Passion as a Driving Force

One of the key topics of the panel was the passion for video game development, which often transcends all challenges in the industry. Murat from Nanobit emphasized that the video game industry requires a lot of work and effort, especially in the early stages of a career: “If you want to do something that makes people happy, something that will bring a smile to their face, then work in gaming. But don’t expect an easy start – it takes a lot of hard work and passion.” Murat added that success often comes from teams putting in more than expected and not giving up on the challenges that come with game development.

Hunski from Croteam agreed, highlighting that the key to success is working out of love: “Our team operates like a hippie commune – we do what we love, and when you see that people enjoy your games, it gives you extra passion and motivation. We don’t use work control mechanisms; our team works because they want to, because they love their job.” According to Hunski, the creative process is crucial, but it requires hard work and constant adaptation to the market, while simultaneously allowing for the development of unique ideas.

Challenges of Financing and Maintaining a Business Model

The panelists also discussed the challenges of financing projects and making tough business decisions. Mihoković from LGM & Overseer Games shared his experiences regarding financial difficulties and balancing creativity with commercial success. He emphasized that although financing projects can be challenging, their team succeeds because they are focused on simple, clear goals: “We are like aunts at the market – we have a good product, if the price is right, people will buy it.”

On the other hand, Murat spoke about the importance of recognizing the moment to stop game development. He considers this aspect one of the hardest for any developer: “One of the hardest things is knowing when to stop a project and not continue investing time and money into something that may not succeed.” He highlighted how crucial it is for developers to be able to make tough decisions in a timely manner to avoid greater losses.

Game development in line with the market and audience

Uzelac from 2X2 Games emphasized how important it is to know your niche and audience. According to him, simply making a good game is not enough: "There are plenty of phenomenal games that have absolutely failed because they couldn't reach the right audience. It's not enough to make a game, release it into the world, and hope for the best. You have to listen to players and adapt to their feedback." Uzelac highlighted the importance of market research before starting a project, which allows developers to identify their users and their expectations.

Barbir from Pine Studio added to this, mentioning his own experience where their projects went through various stages of development and adaptation: "We started with mini-games that we sold without our name anywhere on them. Our goal was to learn and improve until we were ready for bigger projects." This approach allowed them to gradually rise in the industry, and later they managed to have their games among the most popular on platforms like the App Store and Google Play.

Long-term planning and goals

The speakers agreed that one of the biggest challenges for game dev studios is to maintain a <strongstrong long-term vision and not lose focus</strong. Murat emphasized that the key to long-term success is not only developing games but also investing in people and creating a sustainable work atmosphere: “Game development is not a sprint, but a marathon. It is necessary to build teams that can endure long-term projects, and this is achieved through a stable work culture and constant investment in employee development.”

Uzelac also added that it is crucial to set realistic goals for each project: “You need to know what you want to achieve, but also when it’s time to finish the project,” he said. Sometimes the biggest challenge is recognizing when it's necessary to abandon an idea that isn’t yielding results, which is a skill that, according to Uzelac, is difficult to acquire but essential for long-term success.

The post Croatian Developers on the World Stage: Inspirational Stories from the Gaming Industry first appeared on IndieGames.