Becoming a Profitable Game Publisher with Van Ryder Games

02/28/24 • 32 min

In this podcast episode, George interviews AJ Porfirio, the founder of Van Ryder Games, who shares his journey from starting with a Kickstarter campaign in 2011 that raised $10,000 to building a multi-million dollar gaming business.
AJ talks about the lessons learned from bootstrapping his way to success, generating over $6.5 million from crowdfunding, and now mentoring others through his Power Publishing Program.
AJ delves into the importance of critical thinking in game pricing, strategic financial planning, and the significance of creating unique, standout products. The discussion also covers AJ's venture into publishing graphic novel adventures, the financial intricacies of Kickstarter campaigns, and the approach to creating evergreen game titles.
AJ emphasizes the necessity of innovation and the potential pitfalls of mismanagement in the board game industry, providing insights for aspiring game creators and entrepreneurs.
Check out his website here, his latest Kickstarter here, and more about his Power Publishing Program here.

This episode was brought to you by George from YG Crowdfunding.

This episode was brought to you by George from YG Crowdfunding.

Previous Episode

Jack's Magic Mushrooms: the Mycelia Story

Jack Neville, the founder of Split Stone Games and creator of the board game 'Mycelia,' shares how he went from a graphic designer to a revered game publisher, raising over $550,000 on Kickstarter.
He discusses his tried-and-true strategies, including building a responsive mailing list, utilising resources like Reddit for feedback, convention appearances for awareness, cost-effective solutions (thank you Chip & Kitty), and why you should always create a premium version of your product. Jack also reveals his plans for potential expansion of 'Mycelia' and the development of a new game with a nature theme (spoiler alert: not Rocks).
Check out Jack's website here, his Kickstarter page here and late pledge here. Check out our YouTube channel for the accompanying video.

This episode was brought to you by George from YG Crowdfunding.

Next Episode

Dreaming Big with Ozlo Sleep: From Idea to $3.5 Million Dollar Success

On today's episode, we're talking to Bryant Garvin, the head of marketing at Ozlo Sleep. He discusses Ozlo's journey of launching a successful product on both Kickstarter and Indiegogo, which raised over $3.5 million combined.
Bryant shares insights on the importance of a unique product, strategic marketing, and leveraging crowdfunding platforms for building community and gaining momentum. He details the origins of the sleep buds, initially a Bose product, and the transition to forming a new venture focused on improving and scaling the product. Bryant also covers the aspects of venture backing, the significance of pre-launch operations, and the role of 'performance branding' in scaling businesses.
Moreover, he highlights the utility of advertising on different platforms, engaging with the audience, and the importance of a well-defined value proposition. The podcast concludes with Bryant emphasizing product differentiation as crucial for crowdfunding success and the challenges and solutions in utilizing platforms like Indiegogo.
Find Ozlo's website here, their Kickstarter campaign here and their Indiegogo campaign here.

This episode was brought to you by George from YG Crowdfunding.

Crowdfunding Academy - Becoming a Profitable Game Publisher with Van Ryder Games

Transcript

George00:00:00.000

Hi there, my name is George and I help independent creators launch their products and games. On this podcast, those creators share their journey from an idea to an actual product and everything in between. Today's guest is AJ Porfirio. He's the founder of Van Ryder Games. AJ raised over six and a half million dollars from close to 60, 000 backers across 23 campaigns. Some of his most notable titles include Final Girl and Hostage Negotiator. AJ has b