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Releasing a new game is challenging, but monetizing your game before it even launches can help generate additional revenue to improve its success. Game development demands years of dedication and resources to take ideas and turn them into an authentic gaming experience. There is no guarantee that all your efforts will pay off, but you can improve your studio's bottom line and longevity. How? By generating revenue during pre-launch, using pre-orders, early access, crowdfunding, and more.
Discover how to harness these different paths to early monetization to propel your game's launch. In this blog, we'll explore straightforward ways to generate income before going public and provide you with valuable insights for a smoother start.
Monetizing your game during pre-launch provides financial and strategic benefits for your studio. Financially, securing funding early on can help cover unexpected expenses, provide funds to hire additional talent, and improve the quality of your game. Strategically, your studio can begin to build a dedicated fan base, with potential users providing critical feedback, testing gameplay mechanics, and generating free marketing buzz. While the rest of this blog will cover the various paths to early monetization, you can read our additional posts about dealing with negative feedback during pre-launch, building community, and other direct-to-consumer strategies that can benefit your overall game.
Starting the process of early monetization can feel scary at first, especially for newer or greener studios that are taking their first giant leap into game development. But don't let fear stand in your way! As the game industry has grown, so have the opportunities for game developers to enter into the industry and make money at the same time. As you explore the different paths to early monetization, ask yourself a few pivotal questions to help determine which strategy will work best for your studio:
While this is not an exhaustive list of questions, it will help frame the following options and provide your studio with smart, targeted decisions.
Pre-orders are a great way for game developers to make money before their game comes out, drive excitement for the project, and increase post-launch sales. It's best to start offering pre-orders about 3-6 months before launch, giving your studio enough time to build momentum and provide confidence in your release date to your audience.
Inform your audience of pre-orders using marketing strategies like a pre-release trailer, a tactic game developer Easy Trigger Games, and publisher Coffee Stain did for Huntdown. You can also offer incentives, like exclusive wallpapers or access to a particular community on Discord, to make pre-orders even more appealing. Ensure the incentives are cool enough to make people want to buy the game early but not so unique that it's unfair when the game is finally out. If you're a studio looking for help distributing pre-orders, Xsolla Game Sales takes the hassle out of getting your game to your players.
Xsolla Game Sales allows game developers to get their titles to a broad audience for pre-orders and so much more. As a direct-to-consumer solution, Game Sales provides developers with a branded online store for pre- and post-launch monetization purposes. With it, you can create a space for your community to gain access to your entire game catalog, efficiently distribute pre-orders, and sell items like game keys and founders packs.
Early access lets developers release unfinished titles while still generating revenue from players. While this approach can come with some challenges, it allows space to foster a deeper connection with your community as you collaborate and fine-tune your game. To reap the benefits of this strategy, your core gameplay must be solid, with enough content to keep players interested.
Engaging with the audience is critical during early access, as these early players are dedicated fans who can spread the word about the game. Regular communication with the community is vital to keep players happy and informed about the game's progress. This approach has worked well for popular games like PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, Dead Cells, and ARK: Survival Evolved.
Crowdfunding is a more community-based approach where a large group of individuals gives small amounts of money to support a project, often in exchange for rewards or early access to the finished product.
Today, there are numerous platforms to choose from, like Kickstarter, Fig, and Indiegogo. Crowdfunding is similar to early access in that it's only as successful as your relationship with your audience. Before starting a campaign, talk to people on social media and build rapport to create a solid foundation.
Consider what rewards you might give these early supporters. For example, Playtonic Games offered an exclusive version of Yooka-Laylee, a digital demo, and a t-shirt. Be mindful of costs when offering gifts, choosing ones that will save you money instead of breaking the bank.
Partnering with publishers or investors is the more traditional path for developers to receive money to fund their game development, both pre and post-launch. Working with publishers often comes with conditions, like profit sharing or ownership clauses. While this can create restrictions for the game developer, publisher funding offers support in areas where developers may lack experience, like game distribution, PR, marketing, community management, etc. For studios who want the advantages of partnering with a publisher without giving up creative autonomy, Xsolla Funding is the solution for you.
This allows you to establish connections and conversations with interested investors and publishers and set your game toward success. Benefit from the wisdom of industry experts on the best way to position your game with demo days, pitch events, and educational materials. You can also apply for funding that's 20 times higher than the industry average and obtain exclusive pricing from co-development and outsourced studios.
Some new online game stores have recently entered game funding territory, especially in the PC gaming world. The premise is simple: game developers receive funding based on projected game sales, and the game store receives exclusive access. That can mitigate risks for developers, allowing them to focus on making their game without worrying too much about the competition, which can be challenging when launching a new game.
One of the larger platforms doing this is Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite. In an exclusivity deal with Snapshot Games, the creator of Phoenix Point, Epic, fronted $2.5 million to have the game exclusively on the Epic Games Store for a year. For further insights on launching your game on Epic, read our guide here for more information.
Approaches like early access and crowdfunding offer more than just an influx of money. They help you build a community around your project. That community can spread the word about you and your game, attracting attention from the press and influencers who might further promote your game to a broader audience. The community also serves as valuable playtesters, ensuring your game is top-notch before release. While getting funds from a publisher or investor is invaluable, their industry insight and connections can be priceless. Assess your resources and choose the method that suits you best, considering the challenges ahead. Xsolla can be your trusted partner, ready to support you with a wide array of tools and services to help you on your journey to success. If your studio is ready for a helping hand, contact Xsolla's team of experts and book a meeting today.
Releasing a new game is challenging, but monetizing your game before it even launches can help generate additional revenue to improve its success. Game development demands years of dedication and resources to take ideas and turn them into an authentic gaming experience. There is no guarantee that all your efforts will pay off, but you can improve your studio's bottom line and longevity. How? By generating revenue during pre-launch, using pre-orders, early access, crowdfunding, and more.
Discover how to harness these different paths to early monetization to propel your game's launch. In this blog, we'll explore straightforward ways to generate income before going public and provide you with valuable insights for a smoother start.
Monetizing your game during pre-launch provides financial and strategic benefits for your studio. Financially, securing funding early on can help cover unexpected expenses, provide funds to hire additional talent, and improve the quality of your game. Strategically, your studio can begin to build a dedicated fan base, with potential users providing critical feedback, testing gameplay mechanics, and generating free marketing buzz. While the rest of this blog will cover the various paths to early monetization, you can read our additional posts about dealing with negative feedback during pre-launch, building community, and other direct-to-consumer strategies that can benefit your overall game.
Starting the process of early monetization can feel scary at first, especially for newer or greener studios that are taking their first giant leap into game development. But don't let fear stand in your way! As the game industry has grown, so have the opportunities for game developers to enter into the industry and make money at the same time. As you explore the different paths to early monetization, ask yourself a few pivotal questions to help determine which strategy will work best for your studio:
While this is not an exhaustive list of questions, it will help frame the following options and provide your studio with smart, targeted decisions.
Pre-orders are a great way for game developers to make money before their game comes out, drive excitement for the project, and increase post-launch sales. It's best to start offering pre-orders about 3-6 months before launch, giving your studio enough time to build momentum and provide confidence in your release date to your audience.
Inform your audience of pre-orders using marketing strategies like a pre-release trailer, a tactic game developer Easy Trigger Games, and publisher Coffee Stain did for Huntdown. You can also offer incentives, like exclusive wallpapers or access to a particular community on Discord, to make pre-orders even more appealing. Ensure the incentives are cool enough to make people want to buy the game early but not so unique that it's unfair when the game is finally out. If you're a studio looking for help distributing pre-orders, Xsolla Game Sales takes the hassle out of getting your game to your players.
Xsolla Game Sales allows game developers to get their titles to a broad audience for pre-orders and so much more. As a direct-to-consumer solution, Game Sales provides developers with a branded online store for pre- and post-launch monetization purposes. With it, you can create a space for your community to gain access to your entire game catalog, efficiently distribute pre-orders, and sell items like game keys and founders packs.
Early access lets developers release unfinished titles while still generating revenue from players. While this approach can come with some challenges, it allows space to foster a deeper connection with your community as you collaborate and fine-tune your game. To reap the benefits of this strategy, your core gameplay must be solid, with enough content to keep players interested.
Engaging with the audience is critical during early access, as these early players are dedicated fans who can spread the word about the game. Regular communication with the community is vital to keep players happy and informed about the game's progress. This approach has worked well for popular games like PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, Dead Cells, and ARK: Survival Evolved.
Crowdfunding is a more community-based approach where a large group of individuals gives small amounts of money to support a project, often in exchange for rewards or early access to the finished product.
Today, there are numerous platforms to choose from, like Kickstarter, Fig, and Indiegogo. Crowdfunding is similar to early access in that it's only as successful as your relationship with your audience. Before starting a campaign, talk to people on social media and build rapport to create a solid foundation.
Consider what rewards you might give these early supporters. For example, Playtonic Games offered an exclusive version of Yooka-Laylee, a digital demo, and a t-shirt. Be mindful of costs when offering gifts, choosing ones that will save you money instead of breaking the bank.
Partnering with publishers or investors is the more traditional path for developers to receive money to fund their game development, both pre and post-launch. Working with publishers often comes with conditions, like profit sharing or ownership clauses. While this can create restrictions for the game developer, publisher funding offers support in areas where developers may lack experience, like game distribution, PR, marketing, community management, etc. For studios who want the advantages of partnering with a publisher without giving up creative autonomy, Xsolla Funding is the solution for you.
This allows you to establish connections and conversations with interested investors and publishers and set your game toward success. Benefit from the wisdom of industry experts on the best way to position your game with demo days, pitch events, and educational materials. You can also apply for funding that's 20 times higher than the industry average and obtain exclusive pricing from co-development and outsourced studios.
Some new online game stores have recently entered game funding territory, especially in the PC gaming world. The premise is simple: game developers receive funding based on projected game sales, and the game store receives exclusive access. That can mitigate risks for developers, allowing them to focus on making their game without worrying too much about the competition, which can be challenging when launching a new game.
One of the larger platforms doing this is Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite. In an exclusivity deal with Snapshot Games, the creator of Phoenix Point, Epic, fronted $2.5 million to have the game exclusively on the Epic Games Store for a year. For further insights on launching your game on Epic, read our guide here for more information.
Approaches like early access and crowdfunding offer more than just an influx of money. They help you build a community around your project. That community can spread the word about you and your game, attracting attention from the press and influencers who might further promote your game to a broader audience. The community also serves as valuable playtesters, ensuring your game is top-notch before release. While getting funds from a publisher or investor is invaluable, their industry insight and connections can be priceless. Assess your resources and choose the method that suits you best, considering the challenges ahead. Xsolla can be your trusted partner, ready to support you with a wide array of tools and services to help you on your journey to success. If your studio is ready for a helping hand, contact Xsolla's team of experts and book a meeting today.
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