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The Number One Educational Resource for the Game Industry

Session Name: Making Magic: A Business Model for Divergent Thinkers
Speaker(s): Guha Bala, Karthik Bala
Company Name(s): Velan Studios, Velan Studios
Track / Format: Business and Marketing

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Overview: Velan Studios was formed in 2016 to create breakthrough games that are magic. Its debut title, Mario Kart Live Home Circuit was launched on October 16, 2020, and its second title will be announced soon. The games represent Velan Studios' journey to define a culture and business model that can cultivate fundamentally new play patterns, as well as ways of bringing them to market. Divergent thinking sometimes demands divergent go-to-market pathways. In this talk, we will discuss what is needed to create a studio environment where big innovation can thrive. Topics include the pitfalls and challenges to innovation in a studio setting; a development environment to discover big ideas; the importance of team investment at all levels of the organization; the development stages of an idea; how to avoid falling into innovation decline; and approaches to idea experimentation, production, profit, and reinvestment.

GDC Showcase 2021

Guha Bala

Velan Studios

Karthik Bala

Velan Studios

free content

Business and Marketing

Business & Marketing