel that a successfully completed project would take the blank look off the team’s CV when it comes to looking for finance.

If anyone has modelling/mapping/scripting experience and is interested in working free on a mod as a precursor to a full game, reply here or drop me a line.
random@eircom.net
____________________

If Gunman Chronicles can do it, anyone can… :)

wayneleone I was wondering where do you work, mind me asking? :eek: I work in a similar field but its a bit confidential.