[casual_games] RE: Business models

[James Gwertzman]

I think it's worth pointing out that PopCap follows a very different  
model. We focus on quality and innovation over quantity, and we  
believe this model works for us. We probably create 5-10 prototypes  
that we throw away for every one game that we decide to actually take  
all the way through production. And for those games that we do ship,  
we spent an obsessive amount of time really making them as perfect as  
we can -- not just polishing graphics and sounds, but really  
obsessing over the core gameplay. We believe that ultimately the last  
10% of quality is the difference between a decent game and a runaway  
hit --- and that hitting that level of quality isn't cheap! Our games  
typically take over a year to create these days, and most of that  
time is polishing a game-mechanic which is running and fun after just  
a few months of work.

Naturally this doesn't mean that every game of ours is a hit, but at  
least we've given each game the best shot.

There are lots of other business models in this industry that can  
work, but I do want to say a word about two business models in  
particular that I think are attractive on the surface but that don't  
lead to ultimate success. The first is the "I'm going to clone this  
other best-selling game, but do it with different art" and the second  
is the "I'm going to make lots and lots of really cheap games and see  
what sticks".

The first model is not entirely without merit - art students used to  
learn their craft by copying paintings by the old masters, and  
there's a lot you can learn copying someone else's game. But  
ultimately the most successful games are original or innovative in  
some way. Furthermore, brands are very valuable in this market, and  
the only way to really build a brand is to original or unique in some  
way. At least that's my take. You can make money in the short term  
cloning other games, but we think long-term value comes from doing  
original work.

The second model may have worked for a time, back when this industry  
was brand new and consumers were eager for anything they could  
download, but that model's time is past I think. Competition is high  
enough now (and getting higher!) that I think games need to have a  
certain amount of polish and quality to them to be competitive. That  
doesn't mean they have to be ridiculously expensive -- we're still  
orders of magnitude cheaper than traditional "hard-core" games  
because in a 'try and buy" market the emphasis is still on great game- 
play, not flashy graphics -- but development times should still be on  
the orders of months, not weeks.
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James Gwertzman
Director of Business Development
PopCap Games
206-256-4210 (w)