Boss: Launch day

Play this quiz

Quick check

Why do consoles usually come later for a tiny studio, after the web or the phone stores?

  1. Console players don't like indie games
  2. Consoles need approval, a dev kit and certification, so they add the most work of any channel
  3. Consoles only sell games that cost over US$60
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Consoles need approval, a dev kit and certification, so they add the most work of any channel

Every channel adds work, and consoles add the most: approval from the console maker, a dev kit, certification and age ratings. Small studios do one or two channels well first.

DNS pick

DNS records for ourstudio.com
Type   Name  ContentA      @     192.0.2.44CNAME  play  hyper-shards.pages.devMX     @     mail.ourstudio.comTXT    @     google-site-verification=abc123

Google Search Console asks Remy to prove the studio owns ourstudio.com. Which line does that?

  1. Line 2
  2. Line 3
  3. Line 5
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Line 5

Line 5 is a TXT record: a note that proves ownership to Search Console. Line 2 points the domain at a number address, and line 3 points play.ourstudio.com at our game on Cloudflare.

Quick check

Which part of a PWA saves the game files on the device, so Hyper Shards works with no internet?

  1. The manifest
  2. The service worker
  3. The CDN
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The service worker

The service worker caches the game files and hands them over when there's no connection. The manifest gives the name, icons and display mode.

Store fee math

A small studio sells a US$4.00 Garden Defense item, and the store keeps about 15%. Ignoring tax, how much reaches the studio?

  1. US$0.60
  2. US$3.40
  3. US$2.80
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US$3.40

15% of US$4.00 is 60 cents, so we receive US$3.40. US$2.80 is what a bigger seller paying 30% would get.

Key trouble

Kai, #dev
My laptop died, and the Garden Defense upload key was only on it. Play App Signing is turned on. Is the game doomed?

What should Remy answer?

  1. Yes, the game can never be updated again
  2. No. Google holds the app signing key, so we request an upload key reset in Play Console, then back up the new key
  3. No problem, we can upload a debug build instead
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No. Google holds the app signing key, so we request an upload key reset in Play Console, then back up the new key

With Play App Signing, Google keeps the real signing key and can reset a lost upload key. Stores never accept debug builds, and this time the new key gets a backup.

Quick check

Why make a Steam "coming soon" page long before launch?

  1. So players can wishlist the game and hear when it launches
  2. Because early pages make the fee cheaper
  3. So Valve will finish the game for us
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So players can wishlist the game and hear when it launches

Wishlisters get told when the game launches, which gives it a strong first week and helps Steam show it to more players.

Quick check

A new personal Google Play account must run a closed test with a group of real testers for about two weeks before it can publish.

Show the answer

True

That is the rule for new personal accounts at the time of writing, and the exact numbers can change. It catches problems early, so start inviting testers well before launch day.

Quick check

Remy wants a new Garden Defense update to reach only 5% of players first. What is that called?

  1. A staged rollout
  2. A CDN
  3. Certification
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A staged rollout

A staged rollout releases an update to a small share of players first. If crashes jump, the team pauses it before everyone is affected.