Unique selling points (also called ‘key features’ or ‘USPs’) are a common sales technique in the pitching of games to potential stakeholders, courting the attention of the media for publicity or selling the game to the customer. They are typically presented as a list of jargon and technical terms.
An obsession with unique selling points is a key sign of flawed publishing practises. The users are there, goes the reasoning. So they can be attracted to a better product with superior features. Games are just products, so the rules of product sales apply. Right?
USPs try to describe a game in terms of quantities rather than qualities, and end up making the game sound like a better toothbrush. But players are not looking to buy a better toothbrush.
What they want is engagement and emotions that feel authentic. Rather than asking yourself (as a publisher) what the unique selling points are, what you should be asking is this: Is there an authentic marketing story here?
