Is it still possible to Self-Publish in 2021?
A lot of Indie developers feel the industry has developed a climate that puts too much power in the Publishers hands and makes it seem nearly impossible to Self-Publish. Some of the biggest problems and worries we hear from developers are:
I don’t want to give my IP away
Bad experience with Publishers
I’m locked into a contract where even the games the publisher rejects, I don’t have freedom to use
The Publisher took my game and stopped promoting it
I want to earn the whole profit from my game
I don’t know how to self-publish
I want to be my own boss
The XTiming Accelerator Program aims to protect developers’ rights, IP, and revenue. Holding customer service as our highest priority, and transparency in all we do, we aim to empower developers as much as possible in their Publishing journey! With the XTiming Accelerator Program we offer multiple plans to support developers in the process of Self-Publishing, offering our vast resources, manpower, data and expertise, to help developers better understand the whole process of self-publishing.
Below is a quick overview of how the XTiming Accelerator Program works with developers! We break it down into 4 main phases which are as follows:
1. Fix the core problems, and make a PLAN
Evaluate the game
Find your Target Region/ User
Find a competitive game
The game must be cleaned up and have a plan before spending money on UA to test the game. Different aspects we evaluate the game by are Core Gameplay, Player Connection, UI, Monetization Strategy and ASO (App Store Optimization). Our team of testers and data analyzers will test your game Evaluating it by many different dimensions and provide the developer a detailed Game Evaluation Report (around 30 pages) outlining the optimizations that need to be made, and advising on a Target Region/User for the next UA Test. This allows the developer to strategize and plan for the next phase of Self-Publishing, and test the game using the advice in the Report.
This is the first thing provided to YOU upon acceptance into the program!
2. TEST – The Smart Way
UA-Test – Acquire around 1000 users for testing purposes
Implement an Analytics platform using Event Tracking points
Target a cheap region with low CPI in a similar target region to test game metrics
XTiming team provides AdCreatives
Using the Target Region provided in the Game Evaluation Report. XTiming then will design original AdCreatives for the UA-Test. We also help set up Event Tracking in the game to properly track the user’s behavior and data so you can learn from the data and find the problems in the game. Then we will help you run the UA-Test for free guide you accordingly. Generally, we advise acquiring around 1000 users for initial testing purposes. This phase is essential for getting raw data on the status of the game, understanding where the problems are from the developer’s perspective and optimizing accordingly. XTiming will then create a group chat with your Publishing Manager, Operations Account Manager and Technical Support. This team will answer all of your questions and provide you constant support through your Publishing journey.
Ps. There is also a finance support available for UA testing for very original Mobile Titles!
3. Learn from the DATA!
Find out where you’re losing users and Optimize!
Calculate ROI/ROAS
Check your Mediation setup!
Better than assuming where the problems in the game are, the data will speak for itself. Understanding the status of the game, even if the data comes back poor shows where games need more focus in the future. After checking the ROI/ROAS we can see if the game will be profitable or not, if it’s close to profitability we can optimize according to what the data tells us, and run another UA-Test until we achieve profitability. If the game does very poor during the initial UA-test we may advise the developer to leave this game behind and spend time working on a new hit title with a plethora of new knowledge on Self-Publishing!
The XTiming team will provide another extensive Report outlining all the data collected during the Testing Phase, we will calculate the ROI/ROAS for you, give suggestions on areas that need further optimization and update your monetization.
4. The End-Game, Publishing!
Based on the DATA choose the most suitable publishing route
Make smart decisions on Platforms to Publish and AdCreatives to use
Know your game has the potential to be profitable beforehand
Now we’re ready for the End Game! Based on the data collected during the Analysis the developer now has options before them, whether they decide to Self-Publish because the game achieved a positive ROI, work with a Publisher because the data fits one of our Publishing Partners requirements or moving on to the next title, at least the direction will be far clearer. We will support regardless of the developer’s decision and do our best to provide the most suitable resources for you and your team.