The mobile gaming industry is at a boom! The phones are now more powerful than ever, and therefore we can play high-graphic games like PUBG, Call of Duty, Asphalt 9, on our Smartphones.
Gaming has become a primary activity on mobile phones, as it is found in a study that a person downloads and installs a game within seven days of purchasing their Smartphones. Well, there are so many amazing mobile games out there, why won't they download them?
This surge of mobile games has inspired many to develop their own mobile game. Actually, this is a digital age, and developing a digital product is quite a good idea. Still, before developing the product, one has to come up with a solid plan to ensure that their product will perform well in the market.
For this, a person must know the Do's and Don't of the respective market. So if you want to develop a mobile game, here is a list of 12 Do's and Don't of successful mobile game development:
Top 12 Do's and Don't of Successful Mobile Game Development
Do: Come up with a new and unique idea
Why do you think games like PUBG and Pokemon Go were an instant hit and what's the reason behind their success?
The simple answer is that they brought something new and unique to the mobile games market. They were launched in a time where people were busy developing games like Candy Crush and Subway Surfer, as they were the mobile gaming Tycoon at that time. But as a gamer, would you like to play all the games that are the same, or you will want some variety in the games that you play.
They launched something new and unique, and we all know the results.
Do: Study the interest of the gamers and keep them engaged
If you want to release an instant hit, then you should supply what the gamers actually demand.
You have to study various games, what gamers want, what they like, what some hits games lack, and much more. Run a thorough study of what gamers want, expect, and need, after this only, you will be able to launch a hit game.
For example, Teen Patti was a hit game as it entered the market, as at that time, other games were lacking the feature of playing with real players. But it was soon abundant by the players as it had limited functionality and it failed to keep gamers engaged. On the other hand, PUBG knows that people will get bored if they have to play the same thing again and again and therefore, it keeps adding new maps and makes the game interesting by running seasons.
Do: Analyze the concept of your game
Once you have finalized the concept of your game, you have to analyze the same if it is working as you planned or not. You do not have to analyze it just once or twice, but you have to keep analyzing till you are 100% satisfied with the results.
If the game has technical errors, some issues, or is performing at a slow speed, you have to look deep into the issues and solve them. You do not want to launch an incomplete product in the market, and therefore analyze it until it is perfect.
Do: Brainstorming
If you have found a unique idea, make sure that it is interesting, as not everything unique is interesting.
Well there is a magic number out there, and that is - number 1089, this is indeed unique, but are you interested in it? Likewise, you should also see if your idea is interesting or not, as gaming is all about fun.
Let's say you get an idea of developing a game based on super-cop, but what will be the story, what will the super cop do, who will be the other characters of the game? Brainstorm by writing all the ideas and create the perfect story and scenarios for your game.
Do: Market your game
You can develop the coolest game out there, but if people don't know about your game, they cannot play it.
The success of your game depends on your marketing strategy. You cannot do everything alone. If you are not able to get the desired results, you should understand that you are doing something wrong and therefore, the best way to deal with this is to hire a marketing team.
They will be able to market your game to the right audience, and thus, your game will get the attention that it deserves.
Do: Communicate and Socialize
Mobile games are not just for gaming nerds, and a game is not limited to playing the game only. Users want the youtube channel of the game to see the gameplay, they need forums, they need chatrooms of the game, and it is your duty to vocalize your game and make it available in all the forms mentioned above.
It would help if you also went to conferences, discuss your game with others. Note that the game is not limited to the gameplay, but it is much more than that.
Don't: Avoid unnecessary complexities
When you start a new game, you get instructions on how to play the game, right?
Sometimes these instructions seem to be unnecessary, and sometimes they seem to be not enough to understand the functionality of the game. However, adding them is always a good idea, or else people may not get how to play your game.
A recent entry in the complex games is "Among Us". It takes some time to understand this game, but the game is so popular that people invest their time in learning the game. However, there was a game "Hello Neighbor Hide & Seek" which was so complex to understand, that even crossing the first stage was not possible. And the end result was that users deleted the game.
Therefore avoid complexities, and if the game is complex, make sure that you add walk throughs to make the users understand the game.
Don't: Avoid too much content
Users will use different devices to play your game. Some will have a device with high RAM and storage capacity, and some will have low RAM and storage.
You want to reach all the possible gamers, and therefore you have to keep both the extremes in mind. If you add irrelevant content in your game, the game's size will increase and therefore it will take more space and will use more RAM, and therefore you have to keep the content to the bare minimum.
Don't: Copy anyone's idea or concept
This is the difference between developing a game that works well vs a game that works excellent.
You will find so many copied versions of a hit game on app stores, but do you prefer playing the copy game or you stick with the original one. It may seem like a good idea at the beginning that you should simply copy a hit game, but a copied idea can never reach the heights of the hit game.
Example: PUBG and Call of Duty, Candy Crush and Farm Hero Saga, or Pet Rescue.
Uniqueness in your game is what makes you stand out from the competition. Moreover, if you copy an idea, be ready to get a lawsuit soon.
Don't: Avoid using everything that you have got
Frankly, people do say that we should use everything that we have got, but you cannot use all the ideas or all the scenarios that you think about during the brainstorming.
You want a perfect game, and a perfect game consists only of the must-needed assets. For example, you are asked to prepare a fruit salad, will you add everything that you have in your refrigerator? Will you add Ketchup or Pickles to it? Obviously no!
Likewise, avoid using assets that do not fit or do not add something to your game.
Don't: Neglect the UI
The game should be attractive. People will lose interest in your game as soon as they feel that it is not attractive.
For example, which game will you choose to play, Mortal Kombat 3 or Mortal Kombat X?
The UI and graphics of your gameplays a critical role in attracting users. Always word on the design and UI of your game.
Don't: Rush the release
Never rush the release of the game even if you are very close to the release date. A late-game is always better than a choppy one. The game has to go through some necessary testing, and avoiding them is the biggest rookie mistake that you can do.
Moreover, use this time to create hype for your game. Make people wait for your game so that their anticipation increases and in this way, they will love the game when you release them. Remember, release only the polished and the perfect product in the market.
Conclusion
Read your targeted audience and develop something that they want and need, and this is the key to developing a successful game. Just keep an eye on the Do's and Don't to avoid rookie mistakes and to get the perfect game on the first try.
This concludes the list of Top Do's and Don't. Follow the above mentioned Do's and Don't to develop a successful mobile game.