Stade d'intervention: Pre-production

At the release stage of the game

Pourquoi calculer l’empreinte carbone d’un jeu vidéo ?

Since 1 March 2025, it has been compulsory d’évaluer l’empreinte carbone des jeux vidéo pour prétendre aux aides du CNC, comme le fonds d’aide aux jeux vidéo ("FAJV").

There are a number of tools available for carrying out a carbon footprint, including the Jyros tool developed specifically by and for the video games industry. However, using these tools effectively requires specific training and time.

How can I calculate the carbon footprint of my video game?

The first answers you need to provide to calculate the carbon footprint of your video game will seem relatively simple (such as the type of video game being developed or the hardware specifications required).

However, calculating the carbon footprint of video games involves not only the games themselves, mais aussi et surtout les ressources humaines et matérielles utilisées pour les développer. La précision de l’empreinte carbone dépendra donc de votre capacité à fournir de nombreux détails sur la vie de votre entreprise (les trajets effectués et le mode de transport utilisé, l’achat ou la location de matériel informatique neuf ou reconditionné, etc.)

Entering this information amounts to carrying out a specific analysis of your company's accounts. The accuracy of the carbon footprint will therefore depend on the level of detail with which you identify and report the information within the tool.

Bigwhoop calculates the carbon footprint of your video game

Bigwhoop can calculate the carbon footprint of your video game and, more broadly, of your company's activities. As well as freeing up your time, we guarantee an independent and accurate analysis of the elements required to present a reliable carbon footprint that can be accepted by public authorities.

We have analysis tools specific to the video games industry that have been tried and tested in particular to ensure fast and efficient accounting analysis of expenditure eligible for the video games tax credit ("CIJV").

Bonus Stage 1: The carbon footprint is not enough to apply to the Video Games Fund. You also need to write and present a summary document. BigWhoop can do this for you (find out more about writing an "FAJV" application).

Bonus Stage 2: Applications to the CNC's video game fund require a 3-minute on-camera presentation of the game. These few minutes are a very short time to present your game. It is very important to maximise the effectiveness of this presentation. The agency can write your speech and record and edit the video (more about video creation).

Bonus Stage 3 : During your pre-production phase, we recommend that you produce a realistic market study in advance to help finance the production of the game (more about producing a realistic market research).

Pre-production phase

What is a real market study of a PC / Consoles video game?

The market research of a video game gives an overview of its commercial potential with regard to the buying habits of consumers (players). The objective is to quantitatively assess the number of people likely to buy your video game.

Market analysis is a measurement tool to reduce the risk of failure of your game. By simulating market placement (test marketing), our study can indicate as realistically as possible the chances of success in the pre-production phase.

What the studios call "market research" is not market research.

Studios usually confuse market research with competition research. Market research aims to determine the number of people who are really interested in your product. Competitive research is used to determine the technical, artistic and financial characteristics of competing games. To find out what the market as a whole thinks of PC / console game projects, studios generally use two methods.

One of them is to create a presentation page for the game on Steam with the aim of encouraging users to add the game to their wishlist. There are two major problems with this method. The first problem is that you assume from the outset that your market is PC-only. The second problem is that this method does not provide you with clear information about the characteristics of your buyers (age and gender for example). This information is essential if you want to boost your sales through online advertising.

Another method is to create a page on a crowdfunding platform. For a new studio, creating a crowdfunding page is a risk. Crowdfunding requires the aggregation of a community before the start of the campaign. A great deal of communication and marketing effort is then required. If you fail, how do you convince an organisation or company to finance your video game?

BigWhoop studies the market for your PC / Console video game from the pre-production stage

The BigWhoop agency has developed its own measurement method to carry out real market research for PC and console games during their pre-production phase. We use real data and scientific studies to predict the success of the game. Our method is divided into 3 key steps.

The first step is to identify the features expected by your market. This identification stage involves an analysis of competing games and, in particular, of the comments left by players (more on our competition study).

A second step concerns the production of media (images or videos) highlighting these features within the art direction of your video game. These media are distributed on several social networks to a limited number of users.

A third step which aims to measure the conversion of users from social networks. We create a temporary web page (landing page) in the colours of your video game. This page allows us to collect the contact details of people who are really interested in your game.

Bonus Stage : The data from our market research allows us to determine the interest of users for your video game from the pre-production phase. This data also allows us to determine the marketing costs necessary to reach your break-even point according to the financial characteristics of your game (production costs and sales price).

Pre-production phase

How to establish a profitability forecast for a PC / Console video game?

The objective of an investor is to know the profitability forecast of your video game before proceeding with its financing. This forecast is all the more strategic as the development of a PC / Console video game requires hundreds of thousands or even millions of euros of investment.

Economic crises usually bring investors to their senses, even if financing has been provided in the past on a whim. These investors want to have visibility on the profitability of your video game well before its release.

Predicting profitability by analysing the profitability of competing video games is an illusion

Many studios present their video games as direct competitors to the huge blockbusters on the market. After all, if these competing games have been enjoyed by gamers, your game is bound to interest them and they will rush to buy it! However, once funded and released, the game may only be of interest to a very small number of people. This is the case for many of the projects currently on the market, which unfortunately have not met their public.

What is most surprising is that studios seem to forget to assess the interest of their market for their product. These companies very often confuse "competitive research" with "market research". Competitive research is the study of the characteristics of competing products. Market research is studying the expectations of the people who will buy your product. And these are two very different concepts. Currently, for a financial expert, financing a video game is more of a gamble than an informed choice. Under these conditions, your arguments are insufficient to convince an investor of the success of your product.

Bigwhoop helps you predict the profitability of your PC / Console game

From the pre-production phase, our agency allows you to estimate the profitability forecast of your video game. We use real data from social networks (more about our market analysis method). This method allows us to determine the preferences regarding the game's features and the level of interest of your market. We can also identify the distribution platforms on which your future buyers want to purchase the game.

By estimating the selling price and production costs, we are able to estimate the marketing costs necessary to reach the break-even point. When the break-even point is reached, the net profits generated by your game pay back your production and marketing costs. Beyond this threshold, your additional marketing expenditure is converted into net profits until your market is exhausted.

Bonus Stage : Break-even can be achieved more quickly by lowering your production costs. The use of the video game tax credit or by_obtaining a subsidy via the video game support fund can help to ensure this cost reduction.

Pre-production phase

How do you write your application for the CNC's video game support fund ("FAJV")?

To benefit from the CNC's video game support fund (called "fonds d’aide au jeu vidéo" or "FAJV" in French) , you must write a file presenting your video game.

This file can be put together at the idea, pre-production or production stage. Our agency has chosen to assist studios in the creation of their "FAJV" file mainly during the pre-production stage. This is when your studio generally needs the most help to validate its concept.

The essential steps for writing an "FAJV" application

An artistic dossier for a grant application to the Video Game Fund ("FAJV") is a subtle balance between a factual description of the content of your game and an attractive presentation for the reader. This means that the flow of paragraphs should be smooth and pleasant to read. The document should also emphasise the key elements that make your game unique. Remember that the reader is not in your head! If you are particularly proud of a gameplay mechanic or your original scenario, talk about it!

On the contrary, mechanics that have been seen many times before or standard scenarios should be minimised in the presentation. Don't forget that the appendices are your allies. Write a summary of the most interesting elements in the main document and switch the details to the appendix. Few people are willing to read the detailed calculations of how your camera works. This is true even if it is a difficulty you have struggled with for weeks.

Bigwhoop takes care of writing your video game fund application

Bigwhoop offers to write your video game fund application ("FAJV") for you. Our method consists of synthesising and highlighting your project from your existing documentation (game design documents, moodboards, graphic assets, script, etc.). The agency has experienced profiles capable of identifying the strong points of your game and highlighting them within the deadlines imposed by the CNC.

We can also help you to manage the collection of documents required for your application and to complete the administrative document. To anticipate this workload, we recommend that you think about a business plan in advance. This document will specify the costs of the game during its development (more about the business plan).

Bonus Stage 1 : The vast majority of the descriptions written in your "FAJV" pre-production or production file can be reused in an application file for provisional approval for the video game tax credit ("CIJV"). (more about writing a dossier for the "CIJV").

Bonus Stage 2 : Applications to the CNC's video game fund require a 3-minute on-camera presentation of the game. These few minutes are very short to present your game. It is very important to maximise the effectiveness of this presentation. The agency is able to write your speech as well as record and edit the video (more about video creation).

Bonus Stage 3 : During your pre-production phase, we recommend that you anticipate the production of a realistic market study to facilitate the financing of the production of the game (more about producing a realistic market research).