Game producer

[Natalie]

I've thought it would be great for our company if we hired a game producer.
It would be much easier to get deals with the publishers, find business opportunities and do the company marketing in general.
The main issue is to find the proper producer, professional and experienced.
Could you advise me any companies who deal with it? What are their usual fees? Do they charge the payment as commissions from the future revenues or do they charge a one time payment (and how do they guarantee their work then?)

Many thanks in advance,
Natalie

[JoKa]

Don't pay in advance. Producers are paid once they did a good job and money flows. Afaik they take a cut from the money made with each deal (flat fee, guarantee sum, future provisions) and then forward your part. Of course, it's still a matter of trust, you need to rely on being paid whenever they received money from the publisher(s). Another important point: many companies who claim themselfes to be a publisher or producer offer only a provision of 50% or less and have bad contracts, cutting your rights extremly.

If you're interested I can try to establish contact with a reliable producer located in Germany.

[Natalie]

Hi Joka,
thanks for your reply. Yes, I would be interested in establishing contact with a reliable producer. Can you contact me via e-mail or in private message with it, please?
I would be also interested in an American producer since almost all our deals are there.

Again, thanks for help :)

[Scharlo]

What you both described does not fit the role of a producer but rather business development manager or someone with similar title.

[Natalie]

Well, what I mean is the person or rather the team who would help to establish relations with the publishers, make presentations on our behalf, help
with finding business opportunities but not take part in the development.
The problem is we are located too far and cannot do the pitches and so on personally. So we need a reliable company of professionals who would help us with establishing business relations.

[JoKa]

What you both described does not fit the role of a producer but rather business development manager or someone with similar title.
Ok, I didn't care too much about my vocabulary, but I guess the information fit her request :)

[Natalie]

Ok, I didn't care too much about my vocabulary, but I guess the information fit her request :)

Exactly:)
Though, I have heard there are several opinions on the game producer functions:
the one who deals with the company's external business relations and the one who is actually a project manager, i.e. who coordinates all the deals in the development team. Is that what you mean, Scharlo?

[Sirrus]

This is an Agent, guys...

[Scharlo]

This is an Agent, guys...

Exactly. I can recommend 3 agencies, all of them I worked in the past and had good experience.

One is http://www.flashmanstudios.com/ and second one is http://www.fogstudios.com/. They are both working on the exclusive basis only.
Third one is in Toronto; http://www.sherpagames.com/.

[tewe76]

Hum, Scharlo, that looks really interesting...but are these 3 agents (for example) oriented to low budget indies (like me and most of us), or are they only for established indies?. I mean, one of them seems to work for the Super Mario Bros (not the brothers, but the mark, i guess :) ) :eek:

Do you think some one like me would contact them? Are they useful for contacting portals and so, or are they oriented for "more difficult" tasks like brick and mortar, XBOX, PS, Wii, etc?

(sorry for my english, hope I explained myself)

[Natalie]

Hum, Scharlo, that looks really interesting...but are these 3 agents (for example) oriented to low budget indies (like me and most of us), or are they only for established indies?. I mean, one of them seems to work for the Super Mario Bros (not the brothers, but the mark, i guess :) ) :eek:

Do you think some one like me would contact them? Are they useful for contacting portals and so, or are they oriented for "more difficult" tasks like brick and mortar, XBOX, PS, Wii, etc?

(sorry for my english, hope I explained myself)

Yes, sounds reasonable. I am not sure if they will sign to work with lowbudget games..Anyway, I would not be against if any of them helped us to get to consoles:)

[Natalie]

Exactly. I can recommend 3 agencies, all of them I worked in the past and had good experience.

One is http://www.flashmanstudios.com/ and second one is http://www.fogstudios.com/. They are both working on the exclusive basis only.
Third one is in Toronto; http://www.sherpagames.com/.

Many thanks for your help, Scharlo! I will check all the links.