Strategy development

Client: International media owner
Brief: Create and run a 4 month games strategy development process for one of the largest international broadcast media owners using a report, workshops, financial forecasting and board presentation.
Time frame: 4 week report delivery, 1 week workshop planning, 10 weeks workshop delivery, 1 week write-up and 1 week presentation/Q&A.
Deliverables: We delivered a 60 page report profiling the global games market, value chains, development process, commercial models and company profiles. We conducted an audit of the company’s broadcast IP, producing market entry strategies, operational structures and platform priorities. We ran 10 weekly strategy workshops introducing 15 directors and executives to the games market, short-listing major themes of interest, demographic matches and games project ideas. We produced a multifaceted 3 year strategy including IP usage, promotional strategy, target demographics and games platforms, initial projects on multiple games platforms, financial forecasts, timetables with key deliverables and resource allocations, which we wrote up and presented to the Board.
Result: The Board adopted the recommended strategy, agreed to fund several major games projects, two of which are ground-breaking, large scale developments that launched between 6 and 18 months later.

Games strategy development

Client: Multinational media owner
Brief: Advise the Strategy Board of a major multinational broadcast media owner on games strategy, acting as games specialists alongside a well-known generalist consultancy with limited hands-on experience of the games market. Conduct detailed financial modelling of multiple commercialisation scenarios.
Time frame: 4 weeks preparation, 2 weeks workshops, 2 weeks modelling and report writing.
Deliverables: We provided concentrated specialist advice to the client, profiling the online games industry in its many forms, moderating commercial workshops with 5 country managers and formulating realistic strategy based on IP exploitation, multiple online commercial models and leveraging the media company’s online persence in different territories. We profiled and modelled build / buy / partner scenarios, enabling green lighting of a significant infrastructure development project and strengthening the commercial stance of the subsidiaries.
Result: The client’s development project rolled out across territories, and the client’s online games offering became richer, more revenue generative and more efficient across all territories. 

Gamification strategy development

Client: Major European broadcaster
Brief: Educate a large team of digital practitioners in the latest techniques for gamification - the use of games design, marketing and production methods outside of gaming. Assess third party gamification platforms in a follow-on project.
Time frame: 6 and 4 week market research phases, 2 workshops, technical audit and report phase spread over 9 months.
Deliverables: We researched best practice gamification across multiple non-games and games sectors, bringing in world-leading gamification designer Sebastian Deterding to help produce a report. We conducted 2 workshops to educate and harvest ideas from 20 key staff. We produced a strategy including project definitions and partner lists. We then conducted an audit of 5 leading gamification platforms, bringing in former Electronic Arts Europe CTO Ian Shaw to conduct a technical audit.
Result: We helped onboard the client's staff to the potential and pitfalls of gamification, creating buy-in and excitement across teams, and providing a bible for future projects. Our strategy led to the development of 4 prototypes within a gamified structure. We helped the client assess build/buy/partner scenarios for a gamification platform that was then developed.