How game studio Night Light Interactive was able to create Whispering Willows with the help of friends, families, and indies.

1. Whispering Willows:
Funded with Passion
David Logan, Founder
Night Light Interactive

2. 2
Trailer

3. Reinterpreting the Problem
• How do you start a company and make a quality game
for next to nothing?
3

4. Reinterpreting the Problem
• Most Companies- how can this game make money?
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5. Reinterpreting the Problem
• Night Light- how can we make a game that we love (and
still make money)?
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6. Team
• 6 became 30
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7. Team
•The team
–Countless hours
working
–Most there entire
duration of project
–Full time jobs
–Working hard
–Little money
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8. Fueling Passion
• So, how did we manage this?
• Why’d people want to join the project?
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9. Fueling Passion
• As a Leader I had to have:
– Organization
– Clear milestones
– Encouragement
– Communication
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10. Fueling Passion
• As a Leader I had to:
– Keep people accountable
– Create micro tasks
– Be understanding
– Driving force
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11. Contest/Conventions
• OUYA Create Game Jam
• Won Most Immersive Game
– Runner Up- Best Visuals
– Runner Up- Grand Prize
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12. Contest/Conventions
• Partnered with OUYA
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13. Contest/Conventions
• Seattle Indie Game Dev
Competition
– Won first prize
• Met Yulia, got us into
– Indie Prize
– Casual Connect
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14. Contests/Conventions
• Composer works for Rooster Teeth (Red vs. Blue)
• Got us into RTX
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15. Contest/Conventions
• Contests have:
– Given exposure
– Financing
– Judged by veterans
– Critique
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16. Community
• Kickstarter Crowdfunding
• $20k raised
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17. Community
• Kickstarter raised money, but
more importantly built a
community
– Friends
– Family
– Complete strangers
– Other Indies- cross
promotion and inclusion
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18. Community
• People invest in people
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19. Community
• Fans helped us succeed in the digital space
– Forums
– Social media
– Youtube videos
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20. Community
• Translators!
– 7 different languages
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21. Community
• Not just $20k earned, 750 backers earned!
• They helped us because they were passionate about our
team and our idea!
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22. What Makes an Indie?
• Passion = Indie
• Desire to create, despite the odds against you
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23. What Makes an Indie?
• Money likely doesn’t = Indie
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24. What Makes an Indie?
• That’s what started OUYA
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25. What Makes an Indie?
• Indies in the IGF leaking into Gamer’s Choice Awards
• GTA V competing with Papers, Please
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26. What Makes an Indie?
• Passion drives Indies
• Indies drive innovation
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27. What Makes an Indie?
• It isn’t easy
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28. Conclusion
• Money helped, but passion was
the driving force
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29. Questions?
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nightlightint.com
@nightlightgames
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