PREVAL Game Evaluations: Unlock Expert-Level Knowledge
Background
You probably don’t need us to tell you that game development is hard, right? From single-dev indie games to AAA blockbusters, all game devs are united in one thing: it’s tough to make any game, let alone one that can give players that oh-ah-ah sensation. And don’t even get us started on the difficulty of cutting through the noise once you launch! We know the struggle is real.
You need Off Base. Our PREVAL™ game evaluations are a critical service that allows you to unleash the full potential of your game. We’ve got seasoned industry experts including former games journalists and development staff, all who live and breathe games, that are chomping at the bit to tear at your game, uncovering its sweet meats to help you identify hidden issues and untapped opportunities.
Challenge
Our analysis delves into your game at a variety of levels, breaking down elements like gameplay, story, user interface, and more to give you a full rundown of what’s hot and what’s not about your game. We’ll even be able to give you a full prediction of the critical reception of your game, including the Metacritic score. From gray-box prototypes to gold master candidates, we can tackle your title at any stage of the development process:
- Early Development (1+ years from launch): Our clients often require support in reviewing vertical slices or alpha builds to inform the next steps in development. They’re unsure where the overall strengths and weaknesses of the game lie. So we call in one of our experts to provide critical input at the ideal time, when shifts and changes can be more smoothly implemented.
- Mid-Development (1 year > 3 months before launch): In mid-production, our clients are deep in the trenches of bug fixing and refinement. We frequently get requests to review beta builds to provide consistent, hands-on feedback to the development team. This approach allows us to walk alongside the project at every stage, providing a continuous stream of supportive feedback to nudge the game in the right direction during the crucial final months of development.
- Gold Master (1-2 months before launch): Congratulations, you’ve gone gold! Now how do you sell this thing? What are your standout features? Do you have any potential problematic points to address? Our clients typically need help with how to position their game successfully in the market. These reviews help empower PR and marketing strategies with keen advice on the overall strengths and weaknesses of their title and a confident prediction of their final Metacritic score.
Solution
Off Base has seen it all, and we’re able to support you at any state of a game’s production. Whether it’s a small vertical slice or a complete build, we can evaluate a title and set it up for success. We offer four varieties of evaluations, each with unique levels of feedback:
- On-Site Evaluations, which typically take the form of 300-500 word questionnaire reports and 1 hour recorded video interview with our experts
- Focused Evaluations, typically 1K-1.5K word detailed reports more in the style of published reviews
- Premium Evaluations, comprehensive, 1.5K-3K word evaluations where we really get in deep with your game, breaking it down into individual sections so you can magnify each aspect of your game
- Custom Evaluations, our most intensive 3K+ word tailored analysis where along with what you find in a Premium Evaluation, we’ll laser focus on any additional aspects you need examined
Results
Not to toot our own ocarinas or anything, but the Metacritic predictions included in our PREVAL evaluations are pretty damn accurate; in most cases, we’re able to pinpoint a future score within THREE points of the final results. In a recent example, we offered PREVALs for a title at the vertical slice, beta, and gold stages of development. The developer was able to make adjustments at each stage, based on our analysis, and watch their potential Metacritic rise until landing on a perfect prediction from our staff.
Contact
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