Mobile reports and market data
Documents
Mobile games industry news (w/e 30 August 2013)
The mobile games industry in late August 2013 was defined by significant shifts in hardware strategy, developer tool accessibility, and the evolving role of platform holders in publishing.
- Unity Technologies expanded its business model to include game publishing, leveraging its developer base to curate and distribute titles while forming a strategic partnership with Facebook for social integration.
- Nintendo launched the 2DS to address hardware costs, despite the 3DS platform reaching 32 million units sold, highlighting the company's ongoing struggle to adapt its hardware-centric model to the modern mobile market.
- Autodesk released Maya LT, a streamlined and affordable version of its 3D software, signaling a trend toward making professional-grade production tools accessible to independent mobile studios.
Monetizer: Asphalt 8: Airborne
Asphalt 8: Airborne represents a hybrid monetization model, functioning as a premium title that requires an initial purchase price of 99 cents while simultaneously integrating extensive in-app purchase (IAP) mechanics.
- Asphalt 8: Airborne utilizes a hybrid model that combines a $0.99 upfront purchase price with extensive in-app purchase (IAP) mechanics.
- The $0.99 entry fee serves primarily as a server load management tool to throttle the initial user base and mitigate multiplayer infrastructure costs.
- The game employs a dual-currency system with tiered credit packs ranging from $1.49 to $100, offering a 150% value increase for the largest bundles.
Monetizer: Plants vs. Zombies 2
Plants vs. Zombies 2, developed by EA and PopCap, serves as a case study for sophisticated, multi-layered free-to-play monetization on mobile platforms.
- Plants vs. Zombies 2 achieved 16 million iOS downloads within two weeks of release, reaching top-100 grossing status in over 50 countries.
- The game utilizes a tiered virtual currency system with a 2.7x efficiency ratio between the lowest and highest price points, significantly higher than the industry standard of 1.5x.
- Monetization is designed as a convenience tool rather than a progression gate, allowing players to choose between grinding or purchasing power-ups to bypass difficulty spikes.
Mobile games industry news (w/e 16 August 2013)
The mobile games industry in mid-August 2013 was characterized by significant capital investment, strategic consolidation, and a focus on data-driven advertising models.
- Baidu acquired the Android app distribution channel 91 Wireless for $1.85 billion to strengthen its position in the Chinese mobile market.
- Millennial Media bid $225 million to acquire JumpTap, a move aimed at consolidating gaming-focused mobile advertising networks.
- The Japanese mobile games market reached a valuation of $5.1 billion in 2012, with feature phones still maintaining a significant 50% share of the market alongside smartphones.
Firebrand Games' Clive Lawrence explains the team's new puzzle IP Solar Flux
Solar Flux represents a strategic shift for Firebrand Games, moving from a history of developing licensed racing titles for consoles to creating an original intellectual property.
- Firebrand Games is pivoting from licensed racing titles to original IP with the launch of its physics-based space puzzle game, Solar Flux.
- Solar Flux launches on August 15th for iPad 2, 3, 4, and iPad Mini at a premium price point of $2.49 with no in-app purchases.
- The game features 82 missions across four galaxies and 18 themed playlists, utilizing thrust-based mechanics optimized for touch controls.
Lunavark Studio artist Daniel Robinson explains why Cosmic Couch is a very personal auto runner
Cosmic Couch is an indie auto-runner game developed by Lunavark Studio, a small team consisting of four artists and one programmer.
- Lunavark Studio is differentiating its auto-runner, Cosmic Couch, by blending traditional endless runner mechanics with a linear, narrative-driven structure.
- The studio is rejecting the freemium model in favor of a premium, upfront pricing strategy that excludes in-game purchases.
- The development team consists of four artists and one programmer, necessitating a collaborative workflow to manage the high artist-to-programmer ratio.
Prehistoric Spatula lead Stephanie Bazeley talks DinerSaur, AR and accessibility
DinerSaur is an augmented reality (AR) mobile game developed by Prehistoric Spatula that tasks players with feeding food to various dinosaurs within their own physical environment.
- Prehistoric Spatula developed DinerSaur, an AR mobile game built on Unity that integrates physical assets like printable coloring pages to enhance user engagement.
- The studio utilizes a premium business model for DinerSaur to avoid the predatory billing practices and in-app purchase structures common in freemium mobile gaming.
- DinerSaur prioritizes accessibility for younger players by utilizing simple control schemes that intentionally avoid complex virtual joysticks.
Size DOS Matter: Mattis Delerud of Team DOS talks to Biz during Dare to be Digital
Size Does Matter is a rhythm-action game developed by Team DOS that blends mechanics from titles like Tetris, Super Hexagon, and Guitar Hero.
- Size Does Matter is a rhythm-action game developed in Unity that combines mechanics from Tetris, Super Hexagon, and Guitar Hero for touchscreen devices.
- To circumvent the high costs of licensing mainstream music, the developers source royalty-free soundtracks from emerging electronic artists on platforms like Newgrounds.
- The game utilizes a free-to-play model that includes a base package of eight to ten songs, with additional revenue generated through the sale of artist-specific song packs.
Mobile games industry news (w/e 9 August 2013)
The mobile games industry in mid-2013 is characterized by a transition from rapid, unchecked growth to a more competitive, plateauing environment.
- The mobile games industry is transitioning from unchecked growth to a competitive, plateauing environment, forcing companies to pivot toward international, free-to-play models.
- DeNA reported a 10% revenue increase to $526 million in Q2 2013, though operating profits declined due to heavy investment in international expansion and continued reliance on Japanese feature-phone platforms.
- Glu Mobile experienced a 17% revenue drop as it struggled to transition from legacy carrier-based business models to modern free-to-play structures.
Monetizer: The Drowning
The Drowning, a free-to-play first-person shooter developed by DeNA, serves as a case study for effective user onboarding and cinematic integration in mobile gaming.
- DeNA prioritized long-term retention in The Drowning by delaying aggressive monetization and social platform logins until players were fully onboarded.
- The game utilizes a gesture-based control scheme to overcome the limitations of traditional twin-stick mobile interfaces, supported by an extensive, hand-held tutorial.
- Monetization centers on a hard currency system called gold, which players use to purchase essential resources like fuel, ammunition, and health items.
Monetizer: Machine Zone's Game of War: Fire Age
Game of War: Fire Age, developed by Machine Zone, is a complex, menu-driven massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) designed for mobile platforms.
- Machine Zone utilizes a social-first retention strategy in Game of War: Fire Age, leveraging alliance systems and global chat with automatic translation to foster deep player engagement.
- The game transitions players from a 'free-to-instant' early experience to a time-gated progression model that necessitates either significant time investment or microtransactions.
- Monetization is driven by a multi-layered economy featuring gold, resources, and casino-style chips, supported by time-limited bundles and 'high roller' status perks.
Mobile games industry news (w/e 2 August 2013)
The mobile games industry as of early August 2013 is characterized by a strategic shift toward platform-led distribution and the maturation of monetization models.
- Facebook’s mobile game distribution initiative generated 25 million downloads in the second quarter of 2013, signaling a move toward high-volume distribution alongside major partners like Gameloft and Gamevil.
- WeChat is leveraging its 330 million user base to enter the mobile gaming market, launching with four titles including international franchises like Fruit Ninja and Plants vs. Zombies 2.
- Puzzle & Dragons reached one million users in the United States, driving global daily revenues to approximately $5 million.