I wrote an article a while ago stating that going to gaming fairs is mostly useful due to networking. While I still strongly agree with a part of this statement (as it’s good for networking), my preconceived notions seem challenged. I had made an argument that it’s not a viable option for driving sales and wishlists, but a developer I met at Poznań Game Arena told me otherwise. Let’s dive into it.
Archetypes of behaviour
Poznań Game Arena (gamers-oriented), jointly with the Game Industry Conference (industry-oriented), is the biggest gaming event in Poland. This year, I decided to put more emphasis on PGA, trying to meet people, play their games and make connections at their booths.
Talking to many of the devs, PR representatives and the rest of the gaming lot, I’ve noticed that there are a few easily defined archetypes of behaviour:
- Networkers: they look for new connections within the gaming industry professionals’ pool.
- Outreachers: they want to get in contact with the press and influencers in order to get their game communicated on platforms other than their own.
- Passionates: they want to show their work off for the kicks of it.
- Salespeople: they focus on the gamers and are actively trying to gain sales and wishlists.
Many of the devs there were showcasing at least a few of these archetypes. Not a surprise, as they want to use such events to the fullest. What surprised me, was the fact that I’ve got numerous confirmations pertaining to the fact that devs were seeing a noticeable peak in sales/wishlists during and past such events.
The story
One interesting case that I recall was a dev (who will remain unnamed, as I don’t want to share their data without permission) who told me that the company they are working at, has had its booth at Gamescom, Tokyo Game Show and PGA in the last few months. PGA, while being the smallest of the mentioned events, still had 52,749 attendees, which is by no means a small feat. They mentioned their game, which is about to be released soon, had a noticeable uptick in the number of wishlists on Steam. Trying not to be rude, I didn’t enquire about concrete figures, but it made me realise, that for them to be doing 3 events in about 2 months of time, had to bear results good enough to make attending them a sensible business choice. Especially considering the fact that the company is a Polish game studio. Travelling and being accommodated in Tokyo, not counting the cost of the booth at TGS, is already quite high. The same can be said about the accommodation costs for Gamescom attendees and company representatives (for the most part). Some other devs, even one solo dev, resonated with a similar sentiment to the one brought up above.
How come I wasn’t aware of the fact earlier? I believe this boils down to this being circumstantial. I didn’t get to experience upticks which I’d consider noteworthy in my career, because some games just perform better at such events. It seems that when I was an exhibitor, I either wasn’t doing my best (which would also mean that my current colleagues didn’t do too hot as well – and this I deny, as I saw a lot of good work and passion), or the games we showcased were meant to be best enjoyed and consumed outside of the constant bustling of a lively event, where all want to get noticed. I’m also convinced that online events, especially those on Steam, are generally a better way of gaining new wishlists and sales.
Why not do both, though?
Conclusion
To conclude, are offline gaming fairs a good way of gaining sales and wishlists? I’ll just hit you with the good ‘ol “it depends”. There’s no guarantee that your presence at such events will translate to a noticeable increase in sales/wishlists. This all seems to be circumstantial and if you’re tempted to give it a shot, do so and see if it makes sense from the business point of view. Having a game that can just be hopped into and enjoyed seems to be preferable.
Thanks for reading the article. If you’re looking for marketing services regarding your game, reach out to me – jakub@heapsagency.com and let’s have a chat about the cooperation!
Heaps Agency 