Chapter 8: Game Merchandise Is the Real Moneymaker

After selling 150,000 copies, William stopped producing game discs. At £6 per copy, he was selling them too cheaply, especially considering that some folks at school sold each copy for over £10. Even though the higher sales weren't extensive, they weren't negligible either.

Calculating it this way meant losing out on tens of thousands of pounds, but there was no helping it. His main goal now was to build a reputation for the game. If he sold each copy for over £10, selling 50,000 copies would have been a stroke of luck.

The game's explosive sales in London, along with the positive reviews, caught the attention of major gaming companies like EA and Ubisoft, as well as game retailers and supermarkets. Even Best Buy from the USA, which specialized in DVDs and computer games, sent representatives. 

The lost tens of thousands of pounds could be seen as salaries for the hundreds of university peers who helped him sell the game, and as advertising costs to attract these big companies.

A few days ago, William received inquiries from these companies wanting to discuss distribution or purchasing the game outright. So, he approached one of the top law firms in London.

Anthony, a senior partner at Moonlit Law Firm, was whom William hired, costing him £1,000 per hour. Given that such negotiations could take several days or even over a week, he was looking at paying Anthony several tens of thousands of pounds. Luckily, William signed an hourly contract with Moonlit; a commission-based contract could have been even more costly.

William booked a meeting room at the Hilton Hotel in London and met with Anthony at 8 AM sharp.

After shaking hands, William joked, "Good morning, Mr. Anthony. It's eight o'clock now. Are we starting the billing?"

Anthony, catching the joke, replied, "Good morning, Mr. Devonshire. If starting billing at 8:10 would make you happier, I don't mind."

"Ha, Anthony, you're very humorous. Let's get down to business. I need you to handle all the legal matters for me. No problem?"

"Of course, Mr. Devonshire. This is what we do. I assure you that any contract handled by our firm will be flawless. This is Moonlit's confidence and commitment," Anthony assured William.

William nodded in agreement, which was why he hired Moonlit's lawyers in the first place.

"OK, I have full trust in Moonlit. As one of England's top three law firms, your expertise and reputation are unquestionable. Let's get started, Anthony. Today should be busy."

After that, he greeted and shook hands with Anthony's four team members.

Paying £1,000 an hour for London's best lawyers and their team didn't seem expensive to William. If problems arose due to lack of professional legal advice, it would be a disaster.

Naturally, only top lawyers make big money, while their assistants might only earn a few thousand pounds a month.

At 9 AM, representatives from EA, Ubisoft, Best Buy, Carrefour, and other game companies arrived on time.

After everyone found their seats, William got straight to the point, knowing that quality, sales, and profits would speak louder than anything else. Other words were just fluff to these game companies and distributors.

William took the microphone and addressed the room, "Welcome, gentlemen. My name is William Devonshire, the creator, designer, and owner of Plants vs. Zombies.

"Time is precious, so I'll be direct. Many people and companies have approached me recently, indicating that you're here either to buy the game's rights or to negotiate distribution deals. Is that correct?"

The representatives nodded, having contacted William without him revealing anything. Although they were optimistic about the game, they didn't want to jump the gun, preferring to hear what William had to say.

"Now, gentlemen, I'll first state my bottom line. If our expectations differ significantly, please remain calm and hear me out. OK?"

The attendees, being competitors, exchanged glances. All of them saw the potential in this game. Since no offers were made yet, no one wanted to be the first to speak, so they nodded again.

Seeing no objections, William thanked them and continued, "Thank you. Let's talk about distribution first. The price I can accept is £8 per game disc, roughly $13. I believe Plants vs. Zombies can easily sell for $20 in the USA.

"Everyone knows that in the late '80s, EPS games had a wholesale price of $25. You are all industry experts and know I'm right. You also know whether £8 is reasonable.

"If you can accept £8, we can proceed with the negotiations."

EA and Ubisoft didn't initially consider distribution, but they feared that if the other companies drove up the price, William might stop selling the game. So, they quickly agreed, "£8 is acceptable."

The distributors, who specialized in game distribution, realized William was right. No hit game in America sold for less than $20. Seeing the game companies agree, they begrudgingly accepted the price, thinking, 'These guys should go to hell. They sell their games so expensively and now are competing with us for distribution.'

Representatives from Best Buy and Carrefour also nodded in agreement.

"Great, with everyone agreeing to £8, we have the basis to continue.

"In my hand is the data showing that we sold 150,000 game discs in London in one month. I won't distribute this; you must have done your market research. This is why we're all here. The second piece of information might be new to you, though Carrefour should be aware of it."

William paused, looking at Carrefour's representative, who nodded with a smile, as it related to their business.

"Twenty days ago, I signed a contract with Carrefour for the licensing of T-shirts, hats, and other merchandise featuring Plants vs. Zombies characters. Now, I realize I signed it too early.

"But no matter. I still want to thank Carrefour. This contract grants Carrefour the rights to produce Plants vs. Zombies merchandise in five counties around London.

"In the 15 days up to yesterday, 43,000 units of merchandise were sold in 120 Carrefour stores in London, averaging 360 units per store, with 240 units sold daily. The revenue was £6.45 million, with each unit selling for an average of £15.

"Upon hearing these figures, the representatives, except those from Carrefour, were surprised. 43,000 units in 15 days across five counties near London, amounting to £6.45 million! Once the game becomes a hit worldwide, how much will this merchandise sell? This realization excited the attendees.

"Merchandise is the real moneymaker. Copyright laws in Europe and America are stringent, and such clear-cut copyright cases are easily won.

"Once everyone settled down, William continued, "Selling 1 million copies of the game in Europe is achievable, and within a year or two, as the game's reputation grows, selling over 3 million copies will be easy.

"The distributors looked grim, knowing that William's estimate matched their own. Some had even estimated slightly higher. It was now the year 2000, and while there were many good games, none captivated children, adults, and the elderly like Plants vs. Zombies. Thirteen years later, the game would have over 25 million downloads.

"William continued, "In the USA, selling 2 million copies shouldn't be a problem, and another 2 million in other countries combined.

"Gentlemen, think about a game that can sell over 7 million copies and the additional revenue from merchandise. Imagine the wealth it can generate for you."

"FUCK, it's generating wealth for you," the representatives thought angrily.

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