Steam Greenlight for first-time developers : explaining Steam Greenlight from a game developer's perspective
Eloranta, Minna (2016)
Eloranta, Minna
Tampereen ammattikorkeakoulu
2016
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2016053110963
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2016053110963
Tiivistelmä
The purpose of this thesis is to go through the Steam Greenlight process and clarify misinformation and correct beliefs on the platform. The thesis proposes improvement ideas based on the findings of the research conducted.
Steam Greenlight was created in 2012 by Valve Corporation and determines which new games can be available in the Steam Store. Steam users can vote on games which improves the games' chances of getting through Greenlight.
Steam Greenlight has been created to enable new game developers to enter the largest PC video games market, but it seems to be unclear to novice developers. This thesis is written from the perspective of a game developer who has not published on Steam be-fore.
As a basis for the research, personal experiences are used from producing a Steam Greenlight project as well as interviews from other Finnish game developers who have recently gone through the process. The Greenlight platform has also been researched thoroughly and quantitative analysis has been made based on the findings.
There is lots of controversy on Greenlight and findings approve that getting a game on Steam is not straight-forward and that randomness, right timing and virality all have to do with the success of the campaign. Steam Greenlight is usually the first time novice developers do marketing for their game, so the lack of marketing knowledge and work-ing on the first Greenlight campaign tie together. The issue if Greenlight is even im-portant at all is also tackled in this thesis.
In its results, the thesis proposes a few ways to improve the platform and knowledge what to take into account while using it as a game developer.
Steam Greenlight was created in 2012 by Valve Corporation and determines which new games can be available in the Steam Store. Steam users can vote on games which improves the games' chances of getting through Greenlight.
Steam Greenlight has been created to enable new game developers to enter the largest PC video games market, but it seems to be unclear to novice developers. This thesis is written from the perspective of a game developer who has not published on Steam be-fore.
As a basis for the research, personal experiences are used from producing a Steam Greenlight project as well as interviews from other Finnish game developers who have recently gone through the process. The Greenlight platform has also been researched thoroughly and quantitative analysis has been made based on the findings.
There is lots of controversy on Greenlight and findings approve that getting a game on Steam is not straight-forward and that randomness, right timing and virality all have to do with the success of the campaign. Steam Greenlight is usually the first time novice developers do marketing for their game, so the lack of marketing knowledge and work-ing on the first Greenlight campaign tie together. The issue if Greenlight is even im-portant at all is also tackled in this thesis.
In its results, the thesis proposes a few ways to improve the platform and knowledge what to take into account while using it as a game developer.