In this presentation from Casual Connect Europe 2015, David Mohr shared some of the challenges and knowledge gained from taking GAMEVIL’s international publishing to the next level. He also talked about why publishers are still ever relevant in our global world. Even with all of our technology, we still need face-to-face time. During his talk, David illustrated, “Cultural differences, time zones, email communication can create a lot of WTF moments. Being present locally and able to do face-to-face removes a lot of anxiety.”
David Mohr manages the European operations of Gamevil and is currently setting up a new office in Berlin. His work requires him to recruit and manage a team of translators and community managers and to work with PR and marketing partners to promote Gamevil’s games. And he attends conferences such as Casual Connect where he can meet independent developers who are interested in publishing with Gamevil.
A Developing Interest in Gaming and the Games Industry
Mohr had always wanted to work in a career in a creative industry, so entering the games industry was a natural move for him. He grew up in a town that was headquarters for a successful German gaming print magazine in the 90s. Since it was a small town and he was interested in everything about gaming, he got to know people who worked there and eventually became a writer for MAN!AC magazine. This magazine still continues under the name M!, and some of his former colleagues are still working there.
His interest in gaming began in the 80s when his uncle let him play on his C64, Amiga and Schneider CPC. Some of his all-time favorites include Phantasy Star Online and Dark Age of Camelot, which introduced him to the world of on-line gaming, and most of the JRPGS, including Final Fantasy 6 and Chrono Trigger. Others are Street Fighter 2, Dragon Force on the Saturn, Deus Ex on PC, and the Total War series for strategy games. More recent favorites are the early Assassin’s Creed games, Mass Effect and, of course, his on and off again relationship with World of Warcraft.
Working for Gamevil
He considers himself fortunate to have spent his entire career in the games industry. For the past fifteen years he has gradually achieved increasing responsibility and admits to having survived quite a few mistakes, until now he feels well prepared for his present tasks. He particularly enjoys working in a company that focuses on publishing the more hardcore end of mobile games.
Because he is still fairly new to his position at Gamevil, his biggest challenge is finding the right team to work with him in his Berlin office. Fortunately, Berlin is a good place to find gaming industry talent, but it is still important for him to take his time and wait for the right person. This can be difficult when facing the amount of work there is to do, but he emphasizes that a little patience goes a long way. He is still anticipating what will be the proudest achievement of his career, when one of Gamevil’s games places in the Top 10 in Germany.
Finding and Promoting the Game
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When assessing a game, Mohr looks for one that is fun and also offers something at least a little unique. However, in the early stages, when Gamevil typically sees a game, the team behind the game is probably more important than the game itself.
The company has developed several effective methods of marketing. They do considerable cross-promotion within their own titles, as well as running ads on Facebook and Google. Their sister company, Com2us, currently has an outstanding TV ad for Summoners War. And Gamevil is having great success with similar ads in Korea.
When working with developers, the most important thing Mohr looks for is mutual respect. He emphasizes that developers should look for publishers with a genuine interest in their game and the ability to support the title on a global scale. He recommends asking, “Are there worldwide offices that can handle PR, marketing, community, localization and support in different markets? Will the publisher assign a producer that will really move the game forward in terms of both fun and commercial success?”
He asserts that working with a publisher allows developers to do what they do best, while the publisher helps with his infrastructure for localization, community management, customer support, marketing, public relations, Apple/Google relations and general live operation and monetization expertise.
Within the next few years, Mohr expects to see a substantial increase in production values and quality for mobile games. Less clutter and more quality are coming in the App Store and the Play Store. Gamevil is preparing for this by building up their live operations and service quality, mainly in localization and customer support. And very interesting new titles are coming from Gamevil later this year. Although it is difficult to look three to five years ahead, Mohr is excited about virtual reality and the new hologram technology.
When Mohr is not working, he plays drums in a band, and, in fact, if he were not in the games industry he would choose to play drums professionally. He also enjoys running with his dog and riding a motorcycle.
