Mobile App Discovery

Finding High Quality Users For Your Game

Let’s Talk About iOS UsersHow Do I Find High Quality, Engaged Players?

IOS App Store

Mobile Publisher

Organic or word of mouth

Social Networks

Advertising

Viral Channels

Word of MouthHow Can I Get People Talking About My Game?

*Inside Mobile Apps, 2012: http://www.insidemobileapps.com/2012/07/11/word-of-mouth-app-store-features-and-searches-are-the-most-popular-methods-to-find-new-mobile-games-says-independent-developer-ampulum/

Word of mouth is the #1 way users discover mobile games*

Get yourself in blogs and game review sites

Take Away: Build a great game!

EEDAR Study On Discovery

The App StoreHow Do I Get Priority Placement?

Spend a gazillion dollars on user acquisition quickly

OR

Be strategic and form a relationship with Apple

5 Tips to Get Noticed By ApplePitch the blogs and publications that APPLE EMPLOYEES actually read

Focus on the quality of the app and execution

Make a great demo video that focuses on the gameplay, not the developers

Attend and network at all Apple events

Make sure your app uses Apple’s newest features

AdvertisingGet Ready to Spend…User Acquisition Prices on the Rise*

User acquisition costs on IOS range for $2 to $7 in the USAd types-> Incentivized, Video, CPI,CPC, banner, cross-promo, etc.

Which Ad Networks?-> Tapjoy, Flurry, Applifer, Ad Colony, W3i, Chartboost, etc.

*http://techcrunch.com/2012/07/30/w3i-app-marketing-costs/

Mobile App ViralityHow to Increase Your K-Factor

• Make your game inherently viralGo asynchronous - Words with Friends, Song Pop, Draw Something

• Add existing social graphs to your gameFacebook, Twitter, YouTube

• Build a great game!Users will share a game they think is fun with their friends

• Make it Shareworthy!Create moments that users want to share with their friends

When should you go with a publisher?

Only when all else fails!

Mobile Publisher AdviceWho are we talking about we we say publisher?A 3rd party that provides: funding, distribution, marketing and

usersExamples: Gree, Activision, Mobage, TinyCo, Atari, Zynga, 6waves, Rovio

What do they do for you?The above and what else?No guarantee publisher will live up to promises Your future is 100% tied to the publisher

But, let’s think about it.

If the game is GOOD ENOUGH for the publisher…

…then it’s GOOD ENOUGH

to attract users on its own

• Gree: Will cost you 15-25% of your revenue

• Playphone: Have traction, so it’s worth a conversation

• Mobage: Same as Gree

• Papaya: Android focused

Mobile Social NetworksAre Any Worth Talking to?

Now your players can record and share their greatest game moments with

friends and fans.

Everyplay• Social sharing with game replays

• Digitize the “word of mouth” experience

• Distribution– Users record their Gameplay and share across social channels

• Engagement– Real people are interesting. Let fans post how-tos, guides, boast

and connect

Discovery

Discovery

Engagement

Engagement

Final Advice• Build an amazing game with social components

• Leverage existing social graphs– Facebook, Twitter, Mobile Social Networks

• Research and try new mobile social graphs – EVERYPLAY!

• You’ll need to spend money -> Spend wisely

• Sign with a publisher as a last resort