Hi!
Today our post here on GamePlan Compass is especially dedicated for those who want to understand the “non-technical” part of games. So I’m going to talk a little bit about what my experience over the years has brought about marketing and market for game developers.
I hope it helps you.
1 – Plan before acting
We are human beings (Madness, right?), so we tend to work on what we like and procrastinate on the things we don’t like. That’s one of the reasons many projects fail. We end up developing games that WE like rather than making games that other people (who pay their bills) like.
You might even ask me “how can anyone predict what others will like?” Think about how long you (and your team) can realistically FINISH a project. Then go after Business Intelligence and trend analysis to help you make decisions about platform, genre, art, UX, game design, etc.
Where can you find it all? Google, Gamasutra, Google Trends, Statista. In free tools, for example: https://games-stats.com/steam/
2 – Think of a schedule from start to finish
Most of us, when we’re planning or starting a schedule, take the most logical path: start at the beginning. After two decades of helping with game development and release, I would advise you to do exactly the opposite – Start from the end.
Fully understand your development cycle, taking into account your resources and your budget (if you have any). Then build a fictional but realistic release date. Focus on it and from there, start working on your schedule backwards. How many months should you start creating buzz about your game? How many months before release will the game be fully developed? Where will the QA windows be? Keep answering these questions until you reach the date you meet.
I can tell you right now that things won’t fall into place right away. Some tasks can be done simultaneously, but you’ll have to adapt – and postpone their fictional release. This is a very interesting exercise that I recommend to all my clients.
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3 – Don’t be your own judge
Another very common behavior of developers, especially indies, is to honestly believe they are making the best game in the world. I even agree in parts, after all, it’s your art, your dream, your “thing” – and that’s okay – but when people decide that because one ideia is amazing in their head, a certain “blindness” occurs, and that definitely puts an end to any chance the project had (even if it was brilliant).
My advice here is: Get LOTS of feedback from the beginning of the project, especially from people you don’t know (example: That way they won’t say the game is great just so it doesn’t hurt your feelings). Itch.io, Gamejolt, Reddit and several other channels are great for this, but make sure you have your own play test running at the same time.
4 – Finish your stuff!
Make sure you have your skills and abilities well organized to complete the project. Avoid opening concurrent projects unless these are paid jobs so you can help the studio stay open. We have examples of amazing games that were never released and spent a lot of money simply because the design and tech teams changed their minds all the time.
Commit yourself. Make concessions. The great is the enemy of the good and the good can be enough to generate the necessary learning to do something that is really great.
5 – Don’t believe the hype
Ah, the hype. VR, Stadia, Geolocation Games, well, Anthem. Look, be very careful with what is being “sold” by the media and by the big players in the market. Be even more careful before getting on the hype train. Remember, it’s your job and your life on the line here.
Study trends and BI to make educated decisions before jumping into a project and crashing when the bubble bursts. Or even, you can end up making your game do this with a player (it’s a real photo, taken by me, in a mall near my house, in one of these “VR arena” –
I edited the image because I didn’t I want to disgust you)
P.S. Bleargh!
