Gaming Industry Consulting
Enter the games industry knowing where the traps are
Many AAA studios with decades of experience still ship disappointing games, close studios or run out of money. Drawing on over a century of combined experience playing, covering and working in games, we help companies from outside the industry understand why — and avoid the same mistakes before they invest.
Who it's for
- Non-gaming companies considering a studio, a game investment or a games division
- Investors and funds evaluating studios, publishers or individual projects
- Brands planning their own games, in-game partnerships or player-focused campaigns
- Tech and media groups looking to add games to their portfolio
The problem: why even veteran studios fail
Experience is no guarantee. The same patterns show up across the industry again and again:
- Scope that grows faster than the team. Projects promise more than they can deliver, and cuts come too late.
- Live-service bets. Many enter an already crowded market expecting to be the next hit; it is not unusual to see large live-service launches shut down within months.
- Monetization backlash. Models that players see as exploitative burn trust before the game has a chance.
- Misreading the audience. Decisions driven by spreadsheet trends rather than what players actually want.
- Leadership disconnected from players. The people deciding don't always play, or follow the community.
- Tech debt. Engine and tooling choices that send the bill years later.
- Crunch as a production plan. Exhausted teams, lost talent and falling quality.
- Marketing and community missteps. Overpromising, weak communication at launch and poorly judged responses to criticism.
None of this is secret. These mistakes repeat because they are hard to see from inside a project — and even harder to see from a boardroom.
What we do
We give you an insider's view of the industry, translated into business terms. We review your plan, project or investment target, show where the real risks are, and tell you what to ask, what to require and what to avoid. Our job is to help you decide better — not to sell optimism.
Engagement formats
Strategy workshop — An intensive session with your leadership on how the industry works, where projects usually go wrong and what that means for your plans.
Price: US$3,000 (half day)
Pre-investment due diligence / project review — An assessment of a studio, game or business plan before you commit: scope, schedule, monetization model, positioning and red flags.
Price: from US$6,000
Ongoing advisory retainer — Regular support to review decisions, milestones and materials, with direct access for questions throughout the project.
Price: US$4,000 per month, 3-month minimum
Deliverables
- Written assessment with findings and recommendations
- Prioritized risk map
- Red-flag checklist to track the project over time
- Market and audience brief for your segment
- Question list for studios, publishers and partners
- Follow-up session to discuss conclusions and next steps
Why us
- Over a century of combined experience playing, covering and working in games: launches, failures, studio closures and community reactions. Our co-founder runs SavePoint.
- Multilingual: we work in Portuguese, English and Spanish; consulting sessions are held in English.
- A Brazil and Latin America perspective on fast-growing markets that global analyses often overlook.
Contact us
Tell us what you are planning. We'll reply with the engagement format that fits your case.
Contact us · [email protected] · WhatsApp
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Related coverage on SavePoint
The team
- Hélio Xavier (Founder): A Digital Games graduate from Universidade Fumec, he has been writing for gaming sites and forums since 1998. Before that, he helped out at video game rental shops in the early '90s.
- Maximilian (Max) Xavier (Co-Founder): Has worked with Spotify, Binance and Amazon Prime Video, improving their products. Founder of SavePoint.
- André Silva: Over 12 years of experience in network and server infrastructure support and user support. I got into video games when Atari and NES clones were being sold in Brazil.