How to Balance Time, Resources, and Costs in Mobile Game Development?

Embarking on the ambitious journey of mobile game development is akin to setting sail on uncharted waters. The path is fraught with multifaceted challenges for any game development company or mobile game development services provider. The triumvirate of time, resources, and costs poses a perennial puzzle that demands strategic thinking and a nuanced understanding of […]

Embarking on the ambitious journey of mobile game development is akin to setting sail on uncharted waters. The path is fraught with multifaceted challenges for any game development company or mobile game development services provider.

The triumvirate of time, resources, and costs poses a perennial puzzle that demands strategic thinking and a nuanced understanding of the dynamic gaming landscape. In this comprehensive exploration, we delve into the art of striking a delicate balance, ensuring that your mobile game development stays afloat and sails smoothly from inception to a successful launch.

How to Start Mobile Game Development?

The initiation of mobile game development demands a strategic and deliberate approach. Choosing the right mobile game development company is paramount. Seek a team with a proven track record, expertise, and a knack for innovation. Whether you’re a seasoned game development company or a startup, collaborating with mobile game development services that align with your vision and objectives is crucial.

  • Setting Clear Goals and Prioritizing:

The cornerstone of successful game development lies in clarity. Define your goals meticulously. What is the essence of your game? What features are non-negotiable, and what can be iterated upon later? 

Prioritize these elements to avoid scope creep. Whether you’re collaborating with a mobile game development company or managing an in-house team, a clear roadmap ensures that everyone is on the same page, working towards a shared vision.

  • Creating a Realistic Timeline:

Time is both an ally and an adversary in game development. Setting realistic milestones is vital, accounting for potential hiccups and unforeseen challenges. Mobile game development services thrive on deadlines, but it’s crucial not to sacrifice quality for speed. 

A well-structured timeline enables efficient project management, identifying and mitigating issues before they become insurmountable obstacles.

  • Resource Management:

Effective resource management distinguishes thriving mobile game development companies from the rest. Assess your team’s strengths and allocate tasks accordingly. Leverage the expertise of your mobile game development services provider, optimizing skill sets for maximum efficiency. 

An agile and adaptable approach to resource management ensures that your mobile game development stays on course, even in the face of evolving challenges.

  • Regularly Review and Adjust:

Agility is key in the dynamic realm of game development. Regularly review progress, identify bottlenecks, and be prepared to pivot if necessary. Continuous assessment and adjustment of the development strategy ensure that your mobile game stays on course, aligning with the evolving expectations of your target audience. 

Regular retrospectives, whether conducted internally or with your chosen mobile game development company, foster a culture of continuous improvement.

  • Budget Wisely:

Financial prudence is the linchpin of sustainable mobile game development. Create a comprehensive budget, factoring in all conceivable costs. Collaborate closely with your chosen mobile game development company to ensure transparency and foresight in financial planning. A well-defined budget prevents financial surprises and allows for strategic allocation of resources, fostering a more efficient development process.

How Long Does It Take to Develop a Mobile Game?

The timeline for mobile game development varies based on the complexity and features of the game. An experienced mobile game development company may take several months, while simpler projects can be accomplished in a matter of weeks. Balancing speed and thoroughness is essential to deliver a polished product that meets the project’s goals and user expectations.

How to Make the Most of Resources in Mobile Development?

 

  • Identify Learning Styles:

Understanding the learning styles of your team and mobile game development services provider is integral to effective collaboration. Tailor training and communication methods to suit diverse learning preferences, enhancing the overall efficiency of the development process. A continuous learning and skill development culture ensures that your team and collaborators stay at the forefront of industry advancements.

  • Choose the Right Tools and Technologies:

The success of mobile game development hinges on leveraging the right tools and technologies. Collaborate closely with your mobile game development company to select platforms that align with your project’s goals. Stay abreast of technological advancements to maintain a competitive edge. Regularly evaluate and update your tech stack to ensure that it meets the evolving needs of your project.

  • Send and Receive Feedback:

Feedback is the lifeblood of progress in game development. Foster an open and constructive feedback culture within your team and with your chosen mobile game development services provider. Timely feedback loops enhance the iterative development process, resulting in an elevated final product. Create channels for open communication, where ideas can be freely shared, and improvements can be implemented throughout the development lifecycle.

  • Additional Resources:

In the ever-evolving landscape of game development, staying updated is non-negotiable. Invest in continuous learning for your team and collaborate with a mobile game development company that prioritizes skill enhancement. 

Tap into online resources, attend conferences, and foster a culture of innovation within your organization. Building a repository of additional resources, both internal and external, ensures that your team has the necessary tools and knowledge to overcome challenges and capitalize on opportunities.

In Conclusion:

Balancing time, resources, and costs in mobile game development is a nuanced dance that requires finesse and strategic insight. Whether you’re a game development company or availing mobile game development services, success lies in meticulous planning, adaptability, and strategic collaboration. 

Embrace the challenges as opportunities for growth, and remember, the journey is as significant as the destination. May your foray into mobile game development be a thrilling odyssey, marked by innovation, collaboration, and the creation of captivating gaming experiences that resonate with audiences worldwide.

The Secret Behind Building a Great Mobile Game

There were days when the game developers had to build a flawless game and launch it in the Play/App Store, and the rest was taken care of by the users. And a good ranking in the App/Play store was considered the success of the app. But in today’s competitive world, the players are unaware of […]

game development

There were days when the game developers had to build a flawless game and launch it in the Play/App Store, and the rest was taken care of by the users. And a good ranking in the App/Play store was considered the success of the app.

But in today’s competitive world, the players are unaware of about 80% of the games, while 20% of the games are unprofitable and are removed from the online medium.

What Makes a Great Mobile Game?

We have first understood the success strategy of a mobile game. You have to understand that the success of the game does not depend on the position it has in the Play/App Store. Likewise, short-term popularity does not indicate the success of the game, rather it is a trap. So, a mobile game is considered great or successful when it is able to engage the players in the long run and when it makes a profit. Also, the game developers put their heart and soul in developing a game, so the combined effort of the developers and the marketing professionals also is a factor that defines the success of the mobile game.

Building a Riveting Mobile Game

For a mobile game to be engaging and interesting, it should be designed in a certain pattern so that it has all the aspects incorporated in it.

Make a User-friendly Game

One of the main reasons behind a successful mobile gaming app is that it should be simple and easy to understand. The players should intuitively understand the mechanism of the game and get engaged with the gameplay within a few minutes they start playing the game. And as the players proceed with the game, it can have complex and challenging levels. But the initial stages should be intelligible and comprehensible.

Understand the targeted audience. Know what the users want and expect from a game. When there are thousands of games available online, why and what is the reason for a player to choose your game. When you are able to find out the answer to all these questions, you will definitely be able to build a mobile game that is simple and easy to use.

Appealing UX/UI of A Game

Remember never to compromise on the user experience and user interface of the game. Players first see the game and then learn about the interface, so these are the most significant and considerable elements in building a game.

Most of the unsuccessful games in the market lack good game design. And the controls should be easy and player-friendly so that the players can play the game without any interrupts. It is necessary for a game to be visually appealing to the users, and visual designing not only means the usage of proper fonts, icons, colors, or images, but the overall appearance of the game impacts the interaction of the players. A good chance to make the game app appealing to the players is by using the minimalistic or necessary amount of design. And while designing for mobile devices, you have to take care of how the game will be viewed in different environments and create a logical path and make it easy for the players.

Like visual design, sound also plays a significant role in game design. The sound adds value to the gameplay and helps the players to proceed with the game. The sound effect adds emotion to the game, therefore a perfect graphic design and sound effects are the most significant elements in game design.

Frequently Update the Game

Launching the game on the Play/App Store is not the end of the process, but the beginning. To make the game lively and get the player’s attention, constantly keep the game app updated with new elements and extensions.

To make the game innovative and fresh, you have to make few updations in the game at regular intervals, like adding content, levels, features, or characters. Apart from being fresh, it will also help in retaining the players to play the game again.

According to a recent study, it was found that nearly 50% of the game apps are deleted by the downloaders within 45 seconds of being downloaded, so beware of it. An appealing game design helps you to get some time. You can take the examples of some of the popular mobile games as a reference and study the UX/UI implementation, from the basic arrangement of elements to the contact form and try to build a unique game of your own.

Make It Live Before It Is Too Late

Most of the game developers invest more time in perfecting the mobile game before launching it, the real-time scenario is different. As you ‘Time is Precious’, build your game prototype and show it to the outside world. When the game app is live, and when players play the game in a real case scenario, you can receive the actual feedback.

By launching the game soon in the market, the game gains a certain amount of user attention and you can also make plot alterations, add or remove features, increase levels of the game, and make regular updates based on the real-time demand.

Develop a unique game that is engaging and entertaining, while keeping all these points in mind. Be passionate about game development and the results will reflect your passion.

Future Monetization Trends that Revolutionize the Mobile Game Apps

Mobile gaming has come a long way and now it is one of the most profitable and popular gaming platforms. This has resulted in various transformation in the game’s monetization, therefore the mobile game developers have a range of options in monetization than ever before.  Those developers who traditionally rely on the in-app purchases have […]

Mobile games

Mobile gaming has come a long way and now it is one of the most profitable and popular gaming platforms. This has resulted in various transformation in the game’s monetization, therefore the mobile game developers have a range of options in monetization than ever before. 

Those developers who traditionally rely on the in-app purchases have moved on to the advertisements and the app bidders are seeing an increase in the revenue by reducing their dependency on waterfall optimization. These are some of the significant innovations that have taken place in game monetization. 

Diversifying Revenue Source Leads to Increased Results

The freemium monetization is the model preferred by most of the mobile game developers, which normally generates revenue via in-app purchases. But it has several challenges like it depends on a small amount of in-app purchases made by the user. According to research done by an app testing company, they have found that only 2.2% of the players send and the other 46% is generated by the spenders. Hence, most of the game developers are including advertisements to the revenue source along with the freemium model results in generating revenue from a number of players.

In an interview, a popular game app company has stated that the revenue generated by them are mostly from the advertisements. Therefore, they have offered the players on a freemium basis, so whenever the players watch a video ad, they are rewarded a coin with which they can either access any in-game contents or hints. 

Many game developers and mobile game companies assume that players are annoyed with ads. They assume that they have to either prioritize the user experience or monetize with ads. But in reality, all professional gamers and game enthusiasts are aware of the fact that the ads are an integral part of the mobile games. 

According to the Mobile Game report, when players are asked to decide between seeing ads or paying for the game to play, around 73% of the players are happy with the ad-funded mobile game model. Also, the game publishers and game developers feared that it would impact the in-app purchases in a negative way. However, those who have incorporated ads in their game app have seen greater improvement within game monetization. Most of the players who review the videos, tend to buy those products and they even spend on the micro-interactions within the game application. 

Ad Placements Pilot’s To Greater Retention And Value

The game developers and publishers have found out that testing with ads, like the flow and ad format integrated into the game depends on generating revenue. Identifying the nuances of placing the ads in help in game engagement, the participation of the players, and minimal churn without spoiling the player’s game experience.

The most productive and effective form of advertisements are the rewarded videos, presumably as it offers the players the option to gain reward for watching the advertisements within the game. Generally, the players enjoy receiving additional rewards or points in the game without paying or waiting for it, therefore both the advertisers and the game app receive the goodwill of the players. So, those game developers who are trying to reduce the need for in-app purchases can try the rewarded videos. This results in longer interactions, engaged audience, and greater CPMs. 

Offering native ads gives an integrated experience to the players, and it can be customized according to the game interface. The ad video or a unit-static display can be created by the developers and leverage the metadata from the advertisers of Facebook. As the native ads are designed to resemble the game, they are more likely to get 3X higher user retention.  

Flow Types Are Responsible for User Experience

It is important to study the mindset of the players when they see an ad on their screen while playing the game. This understanding helps the developers a lot in providing a good game experience. 

The players pay attention to the advertisements when they are not focusing on the crucial aspect of the game, therefore the best time to integrate an ad is while the players are locating the notification tab or any other simple activity that does not distract their game experience. Placement of ads in this format are user-initiated, i.e it helps is driving more conversions. 

Same way, placing an advertisement after completing a particular task can more likely gain user attention. For example, an ad engagement appearing after the player completes a level. 

Bidding Improves the ROI For The Game Publishers

One of the outdated ways to connect the ad sellers and buyers is the Waterfall mediation and many game companies are practicing app bidding and are testing the impact of the revenue against the Waterfall system. 

What is Waterfall Mediation?

It is a technology that involves different advertisement networks in a daisy chain and helps the publishers to make more money for every impression. The ad networks are ranked by the publishers based on the historical average price. After a particular period of time, the rankings can be changed after based on the historical performance either automatically or manually. The waterfall can work, but it has many disadvantages, like the inability to know the inventory’s true value, expensive maintenance, complicated setup, and lack of revenue generation. 

Creating Opportunities for Advertisers and Publishers

Bidding helps the publishers to organize an open and impartial auction over their advertisement inventory, thereby offering each ad an opportunity during increasing demand. Therefore most of the publishers have realized that bidding is the future. Also, accessing the bid in the real-time helps the publishers to exclude the historical mediation stack, prioritize the winning bids based on the data. 

The publishers can also access Facebook’s network of advertisers to increase revenue by offering ads in real-time across through mobile apps, web, etc. And be focusing on user experience, the publishers can take advantage of the integrated ad experience and flexible formats that result in increase life-time value.