2015
Company
Documents about 2015
Clash Royale: Highest Earning Week Ever
Supercell's Clash of Clans posted its highest-grossing week ever in the week following the May 22, 2017 launch of its Builder Base update, according to preliminary Sensor Tower Store Intelligence estimates.
- Following the May 22, 2017, 'Builder Base' update, Clash of Clans achieved its highest-grossing week ever with over $25.7 million in U.S. consumer spending.
- The update drove a 250 percent increase in weekly revenue compared to the previous week's $7.3 million.
- The $25.7 million weekly total represents a 20 percent increase over the game's previous record of $21.3 million, set during the week of December 21, 2015.
Gardenscapes: One Big Pivot to Success
Playrix's Gardenscapes: New Acres is analyzed as a case study in how a late-development genre pivot, from hidden object to match 3, produced the first major innovation in the puzzle category since Candy Crush launched on mobile in 2012.
- Playrix successfully pivoted Gardenscapes from a Hidden Object game to a Match 3 game during its 2015 soft launch, a move that established it as a top-grossing title by September 2016.
- Match 3 mechanics outperform Hidden Object games in scalability because they allow for faster content production and easier reuse of assets compared to the labor-intensive, unique scene requirements of Hidden Object titles.
- The transition to a Match 3 core introduced a 'failure state'—the inability to complete a level—which creates a more effective monetization loop by incentivizing players to purchase boosters and extra moves to avoid losing progress.
Ubisoft Full-Year 2016-17 Sales and Earnings Figures
Ubisoft’s fiscal year 2016-17 financial results demonstrate the successful execution of a strategic shift toward a more profitable, recurring business model.
- Ubisoft achieved record-high non-IFRS operating income of €237.7 million, a 40.7% increase over the previous fiscal year, with a record operating margin of 16.3%.
- Digital revenue grew to €729.3 million, accounting for 50% of total sales compared to 32% in the prior year.
- Player recurring investment surged by 131.2% to €304 million, reflecting a successful shift toward a recurring business model.
DeNA Q4 FY2016 Operating Results
DeNA’s operating results for the fiscal year 2016 demonstrate a period of financial growth and strategic transition.
- DeNA reported an annual operating profit of 23.2 billion yen for FY2016, a 17% year-over-year increase, alongside total revenue of 143.8 billion yen.
- Profit attributable to owners of the parent surged to 30.8 billion yen from 11.3 billion yen in FY2015, largely due to tax benefits and refunds related to international operations.
- The core game business achieved a 9% increase in segment profit to 28.3 billion yen despite a 7% decline in total revenue, driven by efficiencies and collaborations with Nintendo on titles like Fire Emblem Heroes and Super Mario Run.
Gravity Co., Ltd. Form 20‑F: FY2016 Annual Report
Gravity Co., Ltd. reported a decisive turnaround in fiscal 2016, with net revenue rising to KRW 51.4 billion (US$42.7 million) and operating profit turning positive at KRW 3.4 billion (US$179 k) after consecutive losses in 2014 and 2015.
- Gravity Co., Ltd. achieved a financial turnaround in FY2016, reporting KRW 51.4 billion in net revenue and an operating profit of KRW 3.4 billion after consecutive losses in 2014 and 2015.
- The flagship title Ragnarok Online drove the recovery, accounting for 57.3% of total sales and contributing to a significant gross margin expansion from 15.1% to 41.6%.
- Revenue remains heavily concentrated in a single IP and its overseas licensees, with GungHo alone accounting for 21.1% of total sales.
How One Event Shot Dokkan Battle into #1 Top Grossing
Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle reached the #1 Top Grossing position on the US App Store over the Easter long weekend beginning April 14, 2017, displacing Pokémon Go, Clash Royale, and Game of War despite their own holiday events and, in Pokémon Go's case, major Apple featuring.
- Dokkan Battle achieved the #1 top-grossing position by utilizing a 77-hour summoning festival that introduced highly desirable, meta-shifting characters like Super Saiyan God SS Vegito and Goku Black Rose.
- The developer, Bandai Namco, drove conversion by offering limited-quantity, 50%+ discount sales on premium currency in the week leading up to the event, allowing players to stockpile resources for the festival.
- The game leverages a gacha-based monetization model built on a puzzle-RPG core, where success depends on creating synergetic teams of characters with specific linking, leader, and passive abilities.
Market for Game Apps Grows by 30 Per Cent in 2016: Germany
Germany's game app market was among the strongest growth drivers in the country's games sector in 2016.
- The German market for game apps grew by 30% in 2016, reaching 409 million euros in sales.
- Total sales for computer and video games in Germany surpassed the two-billion-euro mark for the first time in 2016, totaling 2.13 billion euros.
- The mobile gaming segment has seen significant expansion, with sales increasing by approximately 70% over the two-year period from 2014 to 2016.
Strong Demand for Computer and Video Games: Sales Up 7 Per Cent (Germany)
The German market for computer and video games grew strongly in 2016, according to figures released by the BIU (the German Games Industry Association) in April 2017.
- The German market for computer and video games (including online network fees) grew by 7% in 2016, reaching 2.13 billion euros and surpassing the 2 billion euro threshold for the first time.
- Total market revenue, which includes hardware and peripherals alongside software, remained stable at 2.9 billion euros in 2016.
- Sales of games consoles and peripherals declined by 15% to 747 million euros, driven by a drop in average device prices.
Cinematography for Art Directors
In this 2015 presentation, Naughty Dog’s Robh Ruppel explores the intersection of cinematography and game art, arguing that game developers must move beyond mere technical replication of reality to embrace deliberate, artistic visual storytelling.
- Art directors must treat the game screen as a curated canvas for intentional design rather than a passive recording of 3D space to achieve high-level visual storytelling.
- Game developers should map lighting and color palettes directly to the emotional beats of the script to ensure visual cohesion.
- Cinematographic techniques such as high-contrast lighting, silhouettes, and framing devices are essential tools for isolating characters and guiding player focus.
Attachment to Current Report No. 19/2017
This financial disclosure provides a snapshot of consumer interest and market demand for key titles within a Polish game development and publishing portfolio as of April 5, 2017.
- As of April 5, 2017, the unreleased title Agony shows high conversion potential with 92,000 active users on its wishlist out of 100,000 total historical additions.
- Hard West maintains the largest reach in the portfolio with 181,000 active wishlist users remaining from a total of over 300,000 historical additions.
- Car Mechanic Simulator 2015 shows significant user attrition, retaining only 111,000 active wishlist users from a total of 257,000 historical additions.
CD Projekt Capital Group Results in 2016
CD Projekt Capital Group’s 2016 financial results demonstrate a period of significant growth and operational expansion, driven primarily by the sustained commercial success of The Witcher franchise.
- CD Projekt Capital Group achieved 583.9 million PLN in total sales revenue in 2016, marking a 73% increase over the previous year.
- The company reported a net profit of 250.5 million PLN, resulting in a strong net profitability margin of 42.9%.
- Revenue growth was driven by CD Projekt Red, which grew 66%, and the GOG.com digital distribution platform, which saw a 115% increase.
Separate Financial Statement of CD PROJEKT S.A. for 2016
The 2016 separate financial statement for CD PROJEKT S.A. provides a comprehensive overview of the company’s fiscal performance, accounting methodologies, and strategic corporate developments during a transitional period.
- CD PROJEKT S.A. reported a year-over-year decline in net profit from 336.2 million PLN in 2015 to 249.7 million PLN in 2016, alongside a revenue contraction from 715.9 million PLN to 492.0 million PLN.
- The company maintained a strong liquidity position at the end of 2016, reporting total assets of 828.5 million PLN and a cash balance of 520.4 million PLN.
- The firm completed a legal merger with CD PROJEKT Brands S.A. in 2016 to consolidate licensing rights for The Witcher franchise.