GameTalk #5, part of the knowledge-sharing GameTalk series, took place with the title "Go-To-Market: Blueprint for Game Changers." The session opened up the opportunity for VNGGames Starters to listen and discuss enthusiastically the topic of market access strategies for game products.

 

The speakers and coordinators from VNGGames Game Studios around the world led the sharing session: Mr. David Chu, Head of VNGGames Studio Taipei; Ms. Phan Viet Nga, Marketing Manager of Game Studio 1; Mr. Duong Chi Tam, Head of Marketing of Game Studio 3; and Mr. Huynh Dang Khoa, Marketing Manager of Game Studio 2.

 

At GameTalk #5, the speakers introduced the market launch case studies of some VNGGames products, including Kiem The Origin in the Vietnamese market; Revelation in the Southeast Asian market, especially Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines; and Metal Slug: Awakening in Taiwan/Hong Kong, and Singapore/Malaysia markets. They shared new information and perspectives on products and markets which greatly benefit the audience.

 

 

Product is the core of every go-to-market strategy

 

The gaming industry sees tens of thousands of new games every year. To stand out from the competition, game publishers need to invest in the game publishing process, taking into account the players and the market. Different markets have different cultural, social, and human features, which can be both opportunities and challenges for game companies. They need to research and build suitable access strategies for each market. The product is the key factor in this process, as it is what the market will receive. Knowing the product, defining the market, and setting goals are the first steps to creating an effective go-to-market strategy.

 

Kiem The Origin is an 18-year-old game from the Vo Lam series, with a reputation and a loyal fan base in Vietnam. To launch in March 2023, the operations team has identified six competitive advantages of the game over other similar games that came before. The Originnovation campaign highlighted both the classic and innovative features of Kiem The Origin, achieving impressive results and awards.

 

Revelation's strategy for launching in six different markets in Southeast Asia is to start with the product and optimize it for each market. The operations and marketing team focus on understanding the core values that the product can offer to users, and use them as the basis for exploiting and optimizing each market, shaping a clear and suitable strategy for each market. Moreover, Revelation does not try to showcase what the differences are but rather communicates the attractive points of the product through its core values. This way, the product can be distinguished by users in each market.

 

As a global and highly anticipated game, Metal Slug: Awakening's outreach in Taiwan/Hong Kong and Singapore/Malaysia international markets brings both opportunities and challenges. To take advantage of and optimize resources in these large, new, and highly competitive potential markets, along with the quality of the product, it is essential to ensure flexible coordination between resources, and optimal juggling between centralized and localized approaches. The R.I.S.E. model, which combines market research and development, resource integration and utilization, strategic analysis, evaluation, and optimization, is introduced throughout the case study as an effective lesson learned applied by VNGGames Studio Taipei.

 

Been there, done that, what else’s matter?

 

Besides products, the human factor is also one of the keys to the strategy's success. The players are the ones who decide whether to choose a product or not, and their opinions, habits, behaviors, and preferences vary across different markets. These differences have a huge impact on the implementation of the strategy, especially for games that are launched simultaneously in multiple markets. By researching, planning a clear strategy, and being flexible, the games can become more attractive and valuable to the players.

 

Moreover, the operation process needs to ensure effective communication, especially for teams that have staff from different countries and cover different markets. Open communication will help the staff understand the product, capture valuable information, characteristics, and local insights, and coordinate more smoothly throughout the process, optimizing the performance and results at each stage.

 

 

The meaningful sharing and discussions by VNGGames experts from Vietnam and abroad have concluded the last issue of GameTalk in 2023. Each market has its challenges and difficulties but also offers new opportunities and potential for the products. With both publishing and development segments, VNGGames will continue to aim for global outreach, creating more valuable experiences for players around the world with creative and innovative resources.