Creating a good game requires a good idea, a professional development team that can fully realize its potential, and some funding to complete the project. Successful companies can make this seem trivial, but for indie developers just getting started, it's a journey of a thousand steps. If you’re seeking investment money, the first step is to create an impactful pitch worthy of showing to a funding source.

What to include in your pitch

A modern pitch should speak to investors and publishers on their level. Excite them with your game and vision, but always address their practical business concerns. The bottom line: you need to appeal to their bottom line. Prepare an elevator pitch. While it can be tempting to gush about your game, it's essential to crystalize your message. Consider commercials—usually lasting anywhere from 8-30 seconds—which are effectively elevator pitches for products and services. Your elevator pitch is effectively a commercial for your in-development game. Embrace the brevity. Use GIFs. These files have become ubiquitous because they condense video into instantly digestible moments. Quick GIFs can easily liven up presentations by clearly conveying your best gameplay. Provide a prototype. A playable vertical slice or other prototypes can make a huge difference in how a potential investor sees your game, but it needs to be fun right out of the gate. Prototypes don't have to look as polished as a final release, but prepare to deliver a digestible version of your core gameplay experience. Show gameplay videos. If you have a prototype, give potential investors even more of your best gameplay to look forward to. Impress them with well-cut, high-resolution footage of your game in action. Answer the big questions with a presentation deck. Tell investors and publishers what they need to know in 10-12 slides by answering:

• Who are you and your team?
• What is the game? What platforms do you want to publish on? What will it cost? What engine is the game built in?
• Who is the audience for this game? Which 3-5 current games are they playing?
• When did development start? When will the game be ready?
• Why will consumers care? Why will they stop playing another game to play this one?

Bring a budget breakdown. A budget breakdown can show investors and publishers that you've thought your game through and convey what you’ve already invested. Just avoid round numbers or general figures — these won't demonstrate that you've done any meaningful homework.

Develop pitching endurance

If your pitch gets rejected, don’t take it to heart. Funding sources receive more pitches than they can afford to produce. But with a strong pitch, you can maximize your impact and possibly receive feedback that will help you refine and continue pitching elsewhere. Focus When crafting your game pitch, prioritize clarity to showcase its potential. Start by highlighting your game's core aspects – genre, gameplay, and target audience – using multimedia to enhance your explanation. Briefly mention stories, characters, and lore, but remember that engaging gameplay is the foundation of success. This approach avoids overwhelming potential partners with scattered high concepts and demonstrates your commitment to delivering a polished final product. Create exciting multimedia They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but they may be worth even more in a highly visual medium like video games. Remember to capture memorable gameplay footage and stills that tell your game's story and feature them throughout the pitch. Be confident but contextual You want your potential funders to take your submission seriously. You don’t need the best game out there to receive fair consideration. Be careful about what games you compare yours to, and avoid putting down other titles to make yours look superior. Pitch your game on its own merits. Be honest and accurate; it will reflect upon your credibility and reputation. Listen, listen, and listen Different funding sources may have defined pitching or submission standards. Raw Fury, for example, has a great page that shows developers precisely what they expect from a pitch. Do your research. Some funding sources will tell you how to pitch to them, so check their websites to see if they offer advice or have any special requirements. If they ask for a 300-word paragraph explaining your game, ensure you provide that deliverable. Timing is everything Pitching a publisher on a bad day at the wrong time might color your response. Be tactical. There may be a better time to pitch than a quick phone meeting. Ask for your intended audience's preferred pitching time, then strike while the iron's hot. Be patient. Give investors time to review your pitch before following up and ask if they need additional information or materials to help them evaluate your game. You can also ask for a timeline for their potential decision. Industry veterans recommend waiting a week and contacting again if you don’t hear anything from them after this initial follow-up. Publishers to avoid Do not sign deals with parties that won't put money toward your game's development, marketing, or publicity. These "investors" and "publishers" may make vague promises in exchange for a significant revenue split, but these deals aren't worth pursuing for every financial, creative, and ethical reason.

The art of the virtual pitch

Sometimes, a developer must schedule face-to-face meetings or find publishing partners at trade shows or conferences. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has effectively demonstrated that you can move forward with pitching remotely. Here are some tips for honing your pitch for the virtual space. Remote pitching Optimize your pitch for a virtual presentation and make it viewable offline to ensure your audience can consider it offline. For example, streaming a trailer over a video call can result in annoying buffering that can distract your audience from your pitch. Stills and other visuals, however, are easier to present directly. Practice your remote pitch over the most common video conference platforms with friends or family before meeting with funding sources so you can optimize your pitch and navigate each interface without confusion. Email pitching Like your elevator pitch, your emails should be concise and personalized—never bulk email funding sources. Always research and email the person in charge of reviewing pitches directly. Introduce yourself and your game in 1-2 crisp sentences, explaining your game's working title, genre, intended launch platform or platforms, and where your game is in development. Provide external links to your pitch and any other essential multimedia materials you want to show them and avoid attaching documents unless requested. Don’t look unprofessional by clogging your recipient's inbox with large files. Make it possible to view your pitch and any other links in one click. Be sure to tell the publisher what you want in a partnership—specifically, how much money you need to complete your game for its intended platform or platforms. Virtual presentations Let your game's visual assets do most of the talking. Avoid an overly designed presentation with large chunks of text to keep your pitch simple and easy to read. If you need to communicate data, use infographics and charts.

Harness Xsolla Funding to develop your pitch and fund your game

Pitching is one of the most crucial steps in publishing your game. A robust and well-timed pitch (with a solid game to match) can significantly improve your chances of securing a funding source. Are you ready to get your pitch in front of investors and publishers actively searching for games like yours? Xsolla can connect you with the right publisher or investor to support your creative freedom and boost your game's ultimate reach. Join Xsolla Funding Club, a platform that matches developers with interested investors through online and in-person pitch events. Or check out our Trailer Investment Program, where you can earn up to $250,000 towards creating your video game trailer to beef up your pitch. To get the full breakdown of all the services Xsolla offers indie developers, don’t hesitate to contact a team member today. Originally published on December 7, 2021
Updated on August 2, 2024