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Documents about indie
Mobile Gaming Leaders: May 2016
The mobile gaming landscape in May 2016 was defined by the dominance of simple, highly accessible titles that catered to short, idle play sessions.
- Slither.io was the most downloaded mobile game in the U.S. during May 2016, achieving nearly 9 million combined downloads on the App Store and Google Play.
- Approximately 70% of Slither.io's total downloads originated from iOS users, contributing to a cumulative U.S. download count exceeding 20 million.
- Ubisoft’s Hungry Shark World ranked as the second most downloaded game overall in May 2016, securing 4.28 million U.S. downloads across both platforms.
Mobile Gaming Leaders: April 2016
This analysis examines the mobile gaming landscape for April 2016, focusing on download trends and top-performing titles across the U.S. App Store and Google Play.
- The indie title 'slither.io' dominated the mobile gaming market in April 2016, securing the No. 1 spot for downloads across both iOS and Google Play with over eight million total installs.
- Worldwide App Store game downloads grew 16.6 percent year-over-year in April 2016, rising from 502 million to 585 million, while U.S. downloads grew by 14.2 percent over the same period.
- Disney successfully captured market share with the launch of 'Disney Crossy Road,' which generated over 3.6 million U.S. installs and ranked as the second most-downloaded game across both platforms.
How to get funding and/or a publishing deal
This panel discussion, held at Pocket Gamer Connects London 2016, explores the complexities of securing funding and publishing deals within the independent game industry.
- Securing funding requires more than a concept; developers must present a high-quality prototype, a clear business roadmap, and evidence of their team's ability to execute.
- Publishers provide value beyond capital by offering marketing expertise, user acquisition support, platform-specific technical optimization, and strategic monetization guidance.
- The funding landscape is increasingly competitive, with a market shift toward higher production values and a greater necessity for visibility in saturated storefronts like Steam.
Massively improved discovery on Google Play Store
The Google Play Store has undergone a significant transformation over the past 18 months, evolving from a disorganized repository into a sophisticated platform for mobile game discovery.
- Google Play has shifted from a disorganized repository to an algorithmic, data-driven discovery platform, prioritizing automated personalization over traditional human-led curation.
- The platform now utilizes user download history and genre preferences to create personalized discovery loops that connect players with relevant content from similar publishers.
- A robust pre-registration system allows users to express interest in upcoming titles and receive automated push notifications upon release, a feature currently underutilized on competing platforms.
Galaxy of Heroes: Full Deconstruction of EA's Death Star
The gaming industry is currently navigating a period of profound structural transformation, characterized by the integration of artificial intelligence into creative workflows, the maturation of hybrid-casual monetization models, and a significant recalibration of user acquisition strategies.
- Scopely achieved a massive valuation increase, growing from $1 billion to $10 billion in a five-year period through focused product strategy and player engagement.
- The mobile gaming industry is shifting away from the traditional 30% platform fee model, signaling a new era for developer revenue structures as noted by Google Play leadership.
- Meta has re-entered the gaming sector, significantly impacting future approaches to attribution, creative scaling, and user acquisition team structures.
The Importance of Local Multiplayer - Seeing Eye-to-Eye - Extra Credits
The decline of local multiplayer in the AAA gaming industry is driven primarily by economic incentives rather than a lack of player interest.
- The decline of local multiplayer in AAA gaming is primarily driven by an economic strategy to increase unit sales, as removing couch co-op forces each household member to purchase their own individual copy of a game.
- Online-only gaming environments contribute to increased toxic behavior by removing the empathy and accountability fostered by face-to-face interaction.
- Physical proximity in gaming, such as playing on a couch or at an arcade cabinet, serves as a social foundation that builds genuine friendships and bridges divides between players.
iOS Gaming Leaders: February 2016
The February 2016 iOS gaming landscape was characterized by a seasonal contraction in download volume, alongside the emergence of high-performing indie titles and celebrity-branded games.
- Global iOS game downloads declined 7.5% in February 2016, falling from 688 million in January to 636 million.
- U.S. iOS game downloads dropped 15% month-over-month to 158 million, though this figure represented a 9.7% increase year-over-year.
- The indie title 'Color Switch' maintained the No. 1 spot for U.S. downloads and reached the top of the worldwide download charts, following a 23-day streak as the top iPhone app in the U.S.
iOS Gaming Leaders: January 2016
The January 2016 mobile gaming landscape experienced a notable divergence between download volume and total revenue.
- Global iOS game downloads reached 692 million in January 2016, a 12.61% increase over the 614 million installs recorded in December 2015.
- Worldwide iOS gaming revenue totaled $969 million in January 2016, representing a 2.91% decline from the $998 million generated in the previous month.
- Machine Zone's 'Mobile Strike' entered the U.S. revenue top 10 for the first time, placing eighth and marking the publisher's second title to reach that milestone alongside 'Game of War - Fire Age'.
Myriad Associates' Barrie Dowsett on UK R&D tax credits
The United Kingdom offers significant financial support for game developers through R&D tax credits and the Video Games Tax Relief (VGTR) program.
- The UK government provides a 20 percent subsidy toward game production costs through R&D tax credits and the Video Games Tax Relief (VGTR) program.
- Tax relief is claimed retrospectively, meaning developers must secure private investment to fund the initial development cycle before accessing government subsidies.
- Independent developers often struggle with the administrative complexity of navigating requirements between the British Film Institute and HM Revenue and Customs.
Zemeho's Kimmo Kuusipalo explains music streaming plug-in Valinta
Valinta functions as a specialized Unity plug-in designed to integrate customizable music streaming directly into mobile game environments.
- Valinta is a free Unity plug-in that enables developers to integrate interactive, user-driven music streaming from a library of indie artists into mobile games.
- The tool allows players to select specific genres and tracks, shifting game audio from static soundtracks to personalized, interactive experiences.
- The mobile game Pale Harder, available on the Google Play store, serves as the primary live proof of concept for the plug-in's functionality.
The most significant mobile gaming events in 2015
The mobile gaming landscape in 2015 was defined by significant industry consolidation, the rise of Eastern markets, and the strategic pivot of traditional console giants toward mobile platforms.
- Activision acquired King for $5.9 billion in 2015, signaling a major strategic shift by triple-A publishers to capture broader demographics and secure mobile gaming as a primary revenue stream.
- The global mobile gaming market saw a significant geographic shift as China, Korea, and Japan secured three of the top five global market positions, with Southeast Asia also showing rapid growth.
- Monetization models in 2015 matured by moving away from aggressive hard-currency tactics toward more balanced systems that integrate soft currency and advertisements.
Why you should visit Korean game show G-Star
G-Star serves as a critical window into the distinct operational and cultural differences between the South Korean and Western gaming markets.
- Independent game development at G-Star reflects a universal artistic framework that mirrors the experimental sensibilities found at Western events like E3 and Gamescom.
- Large-scale Korean studios frequently struggle to penetrate Western markets because their attempts to adopt Western tropes, such as mafia-themed narratives, often lack cultural authenticity.
- The South Korean gaming market maintains a cautious, delayed approach to virtual reality technology, contrasting with the aggressive investment and adoption trends observed in the West.