Four Arrows,
Five Questions
Jesse Schell
ABK Studio Summit
2019
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Questions are diamonds you hold in the light.
-Richard Bach
1979 2019
1979 2019
Player
Player
Player
Venue
Public
Venues
Arena
Theater
Museum
Private
Venues
Hearth Workbench Reading
Nook
Public / Private
Venues
Gaming TablePlayground
Anywhere
Anywhere
Gaming Table
Playground
Hearth
Workbench
Reading Nook
Theater
Arena
Museum
Private
Venues
Public
Venues
Anywhere
Gaming Table
Playground
Hearth
Workbench
Reading Nook
Theater
Arena
Museum
Anywhere
Gaming Table
Playground
Hearth
Workbench
Reading Nook
Theater
Arena
Museum
Anywhere
Gaming Table
Playground
Hearth
Workbench
Reading Nook
Theater
Arena
Museum
?
Anywhere
Gaming Table
Playground
Hearth
Workbench
Reading Nook
Theater
Arena
Museum
?
Anywhere
Gaming Table
Playground
Hearth
Workbench
Reading Nook
Theater
Arena
Museum
First
Question:
Anywhere
Gaming Table
Playground
Hearth
Workbench
Reading Nook
Theater
Arena
Museum
What venues
are best for
my game?
Player
Venue
What venues
are best for
my game?
Player
Venue
What venues
are best for
my game?
Player
Technology
Venue
What venues
are best for
my game?
Pattern1
Foundational Technology
Makes the Biggest Changes
FOUNDATION
Decoration
Mickey Mouse’s First Cartoon?
Steamboat Willie (November, 1928)
Plane Crazy (May, 1928)
Pattern2
Disruption
Time
ProductPerformance
Performance demanded at the
low end of the market or in a
new emerging segment
Performance demanded at the
high end of the market
Player
Technology
Venue
What venues
are best for
my game?
Player
Technology
Venue
What venues
are best for
my game?
What could
disrupt our
studio?.........
Disruptor
1
PC
Gaming
Mobile
Gaming
Cloud
Gaming
Time
ProductPerformance
Performance demanded at the
low end of the market or in a
new emerging segment
Performance demanded at the
high end of the market
Disruptor
2
1838!
2011
Palmer
Luckey
(age 20)
1968
Ivan
Sutherland
1884
Nipkow
Disk
1927
Philo
Farnsworth
(age 20)
TV
VR
43 Years Later
43 Years Later
Under 25
Lots of Interest
Can’t afford it
Over 25
Some Interest
Can afford it
Disruptor 3
Player
Technology
Venue
What venues
are best for
my game?
What could
disrupt our
studio?.........
Player
Technology
Venue
What venues
are best for
my game?
What could
disrupt our
studio?.........
Player
Technology
VenueFantasy
What venues
are best for
my game?
What could
disrupt our
studio?.........
Fantasy
Action
Economy
World
Story
Fantasy
Action
Economy
World
Story
More Flexible
Less Flexible
Fantasy
Action
Economy
World
Story
STORY
EVERYTHING
ELSE
Fantasy
Action
Economy
World
Story
STORY
EVERYTHING
ELSE
Fantasy
Action
Economy
World
Story
Fantasy
Action
Economy
World
Story
Fantasy
Action
Economy
World
Story
Fantasy
Action
Economy
World
Story
Fantasy
Action
Economy
World
Story
Fantasy
Action
Economy
World
Story
Fantasy
Action
Economy
World
Story
Fantasy
Action
Economy
World
Story
Fantasy
Action
Economy
World
Story
Fantasy
Action
Economy
World
Story
Fantasy
Action
Economy
World
Story
Fantasy
Action
Economy
World
Story
Fantasy
Action
Economy
World
Story
Strong worlds tend to be rooted in a single
medium…
…with a single creator…
J. K. Rowling Jim Henson Satoshi Tajiri
Nobuyuki Okude Walt Disney
…and centered on characters.
Harry Potter The Muppets Pokemon
Transformers Mickey and Friends
?
Disruptor 3
Who will we talk to?
Our avatars.
Player
Technology
VenueFantasy
What venues
are best for
my game?
What could
disrupt our
studio?.........
Player
Technology
VenueFantasy
What venues
are best for
my game?
What could
disrupt our
studio?.........
What do
we need
to invent?
Player
Technology
VenueFantasy
What venues
are best for
my game?
What could
disrupt our
studio?.........
What do
we need
to invent?
Player
Technology
VenueFantasy
What venues
are best for
my game?
What could
disrupt our
studio?.........
What do
we need
to invent?
The Engagement Ring
Player
Technology
VenueFantasy
What venues
are best for
my game?
What could
disrupt our
studio?.........
What do
we need
to invent?
The Engagement Ring™
Make Believe Aspirational
Two Kinds of Fantasy
Player
Technology
VenueFantasy
What venues
are best for
my game?
What could
disrupt our
studio?.........
What do
we need
to invent?
Player
Technology
VenueFantasy
What venues
are best for
my game?
What could
disrupt our
studio?.........
What do
we need
to invent?
What
relationship do
we have with
our players?
Long experience has taught me that the
crux of my fortunes is whether I can radiate
good will toward my audience. There is only
one way to do it and that is to feel it. You
can fool the eyes and minds of the audience,
but you cannot fool their hearts.
Player
Technology
VenueFantasy
What venues
are best for
my game?
What could
disrupt our
studio?.........
What do
we need
to invent?
What
relationship do
we have with
our players?
Player
Technology
VenueFantasy
What venues
are best for
my game?
What could
disrupt our
studio?.........
What do
we need
to invent?
What
relationship do
we have with
our players? What
questions
are we
afraid to
ask?
Thanks!
Slides: slideshare.net/jesseschell
Twitter: @jesseschell
Email: jesse@schellgames.com

Four Arrows, Five Questions