When it comes to developing any product whatsoever, keeping an eye on the market is always critical. Demand is going to drive sales and unless you know what market you are catering to, your new products can be a washout before they’ve even been launched. And, so it is with the gaming industry. Game developers should obviously be experts in the field of software development, but they also need to understand some solid business principles if they expect to hit the market with a game that will sell.
Knowing What Sells and Where
Oddly, not all games trend equally successfully around the globe. Perhaps it is socio-economic factors that drive sales and maybe it’s just ethnic or cultural preferences. In any case, the important thing for any game developer to understand first is the market they intend to release their games in. A quick look at some raw statistics for 2017 revealed that Asia Pacific cornered the market and the United States came in a close second according to WePC. This is important because games that trend in the UK may not be equally as popular in Asia Pacific countries like Japan and vice versa. Then there are some games which achieved a high level of popularity around the globe.
Countries Where Video Gaming Is Popular
As mentioned, one of the key statistics a game developer should track is where games are likely to sell. According to statistics released by WePC, Asia Pacific, the United States, the UK, France, Germany, and China were key players in the market as of last year. Next in line were Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Russia, Poland, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, India, and Australia. Therefore, when developing a new game of any kind, it pays to also understand some key concepts in business analytics. Those large gaming companies that do best in the market probably have one or more people on the team with advanced degrees in business from universities such as Aston University Online in the UK.
What Kinds of Games Are Trending
Developers are also tracking the specific kinds of games that are trending. For example, the most popular game around the globe in 2016, according to Statista, was Overwatch, which continued to trend through last year. Online video poker is highly popular no matter where you live, as are most arcade games in online casinos. Here, again, Asia Pacific tops all other regions in popularity where online gaming is a favourite pastime among players of all ages.
Whether you are developing an action game or an arcade-style casino game, it is imperative that you understand your market. This is where you will realise a profit or sustain a loss and business analytics will be critical in helping you determine which market to cater to. Unless you intend to be a pioneer in regions of the world where gaming isn’t yet popular, those key statistics will help you know where your game is likely to trend quickly. Hit the market there and move on to other regions where it can gain even more momentum. Whoever thought that business analytics would be so important to a software developer?
