Though there are a lot of other company's like them, R.E.D. (Representing Entertainers & Developers) is an interesting firm. They are a game agency that represents game developers and intellectual property owners much like a Hollywood agent. But this Los Angeles-based agency has one thing a lot of other companies in the biz don't have: a laundry list of successful deals with some major brand-name companies. We first met up with R.E.D. on April 26, when they announced that they were representing 4DRuler's FPS, Gore. Since then we've talked a lot with this Game Agent. We were so fascinated by the concept (which is in vogue right now) of this Hollywood-style representation of the interactive entertainment industry that we decided to learn more about R.E.D. This is the first part of our lesson, which we share with you. Enjoy!

GameSpyDaily: Tell us how R.E.D. came into existence?

R.E.D.: R.E.D. began as the team representation division of Interact. The team representation division developed out of long-standing relationships we as recruiters had established with project leads, lead programmers, talented designers, artists and producers over several years. More and more often, intact teams -- core groups of talented people who enjoyed working with each other on a project -- would call us when they decided to strike out on their own. As recruiters, we had placed many of the producers and executive producers at publishers that were making the key decisions on what developer would get what project. So, they naturally wanted to access our contacts and connections to key decision-makers that we had built up since 1993. After some successful introductions turned into development deals, it made sense to continue leveraging already existing relationships to bring opportunities to developers and more access to the best talent for publishers. Thus, Interact's Team Representation Division was formed, and we began introducing experienced developers and newly formed developers to publishers, matching developer expertise with the genre, platform and technology requirements that the publishers had -- kind of acting as a business development arm for the independent developers we worked with. The model proved successful during the last couple of years, and rapidly expanding opportunities justified spinning out the team representation division into a separate company called R.E.D., which stands for Representing Entertainers & Developers. Spinning out team representation also made sense in terms of keeping the strong Interact brand name associated with recruiting "individual" developers.

GameSpyDaily: What is the Mission statement of your company? What are you all about?

R.E.D.: The bread-and-butter of our business is pretty straightforward: assist outstanding independent game studios and development teams in securing fruitful development agreements with publishers. We want to help studios find projects that fit their particular skills and experience, and negotiate development deals that reward them financially for their hard work and creativity. At the same time, we provide a valuable service to publishers by leveraging our superior "industry intelligence" to find the right team to develop their projects. Beyond simply matching teams to projects, R.E.D. is working to bring original properties to the forefront, package them with a team whose skills and experience are appropriate to that property, and shopping that around to publishers whose product line-up is a complimentary fit with that package. Also, given the increasing convergence of games with other forms of entertainment, when we are negotiating deals on behalf of our clients, we seek to leverage opportunities for them across multiple entertainment mediums.

GameSpyDaily: How much of a percentage does R.E.D. get when representing a developer?

R.E.D.: We typically receive 10%, but that can vary depending on the project.

GameSpyDaily: Who's the biggest brand name client you are representing?

R.E.D.: Probably Studio Gigante, which was co-founded by several extremely talented and accomplished developers including John Tobias, who was co-creator of Mortal Kombat, one of the most successful franchises in the video game industry. We kept in touch with these guys after they left Midway and following their formation of Studio Gigante, R.E.D. reached a representation agreement with his new company and succeeded in brokering a multimillion-dollar development deal. All I can tell you at this point is it's for a fighting game for a next generation console. Hopefully, I'll be able to provide more details in a few months.

GameSpyDaily: Any advice for developers trying to land publishing deals for a decent game project?

R.E.D.: It's very important to have a demo, something that shows off your team's technology. I can't emphasize that enough. Even if your team is studded with developers with a great collective track record of shipping successful games, publishers still want to see a physical demonstration of your current capabilities. I'd also strongly recommend having a business/managerial person on staff, someone who takes care of the business operations as well as the product development. This greatly increases a publisher's confidence level, because they know your team won't miss milestones because the lead programmer/COO is busy processing payroll and paying bills. This will sound biased coming from me, but professional representation is another important consideration. The studios with the best information about which publishers are looking for teams are the ones most likely to secure rewarding deals developing the kind of games they like. An agency like R.E.D. will have much more complete information about what projects are available than any single development studio. Also, companies like R.E.D. are more experienced at negotiating development deals, because we do it on a continual basis. We have a much better idea of what the market will bear. Independent studios generally lack negotiating experience and may be more likely to settle for less than they deserve.

GameSpyDaily: Besides publishing, what other deals do you guys broker?

R.E.D.: Mostly publishing and development deals, but we have brokered a deal that resulted in a team being purchased and we are currently working on a similar deal. We've also done some licensing deals.

GameSpyDaily: Does R.E.D. have clients that are "out of work" that they keep in mind for projects, much like a traditional entertainment agent?

R.E.D.: We are always working hard to secure development projects for our clients that have bandwidth to take on such projects. In a very real sense, R.E.D. functions as a business development arm for independent developers. We know when teams are nearing the end of their development cycles and which projects are coming up, and use that knowledge to broker deals to ensure the studios we work with have a steady flow of projects and revenue.

GameSpyDaily: How many deals (including the ones that haven't been revealed on your website) have you guys brokered? R.E.D.: We've brokered approximately 15 deals during the last 18 months.

GameSpyDaily: Is your company well connected in the game industry?

R.E.D.: Yes. Interact, the company from which R.E.D. spun off from, has been placing individual developers for eight years. Many of those people have since risen to senior decision making positions with publishers and studios throughout the industry. The positive relationships R.E.D. and Interact have built during the last decade means we can offer independent studios access to decision makers and projects they would not otherwise have.

GameSpyDaily: Do you represent developers on an individual basis, like for placement in other companies?

R.E.D.: No. R.E.D. represents teams, independent studios and licensed properties. Interact, R.E.D.'s sister company, specializes in placing individual developers - programmers, animators, artists, designers, producers.

GameSpyDaily: Given your entrenchment in the biz, what's your opinion of the whole Columbine lawsuit situation?

R.E.D.: The killing was a tragedy, but blaming the video game industry misses the mark. Violent games don't turn good kids bad. There was something much deeper and more sinister going on with those kids - they were building bombs in homes and their parents' were apparently clueless about it. That said, parents do need to take control of what kind of games their kids are buying and playing. There's a ratings system that gives parents that information. It's a parent's responsibility to act on that information. Suing the industry won't stop a single schoolyard shooting.

GameSpyDaily: If you had to pick one unknown game project from one of your clients, which would you say is the most promising?

R.E.D.: We have a lot of talented clients and we don't like to pick favorites. Nevertheless, just for example, Gore by 4D Rulers is an extremely promising game, one that takes the first-person shooter to the next level. The guys at 4D Rulers are passionate about making games, and it shows in Gore. They've poured their lives and treasure into developing Gore, and it makes us proud that they have entrusted us with finding them a publisher. That's one of the most satisfying parts of what R.E.D. does-helping talented independents with a great product get their game on the shelf.

GameSpyDaily: I notice that you also represent companies that have products or properties that have a natural potential to become games, like Tech Deck.

R.E.D.: As I mentioned before, our main focus is on finding development deals for our clients, however, like Tech Deck, we do represent promising licenses as well and package them with talented development teams for eventual production.

GameSpyDaily: Let's talk about Gore for a minute. 4DRulers is looking for a publisher. Have you an interest from publishers or have you shown the game to any publishers? If so what was their response?

R.E.D.: 4D Rulers only signed with us a little more than a week ago, so we've just started showing it to publishers--but so far, they like what they see.

GameSpyDaily: How is (or how will) Gore (be) being billed to publishers? Full price first-person shooter or budget-priced, quality action game? Would you say the game is a premium (price wise) title or a good game that should have a moderately lower price point (like Serious Sam).

R.E.D.: We think 4D Rulers has built a game that definitely qualifies as a full-price first-person-shooter. I think anyone who plays their online multiplayer demo would agree it is a premium title.

GameSpyDaily: A lot of development studios are leery of Game Agents, because they seldom deliver what they promise: deals that are mutually beneficial to both the developer and the publisher. What sets your firm apart from other similar companies in that regard?

R.E.D.: I can't speak to their experience with game agents, but I think companies like R.E.D. provide a valuable service. Generally speaking, independent developers only negotiate one or two deals every couple of years. R.E.D. is continually negotiating deals, and so we have a much better understanding of the current marketplace and how much publishers are willing to invest in game projects. Our clients benefit from that expertise in the form of more lucrative deals than they could not have secured negotiating on their own. We are honest with prospective clients. If their demo or game idea isn't what publishers are looking for, we'll tell them. We'll also advise them on how to craft their product in way that makes publishers more willing to invest in it. R.E.D.'s whole premise is providing developers and publishers what they need most. For developers, that means access to the broadest range of available projects, and for publishers that means access to the broadest range of development teams. R.E.D. possesses that information, and by working with both developers and publishers we arrive at deals that are win-win for everyone.

GameSpyDaily: Any (independent, small) developers in the public eye right now that you would represent in a heartbeat?

R.E.D.: Rather than name any particular developers, I'd rather talk about the kind of studios and teams we'd like to represent. Obviously, we're interested in teams that have shipped hugely successful titles,. We are interested teams like 4D Rulers who may be relatively unknown, but have created a terrific product like Gore. We like to work with teams with all-star talent, great technology and that are hungry to show the great work they can do. RED wants to represent the very best talent. Most developers are just a few key personnel away from achieving greatness. In a nutshell, we are interested in teams and studios that are talented, skilled and serious about making great games and running a successful business.

GameSpyDaily: Finally, for developers looking to hook up with your firm, who should they contact?

R.E.D.: They should call 310.643.4760 and ask for myself Paul Cunningham at extension 285, Jeff Brunner at extension 286, or e-mail us at info@red-la.com.

We'd like to thank Paul, Jeff, Dave, Matt and the entire R.E.D. team for answering our questions. A special thanks goes to 4DRulers for hooking us up (indirectly) in the first place. We wish them the best of luck with Gore.