作者：Nick Hatter

在我创建giftgaming之前，我只是喜欢游戏。因为非常喜欢游戏我才开始开发游戏。13岁的时候我便开始使用DarkBASIC。18岁我开始基于Java创造《俄罗斯方块》。21岁的时候我使用了Unity。23岁开始使用Marmalade。我的生活重心似乎始终围绕着游戏开发。

在过去10年间我开发了许多游戏，不管是休闲游戏还是第一人称射击游戏。在完成计算机科学的BSC后，我开始进行一个名为“Pilgrim”的大型JRPG项目，其灵感是来自《最终幻想VIII》。这是一个伴随着全景摄像机，战斗，库存和保存系统的项目。

但是我遇到了一个大问题：我没有资金去支持自己全职完成这个项目或支付美术师的薪资。

于是我天真地参加了Cambridge Startup Weekend希望能够接触到一些投资者。结果我遇到比我想象中更多的投资者。于是我便创建了一家初创公司giftgaming。

TechCrunch Startup BattlefieldAfter的Nick Hatter参与了剑桥贾吉商学院的Accelerate Cambridge课程，在这里我学到了如何筹集资金，如何宣传，如何提防法律问题，如何聘请员工（与解雇员工），所有的这些都是开始一项新业务所必要的元素。

techcrunch(from gamasutra)

我知道接下来我将获得像TechCrunch和Management等媒体的报道。然后我出现在了《WIRED Magazine》上。所有的一切都快速发展着。这真的很夸张。就在上周我的初创公司被称为2015年最值得期待的10大来自剑桥的公司之一。我也在2周内便获得了30万英镑的资金。我甚至差点忘记自己开始做这件事才1年左右的时间。

就像我的一个导师所说的那样，这是一次“严峻的考验”。但在这一年时间里，我真的学到了许多。不管是关于业务，人，我自己还是生活。从一名独立开发者变成一名首席执行官需要一次“巨大的突破”。

应该避免的11大陷阱：

1.想要达到完美

我已经创造了7款完整的游戏。而我真正发行了多少游戏呢？只有1款（《Thundrclap》）。因为我很害怕创造一些并不完美的内容。其实你应该发行任何内容。然后问自己某一功能是否真的必要。用户是否真的会注意到它？你将会惊讶于所得到的答案。

2.在团队中平等划分股权

我们并非完全平等。基于经验，时间，技能等等元素，人们带给团队的价值也会不同。做到公平的一种有效的方法便是使用“分配公正”原理，如基于上述所有参数让团队基于每个领域以10分为点数进行划分。然后通过整个团体的点数去划分其中每个成员的点数。这将帮助你确保每个团队成员享有相应的分配。

3.让创始者轻易拿走股权

你应该让每个创始者签订一份带有“行权计划”的股东协议书。行权计划是关于“如果你在X年之前离开，你便只能获得Y%的股份”。最理想的情况是，每完成一年的工作，创始人只能拿走其股份的25%。所以如果创始人在1年以前便离开公司，那么他们将不能分配到任何利益。这听起来是否太过苛刻了？并没有。这是很公平的做法。我便见过一些初创公司因为联合创始人带着大量股权离开而被迫关闭的情况。你可以基于Lawbite（游戏邦注：为中小型公司提供在线法律服务）以一个合理的价格定制专属的股权协议书。

4.没有正式的知识产权所有权

如果任何人为你的游戏创造部分内容，你就需要确保到底是谁拥有这些内容的所有权。即使你向对方付钱，他们可能仍拥有内容所有权。而IP转让协议能够帮助你正式拥有内容的所有权。不过你还是需要寻求适当的法律咨询。

5.花费太多时间于竞争中

竞争可以是一种有效的PR方式。但这同时也需要花费大量时间，并可能分散你的注意力。每当看到那些已经拥有自己初创企业的创业家参加startup weekends去思考其它创业理念时我都很困惑。我认为这一点意义都没有。这就像是已经结婚的人还去参加速配活动一样。是的，这么做是有趣的。但是你将会因此分散注意力。如果你正致力于一款游戏，特别是身处一个团队中，你就应该全身心投入于游戏中。这才是你的主要工作。如果你不能保持注意力，你可能最终便难以完成并发行游戏。

6.不睡觉或不运动

“具有创造性的人总是最严重的”这是我的一位导师在在谈到睡眠不足时所说过的一句话。你必须拥有足够的睡眠与运动。只有这样你才能拥有健康的身体与思维。当你拥有健康的心理状态（如足够放松）时，你便能够有效地发挥创造性。而如果你始终睡眠不足，你便很难发挥创造性。

7.失去激情

就像有些人只关心最底层的财政面，而不再享受自己的工作。这在游戏开发中也是如此。创造你想要创造的游戏，这便是你真正的激情所在，即使你创造的并不是一款赚钱的复制游戏。从统计来看，你的游戏获得成功的几率很低（就像任何初创企业所面对的那样），所以你至少还能够享受创造游戏的乐趣。。而如果这正是你的激情所在的话，你便更有可能继续下去，直至情况变得更加艰难，并且你有可能比以前更加努力地执行工作。成功不一定是基于金钱—-这取决于你自己的定义，有可能是来自用户的好评，拥有一个立基用户基础或者拥有自己的游戏品牌等等。

8.认为自己可以做任何事

作为一名CEO，我在这点上就表现得很糟糕。不幸的是，不管你拥有多少才能，总是存在一些你并不擅长的事。你不可能成为任何事物的专家。对于你来说更好的方法是去寻找真正的专家并告诉对方你需要他们做什么事，退后一步让他们能够执行工作。说真的我们一天所拥有的时间并不多，特别当你还是一名兼职独立开发者时。你应该组建一个团队。是的，很少出现真正成功的独行者，拥有一支团队而获得成功的几率更高。并且团队工作总是会更有趣。想想如果你是一个人工作的话每天晚上都要独自面对屏幕做事该多难受啊。或者你也可以选择与好友一起致力于游戏创造中。

除此之外，团队还是筹集资金的重要元素。大多数投资者都不愿意投资于独立个体（但也存在例外）。

9.认为演示版本总是有效的

我还记得之前向导师呈现giftgaming早期原型的情形。在30分钟的会议中，我将所有时间都用于运行游戏原型。我本来应该呈现游戏玩法的相关视频和截图。“啊，它昨天还好好的”这是我经常听到的一句话。你应该在演示的时候使用截图或视频。如果你必须展示一个演示版本的话，也请先准备好截图备份。因为很多时候当你迫切需要使用技术或多媒体时，它们总是会突然坏掉。

10.相信否定者的意见

当我刚开始创建giftgaming时，便有人跟我说我是不会成功的。他们认为：“当一个品牌或游戏发行商能够进行直接交易的时候他们怎么可能还会与你合作呢？”时间能告诉我们答案。我们往往需要花费许多时间去结束与一个品牌的直接交易。品牌和游戏发行商（当然是较为小型的发行商）通常都没有足够的时间去管理这些关系，更别提为自己的游戏寻找适当的品牌。这便是giftgaming能够做到的。千万不要低估创造一个强大的广告平台所需要投入的时间。

现在我们已经拥有超过15个主要品牌，并且我们也开始收到来自世界各地游戏工作室的自助注册。如果我相信那些否定者的意见的话会怎样？如果我未进行研究的话会怎样？我的生活可能会一成不变。否定者是危险的存在，是创新的大敌。如果你拥有一个新的游戏理念，请谨慎对待他们的看法。全新理念总是能够改变一切。

11.未采取建设性的反馈

又名“我的孩子并不丑！”这与上一点有点矛盾，但是如果有人能够提供给你有帮助的反馈，这将非常重要。认真聆听游戏早前反馈。也许你需要重新思考机制的设定。也许游戏玩法或控制不如你想象中的那样具有直觉性。不管好坏，你都需要接受所有具有建设性的反馈。并从中获得学习。有时候听到批评总是会难受，但这总比你因为不想听到批评而导致游戏变得更糟糕好受多了。

这便是游戏开发者应该避开是11个陷阱。事实上并不只有这些陷阱。但如果你能够避开这些，你便能够在任何企业中（不只是独立游戏）获得成功。

（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，拒绝任何不保留版权的转发，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

From Indie Dev to CEO: 10 Indie Pitfalls

by Nick Hatter

Before I founded giftgaming, I was just like you; I loved games. I loved them so much I started developing them. First in DarkBASIC, at the age of 13 years old. By 18, I was building Tetris in Java. By 21, I was using Unity. And by 23, Marmalade. Somehow, my life kept going back to game development.

In the last 10 years I’ve developed a number of games, everything from Casual to FPS. After finishing my BSc in Computer Science, I started a big J-RPG project codenamed “Pilgrim”, which took a lot of inspiration from Final Fantasy VIII (cliche inspiration; superb game). It was coming on great, with a fully fledged camera, battle, inventory and saving system.

There was just one big problem: I didn’t have the funds to pay myself to do it full-time or to pay artists.

So I naively went to Cambridge Startup Weekend to “make investor contacts”. But instead, I got much, much more than I bargained for. I gave birth to a startup: giftgaming. I became The Pilgrim.

Nick Hatter on TechCrunch Startup BattlefieldAfter being accepted on to the Accelerate Cambridge programme at Cambridge Judge Business School, I was taught everything from how to raise funds, how to pitch, legal issues to watch out for, how to hire (and fire) — all the staples needed for a new business.

The next thing I know, I’m getting press coverage from publications like TechCrunch and Management Today. Then I appear in WIRED Magazine. Everything moves so fast. It’s crazy. Only last week my startup was named as one of 10 Companies From Cambridge To Watch In 2015. I’m also pitching for ￡300,000 in 2 weeks time. I forget I’ve only been doing this for just over a year…

(Image above of me from TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield)

It has been a “baptism of fire” as one of my mentors says. But in this one year, I have learnt a lot. About business. People. Myself. Life. Going from an indie developer to a CEO requires a “quantum leap”.

Before embarking on the journey to becoming an indie game studio/company, take heed of the following…

Top 10 Pitfalls to Avoid (IMHO):

0. Thinking it has to be perfect
I’ve made over 7 complete games. How many did I actually publish though? Just one (Thundrclap). Because I was too afraid of making the others imperfect. Ship something. Anything. And ask yourself, is that feature really necessary? Will users actually notice? You’d be very surprised.

1. Evenly splitting equity in the founding team
No no no! We are not all equal. Unfortunately. What tends to happen is that people bring different value to team in experience, time commitment, skill and so forth. One good way to assign equity is to use “Distributive Justice”, ie. to slice the pie is to take into account all of the aforementioned metrics, weight them, then have the team grade each other on points out of 10 on each area. Then divide each members points by the points of the entire group. This gives you the equity split for each team member.

2. Letting founders walk off with equity
It’s a very good idea to have each founder sign a Shareholder Agreement with a “Vesting Schedule”. The vesting schedule basically says “if you leave before x years, you only get to keep y% of your shares”. Ideally, you would let founders “vest” (keep) around 25% of their shares for each complete year of service. So if a founder leaves before a year, then potentially they leave with nothing. Sound harsh? It’s not. It’s fair. I have seen other startups been screwed over by cofounders leaving with huge chunks of equity, forcing them to close down. Investors will not like founders leaving with big chunks either. You can get a tailored Shareholder Agreement for a very reasonable price from Lawbite who provide an online legal service for small to medium enterprises.

3. No formal Intellectual Property (IP) ownership
If anyone does any work for your game, you must make sure it’s clear who actually owns what. Even if you pay them, they still own it. An IP Transfer Agreement allows you to formally assign “moral” (ownership) rights over. As always though, seek legal advice.

4. Too much time on competitions
Competitions can be great PR. But they can also take a lot of time, and also cause you to lose focus. I get confused whenever I see entrepreneurs who already have startups going to startup weekends to come up with another startup idea. Makes no sense to me. That’s almost like being married and going to a speed dating event. The same can go for gamejams. Yes, they’re fun. But you will get distracted. So, if you’re working on a game, especially in a team, stick to that game. It’s your significant other and you wouldn’t want to cheat on it. If you don’t keep focus, you may end up with a lot of unplayed and unpublished games like me.

5. Not sleeping or exercising enough
“Creative people suffer the worst” as one of my mentors tells me on the subject of sleep deprivation. You must get enough sleep and exercise. Both have been proven to improve well-being and thinking. When you’re in the right psychological state of mind ie. relaxed, that’s the prime time for creativity. It is very hard to be creative when you’re a sleep-deprived zombie. Trust me. I have been there.

6. Not pursuing your passion
Sounds obvious, doesn’t it? But I see it happen. Some people only care about the bottom financial line, rather than enjoying their job. Again, the same goes for your game development. Build games that you want to build, that are your true passion, even if they’re not a money-making clone game. Statistically, the chance of your game being successful is low (as is any startup), so you might as well enjoy it at least. And if it is your passion, you’re more likely to keep going even when times get tough, and you’re more likely to work harder than ever before to make it succeed. Success doesn’t have to be financial by the way — it is how you define it, whether that is critical acclaim, having a niche fanbase, your own game brand and so forth.

7. Thinking you can do everything
As a CEO, I’m guilty of this one. But unfortunately, no matter how multi-talented you are, there will always be things that you’re simply not an expert at. And you can’t be an expert at everything. It actually makes more sense to find people who are experts, tell them what you need them to do, then step back so they can do their job. There are simply do not have enough hours in the day, especially if you’re a part-time indie developer. Get a team. You need one. Yes, there are a few successful solos, but your odds of being successful as a team and not burning out is much higher. Plus a team is more fun. Do you want to be all alone every night behind a screen? Or would you rather be working on your awesome game with your friends and having a good time?

In addition, a team is absolutely essential for raising funds. Hardly any investors will invest in individuals (there are exceptions to every rule though…)

8. Thinking the live demo will work
I remember going to show my mentor an early prototype of giftgaming. In the 30 minute meeting I had with her, I spent all of the time trying to get it to work. What I should have done is recorded a video of gameplay, and taken some screenshots. “Huh, it was working last night” — A phrase I’ve heard many times. Use screenshots or video in presentations. If you absoultely have to do a live demo, have screenshot backups ready. Technology and multimedia will usually fail you when you most need it.

9. Listening to naysayers
Someone said to me when I first started giftgaming that it would never work. In their words, “why the hell would a brand and a game publisher ever come to you when they can do a direct deal?” The answer is time. It takes a lot of time to close a big deal with a brand direct. Brands and game publishers (certainly smaller ones) do not have the time to manage all these relationships, not to mention finding the appropriate brands to put in their game. That’s something giftgaming does. And don’t underestimate how long it takes to build a robust ad platform.

We now have over 15 major brands onboard and we have started receiving self-service signups from game studios worldwide. What if I had listened to that guy? What if I hadn’t done my research? My life may have stayed the same. Naysayers are dangerous, and are an enemy to innovation. Be careful listening to them if you have a new concept for your game. That one new concept could change everything.

10. Not taking constructive feedback onboard
Also known as “My baby is not ugly!” Contradicting my last point, it is also important to spot when someone is giving you helpful feedback. Listen to early feedback for your game. Perhaps the mechanic needs a bit of rethinking. Maybe the controls or gameplay aren’t as intuitive as you thought. Good or bad, take all constructive feedback onboard. Learn from it. It is painful to have to listen to criticism sometimes, but it’s more painful when your game or product is shunned because you didn’t listen.

So, that’s actually 11 pitfalls. And unfortunately, there are more. Many more. But if you can dodge these ones, I think you can be successful in any venture, not just indie games.

And maybe, just maybe, my baby might enable you to make enough money so you don’t have to look for early-stage funding (without dirtying your game up with more intrusive ad solutions). It’s best to get a team and prototype well-developed with some customers before you try to raise funds, or you end up giving too much of the business away.(source:gamasutra)