Mobile game launch strategy How to soft launch your first mobile game? How to do a hard launch? What are the key steps to success? How to get people to actually play your game? Marketing cho ứng dụng và game mobile trước ngày ra mắt Không riêng gì ngành game mà hầu hết các lĩnh vực khác đều chia kế hoạch Marketing thành nhiều giai đoạn để có chiến lược phù hợp nhằm thu hút tối đa sự quan tâm của người dùng. Trong đó khoảng thời gian trước ngày ra mắt rất quan trọng, nhiều đơn vị thường tập trung tối đa nguồn lực vào giai đoạn này. Chúng ta sẽ cùng tìm hiểu một số kênh hiệu quả để thực hiện tiếp thị.
HOW TO LAUNCH A MOBILE GAME Steps to launch a new mobile game! Let’s start with overview of preparation Table of contents ▸ Requesting game package from dev ▸ Legal document preparation ▸ Setup launching schedule ▸ Work in process Pre-Launch Phase ▸ Setup Test server ▸ Setup Live server ▸ Store setting ▸ Platform integration ▸ Testing and QA Game Setting Phase ▸ Support tool testing and QA ▸ Store submission ▸ Soft launch Launching Phase ▸ Hard launch ▸ Feature App ▸ Requesting game package ▸ Legal document preparation ▸ Setup launching schedule ▸ Work in process ▸ Setup Test server ▸ Setup Live server ▸ Store setting ▸ Platform integration ▸ Testing and QA ▸ Support tool testing and QA ▸ Store submission ▸ Soft launch ▸ Hard launch ▸ Feature App Mobile Game Launching Timeline Month1 2wk 2wk 3wk Month2 Month3 Month4 mth 5wk 2mth 1month 6wk 2mth 2wk 1mth Prelaunch Phase Game Setting Phase 1wk >> 2wk Launching Phase Pre-Launch Phase Start working with game preparation! Pre-Launch Phase Requesting game package from dev Localization files Graphic and video materials Game setting documents Price setting documents Test & Live server specification Backup process GM Tool Pre-Launch Phase Localization files These are main content of game, interface, item description, system message, in game event, quest, website, and etc that will need to translate in to local languages Most of developers will provide them as a table of Excel file for translation However in some dev will provide as a program in rare case Localization will need to translate into (TH, EN, VN, CN, ID) Pre-Launch Phase Graphic resource and video materials Graphic resource and video material are require for creating MKT promotion such as banner, trailer, pre-register website, launching page, standee, poster, brochure, etc To prepare promotion, MKT team will need to create these media in advance because process will take time, especially for website and video trailer So we will need to request it from dev from beginning Graphic better request in psd file Pre-Launch Phase Need to setup FTP for dev to send resource for us 10 Pre-Launch Phase Game setting documents To understand about game system, we will need to request for game setting information from dev It should contain description about game play cycle, features, classes, items, basic stat calculation, item shop, VIP bonus, and more This will help us to progress with QA test and also to prepare a game guide for players 84 GM Tool Testing GM Tool is a tool needs for operate service after we’ve launched Each tool will has different ability to handle or manage the game depend on developer’s design Pre-Launch Phase Standard features of GM tool are… Check game stat (CCU, DAU, Retention) Check player’s information (Character, LV, Item, Login/Out) Check progress history (Quest, transaction, item receive) Add/ Edit Item, character Set account access level After we receive GM Tool from dev we will need to test all features to make sure that it works correctly before game launch 85 Item code preparation When we launch game, we will need to many promote campaigns These will require to have in game items to support as efficient reward for players Game system usually able to create reward as an item code to use and get reward Game Setting Phase Here are sample item code request form 86 Launching Phase Store submission iOS & Android submission Appstore and Playstore review Reject situation Pass iOS and Android review 87 Playstore submission After all preparations are ready It is step to send our game build for review and launch it on store Launching Phase For Playstore, process is easy with just promote your Alpha/Beta APK to production and release it After that it will appear on store within hour 88 Appstore submission For Playstore, we need to make sure that store listing and IAP are ready for review Then can select “Send for review” from App management page Launching Phase After that will need to check some questions about your submission Apple will review the app within 10 days 89 Reject situation For Playstore, if the app has problem and cannot publish we can re-upload new update version to store and publish again within hour Launching Phase While in Appstore, if the app was rejected We need wait more 10 days for review So submission process on Appstore must neat and carefully check all requirement before submit Here are some checklist for submission App must upload and make sure Apple reviewer will able to login to test and review the game Store listing must fill all requirements Description cannot contain any URL that redirect user to other store Event banners in App should not contain any Android logo 90 Pass review and Ready for Release After passed reviewing, we can set the App to Auto Release or Release it manually It is better to set as manual to match with our launching date Launching Phase For manual to release the app, Android will able to see on Playstore within 30 mins while iOS will appear on Appstore within 1-2 hours So we better plan to release it earlier when regular MA start 91 Launching Phase Soft Launch and Hard Launch What to during Soft launch? What to in Hard Launch? 92 What to during Soft Launch? Soft Launch is period that we launch the game and test service until it become stable before start promotion Launching Phase So during our Soft Launch we should… Collecting feedback from customers about bugs, problem, and other suggestion then send to developer Retain/ recruit user with Soft Launch event and in-house promote Monitoring for growth of user and optimize it together with dev In case game has any serious bugs or problem, we might consider to close service after Soft Launch period has ended and fix them first before Hard Launch 93 Launching Phase What to during Hard Launch? After game service is stable , Hard Launch is when we going to start to push promote for the game So most works will be handle by MKT team while project team should provide these below support Roadmap, update plan for the game In game item support for promote campagin Fixing and keep continue improve app stability Prepare for big group of new comers from promote event 94 Launching Phase Feature App Sending app to Google review for Feature Feature app on Appstore? 95 Sending app to Google review for Feature Feature app is a good chance to get more user for the game by have our game appear on first page of Google Playstore To this we need to send our app to Google for quality review Launching Phase Step1 Check App Quality http://developer.android.com/distribute/essentials/quality/core.html Step Send game info to Google (Robin) Game Package, Dev contact, period to feature Step Google Biz team review Google Editorial review Step Become feature app! 96 Become Feature App on Appstore? The only way to become feature app on Appstore is to use relation with Apple Launching Phase Some developer or publisher who have relation with them can contact to have their app become feature However at this time if we keep having our great service performance on Appstore It may be possible to contact them in the future 97 End of session Learning by doing Everyone can it just start your first time 98 THANKS! Any questions? You can find me at ▸ Email ponglikhit@asiasoft.co.th ▸ Skype live:beamz.rk ... to game setting document, we also need to prepare a price setting of IAP(In App Purchase) in order to setup into mobile dev console The price also need to discuss together with account team to. .. process to translate original files will need to consider how much works we need to If there are to many words we will need to send it for outsource translation to meet our deadline Step to work... Phase Prepare launching page website From our last direction to launch mobile games We will need to have a single cooperate launching page for the game This launching page will need to detect ip