The popularity of video games is a great reason why many people are launching gaming startups and studios. Almost 85% of the total video gaming revenue comes specifically from free-to-play games.
If you want to break into the gaming industry, you’re going to face some challenges. You might be a seasoned gamer or game developer, but starting a games studio is not a walk in the park.
So, how do you break into the video games industry? Here are tips to help you start a gaming studio successfully.
Be Unique
With over 2,500 gaming development companies and 525 publishing companies, the gaming industry is getting overcrowded. So, to stand out from the competition, you need to have a unique identity.
Being unique requires frustrating the status quo and changing what you don’t like. In short, forge your path to make a difference. Take time to understand the market needs and provide unique offerings. Will your games be free at the start? Will you offer discounts for referrals? What will make your gaming studio different from the rest?
Focus on your Core Strengths
If you’ve partnered with someone else to start a gaming studio, know your strengths before getting started. Find out each other’s skills and know what each of you is good at. Then assign roles based on those strengths.
With the number of active gamers expected to reach 3 billion by 2023, it’s important to identify your main strengths if you want to attract them and generate more sales.
For example, if your business partner is good at game development, they can handle the technical aspects of the games as you focus on running the business. Doing this ensures that your roles don’t overlap.
Attend Multiple Events
Go out and see what other gaming studios are doing. This will help you discover how to build a successful gaming studio. To meet like-minded people, attend events such as gaming conferences and meetups. Try and attend as many events and meetups as you can to find out what gamers want, gaming trends, and new games.
At these events, you’ll also learn how to run your business, what new equipment you need for your studio, and how much it costs. If you’re cash-strapped and need to buy new equipment to develop great games, you can apply for a short-term car title loan and use your car as collateral.
Hire Great Talent
To build a successful gaming company, you need smart people. Hire people based on their intelligence, problem-solving skills, passion, and teamwork. Also, make sure they are experts in their fields. Technologies change frequently, and the last thing you want is to keep swapping your team.
A great team will produce great games. Make sure every employee knows your business’s core strengths and vision. Everyone should stay updated on game development trends and news. Developers should keep learning new game development techniques to create popular games. Also, create a video game website to attract organic traffic.