This is what a publisher is obligated to cover if they take a percentage of the project.

1. Product Strategy

Publisher:

- helps determine the project's positioning;

- looks at the market, not just the idea;

- helps narrow or adjust the concept if it's not viable.

If a publisher says, "Do it your way," they're absolving themselves of responsibility. However, it's important to understand that, depending on the publisher's approach, this could also mean trusting your vision. It's important to clarify in advance which publisher you're working with and the terms.

2. Financial Model

Publisher:

- understands how the project makes money;

- participates in budgeting;

- warns of cash flow gaps and risks.

If money is given without a model, it's not an investment, but a blind bet.

3. Production

This is often confused with management. A publisher's producer:

- monitors milestones;

- helps prioritize tasks;

- participates in difficult decisions;

- protects the project from drifting.

A producer is a shield, not a supervisor.

4. Marketing and Communications

Publisher:

- plans marketing in advance, not just before release;

- works with platforms;

- builds PR and audience communications;

- knows when it's best NOT to release a project.

If marketing starts a month before release, it never happened.

5. Legal and Platform

Publisher:

- handles contracts and rights;

- interacts with platforms;

- takes on some of the bureaucracy;

- reduces the developer's legal risks.

This is one of the most underrated functions.

Additional features (Not always. Depends on the publisher's approach and possible expanded functionality).

- Localization;

- QA and playtesting;

- Hiring assistance;

- Infrastructure (servers, analytics, tools);

- Crisis management.

What a publisher should NOT do

It's important to understand the boundaries.

A publisher is not obligated to:

- Write code for the studio;

- Be an endless source of money;

- Save a project that is clearly unviable;

- "Believe contrary to reality."

If a publisher does this, they are taking a conscious risk, not fulfilling their duty.

The main thing

Publishing is a shared responsibility.

If responsibility rests solely with the developer, it is not a partnership.

A good publisher:

- Asks difficult questions;

- Takes some of the brunt;

- Is interested in the long haul.

Bad publisher:

- disappears between reports;

- appears only during conflicts;

- is always right in hindsight.