The horror genre is most appealing to people aged 18-35. “35.2% of self-identified women are horror fans, 39.7% of self-identified men are horror fans and 30.4% self-identified non-binary people are horror fans.” Williams, J. (2023). The game would be most often bought by middle-income fans of thrillers or horror/survival games. North America, Europe and Asia are regions with strong gaming and horror fanbases.
My target audience for the game would have majority of the characteristics stated above, so young adults who enjoy psychological horror experiences with preference for immersive, story-driven ones, and more often located in Europe or North America.
My game positions itself in a middle-tier pricing shelf. It is going to be sold through platforms such as Steam and PlayStation. Its distinctive features will be presented to the customers through intensive promotion (10% of income from sales will be invested in marketing) and through building a community even before the game is released. Promotional events that will be held before the game is launched will highlight the game’s values, attracting the target audience.
Making my game will require a lot of time and resources, mainly in the form of a developer team which will need to be paid their salaries. £19.99 is an optimal price to cover all the earnings and bring extra income. It is also affordable for broad audiences. Selling the game through Steam allows to set different prices based on the economic conditions of different regions, meaning the price can be lower in markets with lower purchasing power and higher in regions where players are willing to pay more. Using Steam’s seasonal sales to offer discounts and offering launch discounts can also boost visibility and increase sales.
I would like to create teasers and trailers on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. Another idea is to partner up with influencers on platforms such as Twitch or YouTube, so that they would stream the gameplay. Launching a social media hashtag campaign to encourage the players to share gameplay moments could also be a good way of increasing the game’s popularity. Lastly, I could create a Discord server for the game’s community and run promotions around for example Halloween, with limited-time discounts or exclusive in-game content.
Any promotional events where (potential) players could gather, could be held in an appropriately decorated venue. Merchandise, such as figurines, plushies or posters, would all be kept in the game’s theme and would be sold online. The website would be kept in a chilling tone with bleak colours, matching the game’s atmosphere.
Williams, J. (2023). Computer Horror-Game Demographics: 57 Stats [2023]. Techpenny. Available at: https://techpenny.com/horror-game-demographics/ [Accessed 20 Nov. 2024].