Steam has established itself as the leading distribution platform for PC games, offering developers of all levels access to a huge global audience. For developers looking to expand into the global market, the service represents a particularly attractive opportunity given its ever-growing popularity and number of players around the world.
In a recent interview with the Korean portal Inven, Valve spoke in detail about game promotion and even gave some advice for novice developers. We have collected all the important information for you in the form of a short article in Russian.
The secret to Steam success
Steam’s success is largely due to its focus on developers. The platform offers a wide range of tools and infrastructure that help developers create, publish, promote and sell their games. Steam is also responsive to player , constantly improving its features and algorithms to suit their needs.
Benefits of Steam for PC Games
- Global Reach – Steam has over 150 million active s worldwide, giving developers access to a huge potential audience.
- Ease of Publishing – The process of publishing a game on Steam is relatively simple and does not require much technical knowledge.
- Flexible monetization models – Steam offers a variety of monetization models, allowing developers to choose the one that best suits their game.
- Effective Marketing Tools – Steam provides developers with a wide range of tools to market and promote their games.
- Player Community – Steam has an active and engaged player community, which can help developers get and create buzz for their games.
The importance of localization
Depending on the target market, localization can play an important role in a game’s success. Studying the preferences of players in a specific region will help determine how important localization of text, audio, images and cultural elements is.
Opportunities for beginner developers
- Steam Next Fest is a festival that allows developers to present demos of their games and gather people to the list.
- Steam sales pages are a great way to promote your game and increase sales.
Steam detection algorithm
The Steam discovery algorithm is the system that determines what games s see in the Steam store. The algorithm takes into various factors, such as the popularity of the game, player reviews, the ’s purchase history and interests.
Steam Deck
- Steam Deck sales in the region have significantly exceeded Valve’s initial projections. This means that the device attracts not only experienced Steam s, but also those who were not previously familiar with the platform.
- A significant portion of Steam Deck buyers in Asia are people who either don’t have a Steam or rarely use one.
- The portability and convenience of playing on the Steam Deck is highly appreciated by gamers.
- Demand for Steam Deck in the Asian region is higher than in North America.
- Asian gamers are more likely to pay attention to price and prefer portable devices.
- Valve plans to add new features to the Steam Deck based on and suggestions.
- UMPC (Ultra-Mobile PC) is a niche that combines the advantages of PC, consoles and mobile gaming, with great growth potential.
- The success of the Steam Deck has fueled interest in the UMPC market, attracting the attention of both s and manufacturers.
- It is expected that competition in the UMPC segment will lead to lower prices, improved characteristics and expanded functionality of devices.
- Most likely, PCs, consoles and UMPCs will not displace each other, but will coexist and complement each other, satisfying different needs.
Future plans
- Valve intends to improve both the software and hardware of the Steam Deck, making it even more functional and attractive to s.
- The introduction of new features aimed at improving the experience and expanding the capabilities of the platform is expected.
- Valve will strive to simplify the process of developing and publishing games on Steam, making it more accessible to everyone.
Tips for developers
Some tips for novice developers on releasing and promoting games from Valve:
- Start planning your marketing campaign and localization well in advance of the game’s release.
- Create a “In Development” page on Steam to attract the attention of gamers to your game and start gathering people on the list.
- Make sure your Steam store page is well optimized for search and contains all the relevant information about your game.
- Take advantage of Steam’s tools to and promote your game, such as sales, discounts, and banners.
- Connect with players on the Steam forums and social media to get their and create buzz around your game.
- Prepare localization of the game if necessary for your target market.
- Participate in Steam events to increase awareness of your game.
