What devs should do before launching Steam page avoid missing out on potential wishlists
The timing of launching a Steam page is still a subject of eternal debate among game developers, especially indie creators. Game marketing expert Chris Zukowski has shared some valuable tips and tried to explain why there is no time for procrastination.
Zukowski touched on this topic in a new post on his How To Market A Game blog. The point is that developers should launch a Steam page as soon as possible, ideally the moment they decide to share anything related to their game.
The main reason is that a game might go viral at any time. If it doesn’t have a Steam page when it starts gaining traction on social media, Reddit, or other platforms like itch.io, a developer risks missing out on thousands of potential wishlists.
Some devs believe that older wishlists convert worse than those generated in the final months leading up to launch. It appears that these concerns are largely unfounded. “In many many case studies I have shown that wishlists really don’t age. They aren’t bread,” Zukowski said, adding that the “only thing that might cause early wishlists to not convert is if the game changes drastically genres or style changes like from wholesome to violent.”
Here’s another post from Zukowski on why wishlists don’t get old.
5 rules that developers should pay attention to before launching a Steam page
- Pick one genre and stick to it — while it may sound obvious, Zukowski recalled how he worked with developers who started making a souls-like game, but then decided to turn it into a “choices-matter-narrative-adventure game that emphasized story and not combat”;
- Decide on the art style before launching a Steam page — customers should understand the design and aesthetics of the game has by looking at its first screenshots;
- Create enough content to show at least three unique environments — according to Zukowski, Steam users “want to make sure your game isn’t one of those cheap one-asset-pack asset-flips”;
- A capsule image should be made by a professional artist — this thumbnail is the showcase for your game, so spending money on high-quality, eye-catching art before investing in ads and other marketing activities is a must;
- A trailer should show in-game footage — showing real gameplay, not CGI or stylized cut scenes, from the first seconds of the video is the main rule (here is a great guide to game trailers from Derek Lieu).
“Announcing your game and putting up a Steam page is like having a kid,” Zukowski concluded. “You don’t think you will ever be ready, and there is always some reason not to. But, once you do, it is stressful, sure, but you are glad you did it, and you’ll find out it really isn’t that hard.”
More details and relevant data can be found in the full blog post.