Mobile gaming has become one of the fastest-growing industries in recent years, with millions of people worldwide spending hours on their smartphones and tablets, playing games of various genres. For game studios, this presents a tremendous opportunity to tap into a vast market and create games that capture the interest of gamers and generate revenue. However, coming up with a mobile game concept that is both innovative and marketable can be challenging. In this article, we will explore the different ways of finding and testing mobile game concepts to build as a game studio.
Conduct Market Research
Market research is an essential step in finding and testing mobile game concepts. It involves collecting and analyzing data to understand consumer behavior, preferences, and trends in the mobile gaming industry. Game studios can conduct market research through various methods, including surveys, interviews, focus groups, and social media analysis.
Surveys are an effective way to gather data from a large sample of people. Game studios can use online survey tools to create and distribute surveys to a targeted audience, such as gamers who have recently downloaded a particular game. The survey questions can help the studio understand the preferences of the gamers, including their favorite game genres, the features they enjoy, and the challenges they encounter while playing.
Interviews and focus groups are also useful in collecting qualitative data from potential gamers. Game studios can recruit participants who match the target audience for their game and ask them questions about their gaming habits, preferences, and opinions. This information can help the studio identify gaps in the market and potential game concepts that meet the needs of the target audience.
Lastly, social media analysis involves monitoring social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to understand what gamers are talking about, the games they are playing, and the features they enjoy. This method can provide valuable insights into the latest trends in the mobile gaming industry.
Look for Inspiration in Popular Games
Another way to find mobile game concepts is to look for inspiration in popular games. Game studios can analyze the features and gameplay mechanics of successful games and incorporate them into their own game concept. For example, the popular game Candy Crush has a simple gameplay mechanic where players match three or more candies of the same color to progress through levels. Game studios can take inspiration from this and create a similar game concept but with a different theme, such as matching fruits or animals.
It is essential to note that while taking inspiration from successful games can be a great starting point, studios should aim to add their unique twist to the game concept to make it stand out in the crowded mobile gaming market.
Brainstorm Ideas
Brainstorming is an excellent way for game studios to generate new game concepts. It involves bringing together a team of designers, developers, and other stakeholders to come up with innovative ideas for a mobile game. During the brainstorming process, team members can bounce ideas off each other, build on each other's ideas, and ultimately arrive at a game concept that is unique and marketable.
Game studios can conduct brainstorming sessions in various ways, including in-person meetings, virtual meetings, and online collaboration tools. To make the most out of the brainstorming process, it is essential to set clear goals and objectives for the game concept, such as the target audience, game mechanics, and monetization strategy.
Use Prototyping Tools
Prototyping is the process of creating a preliminary version of a game concept to test its feasibility and appeal to gamers. Prototyping tools can help game studios quickly build and test game concepts without investing a lot of time and resources. Some popular prototyping tools for mobile games include Construct 2, Unity, and GameSalad.
Using a prototyping tool, game studios can create a basic version of their game concept and test it with a small group of gamers. The feedback from the gamers can help the studio refine the
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