In the gaming industry, why might it be necessary to have an agent?
Many factors make an agent a necessity for breaking into the gaming industry. It has been said that they “hold the keys” to getting your foot in the door. Agents provide a host of contacts and expertise to get a product into the right hands within a publishing company. They are responsible for securing important deals with these numerous organizations. Consulting services dealing with industry specific guidance, brand management, and even running successful crowd-funding campaigns may be offered by some agencies. Digital Development Management (DDM), a game agency, also provides production assistance along with the services previously mentioned. These services include: Game Art, Cinematics, Audio, and Middleware Solutions; all of which are intended to help a developer save time and cost (ddmagency.com, 2016). Jami Wardman a development manager with DDM suggests that a studio should view agents as a business development arm. Agents travel the world, and attend shows you may not be able to make. They can shop your product and expand its reach (Wardman, 2016).
How can you go about finding an agent? What resources do you have available? What are the best ones?
Research is key in any industry. With information available in just a few clicks, searching for companies is made easier now more than ever. By doing a web search for “Game Agencies”, a developer can select several agencies to research. Accessing the agent’s website grants the developer the opportunity to see if they will offer the assistance they seek. Some companies available include: Creative Artist Agency (CAA), United Talent Agency (UTA), and Digital Development Management (DDM). The first two companies, which are prestigious agencies in their own right, manage upper echelon clients. DDM, on the other hand, has the reputation for helping both large and small, independent developers. A game studio just starting out should research what strengths and weakness they possess to determine what assistance they would actually need and weather or not it is financially feasible. DDM can offer the best tools and may be the ideal option for the smaller company. Aside from mining the Internet, another method is to use a personal and/or professional network (s). A popular saying is, “It’s not what you know, but who you know”. It may be possible that someone you know holds the “golden ticket” to getting you in touch with an agent who can help. Trying to pinpoint the best resources can be problematic. It may be beneficial to use a combination of resources to best accomplish the goals needed for the company.
With many industries, such as print media, it is becoming more and more difficult to secure an agent who represents your needs. How is this challenging?
Lately, it is becoming harder to find an agent that represents all the needs of a client. This is challenging because it causes the need for multiple agents, which is costly. Hiring many agents that focus on different aspects may be good in some cases. However, it can cause the client to focus on managing, as opposed to creating new content. Having an agent that offers everything the client needs acts as a one-stop shop and streamlines the process. Fortunately, agencies like DDM offer developers many services. However, with the gaming industry constantly evolving, independent developers are becoming more proficient and educated on what services are available to them. To make the process more efficient and cost effective, they have taken the steps to learn some skill-sets agents provide (J.Kuchera, personal communication, February 18 2016).
What are the specifications of the contract that you would hope to sign with an agent?
As a partner in a video game studio, it is important to protect our business, assets, and our selves. If we were to consider working with an agent, here are some clauses that we should consider specifying in a contract:
· Protecting Clients Intellectual Property- this protects our product, copyrights and trademarks. It outlines any documentation needed to be able to discuss our assets and interests with a potential buyer. To include a Non Disclosure Agreement or Non Compete Agreement
· Duties and Responsibilities of an agent- this highlights the responsibilities of the agent and what is expected of them.
· How a Breach of Contract is handled- if a breach were to occur, it is important to have a plan in place that specifies how litigation is handled.
· Length of Term- how long the contract is between both parties.
· Compensation Rate- this breaks down how an agent is paid to include but not limited to salary, bonuses, and commissions.
· Sunset Clause- this discusses the percentage of payment after the completion of the contract.
Resources
AGENCY SERVICES via DDM Game Studio Representation LLC. (2016). Retrieved February 03, 2016, from http://www.ddmagency.com/agency-services/
Kuchera, B. (2014, April 15). From gatekeepers to guns for hire: The new role of indie game publishers. Retrieved February 03, 2016, from http://www.polygon.com/2014/4/15/5610458/indie-game-publishers
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