Movie Games’ Paweł Olszewskij: “The marketing budget usually reflects 30% of the production budget”

Pawel Olszewski
Business Development Manager, Movie Games

WN Dev Contest is a contest for Unreal Engine game developers. It is owned by WN Media Group in conjunction with Unreal Engine and Reboot Develop.

GWO: Paweł, what is the relationship between marketing expenses and production budget?

Paul: The marketing budget generally reflects 30% of the production budget. This sum includes our internal support and the potential cost of certain third-party service providers that we sometimes engage.

You know how sometimes a team tends to overestimate their strengths and underestimate their timelines, especially once they’ve received funding and support from a publisher? Can you advise on the best way to plan the development stages to deliver the game on time?

There are many factors that affect the final shipping date, there is no simple answer here. Flexibility is a must — from partners, developers, and publishers.

It’s a popular opinion that the publisher doesn’t look at the game so much, but rather the team behind it. What makes a good development team for you?

The self-organizing team is the best team for us as a publisher. A group of people able to organize and manage their own work. This approach with a decent track record is often even more important than the currently launched game.

Do you use management systems and tools to track developer progress?

We have our own workflow and applications, but we are also flexible and can adapt to the developer’s company policy. We are there to support them, without forcing anything. If they have their own tools that work well, we adapt to them to make the whole process smooth.

What kind of game are you looking for in the contest?

FPP simulators, FPP survivals, FPP survival horrors, 2D indies, isometric tycoons/strategies.