The 5 marketing secrets which every game developer should know

According to studies conducted by market analysts, up to 40%  of the budget of major games is spent on marketing. This is true even for indie game developers, whose small teams of freelancers rarely contain marketing experts. Furthermore, the iTunes App Store, the single biggest source of online mobile games, contains over 600,000 games. The App Store’s products are arranged in such a way so that the famous and the little-known, the great and the mediocre, are all arranged together. Given this scenario, the need for great and innovative marketing by game development companies, particularly those involved in mobile game creation, has never been greater.

The synthesis of the latest digital marketing techniques along with the diversity of games on offer has given rise to a number of never-before-seen campaigns. Microsoft’s first-person shooter set in a post-apocalyptic future Destiny Fragrance was first advertised via videos containing ads of a fictional perfume of the same name, which directed viewers towards XBox retailers(this step became necessary after Microsoft was stripped of the legal right to market the game). 2010’s dystopian hit, BioShock 2, ran a hugely innovative campaign by storing posters of the game in wine bottles kept in 10 beaches across the globe, encouraging fans to find them(what a great way to market tourism destinations as well!!!). The use of Twitter quickly saw this campaign becoming viral. 

From these examples, it might seem that marketing by game development companies revolves significantly around content. While nothing sells as much as innovative ideas, a holistic set-up results in the best campaigns. A comprehensive campaign which guides every aspect of marketing-from audience selection and expenditure planning to the exact channels
Without a good marketing campaign, it is easy to miss out on the following:

• Demographics: If you thought that most gamers were nerdy young men, think again; an incredible 46% of all gamers are women. Even the relatively elderly are well-represented among gamers, with those above 40 making up 31% of the populace. However, marketing campaigns are often geared exclusively towards young men, and the use of sexist memes and jokes to promote games doesn’t help either.

• Content Marketing: As you may have realized from the 2 highlighted examples, innovative and compelling content is often THE factor separating marketing successes from abject failures. Sometimes, good content marketing spawns its own, individual series, just as Microsoft did with the Forward Unto Dawn webseries which presaged the launch of the epoch-making Halo 4. But you don’t have to break the bank in order to outdo Microsoft-even a very basic trailer containing(according to you) the most attractive parts of the game can be a great starting point.

• A development blog: Now here is a cost-effective technique. Development blogs are easy to maintain, and will help build up anticipation before the eventual launch. Tweets containing the latest development news is not enough; you need to let gamers know WHY they should be going in for your game, and a blog suits the purpose just perfectly.

• Use exciting offers: Every indie game needs to show that it is better than its 599,999 competitors on the iTunes App Store. This is really not the herculean task that it seems like; a few exciting marketing offers can go a long way. For instance, a basic free release with in-app purchases can greatly entice customers.

• Word-of-mouth: This may seem like an antiquated approach, but word-of-mouth publicity can go a long way in helping an indie game’s popularity. An innovative concept, and a few enthusiastic, initial reviewers can greatly help. Your own friends can be among the enthusiastic reviewers!! Of course, even they will have to be brought over by innovative content.

Most game developers today started off as avid gamers in their youth. By putting themselves in a gamer’s shoes once again, game developers can pull off incredible feats of marketing, even when budgetary constraints and tough competition make reaching out to an audience seem impossible.

Eclipse Technoconsulting Global (P) Ltd., a premier game development company in Kolkata, India, has long held fast to these ideals. But there are more than just 5 secrets to good video game marketing-why don’t you let us know some more at #eclipseindia or Eclipsetech12.