"I literally built an investment firm that wouldn't have funded my own pitch" – Why the money isn't reaching the games that need it

June 29, 2026 - 19:31

A recent workshop at the Madeira Games Summit exposed a painful truth about the game industry's funding gap. Developers and investors are not just disagreeing on numbers. They are operating from completely different mental frameworks, and the disconnect is costing promising projects their chance at life.

One participant summed it up bluntly: "I literally built an investment firm that wouldn't have funded my own pitch." The confession came after a hands-on exercise where attendees role-played both sides of the table. Developers pitched their dream projects with passion, focusing on creative vision, unique mechanics, and artistic integrity. Investors, meanwhile, asked about unit economics, retention curves, and exit strategies. The two groups rarely found common ground.

The workshop revealed that many investors view games as high-risk assets with unpredictable returns. They want proven teams, clear milestones, and a path to profitability that fits a traditional venture capital model. Developers, especially those working on niche or experimental titles, see their work as art first and business second. They struggle to frame their passion in terms of market size or monetization.

The result is a funding gap that hits the games that need it most. Small studios with innovative ideas often get passed over because they cannot speak the language of ROI. Meanwhile, safer bets with established formulas continue to attract capital. The summit's conclusion was not that investors are greedy or that developers are naive. It was that the industry lacks a translation layer. Until both sides learn to hear each other, the money will keep flowing to the familiar, and the truly original games will remain unfunded.