Ever wonder what it would be like to create a AAA game with a skeleton crew, split between two developers, one publisher, one IP owner, and five individual IPs? Join two producers from Kongregate (Peter Eykemans and Katrina Wolfe) to hear how "Animation Throwdown" was created in an unusual way, and how they turned an incredible production problem into a major success.

1. Publishing 1
All the Families:
The Making of Animation Throwdown
Peter Eykemans
Senior Lead Producer, Kongregate Publishing
Katrina Wolfe
Studio Operations Manager, Kongregate 1st Party

2. Publishing 22
Kongregate
Web Platform
100,000+ Uploaded Games
PC Platform
Kartridge open beta in 2018
F2P Publisher
50+ Games
170M+ Downloads
Premium Publisher
Mobile, Steam, and Consoles

3. Publishing 3

4. Publishing 4
The Original Pitch
D1: 60%
D7: 40%
D30: 20%
ARPDAU: $0.85
ARPPU: $40
Buyer %: 3%
+ = Amazing
LTVs!

5. Publishing 5
Little
Alchemist
Tyrant Unleashed

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=
=
=
Production, Initial Design, Art, QA,
Approvals, IP Relationship
Retention, UI/UX, Client
Monetization, Events, Live-Servicing,
Server
The Roles

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3 very independent shops, not setup for coordinated development
● Synapse
●Monetization Experts
●Prototype and playtest-fast style
●Chicago, IL
● Chinzilla
●Retention Experts
●Thorough upfront design
●San Mateo, CA
● Kongregate
●Publisher
●San Francisco, CA
Structure

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Structure
● Overhead
● Meetings.
●Meetings about Meetings.
● Organization
● No consistent tracking system / experience with common systems
●Small shop development successful thus far

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Lessons about Structure
● Play to everyone’s strengths
● Pick tasking and get everyone on board
● Train if necessary
● Lots of overhead can be okay
● Learn from each other

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The Schedule
● End of 2014 - Initial pitch and kickoff.
● 2015 - Continued design and development
● Content creation
● November 2015 - Original launch date
● May 2016 - Test markets
● September 15, 2016 - Global launch

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Development
● Part-time contributors
● Design by democracy
● No consistent vision holder
● Design shifts required as project came together
● New to working with IP
● Content creation
● IP expectations

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Lessons from Development
● Prepare for Staffing
● Ensure as much full time support as you can
● Budget & time contingent
● Approvals = time
● Content = time
● Everyone makes mistakes
● Get everyone in the same place often
● Clear Creative Head
● Get input from the experts, but need
a single point of final decision making
● Not a reskin, plan for evolving features

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Working with IP (or five)
● Development Vision vs. IP Vision

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Lessons from working with IP
● It’s your game
● Your vision got this process started
● Respect the brand
● They have great ideas!
● But...it’s your game
● Find the balance
vs.

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Test Markets
● Standard Testing and revisions
● Difficulty balancing, checking win rates
● Research Timer AB Test
● How much time is right?
● Even Little Alchemist never tested it
● Statistically significant test ended after launch
● Follow the fun

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So how did it go?
(
)
+
x

21. Publishing 21
Key Takeaways
● Making games is hard
● Dedicated people can make great things happen
● Identify and play to your strengths
● Overhead can be okay if it saves development confusion later
● Pairing up features from different games requires evolution
● Get everyone in the same physical room as often as possible
● Trust your vision

22. Publishing 2222
Thank you
Peter Eykemans
@peykemans
Katrina Wolfe
@emeraldmist
@KongregateDevs
blog.kongregate.com