A set of slides about forming a game studio identity, including things to think about when choosing logos, a name, a slogan/identity statement, and putting together outreach materials.

1. BUILDING YOUR STUDIO IDENTITY

2. TOPICS
• First steps!
• Choosing an identity
• What’s in a name?
• Logo tips
• What is your studio’s “thing”?
• Slogan/identity statement
• Establishing communication channels
• Website
• Social media
• Press kit
• Getting “out there”

3. FIRST STEPS!
CONGRATULATIONS, YOU
HAVE A GAME STUDIO!!!
Is it really that easy?

4. FIRST STEPS
• Have a product first, then make
your company
• New/young studio – have a “vertical
slice”
• A team with enough experience
(years in AAA) to know how to finish
projects – can get away with concept
art to show

5. FIRST STEPS
• Decide structure
• Single-owner LLC
• Easier taxes, but needs strong
agreement with collaborators
• Multi-owner LLC
• Others own a piece, but more
difficult for taxes

6. FIRST STEPS
• DoContract:
• https://docontract.com/
• NOT LEGAL ADVICE
• https://graphicartistsguild.org/tools_r
esources/letter-of-agreement

7. CHOOSING AN IDENTITY
• Name?
• Slogan/Identity statement?
• Logo?
https://www.pixilart.com/pixel-parrot

8. NAME + VALUES
• BE AWARE! Your studio’s name and
logo may project a certain image
• “We make these types of games”

9. NAME + VALUES
• Make the games you want to make!
• …But be self-aware enough if your
branding conflicts with your product

10. NAME + VALUES
• Much better!

11. NAME + VALUES
• Ask yourself…
• What is my studio about?
• What kind of games do I want to
make?
• What audience do I want to appeal
to?

12. NAME + VALUES
• Slogan and reason to be
• Why do you make games?
• “I want to make the kind of
games I’d like to play.” IS NOT
GOOD ENOUGH

13. LOGO + VALUES

14. LOGO + VALUES

15. LOGO + VALUES
• Logos can/should be consistent but
adaptable

16. LOGO VARIANTS
• Logos can/should be consistent but
adaptable
• Have at least 4 versions
• Wide
• Tall
• Small
• One-color
https://www.greateststorycreative.com/biz/why-you-need-
logo-variations

17. LOGO VARIANTS

19. COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
• Get these up early:
• Website
• Twitter
• Facebook page(s)
• Other social media
• Gamedev social media

20. WEBSITE
• Where to post?
• Wix
• Weebly
• Hosting
• If you host:
• NameCheap
• Dreamhost
• Filezilla

21. TWITTER
• Have a separate account from
your personal one
• Tweetdeck.Twitter.com
• General social media rule:
schedule a day/time to tweet
and tweet regularly
• Write and schedule tweets in
advance
• #Use #Hashtags
• #GameDev
• #IndieGames
• #IndieDev
• #GamesInCLE
• #ScreenshotSaturday

22. FACEBOOK PAGES
• Easy to use from your own
Facebook page
• Allow fans to view and follow
your projects
• Good to have one for your
studio and sometimes for
individual projects
• Allows you to communicate
with your audience

23. OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA
• Absolutely have a YouTube
channel
• Consider making analysis,
livestream, or review-
focused content
• That can also be a job in and
of itself
• Twitch
• Pinterest?
• Instagram?
• Patreon?

24. #GAMEDEV SOCIAL MEDIA
• Itch.io
• GameJolt
• IndieDB
• Steam
• TIGSource forums

25. OH…AND A QUICK WORD ON
KICKSTARTER
• IT’S GREAT!
• But it’s not free money...
• Plan to spend >2 months planning your campaign
• Researching the marketplace/comparable games
• Pre-launch reviews
• Pre-launch press
• Making a video
• Choosing reward tiers
• Getting quotes from vendors
• Designing stretch goals
• Setting up business
• Making your bank account to attach to the campaign

26. SO WHAT’S A “PRESS KIT”?
• Press kit – a collection of
standard assets that you
prepare to help the press talk
about your company
• Description
• History
• List of features (games only)
• List of projects
• Videos
• Images
• Logos and icons
• Other articles/press coverage
• Awards
• Team members
• Contact info

27. WHY A PRESS KIT?
• Convenience – press will feel better about
covering you if they don’t have to dig
• Control your message – you create the content
so press are using your words as their resource
• Work/time saver – Your assets in 1 place = easy
festival entry or page creation

28. GETTING YOURSELF OUT THERE
• Success and visibility do not happen overnight
• It takes time
• And patience
• And work
• And you know what? It might suck sometimes…
• But you can do it!

29. GETTING YOURSELF OUT THERE
• NETWORK!!!!!!!!!
• Collaborators
• Publicity
• Reviewers
• Advice
• Organizations to join/follow
• International Game Developers Association
(IGDA)
• Cleveland Game Developers (CGD)
• Cleveland Game Co-Op
• Global Game Jam

30. GETTING YOURSELF OUT THERE
• Conferences/events
• GDEX (Columbus, OH)
• East Coast Game Conference (Raleigh, NC)
• Game Developers Conference (San Francisco, CA)
• IndieCade (NYC and LA)
• PAX (Seattle, Austin, and Boston)
• Boston Festival of Indie Games (Boston FIG)
• Bit Bash (Chicago, IL)
• MAGFest (National Harbor, MD)
• SAAM Arcade (Washington, DC)

31. GETTING YOURSELF OUT THERE
• A word on press/reviews
• E-mail everyone you can
• Prepare a standard outreach e-mail that
highlight’s your game’s unique aspects
• YouTubers are your friend
• Start with people at a similar “level” as you
• Offer exclusives when possible