It's a common story: a team of independent game developers set up a studio, spend years making and releasing a great first game, then....they split up.

Maybe they split on great terms, maybe not; either way, it's not uncommon for the stress of shipping a game to torpedo an otherwise harmonious and effective studio. At the GDC 2016 Independent Games Summit, Danny Day of QCF Design (Desktop Dungeons) talked frankly about what indie teams shipping their first game should expect post-release, how to deal with it and still talk to each other, based on detailed surveys of indie teams.

It was an earnest, data-driven exploration of team shapes and management strategies tested against actual expectations that's well worth watching, especially if you're nervous about your team's first project.

If you missed Day's talk in person last year, don't miss your opportunity to now watch the entire talk for free over on the official GDC YouTube channel!

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its new YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC, GDC Europe, and GDC Next already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.

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