Group 6 – Corvallis, Oregon, USA
Group 6 presents BattleCasters an artillery and collectible card game where you use cards to cast spells and launch devastating attacks on your enemy in a 2-D arena. Players will be able to select from champions and craft powerful decks for free with in-game cosmetics available for purchase such as champion skins, pets, and much more!
Group 6
By: Nes Cohen and Ian Watters
What is the problem your company is trying to solve or the opportunity you are trying to seize? In other words, what is your secret sauce?
In 2019 the video game market was $150 billion in revenue and in 2020 the digital card game market is projected to be around $2 billion. The problem with current top digital card games is they fail to differentiate themselves from the usual physical card games. There is a lot more design space for digital card games that are not being explored. Group 6 is pioneering the next evolution of the genre in the digital card game market that allows players to craft epic decks and duel other players in a competitive 2-D destructible battlefield. Aim and target spell at your enemy to defeat them. Play with your friends or in a solo adventure mode in a fun new interactive environment. The best part is the game will always be free to play and will provide players with premium content such as custom champion and spell cosmetics to purchase.
What is the biggest obstacle to growth?
The biggest obstacle to growth would be the marketing cost to promote BattleCasters. The most important part of starting a game is engaging people to play your game. Our team is approaching this by working to provide a fun interactive experience for players to dive into content such as deck selection, competitive play, and purchasing of premium cosmetics. The team’s outreach is focused on social media marketing and working to connect with Discord communities and streamers. As our Open Beta begins, we will be promoting a founder’s pack and additional collector’s items which is a popular strategy for indie game companies to raise capital. We are planning to release this during a crowdfunding campaign in the spring of 2021. This will help upscale our outreach to fans and raise funding for further social media advertisements.
How has COVID and the economic downturn changed your strategy, if at all?
Group 6 was already utilizing agile development practices and moving online did not inhibit our workflow. Before the pandemic began, we were already taking advantage of video conferencing and modern DevOps practices for software development. Having these systems in place before the COVID-19 crisis occurred was crucial for transitioning smoothly to a fully remote work environment. The success of Group 6 has been creating a safe environment to work and collaborate. Video games are a World Health Organization (WHO) approved activity and is an important part of maintaining socialization during a pandemic. Our mission is to bring gamers together in a fun interactive way and use Discord and Twitch to foster our online community during this time of struggle. Our team is focused on staying committed to delivering BattleCasters!
What do you know now that you wish you knew two to five years ago about entrepreneurship?
We both remember listening to Jen Akeroyd, the founder of Suturegard Medical, who spoke at the Willamette Innovators Network conference. She spoke about the hardest part of entrepreneurship is surviving the “valley of death” moments. She explained that her company was in their fourth “valley of death”. Her company had spent $1 million in developing a medical device and needed another $1 million to pivot their product in the right direction. Creating a start-up is never linear. It’s about resilience and never being afraid to fail. We wish that we knew this early as these are great values in innovating, starting a business, and accomplishing your dreams. You will fail and people will judge your product or service, but it’s important to take what you can to improve for next time. Every startup will have a “valley of death” moment, but only those that have the grit and passion are those that climb out from near death. It’s important to also remember that you’re not alone and that there are resources everywhere for entrepreneurs. We wished that we knew about Launch Academy, an Oregon State University (OSU) entrepreneurial program earlier, and all the wonderful mentors and business leaders that supported our development. Entrepreneurship is about taking risks and connecting with others, but most importantly it’s about being fearless to failure.