Danish mobile game developer, ALL CAPS, is nominated for the “Indie Prize” award at Casual Connect in Tel Aviv, Israel.
CEO and Co-founder of ALL CAPS Brian Nielsen.
Israel might not sound like the obvious choice for an award convention to the untrained eye, but espite that, ALL CAPS from Aalborg, Denmark, have been invited to Tel Aviv, to join the Casual Connect convention. And the four-man studio are excited to be joining other, like minded developers, from other countries in the world.
The connection between Danish ALL CAPS and Israel is a fairly simple one. Since the publisher of their main game, Block Amok, is situated in Tel Aviv, it’s not surprising they’re familiar with the talents of ALL CAPS.
“Being able to showcase our products in an alternative region and visiting our publisher in person at the same time is an invaluable opportunity for us”, explains CEO and Co-founder of ALL CAPS, Brian Nielsen.
To be able to properly utilize such an opportunity is paramount for a smaller developer. After all ,they have taken the trip all the way to Israel. The added bonus to ALL CAPS’ efforts, is that they can do a focus test on their upcoming game DiscoFlip at the event.
It’s rare for a smaller developer to get such an opportunity to showcase their new game well before it reaches the final stages of development, giving them proper time to adjust to the market.
“Watching a user’s first experience with a product can yield very useful feedback, especially this early in development where we are able to change core aspects of the game” says Brian Nielsen.
As a new approach by ALL CAPS, they have put in place new policies to make sure they can stay updated on the market. The new strategy is to focus on creating games of a smaller scope, which keeps the games easier to manage.
Their new game, DiscoFlip, is created with many reusable assets and systems, making them available to be used in other productions, avoiding having to start from scratch in their future projects.
“DiscoFlip will focus on a smooth experience, both from a user perspective with an effective on-boarding process, and transparent monetization, but also from the developers’ point of view, with the game systems implemented in a more coherent manner, and having an increased awareness of user experience.” Says CMO & Co-founder ALL CAPS, Christian Hansen.
In extension to the above section, ALL CAPS have created a list of three suggestions to indie developers wanting to attend any games related conference:
Book meetings and research people ahead of time:
Conferences can be a frantic and intense experience, especially when showcasing a game, and the days will pass much faster than one would initially expect. Talking to the right people can often prove very beneficial for the developer. Researching the attending people and booking meetings in advance can ensure a higher probability of getting those important connections.
Bring promotional material:
Business cards should be in close proximity to anyone at a conference, but bringing more material can also boost your visibility. Bright, colorful posters, banners and other items can help people notice you and remember your game.
Go to parties:
At parties people let their guard down and busy schedules are replaced with drinks and laughter. Even if you don’t want to consume alcohol, the setting is perfect for casual networking, and at times, bonds forged with a drink in the hand can be very powerful.