Making a video game is hard enough. But when it's done, how do you get it into the hands of customers and start building a fanbase? How do you market it? Do you spend money on advertising?
These are some of the questions asked of Doug Lombardi, the vice president of marketing at Valve Corporation. He was at SMU's game development school, Guildhall, last week to teach some classes and give a talk as part of the school's "Game Changers" speaker series.
"I've taught a few classes at the Guildhall over the past year -- project management, eSports, and a Master Class program this past week, which featured those topics as well as a look at Steam and the various methods of shipping in the age of Internet distribution channels," Lombardi told me over e-mail.
Valve, if you don't know, is a behemoth of the video game industry today, not just because of its games (though those games, which include Half-Life, Portal and Dota 2 are huge), but because of its service: Steam. The majority of notable PC games released today, whether made by huge companies or small one-or-two person teams, can be found on Steam. The service has had its flaws, but for the most part it is spoken of with reverence when it comes to PC gaming.
Lombardi has similarly high praise for Guildhall. "The Guildhall is absolutely one of the finest programs in the world for game studies," Lombardi said. "The studio simulation model which is employed, the industry professors on staff and the resources available to the program have made it what it is today. And the folks running the program have the foresight to keep the program evolving as the industry evolves to help ensure its graduates have the best chance of maximizing their potential as they leave campus to enter the workforce."
And it's not just the school itself Lombardi has enjoyed while he's here. The act of teaching itself has been a worthwhile experience. "A few years ago I started looking into teaching, and pretty quickly connected with the Guildhall," he said. "Having the chance to share experiences with those at the start of their careers, and watch them grow over the past year, has been truly rewarding."
You can see Lombardi's full "Game Changers" talk in the video below. In it, he talks a lot about shipping games -- not just in the physical "sent to store shelves" sense -- and how to get to that point in your game development career. He also answers several questions from SMU students and alumni.
