Christophe De bont 
27/10/2021
Interesting question, wouldn’t you say? It’s certainly an interesting topic for a healthy debate. That’s exactly what’s on offer during the next Expert Day Games our lovely compadres over at Flanders DC are organizing. Taking place on Friday 19th of November from 12 until 18 in the hallowed halls of The Level in Kortrijk, the event is all about experienced studio leaders sharing their insights on how they walked the path to profit.
Expect answers on questions like: should I build a studio on work for hire or focus on my own IP? Should I consider a crowdfunding campaign for my next project? Is it a good idea for me to start working with a publisher? What’s this early access thing? There might be no definitive answers or silver bullet solutions, but attendees should walk away with a better understanding of what’s the best revenue model for their company.
After a complimentary lunch and introduction, hot takes are being served during a panel conversation with I-Illusions captain Dirk Van Welden, Triangle Factory CEO Timothy Vanherberghen, and Cybernetic Walrus co-founder Mike Coeck. They will explain the lessons they’ve learned while building their studio and perhaps re-evaluate some of their choices if they had to start all over again in 2021.
Following the panel discussion, there’s a couple of sofa sessions where experts will go in-depth on a certain topic that is close to your interests. The four sessions are:
- Crowdfunding: Karel Crombecq and his associate Wim De Hert hit the Kickstarter jackpots with their AI mapmaking tool Dungeon Alchemist last year. He’ll talk you through how they pulled this off, what the key ingredients and preparations were and if there are there any pitfalls. (spoiler: there are and they can be costly).
- Work-for-hire: Mike Coeck explains how he made work-for-hire an invaluable asset to the growth of his company Cybernetic Walrus. He explains how he made this happen, what projects you should focus on and how you keep the balance between work-for-hire and developing your own IP.
- Investor deals: Triangle Factory’s Timothy Vanherberghen is no stranger when it comes to structural partnerships. Having worked on many a succesful crossmedial productions (Switch, De Slimste Mens ter Wereld) and maintaining a strong partnership with The Park Playground, he saw Telenet take a stake in the studio. An expert on the topic, he will share his experiences with different types of investors and give his views on how to prepare.
- Publishers: Ah, publishers: boon and nightmare of many a video game developer at the same time. It can be tempting to work with them to focus on all the stuff you can’t (or don’t have time to) do yourself. But there’s plenty of players out there. How can you tell the good’uns from the devils in disguise? You’ll learn all about publishing agreements during this session (expert to be announced).
Afterwards, it’s possible to schedule a one-to-one meeting with the experts. Should your information sensory overloads reach a critical level by then, you can sit back, relax and have a chat with the other attendees during a network drink.
You can sign up for the event here. Participation (including lunch and drinks) is € 40 (VAT excl.), but there’s a € 10 discount for FLEGA members (use code FLEGA21). We don’t know about you, but saving a tenner seems like a good first step on your path to profit.
