Three Stages of Mobile Game Production

The 3 Stages of Mobile Game Production

𝟭. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲:

• Goals:
– Validate game concept
– Test core mechanics
– Assess market fit
• Timeframe: 1 to 3 months
• Team Size: Small team (3-10 people)
• Content: Focus on core loop and mechanics
• Monetization: None
• Customer Support: None, but pay attention to player feedback
• Risks:
– Core gameplay may not resonate with players
– Poor marketability

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𝟮. 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲:

• Goals:
– Increase player engagement
– Enhance monetization strategies
– Achieve KPIs for a global launch
• Timeframe: 6 to 18 months
• Team Size: Medium team (10-30 people, including analytics, marketing, QA)
• Content: Expanded content, testing new mechanics
• Monetization: Basic shop, starter packs, and offers to test willingness to pay
• Customer Support: Basic channels for test regions
• Risks:
– Game unable to retain players for long
– Players unwilling to pay

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𝟯. 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗢𝗽𝘀 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲:

• Goals:
– Sustain and grow player base
– Extend game lifecycle
– Maximize revenue
• Timeframe: 1 to 10+ years
• Team Size: Larger team (30-60+ people, including live ops specialists and community managers)
• Content:
– Continuous updates, new events, and features
– Regularly added core content
• Monetization: Advanced strategies (live events, subscriptions, seasonal offers)
• Customer Support: Full support team, multi-language support
• Risks:
– Player fatigue
– Rising user acquisition costs
– Market saturation