Hi all, I'm interested in getting in portable games market as developer. Some people sayes that Nintendo don't play share revenue royalties to Publisher/Developer. Instead Nintendo works on fixed prepay mode but don't play any money from net revenue. Is't true? But I also know that developer can pay to Nintendo to be licensed developer. As I understand after this Developer can publish via Publisher games. And Publisher will pay royalties to Developer and Nintendo from games sales. Could someone tell what the real? Or provide any links to clear this problem. Also how many copies World Wide can be sold one GBA game? I see that in all time GBA generate more than 256,000,000 games copies world wide. Thanks a lot.

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Original post by s-h-a-d-e I'm interested in getting in portable games market as developer.

Nintendo wont approve you as a developer unless you are an established company with a good track record. See http://www.warioworld.com/apply/ds.html

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Some people sayes that Nintendo don't play share revenue royalties to Publisher/Developer. Instead Nintendo works on fixed prepay mode but don't play any money from net revenue. Is't true?

Nintendo work in many ways. The deal developers get depends on how good they are at negotiating.

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But I also know that developer can pay to Nintendo to be licensed developer.

No, you apply - you don't need to pay (but you do need to convince them you are good enough.
You do need to pay for development systems but that is a different thing.

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As I understand after this Developer can publish via Publisher games. And Publisher will pay royalties to Developer and Nintendo from games sales.

Yes but you wont get to be a Nintendo licensed dev unless you have experience and money. If you do and you make a game then a publisher may sign it up and publish it.

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Also how many copies World Wide can be sold one GBA game? I see that in all time GBA generate more than 256,000,000 games copies world wide.

The top 5-10 games (all licenses/established franchises) sell well but the rest sell less than 100,000, many as low as 10,000. Publishers are only interested in licensed games for GBA.

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Publishers are only interested in licensed games for GBA.

If you can take the entire development risk up front, and develop a GBA game using the available free tools and emulators, and then put it on a GBA using the available flash cards, AND can get some time with a publisher/producer, AND the game is truly fun in the first 3 minutes, THEN you might be able to get publishing for an original GBA title.

Maybe.

Thanks a lot for replay.
I'm very appreciate it.

My problem is that my company interested in getting in console portable market now.
As You can see at this time Nintendo and Sony release 2 new nice consoles: DS and PSP.
I do some research now for what console it’s the best to start developing now.

PSP is the SONY first new mobile console. As I know PSP for not kids as GBA.
SONY in some pr says that PSP targeting to young mans and girls about 16-18 and more.
PSP have big wide screen that can show nice 3d hardware graphics and also it’s good for films.

Nintendo DS it’s more different device than GBA and PSP. Two screens and stylus can provide unequal gamepaly. And Nintendo also in pr mentioned that DS nice for girls and also kids.

So we have two unequal devices with different target audience.

The price for PSP games now about 40-50 USD. And for DS games about 30 USD. As the same for GBA.

I have track some time GBA, DS and PSP games sales and can notice now that it’s true most games are brand games and generate most sales in first 2-3 month but can sell also next 3-6 month or even more.

As You can see here for example:

http://www.the-magicbox.com/topten.htm

morst PSP and DS or GBA games can generate 70,000-30,000 units sell in first week in Japan market and than about 16,000-8,000 per next weeks. So game can generate about 120,000 units in fist 3 month and I think the same or little less for all rest time. It’s can give to us about 240,000 units from only one Japan market for one game. As for US it’s can twice and for Europe the same as Japan.

It’s my vision that can be get form console sales to the end of 2004:

North America
Game Boy Advance - 32.82 million
Nintendo DS - 1.36 million
PlayStation Portable - N/A

Japan / Asia
Game Boy Advance - 15.48 million
Nintendo DS - 1.45 million
PlayStation Portable - 0.51 million

Europe / PAL
Game Boy Advance - 17.44 million
Nintendo DS - 0.03 million
PlayStation Portable - N/A

So the one game can be generate about 350,000 or more World Wide.
I make it’s smaller than real can be 240,000 + 2 * 240,000 ( USA ) + 240,000 ( Europe ) = 960,000. As I think it’s not possible for first game even if it’s will be have good brand license.

And developer can get from it about 7-5% from sales price. ( Please don’t ask me from were I have got it ;)

So for PSP developer can get about 40 USD * 350,000 * 0,05 = 700,000 USD.
So for DS developer can get about 30 USD * 350,000 * 0,05 = 525,000 USD.

Please don’t kill me. It’s my vision ;)

Take the up-front development risk and create a quality title (say for GBA - the mobile console that is supported best currently from an Indie's point of view).
Then take your finished (and fully polished! - also include multi-language and especially Japanese versions [not fully implemented, just title screen/menu]) title and try to get a publisher interested in it.

Just my 0.02€,
Pat

Ok i think so.

What you guys thought about fixed payment for ready to go game based on sport brand like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater for mobile console like GBA, DS or PSP?

If we have finished game by ourselves without any payment from publisher
and now we sell it on fixed price to publisher. we also want to get some royalties from all copies than be sell after 150,000.

The brand provided also by publisher.

What You think how many we can ask?

I will very appreciate any answers or advise.

Thanks.

thanks you all guys for replay and msgs.
i know now all to do my biz.

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Original post by hplus0603 If you can take the entire development risk up front, and develop a GBA game using the available free tools and emulators, and then put it on a GBA using the available flash cards, AND can get some time with a publisher/producer, AND the game is truly fun in the first 3 minutes, THEN you might be able to get publishing for an original GBA title. Maybe.

Not.

(I haven´t been involved with GBA projects for some time now, but the last reaction I recall from publishers was something along the lines of "don´t bother, no matter how cool it is we can´t publish it")

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Original post by Hase Quote: Original post by hplus0603 If you can take the entire development risk up front, and develop a GBA game using the available free tools and emulators, and then put it on a GBA using the available flash cards, AND can get some time with a publisher/producer, AND the game is truly fun in the first 3 minutes, THEN you might be able to get publishing for an original GBA title. Maybe. Not. (I haven´t been involved with GBA projects for some time now, but the last reaction I recall from publishers was something along the lines of "don´t bother, no matter how cool it is we can´t publish it")

Depends. It's business afterall and no business will give potential profits away. A publisher that is licensed has no problems in getting the developer licensed. See Wario World and check out the application forms. There are separate items for developers and developers with a licensed publisher.
It's common practise.

When he said they couldn't publish it he didn't mean "we can't publish it because you are not licensed" he meant "We can't publish it because it just won't sell". Publishers don't want new original IP games on GBA. They only want licenses and established franchises because they sell better. Yes they might earn some money from an original IP but opportunity costs are too high (meaning that they can earn more from licensed games for the same amount of work at a lower risk).