1) Sharers, or those who rate sharing as extremely important, play more games and spend more money per month on mobile games compared to average players. 2) Sharers are more social and find games through word of mouth and social media more often than other players. They also prefer social features that allow playing and sharing with friends. 3) Video is a highly influential form of sharing that can drive game installations, sharing, and referrals for new players. Games should make it easy for players to automatically capture and share video and screenshots.

1. Authentic Virality
You Share if You Care
Jussi Laakkonen, ApplifierThe Kitten’s Toe

2. Lots of data. Just 20 minutes.
No need to do notes.
Download presentation for data:
http://slideshare.net/abyssi/

3. Data from two surveys
1800 mobile gamers
North America
March 2013
3000 mobile gamers
North America
Q2 2013
Heavy payer:
>$10 / month

4. For the last five games you’ve downloaded,
what was highly influential in your decisions?
00%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
Word of mouth,
social media
App Store TV, Youtube, web
sites, print or other
media
Advertising

5. 24%
26%
34%
35%
36%
40%
42%
48%
58%
63%
67%
72%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Twitter post
Mainstream media
Text message invite
Video service
Mobile game discovery app
Gaming websites
Ads in other apps
Facebook invite or post by a friend
Top charts in storefront
Featured apps in storefront
Saw another person
Word of mouth
Percentage of Mobile Gamers that Endorse They Sometimes or Often Use Source
Sources Mobile Gamers use to Discover Games
Simplified chart. See appendix for full chart.

6. “Hey, you got to play this game. Watch this!”
00%
05%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Hearing from
a friend,
family
Seeing
gameplay
Facebook
post
Tweet Shared
screenshot
Fan videos
In person Online
For the last five games you’ve downloaded,
what was highly influential in your decisions?
Opportunity

7. 0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Which of the following features
are important while playing?
Extremely important Somewhat important Not important
Viral growth
Playing together Sharing

8. Viral growth
through
invites
Viral growth
through
shared
content
Playing together Sharing

9. Viral growth
through
invites
Playing together

10. 0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Easy to invite friends Playing with real friends Playing with non-friends
Playing with real friends nearly
2 x more important than with non-friends
Extremely important Somewhat important Not important
Which of the following features are important while playing?
34% 44% 24%

11. But >60% prefer nicknames
over real identity
21%
Real identity (e.g. login
with Facebook)
19%
Nick name + stylized
photo that masks my
real identity43%
Nick name + avatar
(e.g. game character)
17%
No identity even if it means
friends can’t find me
How do you want to appear to others when you play?

12. Fairly few use social gaming services
00%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Which mobile game services have you used?

13. Your Contacts are your real
friends.
Fairly few games leverage
Contacts, while all mobile social
services do this to bootstrap
growth (e.g. Snapchat)
Go with nicknames or partial
identity (e.g. “Jussi L”)

14. Don’t force FB login.
Demonstrate fun first, then upsell
Facebook Connect to play with
friends
Incentivize FB Connect
(questionable, but works)
“We never spam your friends”

15. Viral growth
through
shared
content
Sharing

16. 10-20% rank sharing extremely important
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Sharing tips,
helping others
Sharing
achievements
Sharing
screenshots
Sharing video
replays
Broadcasting
my game
Extremely important Somewhat important Not important
Which of the following features are important while playing?
Sharers

17. 22%
27%
33%
34%
44%
47%
54%
74%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Post a video of gameplay footage
Discuss the game on the forums
Write a review in the storefront
Invite friends through email
Invite friends to play through FB
Give the game a star rating
Show friends gameplay
Tell friends about the game verbally
Percentage of Mobile Gamers that Endorse Reason
Mobile gaming sharing activities

18. Sharers play more
00%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Games downloaded / month Hours played / week
00%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
All respondents Sharing is extremely important

19. 5%
11%
25%
40%
55%
55%
55%
34%
20%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
All mobile gamers
Heavy Sharers
Heavy Video Sharers
Heavy payer Payer Non-Payer
Mobile Game Spending by Sharing Activeness

20. 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Discuss the game on the forums
Invite friends through email
Post a video of gameplay footage
Invite friends to play through FB
Write a review in the storefront
Give the game a star rating
Show friends gameplay
Tell friends about the game verbally
Percentage of Mobile Gamers that Endorse They Sometimes or Often Use Source
Heavy payer Payer Non-Payer
Mobile game sharing activities
[By Spend Segment]
Simplified chart. See appendix for full chart.

21. Sharers = your most
valuable users
Play More
Pay More
Spread the Word

22. 31%
38%
44%
59%
67%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
To be more involved in the game’s
community
To be an expert in the game
To show off my skill or accomplishments
in the game
To get my friends to play the game with
me
To let others know about a game I enjoy
Percentage of Mobile Gamers that Endorse Sometimes or Often Engaging in Activity
Reasons Mobile Gamers Engage
in Sharing Activities

23. 7%
12%
14%
20%
19%
18%
26%
32%
43%
40%
47%
56%
57%
54%
56%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
To be more involved in the game’s
community
To be an expert in the game
To show off my skill or accomplishments
in the game
To get my friends to play the game with
me
To let others know about a game I enjoy
Heavy Video Sharers Heavy Sharers Full Sample
Reasons Mobile Gamers Engage in Sharing Activities
[By sharing activeness, only “Endorse reason often”]
Percentage of Mobile Gamers who Endorse Often Engaging in Activity

24. Sharers are more social. Part 1
All respondents Sharing is extremely important
Which of the following features are extremely important while playing?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%

25. 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Sharers are more social. Part 2
All respondents Sharing is extremely important
Which of the following features are extremely important while playing?

26. Sharers = Retaining users,
want community features

27. Sharers more likely to find games through
WoM, advertisements, media
00%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
140%
Word of mouth,
social media
App Store TV, Youtube, web
sites, print or other
media
Advertising
All respondents Sharing is extremely important
For the last five games you’ve downloaded, what was highly influential in your decisions?

28. Remember this?
00%
05%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Hearing from
a friend,
family
Seeing
gameplay
Facebook
post
Tweet Shared
screenshot
Fan videos
In person Online
For the last five games you’ve downloaded,
what was highly influential in your decisions?
Opportunity

29. WoM: Sharers find games more
often online than in-person
All respondents Sharing is extremely important
For the last five games you’ve downloaded, what was highly influential in your decisions?
00%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Hearing from
a friend,
family
Seeing
gameplay
Facebook
post
Tweet Shared
screenshot
Fan videos

30. 5%
8%
7%
8%
10%
10%
13%
18%
16%
18%
23%
24%
37%
53%
43%
54%
44%
50%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Twitter post
Another social network
Text message invite
Video service
Facebook invite
Facebook post by a friend
Heavy Video Sharers Heavy Sharers Full Sample
Sources Mobile Gamers Use to Discover games
[Only “Often used online social sources”]
Percentage of Mobile Gamers who Endorse Reason Often

31. Share from
the game,
invite
Social
media
Try a
new game
Sharers
Get
engaged

32. What type of sharing
is most influential?

34. It’s like snake, but you fight monsters. Swipe
to steer your snake made of heroes you level
up, kill the baddies and don’t hit anything!

36. SHARED WITH

37. Videos drive installs,
decision making and referral
All respondents Sharing is extremely important
What actions have you taken after watching game related video?
00%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%

38. You share if you care. Tap into
emotions.
Show, don’t tell à screenshots,
video.
Automatic screenshots, instant
replays à just share!
Sharing is self-reinforcing
Build social features to attract &
retain Sharers
Sharers play & pay and get your
more users. You want them.

39. slideshare.net/abyssi
jussi@everyplay.com
@jussil
For More Information on EEDAR’s
Annual Deconstructing Mobile & Tablet
Gaming Report
Visit www.EEDAR.com

40. Data Appendix

41. 24%
26%
29%
31%
34%
35%
36%
36%
40%
41%
42%
45%
48%
58%
63%
67%
72%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Twi0er
post
Mainstream
media
Another
social
network
Currency
offer
in
an
app
Text
message
invite
Video
service
TradiIonal
gaming
websites
Mobile
game
discovery
app
Mobile
gaming
websites
Facebook
adverIsement
Banner
ads
in
other
apps
Facebook
invite
Facebook
post
by
a
friend
Top
charts
in
storefront
Featured
apps
in
storefront
Saw
another
person
Word
of
mouth
Percentage
of
Mobile
Gamers
that
Endorse
They
SomeDmes
or
OFen
Use
Source
Source
Sources
Mobile
Gamers
Use
to
Discover
Mobile
Games

42. 2%
6%
12%
12%
22%
33%
42%
65%
16%
18%
29%
23%
42%
59%
65%
83%
50%
59%
64%
72%
77%
83%
91%
94%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Discuss the game on the forums
Invite friends through email
Post a video of gameplay footage
Invite friends to play through FB
Write a review in the storefront
Give the game a star rating
Show friends gameplay
Tell friends about the game verbally
Percentage of Mobile Gamers that Endorse They Sometimes or Often Use Source
Source Mobile Gaming Sharing Activities
[By Spend Segment]
Heavy payer
Payer
Non-Payer