Aint 304.
Author: Gareth Wright - 03/12/2012
In context to the link given in the critique.....
Can MOBA games be profitable?
There is some negative speculation, at the time of writing, as to the future of “Freemium” and whether it can maintain its position as a lucrative model for monetization. This is in part due to the adoption method used in game monetization by the freemium model. However, this model can be currently found throughout most MOBA titles and can be seen in many other game genres as a working format used to deliver a profit.
The larger dominators, like LOL and DOTA franchises, have developed their monetization strategies with success by including unique expenditure opportunities like free access to new game characters for a limited time, which leads to the player using the character and nurturing attachment, possibly even purchasing items also marketed at a cheaper price to own during the promotion that extends the characters portfolio, and once the free access is gone, the user is left with little choice but to purchase the character if they wish to continue with them and not see all that time put into developing that character wasted.
As this project has a scope for monetization included, upon completion of a successful product, the development model will move forward to identify a system of purchasable items from the in game shop and further developments are expected to demonstrate deeper in and out of game real money transactions related to new game experiences.
Below seeks to provide the reader with a small set of practices and mantras to adhere to and that could be utilised to achieve successful monetization of a gaming product, under a free to play marketing strategy.
• Content is the Key!, Engagement by affiliation to the game content and its mechanics/animations/excitement from ownership
• Being Honest, Always good
• Sell Experiences, NOT upgrades
• Make It unique (Difficult to achieve in any model)
• Limit mileage (Don’t make the purchasable aspect in the game require further expenditure to achieve the original result the first purchase aimed to deliver) – Give the player a product that they desire but, with clear information as to what the purchase will achieve and what it will not.
The 3 R`s of games monetization
Game monetization can be seen as a fairly hard task to accomplish successfully and for the experiential aspect, the team project will attempt to model the game with monetization in mind for future developments or post product release success.
The below breakdown is an explanation of the proposed model by which to pursue revenue potential from a game development.
The below diagram identifies the flow of the 3 R`s for monetization in games.
Reach -> Retention -> Revenue
Below, and for contrast, is Roger Dickey`s 2011 3R`s social model revision.
Reach -> [Engagement] -> Retention -> Revenue
It is the Roger Dickey model that is discussed in the following text and is proposed for use in the team project development.
Reach: Is the concentration on how many people one`s game can touch by means of direct contact or viral marketing (viral in the benign sense, not aggressive).
Retention: Is the focus on people playing the game and continuation of use of the product.
Revenue: Money! – focus on return of profitable revenue.
The above three aspects are subject to another aspect that intrinsically connects each part to the model and this is termed as Game Engagement.
Game Engagement: Compared with the ‘…heart…’ by (Dickey, 2012) of Mafia Wars® fame, game engagement can be seen as the glue that connects the other parts that make the 3 R`s – Reach, Retention, Revenue, for engaging game-play could be argued as the first, and foremost reason, to have produced a game idea/ product in the first instance and keeping people engaged
What do players look for in a “freemium” free-to-play game?
Below is a non-exhaustive list of aspects, game players might seek or expect to find from any game product:
• Rarity – Limited edition items, for ownership bragging rights or kudos.
• Fun – game related products or spin off mini-games based on and integrated to the franchise
• Chance – Purchases that could offer great reward or potentially little (the chance of winning big is the driving force)
• Exclusive features – SaaS* (monetization of game)
• Vanity – Having the best stuff, related to rarity.
• Competition – PvP **, competitive edge, and prowess.
• Social value – allying friends and acquaintances to the game and helping them advance in the game environment.
• Convenience – Cost of progression is significantly less using money than time to achieve the same level status. Time cycled price drops of game items to boost potential market by increasing the less committed player.
• Decoration – In game avatars, ranking, statistical data all assist in the creation of an in-game achievement / kudos system amongst players.
• Identity – easy recognition techniques
• Stat progress – Levelling up and unlocking new game elements that can be previewed by statistical progression data.
• Story – People that care enough will pay to advance the storyline through the likes of quest systems/extension packs, with respect to WOW™*** as an epitome example.
• Primacy – Paying to be the first to own it
• Obligation – instilling a maintenance value in the game where the player feels they should return to see how something is doing or to reap it`s reward.
*SaaS – Software as a Service
**PvP – Player vs. Player
***WOW – World Of WarCraft™
Can r3db7t3MOBA be profitable?
Below is a short compiled list of the project`s game monetization areas, with respect to the common practices used in influential titles, such as LOL, DOTA and of which conforms to a common model to achieve profit from a free to play game.
• “Freemium“(Free to Play)
• Premium rate supply’s a route to speedier advance in weapons, strength, and other skillsets providing the user with a possible advantage over challengers in game.
• Character Levelling – Advance purchase of souls (game coins) to upgrade the overall character`s attribute divisions.
• Character skinning – Option to upload community created skins, with free template download alongside the game (future development, unlikely to reach early prototype stages).
The currency flow can be adjusted through gameplay via game wagers or loss of souls to the winner upon game over, giving a relative chance to the stoic enough to favour advancement by input of hours against spending real money.
References and further reading:
Dickey, R. (2011). SF
Game Monetization Meetup. Retrieved December 4, 2012, from Meetup:
http://www.meetup.com/SFGameMonetization/
alaplaya. (2012). Avalon
Heroes Home Page. Retrieved December 3, 2012, from Avalon Heroes:
http://avalonheroes.en.alaplaya.net/
alaplaya. (2012). LOCO
Evolution. Retrieved December 3, 2012, from LOCO Evolution:
http://www2.images.alaplaya-assets.net/images/layout/loco/screenshots/loco_anz_01.jpg?1354027379
Dickey, R. (2011).
SF Game Monetization Meetup. Retrieved December 4, 2012, from Meetup:
http://www.meetup.com/SFGameMonetization/
Kiz Studios.
(2012). SMASHMUCK CHAMPIONS. Retrieved December 3, 2012, from
smashmuck.com:
.http://www.smashmuck.com/images/pages/media/screenshots/screens/screenshot_10.jpg
Kommando. (2011,
September 9). LoL Montage Tutorial: The Basics (English. Retrieved
December 4, 2012, from Kommando Gaming:
http://kommandogaming.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/lol-montage-tutorial-basics-english.html
MMO GAMES, IQU.
(2012). LEAGUE OF LEGENDS BEGINNER`S GUIDE. Retrieved December 3, 2012,
from MMOGAMES: http://www.mmogames.com/gameguides/league-of-legends-beginners-guide/
Mowen. (2012). The
History of MOBA. Retrieved December 3, 2012, from MOBAFIRE:
http://www.mobafire.com/esports/news/the-history-of-moba-1
Riot Games.
(2011). Company. Retrieved December 1, 2012, from Riot Games:
http://www.riotgames.com/company
Riot Games.
(2011). Products. Retrieved December 1, 2012, from Riot Games:
http://www.riotgames.com/products/league-legends
Riot Games Inc.
(n.d.). League of Legends. Retrieved December 3, 2012, from League of
Legends WIKI: http://www.leagueoflegends-wiki.com/lol
RTSguru. (2012). RTSGURU.
Retrieved December 3, 2012, from rtsguru.com/article/44:
http://images.rtsguru.com/features/197/league-of-legends-image-1.jpg
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