The mobile and video games industry is a billion-dollar business, with lucrative careers to be had. But how do you start your own business venture in relation to video gaming?
Getting Started
They say that knowledge is power, and if you're looking for a career in the gaming industry, or would like to start a profitable gaming business venture, you need to demonstrate a vast knowledge of all-things video and mobile gaming, with an eye for the latest trends. A great way to demonstrate your knowledge of gaming and increase your portfolio is through writing for technology and gaming magazines.
Many people in the gaming industry first establish themselves as writers. There are many ways you can do this – start your own gaming blog or forum, where you can give advice and opinion on the latest releases, or write for gaming blogs and magazines. In order for your career to grow, you'll need good contacts in the industry, which is why getting involved in discussion, networking and writing for a platform that is shared with other gamers is important. An opportunity could be presented to you as a result.
An example of a successful gaming expert who advanced her career through writing for gaming magazines is UK journalist Julia Hardy, who currently fronts O2's New phone, who dis? campaign reviewing the latest smartphones. Hardy started her career by presenting music show Rockworld, as well as writing for magazines such as GamesMaster, before being offered a contract with BBC Radio 1 as a gaming presenter, reviewing new releases and giving insight into the changing world of tech.
Have a clear business plan Any business needs a clear plan for it to be successful in the future and survive the all-important five-year mark. Get a business professional or an accountant to help you draft a business plan based on your gaming venture idea. You should highlight your earnings projections, customer base, intended audience, operating costs, projected profits and marketing strategy. Once this is done, you can focus on getting funding to launch your business. You could use savings, take out a business loan or other commercial loan. Next, you will need to find software and hardware manufacturers, as well as supply vendors near your place of work. You can then contact these vendors and ask them about their wholesale pricing and ordering requirements before making purchases from them with your loan and getting your business started. The clearer the business plan, the more you are likely to succeed in your venture.
Promote Yourself
Marketing is everything if you want to grow a successful gaming business. Use social media as the powerful marketing tool that it is – create sites for your business on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Make new announcements and developments, post samples and demos of games that you may be developing, and send out press releases. Advertise new roles and hire staff. Network and attend gaming conventions to get yourself known in the industry. It goes without saying that your business also needs a stellar website with effective SEO to get it up the search engine rankings.
Sell Your Development Services
If your aim is to run a game development business, you need to bear in mind that it is a saturated market with a lot of competition. Who you hire for your business is important – you want to make sure that your staff have an eye to the future and are forever evolving their ideas that can make your business a successful rival to other development companies.
If your business is a fledgling, start out by producing short, simple games for smartphones, other mobile devices and tablets, making these available through social media sites. You can also network and post these games on popular gaming forums, blogs and websites so that awareness of your brand spreads. Once you have begun to make a name for yourself, you can begin to sell other development services through your website and own social media sites.
Develop An App Or Game
Many people start a gaming business by developing a successful game or app, which then organically develops into a business venture over time. To give your game the most exposure possible, you can authorize your game to be sold across multiple platforms, which in turn should boost sales and the numbers of people that want to play it.
Different online stores will cater to various kinds of player, so tell them who your intended audience is. If you sell on a platform such as Steam, you'll need to adhere to the rules surrounding the sale of your game, and will likely have to pay a fee. The game will also need to be reviewed by the platform to ensure that it is safe for consumer use. By selling your game across multiple platforms, you have access to a community who may be interested in buying your game.
If you are building a mobile app, a great way to make money is through monetization and micro-transactions. Keep this to a minimum however if you are developing a game for a console, as console players are less likely to tolerate monetization, while mobile players often expect it in apps.