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Selling video games involves legal aspects, choosing a marketing and sales model, and long-term maintenance. Filing legal and tax documents, choosing a business model, and direct marketing are important. It’s difficult to sell to big developers, and good customer service is crucial. The game must be complete before showing it to potential buyers.
There are many aspects involved in selling video games and knowing what publishers or producers expect can be difficult, but it can also help sell the game. One of the most overlooked tasks – one that should be considered mandatory – when starting the process of selling video games is making sure that all legal aspects for the game are in place, including disclaimers, any trademarks or copyrights, and any business structure that need to be implemented. The second stage of selling video games is choosing a marketing and sales model, which can be anything from showcasing a game at a trade show to direct digital sales over the Internet. Finally, the last stage of selling video games in some cases is long-term maintenance of the game and customer service, areas that can help determine the success of subsequent games.
The first step in selling video games is to file all necessary legal and tax documents. While a single developer might be able to get away with being the sole owner, groups of programmers and artists might want to come together as a partnership or limited liability company (LLC) to ensure that all members working on the game have some legal protections. Other filings that may be required include trademarks for the company name if desired, and patents if there are particularly innovative or advanced segments of code that perform new activities not seen in other games. Depending on how the game is eventually sold, however, some of these items may be transferred to the acquiring company.
Determining which business model to use to sell the game can make all the difference. One tip about selling video games is to be prepared in advance for different marketing and sales situations. This means having the full version of the game available for distribution on a compact disc (CD) or secure online server, having assorted demo versions, and possibly having gameplay videos or advertising trailers. Keeping a variety of distributable media related to the game on hand can lead to a better chance of finding the buyer who will pick up the title and distribute it.
Another tip when selling video games is not to underestimate the power of direct marketing and sales. This can be through an existing digital download site that is happy to add a new game to its available inventory, or by finding a physical game store to place an advertising display. Even an independent sales page managed by the developer company can work, if it is well advertised. If allowed, multiple sales models can be pursued simultaneously, although larger companies usually require exclusive rights to purchased games.
If the ultimate goal is to sell the game to a development house or larger distributor, it’s important to realize that this can be quite difficult for those who aren’t already in the industry. Big developers and distributors frequent trade shows and other game-specific outlets to look for the next promising game, and they don’t always respond to – or even accept – independent submissions. Getting their attention might require a booth at a trade show or a flashy advertisement in a trade publication.
Finally, the best advice for an aspiring game developer or game development company is to remember that the job doesn’t end once a customer or larger company has bought the game; effectively following up after the sale is what separates professional companies from fly-by-night companies. This means listening to and responding to customer requests and problems. It could involve developing a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs), responding to player emails yourself, and in some cases releasing updates and patches to fix previously overlooked bugs in the game. Some development companies will actually include these specific terms for support in all signed contracts. Successful businesses understand that while selling a game to a customer might seem like the last step for developers, it’s just the first step for a gamer, and a good customer service experience will lead to repeat business in the future.
One last tip might seem simple, but it’s not always understood by new developers. Before selling video games, or even showing them to potential buyers, the game must be completely complete. This is vital, especially for new companies producing a game for the first time. Big game companies most likely won’t fund the development of a game from a relatively anonymous startup, and a company is even less likely to just buy an idea or concept; buyers will want to see a polished, finished product.
