Žiga Sedovnik, Principal Data Scientist at Outfit7 writes for PocketGamer.biz about his experience pitching a game concept to Outfit7's internal pitching process and the challenges of creating a comprehensive, practical, achievable game design.
Internal pitching is an important system we have at Outfit7 in which we submit our crazy, out-of-the-box ideas to the company – and possibly make them a reality. It’s amazing that we have the opportunity to help create something that billions of people around the world could play!
Whole Package
When I was pitching the idea that turned into Mythic Legends, I learned a great deal. For starters, it's not just about having a good idea, you have to think practically. You need to identify what the game will be – everything from how it would be made and how you could encourage players to engage with it, to how processes like updates would work. Basically, it needs to be a real idea, the whole package, not just a rough sketch.
I pitched the game internally and the rest, as they say, is history!Žiga Sedovnik
So after a few attempts at identifying what I wanted Mythic Legends to be, I realised I was much more confident that this idea was developing into a tangible project. It would be a game for the mobile platform that had great mechanics, amazing art, and really compelling gameplay. And it would be a strategy RPG that wasn’t intensely frustrating, but where the challenge and the fun were really well balanced.
Making History
It was shaping up to be a game I really wanted to play! At that point, I pitched the game internally and the rest, as they say, is history! The management team from our headquarters in Cyprus loved the idea, and they made the decision that this would be our next game. Just like that, we got started on making Mythic Legends!
It's been extremely rewarding to see how close the game is to my original pitch. I wanted the game to be accessible for all players, for example, so easy onboarding mechanics and a satisfying pace were essential elements of the design. It's been great to see things like that remain a vital part of the design. It just goes to show that we had something valuable from the start, something that the team could really get behind. After all, the more you have people rallying behind it and engaging with the idea, the better it’s going to be.
I’ve loved being involved throughout the whole Mythic Legends process, from that first pitch to now. My primary role has been focused on monetisation, but I consulted on virtually all aspects of the game. It's been such a cool journey and now I can’t wait to see what our community thinks!
