At the time, burgeoning developers congregated on pre-internet bulletin board systems like CompuServe, GEnie and Prodigy, trading programming tricks and sharing their work. Miller launched Apogee in 1987 as a way to publicize the ASCII-based games he was building out of his childhood home in Texas. Not that it was really the same people that were involved back then, but it was like, well that's kind of cool. “But it was also cool because it was Epic saying it. “When they popped up and said, ‘We're redefining the publishing deal,’ it made me chuckle,” said Devolver Digital founder Mike Wilson. Sweeney’s company isn’t the only name on the list, but with a culture-defining franchise, a popular game engine and a $15 billion valuation, it’s definitely making the most noise right now. These creator-first systems are still in place today, under names like Devolver Digital, 3D Realms, Indie Fund, Raw Fury and, of course, Epic Games. Developers and deal-makers like Scott Miller, James Schmalz, Jay Wilbur, Mike Wilson, Mark Rein and Sweeney built impromptu publishing systems that prioritized art over profit, collaborating and competing with massive companies like Microsoft, Sony, Electronic Arts and Take-Two in the process. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, a handful of software developers suddenly found themselves on the frontlines of a new industry - video game publishing - as demand for their homegrown digital experiences began to boom. “We’re building the publishing model we always wanted for ourselves,” said Epic founder and CEO Tim Sweeney.īy subscribing, you are agreeing to Engadget's Terms and Privacy Policy. Epic also promises to cover up to 100 percent of a game’s development costs, including salaries, advertising and publishing fees. In late March, Epic Games launched a multiplatform publishing initiative touting “the most developer-friendly terms in the industry.” Under this deal, developers are guaranteed 50 percent of a game’s revenue once production costs are recouped, and they retain full creative control over their own titles. Or, a huge company will simply buy the smaller studio outright, devouring its existing library and creative talent, and overseeing all of its future products. In some cases, the developer also signs away their intellectual property rights, losing creative control over the game entirely. However, in the realm of AAA publishing, it’s common for independent developers to sign contracts granting them less than 10 percent of a game’s lifetime revenue, in exchange for marketing and financial assistance from a multibillion-dollar organization. Publishing deals in the video game industry are generally kept secret, with terms hidden behind non-disclosure agreements and the threat of legal fallout.
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