{"id":46469,"date":"2024-05-22T16:10:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-22T14:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webrixstudio.online\/aa\/?p=46469"},"modified":"2025-04-14T00:05:02","modified_gmt":"2025-04-13T22:05:02","slug":"where-to-begin-when-developing-a-new-mobile-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webrixstudio.online\/aa\/blog\/where-to-begin-when-developing-a-new-mobile-game\/","title":{"rendered":"Where to Begin when Developing a New Mobile Game"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Welcome to the Part One of the Navigating Chaos Series<\/strong>! Over the course of three articles, we\u2019ll provide you with practical tips for developing a successful strategy for a mobile gaming studio.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Subscribe to our newsletter<\/strong><\/a> to be notified when the next article is published!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trigger for this article was a conversation at PG Connects London with the CMO and VP of Growth of a large gaming studio. We debated about where to start with the development of a new game: do you begin with the idea or the audience?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s your take?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Idea vs. audience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To answer this question, I would consider three key aspects:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. The mobile game market is brutally saturated and is now a zero-sum game<\/strong> \u2192 You\u2019re either stealing players from others, or others are stealing from you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. IDFA deprecation has made marketing to specific audiences on iOS nearly impossible<\/strong> \u2192 Your game has to be appealing to the masses and capable of selling itself in five seconds or less.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. The stakes are high due to increased player expectations and the insane cost of acquisition<\/strong> \u2192 The game you build must be realistic in terms of resources, and you should maintain a competitive edge.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \"Infographic<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Back in London, I was a strong advocate for the \u201caudience-first\u201d approach. Many publishers can develop a cool prototype and only then consider the audience, game positioning, and theme. However, for most companies, it makes more sense to set aside Unity (pun intended) and start with market research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Great game design is not enough to build a sustainable studio. The critical question in 2024 is, \u201cAre there enough people willing to pay for it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The answer should be a combination of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A. Market size<\/strong>
    B. Expected ARPU and CPI<\/strong>
    C. How you will differentiate yourself<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Only once you know there\u2019s a specific audience that is big enough, financially accessible, and interested in the intended product you are about to create should you proceed with its development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Diagram<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    How Top Gaming Studios Come Up With New Titles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Now that we\u2019ve outlined two potential approaches, let me share which path top gaming publishers I spoke with usually take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Paula Neves<\/a>, whose resume includes Gazeus Games, Square Enix, and now Zynga, shares here insights:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cDo what you do best. Assess your team first; identify your strong skills, expertise, and the genres you know well. That already significantly narrows the horizon and increases your chances of success.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The game concept should focus heavily on what sets your game apart<\/strong> and what makes it special. Lay your cards on the table and don\u2019t rely on marketers to come up with compelling messaging to sell your \u201cme too\u201d product to millions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Even if they catch the eyeballs, no marketing trick will keep people coming back unless there\u2019s something unique about the experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I love sharing the example of Space Ape Games. This British studio, backed by Supercell, built and discontinued 24 games between 2017 and 2020, as CEO Simon Hade revealed at Pocketgamer Helsinki.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Beatstar, the breakthrough success following several gloomy years, reversed the dire situation when demographic segmentation revealed significantly better retention rates among female players aged 25-34 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Chart<\/a>
    Source: Space Ape Games at PGC Helsinki<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    This was one of the key \u201caha\u201d moments that came from the simple act of asking segmentation questions during the onboarding process. The product was then steered towards this segment, became a global hit, and recently expanded with a spin-off, Country Star, targeting an even more niche audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Screenshot<\/a>
    Source: Space Ape Games at PGC Helsinki<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    This audience-first approach was used again with Chrome Valley Customs, which, in my opinion, was based on an insight that many male players over 50 years old play Candy Crush Saga (just look around the train on your commute to work).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The audience defined the theme, which was then applied to familiar game mechanics, with the addition of collectible cars as a slight innovation within the genre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    \u201cStrategy is about solving a problem with what you have.\u201d
    Eve Chang, ex-producer of Temple Run and Bejeweled Blitz<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    History has shown that excessive novelty can deter players who seek familiarity. Good examples of innovation within boundaries include Monopoly Go, which drew inspiration from Coin Master, and Marvel Snap, which was influenced by Hearthstone and Magic: The Gathering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Another notable reference is from Laura Taranto, who discussed on the Two & Half Gamers podcast<\/a> how Travel Town and Gossip Harbour addressed player frustrations identified in Merge Mansion and Love & Pies, such as hitting progression walls. Addressing these issues led these games to outperform the originals in revenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Let\u2019s get back to the Brits, though. On the one hand, it was a risky move for Space Ape to venture into the match-3 genre, which was new territory for them (interestingly, no store screenshot of Chrome Valley Customs shows the matching mechanic).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    On the other hand, targeting such a large and previously unaddressed segment with a casual game built around a strong theme makes it a perfect choice in the post-IDFA era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Paula Neves explains why this is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cIn two years, we will see only casual games [due to targeting issues]. Everything is going towards the middle. Hypercasual goes towards hybrid casual while mid-core is getting more casual.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    She continues on the importance of simple appeal: \u201cLook at Archero ads. At first appearance, it looks hypercasual and therefore accessible. The game has gear, heroes, lots of depth\u2026 and by the time you realize it\u2019s fairly complex, you are already hooked and ready to pay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Animated<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    With the above mentioned, it\u2019s not surprising that at AppAgent, we\u2019ve conducted many marketability tests over the past 12 months for both new and established games. Our goal was to identify the most compelling positioning, art style, and messaging for the right audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The market situation is set to continue on this trajectory due to Google\u2019s Privacy Sandbox. The changes to IDFA are teaching us to move away from overly relying on performance marketing for user acquisition and to focus instead on creating games worth playing<\/strong> and marketing worth remembering<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Coming from the traditional advertising business and building a team with a strong background in marketing communication, I believe that huge opportunities lie in adopting a more mature and holistic marketing approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Key Takeaways From Part One<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    1. The audience-first approach is essential in today\u2019s overcrowded market.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Assessing your team\u2019s skills and genre expertise helps narrow down which game to develop.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Simple game appeal is crucial due to poor ad targeting.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      We\u2019re now applying the above-mentioned principles in our first publishing project, a mobile fitness game called Walking Planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The second part<\/a> of this series will focus on how to find game-market fit early and why achieving \u201cunfair\u201d cost efficiency in user acquisition is crucial. It will also feature insights from game designer Matthew Emery, Ritva Eskelinen of Lightheart Entertainment, and other mobile growth experts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
      Let\u2019s grow your mobile game!<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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