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How To Launch Your Game In The US Market?

Writer's picture: Rakshitha GovindarajuRakshitha Govindaraju

Aerial view of the golden gate bridge

The US is a country of many opportunities for any game developer worldwide. Some of the most popular games that made it big like Call Of Duty, Fortnite and League of Legends were developed in the US. Its reputation as a global hub for developing businesses makes this the perfect place for any developer to set up a base and build a successful business.


The American game market is thriving and everyone wants a piece of it. As per American Gaming Association America’s game market made $60.4 billion dollars in revenue in 2022, making it the second highest-earning country after China. 70% of the country’s population are active gamers.


The most popular market in the world obviously comes with its own set of drawbacks. The biggest problem with the US is the fact that it is an oversaturated market. There is a sea of great ideas and when we tell you there is one of every kind, we speak the truth.


Key take-aways

  1. The US boasts of being the place of multiple opportunities for game developers. It has a history of successful game titles that made it big.

  2. America’s game market made $60.4 billion dollars in revenue in 2022. 70% of Americans are active gamers.

  3. Being the most popular game market, the US brings along the disadvantages of an overly saturated market.

  4. The US is the largest economy in the world, and a significant number of people are able to afford games, hardware and accessories comfortably.

  5. America also has the most diverse population in the world, so there is a huge possibility that your idea resonates with some part of the population- increasing your chances of being accepted in the game market.

  6. The North American gaming market has also projected to make $80.9 billion in revenue by 2025. The market shows potential and is worth betting your money on.

  7. Since there are so many game developers and tech entrepreneurs trying to penetrate the market, it is difficult for you to stand out without a good business strategy.

  8. To crack the code and make it big in the market, first, you need to learn about what the American gamers like. Pick a genre that can appeal to a wider set of audiences.

  9. Reach out to gaming influencers and advertise to their followers. Create Video content to help advertise on social media platforms.

  10. Cross-promote your games on other game platforms. Use people’s reviews to improve the experience.

  11. Find a marketing team that can help you play by the rules and still stand out to build a sustainable and successful gaming business model.


Why choose the US game market?

America is the world’s largest economy that has time and again proven to the world that its people have the luxury of affording a gaming lifestyle like none other. According to Statista 53% of all of America’s population had a gaming console at home out of which 26% claimed to have next-gen console models like the Sony Playstation 5 or Microsoft Xbox.


The North American gaming market has projected to make $80.9 billion in revenue by 2025. With its keen set of audience, a raging market and an international set of business personalities, this is the perfect game market for any developers to dive in and flourish.


Three colleagues playing VR game on playstation 5

Challenges in the US market

The US game market has shown so much potential, that most aspiring creators and entrepreneurs have used this as a base for their pursuits- now that makes it so much harder for a new entrant to stand out. The market is oversaturated and just a good idea is not enough for a developer to build a successful business.


Not having a proper business structure can be a sure-shot recipe for disaster in the American market. In fact, 50% of games sometimes get killed before completion due to changes in the market, delays in development, an unexpected release of a similar product by a competitor, and so on a so forth. Do not forget about the number of third-party game developers creating disruptive trends that can sabotage all your efforts in bringing forth a new game in the market.


Despite what seems like a path full of obstacles, the US market can do wonders if you tread carefully. Here are some ways to ensure you do it and do it right.


How to establish your game in the USA


Two playstation 4 controllers in front of a TV playing a football game

To be a successful game in the market, here are a few things you will need to check off the list:


  1. Learn about the US market-America is home to the most diverse population in the entire world- creating the perfect audience base for developers to appeal to. One thing that is common among all of them is their willingness to try new things, simply based on the fact that they’ve already dared, by moving to a different country and adapting to an entirely new culture. Americans themselves have a culture influenced by nationalities across the globe and have also led the way in embracing modernization and new lifestyle choices.

  2. Reach out to gaming influencers- Most people, especially Gen Z look up to influencers to learn about everything new in the lifestyle market. Similarly, Gaming influencers like to play games and stream them online for views. Find someone to play yours and watch yourself get advertised to all of their followers!

  3. Video content- Use bits and pieces of your game’s video to give people a glimpse of your game. Videos can be uploaded on all major platforms - Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and Twitter. If you can come up with a fun intro, then your marketing team could help make this go viral.

  4. Cross Promote games- Promote your games with other games! You can get slots for paid ads (which in the future, also becomes a way for you to make an income) in other popular games and people will be notified about the new game launch.

  5. Prototype, Review, Improvise- Prototype early on in the journey because the idea can feel a lot less exciting as you execute it. So upon prototyping, game developers can assess reviews, and improvise on the user experience.

  6. Have a long-term vision- Create a game that has a concept that can be expanded so you can launch a franchise in the future. This could sound like a business-minded opinion, but this is part of ensuring your game has the potential to be a success.

Find a marketing team - This is what could be your ‘Make or break’ decision. A good marketing team will help you evaluate publishers, and analyse market trends to decide what works and what does not. All the suggestions you see above can be handled well with the help of professionals. You will need a good strategy to penetrate the market and ensure it is happening at the right time.

They can also help you avoid all the blunders that could get the game killed before publishing. Since the marketing team knows how to get things done, they could help you build a good team and define the vision for the team as well. They will help you veer away from all the cliches of a saturated market and make sure you do what it takes to stand out.


Conclusion

In a country like the US where two of the biggest challenges are building a sustainable business model and creating marketing strategies to establish yourself as a market leader, the solution is to turn to experts who can build an efficient business plan for you. So if you are ready with your ideas, let's get in touch with some professionals, shall we?

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