Unity Asset Store is a marketplace for game developers with more than 1.7 million monthly users. On this platform, you can find nearly anything you need for your game: 2D and 3D models, characters, environments, animations, props, audio assets, SDKs, etc.
Apart from simplifying the creative process for game makers, Unity Asset Store also provides a platform for asset developers, allowing them to sell their products at the prices they set.
It sounds idyllic, but finding clients and achieving success takes work. There are a few main steps you need to take if you want to publish on Unity Asset Store:
- Make sure that this business is the right option that will work for you;
- Do research to find the gaps in the asset market;
- Build a community of clients who will buy your assets.
Multiplatform asked Ashish Gawale (Ash Dev) to share his Unity Asset Store guidelines for those who are about to try themselves in this field.
Ashish is one of over 12,000 active users who publish on Unity Asset Store. He has been creating assets for three years and succeeded in building a community of indie developers around him. Ashish actively communicates with his clients, sharing his knowledge by providing helpful advice.
He discussed his experience with us, explained how to start a career in this field, and what you need to build a good reputation and form a community of developers who trust you.
Unity Asset Store guidelines: how to build a business publishing assets?
To start with, I’ll briefly tell you how I began to publish on Unity Asset Store. Actually, I started with wanting to make a rally racing game. So, I posted videos of vehicle physics I made. People liked it and wanted to buy it from me. That’s how I started my career as an asset publisher.
Till now, I have made mostly racing games related assets. Now, the vehicle physics market is saturated, so I am finding other areas to work on, such as eliminating repeated work for devs. For example, my new project is adding a control rig for a character with just one click. And input switch (switching the old input system to the new in Unity in one click).
Why choose asset publishing as a career?
I like solving problems. My favorite subjects are math and physics. An important part of my work is getting feedback from devs and making better products — that’s how I can use my passion for problem-solving. This is what makes this job a perfect option for me.
Another reason I chose this field is because I want to be free. Being a freelancer gives me much more freedom than a regular job would.
Though there are some challenges, of course. For example, staying motivated is hard sometimes because there is no one who would tell me what to do. I am a pretty lazy person, which is why this is challenging for me. This job demands a high level of self-organization.
Also, finding devs’ problems is a bit challenging, as I need to be continuously talking to them and searching for solutions.
Communication is necessary to promote your Unity asset publisher career. Game developers should see that you are interested in solving their problems and offering them a high-quality product that will fit their needs.
Financial details
Collaboration with Unity Asset Store works well for me. When you’re just uploading the assets, Unity takes a 30% cut, but it gives us a great platform and also helps with marketing.
It’s even better when we participate in sales: this duration makes us the most money.
I still haven’t made that much money from assets, but it’s passive income. I can now work on other projects without worrying about money. And it will give high-paying clients if your assets are great.
I usually have 20-40 sales per month. It’s variable every month. My major income currently comes from clients. Because my asset quality is high, I usually don’t have to search for clients. They find me and give me work because they use my assets and trust me. So, I am absolutely happy with my decision to pursue this career.
But if you are totally a beginner and your family conditions are not good, so you need to provide, then I recommend you do your research and analysis before starting. Learn the basics, and then jump in. Publishing assets is a business, so there are risks. It might or might not work for you.
How do you start to publish on the Unity Asset Store?
The first stage of asset development workflow is always research. I search for the gaps in the market all the time. I test many assets from the Store and find problems that devs face. If I find an issue that still needs to be solved, I work on it. I also do a lot of experiments in Unity.
It will take some time to establish yourself on Unity; that’s why many people quit after a year or so. You have to make great products and give very good customer service. This will give you a good rating.
If your assets are great, then some YouTubers will promote them. My assets are promoted by Code Monkey and other YouTubers. Promotion helps you in getting clients that will pay well.
But you don’t have to wait until others promote you. Start promoting yourself. Search for clients on social media. You can start by joining game dev communities on Facebook and Reddit.
Talk to developers, find out what assets they need, and how you can help them. Use social media to provide customer support. That’s how you will build your community. Communication with clients is the key.
On my YouTube channel, I explain how to use my assets and give broader advice on game development in Unity. For example, there you can find guides on creating a racing game, advice on how to use my vehicle AI asset to create AI vehicles, how to add a follow cam in the game, how to use slow motion function, and so on. I also have a Discord server for customer support.
How do you find a perfect asset idea?
I wish I had a formula for that. But finding the perfect asset idea that will make me money is always a challenge. Some assets take less time and make more money, and some take more time and make less money, so each time, I have to think about what is worth working on.
It’s hard to predict what assets will be in demand, so you must experiment a lot and show your assets to devs. If they find your creations helpful, then keep working on them.
These are the steps I recommend you take as a beginner asset publisher. I hope my Unity Asset Store guidelines will help you find out whether this job is right for you and start your career successfully.
Author: Vira Duzhak
