For individual game developers, all they need to create a game is a powerful laptop, super fast broadband and great coding skills. For larger gaming companies, their needs are far greater. Aside from selling their latest products on platforms like Steam, they may still want to sell hard copies for consoles and PCs.
The continuing popularity of the PlayStation and Xbox prove that games on disc still have their place. From its launch in 2013 to June 2017, the PS4 has sold 63.3 million units worldwide. Other consoles such as the Nintendo Switch are proving similarly popular. To cater for PS4, Switch and Xbox players, gaming companies have customers and retailers to deliver to.
Bulk Deliveries
For a big game launch, delivering thousands or even millions of discs will need to have couriers to help them get it out. Aside from selling to specialist gaming stores, there are also department stores, supermarkets and major online marketplaces to take into account. All of them will need bulk deliveries of different games to cope with demand.
To save themselves the job of organizing the deliveries themselves, gaming companies rely on parcel delivery services. They take control of everything when sending on the finished games to customers. This starts with picking up hard copies from the end of the production line, move them to their warehouse and organize delivery and shipping to different parts of the world.
Saving Time
More than anything else, having a courier service saves gaming companies time. Arranging deliveries to multiple addresses, organizing packaging and ensuring that parcels are delivered on schedule can be a time-consuming process. In the wrong hands, it could go badly wrong, leaving many customers feeling dissatisfied.
Couriers are at their most useful in the run-up to Christmas. At this time of year, reliable delivery is extremely important. Failure to send parcels to customers can prove to be really expensive. In the UK last year, failed deliveries around Christmas time cost retailers £3 billion ($3.9 billion) in lost sales and refunds.
Gaming companies of all sizes need a courier by their side to handle some of the smaller deliveries as well. The smaller companies are less likely to do bulk deliveries, but may want orders to the same area done in one trip. Independent gaming firms will find this useful, saving them multiple trips and other tasks such as finding different addresses.
Security Concerns
Aside from providing good customer service, delivery services also prove useful for handling sensitive packages. These could include demonstration or review copies of games, contracts for suppliers and promotional material such as catalogues and leaflets. Accessories such as gamepads and ergonomic mice can also be delivered securely.
In terms of security, a courier firm would be trustworthy and reliable. For those sensitive files and specialist deliveries, they help to keep many in the gaming industry in business. By doing the deliveries themselves, gaming companies will find less time on their hands to create the next Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto due to all of the extra admin.