When Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader AND Pathfinder: Kingmaker developer Owlcat Games backed a publisher of narrative-focused gameshe did so with years of self-publishing experience under his belt. In 2019, publishing head Andrey Tsvetkov joined the company to create a self-publishing division, and after 5 years and the acquisition of publisher Meta Publishing, the company is ready to share its success with other developers.
Launching a new game publisher in 2024 is a bold choice. The last year has not only seen thousands of developer layoffs, but also a slew of games being dramatically sold off, putting publishers and developers out of business. In an interview with Game Developer, Tsvetkov seemed keenly aware of this fact, telling us that the company is working hard to prepare its signature games for success.
The main goal, he said, is to help signed developers “go down the path we've already been down.” “We know the challenges that await them in this process, so we want to make sure they avoid them. After creating three games in a row, we actually know what kinds of pipelines, what kind of budgets and what kind of efforts will have to be undertaken. create these types of experiences.”
A creative vision and the backing of an experienced publisher are not enough to succeed, which is why Tsvetkov believes that the main thing developers pitching it should prepare for is explaining how their game can stand out in a certain market.
Owlcat Games' publishing terms favor developers (but can only help so many teams)
Developers interested in pitching a narrative title to Owlcat Games can expect what Tsvetkov described as favorable terms if they make it to the end. The company is not interested in taking ownership of intellectual property and favors revenue sharing that gives developers a larger share of the change.
He couldn't provide details on the signed contracts, but said the revenue split at Owlcat could start at “around 20-25%” (for the publisher), then change for “later phases of the product lifecycle” .
Owlcat is apparently not only looking for cool-looking games, but also has the feeling that there is a core team behind them that can maintain focus on the launched product even while expanding the team. If a game fails to achieve success, Tsvetkov said he's happy to provide feedback so developers can do a better job elsewhere.
The first two games released by the label are both amazing. Via Valle is a narrative RPG in the vein of Disk Elisio which uses RPG-like systems to explore a character's inner psyche and The shadow of the street is an isometric RPG similar to Baldur's Gate 3 set in an alternate history of Japan. But what, it is worth asking, differentiated these games from the other titles offered?
The answer, Tsvetkov said, has to do with how well they compete with similar games, even ones a decade old. “Right now you're competing with games that are seven, eight, 10 years old and in good shape,” he said. “They still look great and you can get them for $5 on sale.”
This alone may be a depressing fact, but Tsvetkov seemed to see it as an opportunity. “If you come close with a shot, we evaluate on our side [and ask] 'What is the market share of this game?'”
Here “market share” refers to the genre in which a game operates. Some games like Vampire survivors it could give birth to a whole new “genre” that captures the interest of gamers, like other polished titles Baldur's Gate 3 it could take down the competition that previously dominated the field. Both options are on the table, but the size of the market will influence what kind of budget Owlcat is comfortable with.
Via Valle for example, it manages to build on success and the mechanisms of Disk Elisioa game that has sparked some imitators, but it's still early enough that not many game studios have launched big-budget follow-ups. (Unfortunately for Disk Elisio ZA/UM developer, his struggles it might mean he won't be releasing one anytime soon…)
In the meantime The shadow of the street competes in the same market as Baldur's Gate 3 (and also Owlcat Games' turn-based RPGs), but it has a unique setting and gameplay for players looking for a new take on the genre. Owlcat was willing to bet on the success of both games.
Think carefully about what makes your game special
For developers inspired by Disk ElisioAfter the success, he advised them to be cautious about jumping into the genre because it is relatively unexplored. “It's not about the mentality of 'oh, I saw the success of' Elysium nightclubI need to know how to recreate it,'” he said. “It's about 'I have a story that I want to tell that's really deep within me,' and then you can do that with [Disco Elysium]its gameplay.”
A key lesson that developers may want to learn from Disk ElisioThe success of isn't the subject matter or specific game mechanics, it's that more and more players want to engage with role-playing systems that center the story more than they allow for deep complexity with combat builds and character classes.
Tsvetkov's advice is familiar in a way: developers need strong creative ideas and a good idea of how they will bring a game to life to get publishing deals or investors. But his call to explore the market share a game is entering can help developers spot opportunities in new genres or see how to thrive in one dominated by beloved classics.