The video game industry is steadily becoming more and more saturated with games of all shapes and sizes. While this is definitely a good thing, since it means there’s something for everyone, it also raises the stakes for developers marketing their game to the public. The gaming industry has grown and evolved, so game marketing needs to as well. For that reason, this blog will explain why game marketing is so important for developers to take seriously, as well as how they can get the most out of it for their game!

Why is Marketing so Important in the Gaming Industry?

Put simply, game marketing is important because video games are expensive to make. Whether it’s a large game with hundreds of developers working on it, or a small indie game with a team of only a few developers, marketing is essential if the developer wants to make a return on their investment. 

In fact, it’s not only the developers of the game who need to make a return on their investments, but the publishers and shareholders as well. Their success is tied directly to the success of the game, which is largely tied to the quality of game marketing used. The last thing a developer wants is for their publisher or shareholders to lose faith in them, as this can lead to extensive layoffs, or even entire studio closures, if the game performs poorly after being released.

Therefore, with so many people invested in the success of a game that, in many cases, may have been in development for several years, it is important that the finished game gets marketed in a way that will attract a large enough audience to make up for the game’s development costs. 

Why Digital Marketing is the Best Choice

Without a doubt, the most effective method of video game marketing is digital marketing. After all, people spend a lot of time on their phones or computers, and as a result, are much more likely to see digital ads than ads on television or in a print format. 

Whether developers focus on creating a slick trailer to play before YouTube videos, or having eye-catching ads for people to see on social media sites, digital game marketing is the best way to have people see their game. From there, developers can redirect the viewers of the ad to a social media page or website with more information about the game.

In fact, digital game marketing should always redirect people to the game’s website in some way. The reason being, if people are interested in what they see in the ads and the website itself, they may be inclined to make a pre-order then and there. Barring the possibility that people cancel their pre-orders at a later date, this basically guarantees a sale of the game, which can help ease the worries of publishers and shareholders who rely on the game’s success for their own success. 

Therefore, when it comes to game marketing, the best option is any form of digital marketing that gets people’s attention and leads them to the game’s website or store page. This will not always be easy, however, which is why it is important for developers to know their game’s intended audience and form their game marketing campaign in such a way that guarantees people become interested in the game. 

In Conclusion, What to Avoid with Game Marketing

While it may seem like digital game marketing is a sure bet for developers to get people interested in their game, that is not always the case. We have all seen countless examples of digital game marketing that completely misses the mark and comes off as cringey rather than engrossing. To avoid this sort of cringey game marketing, developers should focus on knowing their audience and truly believing in their game. 

After all, if the developers truly believe in their game and have a tight grasp on what their audience wants, their game marketing will follow suit. On the other end, though, if the developer doesn’t really know who they should market their game to, or if they think their game is something that it’s not, then there is a high probability that they will market the game poorly, potentially resulting in the cringey game marketing we see too often these days. 

In summary, if developers want to make a return on the investments put into their game, they should focus on digital game marketing that appeals to their audience, conveys the game’s best qualities, and ultimately makes people interested in buying the game.