Preparing Your Game for Launch: Platform Builds and Marketing
Once your game is polished and ready, the next crucial step is to prepare it for your target audience. This involves building your game for specific platforms and creating compelling marketing materials that will attract players.
Building Your Game for Target Platforms
Unity allows you to build your game for a wide range of platforms, from PC and mobile to consoles and web. The process involves selecting your target platform, configuring build settings, and then initiating the build process. Each platform has its own requirements and best practices for optimization and submission.
Platform-specific builds are essential for delivering your game to players.
Unity's Build Settings window is your central hub for selecting target platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, WebGL, etc.) and configuring platform-specific options like resolution, graphics APIs, and scripting backend.
When building for a platform, consider factors such as target hardware capabilities, input methods (keyboard/mouse, touch, gamepad), and platform-specific guidelines. For example, mobile builds often require careful optimization for performance and battery life, while console builds have strict submission processes and certification requirements. WebGL builds are ideal for browser-based distribution, offering broad accessibility.
Preparing Marketing Materials
Effective marketing is key to a successful game launch. This involves creating assets that showcase your game's unique selling points and appeal to your target audience. Strong marketing materials can significantly impact your game's visibility and sales.
Key Marketing Assets
Essential marketing materials include:
- Trailer: A short, engaging video that highlights gameplay, story, and key features.
- Screenshots: High-quality images that capture the essence of your game's visuals and gameplay.
- Game Description: A concise and compelling summary of your game, including its genre, core mechanics, and unique selling propositions.
- Press Kit: A collection of assets for media outlets, often including logos, screenshots, trailers, and developer information.
Your trailer is often the first impression players have of your game. Make it count!
Understanding Your Target Audience
To create effective marketing materials, it's vital to understand who your target audience is. What platforms do they use? What kind of games do they enjoy? What motivates them to purchase a game? Tailoring your message and visuals to resonate with your ideal player will yield the best results.
A trailer, screenshots, and a game description.
Distribution Channels
Once your game is built and your marketing materials are ready, you'll need to choose where to distribute your game. Popular platforms include Steam, Epic Games Store, itch.io, Google Play Store, and Apple App Store. Each platform has its own submission process, fees, and audience.
| Platform | Primary Audience | Submission Process |
|---|---|---|
| Steam | PC Gamers | Online submission, review process |
| itch.io | Indie Game Enthusiasts | Direct upload, flexible |
| Google Play Store | Android Users | Developer Console submission, review |
| Apple App Store | iOS Users | App Store Connect submission, strict review |
Post-Launch Considerations
Launching your game is just the beginning. Engaging with your community, gathering feedback, and releasing updates or patches are crucial for long-term success and player satisfaction.
Learning Resources
Official Unity documentation detailing how to configure build settings for various target platforms.
A step-by-step guide on how to create an effective game trailer using Unity.
Comprehensive guide from Valve on how to prepare and submit your game to the Steam platform.
Advice and best practices for preparing and uploading your game to the itch.io platform.
Official guidance from Google on preparing and publishing Android applications on the Google Play Store.
Apple's official resources on the requirements and process for submitting apps to the App Store.
An insightful blog post offering practical advice on marketing indie games effectively.
A video analysis of effective game trailers, breaking down what makes them compelling.
Tips and strategies for writing compelling game descriptions that attract players.
A video tutorial demonstrating the process of building Unity projects for various platforms.