How To Design Founder Packs That Pop
October 11, 2021
Planning and launching a pre-order campaign is a crucial first step in any game’s release. Not only does it help bring in early-stage funding, but it also builds a community of fans who can share feedback, promote the game through word of mouth, and remain loyal customers long after launch.
A big part of pre-order campaigns is deciding what to offer in founder packs. Early access is a given, but there are a dozen other considerations that need to be taken into account, everything from pricing to which exclusives to offer.
There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for designing founder packs, but there are some best practices you can follow to create founder packs that pop.
Designing founder packs that POP:
No two pre-launch campaigns are the same, but there are a few minimum features nearly all founder packs provide:
Don’t Just Tell, Show
It may be tempting to create long descriptions of your founder pack exclusives and leave it at that. After all, this is early in the game’s development, you probably haven’t had time to devote to pre-release extras.
The old adage about pictures being worth a thousand words is absolutely true. Make it a priority to develop assets for your exclusives as early as possible. Concept sketches and renders are good, but to really impress people, have a finished piece of art ready to show the moment pre-orders are open. Nobody wants to read about what you plan on delivering, they want to see it, ready to use.
Pick the Perfect Price Point
Many, many studios stall when it comes to setting prices for founder packs. Go too low and you risk revenue reduction and devaluing of your work. Go too high and fewer players will hit the buy button on impulse.
The golden rule for pricing founder packs is to consider the what and when: what you are offering, and when you are releasing it. The sooner in the cycle, you offer packs, the lower the price and the smaller the set of features. Later in the cycle you can bump the price up and add newer, more impressive extras.
Early game access during the pre-order window should stay low, usually in the $20-40 range. Later in the release you can up the price to $50-70 and focus on bigger features, including DLC and add-on quests.
Final Thoughts
Nearly three-quarters of all gamers pre-order titles, with half of those making it a regular practice. They buy for guaranteed day one access, of course, but exclusive content and the chance to participate in development are big motivational factors.
The benefits of offering good founder packs go beyond securing early-stage funding. It brings new players on board during the development phase, most of whom are eager to play early builds and offer feedback that can help improve the game. It’s a win for everyone.
Start selling your own founder packs with Xsolla’s easy to use solutions. No upfront cost, just a direct line to your players. Get started today.
A big part of pre-order campaigns is deciding what to offer in founder packs. Early access is a given, but there are a dozen other considerations that need to be taken into account, everything from pricing to which exclusives to offer.
There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for designing founder packs, but there are some best practices you can follow to create founder packs that pop.
Designing founder packs that POP:
- Remember the minimum features.
- Keep the offerings small but valuable.
- Don’t over-promise and under-deliver.
- Show, don’t tell.
- Create a friendly price point.
No two pre-launch campaigns are the same, but there are a few minimum features nearly all founder packs provide:
- Day one or early access to pre-release builds of the game.
- Access to developer message boards for feedback and updates.
- Exclusive in-game items or virtual currency.
- Free copies of the studio’s previous titles.
- Offer 2-4 founder packs at a time, no more.
- Give those founder packs 3-5 extras, no more.
- Make all options easy to understand at a glance.
Don’t Just Tell, Show
It may be tempting to create long descriptions of your founder pack exclusives and leave it at that. After all, this is early in the game’s development, you probably haven’t had time to devote to pre-release extras.
The old adage about pictures being worth a thousand words is absolutely true. Make it a priority to develop assets for your exclusives as early as possible. Concept sketches and renders are good, but to really impress people, have a finished piece of art ready to show the moment pre-orders are open. Nobody wants to read about what you plan on delivering, they want to see it, ready to use.
Pick the Perfect Price Point
Many, many studios stall when it comes to setting prices for founder packs. Go too low and you risk revenue reduction and devaluing of your work. Go too high and fewer players will hit the buy button on impulse.
The golden rule for pricing founder packs is to consider the what and when: what you are offering, and when you are releasing it. The sooner in the cycle, you offer packs, the lower the price and the smaller the set of features. Later in the cycle you can bump the price up and add newer, more impressive extras.
Early game access during the pre-order window should stay low, usually in the $20-40 range. Later in the release you can up the price to $50-70 and focus on bigger features, including DLC and add-on quests.
Final Thoughts
Nearly three-quarters of all gamers pre-order titles, with half of those making it a regular practice. They buy for guaranteed day one access, of course, but exclusive content and the chance to participate in development are big motivational factors.
The benefits of offering good founder packs go beyond securing early-stage funding. It brings new players on board during the development phase, most of whom are eager to play early builds and offer feedback that can help improve the game. It’s a win for everyone.
Start selling your own founder packs with Xsolla’s easy to use solutions. No upfront cost, just a direct line to your players. Get started today.
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