Time
Company
Documents about Time
PC Casual Games: Exploring a Vestigial Market
The PC casual games market, once a dominant force in the mid-2000s, persists in 2022 as a specialized, "vestigial" segment of the industry.
- The PC casual games market is a stable, specialized niche primarily serving an older, female-centric demographic that persists despite the industry's shift toward mobile and social platforms.
- Revenue models on legacy portals like Big Fish Games, iWin, GameHouse, and WildTangent are less favorable than Steam, with platforms retaining 60% to 80% of total revenue compared to Steam's 30%.
- Market demand is highly concentrated in three specific genres: Hidden Object games (44%), Match-3 (18%), and Time Management (12%).
Failing to Regulate: What's Next When the FTC Loses This Week
This analysis examines the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) legal challenge against Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, concluding that the regulator is likely to lose the case due to a fundamental misunderstanding of the gaming industry.
- The FTC’s legal challenge against Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard is expected to fail due to the regulator's inability to prove a credible theory of harm or demonstrate an existential threat to competition.
- Internal evidence from Sony, Microsoft’s primary competitor, undermined the FTC’s core arguments by failing to characterize the merger as an existential threat to the gaming market.
- FTC litigators demonstrated a fundamental misunderstanding of gaming industry mechanics, including the basic distinction between first-party and third-party publishing.
What Drives Success in 4X Strategy/SLG Games: Part 1
The 4X strategy and simulation game genre has experienced notable growth in the United States, with market share on iOS increasing from approximately 9.5% in 2020 to over 11% during the first half of 2021.
- Only three new 4X strategy games have successfully entered the top-grossing 100 in the two years leading up to August 2021, indicating a market dominated by older titles with established fan bases.
- Successful modern 4X games are increasingly utilizing 'hybridization' by integrating RPG character development and Match3 mechanics to broaden their appeal and create new monetization opportunities.
- Post-iOS 14.5, developers are accelerating the First Time User Experience (FTUE) to drive early in-app purchases within the 24-hour window required by SKAdNetwork for effective ad-channel tracking.
Your Game's on Sale Too Often? Players Say That's Unlikely!
This analysis examines the impact of frequent discounting on game discovery and brand value, challenging the industry myth that regular sales "devalue" a product.
- Frequent discounting does not devalue a game's brand, as successful titles like Human: Fall Flat and My Time At Portia often run 12 or more sales annually to drive engagement and revenue.
- Deep discounts offered shortly after a full-price launch are the primary driver of negative consumer sentiment and early adopter alienation.
- Players generally perceive frequent sales as standard industry practice rather than a sign of declining product quality.
Category Observation: What Should We Do During the Business Simulation Game Boom?
The business simulation genre has emerged as a highly lucrative category within the Chinese mobile gaming market, particularly for developers utilizing ad-based monetization models.
- Business simulation games demonstrate high user lifetime value (LTV) and eCPM rates comparable to hardcore games, making them highly effective for ad-based monetization models.
- The core challenge for business simulation games is low initial player attraction due to static, wait-based gameplay, necessitating early-stage CTR testing to ensure market viability.
- Successful developers are increasingly hybridizing the genre by integrating card collection, light RPG elements, or runner mechanics to differentiate from competitors and improve retention.
What's the Best Timing to Release Your Game?
Strategic timing for video game releases on digital platforms, particularly Steam, is analyzed to determine its impact on discovery and commercial success.
- Prioritize building a pre-release following and fostering fan interest over specific release timing, as these factors are more significant indicators of commercial success than the launch date itself.
- Avoid launching during major platform-wide events like the Steam Summer or Winter Sales, as these periods reorganize the storefront and suppress organic visibility in the 'Popular New' section.
- Steer clear of 'Cyberpunk avoidance zones'—weeks dominated by massive AAA releases—and the initial days of Steam Next Fest, when influencer attention is saturated by competing demos.
Who's Winning Steam Next Fest So Far?
Analyzing the performance of Steam Next Fest in June 2021, this assessment identifies the titles and genres currently gaining the most traction among players.
- Top-performing demos at Steam Next Fest June 2021 reached between 1,000 and 2,000 peak concurrent users (CCU), while a minimum of 50 CCU was required to break into the top 100.
- System-led strategy and simulation games dominated the festival, with titles like My Time At Sandrock leveraging established fanbases to exceed 2,000 CCU.
- Niche simulation concepts, specifically 'reverse city builders' like Terra Nil and 'mundane task' simulators such as Lawn Mowing Simulator and Unpacking, are demonstrating significant player interest.
Battle Pass: How PUBG Mobile Has Innovated Inside the Feature
Battle Passes have evolved from simple cosmetic monetization tools into sophisticated engagement and progression systems across diverse mobile game genres.
- Battle Pass adoption has grown significantly since mid-2019, with over 50% of the top 100 grossing mobile games now utilizing the feature across all genres.
- PUBG Mobile incentivizes long-term retention by offering the 'RP EZ Mission License' for free to players who purchase three consecutive Battle Passes, creating a recurring purchase streak.
- PUBG Mobile’s 'RP Point Store' allows players to spend Battle Pass progression points (RP) as a secondary currency on cosmetic crates and upgrade materials, ensuring continued value for players who complete the main reward track early.
Why Time Princess: Dress Up's Innovative Approach to Customization Games Works
Time Princess: Dress Up succeeds by integrating RPG-style collection and progression mechanics into the traditional customization genre.
- Time Princess: Dress Up differentiates itself in the Western lifestyle genre by integrating mid-core RPG mechanics, such as outfit collection and stat-based progression, into a narrative-driven customization game.
- The game’s monetization strategy blends traditional lifestyle game revenue streams with aggressive mid-core features, including battle passes, VIP systems, gacha mechanics, and piggy banks.
- Core gameplay centers on a loop of interactive storytelling and outfit crafting, where players must optimize their attire to meet specific stat requirements to progress through chapters.
Why TikTok Matters for Game Discovery
TikTok has emerged as a potent tool for video game discovery, capable of driving significant viral interest for titles with strong visual or narrative hooks.
- TikTok serves as a high-impact discovery engine for younger audiences, evidenced by a single viral video for 'Before Your Eyes' reaching 1.6 million views and driving a direct spike in Steam followers and sales.
- Launching games between 6:00 AM and 10:00 AM Pacific Time maximizes sales velocity by capturing peak evening engagement in Europe followed immediately by North American prime-time.
- High initial sales velocity is critical for securing visibility on Steam’s algorithmic charts, such as the 'New and Trending' section.
What Genres Were Booming in 2020
This analysis examines the mobile gaming market landscape in 2020, focusing on revenue and download trends across Tier-1 Western and Eastern markets.
- The mobile gaming market in 2020 remained highly sensitive to blockbuster releases, exemplified by Genshin Impact generating $520 million in its first four months and PUBG Mobile reaching $3 billion in lifetime revenue.
- Among Us experienced viral growth in 2020, recording a 735% surge in monthly downloads by September.
- Tier-1 Eastern markets saw sharp revenue spikes in the Battler subgenre, while Third-Person Shooters maintained dominance through established titles like PUBG Mobile.
Who's Playing What on PlayStation 5?
This analysis examines early PlayStation 5 engagement trends by utilizing playtime data from a sample of 3,018 active users tracked via the PS Time Tracker platform.
- Long-standing titles like FIFA 21, Destiny 2, and Fortnite remain primary drivers of PS5 engagement, rivaling the impact of new platform exclusives.
- Early PS5 engagement analysis, based on a sample of 3,018 active users tracked via PS Time Tracker, shows that new releases like Cyberpunk 2077 and the Demon’s Souls remake dominate initial interest.
- Cross-generational support for frequently updated titles is a critical factor in maintaining console activity levels.