Unlocking the Full Potential of Publisher Partnerships 

Tips for Indie Game Developers and Small Game Studios

Mazze Whiteley
Mazze Whiteley • July 21st 2023

As a signed developer, working with a publisher can be a valuable experience that can take your game to new heights. However, it's important to make the most out of this partnership in order to fully realize the benefits that a publisher can offer. In the blog post, we are going to share a few tips to ensure that you're getting the most out of your experience with a publisher.

Hire a Producer for your team

  • A producer can manage publisher relationships and delegate responsibilities.
  • They can assist with QA, legal issues, marketing, and asset creation.

A publisher will have a lot of demands and requests, and it's important to have someone on your team who can manage these relationships and delegate responsibilities. A Producer can help with everything from QA and legal issues to marketing and asset creation.

Lauren Hunter is a Producer at Square Enix Collective.

Lauren Hunter is a Producer at Square Enix Collective.

Factor in extra costs and time for publisher-related tasks

  • Publishers may request demos, marketing materials, and porting, which add extra expenses and time.
  • Plan ahead and allocate sufficient resources to meet the publisher's needs.

Publishers will often ask for things like demos, marketing materials, and porting, which can add extra costs and time to the development of your game. Make sure to factor these in when creating your production plan, and give yourself enough time and resources to deliver what your publisher needs.

Know the platforms

  • Familiarity with porting minimizes delays and ensures a smooth game launch.

If your publisher is helping you with porting your game to new platforms, it's important to have a good understanding of the process. Knowing the ins and outs of porting to different platforms can help you avoid hold-ups and surprises, and ensure that your game launches smoothly.

Post-launch success

As a game developer, you're probably well-versed in the many challenges that come with creating and launching a new title. But what happens after launch? Here are a few ways a publisher can help ensure the continued success of your game.

Data insights

  • Publishers provide valuable data insights about player interactions with your game.
  • Use this data to inform your post-launch strategy and create content that resonates with the audience.

One of the key ways a publisher can help is by sharing data and insights about your game. Publishers have access to a wealth of information about how players are interacting with your game, and this can be incredibly valuable in helping you to focus your efforts on creating content that resonates with your audience. By working closely with your publisher, you can gain a deeper understanding of what's working and what's not, and use this knowledge to inform your post-launch strategy.

Publishers have access to a wealth of information about how players are interacting with your game

Marketing and promotions

  • Work with the publisher on marketing and promotions to maintain game visibility after launch.
  • Collaborate on patches, DLCs, expansions, and updates to create spikes in interest.

Another important way that publishers can help is by working with you to create and execute promotions that will help keep your game in the spotlight. While it's natural for sales of a new game to tail off after launch, a publisher can help you to create mini-spikes in interest by working with you on patches, DLCs, expansions, and other types of content-driven updates.

Community-led events

  • Engage in community-led events and promotions facilitated by the publisher.
  • Participate in cross-publisher bundle events and explore other promotional opportunities.

Additionally, publishers can help you with community-led events and other types of promotions that will keep your game in the public eye. For example, Curve Games hosted a promotion called East Meets West. It's a cross-publisher bundle event featuring 150 different publishers and developers, and it's a great way to get the industry to come together and promote each other's titles. As a developer, you can talk to your publisher about participating in this type of event or ask them about other promotional opportunities that might be a good fit for your game.

"Spellbook Demonslayers" was one of many games featured in Curve Games' East Meets West Community-led Event

"Spellbook Demonslayers" was one of many games featured in Curve Games' East Meets West Community-led Event

The key to making the most of your relationship with a publisher is to be curious and ask questions. Don't be afraid to approach your publisher with ideas or to ask for their advice. By working together and leveraging their resources, you can help ensure the continued success of your game long after launch.

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