1,2,3,4...5 essential steps to define the concept for a freemium game
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Free-to-Play is not a game genre, it is a business model that can be applied to nearly all game categories - Action, strategy, puzzles, social and sport games - but traditional design rules do not necessarily apply to them. Actually, most freemium games must be designed around the specific design constraints imposed by this business model. In this talk, I will cover the key design dimensions that set free-to-play games apart from traditional games and I will describe the step-by-step method I use when I work on the concept of a freemium game.
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1,2,3,4...5 essential steps to define the concept for a freemium game
- 1. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ... essential steps to define the concept for a freemium game
- 2. Typical thinking pattern for the design of a traditionnal game (non-freemium) The key difference in game design between premium and freemium games Game concept Detailed game mechanics Level design Tutorial Marketing
- 3. New thinking pattern for a freemium game Level design Game mechanics Monetization strategy Game animation Tutorial The key difference in game design between premium and freemium games
- 4. Five steps to follow to define the concept of a freemium game Gameplay intention Target players Step 1
- 5. Five steps to follow to define the concept of a freemium game Gameplay intention Target players Step 1 Monetization strategy Step 2
- 6. Level design Business model Game mechanics Acquisition & retention Monetization strategy The monetization strategy is the cornerstone of a freemium title… … not a component among others.
- 7. What is a monetization strategy? It is not what you sell … … but how you drive players to spend money in a free game How is it done?
- 8. Some freemium titles generate frustration to drive players to spend money Some games limit the player’s actions by giving him a limited number of actions points How?
- 10. Some freemium titles generate frustration to drive players to spend money Some games limit the player’s actions by giving him a limited number of actions points Other games impose long delays before an action can be completed How?
- 12. Some freemium titles generate frustration to drive players to spend money Some games limit the player’s actions by giving him a limited number of actions points Other games impose long delays before an action can be completed And others sell items or game upgrades at incredibly high prices How?
- 13. 0 3800 4200 41000 147500 315000 875000 1345000 2370000 '- 750 000 1500 000 2250 000 3000 000 Renault FT Hotchkiss H35 AMX 40 AMX 12t AMX 13 90 Purchasing cost for French light tanks branch
- 14. Is frustration mandatory in a freemium game ? Not necessarily Most free-to-play games feature a mix of frustration and another component: Envy
- 15. ENVY versus FRUSTRATION They talk about the same thing. In both case, it is about desire. The difference between ENVY and FRUSTRATION is the emotional response when fac When you have ENVY, you feel you can, eventually, fulfill your need When you have FRUSTRATION, you feel it is going to be nearly impossible or even painful to fulfill your need.
- 16. ENVY versus FRUSTRATION ENVY is a key component of traditional (i.e premium) games, for instance: • The completion of a level • The defeat of an opponent in a multiplayer game • Unlocking or finding a new game item or an upgrade • The discovery of a secret zone • Etc.
- 17. All successful freemium game are creating both envy and frustration … Game that generate ENVY Games that generate FRUSTRATION … but in different mixes.
- 18. Features that generate ENVY: - Completion of a puzzle - Beating a friend’score Features that generate FRUSTRATION: - Lack of moves to complete a puzzle Game that generate ENVY Games that generate FRUSTRATION
- 19. Features that generate ENVY: - The catalog of tanks - The sweet taste of victory Features that generate FRUSTRATION: - Increasing price of tanks - The increasing risk of losing in- game money during battles Game that generate ENVY Games that generate FRUSTRATION
- 20. A monetization strategy must offer a mix of envy and frustration Envy: The game has a lot to offer and the player understands he can get what he wants by playing Frustration: The game, on purpose, makes it nearly impossible or very lengthy to easily obtain what the player may want. This mix is unique and depends on the game genre, the target audience, the platform, etc. The goal of a monetization strategy is to create this mix of envy and frustration.
- 21. We do we need both frustration and envy? Frustration will get the player to spend real money… … but envy is what will get him to play in the first place and play for a very long time: For weeks, years Envy creates engagement … … and long term engagement is key to the success of a freemium title. Experience shows that the longer a player is engaged in a game, the higher the proba months,
- 22. The monetization strategy is defined by mixing several monetization techniques Main monetization techniques: Ressource limitation Artificially limit the number of actions a player can do or … Make those actions very long to complete Leveling The player is offered a very large choice of items to access To access an item, he must have acquired the previous one Cosmetic Game features that are not needed to play but allow the player to differentiate himself Advertising Banners, full page ads, optional videos
- 23. The monetization strategy is defined by mixing several monetization techniques Alternative monetization techniques: Paymium The game must be bought to get access to all of its features … … but the player can spend extra money in it Episodic content The game is sold in episodes Each episode is sold at a moderate price Restricted access The game is free and can be played that way forever … … but without all the features Partnership The game is free for the players … … but not for selected business partners that finance the game.
- 24. 0 1 3 4 5 0 1 3 4 5 Restricted access Episodic content Paymium Advertising Cosmetic Limited resources ENVY FRUSTRATION Partnership Leveling
- 25. Freemium games mix those techniques to build their own monetization strategy Candy Crush Temple Run Clash of Clans Infinity Blade games World of Tanks Dungeons & Dragons Combat Arms Ressource limitation Leveling Cosmetic Advertising Restricted access Paymium
- 26. Monetization strategy - A summary • Frustration can be an effective tool to monetize a game • but you must build envy first • and make sure the game will be good enough to keep your players engaged for a very long time • Then, depending on your audience and game genre, you may - or not - build frustration.
- 27. Five steps to follow to define the concept of a freemium game Gameplay intention Target players Step 1 Monetization strategy Step 2 Open loops & grinding mechanism Step 3
- 28. The open loops Many freemium games are built around open loops. Objective 1 Reward A loop is made up of a clearly stated objective and reward: The player clearly understands that he can reach the reward by playing the game
- 29. The open loops How do they work? At the beginning of the game, the loops are few and short: Objective 1 Reward Objective 2 Reward
- 30. The open loops How do they work? As the player progresses in the game, the length of the loops increase:
- 31. The open loops How do they work? As the player progresses in the game, the length of the loops increase … … and their number increases as well:
- 32. The open loops What is the consequence? • The player is facing a large number of objectives that require an ever increasing amount of time to complete • He spends more and more time in the game … • Eventually, he will spend money to alleviate the frustration.
- 33. The open loops Why are they so important? They provide short term objectives that will « hook » the player to the game They generate frustration They give the player reasons to come back often, and for a long time, to the game They are used to control the player’s progression.
- 34. The open loops Control over the player’s progression should lead to a curve like this one
- 35. Five steps to follow to define the concept of a freemium game Gameplay intention Target players Monetization strategy Open loops & grinding mechanism Shop strategy Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4
- 36. The shop strategy It covers three issues: What to sell How to sell it At what price.
- 37. The shop strategy 1_What to sell The typical families of items for sale: Customization items Ego-boosting items Game content Clan-related items Confort items Game ressources Gameplay items
- 38. The shop strategy 1_What to sell 2_How to sell it
- 39. How to sell There are three strategies to implement a store: The shop Strategy 1 – To offer a catalog of items as wide as possible
- 40. Strategy 1 – To offer an items catalog as wide as possible Example: My Brute (iOS) The shop strategy – How to sell
- 41. The shop strategy – How to sell Strategy 1 – To offer an items catalog as wide as possible Example: My Brute (iOS)
- 42. The shop strategy – How to sell Strategy 1 – To offer an items catalog as wide as possible Example: My Brute (iOS)
- 43. The shop strategy – How to sell Strategy 1 – To offer an items catalog as wide as possible Example: My Brute (iOS)
- 44. The shop strategy – How to sell Strategy 1 – To offer an items catalog as wide as possible Example: My Brute (iOS)
- 45. How to sell There are three strategies to implement a store: Strategy 1 – To offer a catalog of items as wide as possible Strategy 2 – To sell as few items as possible The shop strategy
- 46. Strategy 2 – To sell as few items as possible Example: Rage of Bahamuth (iOS) The shop strategy – How to sell
- 47. Strategy 2 – To sell as few items as possible Example: Sovereign (iOS) The shop strategy – How to sell
- 48. How to sell There are three strategies to implement a store: Strategy 1 – To offer a catalog of items as wide as possible Strategy 2 – To sell as few items as possible Strategy 3 – To sell directly in « real » money The shop strategy
- 49. How to sell Strategy 3 – To sell directly in « real » money Example: Candy Crush Saga The shop strategy – How to sell
- 50. The shop strategy 1_What to sell 2_How to sell it 3_At what price
- 51. The shop strategy – The price You need to define two sets of price: The price for items you will sell against real money The price for items players can buy with soft currencies.
- 52. The shop strategy – The price Price for items sold against real money An easy issue: Most games sell packages of hard currency.
- 53. The shop strategy – The price Why most games are selling packs of hard currency? Most games sell packages of hard currency It eases the pain of spending real money The player needs to make a purchase once, then he can make several purchases in the game without getting his credit card out. It makes it possible to sell items at super low prices ($0.25).
- 54. The shop strategy – The price Price for items sold against soft currencies A much more complex issue because it is deeply related to the player’ progression in the game, the speed at which he levels up.
- 56. Five steps to follow to define the concept of a freemium game Gameplay intention Target players Monetization strategy Open loops & grinding mechanism Shop strategy Onboarding & retention strategies Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5
- 57. Onboarding & retention strategies What is onboarding? It is NOT only about the tutorial. Onboarding defines the design choices that support the discovery of the game. It includes: Tutorial features Early rewards Game pacing Level of challenge.
- 58. Onboarding & retention strategies A few guidelines to define the onboarding Know your target. Onboarding design depends on the profile of gamers (hardcore, casual, « non-gamers ») Get the player into open loops as soon as possible Adapt the level of challenge to your target audience Make sure the player will not be disappointed by the first minutes of his game experience …. And that starts with the first images he sees.
- 59. Onboarding & retention strategies Retention strategies Why are they so important: The longer a user plays your game, the more likely he will make a purchase: The game has become part of his life He is good at it He is facing many open loops.
- 60. Onboarding & retention strategies The best retention strategies Offer a great game … … and make it genuinely free See your game as a service, NOT an application: Renew it very regularly with new content Adapt the game to what your audience wants Create events Do sales Multiply open loops Drive the player to interact with friends Add a strong multiplayer dimension, social or competitive..
- 61. Follow me on Twitter and be informed of the game industry megatrends: @PASCAL_LUBAN Looking for game design tutorials? Check out my iOS/Android app: GAME DESIGN TOOLBOX
Editor's Notes
- For a freemium game, the designer must take into account ALL aspects of the game at once, and they are all associated with a key aspect: the monetization strategy. Defining the monetization strategy leads to the defininition of all the other aspects of the game.
- For a freemium game, the designer must take into account ALL aspects of the game at once, and they are all associated with a key aspect: the monetization strategy. Defining the monetization strategy leads to the defininition of all the other aspects of the game.
- For a freemium game, the designer must take into account ALL aspects of the game at once, and they are all associated with a key aspect: the monetization strategy. Defining the monetization strategy leads to the defininition of all the other aspects of the game.