EXCENT VR Game Market Entry Strategy
Industry
Technology (VR Gaming)
Client
eXcent Group (Industrial Solutions Provider)
Duration
Feb – March 2024
Location
Toulouse, France (On-Site)
Objective, Challenge and Outcome
Objective
Guide eXcent’s transition from industrial VR solutions to the B2C gaming market by developing a data-driven marketing and commercialisation strategy.
Challenge
- No prior B2C gaming experience; risk of brand misalignment.
- Needed pricing, distribution, and promotion plans tailored to VR gaming trends.
Outcome
- Delivered a 4Ps marketing mix with tiered pricing and platform recommendations.
- Client deferred launch but prioritised prototype upgrades based on our strategic insights.
My Role & Contributions
Role: Marketing Strategy & Insights Lead
Marketing Mix Development (4Ps)
- Product: Advised on feature prioritisation (multiplayer, horror/simulation genres) based on market gaps.
- Price: Proposed 3-tier pricing (Freemium to €20.99) after analysing 20+ SteamVR games.
- Place: Recommended SteamVR/Epic Games Store (60% market share for VR consoles).
- Promotion: Designed influencer campaign blueprint (Twitch/YouTube) modelled after Half-Life: Alyx.
Stakeholder Alignment
- Bridged gaps between eXcent’s XR Studio (focused on graphics) and leadership (focused on ROI) by translating technical capabilities into commercial terms.
- Co-presented recommendations to Antoine Jeunet (Innovation Lead), Toulouse Business School and Nottingham Business School Advisors.
Conflict Resolution
- Addressed team misalignment during brand-image debates and resolving team communication issues.
Project Team & Stakeholders
| Team | Role | Vendors/Partners |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Consultants | Market Strategy & Insights, Market Research, Competitive Analysis, Product Feature Analysis, Financial Modelling, etc. | SteamVR, Grand View Research |
| eXcent XR Studio | Prototype Development | Meta Quest, HTC Vive |
| C-Suite Executives | Strategic Decision-Makers | Toulouse Business School. Nottingham Business School (Advisors) and eXcent Innovation Manager |
Budget: Budget constraints were defined by client priorities (e.g., ROI focus over upfront costs).
Methodology & Approach
Framework: Hybrid Agile-Waterfall (Aligning strategic planning with iterative feedback)
Discovery Phase (Contributions)
- Competitive Benchmarking:
- Analysed 20+ top SteamVR titles (e.g., Beat Saber, Half-Life: Alyx) to identify pricing trends and feature gaps.
- My Role: Led genre-specific revenue comparisons to inform pricing strategy.
- User Personas
- Mapped 4 VR gamer segments (Power Gamers, Social Gamers, etc.) using:
- Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs-state alignment.
- Steam review analysis for behavioural insights.
- Your Role: Defined persona-driven promotion tactics (e.g., challenges for Power Gamers, social features for Explorers).
Execution Phase (Ownership)
- 4Ps Strategy Development:
- Price: Created a tiered pricing model (Explorer to Legend tiers) using:
- Value-based pricing
- Competitor price benchmarks.
- Promotion: Designed influencer campaign framework (Twitch/YouTube) based on:
- Half-Life: Alyx’s success
- VR multiplayer engagement data.
- Stakeholder Alignment:
- Translated technical capabilities (e.g., photorealistic graphics) into commercial terms for leadership.
- Tool: PowerPoint decks with data visualisations
Monitoring & Adaptation
- Progress Tracking
- Collaborated via Microsoft Teams and on-site for weekly creative team sessions.
- Tracked and monitored progress using Monday.com.
Tools
- Data Analysis: Excel, VGInsights, SteamDB
- Collaboration: Monday.com, Microsoft Teams
- Presentation: PowerPoint, Canva (Interactive Dashboards)
Key Deliverables & Impact
Deliverables
- 36-page market report with genre-specific ROI tables (Sample Slide).
- Sales strategy deck featuring influencer partnerships and subscription models.
Impact
- Client Decision: eXcent deferred market entry pending further prototype refinement based on our findings.
- Strategic Value: Identified Asia Pacific (24.9% CAGR) as a future growth market, prompting eXcent to explore localisation partnerships.
Metrics
- 92% client satisfaction score (TBS feedback).
- 25% reduction in projected customer acquisition costs (CAC) via influencer collaborations, based on:
- Benchmarking against Half-Life: Alyx's successful 2020 campaign (1.5M views from the Tested channel)
- Analysis of VR gaming engagement trends showing multiplayer/social games generate 30% higher avg. revenue.
- SteamDB data showing community-driven titles required 40% less paid advertising.
Lessons Learned
- Data Limitations: Recognised gaps in ROI modeling (e.g., reliance on SteamDB averages without client-specific cost data).
- Stakeholder Communication: Proactive communication with new team members was critical.