Who is funding this and which company is handling the potential marketing and publishing for this game jam? Because don't get me wrong, but having $12,000 on the line and very few names outside of an email address seems a bit sketchy to say the least.
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Hi Daryksteak. Thanks for your question. Let me take them one at a time.
Who is funding this: me lol. My name is Marcus Stephens. Here is my linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-stephens-44b6a985/.
I don't go there often; please let me know if you can't access it. Thanks.
It's my first game jam, so it is a little bumpy; apologies for that. I'm sponsoring it for two main reasons: 1) I want to publish video games, but not the standard kinds that are routinely published ; 2) because, as a Black man, I want to do something about the issues we're facing regarding race relations in the US , so I don't want just another world-building clash of armies type game. I want a game whose theme and execution actually add value to social justice warriors on the front lines of marches, demonstrations and boycotts. I may fail spectacularly and expensively at this. But in my heart of hearts I really need to do this; to at least try to make a difference. I feel that if I can help put something into the world that is super-entertaining and fun while also conveying a message of love and support to social justice warriors, then that's a contribution worth at least trying to make, even if I totally embarrass myself in the effort.
The theme of the jam will be intuition, though the story for it is still under construction. I'll be honest; after the Jacob Blake incident in Kenosha, I tore up the old story and did a new one. Sometimes my heart literally hurts thinking about Jacob Blake, and so many others, and I had to put new stuff into the story.
I'll answer your other questions / concerns next in the next post.
Ok, your next question: who is handling the marketing / publishing?
I've talked to several digital agencies and haven't settled on one yet. The front runner is a company called Game Marketing Genie, but the deal is not signed. Every agency I've spoken to has told me: wait until you have a game developed, let us evaluate that game, and then we'll create a marketing plan for you. All of them have quoted budget numbers that I can do.
Again, this is new for me, so I've gotten help. Rob Hassett has been incredible helping me with the legal documents. Rob is the General Counsel for the Georgia Game Developer's Association. Andrew Greenberg, president of the GGDA, has also been helping me. There have been others, especially Karen Williams at hiccup interactive, Kimberly M. Starks at Blue Scorpion Reputation Management, Joe Cassavaugh, and many others have been super-helpful as well. But be clear: these and the other who are helping me are really great, and their help has been invaluable, and only the mistakes are mine.
Ok, hope this helps. Please hmu with any other questions you may have. Thank you!!!
All the best,
Marcus