Hanako Games

Working for Hanako Games

#1 by Sara - Jul 13 2008

I would love to work for Hanako Games someday. ;)
I can't see that happening ever, but I'm just curious! How do you pick people for your team? Do you ask for a curriculum? A portfolio? Both? Are you recruiting new people at all?

I am such a FAN of your games (especially Fatal Hearts)! They are 100% my kind of games. I would LOVE to help you for free! I'm not a pro or anything like that, I can't write worth crap (I mean, I can, but not in english!) but I would be definitely interested in helping you design-wise.

But I'm just curious, that's all, honestly. ;)

#2 by hanako - Jul 13 2008

I don't have the money for full-time employees really.

Mostly I ask around in places that someone might have the skills I'm looking for (whether that's testing or artwork or something else) and give people small jobs to see how well they handle them. If it works out, then I can trust them with bigger projects. Doing work to someone else's specifications on a regular schedule can be harder than it looks, and a lot of people drop out quickly.

If someone designed their own game that was similar to the sort of games I make but then needed help with funding to finish the art or get it sold, we could set up some sort of affiliate arrangement, but it would depend on the stage of things they were at. I've had people email me with a game idea and a couple of graphics, but all I can do in those cases is to say "Write the rest of the game and get back to me!" A completely-programmed game with no graphics, I could possibly help with. A paper game design, I can't, because I have a stack of my own designs to work on first.

The most useful things people can do if they want to get involved are:

offer to test when there's something that needs testing, and send back good detailed bug reports - it's boring work, but it helps make better games, and it means you get to see the games before everyone else

advertise the games and convince their friends to buy 'em, because sales keep the company going (If you can manage to get the signup procedure here to work, you can earn commission for sales, too.)

learn to speak fluent Japanese to help with business negotiation! (It's a long-shot, but it would be great to try...)

design and write their own games and then work with me to sell them!

#3 by Sara - Jul 14 2008

Thank you SO MUCH for answering, Hanako. That really was an interesting read and satiated my curiosity and then much more.

I'm still hopeful that Hanako-games will grow and become a huge company.

#4 by Jinroh - Jul 14 2008

Excellent Topic Sara,

This sets up my current question perfectly. I'm currently writing a game engine for a game that I would like to perhaps attempt at getting published. Reading some of the works on publishing by MDickie and some others it's not always as easy as

CODE CODE CODE: Make the game and stuff throw it to the publisher and rake in the money.

Yes, well. I was just curious as to if you do your own publishing or not. I searched and your Publisher has always on every site I've seen been Hanako games. So, that would lead me to believe you are self-published like the aformentioned MDickie.

So, someone like me who is working on a game, but looking around for publishers now so when I'm closed to finished, or finished in 6 months to a year will be ready to contact, NDA, and negotiate.

Now with your post it seems that you would be able to assist with art assets through your affiliate program. Personally I do not believe that I would need this, as I have a good bit of art talent behind me.

What would your opinion be on looking for publishers I have contacted a few that seem promising:

Garage Games - Take ~15% of your profit, but host and advertise.

Apogee Software - Legendary Shareware Publisher (and parent company of 3D Realms) from back in the day just recently came back into the public light to do software development and publshing for Indie Developers. You'll probably see excellent advertising, a boxed copy, downloadable copy, demo, screenshot, video, and web page hosting.

Cafe Press and Self-Publishing - This is the last resort option, do your own advertisment, but rake in hypothetically more of the net profit. MDickie.

So I would like to know if you have any options or suggestions. Thanks Hanako.