If you don't pitch your idea as "Command & Conquer" with big breasts, then don't be stupid enough to expect a publisher to actually fund it. These days, publishers are clinging on to what they call "Triple A" titles. What they really mean is that since we all stopped going to Las Vegas for the trade shows, they are not willing to gamble any more. The result: frustrated developers, frustrated public, tired genres, and multiple named versions of the same old games. This session explores running a company from a programmer's point of view, investing in the future, "a programmer hiring programmers" and demonstrates what you end up with, by discussing the infamous Messiah engine.