The Unity Asset Store is home to tens of thousands of assets and tools that power game development worldwide.
The Asset Store doesn’t just help game creators – it fuels the creativity of skilled 2D and 3D artists, developers, and audio producers around the world. It’s through this hub that they distribute assets to fund their innovative projects, while simultaneously supporting other creators who strive to realize their own ambitions. It’s no wonder that the number of publishers keeps on growing, with new tools and art packs popping up daily.
While most creators are focused on releasing the best packages possible, they might require some assistance for merchandising their assets. That’s why, in this blog, we’ll unpack a number of resources for developing your Asset Store listing page. Find out how to be discovered in search, with essentials that’ll inspire others to keep checking back for your next big release.
The world of game development is driven by diverse developers. This means that there’s always a huge demand for new and unique assets. In fact, the desire for your asset might already exist, but among an ever-expanding catalog, you must actively guide developers to find your offerings.
As with any online store, users tend to go straight to the search bar to look for what they want. So how do you ensure that your asset shows up in relevant searches?
Start by thinking about the words that prospective buyers might use in their search, then write down those terms. This way, you’ll be prepared to craft an asset description that naturally includes them. For example, you can add in a line that reads something like, “This asset is a good fit for game developers looking for [insert those terms here].” Such attention to detail can make all the difference.
Before purchasing a new asset, users want to verify whether it’s a good fit for their project. From your marketing messaging to product shots and videos, strong visuals can grab the attention of prospective buyers, and give them a better sense of what they can achieve.
There are three main images to consider – your asset icon, display card, and cover image – and they’re all conducive to your marketing. Check out these fast-track ideas to make your product visuals snazzier:
1. Creators of art-based assets will definitely want to show snapshots of their art to emphasize a cohesive aesthetic. Be sure to incorporate your publisher logo on Asset Store icons for further visibility, and whenever possible, use a specific font and text layout overlay on images to keep things consistent. Some publishers with a distinctly recognizable style include Protofactor Inc., Synty Studios, and Distant Lands.
Whether you’re working on 2D or 3D art, you can use Unity’s post-processing stack to create high-quality screenshots. This makes for engaging marketing material – just take a look at the visuals from Castle Valley Collection 1 by Goatogrammetry.
Additionally, if your art asset comprises an entire scene or setting, you might want to embed a YouTube video on your page to walk users through the world you’ve created, just as Synty did with POLYGON Fantasy Kingdom.
2. Creators focused on tools should highlight product functionality. For examples of publishers who’ve done a great job visually representing their tools’ capabilities, see Opsive (Behavior Trees for Everyone), Will Hong (Dynamic Bone), and More Mountains (Feel).
For more granularity, why not demonstrate how your tool works directly in-Editor? Use the Unity Recorder via Package Manager to create short clips (or even GIFs) for your product page.
3. Finally, creators of audio assets should leverage imagery that accurately captures the type of characters, actions, game settings, or overall mood that their audio pairs well with.
If you’re only working with audio clips and have no product visuals handy, we suggest scrolling through royalty-free stock photos on libraries such as Pexels and Unsplash. From there, use the editing software of your choice to resize selected images, and overlay basic text to describe the audio. For free image editing, we recommend Canva. Some examples of audio asset creators with descriptive icons for their audio packs are Cafofo (Animal Sounds), WOW Sound (RPG Magic), and John Leonard French (Minimal Orchestral).
It’s worth adding Soundcloud or Mixcloud links to your page so that buyers can actually sample some of the audio in your package.
Now that you’ve caught your audience’s attention with sleek icons and product previews, you’ll want to make sure that buyers have all they need to set up the asset. This is particularly important for complex tools.
To facilitate a smooth setup, link your product to detailed documentation. This will empower users to resolve issues firsthand, and help you manage direct customer contact.
Don’t have any documentation yet? Create yours with GitBook, which has a free plan that covers the basics for publishers. For when users do require additional support, you should also clearly specify how they should reach you – whether that’s through an email address, a Discord server that you set up, or any other preferred method.
For the most rewarding Asset Store experience, you’ll want to spread the word about your assets – and the work being done with them – on social media. Encourage users to share what they’ve built with your tools or art by having them tag your handle and use specific hashtags.
Once you’ve seen some interesting projects built with your assets, ask for the creator’s permission to display them on the asset listing page. This lets potential buyers know what’s possible.
Take a look at these publishers who’ve created stellar product listings:
Whether you just found out about publishing assets, or have become a veteran Asset Store publisher over time, it’s crucial to develop an Asset Store product listing page with best practices from this post, as well as inspiration from fellow publishers.
Use this space to express yourself and fulfill your vision. With well over a million creators visiting the Asset Store each month, you’ll have millions of opportunities to let your creations shine! 🌟