Digit: Business strategies only as good as the last minute

A game studio’s business strategy is only as good as the last minute it was devised, says Digit Game Studios’ chief marketing officer.

Speaking at the Develop in Brighton conference, Martin Frain said that developers must constantly be aware of broad industry trends, and how consumers are playing games in an ever-evolving sector.

He said however that developers should always keep their vision in mind, but be agile enough to adapt to any major shifts in the game industry.

"The strategy is only as good as the last minute it was devised," he said.

"You have to be aware of trends in the broader industry and how people are playing games.

"You have to be agile enough to change. But at the same time, not lose sight of your overall goal. You’ve got to have a vision and keep in there, keep at it."

Giving a number of other pieces of advice to entrepreneurs starting up a new business in games, Frain also said it was "crucially important" to allow room for all developers in a studio to be creative, particularly in a small team.

He explained that every employee should have something to add to the company, with opinions that matter.

"It’s crucially important that you enable everyone, certainly in a small team, to be creative," he said.

"Make sure everyone you hire has something to add. We hire people with opinions that matter. You should creative a dynamic creative environment for them to shine in."

Formed in 2012, Digit Game Studios is a cross-platform developer based in Ireland. The studio is currently working on RTS strategy MMO Kings of the Realm.