There has been a lot of talk about Steam in recent years. While Steam has always been the go-to client/platform for almost every PC gamer out there, it has slowly been expanding, and some of the games you can find on Steam are also on mobile game stores. Games such as Brotato, Terraria, and Vampire Survivor are just a few that come to mind on all the platforms. Also, while it’s not on Steam, Clash of Clans has been testing their game on PC as I was able to test it out last year and the experience was quite nice. Overall, the possibility is there to branch out to yet another market full of people. 132 million to be exact. That’s how many monthly active users Steam has at the moment.
So that brings me to the whole point of this post… why should you expand on to Steam while you are already focusing all of your efforts to the mobile game stores? Well, lemme tell ya.
Expanded audience reach
I mentioned before how many monthly active users are on Steam currently, but I will mention it again… 132 million. This alone is going to offer you an additional large and diverse audience that may not be reached solely through mobile platforms. I am personally a gamer at heart and have been strictly PC for about the last 10-12 years, I agree that while I am fully open to dabbling into some mobile games, I don’t necessarily focus that much on what is coming out due to my habitual nature of navigating Steam. I have Terraria and Brotato in my Steam library which is geared towards mobile gamers as well. So the audience is there!
Mobile gaming often is geared toward casual gamers. Steam has a mix of both casual and hardcore players. This is going to enable developers to capture a broader range of user demographics
Monetization opportunities
Steam has flexible pricing models. So unlike the often standardized app store pricing models, Steam allows for more flexibility in pricing, sales, and discount strategies, which can be easily tailored to increase revenue.
They also offer diverse revenue streams. In addition to direct sales, developers can utilize Steam’s integrated DLC, in-game purchases, and subscription models to create multiple streams of revenue. Plus, Steam is always known to have 4 big sales per year, with each year there are always summer, fall, winter, and spring sales where all games go on discount. A lot of casual gamers especially wait for these sales and will splurge on SO many games at once you wouldn’t believe, so you could tailor some of your deals/discounts even around these sales as well as your schedule for discounts. For example, you will see games such as Cyberpunk 2077 and No Man’s Sky go on discount close to 10 times a year and it will end up on the ‘most popular’ tab during that time.
Higher visibility and discoverability
As mentioned above, they offer featured promotions and sales events. Steam regularly hosts events and seasonal sales, which offer games the chance to be featured on the platform’s main page, which overall is going to increase your visibility.
There is also a community-driven discovery. Steam’s ecosystem is built around community engagement. Having features such as reviews, wishlists, user-generated content, and streaming which all contribute to game discovery. The user-generated content and wish listings are some of my favorite features. I go to my favorite game’s ‘community’ tab and it just shows screenshots of the game, animated shorts created by gamers, artwork by fans, etc. So it really brings the love of specific games together.
Also the wishlist. How many times have you been waiting for a game to come out and when months go by, you find out it was already released? The wishlist feature alerts you when the game is out.
Improved game performance and experience
PC gamers have better hardware capabilities so releasing your game on PC allows for taking advantage of that. This leads to improved graphics, performance, and overall gameplay experiences that attract a different gaming audience. While it may sound like a no-brainer, you can put into perspective that phones can be expensive and that a lot of the general population also has mid-range phones or base models of the current generations. The ones who focus more on PC will be able to join your game at full performance. Because let’s be real, these days even some phones struggle a bit if your game is more graphically intense!
Steam enables support for controllers and keyboards. This could also enhance the gameplay experience for users who prefer these over touchscreen controls. Depending on the game, the experience can feel better for a handful of users not needing to use touch screen. For example, as much as I love playing Terraria, that game would be very difficult to play with a touch screen as opposed to playing with a mouse and keyboard.
Stronger community engagement and feedback
Steam offers developers direct communication channels with their players through forums, community hubs, and direct messaging, fostering a more engaged and loyal player base. Developers will often host streams about upcoming games or upcoming updates/dlcs offering gameplay show-offs.
Steam’s review and rating system can provide valuable insights into player preferences, helping developers refine and improve their games based on real feedback.
Less saturation compared to mobile stores
One of the hurdles with mobile app stores is they can be quite bloated, with millions of apps that are doing whatever they can for users’ attention. Steam, while still competitive, has a more curated selection of games, potentially making it easier to stand out. You can’t escape bloat, but Steam has a different system to standing out.
There are also niche market opportunities. Games that may not gain traction in a crowded mobile market could find a dedicated audience on Steam. Especially among players looking for unique indie experiences.
Brand credibility and visibility
When your game is available on multiple platforms it can increase a game’s perceived value and credibility.
Being able to leverage Steam reviews and achievements. Positive reviews, user-generated content, and achievements on Steam can boost a game’s reputation and attract more players, which results in further extending its reach.
Data and analytics advantages
Steam provides developers with detailed analytics and insight into player behavior, sales performance, and engagement. This allows for data-driven decision-making and more effective A/B testing. Also looking at Steam Charts gives you up-to-date player count and all-time highs etc. so you can take a look at how other games are performing if they are even alive or not anymore.
Heard enough?
Steam can seem like foreign territory when it comes to mobile games. But there is plenty of opportunity for your game when you expand to Steam. From reaching an even more broad audience and unlocking new monetization opportunities to enhancing visibility and community engagement. For mobile game developers looking to maximize their game’s potential, Steam is a platform that is worth exploring!
Ps. If you’re curious about this, you can test the performance of Steam pages on Geeklab even if your game isn’t out yet. Book a call and we’ll show you how 📲
