Matthew Zoern: How to Save $10 Million on your Next Game (Game Developer)

The constantly rising number of games released yearly—tens of thousands—is a promising, yet intimidating trend. On the one hand, making games has never been easier. On the other, retaining players’ interest has never been more challenging, given the colossal number of games to choose from. Because of that, investing millions of dollars into full-scale development is risky—what if players cast the game aside in a month?

Matthew Zoern, Head of Studio at Solid Bash by Room 8 Group, offers a solution for budget-conscious developers. For years, he has been an advocate for Direct-To-Market Prototyping in game development. According to his recent article for Game Developer, instead of years spent building in the dark, Direct-To-Market Prototyping emphasizes creating playable prototypes that get into gamers’ hands sooner. By gathering early feedback, developers can ensure they’re building a game that players actually want to play, potentially saving millions by avoiding costly fixes later.

In his column, Matthew explored the power of Direct-to-Market Prototyping, which enables developers to make informed decisions by gauging user sentiment early before adding too many ancillary features to the game. He shared why Direct-To-Market Prototyping isn’t as prevalent as it should be, and gave a few valuable tips on how to properly utilize the approach. 

Curious about how Direct-To-Market Prototyping can transform your next project? Check out the full article on the Game Developer website.