How we can help you
We provide bespoke consultancy, market research and corporate finance services that enable our clients inside and outside the games industry to compete effectively by defining precisely where to invest, what pitfalls to avoid, how to exploit their assets, who to work with, what commercial models to use and what audience to reach with games and gamification.
Strategy
We can help you enter games markets, decide which games fit your portfolio and audiences, pick commercial models, identify development partners, plan production and model outcomes
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Analysis
Want to know the detail of specific games markets? We can dig into them for you, whether for research, planning or due diligence purposes
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Corporate finance
We facilitate mergers and acquisitions, private equity fund-raisings, IPOs and public market fund-raisings.
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STRATEGY
GIC's broad experience with the games, finance and media sectors has allowed it to offer a unique strategy consultancy service. GIC has worked closely with senior teams in games and broadcast media companies to create games strategies tailored to each client's IP portfolio, market position and strategic ambitions.
We utilise our experience, our continuous monitoring of the industry, our databases of companies, our extensive contact network, our market projections and the insight gained from analysts’ access to major games companies to provide bespoke consultancy.
We have developed games strategies for over 60 different companies, shepherded projects from inception to launch, delivered scores of staff workshops, bespoke reports and Board presentations, and enabled many companies to compete more effectively in games and gamification with the right products, commercial models and partners.
We utilise our experience, our continuous monitoring of the industry, our databases of companies, our extensive contact network, our market projections and the insight gained from analysts’ access to major games companies to provide bespoke consultancy.
We have developed games strategies for over 60 different companies, shepherded projects from inception to launch, delivered scores of staff workshops, bespoke reports and Board presentations, and enabled many companies to compete more effectively in games and gamification with the right products, commercial models and partners.
Phil Harrison, SCEE and Microsoft
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Phillip Oliver, CEO of Blitz and Radiant Worlds
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“GIC’s energy and commitment were absolutely pivotal to making this industry success story happen”
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“Thank you so much for organising a great campaign!”
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RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS
GIC is one of the industry’s most trusted sources of intelligence on the latest trends in the global retail, network and mobile games industry. We have authored multiple reports for both publication and private clients on games development, publishing and distribution, often forecasting the industry’s cutting edges that have gone on to transform the industry. We continuously monitor all facets of the global games industry, maintaining databases on the latest market size data, transactions, technology and games companies.
We conduct market surveys with scores of leading figures in the games industry each year. We combine our research databases, industry knowledge and primary research capabilities to provide a wide range of tailored research services.
We conduct market surveys with scores of leading figures in the games industry each year. We combine our research databases, industry knowledge and primary research capabilities to provide a wide range of tailored research services.
Richard Wilson, CEO of TIGA
“GIC are professional, imaginative and deliver on time and to budget. I am looking forward to working with them again”
CORPORATE FINANCE
Over 30 of GIC's clients derive from the financial community. GIC provides a range of corporate finance consulting services working with games companies, acquirers, investors and financial advisers to facilitate mergers and acquisitions, fund-raisings and IPOs. GIC’s investment banking origins afford it a unique position as a company that is both experienced in corporate finance transactions whilst also being highly games industry literate.
GIC maintains a database of UK and European venture capital and private equity investors as well as a global games opportunity database allowing it to match investors, investees, acquirers and sellers to suitable partner companies in every corner of the games industry.
GIC maintains a strong global network of board-level contacts at games companies as well as existing and prospective games industry investment firms. GIC also retains a network of UK FSA-regulated advisory partners with which it works closely to conduct many of these transactions.
GIC maintains a database of UK and European venture capital and private equity investors as well as a global games opportunity database allowing it to match investors, investees, acquirers and sellers to suitable partner companies in every corner of the games industry.
GIC maintains a strong global network of board-level contacts at games companies as well as existing and prospective games industry investment firms. GIC also retains a network of UK FSA-regulated advisory partners with which it works closely to conduct many of these transactions.
Falk Muller-Veerse, Cartagena Capital and Bryan, Garnier and Co
“I have worked with Nick on numerous projects and have found his knowledge of the games industry to be unparalleled”
Case studies
Read through a few projects that we've worked on to give you a taster of how we work and what we deliver.
Case study: Product development strategy
Client: BBC
Brief: GIC was asked by the BBC how to handle a game based on Doctor Who, advising the company on cradle-to-grave strategy from inception, costing, green lighting funding, partner selection, development, marketing and delivery.
Time frame: Concept development 2 weeks, internal pitching 3 weeks, partner identification and pitching 6 weeks, development: 15 months.
Deliverables: GIC identified the most appropriate genres and platforms for the game (episodic adventure game on PC) and assisted the executive producers and senior management on selecting the most appropriate route to market. GIC brought in a experienced executive writer / producer (Charles Cecil) to advise on production. GIC identified, shortlisted and advised on the pitch process from 4 international development studios, guiding the selection process towards the strongest candidate (Sumo Games). GIC financially planned the project, advised on commercialisation options and ensured the project was green lit by helping to sell it into the TV producer and writer. GIC advised throughout development on strategy, marketing, delivery and release of the game.
Result: The game was well reviewed and was downloaded over 3m times
Brief: GIC was asked by the BBC how to handle a game based on Doctor Who, advising the company on cradle-to-grave strategy from inception, costing, green lighting funding, partner selection, development, marketing and delivery.
Time frame: Concept development 2 weeks, internal pitching 3 weeks, partner identification and pitching 6 weeks, development: 15 months.
Deliverables: GIC identified the most appropriate genres and platforms for the game (episodic adventure game on PC) and assisted the executive producers and senior management on selecting the most appropriate route to market. GIC brought in a experienced executive writer / producer (Charles Cecil) to advise on production. GIC identified, shortlisted and advised on the pitch process from 4 international development studios, guiding the selection process towards the strongest candidate (Sumo Games). GIC financially planned the project, advised on commercialisation options and ensured the project was green lit by helping to sell it into the TV producer and writer. GIC advised throughout development on strategy, marketing, delivery and release of the game.
Result: The game was well reviewed and was downloaded over 3m times
Case study: Commercial strategy development
Client: International media owner
Brief: GIC was asked to write a report on the games industry for a board level executive of a major international media owner. GIC was then asked to conduct weekly half-day strategy workshops with 15 key senior management staff over 10 weeks, producing a multifaceted 3 year strategy including target demographics and games platforms, initial projects on multiple games platforms, financial forecasts, timetables with key deliverables and resource allocations.
Time frame: Initial 4 week report delivery, 1 week workshop planning, 10 weeks workshop planning, 1 week write-up.
Deliverables: GIC delivered a 60 page report profiling the global games market, value chains, development process, commercial models, company profiles, IP audit, market entry strategies, operational structures and platform priorities. GIC then planned and conducted 10 strategy workshops introducing key client executives to the games market, eliciting and short-listing major themes of interest, working through demographic matches, generating and then filtering games project ideas, working through operational strategy and then creating an overarching games strategy. GIC wrote up the results for 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 6-18 months later.
Brief: GIC was asked to write a report on the games industry for a board level executive of a major international media owner. GIC was then asked to conduct weekly half-day strategy workshops with 15 key senior management staff over 10 weeks, producing a multifaceted 3 year strategy including target demographics and games platforms, initial projects on multiple games platforms, financial forecasts, timetables with key deliverables and resource allocations.
Time frame: Initial 4 week report delivery, 1 week workshop planning, 10 weeks workshop planning, 1 week write-up.
Deliverables: GIC delivered a 60 page report profiling the global games market, value chains, development process, commercial models, company profiles, IP audit, market entry strategies, operational structures and platform priorities. GIC then planned and conducted 10 strategy workshops introducing key client executives to the games market, eliciting and short-listing major themes of interest, working through demographic matches, generating and then filtering games project ideas, working through operational strategy and then creating an overarching games strategy. GIC wrote up the results for 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 6-18 months later.
Case study: Gamification strategy development
Client: Major European broadcaster
Brief: GIC was asked to educate a large team of new media practitioners in the latest techniques for gamification - the use of games design, marketing and production methods outside of gaming. GIC was then asked to assess 3rd party gamification platforms.
Time frame: 6 and 4 week market research phases, 2 workshops, technical audit and report phase spread over 9 months.
Deliverables: GIC researched best practice gamification across multiple non-games and games sectors, collaborating with world-leading gamification designer Sebastian Deterding to produce a report. GIC conducted 2 workshops to educate and harvest ideas from 20 key staff. GIC produced a strategy including project definitions and partner lists. GIC then conducted an audit of 5 leading gamification platforms, collaborating with former Electronic Arts Europe CTO Ian Shaw.
Result: GIC 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. GIC created a strategy that identified multiple projects which led to the development of 4 gamification prototypes within a gamified structure. GIC helped the client assess build/buy/partner scenarios for a gamification platform that was then developed.
Brief: GIC was asked to educate a large team of new media practitioners in the latest techniques for gamification - the use of games design, marketing and production methods outside of gaming. GIC was then asked to assess 3rd party gamification platforms.
Time frame: 6 and 4 week market research phases, 2 workshops, technical audit and report phase spread over 9 months.
Deliverables: GIC researched best practice gamification across multiple non-games and games sectors, collaborating with world-leading gamification designer Sebastian Deterding to produce a report. GIC conducted 2 workshops to educate and harvest ideas from 20 key staff. GIC produced a strategy including project definitions and partner lists. GIC then conducted an audit of 5 leading gamification platforms, collaborating with former Electronic Arts Europe CTO Ian Shaw.
Result: GIC 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. GIC created a strategy that identified multiple projects which led to the development of 4 gamification prototypes within a gamified structure. GIC helped the client assess build/buy/partner scenarios for a gamification platform that was then developed.
Case study: Financial strategy development
Client: International media owner
Brief: GIC was asked to advise the Strategy Board of a major international media owner on games strategy, profiling the online games industry in detail, conducting commercial workshops with key executives in charge of 5 different regional subsidiaries as well as managers from head office, and to conduct detailed financial modelling of multiple commercialisation scenarios to assist in green lighting the project.
Time frame: 4 weeks preparation, 2 weeks workshops, 2 weeks modelling and report writing
Deliverables: GIC provided concentrated specialist advice to the client, working in collaboration with a major generalist consultancy which had a limited understanding of the games market. We profiled the online games industry in its many forms, conducting multiple commercial workshops with country managers and formulating strategy based on IP exploitation, several online commercial models and leveraging the media company’s major portals internationally. GIC also profiled and financially modelled build / buy / partner scenarios for the client, enabling green lighting of a major international 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 is deeper, more revenue generative and more efficient across all territories.
Brief: GIC was asked to advise the Strategy Board of a major international media owner on games strategy, profiling the online games industry in detail, conducting commercial workshops with key executives in charge of 5 different regional subsidiaries as well as managers from head office, and to conduct detailed financial modelling of multiple commercialisation scenarios to assist in green lighting the project.
Time frame: 4 weeks preparation, 2 weeks workshops, 2 weeks modelling and report writing
Deliverables: GIC provided concentrated specialist advice to the client, working in collaboration with a major generalist consultancy which had a limited understanding of the games market. We profiled the online games industry in its many forms, conducting multiple commercial workshops with country managers and formulating strategy based on IP exploitation, several online commercial models and leveraging the media company’s major portals internationally. GIC also profiled and financially modelled build / buy / partner scenarios for the client, enabling green lighting of a major international 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 is deeper, more revenue generative and more efficient across all territories.
Case study: Games industry promotion campaign
Client: 25 leading UK-based games companies
Brief: After delivering a report to government calling for tax credits for games development, GIC proposed to senior industry figures that the industry come together to promote the economic and cultural impact of games to the public, policymakers at the Treasury and other political stakeholders. GIC formulated a plan, pitched it to the UK's largest games companies and won their funding to deliver a campaign.
Time frame: 1 month of preparation, 4 months of research, 1 week of promotion, 3 weeks of results gathering
Deliverables: GIC raised funds for the campaign from participating companies, handled pitches to choose a PR agency (3 Monkeys), an economic analysis team (Oxford Economics) and a lobbying company (Precise Political), conducted a census of the UK industry, delivered campaign and policy materials, managed monthly Board meetings of the funding companies, handled all campaign administration and finances, oversaw the training of campaign spokespeople, handled all campaign enquiries from the media via the PR agency, conducted press interviews including BBC News 24 and conducted a campaign review for funding companies after the campaign finished
Result: GIC founded a ground-breaking campaign that promoted the games industry to the public, won strong backing from the industry including, unprecedentedly, both UK games trade bodies, received widespread press coverage from national print and broadcast media, identified roughly 100 pro-games MPs, scaled the games development industry formally and estimated the games industry's economic impact for the first time, broke down barriers in the media about the positive impact of games on UK society and paved the way for first the Labour and then the Coalition Government to deliver Video Games Tax Relief for UK games studios, resulting in hundreds of millions of pounds of tax credits for British games companies and a dramatic turnaround in growth of the sector.
Brief: After delivering a report to government calling for tax credits for games development, GIC proposed to senior industry figures that the industry come together to promote the economic and cultural impact of games to the public, policymakers at the Treasury and other political stakeholders. GIC formulated a plan, pitched it to the UK's largest games companies and won their funding to deliver a campaign.
Time frame: 1 month of preparation, 4 months of research, 1 week of promotion, 3 weeks of results gathering
Deliverables: GIC raised funds for the campaign from participating companies, handled pitches to choose a PR agency (3 Monkeys), an economic analysis team (Oxford Economics) and a lobbying company (Precise Political), conducted a census of the UK industry, delivered campaign and policy materials, managed monthly Board meetings of the funding companies, handled all campaign administration and finances, oversaw the training of campaign spokespeople, handled all campaign enquiries from the media via the PR agency, conducted press interviews including BBC News 24 and conducted a campaign review for funding companies after the campaign finished
Result: GIC founded a ground-breaking campaign that promoted the games industry to the public, won strong backing from the industry including, unprecedentedly, both UK games trade bodies, received widespread press coverage from national print and broadcast media, identified roughly 100 pro-games MPs, scaled the games development industry formally and estimated the games industry's economic impact for the first time, broke down barriers in the media about the positive impact of games on UK society and paved the way for first the Labour and then the Coalition Government to deliver Video Games Tax Relief for UK games studios, resulting in hundreds of millions of pounds of tax credits for British games companies and a dramatic turnaround in growth of the sector.
Case study: Financial strategy development
Client: A European mid market private equity fund
Brief: GIC was tasked with assessing the investment opportunity represented by a leading European games development, publishing and distribution company. GIC was selected as impartial games industry experts that could present an honest and undiluted appraisal of the target company’s information memorandum, business plan, growth strategy and management team and determine the suitability of the business for the investor client and the proposed valuation.
Time frame: 2 weeks of assessment, 1 week of presentation and feedback
Deliverables: GIC assessed all of the due diligence documentation, prepared a detailed list of additional due diligence questions and attended meetings with the target company’s management at which these questions were posed and the answers discussed. GIC provided written and oral feedback and opinions to the investor client during and at the end of the process.
Result: In this instance, the investor client, based on the responses received during the due diligence meetings and the feedback provided by GIC, decided not to proceed with the investment. Although a large proportion of the due diligence projects that GIC has worked on have resulted in the investor client making an investment, this case illustrates that GIC is not afraid of providing negative opinions where they are warranted.
Brief: GIC was tasked with assessing the investment opportunity represented by a leading European games development, publishing and distribution company. GIC was selected as impartial games industry experts that could present an honest and undiluted appraisal of the target company’s information memorandum, business plan, growth strategy and management team and determine the suitability of the business for the investor client and the proposed valuation.
Time frame: 2 weeks of assessment, 1 week of presentation and feedback
Deliverables: GIC assessed all of the due diligence documentation, prepared a detailed list of additional due diligence questions and attended meetings with the target company’s management at which these questions were posed and the answers discussed. GIC provided written and oral feedback and opinions to the investor client during and at the end of the process.
Result: In this instance, the investor client, based on the responses received during the due diligence meetings and the feedback provided by GIC, decided not to proceed with the investment. Although a large proportion of the due diligence projects that GIC has worked on have resulted in the investor client making an investment, this case illustrates that GIC is not afraid of providing negative opinions where they are warranted.