What Does It Mean to Get Published?

With thousands of apps being released each day on the app store, getting your game noticed can be tough and, for many indie solo developers, a daunting task. Luckily, you don’t have to do everything alone. You can work with a publishing company, like Kwalee, our official publishing partner, to help optimize your game and boost success. Going the publisher route is one of the best ways to gain support and visibility in the app store — especially if you’re new to game development. You can create, and they help you polish and promote. 

So, what does it actually mean to get published and what are the benefits of working with a major publisher like Kwalee? 

Support and Expert Advice

When you use a publisher to release your game, you instantly sign up to receive the support and advice of industry pros who have been developing and publishing games for years, so you know your game is in safe hands. 

In the case of Kwalee, this includes David Darling CBE, a legend in the UK games industry, having founded Codemasters. There’s also Jason Falcus, who worked on the likes of NBA Jam, Andrew Graham, creator of Micro Machines, and Simon Platt, the Head of Design & Development who has been involved in some of Kwalee’s biggest hits including Draw It (80 million+ downloads) and Jetpack Jump (40 million+ downloads). This expertise extends to a team that has been launching hyper casual hit after hyper casual hit!

This support will consist of in-depth advice on how to improve your game, based on real-life testing, which is huge for independent game developers. If the publishing team sees potential in your game, it will be tested on the app store with real players, providing you with priceless feedback.

In addition to testing, your game will also be given the expert eye of game designers that have been working in the games industry for years, and have multiple hyper casual hits under their belt. Their advice and support on improving your game will add massive value to your game’s potential.

But it doesn’t stop there, Kwalee also provides technical support through the various stages of your game’s development. If you’re not sure how to change something or the request falls outside of your comfort zone, their technical team will help take you through the process. 

 

Testing and Deeper Insights Into What Works

Testing is essential for so many reasons, from identifying major issues within your game to usability and engagement. As mentioned earlier, when working with Kwalee, your game will go through multiple tests made possible by the size and experience of their team, and their ability to quickly put money behind a game or prototype and test it in key locations. Testing provides you and your publisher a great insight into whether the game is ‘ready’ or in need of some tweaking. 

Ahead of the launch, Kwalee will keep testing, using their sophisticated AB testing to see how incremental edits could make a big difference to your creation’s success. 

The Feeling of Your Own Team

It goes without saying, but all of the above – from testing to tech support and expert game design advice — would require hiring your own team to take care of it all … which would lead to high salary costs and masses of time spent building that team. In short, it’s an impossible task for an indie dev to do on their own.

With a publisher, you gain that infrastructure, and at Kwalee, they aim to be an extension of your own team. They believe in collaboration and not an ‘us and them’ mentality. All of their teams will work with you to make your game the best it can be.

Upon launching your game, this naturally includes their user acquisition, marketing, analytics, game server and monetization teams that again, would not only require an indie dev to hire an entire team if they were to go it alone, but they’ve also built great relationships with stores and ad networks so you can be safe in the knowledge that your game is in the right hands, and benefit from the work they’ve put in with their own games to build these external relationships. This sort of infrastructure is crucial for success. 

Bigger Profits

The part everyone gets the most excited about when you get published: profit! Your game and other games you create after that can result in a very lucrative revenue stream, and it all begins with a publishing deal. If Kwalee wants to sign your game, this will, of course, come with monetary benefits, and when it tops the charts, you will earn a share of the game’s profits. Turning an idea you created on Buildbox into revenue.

Undoubtedly the most appealing side of using a publisher, the infrastructure, advice, and support all feed into making this possible and maximizing your return as much as Kwalee can.

 

A Long-Term Relationship for Success

Another perk that happens when you get published is the establishment of a long-term partnership. Their publishing contracts reflect  Kwalee’s belief in the ‘long tail’ approach with your games making profits for years. They believe that success should be built over time, so they will continue working with you to improve your game with updates, new features, AB testing and fixes once it’s live. 

Beyond that, the beauty of mobile gaming (especially hyper casual) is that there’s always room for more ideas and more games. You will become part of the Kwalee family with weekly check-ins with your publishing manager to discuss ideas and to design new games together,  before successfully launching more titles. As an extension of your team, Kwalee will keep working with you to turn your work into a profitable business. 

When you get published, you’re not alone in your game development journey. You have a whole team of experts working with you to help make your game a success. With our publishing partnership with Kwalee, you can submit your Buildbox games directly to them for consideration. Just click the button below to learn more: 

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Tiana Crump

About Tiana Crump

Tiana Crump is a journalist and social media manager at Buildbox with a passion for inspiring others and driving brand awareness. As a gamer and creator, she enjoys sharing game development insights, tips, and success stories from the Buildbox community.