[casual_games] INPUT REQUESTED: 2010 IGDA Casual Game SIG Programs

[Juan Gril]

I see your points, but I disagree on both counts. First of all social games
cannot depend on virality anymore: marketing is becoming absolutely
mandatory and there is no successful social game today (10M+) that hasn't
spent more than 6 figures in marketing ads.

The complexity of social games is growing. Browser based MMOs should
actually use social networks in order to expand their audience. There is
absolutely no rule in Facebook that says social games should just be about
farms or cafes. Castle Age and Band of Heroes are examples of people who are
trying to serve the same audience who is playing browser MMOs today, and
they already have more users than most of the browsers MMOs out there. If I
would be doing a browser MMO, I would definitely include in my list of
features how I'm going to integrate my game into social networks.

And to your second point, if you pitch any advergame or single player flash
game in 2010 to any publisher or advertiser and you don't include at least a
basic facebook connect like connectivity, you'll probably lose the bid. Why
not do it? It takes 2-3 days of work for a dev to integrate a single player
social game on Facebook (to promote player's achievements for example). It's
a good promotion mechanism that doesn't cost any money.

Why would flash games require a different kind of developer? People who have
done flash based games with multiplayer or community based connectivity can
tackle any type of social game. They have a very similar set of technical
requirements.

Juan



On Thu, Jan 21, 2010 at 10:37 AM, Maxim Jankov <golergka at gmail.com> wrote:


> Actually, social games in networks and traditional browser-based MMO games

> can be very different; social games depend on virality (low cost of customer

> acquisition), simple casual gameplay with many elements relying on real time

> (energy restoration mechanics, or offline player-player interactions) and

> not so high ARPPU per user, when browser-based games tend to be more

> hardcore (ogame), acquiring most part of the users from ads, but relying on

> much stable and loyal core user base. Browser-based games like war of

> dragons can have ARPPU as high as $200 per month, and typical user lifespan

> in the project is much longer then in facebook games.

> These differences may look minor, but these kinds of games actually require

> different design approach and overall development strategy.

> Also, I think that flash single-player games deserve their own category.

> Most part of them are very low-budget, ad-driven, with focus on gameplay

> innovation and low production values. They, also, require a very different

> kind of developer.

>

> On Thu, Jan 21, 2010 at 8:02 PM, Juan Gril <juangril at jojugames.com> wrote:

>

>> Hey Dave :). Here are my opinions:

>>

>> Types of casual games (ranked):

>>

>>    1. Social Games, Ad-Supported Web Games and Freemium Browser Games.

>>    These three are the same. A lot of the ad-supported games for 2010 come with

>>    some type of Social integration using APIs as OpenSocial or Facebook

>>    Connect. It's proven that ads alone are not the bulk of the revenues, so you

>>    need the freemium business model in order to survive. And anyone who is

>>    doing a freemium browser game should take their time to do some basic social

>>    integration in order to spread the word.

>>

>>    Lastly, even advergaming clients are requiring social integration now.

>>

>>    2. PC Downloads

>>    3. iPhone Games and General Mobile Games (these two are similar and

>>    should not be separated as the bulk of the mobile game sales are on touch

>>    based devices. I would stop calling them iPhone games though, as Android

>>    devices are not iPhones).

>>    4. Console Downloads.

>>

>>

>> Facilitate discussion: a new version of the White Paper may help as a

>> reference with the changes suggested above. The quaterly has always been one

>> of the best in the industry. The list is fine as long is not full of "how do

>> I get my game to the portals?" messages.

>>

>> Cheers,

>>

>> Juan

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

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>>

>>

>

>

> --

> Maxim "golergka" Yankov

> Game Designer

> Playnatic Entertainment, Moscow, Russia

> e-mail: max at playnatic.com

> Phone: +7-903-155-75-14

> ICQ: 207535652

> Skype: golergka

>

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>

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