Video gaming is an activity that has become normalized for people all across the world. There was a time where having a video game system of any type was a luxury. Many homes in the United States now contain at least 1-2 gaming systems. Many families have a good time playing a variety of video games in their downtime. Mobile gaming on cell phones and tablets has also broken massive ground in the video gaming market. Approximately 164 million adults in the United States play video games. Three-quarters of all Americans have at least one gamer in their household.
In 2018 alone the video game industry generated approximately $131 billion and is predicted to make $300 billion by 2025. On the PC video game distributor Steam, indie game revenue was estimated to be worth approximately $1 billion. For those gaming companies hoping to succeed in the industry, here are some tools you should check out.
Dedicated Game Server
When you run a video game company, you’ll need an on-site server that can help out with a variety of different functions at your company. A server is a computer that provides data to other computers. It actually might serve data to systems on a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN) over the Internet. There are many types of services that exist, including web servers, a private server, mail servers, file servers, gaming servers (or dedicated gaming servers).
For a gaming company, a dedicated game server will be ideal to have in the business. A game server, or a host as it is sometimes called, serves a very specific purpose. A game server can be used as a host for multiplayer video games.
Think of when you’re playing an MMORPG (massively-multiplayer online role-playing game) like World of Warcraft, or an FPS (first-person shooter) like Call of Duty. These popular multiplayer games host huge amounts of players across each game, and a server helps to keep everything running smoothly. If your gaming company has an online component to it, where dedicated game servers are needed, then it helps to keep it in the best shape possible. Having the best dedicated game server hosting service can make a huge difference in whether your gaming company will be successful or not.
A gaming server can also be used for game testing. Before your company sends a game out to be sold, it has to be put through testing. One level of testing which occurs at the company is beta testing. This is the period during which the cogs are worked out of the video game. Paid beta testers will be brought in to put the game through its strides.
As mentioned before, if the game is multiplayer-focused, having a well functioning gaming server can help a lot during such beta testing situations. Beta tests are used to stress test the servers, to see how much the server will be able to handle once the game is released.
Call Center
Call centers are the first place where many of your potential customers will reach when contacting your company. Call centers are centralized offices that are used for receiving or transmitting a large volume of inquiries by telephone. An inbound call center can be operated by a company to administer incoming product or service support or information inquiries from consumers.
As a call center representative, you can answer billing related questions, tech-related inquiries, general customer service-related requests, and route calls to other parts of the company. Let’s say servers have gone down for one of your company’s video games. The call center will be many of your customer’s first places of contact for assistance. It helps to have a well-trained team of help desk associates who can assist customers on a variety of fronts. This requires first hiring people who are well versed in a specific field of the game manufacturing process, in addition to providing your workers with continuous training.
You’ll also want to make sure you have up to date call center software. This can include tools like Microsoft Dynamics call center software and interactive voice response technology. This can help make the customer experience flow a bit better. Adding such call center software tools to your gaming company is an easy way to ensure you grow your company in the years to come.
Emergency Fund
For most households, families try to keep an emergency fund on hand. This is a money stash that can be accessed when things get tough. Events that call for personal emergency funds might include an unexpected death in the family, a medical illness, the loss of a job, car repairs, home repairs, emergency pet care, unanticipated travel, and major dental expense.
For businesses, it’s good to have an emergency fund or a rainy day fund. Sometimes your business will encounter a number of unexpected events which can make company life difficult. This can include changes in the economy, cash flow issues, and a need to capitalize on opportunities that might come through the doors of your gaming company.
The first step you’ll need to take to establish an emergency fund is to figure out how much you should save. You’ll want to conserve anywhere between three months’ and a year’s worth of expenses for any business emergencies which might pop up. Also, think about what other aspects of your company could affect cash flow. This will depend on the type of business being run and that industry’s culture.
You want the money to be liquid, and available at a moment’s notice. These funds will not be used for investing in the stock market, and you’re not looking to earn interest on it. It’s suggested that you look at money market funds, money market accounts, savings accounts, a savings plan, and short-term certificates of deposit (CDs). Also, consider shopping around online for the highest paying interest rate. Check with your bank to possibly negotiate a better interest rate, especially if you have a good relationship with them. Having an emergency fund can be an extremely helpful tool in the long run.
Office Supplies & Accessories
As a gaming company, you’ll need a variety of supplies and accessories for your new business. On the more tech side, you’ll definitely need a dedicated game server, laptops, desktops, broadband, Wi-Fi, and external storage (HDD, USB). For your more common office supplies, you’ll want to stock up on writing tools (pens, markers, highlighters, pencils), paper shredders, planners, files, folders, cardboard boxes, envelopes, chairs, calendars, and phone systems.
Since you’ll have a break room, look into bringing in automated coffee makers, microwaves, food dispensing machines, and soda dispensing machines. Also, check into water bottle delivery services for those people who aren’t too big on caffeine and sugar drenched drinks. Vendors will give good deals or lower prices for larger organizations, but for smaller companies, it pays to work with local vendors who focus on customer satisfaction.
Patience
In order to play certain video games on a regular basis, you need a lot of patience. The same is true for running a gaming business. It’s going to take time for your company to grow. The chances are bigger that you won’t be an overnight success. It’s going to take years and years of hard work to get to where you want to be in the U.S. video gaming industry.
That’s okay. As long as you are seeing forward momentum, no matter how incremental it might be, you’re moving in the right direction. Believe in your company, believe in your employees, have some peace of mind, you’ll succeed in the long run.
