Common Mistakes Mobile Game Developers Make & How To Shun Them
You are a mobile game developer. Whether you work independently or with an agency, it is irrelevant here. What’s relevant is that you have a deadline to meet, a game to launch and downloads to garner. So how do you manage all that? You start working on a pre-launch strategy. Chalk out the ways to take up risks and avoid costly mistakes.
Mistake # 1: Assuming the needs of a player
This is probably the deadliest mistake you can make in mobile game development. Avoid assumption. Support your game development process with real-time data collected through a survey among your target groups. Mobile game developers can sometimes get so carried away with the gameplay that they forget the end user. Don’t make that mistake. Keep your end user in mind. Think about how they would receive it.
Mistake # 2: Not having a plan in place
This ranges from not planning for mistakes to not taking into account how much time and resources your game will take to complete. Plan ahead. Plan for everything, including how you will acquire players.
Mistake # 3: Giving UI/UX more importance than the gameplay
Games Ui/UX is very important. But do you know what counts more than design? The gameplay. Great gameplay will surpass great design any day.
Mistake # 4: Not marketing your game –
Hundreds of games are released on the app store without a marketing plan. Even though they could have succeeded, but they remain undiscovered. So, market your game early so that you catch the attention of your target group, before the game is released. Get creative with the storytelling and make sure your audience resonates with the story you tell.
Mistake # 5: Not having a post-launch strategy to monetize your game
After your mobile game development is complete, you’ve released it into the app store. Now what? How to make money after the game releases? You need a viable post-launch strategy or you’re likely to be a victim of “app store oblivion”. You might want to try advertising your game in other apps that have a good user base, or try to get featured/reviewed on popular app review websites. Look for review sites/blogs frequented by mobile gamers. Only one mention in these sites can be a great push for your mobile game.
Here are some more mistakes commonly made by mobile game developers:
- Having a lot of expectation from the very beginning
- Not documenting everything
- Not generating an early feedback
- Prototyping outside of your list
- Not sufficient testing and/or bug fixing
- Not offering enough things for payers to spend on
- Not doing enough to make your game more discoverable
- Not localizing your game
Wrapping up all!
How you present your game in the mobile game development community matters a lot. Whether you promote it on social media, through events or via direct communication. Networking is very important. The people you network with are the people who will help your game become successful. You, as a member of the mobile game developers community, have to always stay aware of what’s new, the views and opinions of others in your network etc. It helps mutual growth. You need it to make your next game a great success!
