Digital Media Properties
Lessons from Social Games to Monetize
their Fanbases

Nima Pourshasb
VP, Strategy & Corporate Development
                                       December 1st, 2010
npourshasb@livegamer.com
Live Gamer Overview
 Micro‐transactions: Complete solution 
 for virtual goods and digital content e‐
 commerce

 Billing & payments, virtual currency & 
 e‐wallet, storefront, merchandizing, 
 analytics, player‐to‐player trading

 Offices in NYC, Palo Alto and Seoul

 90 publishers, 150 titles

 Focus on online games. Now moving to 
              l
 other digital entertainment
                                            2
Digital Entertainment MT opportunity is still
nascent
  US Digital Media & Entertainment 
        g
  will be $134BN by 2014 (PWC)

  Music, Sports, TV/Cable, Print
  Music Sports TV/Cable Print
  Any IP with fan base community

  Now at inflection point with 
  respect to microtransactions and 
  virtual goods
  virtual goods

  8 lessons digital media properties 
  have learned from observing social 
  gaming
                                                3
1. They like what they see…
 Economics
  ‐ Revenue run rate
  ‐ COGS of virtual goods
  ‐ Upfront investment: $120K 
       f                 $
    to develop Farmville
  ‐ Derisking a content business

 Accretive revenue stream

 Existing revenue streams are 
 struggling


                                   Source: Barclays Capital 2010
…and they know they need to move in that
direction
 Digital transition continues
   g
2. Don’t need to make the “next Farmville”
   Don t                   next Farmville
Initial wave of M&A activity 
targeted at purchasing game 
developers
 ‐ Disney buys Playdom ($763MM)
 ‐ Warner Brother buys Turbine
 ‐ MTV buys Social Express

Light game mechanics and 
dynamics

“Gamify it and they will come…and      Source: BunchBall


they will stay…and life will be 
better
better” 

                                                 6
3. Their fan communities already display
    behaviors that drive virtual goods commerce
                                       commerce…
‐   Competition:  Who is the biggest 
    fan?

‐         g/
    Gifting / enhanced communication

‐   Self‐expression

‐   Insatiable demand for content




                                             7
… and the social gaming framework fits directly
into the online fan community experience

                        EASY TO PAY      COMMUNITY            COMPETITION




        INSTANT                                                             CLEAR
        GRATIFICATION                                                       GOAL
                                         SUPER USER
                                         S      S
                                       THE 1% THAT PAYS




                           SOCIALIZE                      SELF-EXPRESSION




                                                                                    8
4. They already have the whales & the super
users
 Already invested in: user acquisition, user retention, 
 engagement, transition from passive to active to paying

            j       p    g $ ,
 Whale: Bonjovi VIP package: $1,750
 Conversion to paying users > 1‐5%




                                                           9
5. They have high quality content

 Archive libraries, cut scenes, 
 behind‐the‐scenes, interviews

              y         g p
 Content is dynamic: e.g. sports 
 results, tours, new albums, new 
 editions, new season




                                    10
6. They get e-commerce

Merchandizing & sales optimization

Importance of payment methods

Familiar with reporting challenges 
(e.g. artist royalties)




                                      11
7. They really like earned virtual currencies

 Strong incentive rewards for fans

 Long list of desired behaviors




                                                12
8. They know that fans will follow them to the
experience
 Marketing channels: Email groups, 
 fan websites, PR, events

                              g
 Interaction with the IP is significant 
 part of the experience




                                            13
New wave in MTX: Monetization of fanbases

Just starting

Opportunity for entire social gaming ecosystem: gamification, 
microtransactions, virtual goods, game design and development, 
                 ,         g    ,g         g             p     ,
advertising

Important implications on market size and definition of social gaming
Important implications on market size and definition of social gaming




                                                                        14
Thank you!


Nima Pourshasb
VP,
VP Strategy & Corporate Development
npourshasb@livegamer.com
                                      15

Nima Pourshasb Presentation

  • 1.
    Digital Media Properties Lessonsfrom Social Games to Monetize their Fanbases Nima Pourshasb VP, Strategy & Corporate Development December 1st, 2010 npourshasb@livegamer.com
  • 2.
    Live Gamer Overview Micro‐transactions: Complete solution  for virtual goods and digital content e‐ commerce Billing & payments, virtual currency &  e‐wallet, storefront, merchandizing,  analytics, player‐to‐player trading Offices in NYC, Palo Alto and Seoul 90 publishers, 150 titles Focus on online games. Now moving to  l other digital entertainment 2
  • 3.
    Digital Entertainment MTopportunity is still nascent US Digital Media & Entertainment  g will be $134BN by 2014 (PWC) Music, Sports, TV/Cable, Print Music Sports TV/Cable Print Any IP with fan base community Now at inflection point with  respect to microtransactions and  virtual goods virtual goods 8 lessons digital media properties  have learned from observing social  gaming 3
  • 4.
    1. They likewhat they see… Economics ‐ Revenue run rate ‐ COGS of virtual goods ‐ Upfront investment: $120K  f $ to develop Farmville ‐ Derisking a content business Accretive revenue stream Existing revenue streams are  struggling Source: Barclays Capital 2010
  • 5.
    …and they knowthey need to move in that direction Digital transition continues g
  • 6.
    2. Don’t needto make the “next Farmville” Don t next Farmville Initial wave of M&A activity  targeted at purchasing game  developers ‐ Disney buys Playdom ($763MM) ‐ Warner Brother buys Turbine ‐ MTV buys Social Express Light game mechanics and  dynamics “Gamify it and they will come…and  Source: BunchBall they will stay…and life will be  better better”  6
  • 7.
    3. Their fancommunities already display behaviors that drive virtual goods commerce commerce… ‐ Competition:  Who is the biggest  fan? ‐ g/ Gifting / enhanced communication ‐ Self‐expression ‐ Insatiable demand for content 7
  • 8.
    … and thesocial gaming framework fits directly into the online fan community experience EASY TO PAY COMMUNITY COMPETITION INSTANT CLEAR GRATIFICATION GOAL SUPER USER S S THE 1% THAT PAYS SOCIALIZE SELF-EXPRESSION 8
  • 9.
    4. They alreadyhave the whales & the super users Already invested in: user acquisition, user retention,  engagement, transition from passive to active to paying j p g $ , Whale: Bonjovi VIP package: $1,750 Conversion to paying users > 1‐5% 9
  • 10.
    5. They havehigh quality content Archive libraries, cut scenes,  behind‐the‐scenes, interviews y g p Content is dynamic: e.g. sports  results, tours, new albums, new  editions, new season 10
  • 11.
    6. They gete-commerce Merchandizing & sales optimization Importance of payment methods Familiar with reporting challenges  (e.g. artist royalties) 11
  • 12.
    7. They reallylike earned virtual currencies Strong incentive rewards for fans Long list of desired behaviors 12
  • 13.
    8. They knowthat fans will follow them to the experience Marketing channels: Email groups,  fan websites, PR, events g Interaction with the IP is significant  part of the experience 13
  • 14.
    New wave inMTX: Monetization of fanbases Just starting Opportunity for entire social gaming ecosystem: gamification,  microtransactions, virtual goods, game design and development,  , g ,g g p , advertising Important implications on market size and definition of social gaming Important implications on market size and definition of social gaming 14
  • 15.
    Thank you! Nima Pourshasb VP, VPStrategy & Corporate Development npourshasb@livegamer.com 15