As part of Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #6, Fundamentally Games COO Ella Romanos gave a talk on the path to becoming a publisher.
Both Romanos and her business partner, Oscar Clark, come from different backgrounds within the games industry, which has enabled the pair to come together to aid developers in all areas.
However, as time went on, they realised that they wanted to help developers as opposed to just offering advice.
Although, Fundamentally Games did not enter publishing for some time.
“Our goal was to fill a gap that we saw in the market,” explained Romanos.
Over time, when running live ops, the duo realised that they could offer a “full package,” including publishing, after being given feedback from a range of developers.
Initially, Fundamentally Games did not aid in acquiring users. However, this is where the role of being a publisher comes in. Thus, the company moved into acquiring users as well as retaining them.
“Our approach was to shake up what it means to be a publisher,” said Romanos.
A new journey
In the end, Fundamentally games expanded beyond live ops into publishing and user acquisition as well. Meaning that the company could potentially cover all areas for a studio should it need to.
Perhaps most importantly, Fundamentally Games gets involved at an earlier stage than other publishers, offering more valuable advice to studios. Moreover, the company embraces transparency, being totally open and honest with developers about the games they agree to work on.
“When we first sign a game, we do a readiness review,” Romanos explained while discussing the process Fundamentally goes through when signing a game.
Upon passing the review, a game will enter the UA programme, running various tests with set KPIs. Should the title pass, then it moves onto the next stage. However, Romanos explained that should KPIs not be hit, Fundamentally Games will have talks with the studio, coming to a decision on how to proceed together.
PGC Digital #6 will run from April 19th to April 23rd. To keep up to date with all of our coverage, check out the roundups here.
There’s still time to sign up – to find out more and book a ticket, head to the website.
