Transparency and trust in working with a publisher

What the talk is about

Lolita Suleimanova explains how a studio can judge whether a publisher is trustworthy by looking at its approach to transparency. First, legal and financial terms: agree on what "prototype" means in the contract (number of levels, SDKs, visual quality) and ask about the publisher's business model and plans for the game. Red flags include no proof the publisher can pay and no plan for reaching shared goals. Second, processes: KPIs, internal resources, teams and communication; if a similar concept is given to several studios, the studio should know and agree. Third, knowledge: a studio has the right to product-related data and its game's KPIs, while a publisher may keep its competitive know-how in user acquisition or monetization. In force majeure, honest, regular communication and solutions matter most. Useful for developers choosing a publisher.