The board game market is experiencing an extraordinary boom. Board game "market". Entering foreign markets
You can order this report online right now by filling out a short form. Ordering a report does not oblige you to purchase it. After receiving the order for the report, our manager will contact you.
If this report does not suit you, you can:
- with specification of the report structure
- on your topic
- on your topic
Object of study
Market board games in Russia.
Purpose of the study
Current state and prospects of market development.
Research objectives
Volume, growth rates and dynamics of market development.
Volume and growth rates of production.
market segments.
The structure of consumption.
competitive situation.
Sales channels for products.
Market trends and prospects.
Factors that determine the current state and development of the market.
Factors hindering the growth of the market.
Characteristics of the main market participants.
Characteristics of market consumers.
The price level in the market.
Data collection method
The main method of data collection is document monitoring.
The main methods of data analysis are the so-called (1) Traditional (qualitative) content analysis of interviews and documents and (2) Quantitative (quantitative) analysis using software packages that our agency has access to.
Content analysis is performed as part of Desk Research (desk research). In general terms, the purpose of desk research is to analyze the situation on the board games market and obtain (calculate) indicators characterizing its state at present and in the future.
Data analysis method
Databases of the Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation, Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation (Rosstat).
Materials DataMonitor, EuroMonitor, Eurostat.
Printed and electronic business and specialized publications, analytical reviews.
Internet resources in Russia and the world.
Expert polls.
Materials of participants of domestic and world markets.
Results of researches of marketing and consulting agencies.
Materials of branch institutions and databases.
Price monitoring results.
Materials and databases of UN statistics (United Nations Statistics Division: Commodity Trade Statistics, Industrial Commodity Statistics, Food and Agriculture Organization, etc.).
Materials of the International Monetary Fund (International Monetary Fund).
Materials of the World Bank (World Bank).
Materials of the WTO (World Trade Organization).
Materials of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development).
Materials of the International Trade Centre.
Materials Index Mundi.
Results of the DISCOVERY Research Group.
Sample size and structure
The procedure for content analysis of documents does not involve the calculation of the sample size. All documents available to the researcher are subject to processing and analysis.
The research report consists of 7 chapters and 2 appendices.
Chapter 1 contains the methodological characteristics of the study: purpose, objectives, object, methods and information base of the study.
Chapter 2 is devoted to the classification and main characteristics of board games.
Chapter 3 contains information about the volumes of the world and Russian markets for board games.
Chapter 4 contains a description of the organization of the business for the production and sale of board games in Russia.
Chapter 5 contains information on the popularity of various board game genres, mechanics, and themes.
Chapter 6 is devoted to the description of the main problems and "pitfalls" of the business for the production and sale of board games in Russia.
Chapter 7 contains information about the main players in the board games market in Russia.
Appendix 2 is dedicated to the description of the most popular board games.
List of tables and charts 10
Tables: 10
Charts: 10
Chapter 1 Research Methodology 13
Object of study 13
Study Goal 13
Research objectives 13
Data collection and analysis method 13
Sources of information 13
Sample size and structure 14
Chapter 2. Classification and main characteristics of board games. fifteen
Definition 15
Board games computer games 15
Classification of board games 17
Four main groups 17
Classification by basic mechanics 19
Classification by the main function of the game 26
Classification by player demographics 28
Chapter 3. Main Characteristics of the Table Game Market 30
Global Board Game Market 30
Characteristics of the 30 global table games market
Spiel des Jahres 32 Award
Golden Geek Awards 33
Kickstarter and other crowdfunding platforms 35
Causes of the "boom" of board games in the world 41
Russian market of board games 47
The state of the board games market in Russia 47
Portrait of a consumer of board games 60
Main trends 68
Pricing principles 75
Market price comparison 79
Chapter 4. Organization of business 83
Game creation process 83
Marketing and distribution 89
Game release cost and profitability 91
Where they play board games: clubs and anti-cafes 96
Board games in cafes and restaurants 100
Guild of Experts ACNI 104
The process of creating a game on the example of the publishing house "Stupid Casual - Cosmodrome Games" 106
Chapter 5 Popularity of Various Genres and Topics 115
Demand for various genres in the market 115
The most popular genres of board games among domestic developers 116
Popular themes and genres of board games for consumers 120
Chapter 6. The main problems and "pitfalls" of the market 123
Difficulties of working with typography 123
Aftermarket Board Games 131
Chapter 7. Players of the table games market in Russia 136
Mosigra LLC / Magellan LLC 136
Hobby World ( hobby world) 143
Correct Games 162
Game Expert/ Lifestyle 165
Star 167
Igrology 169
League of Partisan Publishers 170
Appendix 2. About the most popular board games 176
The report contains 9 tables and 8 charts.
Table 1. The number of mechanic players and the coefficient of its growth.
Table 2. Prices for games published by the Mir Hobbi publishing house in the Mir Hobbi, Igroved, Mosigra stores, rub.
Table 3. Prices for games published by Igroved in the Hobby World, Igroved, Mosigra stores, rub.
Table 4. Prices for games published by Mosigra in Mir Hobby, Igroved, Mosigra stores, rub.
Table 5. Prices for games published by Zvezda in Mir Hobby, Igroved, Mosigra stores, rub.
Table 6. Prices for games published by the Right Games publishing house in Hobby World, Igroved, Mosigra stores, rub.
Table 7. General scheme of three ways of formalizing the relationship between the publisher and the author.
Table 8. Key indicators of Mosigra.
Table 9. Top 50 board games according to Tesera users.
Diagram 2. The structure of the world market of board games by country, in%.
Diagram 3. Topics of BGG board games released.
Diagram 4. Size of the board games market in Russia, billion rubles
Diagram 5. Sales structure of board games in Russia by store type, in %.
Diagram 6. Places where people play board games, %.
Chart 7. Favorite and least favorite topics of board games for consumers, %.
Chart 8. Favorite and least favorite genres of board games for consumers, %.
Other related research
| Study title | release date | price, rub. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Region: Russia | 22.12.18 | 45 000 | |
| Region: RF | 04.12.18 | 75 000 | |
| Region: Russia | 07.08.18 | 45 000 | |
| Region: Russia | 29.04.18 | 192 500 | |
| Region: Russia | 28.03.18 | 67 350 |
Hobby World founders Ivan Popov and Mikhail Akulov have known each other for almost 15 years; at first they were competitors, and since 2010 they have been working together. By merging two small publishing houses of board games, they made their company the No. 1 manufacturer in Russia in a few years. There are several hundred games in the Hobby World portfolio (including Munchkin, Colonizers, Imaginary, World of Tanks and other hits), the company cooperates with Disney and other giants, builds production in Tver and opens several Hobby stores every year Games in different cities. Last year, Popov and Akulov sold 1.5 million boxes in Russia, Europe and the US. Revenue exceeded 1 billion rubles. The plan for this year is 1.5 billion. The Secret tells how they managed to play such a game.
The history of toys
Hobby World co-founder Ivan Popov made his first board game in 1995 while at school. Inspired by the popular card strategy Magic: The Gathering, Popov and his friends Maxim Istomin and Alexey Demakov came up with a similar one - "Berserk". Until now, this is one of the hallmarks of Hobby World. Each player acts as a wandering magician: with the help of cards, choose your equipment, artifacts and abilities, gather an army and go to fight other players. After graduating from school, Popov, Istomin and Demakov tried to sell the rights to Berserk to game publishers, but they were refused everywhere.
For a while, each of the friends focused on their studies and careers (Popov, for example, became a surgeon), but then they decided to get together again to try to make their childhood dream come true. In mid-2003, they registered the Mir Fantasy company, held an online competition to select an artist, designed cards, and ordered the first print run from a printing house near Moscow.
The fantasy writer Nick Perumov helped to finalize the legend of the game. And for free. Later, he said on his forum that it was important for him to support a domestic publisher (“stop picking up crumbs from someone else’s table”). The writer was so inspired by the project that he was even going to write a story about the world of Berserk, but in the end he never wrote it.
The first print run, according to Popov's memoirs, was "ambitious" - a million cards at once. But the sheets turned out to be of poor quality, the picture looked gray, and everything had to be redone (“They were stored in a warehouse for a long time as a rarity, but then we burned it all in the forest, cooking barbecue”). The new circulation of Popov and Istomin was packed into 40,000 boxes and began to be sold through the website, book and music stores, and gaming clubs. The game quickly became popular. It was cheaper than Magic, which, moreover, was not translated into Russian at that time. Three years later, Berserk overtook Magic in sales, and the founders of Fantasy World left their main jobs for their favorite project.
From the very beginning, one of the counterparties of the World of Fantasy was the Smart company of Mikhail Akulov and his partner Ilya Karpinsky. In 2000, she opened the anti-cafe "Labyrinth" in Moscow, in which the main entertainment was board games - for example, Warhammer 40,000 or the same Magic. The cafe made money from entrance fees, tournaments and a bar. In 2004, the not very successful project was closed, but Popov and Akulov remained in touch. When the American publishing house Wizards of the Coast approached Akulov and his partner in 2006 and offered to distribute Magic in Russia, they recommended World of Fantasy as "knowledgeable".
Ivan Popov
Collaboration with Wizards of the Coast helped the young publisher make a leap in development - it became easier to negotiate with large sellers like book chains. Fantasy World games appeared, for example, in the Moscow House of Books, the company introduced not only card games, but also classic board games to its assortment. There was money for promotion through computer media and book publishers. A successful move was a partnership project with the World of Science Fiction magazine - a poster was placed between the pages, from which Berserk cards could be cut out. Popov knows that some fans have managed to assemble a complete game set from such cards.
In the same 2006, Akulov's "Smart" returned to the market and began releasing board games under license - for example, Carcassonne, World of Warcraft and StarCraft. Both companies, according to their founders, had small teams and "insignificant revenues," but Fantasy World seemed to be in better shape after all.
By 2008, Smart, according to Akulov’s recollections, had loans “from wherever possible,” and at some point, counterparties even stopped financing. “It mobilized us a lot,” says Akulov. “By the fall of 2009, we shifted our focus from book chains to specialized retail, sorted out debts to partners and doubled our turnover.”
The legend of the game "Berserk" was helped by science fiction writer Nick Perumov. Is free
The idea to unite the two publishing houses belongs to Akulov. He came with her to Popov back in 2008, but the competitor then refused. “I just arrived and quite brazenly said: let's buy you,” recalls Akulov. “Then there was a pause, several years passed, and in 2010 a similar proposal was received from Popov.” How they divided the shares of the new company, Popov and Akulov do not tell. They only note that some partners have already gone out of business. Now their "Shop of Miracles" and "World of Hobbies" are registered with Cypriot companies.
The staff initially consisted of five people: chief accountant, editor-in-chief, technical, commercial and general directors. Therefore, when it was necessary to load the car with goods, all the bosses were engaged in this. The deputy director of production is now the man to whom Popov once personally sold the Berserk right at the entrance to the subway.
Before the merger, "Fantasy World" and "Smart" earned about 3-4 million rubles a month. According to the founders of Hobby World, the merger resulted in a 60% increase in total revenue. Entrepreneurs hardly remember the figures, but they say that that moment coincided with a wave of interest in the “typical fantasy” genre. However, the board game market as a whole was flourishing at that time. The main products of the "Fantasy World" were still "Berserk" and Magic, as well as "Svintus" that appeared a little later, an analogue of the popular Crazy Eights and Uno. Smart had about 30 localized overseas games, including Settlers and the famous Munchkin. Having united in Hobby World, Popov and Akulov began to release novelties more actively. There were even board games based on the works of popular Russian writers. Together with Dmitry Glukhovsky they made "Metro 2033", with Grigory Chkhartishvili (Boris Akunin) - "Coronation".
The company's best-selling games, which have been popular for several years, are Munchkin, Settlers, Carcassonne, Ticket To Ride, Epic Battle Mages, and Svintus. Among the children's games, the founders of Hobby World distinguish Zootopia, Frozen, Turtle Race, Thinking and Imagination. The game is considered successful if it sells at least 300 copies per year, but the benchmark is 2000. For comparison, the total world circulation of the international hit "Munchkin" is more than 100,000 copies per year.
In the revenue structure of Hobby World, which last year, according to Popov and Akulov, reached 1 billion rubles, 60% is occupied by own games(including those developed by other companies and released under license), 40% - distribution of others. The plan for this year is 1.5 billion rubles of turnover. The entire market is valued at around $10 billion.
Production
Hobby World produces 80% of its games in Russia at a dozen factories, but there are games that cannot be licensed here, so they are printed by partners in foreign factories. Hobby World pays them a percentage of sales - usually 4-12%. But sometimes more - depending on the size of the brand and a number of conditions (for example, the reward will be less if Hobby World takes over the promotion).
The deputy director of production is now the man to whom Popov once personally sold the Berserk right at the entrance to the metro
"Patriotism - good word- says Akulov. “But we will not hide behind them: to produce in Russia is a business decision.” According to him, Russian factories provide the best value for money - the same can be done 30-50% cheaper. “The price of a Munchkin in America is $25, and we sell it for 890 rubles, which is about $15,” concludes the entrepreneur. At the same time, the founders of Hobby World claim that they use more expensive cardboard - because of "consumer exactingness." The fact is that in the Russian climate (hot in summer, cold in winter), for example, German fields are quickly deformed.
Russian contractors take cheap, but they do not work perfectly. It happens, for example, that after printing, the cards are twisted into a tube. This means that either the technologist made a mistake with the rigidity of the material and the fibers lay incorrectly, or there were too many chemicals in the paint. It can be difficult to prove the manufacturer's fault; he may claim that the customer stored the goods incorrectly. In the meantime, due to delays in the supply of games, networks are penalizing the company.
In order not to depend on other people's mistakes, since last year, Akulov and Popov have been consolidating production in one place - in Tver, they rented a workshop with an area of 3,000 square meters. m. There they are going to do everything (cards, fields, boxes), except for plastic parts and printing. According to Akulov, the company spent about $1 million to set up the production. When it is fully operational, it will be able to produce more than 100,000 games a month. “Another bonus of own production is the ability to quickly make a product,” Popov clarifies. - If in China this, together with negotiations, takes 130 days, then we can, having strained, make a party in two weeks. If this card games and not space edition. There are plans to lure other publishers to the Tver production.
Foreign partners
Even before the merger, Akulov and Popov had partners abroad. The former produced localized versions of Colonizers, Carcassonne, and Munchkin in Russia, while the latter distributed Magic. To enlist the favor of Western developers and publishers, Akulov traveled a lot to industry exhibitions: Internationale Spieltag Spiel, Gen Con, Origins Game Fair - and built relationships. This still has to be done: “Only since the beginning of the year I have flown 50,000 miles on negotiations.”
Now at exhibitions, a team of three people holds up to 70 meetings in a few days: “If the exhibition is large, then this is very tight work, a lot of running around, every 30 minutes there is a meeting,” says Akulov. At the biggest shows like the Internationale Spieltage and Gen Con, he says, there are usually up to ten halls, tens of thousands of people and a constant buzz. You need to have time to meet with potential partners in the intervals between sessions: talk, run to the place of another meeting in a minute, talk, run to the next one.
Akulov complains that for many, Russia is still "a wild, incomprehensible market where they can deceive, print left-wing circulations." Nevertheless, major publishers from Europe, the USA and China, such as Fantasy Flight Games, Asmodee, Abacusspiele and Esdevium, work with his company. To make sure the Russians don't start printing "left print runs," auditors from foreign partners routinely ask for financial information. Hobby World itself offers different variants circulation control - for example, buys plastic elements from a partner at a low price, by the number of which sales can be estimated. If a partner asks Hobby World not to sell a product because they consider it a clone of their game, Popov and Akulov do not. “We have always paid royalties honestly - ever since the time when business in Russia said:“ Don’t give a license? Then I will do everything without you, ”Akulov proudly. “Yes, even now some manufacturers do this, we never do it.”
One of the important foreign partners of Hobby World is Disney. Popov and Akulov's company received the rights to all brands (including Marvel and " Star Wars”) and develops games based on, for example, Zootopia, Frozen and Spider-Man. Negotiations with Disney have been going on for several months, and entrepreneurs have already begun to doubt whether they need this cooperation: a large contract with a large upfront payment, a lot of approvals and the difficulties of working with an influential licensee.
Mikhail Akulov
Disney, like any giant, is insured against various risks. For example, the company arranged a serious audit checking for the absence of slavery and child labor exploitation: “This is not a reply when a person ran in, saw that no one was chained to the battery, and left, but a really serious audit: Fire safety, first aid kit, working conditions, regulations,” recalls Akulov. At parting, the auditor said that he could return any day without warning.
Entering foreign markets
Hobby World products are marked with a European quality certificate, which allows the company to work, including for export: “These are our games that shot at exhibitions and won the hearts of Western players,” says Popov. Among them, for example, World of Tanks and Spyfall. Deliveries of Bastion and Master of Orion will begin soon. For European countries the company produces games in Russia, for American games - in China (from there it is more profitable to deliver).
The company began selling games in other countries five years ago: “For the first two years, we tried to understand what our Western partners wanted,” says Popov. - It is not only beautiful, high-quality and interesting game, but also unique in terms of the game engine, as a rule." The company has a branch only in Ukraine, in other countries its games are released by distributors: Cryptozoic Entertainment, Gigamic Games, Asmadi Games and others.
A special department is engaged in the analysis of demand in different regions in Hobby World, it is also looking for domestic and foreign authors. For the work, the authors are paid royalties from the boxes sold. Sometimes Hobby World buys a finished product, sometimes only a game engine, that is, a text description without pictures. The company also has two full-time producers and three freelance testers who help refine the rules. “We need to come up with rules, put mechanics in space, ancient world or somewhere else, and this may not fall on the consumer, ”says Akulov. “We have a lot of Western examples where a game sold great there, but did not arouse interest in Russia, and vice versa.”
Spyfall has been translated into more than 25 languages - more than 100,000 copies have been released in America, that is, one in three. “With her, we spent a particularly long time thinking about the setting and design,” says Popov. - thought what they would be English titles, because in Russian it is called "Finds for a spy", and then the new James Bond just came out.
Retail and exhibitions
“We are slowly opening new outlets,” says Popov, when it comes to another area of Hobby World's business - retail. “We never had plans to open 100 own stores in a year.” 12 Hobby Games stores (six in Moscow, two in St. Petersburg, one each in Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod and Novosibirsk) belong to Lavka Miracles LLC, which is registered with the same Cypriot companies as the publishing house (LLC Hobby World). Another 30 points in different cities are operated by franchisees.
Akulov suggests that by the end of 2017, the company will open two more stores on its own and about 20 franchisees. In its own retail, in addition to its games, Hobby World, as an exclusive distributor, sells localized games Days of Wonder, Wizards of the Coast, Fantasy Flight Games and Poker Range, original versions Valley Games Games, Steve Jackson Games and White Wolf Publishing, as well as "all board games that are represented in Russia." Revenue Hobby Games - more than 150 million rubles a year.
Back in 2009, Akulov's Smart company made the first board game festival in Russia, which was attended by 300 people. The only partner was the Life Style publishing house (its most popular games- Lost and Found, Corridor Deluxe, Pickmix). In 2013, the event was renamed Igrokon, and it became not just a game library, but a full-fledged festival. In 2016, about 20,000 people visited Gostiny Dvor. Now all partners and competitors of Hobby World participate in it. They pay the rent, Popov and Akulov take care of all other expenses.
“Patriotism is a good word,” says Akulov. “But we won’t hide behind them: producing in Russia is a business decision.”
Unlike giant foreign festivals, entry to Igrocon is free. The founders of Hobby World believe that this is the only way the festival will be able to promote the culture of board games to the masses. “In Germany, at the Internationale Spieltag Spiel, I would even raise the fee,” says Popov. - There people are more democratic and simple, they can play right on the floor, if there is no space, but we will swear. Although, probably, thank God, otherwise it would be impossible to pass.
In April 2017, DISCOVERY Research Group marketing agency completed
The board game market is experiencing an extraordinary boom today. Over the past four years, sales of board games have increased by 25-40% annually, thousands of new titles are released every year, top games sold in millions of copies. According to DISCOVERY Research Group, the size of the board games market in Russia in 2015 amounted to about 7.6 billion rubles. All leading players show an average sales growth of 20%. In 2016, the volume of the board games market in Russia amounted to about 9.1 billion rubles.
In 2016, the first place in the main nomination of the Spiel des Jahres 2016 award (“Game of the Year”) went to game CodeNames("Code Names") by Czech developer Vlady Chvatil. Isle of Skye: From Chieftain to King won the Expert Game of the Year (Kennerspiel des Jahres) nomination. The Kinderspiel des Jahres ("Children's Game of the Year") award winner was My First Stone Age.
Topics traditionally associated with "eurogames" are gaining momentum, and topics traditionally associated with "ameritrash" (a hobby of our world, but not ours) are achieving particularly significant results.
The board game industry in Russia is attracting more and more attention from developers and investors. 2008 is considered to be the starting year for the network retail market of board games. Between 2008 and 2011 The market showed almost tenfold growth. Today in Russia one can see a fully developed infrastructure: from the largest giants - such as "Hobby World" and "Mosigra" - to the recently created association "League of Partisan Solutions", which brought together independent creators.
According to DISCOVERY Research Group, the size of the board games market in Russia in 2015 amounted to about 7.6 billion rubles. All leading players show an average sales growth of 20%. In 2016, the volume of the board games market in Russia amounted to about 9.1 billion rubles.
Over the past 3-4 years, Russian companies have followed the American example of raising funds for board games - crowdfunding (Kickstarter, Boomstarter). Representatives of Hobby World were the first to look towards crowdfunding, they raised funds for the production of games Berserk, Hollywood. The company is actively developing its own Crowd Republic platform. In collaboration with Hobby World, another player on the market, Igrokon, launched the Septikon game project. The Right Games publishing house began its crowdfunding history with two projects on the domestic Boomstarter site. It was Evolution. Random mutations” and “For Scotland!”, then added to them updated version game "I'm Yours Understand 2".
In December 2016, CrowdRepublic raised funds for the release of the Russian edition of the main rulebook role play Pathfinder. Crowd Games entered the Boomstarter public funding platform with a Russian edition Scythe games("Sickle"), and "Play Store" - with Terraforming Mars ("Conquest of Mars"). At the end of the year, Pathfinder had already attracted 635 sponsors and raised more than 1.4 million rubles, Scythe - 378 sponsors and almost 2.7 million rubles, Terraforming Mars - 534 sponsors and more than 1 million rubles. The total contribution is almost 6 million rubles!
During the crisis, the consumer's desire to "tear the child away from the computer" was supplemented by the desire to save on leisure. Market players unanimously predict further growth in demand for board games.
Sales of board games in Russia increased by 3 billion rubles in 2017. When the market is covered by a supply of 25-30%, this option of activity allows you to make good money. Business payback can be achieved within 3-6 months. You can write games yourself, enter into contracts with authors, adapt Western analogues. There is an option to purchase a franchise. When investing from 300 thousand rubles. you can count on profitability up to 200%. "Hobby World" and "Igroved" are vivid examples of the organization of a similar business in Russia, which managed to reach multimillion-dollar turnover and conquer the Western market.
Is Board Games a Profitable Niche for Business?
In recent years, board games have been actively gaining popularity in Russia. In 2016 alone, the turnover of this market amounted to 10 billion rubles. How is this possible in the age of information technology, saturated mobile applications and computer programs for gamers?
The most commonly cited reasons for the active spread of desktop entertainment are:
- the desire of people to take a break from gadgets that have become an integral part of modern life;
- the possibility of live communication with loved ones in the circle of family or friends.
Reference! To date, more than 50 thousand varieties of board games have been created and distributed in the world.
Source: RBC
In Russia 10 years ago, only children's games with chips and dice from the Soviet past, checkers, chess, lotto, dominoes and several world bestsellers - Monopoly, Carcassonne and Scrabble could be found on the market.
The situation began to change from 2010-2011, when the first companies appeared that began to produce Western models under a franchise and develop their own versions of this kind of fun.
Currently, only 25-30% of the board games market is covered, which means you can make good money on this. It is important to take into account the features of this segment of the Russian economy:
- Competition between sellers is active in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In other regions of Russia, it is felt weakly.
- Games are most often an unplanned purchase. Therefore, it is important to know how much the inhabitants of a particular region are willing to spend on goods outside the list. In Moscow it is 1,000 rubles, in St. Petersburg - 700 rubles, in small towns - 300-500 rubles.
- AT major cities such entertainment is sold more efficiently in specialized board game stores, and in medium and small towns - in the departments of toys, leisure goods, gifts.
- The minimum circulation of one game is 500-600 pieces. - in a smaller quantity to produce such a product is unprofitable.
Interesting fact! The segment is characterized by the phenomenon of "chain advertising": out of 10 players who have completed several rounds in "Scrabble", "Uno" or other board game, 2-3 people will purchase a separate copy for themselves.
Source: Vedomosti
Business model: board games as a way to earn money
Why can the idea of producing and selling board games be considered a profitable business option in Russia?
- Firstly, according to statistics, even in the crisis years of 2014-2016, sales of computer entertainment fell by $150 million, and the board game market continued to grow.
- Secondly, with independent development and sale to a publisher, profitability can reach 200-300%.
- Thirdly, you don’t have to wonder where to find start-up capital - you can start with 5-10 thousand rubles.
- Fourth, it is important to understand that games with simple rules are most in demand.
Reference! Games of average complexity for children and teenagers in the price segment of 100-500 rubles are in higher demand on the Russian market. Expensive and complex board games for adults (500-3,000 rubles) are less popular.
Source: RBC
You should understand the practical nuances of opening a board game store
Business organization options
There are several options for organizing a business based on board games:
- Buying a franchise. A method for beginners that allows you to quickly find your customers and achieve payback in a few months.
- Independent development of games and their sale while maintaining authorship to a specialized publishing house. Initially, the author sends a prototype of the game to the publisher. If the latter is interested, a contract is concluded. The publisher bears all the costs of making and selling the game and assigns the proceeds, paying the author 3-10% of each released box.
- Independent development, production and sales of desktop entertainment. Such a risky and bold idea can be further diversified with printing based on prototypes of third-party authors.
Note! You can open a retail outlet by registering an IP. It is also worth considering the possibility of using the simplified taxation system (STS).
Product feature - first steps in business
Before starting a business based on board games, it is important to work out a number of important nuances in detail:
- The target audience. It is important to understand who the product is intended for: boys aged 15 or youth 25.
- Subject. Any board game has a different theme - knights, wars, dinosaurs, movies, etc. It depends on which shelf in the store it will fall on.
Important point! Topic and target audience should be in strict accordance with each other. Any buyer, considering the game, will always ask himself the question: “Is it for me?” and “Why should I buy it?”.
Before you start selling your game or franchise product, it's important to take a "cognitive resilience" test. To do this, you need to gather one or more groups of 6-8 people and, at the end of the game, answer the following questions:
- Are the rules of the game clear?
- Is the plot interesting?
- Are there any shortcomings and errors?
If the test results turn out to be disappointing, then it makes no sense to build a business based on the selected game option.
Important point! Technical questions matter. It is necessary to control the quality of printing images, the presence of constituent elements in packs (chips, card cubes, etc.). A box with a board game should be elegant, neat, stable and have a bright and memorable design.
Technical side
The purchase of equipment for printing, laminating, packaging games requires enormous costs. That is why you can use the services of third-party organizations.
Source: Habrahabr website
How to organize sales?
When opening a board game store, you can choose one of 3 options:
- Combined outlet. Along with the main product, toys, goods for recreation, hobbies, and leisure are sold here.
- Leisure club with point of sale. In this case, the fee is charged for the game in the game. In addition, players can buy desktop entertainment home, place bets, get a prize, buy a hamburger and cola, etc.
- Online store. The most reliable option that reduces the risk of investment. You can start selling with running games, and then expand the range.
Advice! The first batches of games can also be sold on the basis of agreements with the departments of toys and leisure goods in large supermarkets.
Advertising is the engine of sales
An important role in sales is played by advertising, which is based on word of mouth and social networks. Flyers (POS materials) are best distributed in shopping and entertainment areas. Advertising of partners, which consists in the exchange of Lithuanians with shops of toys and goods for recreation, also works effectively. A less effective option is advertising on a billboard, transport, and online ads.
The main segment of buyers - young people aged 25-35 years. In this regard, advertising near the cafe seems to be effective, educational institutions, fitness clubs.
Staff matters
The sales assistant of a table of a specific product must meet a number of requirements:
- to know in detail not only the composition of the boxes and the prescribed rules of the game, but also to understand it from the position of the player;
- understand what can be advised to the buyer, based on his age and interests;
- be able to interest in the game, explain its essence and order.
How much can you earn selling board games?
If the author transfers the game to the publisher and expects to receive royalties, then his costs will be about 5-10 thousand rubles. to create a game prototype. Typically, royalties are paid on the number of copies published, not on the number of copies sold. If the minimum lot is 500 pieces, then you can count on revenue of 25 thousand rubles, because:
- the average cost of a game is 1,000 rubles;
- average percentage author's fee - 5% of the cost.
In this case, payback can be achieved in the first month of operation. With other options for organizing a business, the situation is different.
| Cost item | franchise business | Independent business |
|---|---|---|
| Rental and renovation of premises | ||
| Purchase of commercial equipment | ||
| Business registration | ||
| Franchise fee | ||
| Franchise royalties | ||
| Staff salary | ||
| The cost of purchasing or printing the first batch of goods | ||
| Create your own website | ||
* - Independent business does not require payment of royalties and a lump-sum fee
** - The franchisor can provide the buyer with advertising materials and place ads on the website and in in social networks; he also partly bears the cost of design and printing of products.
Reference! According to statistics, an average of 50-100 game sets can be sold per month. The average revenue in this case will be 50-100 thousand rubles. In this scenario, you can count on payback within 3-6 months.
