Mad Games Tycoon 2 – Guide – Legendary gameplay with randomized concepts

Selection of perks and profession – the beginning

We have about a dozen perks available. I suggest you choose “error-free”. This is a fundamental issue that I will come back to later. Also “inexhaustible” and “iron” will come in handy. This gives us the ability to work quickly without interruptions. It is important as long as we are alone. Usually I also add “leadership”, which is useful in the next phase, where we already have employees, but they are still weak and such a perk will be useful for us. You can also consider “luck”, “talented” or “all-rounder”, but in my opinion these are secondary issues. 
Profession: Game designer. The only right option to start with. We pack all points to the maximum in “gamedesign”. Graphics and sound are also important, but until a few technologies are developed, it will not help us anyway. And when we develop them, we will probably employ graphic designers and sound artists. 
 
 
 

First game

On random settings, we do not know which slider settings are optimal, and what topics fit which genres, and what genres are optimally related to each other. Hence the urgent need to build a quality department that will allow us to test these optimizations after each new production. Before we achieve this (it requires a considerable amount of money), however, we have a lot of work “in the dark”. We start with selling the car. Perhaps in the future it will be of use to something (some achievement?), But at the moment it only takes the necessary space. We build 4 rooms: Development, Research, Lounge, Toilet 
At the moment, we do not employ people yet. If we have any contractual tasks available, we undertake them. But in February, there is an opportunity to research the first game feature: local high scores. So we switch to the research room and take up the task. Having the first additional feature, we release the first game. We open the task and choose the genre – we only avoid the one that is unpopular on the timeline. We choose the topic intuitively. Here we have a small room for maneuver and we choose only a few available. 
– Target group: most games tend to go to the middle segments, so I suggest you set “adults” which statistically has the highest probability of hitting the point. On the other hand, if we choose, for example, “world wars” as the topic, it might be better to choose “senior”, and if the theme is “pets”, it might be better “teens” or even “children”. This is left to intuition. There is also always the “all” option 
– Platforms: we choose the most popular one and set the title as “exclusive game”. We don’t have access to other platforms anyway, so let’s do it to use the bonus resulting from the exclusivity of the title 
– Perfect design settings: set the concept sliders (gameplay vs visuals, story vs game length etc) to all 5s 
– Priority of game reviews: at the beginning of the game, we will mainly produce points for the “gameplay” category (we don’t have any artists or sound engineers anyway), so regardless of the genre, it’s worth setting this slider to 40-50%. Put the rest more or less evenly. 
– Languages: I suggest you choose 2-4 languages. A single language always lowers the grade, and a complete set raises the production price. You have to look for the “sweet point”. 
– Features: we select all available 
– Financing: everything 100% 
After undertaking the task, we wait for 100%, but after obtaining 100%, we do not publish the game immediately. First, the game must have no bugs. Hence the “error-free” perk, which immediately guarantees zero errors. However, if you don’t have this perk, you wait in the polishing phase until all bugs are removed. Even if we don’t have any mistakes (because the perk worked), we are still in the polish stage for a few weeks. Every now and then we check the “development report” window to follow the progress of work. There are two important pieces of information there: 
– “current estimated rating”: always given in the 20% range, ie 20-40% or 70-90%. We are waiting in polishing until 40-60% appears. We can also take a risk and spend the game in the 30-50% phase, but never do it when it is, for example, 10-30%, because then we are guaranteed to get a crap. 
– points earned: there are 6 categories: gameplay, graphics, sound, technology, bugs and hearts (marketing value). Hearts will always be zero at the start of the game. Bugs delete what I was talking about. The rest is to grow and it will happen in the polishing phase. Usually, points at the level of 150-50-50-50 give about 50% of the review. 
But these are fairly labine values, so they have to be combined with the “estimated rating”. If estimated is high despite few points, then it is ok. Worse is the opposite. Then we pump the points further in the polishing phase. 
Then we finish the task and choose the publisher. Preferably the one with a high market share. The $ stake is less important. A long range of $ 6 is better than a very small $ 8 range. If possible, let it be a publisher specialized in the game genre we choose. 
 
 
 

Calibration starts – game number 2 and beyond

We start producing the second game right away. We only change the genre and perhaps the subject and target group. We leave the concept settings unchanged (only 5s), just like the rest of the issues. It is important not to produce 3 games of the same genre in a row. This will cause “bored fans” and a large drop in sales. Besides, dealing with a separate genre at this stage will give us time to collect letters from the market regarding our choice of sliders in the first production. So we are producing the second game and waiting for the letters. 
When they come complete (about 12 weeks; each slider will trigger a separate letter week by week), we should just finish production of game 2. When that happens, we move on to game number 3, in the same genre as game number 1. At this stage, the fun with the sliders begins. 
First things first. Let’s take an example from one slider – we will do the same with the others. So let’s take the ‘gameplay vs visuals’ slider. We are set to 5. It may be that no letter on this topic will come, which will mean that we hit point and 5 is optimal. But you have to be lucky for that;) However, if a letter comes saying that fans expect better gameplay, in the next game of this genre, we set the slider to 3. That is 2 closer than last time. Why 2 and not 1? To hit the point faster. If there is another letter in the second game that there is not enough gameplay, it means that both 5, 3 and 4 are the wrong setting. So we’re sifting out 2 points in one go. 
In the third game, by setting 1 (2 less than 3) we achieve the same effect. Then if 1 is still not enough for gameplay, we know that the correct setting is 0. And if the letter comes that the gameplay is too strong (or actually that the visual is too weak), we know that the correct slider setting is 2. Unless a letter will come stating that we hit the point. Then we know that 1 is ok. This can happen on the second game. The letter that it is ok means that we hit the slider at 3. And if there is too little / a lot of gameplay, we know that it is 4 or we are looking further in game 3, setting the slider – as I mentioned – to 1. 
Game number 3 will also be the last attempt, after which we are 100% sure what the optimum is. So 3 games of a given genre is the maximum we need to do to hit the set of settings. Hopefully this is clear, although it can look quite complicated. In any case, let’s take a holistic example again: 
 
A) Skill game no1: settings 5/5/5/5/5 
Skill1 Letters: 
Gameplay too weak 
The game is too short 
The atmosphere is too weak 
Not enough game depth 
Too much for core gamers 
B) In Skill game no2, we set: 3/7/3/3/7 
Letters for Skill2 
Gameplay ok 
The game is too short 
Not enough content 
Not enough beginner-friendly 
Too much for casual gamers 
C) In Skill game no3, we set: 3/9/9/4/6 – here the points of the first one for the last two sliders are hit. We know gameplay 3 is ok, and we know 5 depth was too small, but 3 too deep (so 4 is 100% ok), and we know core gamers 5 was too much and 7 too little (so 6 is 100% ok) 
It remains to aim for game length and content. We set 9s and wait for Skill 3 lists. 
Accordingly, after them we already know 100% what about the sliders. And we set exactly these fixed sliders all the time for Skill games. Thus, we have settled on the optimization of game concept sliders. 
 
 
 

The road to game analysis – milestone # 1

However, the optimization of the remaining sliders as well as the age target groups and relevant topics requires building a Quality Assurance room. After examining (game report) any title in it, he will show us 100% information about the optimal settings, and he can also speed up targeting the game concept sliders (they light up green if we hit correctly). Either way, this department is crucial to the game’s progress. 
So, as soon as we collect the appropriate amount, we go to research of this department (250k for the research itself – in fact, with a balance <500k, we do not have anything to try) and its construction. This is the first milestone in our game. Meanwhile, we produce when. We do as many of them as possible, because subsequent titles unlock access to more platforms. Over time, the monopoly on the platform market ceases to exist and we must be able to release the game on 4 platforms in order to cover as much of the market as possible. Therefore, it is imperative to spend 15 games as quickly as possible. 1 engine will also be useful. 
– Engines – the genre of the engine game is of little importance. You can have a Skill engine and spend great platformers on it. I usually make two engines. One for skill / platform / puzzle, the other for strategy / rpg / econo / building etc. Time for other versions will come later 
– Contracts – we only take up contracts when we have nothing better to do (i.e. probably never), or when we have a serious budget problem 
– Updates – there is no point in doing them at this stage of the game. They take time without giving you adequate benefits in return 
– Research – we focus on features and engines. 1-2 additional genres and 5-10 topics will also be useful to diversify the offer. But no more. Research takes time and money. There is no point in going into it at this point. Engines Levels – researching engine components is quite important, but we have to remember that the newest engines will not provide much market access. Most of the popular consoles (except for PC) will work only weaker engines than we can theoretically invent. So let’s focus not on the newest engines, but on those that guarantee better access to the platforms / market. Better is a level 1 game for 85% of the market than a level 2 game for 45% of the market. 
– Employees – when we can afford it, we hire new developers. Necessarily with the “error-free” perk. Over time, larger and larger productions generate hundreds of errors. Their elimination then takes a lot of invaluable time in the polishing phase or the involvement of Quality Assurance, which will also not be of use to us. Besides, a bug-free game always gets a better rating and we don’t have to release patches for it. 
We don’t hire stars. They are too expensive. Later that’s ok, but not on early stages. We are always looking for the “error-free” perk and we select developers, graphic designers, sound engineers and testers. They can work in different rooms, so it doesn’t matter if we put them all in, for example, the research room. Research staff at this stage are rather unnecessary. When we need to invent something, we transfer e.g. graphic designers there for a while. 
 
 
 

Early 1980s – a time of tough choices

At this stage, we should already have access to 4 platforms, probably also to create a sequel. The priority should definitely be collecting money for building your own production. For this you will need about 6-7 million. 2.5 for research, 2.5 for equipment and a new building (the old one will not fit) and some spare for development. It will definitely take a while. This time requires making decisions about development. This is a period where technological innovations appear very often, so theoretically, we can deal with mass research. But you have to focus on priority sections so as not to spend the entire budget. Especially since game production will become more and more expensive. The costs of a single game will increase to several hundred thousand, even up to a million. You have to remember this. I believe you need to spend as many games as possible. It’s more important than research. You can boost engine technology to level 2, but spend games with these engines only when platforms that can work with them become popular. At the turn of 82/83 it will be necessary to produce B + games, because the number of features is the key. At this point, you can use about 15. Their research is the highest priority. But a year later, there will be about 20 features available. If there are 21-22 of them, make your selection, rejecting the least valuable ones and still place the games in the B + segment (max 20 features). Building A games is premature at this stage. This could be done in the second half of the 1980s. 
Game features with low points are the least valuable. Remember that this is just a game and not a reality. The algorithm of the game is such that it is not the nature and functionality of the feature that matters, but its “valuation” in points. Therefore, even to strategic games, it is better to add Laser Pistol at the expense of, for example, Cheat Codes (although it sounds illogical). Simply the Laser Pistol raises the game score more. 
Summarizing this stage: focus on game features research, install only engines that give a wide range of platforms (don’t go hi-tech), make a lot of games using proven game concepts. Build up your crew wisely. The quality of the people (“error-free” perk!) Is more important than pumping your squad by force. Remember that this perk also applies to artists, sound engineers and testers. Raising money for your own factory is then only a matter of time. 
 
 
 

Own production – milestone # 2

From the moment you have your factory, the game is basically over. It cannot be lost. Having a factory and developing optimal game concepts, focus on catching up in research (genres, topics, engines) and produce games. 
Playing with optimal settings and about 20 features, even on a level 1 engine, will give a rating of > 70%. It’s so good that you will sell a lot of it. There will also be titles> 80%. There will also be games A up to 30 features. 
They will always be Games of the Year (even the 70%, because the competition mainly produces craps). At some point, there will be so much money that you won’t be able to spend it. Now a few words about the production itself. 
When releasing the game, release the first small batch in the proportion of 85% basic version, 12.5% medium, 2.5% deluxe. These are indicative values. It can come out differently in different games. Then watch the first weeks. When you see sales for the third week, this will be the guideline for global sales. Multiply the third week x30 (in the same proportion) and it will sell at least. It can even go up to x40, but you can do it later. In the 80’s, games sell for 40-60 weeks. Later it is up to 200 weeks (around 2020). Obviously, sales decline over time. Therefore, the multiplier will increase in later years. You have to observe it yourself. 
– Marketing: remember this section. When you outsource the production to a third-party publisher, you didn’t have to worry about it. Now that will change. It’s a bad idea to self-release games without marketing. The best game with zero hearts will sell worse than the slightly worse but well known and liked game. Due to the cost / benefit ratio, I suggest sticking to radio marketing. TV is too expensive and Internet and streaming are not yet available. 
– Conventions: I have not written about it yet, but it is always worth participating in fairs. Choose good and relatively new games for them. Don’t put old games there. Trade fairs conquer marketing and it is a cheaper method than standalone advertising. They also add fans. 
– Support: take care of customers. For every 100,000 fans, have 1-2 employees in support mode. If you have more, let the rest of them focus on fan campaigns and get more. 
 
 
 

Point clicking and grinding phase

The first millions you earned (after the in-house production phase) could be invested in a graphics and music studio. The question is, do you have a place for it? You may fit some small studios, but on a large scale you need another building. And these are expenses in total> 10 million. Stock up on it and build these departments. However, use them wisely. Not every game is fine-tuned with all the upgrades. These are expensive things, and they don’t always pay off. Start with 1-2 upgrades with graphics, quality and sound and observe the results. Mostly financial, because at this stage you won’t have to worry about reviews. After 1990, it is unlikely to make a game <80%. After 2000, it’s hard to do <90%. Well, unless you deliberately release game B or B + in 1997, then yes, it will happen. In time, Motion Capture will be added … and that’s about it. 
From then on, the game is about adding more hit games, more games of the year and building a budget. After 2010, it will probably have all the buildings bought and several hundred million on its account. And maybe a billion or more … 
Finally, a few words about side functions: 
– Retro games: they don’t pay off at all. Leave it. 
– Budget Games: Not worthwhile in themselves, but gives you the option to do a Bundle which is a great move. So spend 4-5 budget every now and then, and when they sell out, pack them in the Bundle 
– Bundle: in my opinion this is a bug in the game because it is far from the reality. But in my case, bundles of good, but very old games (e.g. 20 years old) often gave> 100 million profit. Sometimes they sold 7-8 million copies. I don’t know if the developer will correct it, but at the moment it looks like this. So do a bundle 🙂 
– Sequels: A good business idea. First of all, this is a proven concept, but moreover, you have marketing your head. Usually you have> 50 hearts to start. 
– Remakes: also a good patent. So do sequels. 
– Updates: I generally don’t recommend it. Waste of time. Paid add-ons will sell perhaps 1/3 of the base game circulation. Assess for yourself whether it pays off, or whether it is better to release another, new game at that time. Free updates, on the other hand, are pointless. They cost (sometimes quite a lot) and give little. Especially when you release clean games without bugs. There is one exception. Games with huge sales. If a title goes to a record of 5 million pieces, it is worth to pump it up with an update. It’s about economies of scale. An add-on always costs the same, and raises sales by a certain% of “normal” sales. So + 10% of sales from the base 5 million may pay off, but raising the sale of a game with a base of 200k? 
– MMO: whenever you can afford it (production costs up to 20 million in total), do only MMO. This is the best option in the game. MMOs sell for about 3-5 years, and then they still live on servers with players for the next few. It could even be a decade. Personally, I did not focus on maximizing revenues, because I was only testing various tips, but even not caring much about sales, I achieved profits from a single MMO in the range of 150-350 million. And with a team of 50-60 people (including devs, artists, etc.) you can release 2-3 MMO games a year. So around 2015-2020 we are talking about billion turnover 
– MMO addons: the paid addons are fine, but similar to the upgrades for standard games. A matter of scale. They just keep people on the servers longer, and they pay a subscription every month. 
 
That’s it for the moment. When there are new features and I test them, I will do an update. If I remember something, I will add it. Meanwhile, have fun playing 🙂 
 

This is all about Mad Games Tycoon 2 – Guide – Legendary gameplay with randomized concepts; I hope you enjoy reading the Guide! If you feel like we should add more information or we forget/mistake, please let us know via commenting below, and thanks! See you soon!