Many developers rely on work for hire projects to fund their studio and even their own games, particularly when starting out. Kate's talk outlines where to start with work for hire, how to get your first clients, how to build a brand and how to go from a meeting to a signed contract.

1. Developing Your Work for Hire
Kate Booth
Operations Director
!
kate@preloaded.com / @KatBoo

2. Definition

3. Work for hire
• Port someone else’s game to a new platform
• Extend someone else’s IP
• Advertising
• Bread & butter
• Pays the bills so we can focus on fun stuff
• Not creative
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4. Does it have to be this way?
+ =
DEVELOPER PARTNER RICHER GAME?

6. Where to start?

7. Where to start?
• Think about who you’d like to work
with
• Be proactive
• Work smart

8. Stop. Collaborate & listen.

9. Common reasons WFH project fail
DEVELOPER CLIENT
They want something stupid /
they’re being unreasonable
We thought we were going to get
someone different
Scope is spiralling Cost is spiralling
They don’t understand They won’t listen

10. Work for hire ≠Slave for hire
• Collaboration between two teams
• Same goal
• Same fears
★ Nobody sets out to create a bad game
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11. Match expectations

12. Preloaded’s core project approach (followed for both Waterfall & Agile)
Stage 1
Concept & Planning High Level Concept agreed Budget cap &
Formal sign off
Formal sign off
Creative Brief agreed deadline identified
Stage 2
Pre-Production
TDD Detailed budget , SoW
GDD & UX breakdown & schedule
Stage 3
Production
Agreed Milestones QA Deployment

13. Agile - not a silver bullet
WATERFALL AGILE
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SCOPE VS.
BUDGET
Budget dictated by feature set.
Feature set doesn’t change, budget adapts to
new requirements.
Budget dictated by Product Vision.
Budget doesn’t change, feature set adapts to
new requirements.
BENEFITS
Matching budget to known deliverables
Reduces scope creep
Effective on tight deadlines and fixed budgets
Helpful for managing multiple stakeholders
(little deviation)
Spend focused on value to the Product Vision
Project can adapt to new requirements
without impacting budget
Arguably, delivers the best product possible
RISKS
Pre-Production must be watertight
Changes to agreed plan will impact budget
Difficult to innovate - less room to iterate
Requires close collaboration between teams
Process driven - can fundamentally rule out
some organisations.

14. Expand your skills

15. Carry on learning
Amazing creative ideas can be driven by restrictions
Go out of your comfort zone
What can you learn from a larger organisation?
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16. SUMMARY
Work smart & be proactive
Work with, not against
Be professional
Push your talent by embracing limits

17. Thanks!
Kate Booth
Operations Director
!
kate@preloaded.com / @KatBoo
www.preloaded.com / @preloaded