IndustryGamers - Informing the Games Industry

EA's Moledina To Developers: 'Keep What You Deserve'

Posted July 20, 2010 by M.H. Williams

Jamil Moledina, Outreach Director for EA Partners, wants independent developers to be bolder. During a speech at GameSauce in Seattle, Moledina told independents, “Don’t be afraid to keep what you deserve.” He spoke about the understanding between publishers and developers and making sure both sides were taken care of. In his position at EA Partners, Moledina signs indies and makes sure that they have the best environment to create amazing games.

He believes that while developers coming to publishers with hat-in-hand are the norm, there’s value for EA in going out and meeting with indie devs to find out what’s new in the underground. "I think it’s more and more important to go out there and find talent,” he said. Moledina explained that his own ten-year term of pitching his science-fiction novel made him “understand being an independent.”

Moledina’s talk primarily focused on digital download titles for Xbox Live Arcade or PlayStation Network, like EA’s recently signed Deathspank and Shank. He said that independents needed to be cognizant of polish, as players these days are playing games on high-definition televisions and unpolished games aren’t as inherently shareable.

He was quick to correct the idea that digital distribution meant that developers had to publish alone. "We're told developers no longer need publishers. This is something that is all well and good until you get to the practice of it,” he explained. Platform holders will generally request a timed exclusive from an independent developer. "Of course, request is a very nice way of putting it,” he joked.

He revealed that there is a maximum number of 104 slots for games published in a single year for each platform and marketing budgets are similarly limited. "As much as there is this great democratization ... there's still some monopolistic tendencies that come with this."

Larger publishers like EA have the pull with platform holders to make things go smoothly for developers. Together each can provide something to the process, making the transition from idea to retail an easy one.

Moledina stresses that it’s a collaborative effort, and developers should not be afraid to retain their intellectual property rights. “Don't be afraid to keep what you deserve,” he said, “Owning the IP can be important, and if possible for small developers - make sure you can argue for it."

"Publishers are data-driven creatures," he added, saying that data drives them to want more of the same. They want the IP rights so that a sequel is assured for a successful project. "This is something a publisher should concede," Moledina said. He told developers that publishers should instead ask for sequel rights as part of ongoing negotiations.

"It’s an odd thing, because we continue to see and hear from developers ... that they're being forced to give up the IP," he concluded. "Publishers are not that good at taking advantage of the IP unless the original creative team is involved."

[Thanks Edge]

M.H. Williams has been writing in some form or another for ten years and has been a hardcore gamer since the NES first graced American shores.  You can catch him on Twitter as @AutomaticZen, Google+ as himself, or on his personal Facebook page.