Pre-production research for game publishers

We tell publishers what their next game should look like — before a single asset is built.

Multi-month visual and cultural research for AAA, mid-core and casual studios. Typical engagement: 3–6 months, $50,000–$100,000. NDA by default.

Request a Proposal See Case Studies

Who We Are

A research-led studio based in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Arizona Apps helps publishers and studios de-risk the most expensive decisions in game production: visual direction, cultural fit, and audience expectation per region. We run focused, multi-month research programs that end with a concrete, defendable visual brief — not a slide deck full of opinions.

When we are not running studies for clients, we apply the same insights to our own casual games. That feedback loop keeps the methodology honest.

7+
years of pre-production research
40+
completed engagements
14
regions covered
100%
projects under NDA

What We Do

Two tightly-scoped practices. Everything else, we say no to.

Abstract illustration of regional visual research

Market & Visual Research for Games

We answer one question for a publisher: "Will this game land in this region, and what should it look like to land hard?" Each engagement runs 3 to 6 months with a typical budget of $50,000 to $100,000.

  • Regional visual benchmark vs. top-grossing comparators
  • Audience archetypes and visual preference testing
  • Cultural review — symbolism, color, character design, UI tropes
  • Concept art and key-art A/B testing with target audiences
  • Final report with a defendable visual brief and art direction guardrails
Abstract illustration of casual mobile game development

Casual Game Development

We build our own casual mobile games using the playbook we sell. Smaller scope, faster cycles, real revenue, real lessons. We also take on partner casual builds when the brief is clear and the timeline is sane.

  • Hyper-casual and mid-casual mobile games (iOS / Android)
  • Soft-launch strategy in Tier-2 markets
  • In-house art direction informed by our own research
  • Live ops and retention design

How an Engagement Runs

Four phases. No theatrics. Each phase ends with a written deliverable a publisher can hand to their board.

01 — Brief & Scope

Two-week intake. We sign the NDA, lock the research questions, and agree on the regions, audience segments and success criteria.

02 — Field Research

Six to twelve weeks of qualitative and quantitative work: regional benchmarks, panels, focus groups, comparator playtests, in-context observation.

03 — Synthesis & Visual Lab

Four to six weeks of internal work: concept art rounds, A/B testing of key art, color and UI experiments, cultural sanity review.

04 — Recommendations

A defendable visual brief, art direction guardrails, regional do/don't lists, and a one-hour executive readout with the publisher's leadership.

Case Studies

All names, IPs and exact figures are anonymized under NDA. Numbers below are rounded and approved for public reference by each client.

Canada

Visual repositioning for an open-world action title

Tier-1 North American publisher

A flagship open-world action IP was scoring well in playtests but flat in pre-launch marketing. We ran a 5-month visual research program across CA, US and UK to find out why the key art was underperforming in the publisher's home market.

Engagement budget
$85,000
Duration
5 months
Reported client outcome: ~$1.2M saved on a planned key-art reshoot; launch-window wishlist conversion +34% vs. internal forecast.
Germany

Cultural and UI fit for a mid-core survival game in DACH

European mid-core studio

A mid-core survival title launched globally and underperformed specifically in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. We ran a 4-month diagnostic across the DACH audience covering iconography, UI density, and tone of voice in onboarding.

Engagement budget
$65,000
Duration
4 months
Reported client outcome: Year-1 DACH revenue ≈ €4.7M after the relaunch; DAU in the region +28% within 90 days.
France

Pre-production art direction for a narrative adventure

Boutique French-Canadian studio

Before greenlight, the studio asked us to validate the proposed art direction for a narrative adventure aimed at the French and French-Canadian markets. We ran a 3-month study with focus groups in Paris, Lyon and Montréal.

Engagement budget
$55,000
Duration
3 months
Reported client outcome: Top-3 PSN France during launch month; ≈ €2.1M revenue in the first quarter post-release.

Our Casual Games

Where we eat our own cooking. Internal IPs, soft-launched in Tier-2 markets and used as live test beds for the research practice.

Mid-casual idle / decoration

Pocket Atelier

A cozy decoration loop with a soft progression curve. Soft-launched in PH and ZA, currently in scale-up.

Hyper-casual puzzle

Tile Rangers

A tile-matching puzzle built specifically to validate our hypotheses on color preference in the LATAM market.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a typical research engagement run, and what does it cost?
Three to six months. Typical budget $50,000 to $100,000, billed in three milestones tied to written deliverables. Out-of-scope work is quoted separately, never invoiced as a surprise.
Who do you work with?
AAA and mid-core publishers, casual studios with a serious launch budget, and platform holders. We are happy to work with smaller studios when the question is sharp and the budget matches the scope.
How do you handle confidentiality?
Every engagement starts with a mutual NDA. Internal access is need-to-know. Raw research material is destroyed on request at the end of the engagement. All client names, IPs and exact figures on this site are anonymized.
Do you develop gambling, casino or betting games?
No. We do not research, develop, advise on or market gambling, casino, betting or loot-box-as-gambling products. This is a hard line.
Can you actually build the game after the research?
For casual scope — yes, in-house. For AAA / mid-core scope, we hand the visual brief to the client's production team and stay on as an advisor through pre-production milestones if requested.

Start a Conversation

Send a brief description of the title, the regions you are worried about, and your target launch window. We respond within two business days. NDA available on request before the first call.

Email: hello@arizona-apps.com