Mobile Gaming Business Mastery Journal Post
How does business and marketing affect the design and development of a mobile game?
This question can be very broad, as there are a lot of things that business and marketing depending on business plan, and budget. Without a proper budget some corners may need to be cut in order to get the product shipped on time. The same could also be said about a proper business plan. Not only could features and mechanics be cut due to not having a good business plan, but also the aesthetics and details of the different aspects of the game. Without good marketing there could be a lack of motivation which could cause issues with budget, scheduling, and even the whole foundation of the application.
How does the proposed revenue model affect game design?
Methods of monetization can affect many things of the game design process. Depending on the method of monetization some mechanics, and even aesthetics of a game could be designed specifically to be put behind paywalls for the user. Depending on the revenue model, some aspects of the design of the game could be affected either for the better or worst. Sometimes developers could leave out some content that could also be marketed as DLC. Other things that could be affected with a free to play, microtransactions type of revenue model is the use of stamina. This way the player can only play so many rounds or levels, before they either need to wait to play another level again or potentially pay to play more rounds.
How can you be sure you are developing a game that people will want to play?
This is a great question! Not only will my game provide a great experience for its target demographic. Not only will it provide a good experience for the user, but it also is a device and tool that has the ability to help those who this application is intended for.
What is involved in game development other than coding and artwork, and how does this affect your development budget and schedule?
Some of the things other than artwork and coding that goes into game development, is community, business plans, and project management. Without a good business plan, deadlines might not be met, causing a project to go overbudget. This would not be good for developers, and more specifically stake-holders. It’s also good to have a community as this can motivate stake-holders, investors, and those that are working on the game. A good flow of project management can keep everyone on schedule and meeting deadlines either on time or potentially early. This also means
What do you need to do in order to convince an investor or publisher to fund your game?
Good documentation not only for the project, but business plan, a functional prototype, and solid information are just a few things needed to give a good presentation to be persuasive enough to convince an investor or publisher to provide additional funds for my product. One of the most important things I need though to convince investors and publishers is not to be so hard on myself, and just be confident.
How do you think what you have learned in this class will affect the way you approach your capstone project?
At first, I was thinking of an all in one application to assist in the aid of treatments in adolescents with different developmental disabilities. This way I was going to create a website that would deal with selling the disabilities individually, but now I’m going to make individual applications for individual developmental disabilities. This way I no longer need to worry about websites or databases. The method of monetization is now a single paid application. As for community there were a few other avenues I had not thought of in previous months which I plan on pursuing after the project is at least in mid production.
