Before a mobile game launches broadly, the team needs evidence that players understand it, return to it and can support its business model. A pre-launch plan should connect product readiness, store positioning, creative tests and measurement. The aim is to find problems while the cost of changing direction is still manageable, then decide what a controlled soft launch needs to prove.
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Pre-launch vs. soft launch
Most apps go through two different phases before their eventual launch. These include Pre-launch and soft launch. These are defined as:
- Pre-launch: The preparation before a broad release, including research, playtesting, technical QA, store assets, measurement and a launch plan. Some work may happen with a limited test build; it does not require a public launch.
- Soft launch: A limited release to a defined audience or markets to test the live product, acquisition and monetization. Choose markets for the question being tested, and record where their behavior may differ from the intended launch audience.
Best tactics for a successful pre-launch phase
The following tactics can be adopted for a successful pre-launch phase of your mobile game app:
Market research
The success or failure of your app can be highly influenced by your understanding of the mobile game market. Therefore, it is always recommended that you do your proper research before developing and launching your application. Studying the market scene will give you an idea about what gamers expect from your final product and how you can successfully target your intended player base. Doing market research can give you an idea about:
- What are the current trends in the mobile gaming market? How can you capitalize on this trend through your mobile game?
- What are the gaming genres that are most popular among mobile game users? Which genre should you target to achieve the best results?
- Are there any significant gaps in the mobile game marketplace? Can you successfully fill this gap through your gaming app?
Knowing your competitors
As said before, any new app on the marketplace will have to face stiff competition from those already competing in the same marketplace. With millions of apps available on storefronts, it becomes incredibly difficult for any new app to establish itself as a significant alternative. Most apps fail because they get lost in a sea of apps already flooding the app stores. In this regard, studying your competitors (if done right) can give you an edge over other new apps. You can research various aspects including:
- What kind of games are your competitors developing or supporting on app stores?
- What kind of features are implemented in their games?
- What makes their mobile games stand out from others?
- What kinds of marketing campaigns are they running?
- What kind of monetization model are they using to generate revenue?
- Looking at reviews and ratings on their app page, what are the shortcomings of their mobile game? What are the common complaints against their app?
Picking your target audience
While studying your competitors is essential, defining your target audience is just as important. Who are the people that are eventually going to play your game? What features can you add to your game to cater to that specific audience? How can you successfully target your defined audience? Not all mobile gamers are going to be on the same level in terms of skills. Similarly, not all mobile gamers play the same kind of games. Casual gamers usually tend to pick games that require low skill levels. Their main purpose is to kill time until their next activity or to take a breather. On the other hand, skilled or competitive gamers play games with skill level requirements where they compete with other players worldwide. Such gamers usually play for hours on end. Similarly, mobile games made for kids and adults will have different target audiences. It is also important to target the right audience during your pre-launch phase. A game made for competitive gamers should target said gamers. If you playtest such a game with casual players, the data you receive will be inaccurate and useless.
Decide what to test
This one is pretty much self-explanatory. The main purpose of doing a pre-launch in the first place is to ensure that your app is running properly. Thus, it is imperative that you shortlist all the stuff that you want to test during the pre-launch phase. The obvious things to look out for are bugs and glitches. No one likes mobile games or apps that suffer from long loading times, lags, or any game-breaking bugs. Poor performance leads to bad reviews and ratings which in turn negatively affects the standing of the mobile game in the app store. Another thing to test is the server infrastructure of the game. Any game that requires a constant online connection should have a solid infrastructure to support a large player count. Pre-launch tests should not just be limited to technical issues of the game. Other things like monetization models can also be tested through pre-launch phase testing.
Choose a monetization strategy
Choose monetization early enough to test its effect on the player experience. A paid download, in-app purchases, advertising and a subscription each create different dependencies. Track whether players understand the offer, whether purchasers retain and whether revenue can support acquisition and operating costs. Subscriptions can produce recurring revenue, but cancellations, failed payments and low renewal rates mean it is never guaranteed.
Set your marketing strategy
Test one clear acquisition hypothesis at a time. Changing the network, audience, concept and format together can show that two campaigns differ, but it cannot isolate why. Define the success event and a fixed evaluation window before spending. CPI means cost per install; use it alongside retention, payer conversion and mature cohort revenue rather than treating inexpensive installs as proof the game is ready to scale.
Conclusion
Use the pre-launch work to write a decision brief: what is ready, what is still uncertain and what the next limited test will answer. Set the criteria for continuing, changing or stopping before a broad rollout. If the acquisition plan is the missing piece, our app user acquisition service explains the work across channels, creative and measurement.
