Game development is one of the most lucrative domains in the app industry. While building and launching a game app startup requires financial investment and immense mental concentration, it is also financially rewarding once an entrepreneur is able to achieve and retain a specific number of downloads and subscriptions. If you too wish to launch a game startup in the USA, or you need assistance in custom automotive solutions development, you can connect with any reliable here is a quick guide with ideas to execution.
8 Steps to Launch a Game App
- Find a unique idea and create a business plan.
- Create a feasibility report with budget, features, game story, and platforms like Android and iOS.
- Design game screens, characters, and environments.
- Hire a game app development company for production, technology stack, and testing.
- Start marketing the game on platforms like Reddit, Quora, Facebook groups, and LinkedIn.
- Test the game for User Experience.
- Release the game app on leading stores (Google Play and App store).
- Take real users’ feedback, then roll out updates.
Top 6 Game App Development Ideas
Most technology entrepreneurs suggest that two key factors are mandatory for success in tech startups: idea (a unique solution that solves a pressing problem) and the execution team. So, for the idea part, here are the top 5 game niches that are super profitable in 2023 and will skyrocket during this decade.
Blockchain games
As the name suggests, these games use blockchain strings in their basic backend architecture. Most blockchain apps work around smart contracts – and can game apps.
Some typical examples of blockchain games include crypto apps that reward cryptocurrency tokens like Ethereum and Bitcoin upon winning challenges. NFT games also use blockchain and are getting trendier amongst professional gamers.
Play to earn games
Play to earn games reward gamers with cash discounts, vouchers, freebies, and, in fact, crypto and NFTs. These games are a major attraction for hobbyists to professional gamers. Plus, these games are easier to monetize through free and premium channels.
AR and VR games
These games use an emerging technology stack with relevant hardware and software. Pokémon Go, Five Nights at Freddy’s, Zombies, Run! and Beat Saber are popular and highly lucrative because of the use of different technologies.
Smartwatch games
This is another emerging line of games that people can play while putting their smartwatches on. Zombies, Run, an AR game, is a game that can be run on mobile phones as well as smartwatches. You can choose to integrate features of healthcare as well as smartwatch games to take the user experience to the next level.
Healthcare games
This is a broad niche, and you can choose to launch a game for physical and mental well-being. In physical health, you can choose to reward players for taking care of their heart rate, movement, exercise and movements, intake of water and specific diet or management of certain diseases and symptoms. You can also launch a game for mental well-being, with pages for adult coloring and mood trackers.
Investment games
These games teach beginners to expert-level professionals how to invest their money in commodities, stock, crypto and forex, and yield profits. You can choose to gamify the investment experience, then scale the app by launching a real online investment platform within your app.
Tips on Hiring a Game Developer
Here are 5 factors you need to consider when hiring a development team to build and launch your game app:
Technical expertise
The first factor you need to consider when hiring a game app development company is to assess their skills – technical, communication, and business. If you are launching a game for Android or wear OS, you need to hire a team well-versed in Java and Kotlin.
If you wish to go for iOS, you need a team skilled in Swift. For a game that would go on Android and iOS both, you need a team with skills in cross-platform frameworks like Flutter and React Native. With these, your team has to have a grip on game development engines like Unity and Unreal Game Engine.
Location
It is highly recommended you hire a local team for development. There are three good reasons why we suggest so.
Firstly, working with a team in your own jurisdiction means you operate during the same business hours. This means easier communication and convenient project management.
Secondly, it is easier to pay a local company than transfer foreign exchange to a team that works offshore. This also helps optimize the budget.
For the USA, you can consider hiring from Dallas, Houston and Miami. While Houston and Miami is highly technical, Dallas is a balance of work and cost. Mobile app development in Dallas is a competitive niche, so you can hire a company or a fully-functional team of professional developers at affordable prices.
Portfolio
The third and very important factor to check is the previous projects of a company. If they are well-versed in building and launching game apps, they are good to go. If not and yours is the first game project they are handling, it might hurt your timelines and user experience in the future.
Social proof
Hire a company with a track record of customer satisfaction. Check testimonials on Google Business listings, Facebook and Instagram handle and most importantly, on professional platforms like LinkedIn. You can even check ratings and reviews of a company on Clutch and GoodFirms.
Budget
Games are one of the most expensive software programs when budgets are considered. Here is a quick rundown of game development costs:
- A basic game costs between $45,000 to $50,000.
- An intermediate game with balanced features costs between $65,000 to $85,000.
- Advanced games with blockchain, AR, VR or Machine learning algorithms can cost more than $150,000.
We recommend investors strike the right balance between the quality of design and development services, portfolio, development cost, technology stack, and overall hands-on experience creating applications of high-end user experience.
