There is not one factor that would can make a game popular, simply put it is almost everything about a game that can affect its success. But by looking at some popular games and breaking down what made these such a success can help me to have a better idea of how to market, display and price my game concept.
- Roblox
Roblox is not a particularly complex game on a surface level, infact Roblox itself is not just one game but a collection; so why is it so popular? Roblox is a free to play multiplayer game aimed at kids – yet its player demographic is much more then just that. Roblox is widely played by a variety of different age ranges, it is visually simple. They generate revenue through in game transactions and advertisement.
I personally believe the reason Roblox is so popular is because of its price point, it is a platform for people to play games with other for no charge. Price point is very important for a game, games in different genres are typically priced differently but those with a lower price mark are more accessible to more people and therefore gain more traction. Although Roblox does not at all fit in with the demographic of game i want to create it’s price point and how that plays into its success is interesting to consider.
- Life Is Strange
Life is strange is a supernatural narrative based game and one of the most popular games within this genre. The game has great stylistic visuals that play alongside the story very well, having good consistent visuals is vital to the player experience and is something that needs to be planned properly in accordance to the target market. Other then the visuals this game has an engaging narrative, giving the player options in certain scenarios . giving a player options when it comes to the narrative even in simple dialogue can greatly increase the immersion it is a way for the player to connect personally with the characters and their environment. This is something that you see in many popular games, this is because it is effective and a good component to include especially with narrative based experiences.
Unlike Roblox the life is strange game is not free, but players can play the first episode without any charge. Doing this works really well for getting people involved in the game, getting someone invested and intrigued is a great way for the game to garner popularity. The game is also reasonably priced if the player wanted to have the full experience at fifteen pounds.
- Until Dawn
Until dawn is one of the most iconic narrative games, released in 2015 it quickly became an exceedingly popular game. The environmental design mixed with the realistic style really empathise the horror aspects and create a much more tense environment for the player. Similarly to life is strange until dawn features a choice based mechanic, although Until dawns mechanic for this is much more impactful on the outcome of the game. As mentioned, having players make choices and determine the outcome for themselves can be a very marketable and positively received aspect. It helps with engagement, it gives the player a goal but it also gives them freedom.
The game initially released on PlayStation, consoles are a much more affordable and accessible option for many people. Having a game be available on console from release offers it up to a whole new demographic and array of players.
So what are the key factors to a games success?
- Visuals
- Accessibility
- Marketing
- player experience
Almost every factor of a game can affect how it is received, this is why it is important to consider the target demographic and garner the overall experience to them. Including the art, price point, platforms and genre as all effect the players overall game experience.