As perhaps you’ve realized, large studios tend to be at the forefront of video games. However, to give you an illustration, in the past weeks, attention has been paid to Hypercharge Unboxed on Xbox, and this exemplifies what small indie teams can achieve through creativity and hard work. This title is being developed by the U.K.-based six-man team Digital Cybercherries.
Hypercharge Unboxed is a first-person shooter (FPS) with a nostalgic twist, reminiscent of movies like Small Soldiers and Toy Story. This unique theme has definetly helped the game achieve success. According to Joe Henson, a member of Digital Cybercherries, Hypercharge Unboxed has sold 80,000 units on Xbox within just a couple of weeks since its release. This impressive feat places the game at number three in the “Top Paid Games” category on the U.S. Xbox store.
The sales figures for Hypercharge Unboxed were confirmed by GameDiscoverCo, which uses public data to estimate player numbers. Since 2017, Hypercharge has sold about 250,000 units on Steam. Its recent debut on Xbox has been especially impressive. In the past three months, Hypercharge Unboxed ranked sixth among the top new non-free-to-play, non-Game Pass Xbox games, including both physical and digital sales. This ranking is notable given that many popular titles now launch directly on Game Pass.
Several key factors have contributed to the game’s success on Xbox:
- Hypercharge Unboxed offers local splitscreen multiplayer, a feature that is increasingly rare in modern games. This has created a unique niche for the game, appealing to both parents and their children.
- The game’s engaging visuals and unique concept have been important in its viral marketing campaigns. From the initial announcement on Twitter to viral TikToks, the social media strategy for Hypercharge Unboxed has been highly effective. For example, one TikTok video alone garnered 1.2 million likes.
- Hypercharge Unboxed offers a rich gaming experience with no in-app purchases. For example, as one Xbox user noted, “This game is pure fun and not a money grab like most games today.”
A significant aspect of Hypercharge Unboxed’s success is its strategic use of social media. Between May 1st and 31st, the game’s social media accounts achieved impressive engagement: 14 million views on TikTok, 4 million on Instagram Reels, 7.5 million on Twitter, and 3.5 million on Facebook Reels. This social media buzz resulted in nearly 10,000 pre-orders and 23,000 Xbox wishlists, demonstrating the power of well-executed social campaigns.
Joe Henson shared an insightful tip about their approach: “I often revisit successful TikTok videos to analyze their performance data, such as viewer retention rates. This analysis helps me identify exactly when viewers tend to lose interest. I then use this insight to make targeted edits to the original video.”
One interesting question is why the team chose to launch on Xbox first, especially given that the PlayStation platform has a larger install base. The decision was primarily due to the team’s limited bandwidth, the indie-friendly nature of Xbox, and the positive response from Xbox players. However, a PlayStation version is likely on the horizon, considering the game’s success.
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