GamesBeat Summit 2024: Strategies for a successful live-service game launch

At the GamesBeat Summit 2024, industry experts gathered to discuss the importance of running live services for games and how to ensure a successful launch. Amy Jo Kim, founder at Game Thinking, emphasized that live services are now essential for both social and single-player games.

During the summit, Carter Huffman, CTO of Modulate, Stefan Ideler, CIO and co-founder at i3D.net, and Jeremy Joiner, head of business development at Pragma, shared insights on prioritizing the backend, hosting, and player experience for live game services. They stressed the significance of making informed decisions early in game development to avoid costly mistakes later on.

Huffman highlighted the importance of community management and enforcing a code of conduct to create a healthy game environment. He warned that neglecting these aspects could lead to a toxic player community, damaging the game’s reputation and player retention.

Ideler emphasized the need for a stable backend to provide a seamless gaming experience for players worldwide. He advised game developers to consider the regional makeup of their player base and ensure cross-connectivity between regions to attract more players.

Joiner discussed the importance of managing costs and choosing reliable technology partners to support the game post-launch. He emphasized the role of data and content in driving player retention and recommended outsourcing non-core functions to focus on improving the game’s quality and profitability.

Overall, the experts agreed that successful live game services require a strategic approach to backend infrastructure, community management, and player engagement. By prioritizing these aspects and leveraging data-driven insights, game developers can create a compelling and sustainable gaming experience for players.