So, I am currently reading "The Toy and Game Inventor's Handbook" which is very well written by two toy industry legends: Richard C. Levy and Ronald O. Weingarther. There is a section that I am reading that was a rude awakening for me and I felt was an important piece of information to share with you.
(Paraphrased) The authors comment on how the toy and game industry has changed so much for inventors that, in the future, inventors may no longer exist. This is because major toy companies have been primarily making their sales through attaching toys and games to popular TV shows and Hollywood films. This is known as entertainment licensing. New games are no longer made from scratch from the bottom up because they are too much of a risk. Instead, the major toy companies simply buy out smaller companies who have established sales on their own (i.e. "Cranium").
This seems to be true because all you ever see in retail chains such as Target, Walmart, and Toy-R-Us are re-hashed versions of "Monopoly," "Risk," "Clue," "UNO," "Trivia Pursuit," and "Scene It?" based on every major Hollywood film, Sci-Fi TV show, or popular cartoon. I understand that these companies have an obligation to please investors. However, the quality of most of the games in mainstream retail stores are the equivalent of he styrofoam "health" chips you find in grocery stores with zero calories and no flavor. The industry has become a watered-down, empty version of itself, just like most reality TV shows and a significant portion of films pumped out by major Hollywood studios.
I wish those of you that are into board games could experience some of the incredible inventions from independent companies and inventors you can only find in small hobby stores, boutique stores, and online communities such as www.BoardGameGeek.com. It's like comparing the bland fruit you often find in U.S. grocery stores and then experiencing the explosion of rich and luscious flavor you would find in organic fruits from Brazil. There is just no comparison.
I implore you to expand your mind and entertainment experiences beyond what the mainstream has to offer. As I find more fascinating games that I really enjoy, I will continue to try to post them here on this site. In the meantime, there's an entire new and more fulfilling world waiting for you to experience. Go find it!
~Luis
www.GlobalQuestGame.com
Monday, April 19, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Finding the Best Toy & Game Broker/Agent
Back in January (wow, has three months passed by already since then?), you may recall that I had the unique fortune to interview Ed Akerman, the man who launched the best-selling and legendary card game, "UNO." Well, I decided to finally take his advice to heart by researching and contacting a number of top toy and game brokers online. Personally, I prefer to have a broker in the United States for the convenience of having someone closer to home and considering the time and costs of shipping my prototype. Plus, I do not know how to investigate the legitimacy of businesses in other countries, whereas here in the U.S., you at least have the option to look them up on the Better Business Bureau website.
You may decide to establish your own approach to evaluating the best broker for your own needs, but I took the extra time to read everything each broker presented on their website: i.e...
- How long have they been in business and/or what kind of experience in the industry do they have?
- What kind of products/clients have they represented?
- What services do they provide?
- How much do they charge?
- What percentage of your royalties do they receive?
- Do they have a standard non-disclosure agreement? (In order to protect you from anyone that might try to take your concept without permission.)
- Does the overall website look professional?
Afterward, I jotted down questions that may not have been answered: i.e...
- Where do you represent your client's games? (Only in the United States, Europe, or around the world?)
- Do you require an exclusive contract? (This means you are not able to have any other brokers shopping around the same invention at the same time.)
- If so, how long is the contract? (Some require as little as six months to one year, while others may require 1-2 years. It may depend on how many toy companies a broker may solicit or other factors. Generally, it is common to wait at least a year or more to see if any company is interested in licensing your game or toy. Otherwise, you may need to go back to the drawing board and make some revisions, start all over again, or try to self-produce it on your own.)
- Do you present games at Toy Fairs or do you go directly to the toy and game companies? (Some brokers may make the claim that Toy Fairs are for amateurs because the major toy companies are usually only interested in doing business with buyers, not acquiring new products. Your experience may be different.)
- What percentage of games/toys submitted to you for consideration do you represent? (A good broker will only represent a small percentage because they are only looking for those toys/games with a high potential for success.)
You might also want to ask about licensing a different version of your game: i.e. on cell phones, D.V.D., internet, and video games. However, bear in mind that, unless you are a talented computer programmer and animator, or a major toy company wants to do it for you, hiring someone (or a team of people) to make an electronic version of your game can cost several thousand dollars (sometimes over $100,000). Not to mention, there is no guarantee that a game company will want to license your game. However, if you are still motivated to give electronic gaming a shot after considering these factors, then by all means, go for it! You may have some talent that will blow everyone's mind away. When you become successful, hopefully you will remember that I was one of the few that encouraged you all the way! ;)
Bearing all of this in mind, I found a broker that I was comfortable with, who was professional, experienced, patient and willing to explain the aspects of the industry that I did not understand. (Trust me, not everyone was so pleasant.) This particular broker has 26 years of experience, has an impressive client list, and currently has an "A+" rating on the Better Business Bureau website.
You might be asking, how much money can an inventor make? Well, this may not always be the case, but it would appear that if a toy company is interested in licensing your toy or game, you may receive around 5%-8% of the WHOLESALE price, not the mark-up prices you see in stores. On top of that, if you used a talented broker to negotiate your contract with that toy company, your broker may receive around 20%-40% of your royalties. Some brokers ask for more, depending on where you go.
So, lets do a little math. If your game costs $5.00 to make per piece and you receive 5%-8% for every game sold, then you might receive $0.25 - $0.40 per game. If you used a broker and they receive 40% of your royalties, then you might only receive $0.15 - $0.24 per game sold. This means, if your game sells 100,000 copies, then you might only receive $15,000 - $24,000. (Not terribly impressive, I know.) However, if in the unique event your game is a huge hit and sells 1,000,000 copies, then add another zero and that comes out to $150,000 - $240,000 in royalties. It may not seem very much considering that you invented the product and may have put your heart, soul, money, and time into this project. However, if you do not have an understanding of business, marketing, distribution, or the financial capital to launch your product yourself, then this may be an ideal option.
I hope this information was helpful. Mahalo for reading my blog.
Best of luck,
~Luis
www.GlobalQuestGame.com
You may decide to establish your own approach to evaluating the best broker for your own needs, but I took the extra time to read everything each broker presented on their website: i.e...
- How long have they been in business and/or what kind of experience in the industry do they have?
- What kind of products/clients have they represented?
- What services do they provide?
- How much do they charge?
- What percentage of your royalties do they receive?
- Do they have a standard non-disclosure agreement? (In order to protect you from anyone that might try to take your concept without permission.)
- Does the overall website look professional?
Afterward, I jotted down questions that may not have been answered: i.e...
- Where do you represent your client's games? (Only in the United States, Europe, or around the world?)
- Do you require an exclusive contract? (This means you are not able to have any other brokers shopping around the same invention at the same time.)
- If so, how long is the contract? (Some require as little as six months to one year, while others may require 1-2 years. It may depend on how many toy companies a broker may solicit or other factors. Generally, it is common to wait at least a year or more to see if any company is interested in licensing your game or toy. Otherwise, you may need to go back to the drawing board and make some revisions, start all over again, or try to self-produce it on your own.)
- Do you present games at Toy Fairs or do you go directly to the toy and game companies? (Some brokers may make the claim that Toy Fairs are for amateurs because the major toy companies are usually only interested in doing business with buyers, not acquiring new products. Your experience may be different.)
- What percentage of games/toys submitted to you for consideration do you represent? (A good broker will only represent a small percentage because they are only looking for those toys/games with a high potential for success.)
You might also want to ask about licensing a different version of your game: i.e. on cell phones, D.V.D., internet, and video games. However, bear in mind that, unless you are a talented computer programmer and animator, or a major toy company wants to do it for you, hiring someone (or a team of people) to make an electronic version of your game can cost several thousand dollars (sometimes over $100,000). Not to mention, there is no guarantee that a game company will want to license your game. However, if you are still motivated to give electronic gaming a shot after considering these factors, then by all means, go for it! You may have some talent that will blow everyone's mind away. When you become successful, hopefully you will remember that I was one of the few that encouraged you all the way! ;)
Bearing all of this in mind, I found a broker that I was comfortable with, who was professional, experienced, patient and willing to explain the aspects of the industry that I did not understand. (Trust me, not everyone was so pleasant.) This particular broker has 26 years of experience, has an impressive client list, and currently has an "A+" rating on the Better Business Bureau website.
You might be asking, how much money can an inventor make? Well, this may not always be the case, but it would appear that if a toy company is interested in licensing your toy or game, you may receive around 5%-8% of the WHOLESALE price, not the mark-up prices you see in stores. On top of that, if you used a talented broker to negotiate your contract with that toy company, your broker may receive around 20%-40% of your royalties. Some brokers ask for more, depending on where you go.
So, lets do a little math. If your game costs $5.00 to make per piece and you receive 5%-8% for every game sold, then you might receive $0.25 - $0.40 per game. If you used a broker and they receive 40% of your royalties, then you might only receive $0.15 - $0.24 per game sold. This means, if your game sells 100,000 copies, then you might only receive $15,000 - $24,000. (Not terribly impressive, I know.) However, if in the unique event your game is a huge hit and sells 1,000,000 copies, then add another zero and that comes out to $150,000 - $240,000 in royalties. It may not seem very much considering that you invented the product and may have put your heart, soul, money, and time into this project. However, if you do not have an understanding of business, marketing, distribution, or the financial capital to launch your product yourself, then this may be an ideal option.
I hope this information was helpful. Mahalo for reading my blog.
Best of luck,
~Luis
www.GlobalQuestGame.com
Friday, April 9, 2010
Just wanted to give you a follow up with the Global Quest Scholarship Fund. As you know, I was able to help last year's winner have 100% of her tuition paid for through grants and scholarships. However, as many of you dedicated college students already know, book and school supplies are incredibly expensive, especially for a fine arts major. I remember when some of my own required literature would cost over $100 for only one book! Therefore, I have continued my dedication to assist last year's winner by helping her apply for at least 22 new scholarships within the last month, including the video featured below.
The video below was for the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation: 2010 Swackhamer Video Contest posted on YouTube.com. The topic of the video had to answer questions related to a quote by Albert Einstein during the early stages of the Nuclear Age: "The unleashed power of the atom has changes everything save our modes of thinking and we thus drift toward unparalleled catastrophe."
I would like to thank the generous photographers from Flickr.com that gave me permission to use their photos in order to enhance the content of this entry. Hope you enjoy the video and mahalo (thank you) for watching!
Warm Regards,
~Lu
www.GlobalQuestGame.com
The video below was for the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation: 2010 Swackhamer Video Contest posted on YouTube.com. The topic of the video had to answer questions related to a quote by Albert Einstein during the early stages of the Nuclear Age: "The unleashed power of the atom has changes everything save our modes of thinking and we thus drift toward unparalleled catastrophe."
I would like to thank the generous photographers from Flickr.com that gave me permission to use their photos in order to enhance the content of this entry. Hope you enjoy the video and mahalo (thank you) for watching!
Warm Regards,
~Lu
www.GlobalQuestGame.com
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Never Give Up!
Yesterday, I received an email about never giving up that struck a chord with me. The person who wrote the email told me a story about a volleyball coach whose team was losing 0-2 and decided to quit coaching the rest of the game. For anyone who plays volleyball, trailing by two points is not a big deal, however this coach took the easy way out and quit on her players.
Then, the person telling the story included a quote from Winston Churchill: "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never--in nothing great or small, large or petty---never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force: never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."
I found this quote inspirational because sometimes, I intimately know how that feeling of wanting to quit creeps up on you when you're exhausted, frustrated, and on the verge of pulling every last hair follicle from your skull. But I implore you to keep searching, reaching, and adjusting until you find some way to realize your goal in a way that you are thoroughly satisfied and/or fulfilled. Mahalo! Hope you are inspired today.
Then, the person telling the story included a quote from Winston Churchill: "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never--in nothing great or small, large or petty---never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force: never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."
I found this quote inspirational because sometimes, I intimately know how that feeling of wanting to quit creeps up on you when you're exhausted, frustrated, and on the verge of pulling every last hair follicle from your skull. But I implore you to keep searching, reaching, and adjusting until you find some way to realize your goal in a way that you are thoroughly satisfied and/or fulfilled. Mahalo! Hope you are inspired today.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Board Game Awards
As I am looking for ways to introduce my board game inventions to the industry, I am reminded about those "award" stickers you may often see featured on the packaging of your favorite game. This often gives the game a sense of prestige, clout, and public approval. There are a variety of awards you can apply for, such as Games 100, International Gamers Awards, Mensa Mind Games, Spiel des Jahres, Board Game Geek: Golden Geek, and Major FUN awards.
One of the sites I came across today that allows you submit your request for their seal of approval online is The National Parenting Center: Seal of Approval. Every company has different guidelines, but if you have invented a game of your own, it may be worth your time to boost your appeal by trying out for one of these. If you do win, please let me know so I can congratulate you on this site! Best of luck!
Luis
www.GlobalQuestGame.com
One of the sites I came across today that allows you submit your request for their seal of approval online is The National Parenting Center: Seal of Approval. Every company has different guidelines, but if you have invented a game of your own, it may be worth your time to boost your appeal by trying out for one of these. If you do win, please let me know so I can congratulate you on this site! Best of luck!
Luis
www.GlobalQuestGame.com
Taxes
Just completed my taxes the other day and I am so glad I hired a CPA that specializes in small businesses.
Even though I have not launched my board game inventions just yet, I have spent a lot of time and money on press releases, my computer, the New York Toy Fair last year, meals with potential investors, etc. Fortunately I kept all of my receipts organized in a folder with a summary page listing everything. This made it as easy as possible for my CPA to go through all of my records. He saved me a LOT of potential heartache.
One thing I did learn is that it is important to keep a written journal wherever you go (i.e. in your car) so that you can accurately log the dates, mileage, receipts, and purpose of your business-related expenses. From what I understand, this makes it easier to justify your deductions at the end of the year - in the event you are ever audited. (Make sure to consult a certified CPA for professional tax advice.)
Even though I have not launched my board game inventions just yet, I have spent a lot of time and money on press releases, my computer, the New York Toy Fair last year, meals with potential investors, etc. Fortunately I kept all of my receipts organized in a folder with a summary page listing everything. This made it as easy as possible for my CPA to go through all of my records. He saved me a LOT of potential heartache.
One thing I did learn is that it is important to keep a written journal wherever you go (i.e. in your car) so that you can accurately log the dates, mileage, receipts, and purpose of your business-related expenses. From what I understand, this makes it easier to justify your deductions at the end of the year - in the event you are ever audited. (Make sure to consult a certified CPA for professional tax advice.)
Hard Core Gamers Review
Last weekend, I finally was able to get some of the people
from my board game Meet-up group to test play both of my board games. To tell you the truth, I always get incredibly nervous when I show my creative work to anyone, whether it is my board games, writing, or film/video projects. It is just one of those quirks that I have, no matter how good or bad I might think my work is.
Having this group test play my games meant a lot to me because they are what I would call "hard-core gamers." This means that the average games you often see in retail chains such as Target and Walmart may not be exciting or challenging enough for this incredibly diverse group. The reason why I brought my games to them is because I believe getting unbiased and honest feedback from those that are very selective (and not close friends or family)is absolutely crucial if I ever expect my games to be successful.
Every single time I go to one of their Saturday evening events, I end up playing at least one or two games that I have never played and often never heard of before. The owner had to sell two tables piled with board games because he's moving and has two closets full of incredible and unusual games from all over the world. There are always plenty of home-cooked dinner prepared, junk food, and drinks for everyone (which is always a great thing) and they are such a fun spirited group of people. Since my (local) family and friends rarely play board games, this is a great outlet for me - as you might imagine.
The group of people that played my board games were between 18 and mid-20's of different backgrounds and professional walks of life (Sample size = 3). Here is their average response for the following questions:
Global Quest™ and Treasure Hold ‘Em™ Review
For each question, circle your honest opinion about the game you played.
(1 = Horrible, 10 = Fantastic)
1. Overall look of the game?
Global Quest:8
Treasure Hold ‘Em: 9.7
2. Function - How well did the game play?
Global Quest: 8.3
Treasure Hold ‘Em: 8.6
3. How easy was the game to understand?
Global Quest: 8.3
Treasure Hold ‘Em: 10
4. How unique is the game?
Global Quest: 9
Treasure Hold ‘Em: 6.3
5. Is this game a good match for your age group?
Global Quest: 9
Treasure Hold ‘Em: 9
6. How interesting is the game to make you want to play again?
Global Quest: 8
Treasure Hold ‘Em: 8.3
7. How exciting is the game? (Did it make you laugh; did you have a great time playing?)
Global Quest: 8.3
Treasure Hold ‘Em: 8.6
8. Would you buy this game if you saw it in a store or online?
Global Quest: 7
Treasure Hold ‘Em:6.3
9. How would you compare this game to other board games in stores?
Global Quest: 7.3
Treasure Hold ‘Em:6.3
10. If you saw this game on the shelf, would it catch your attention and make you stop and take a closer look?
Global Quest: 8
Treasure Hold ‘Em: 7
NOTE: If you only knew how difficult it was for me to decide to post this blog. In some areas, this is an interesting comparison and contrast to the feedback I received from teenagers during my library tours, my test play with college students, and with five different families. In other ways, I admit I was a little crushed that some of the scores were not a little higher. However, I wanted to give you an unfiltered look at how "hard-core gamers" reviewed my games and thought you might appreciate the honesty. I feel that this may be helpful for those of you that may have inventions of your own that you want to have the public evaluate.
Hope this was helpful. Enjoy and "mahalo" (thank you) for reading my blog! :)
Luis
www.GlobalQuestGame.com
from my board game Meet-up group to test play both of my board games. To tell you the truth, I always get incredibly nervous when I show my creative work to anyone, whether it is my board games, writing, or film/video projects. It is just one of those quirks that I have, no matter how good or bad I might think my work is.
Having this group test play my games meant a lot to me because they are what I would call "hard-core gamers." This means that the average games you often see in retail chains such as Target and Walmart may not be exciting or challenging enough for this incredibly diverse group. The reason why I brought my games to them is because I believe getting unbiased and honest feedback from those that are very selective (and not close friends or family)is absolutely crucial if I ever expect my games to be successful.
Every single time I go to one of their Saturday evening events, I end up playing at least one or two games that I have never played and often never heard of before. The owner had to sell two tables piled with board games because he's moving and has two closets full of incredible and unusual games from all over the world. There are always plenty of home-cooked dinner prepared, junk food, and drinks for everyone (which is always a great thing) and they are such a fun spirited group of people. Since my (local) family and friends rarely play board games, this is a great outlet for me - as you might imagine.
The group of people that played my board games were between 18 and mid-20's of different backgrounds and professional walks of life (Sample size = 3). Here is their average response for the following questions:
Global Quest™ and Treasure Hold ‘Em™ Review
For each question, circle your honest opinion about the game you played.
(1 = Horrible, 10 = Fantastic)
1. Overall look of the game?
Global Quest:8
Treasure Hold ‘Em: 9.7
2. Function - How well did the game play?
Global Quest: 8.3
Treasure Hold ‘Em: 8.6
3. How easy was the game to understand?
Global Quest: 8.3
Treasure Hold ‘Em: 10
4. How unique is the game?
Global Quest: 9
Treasure Hold ‘Em: 6.3
5. Is this game a good match for your age group?
Global Quest: 9
Treasure Hold ‘Em: 9
6. How interesting is the game to make you want to play again?
Global Quest: 8
Treasure Hold ‘Em: 8.3
7. How exciting is the game? (Did it make you laugh; did you have a great time playing?)
Global Quest: 8.3
Treasure Hold ‘Em: 8.6
8. Would you buy this game if you saw it in a store or online?
Global Quest: 7
Treasure Hold ‘Em:6.3
9. How would you compare this game to other board games in stores?
Global Quest: 7.3
Treasure Hold ‘Em:6.3
10. If you saw this game on the shelf, would it catch your attention and make you stop and take a closer look?
Global Quest: 8
Treasure Hold ‘Em: 7
NOTE: If you only knew how difficult it was for me to decide to post this blog. In some areas, this is an interesting comparison and contrast to the feedback I received from teenagers during my library tours, my test play with college students, and with five different families. In other ways, I admit I was a little crushed that some of the scores were not a little higher. However, I wanted to give you an unfiltered look at how "hard-core gamers" reviewed my games and thought you might appreciate the honesty. I feel that this may be helpful for those of you that may have inventions of your own that you want to have the public evaluate.
Hope this was helpful. Enjoy and "mahalo" (thank you) for reading my blog! :)
Luis
www.GlobalQuestGame.com
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