Kabam
Company
Documents about Kabam
Monetizer: Backyard Monsters: Unleashed
Backyard Monsters: Unleashed represents the mobile transition of a foundational Facebook real-time strategy title.
- Backyard Monsters: Unleashed adapts a legacy Facebook real-time strategy title for the mobile market, testing whether brand heritage can compete against established mobile-native leaders like Supercell and Kabam.
- The monetization model utilizes a dual-currency system centered on 'shiny' hard currency, which is used to accelerate construction timers, bypass wait times, and offset resource deficits.
- The in-game shop features five distinct price tiers for hard currency, ranging from approximately $5 to $100.
Monetizer: Kabam's Heroes of Camelot
Heroes of Camelot, a mobile card-battling spin-off of the established Kingdoms of Camelot franchise, utilizes a standard free-to-play monetization model centered on card collection, evolution, and resource management.
- Kabam utilizes a dual-currency model for Heroes of Camelot, featuring earnable gold and a hard currency (gems) purchased through a six-tier pricing structure ranging from £0.99 to £69.99.
- The game employs aggressive monetization tactics, including time-limited beginner offers and mandatory hard currency requirements for specific activities like player-versus-player arena participation.
- The title leverages the existing Kingdoms of Camelot intellectual property to convert an established audience into a card-battling ecosystem centered on card collection, evolution, and resource management.
News roundup: Gamevil buying Com2us, Kabam and GREE reorg and Kixeye's mobile entry
The mobile gaming industry experienced a period of significant structural realignment during the first week of October 2013, characterized by tactical downsizing at established firms and aggressive expansion by others.
- Gamevil is acquiring its primary competitor, Com2uS, marking a major consolidation in the South Korean mobile gaming market.
- Kabam closed its Austin studio and GREE offered voluntary redundancies to 200 staff members as part of a broader industry shift toward smartphone-centric platforms.
- Established developers including Kixeye, Stardock, and Jagex are pivoting toward mobile-first strategies to target the core gaming demographic.
Monetizer: Kabam's Puzzle Trooper
Puzzle Trooper, a match-3 action RPG published by Kabam and developed by Gumi, utilizes a standard free-to-play mobile architecture designed to onboard new users through a guided tutorial and immediate incentivization.
- Puzzle Trooper utilizes a dual-currency system featuring soft currency and hard currency (diamonds) to drive a gacha-style troop acquisition loop.
- The game employs a six-tier store structure for microtransactions, with price points ranging from small purchases up to a $100 high-end tier.
- To reduce user friction, the game allows players to engage as guests before requiring social media integration, facilitating an immediate entry into the core gameplay.
Mobile games industry news (w/e 19 July 2013)
The mobile gaming industry in mid-2013 is characterized by rapid growth in user acquisition and significant consolidation, particularly within Asian markets.
- Baidu’s $1.9 billion bid for 91 Wireless highlights intense competition among Chinese tech giants like Tencent and 360 to control Android distribution channels.
- The Korean messaging platform Kakao generated over $300 million in revenue during the first half of 2013 through its integrated games platform.
- Kabam reached a $700 million valuation following a private share placement, signaling strong investor confidence in the scalability of free-to-play business models.
Monetizer: Kabam's Blastron
Blastron, a free-to-play robot-themed artillery game developed by Kabam, utilizes a gameplay loop inspired by the Worms franchise to engage players through tactical, turn-based combat.
- Blastron utilizes a dual-currency model where players earn soft currency through gameplay and purchase hard currency, known as rivets, via in-app purchases.
- The store employs a tiered pricing structure ranging from 2.99 to 69.99 units of local currency, using psychological labels to highlight 'best value' and 'most popular' options.
- Kabam prioritizes early-stage player retention over aggressive monetization by offering a generous distribution of free items and boosts during the initial store visit.