London-based mobile publisher Product Madness has opened applications for a new incubator program that aims to find the next free-to-play hit.
Best known for popular games such as Heart of Vegas and Cashman Casino, the company opened slots for up to ten teams in its first year of the program, telling GamesIndustry.biz it wants the incubator to become “an industry game-changer.”
The program, called Madness Ventures, will provide funding in three phases: one for prototyping and testing, one for a full prototype, and then for full development and worldwide release. Developers who participate maintain their creative independence and full ownership of their IP.
“We want to drive innovation not only internally but also externally, because we believe great ideas exist among talented game entrepreneurs,” said Vice President of Business Development and Strategy Zvika Pakula. GamesIndustry.biz.
“This incubator platform allows us to build personal and privileged relationships with ambitious and innovative entrepreneurs who need funds and guidance to develop their ideas.
“We know that some exceptional new game concepts are being created, but many game entrepreneurs do not have the contacts, resources and support needed to bring these games to market. If we can bring these great ideas to life through our incubator program , we will not only bring new and exciting games to our millions of players around the world, we will also help top talent and our vibrant industry to thrive.”
Studios can submit a game of any genre, but it must contain chance-based gameplay mechanics, exhibit commercial potential and be scalable, and contain “an innovative advantage that will easily set them apart from the competition.”
The focus on chance-based mechanics is largely due to Product Madness’s own experience in this area, making it easier to offer mentors to developers who have been successfully selected. However, given the research into such mechanisms in recent years – with various governments and regulators around them banning or considering the practice – how will Product Madness guide developers in terms of best practices?
“It’s important to reiterate that we’re looking for additions to our lineup of free-to-play games – that means any player can enjoy games for free,” explains Pakula. “However, as a company, we strive to lead the way in all things player experience and that includes responsible gameplay standards.”
“We know that exceptional new games are being created, but many developers do not have the contacts, resources and support needed to bring them to market”
He adds that Product Madness’ parent company, Pixel United, even has a dedicated “responsible gaming” division that oversees its free-to-play portfolio, which will also help developers.
“It’s worth noting that all the monetization mechanisms included in the games developed through Madness Ventures aren’t necessarily based on chance – it’s just the gameplay that has to contain an element of chance. But as you would We expect to have clear guidelines and policies that are applied to every game we make and will be shared with teams and enforced as part of the development process.”
The free-to-play space on mobile is notoriously difficult to break into, with a handful of companies dominating the charts for years, if not decades, in terms of both revenue and downloads.
Pakula recognizes that it can be “very challenging” for independent studios to break into this space – hence the incubator – and is happy to help set reasonable expectations. The incubator uses a “gated production” approach, with “clear and realistic” success metrics for each stage.
“By providing access to the funding, resources and mentorship needed to develop, test and launch a great game idea, the development teams can focus on what they do best: making great games,” he says. “In addition to funding, we bring extensive analytics and performance marketing expertise to conduct marketing testing, technical launches and soft launches that can otherwise be costly and time-consuming.
“We believe in agile game development, so the program focuses on rapid market testing. One of the key success factors of this program is to align our goals with those of our potential partners and set realistic and shared expectations. ”
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