Business Strategies and Considerations

Business Strategies

Sell games that are more likely to sell.

• Sell a unique idea that improves upon or builds on existing IPs or genres.
• Sell a unique idea that fills a niche demand and hasn’t been developed in a while.

Publish small games and publish consistently.

• Low Risk
• Publish quality games every 4 months to every year.
• More likely to complete projects of smaller scope with shorter production timelines.
• Allows developers on the project to build up their portfolio.

Make your dream game.

• High Risk
• Betting it all on one quality game over 3 - 9 years of development is risky.
• But it can be very rewarding if your game is well-made, fills a niche demand, and is marketed well.

Work as a contractor for other companies.

• Get contracts to make games or assets for other companies.
• Do Licensing deals. Shows that your business is capable of handling IPs from other companies and can build successful products.

Engage with the Community. Collect Feedback. Release Updates

• After a game is released, you have to follow-up with game updates and community engagement post-launch.
• Engage the community with posts, comments, forums, chat rooms.
• Collect feedback and take it into consideration when developing future updates.
• Develop updates and release them on a consistent basis. This helps maintain community’s interest and attracts new players.

Think Long-Term. Create a 10-year plan.

• Consistency is key to long-term business success.
• It takes 5 - 10 years for a business to become a Household name.

Release on Multiple Platforms.

• Develop / Port to Console (Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo)
• Develop / Port to Mobile (iOS, Android)
• Develop / Port to VR (Oculus, Steam VR, Mobile)
• Release on more than one PC platform. (Steam, Epic, Xbox, GOG)
• Release a browser-based game on multiple web platforms. (itch.io, Gamejolt, Armor Games, Kongregate, Newgrounds, Addicting Games)

Publish in Other Markets.

• China (Simplified Chinese)
• USA (English / Spanish)
• Japan (Japanese)
• South Korea (Korean)
• Germany (German)
• UK (English)
• France (French)
• Canada (English / French)
• Taiwan (Traditional Chinese)
• Italy (Italian)
• Mexico (Spanish)
• Spain (Spanish)
• Brazil (Portuguese)
• Russia (Russian)

Business Considerations

Evaluate the Cost of Development

Temporal Costs:

• What skills are needed to develop the game?
• If you need to learn new skills, how long will it take to learn them?
• Will you make the game by yourself, or with a team?
• How long will it take to make your game? What is the production schedule? What is your planned release date?
• What platforms and devices are you targeting?

Monetary Costs:

• Do you need to rent an office, or purchase new equipment?
• How will you compensate yourself and your teammates?
• What software and web applications will you use? How much are the licenses to use them?
• Will you use premade assets, or have them custom made?
• Is your game multiplayer? How much will it cost for hosting multiplayer services?
• How will you market your game?

Evaluate the Return on Investment (ROI)

What are the rewards for investing your time and money on the project?

Personal Growth

• Improve one's professional experience and skillset.
• The experience can be documented on your resume and social media, which could lead to career opportunities.

Business Recognition

• Build up the company's brand and IP recognition.
• Completing a successful project can lead to greater success on future projects.

Strengthen Partnership

• Successful projects can boost relationships with partner companies and lead to more business opportunities.
• Could lead to better licensing deals, exclusive contracts, and long-term partnerships.

Monetary Gain

• The intention is to make a large amount of profit by providing a superb gaming experience.
• Money is distributed among teammates and partners.

Sources:

Elyot Grnat - Creator of Prismata
Jean Leggett - CEO of One More Story Games
Philomena Schwa - Founder of Stray Fawn
Tanya X. Shorts - Director of Kitfox Games
Jonas Tyroller - Independent Game Designer
Raymond Cripps - Independent Game Developer
Crystal - Skyreach Studios Top countries and markets by video game revenues