Marvel, DC, Disney, Transformers – what do all of these big names have in common? ASSETS! No, we’re not talking about money here… it’s their IP licenses that we love. These large companies are pumping out new material all the time… tv shows, movies, toys, but not games!Indie game studios are brought on to develop, create, and transform these licenses into new games. As a game developer, what does it mean to work with IP license holders and integrate their assets into your game? Originally presented at Yetizen Innovation Lab September 10, 2013

1. Getting Into Bed with an IP Licensor
Margaret Wallace
CEO, Playmatics
Originally Presented at Yetizen Innovation Lab, September 10,

2. Digital and Real-World Experiences.
Creators of Award-Winning Games,
@margaretwallace
CEO

3. Production
New York City San Francisco
Business

5. Playmatics Founders

6. Institutional Partners
“Made in NY”
Media Center

7. Brands We’ve Worked With

8. Breaking Bad: Cost of Doing Business
http://www.amctv.com/shows/breaking-bad/cost-of-doing-business
1 Million Players in the First Month!

9. Awards:
WINNER:
CableFAX Best of the
Web award in the
contest/online games category.
Nominated:
SXSWi Interactive
Award
http://sxsw.com/node/6415
Game:
http://www.amctv.com/originals/breakingbad/inter
rogation
Breaking Bad: The Interrogation

10. The Walking Dead

11. PlaymaticsPlaymatics PlayPlayComiXComiX PlatformPlatform

12. PlaymaticsPlaymatics PlayPlayComiXComiX PlatformPlatform

13. Licensor
Content PartnerBrand Rep
Original IP
Brand Strategy

14. Truths &
Observations

15. It’s fun and rewarding
to work with high
profile IP.

16. It’s just as “hard” to
make your own IP as
branded IP…

17. …with just as much
variability in the upside.

18. Relationships are key.
Can make or break you.

19. There are more
licensing deals out
there than ever.

20. “Dead” licenses &
“Living” licenses --
sometimes for
little or no money down.

21. It can take a long
time to find a brand
decision-maker or to
close a deal.

22. Licensors will prefer
to offload as much
risk onto you as
possible – e.g.,
development costs.

23. Brand recognition may
help in user acquisition,
especially on mobile...

24. …but only if the IP and the
delivery channels reach
the right audiences.

25. Popular brands are
being leveraged across
many kinds of digital
media, including
educational gaming.

26. Credits
Metrics
Reporting
Distribution
Exclusivity
ALL UP FOR DISCUSSION

27. Marketing efforts made
by the licensee
may have limited value

28. Marketing Efforts Made
By the Licensor
May Have Limited Value

29. Try to avoid one-off
approvals around
things like distribution,
territory, art, etc.

30. Verify and Re-Verify
everything – just
because you have
approvals doesn’t mean
you do.

31. Depending on the
brand – “Talent”
might be eligible for a
cut of any revenues.

32. Licensors might have
restrictions over their own
brands – e.g., cable show
but not comic book rights.

33. Surprised more people
don’t work with brands…

34. …but then again
maybe not…

35. Even though there are a
lot of derivative products
out there…

36. …there’s a lot of
experimentation and
excitement out there.

37. Still potential in niche
brands as well as
mainstream brands.

38. Questions?
Margaret Wallace, CEO
margaret@playmatics.com
415.235.3235