Casual Games Association ppt Template

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Alternate Channels for Casual Games Bryan
Trussel, Microsoft Dave Bell, PlayPhone Raj
Singh, ToneThis Moderator Craig Holland, Freeze
Tag 1130am June 28th
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Objective

• How to make money from your casual game IP

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Objective

• How to make money from your casual game IP
• Main channel
• Device PC
• Technology Windows
• Business Model Download (TBYB)
• Revenue __ of per unit sale

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Objective

• How to make money from your casual game IP
• Main channel
• Device PC
• Technology Windows
• Business Model Download (TBYB)
• Revenue __ of per unit sale
• Questions
• What are the other channels?
• How do I evaluate the opportunity?
• Do I need a partner?

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Opportunities
Device Technology Distribution Market Size Difficulty
PC Download Web browser IM Portal, Retail Portal Portal Huge Huge Growing Low Low Low


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Opportunities
Device Technology Distribution Market Size Difficulty
PC Download Web browser IM Portal, Retail Portal Portal Huge Huge Growing Low Low Low
Mobile Smartphone Java BREW Carrier, Off-deck Carrier, Off-deck Carrier, Off-deck Growing Huge Huge Medium High High

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Opportunities
Device Technology Distribution Market Size Difficulty
PC Download Web browser IM Portal, Retail Portal Portal Huge Huge Growing Low Low Low
Mobile Smartphone Java BREW Carrier, Off-deck Carrier, Off-deck Carrier, Off-deck Growing Huge Huge Medium High High
Dedicated Xbox Live Arcade DS/PSP Microsoft Nintendo, Sony Growing Growing Medium Medium
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Opportunities
Device Technology Distribution Market Size Difficulty
PC Download Web browser IM Portal, Retail Portal Portal Huge Huge Growing Low Low Low
Mobile Smartphone Java BREW Carrier, Off-deck Carrier, Off-deck Carrier, Off-deck Growing Huge Huge Medium High High
Dedicated Xbox Live Arcade DS/PSP Microsoft Nintendo, Sony Growing Growing Medium Medium
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Instant Messaging Platforms

• Bryan Trussel
• Microsoft

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MSN Messenger
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MSN Messenger Games

• Users
• 180 Million MSN Messenger users worldwide
• 16 Million Unique Users playing Messenger Games
  (monthly)
• 60K daily peak populations
• About 40/60 male/female distribution
• Wide demographic, from teens to CEOs
• (but teens spend much more time online)

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MSN Messenger Games

• Business Models
• Subscriptions
• Advertising
• Advergaming

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Game Design Considerations for Messenger

• The platform provides
• Launching
• Matchmaking (including handshake and session
  establishment)
• Buddy Invites
• Stats reporting, tracking, and storage
• Networking (including relay servers, firewalls,
  NAT traversal, and tunneling)
• Game Window Management

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Top Messenger Titles(Game Launches and Unique
Users)

1. Minesweeper Flags
2. Checkers
3. Solitaire Showdown
4. Bejewelled
5. Hexic
6. Tic-Tac-Toe
7. Pool (Billiards)

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Web Distributionof Mobile Games

• Dave Bell
• PlayPhone

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D2C Model Dominating Mobile Content Industry

• European numbers for Direct to Consumer are
  staggering
• Vodafone UK reports 70 of MoCo revenue generated
  by off portal sales
• North America beginning to follow European trend
  consumers hungry for choice
• Carriers supporting D2C model have seen compound
  annual off portal growth of 410
• Carriers in North America are opening up
• Cingular, T-Mobile perennially supported D2C
• Sprint opened to off deck channels in Q4 2005
• Verizon Wireless coming soon

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Mobile Games - Now, its our turn to shine!

• The Direct to Consumer business isnt just about
  ringtones and wallpapers anymore
• Carriers who once allowed only ringtones and
  images via D2C now have opened up to games in the
  past year
• Mobile game downloads increased by 53 in Q1 2006
  industry wide - consumer demand is strong
• Newer phones with desirable functionality for
  games churning into the marketplace faster

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Many Challenges Still Remain

• Handset compatibility is huge issue for games in
  D2C channels
• New devices trickle down to D2C users 12 months
  after carrier introduction
• D2C customers typically not early adopters
• Single download business for mobile games is a
  struggle
• Each time a user attempts to download a game that
  isnt compatible revenue is lost
• Users lose interest after first unsuccessful
  download attempt

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Success in D2C Mobile Games Requires Focus

• What works for a successful ringtone download
  business does not necessarily work for games
• Subscription business models, good customer
  management and handset profiling are key
• Games focused mobile portals can see game
  download ratios as high as 35 compared to other
  categories
• PlayPhone reports 90 of game download requests
  completed successfully
• Business is growing - Q1 - Q2 2006 game downloads
  grew 300 for one leading games portal

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Mobile Gamers are Casual Gamers

• Sampling of Top Downloads by Publisher
• _at_ PlayPhone
• Jewel Quest
• Mah Jong Quest
• Zuma
• Deer Hunter
• Solitare 4-Pack
• Platinum Solitaire
• Midnight Bowling
• Collapse
• Wild Wild Words

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Desktop Distribution of Mobile Games

• Raj Singh
• ToneThis

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Desktop Distribution

• Mobile is an extension of the desktop (most of
  the time)
• Distributing activity-relevant premium content on
  the desktop (Its like 1999 with ads in the apps
  but relevant)
• Distributing content as part of desktop
  application installers (ie Toolbar Bundling)

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Benefits of the Desktop

• More seamless user-experience although this is
  starting to be challenged
• Off-line doesnt matter
• Always-on, taskbar icon can wake up and upsell!
  creates a natural stickiness
• Credit Card details for commerce do not appear to
  leave the desktop (false sense of security)

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Desktop Activity with Mobile Content

• File-sharing companies seeking to distribute
  premium mobile content (extending beyond premium
  desktop content)
• Content providers including some operators are
  seeking to create a desktop channel to unify
  their mobile and web experience
• EA Mobile is creating a desktop app Phase 1 is
  an RSS feed of alerts and updates for the
  different online-mobile games you play
• MSFT Live online ID SDKs allowing for seamless
  commerce between the web and the desktop

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ToneThis

• Enables customization and delivery of personal
  content OTA from the desktop
• Aggregates and upsells premium content from the
  desktop including games, ringtones, wallpapers
  and videos
• 300K users, CNET Top 10 downloaded Mobile
  Category app, retail distribution in Frys, Best
  Buy, CompUSA etc

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Dedicated Game DevicesConsoles (Xbox)

• Bryan Trussel
• Microsoft

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Xbox Live Arcade
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Xbox Live Arcade Business Model

• User presented with a walled garden Arcade
  experience.
• Free Download trials
• User can purchase with the push of a button
  (Points)
• 3 BIG differences in Xbox 360 version
• Embedded in ROM (Dashboard)
• Silver Live subscription is free
• Points as currency

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Some Xbox Live Arcade Stats

• Launched 4 months ago, 20 titles currently on
  service
• Over 3M downloads to-date since launch (this is
  paid free trial)
• Over 60 of connected Xbox 360 consoles
  downloading and playing Xbox Live Arcade titles
• Over 20 average download-to-purchase conversion
  rate for titles, with the top title converting at
  39
• Top WW Arcade Titles on Xbox 360 to-date
• Geometry Wars
• Marble Blast Ultra
• Gauntlet
• Smash TV
• Zuma

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Opportunities
Device Technology Distribution Market Size Difficulty
PC Download Web browser IM Portal, Retail Portal Portal Huge Huge Growing Low Low Low
Mobile Smartphone Java BREW Carrier, Off-deck Carrier, Off-deck Carrier, Off-deck Growing Huge Huge Medium High High
Dedicated Xbox Live Arcade DS/PSP Microsoft Nintendo, Sony Growing Growing Medium Medium
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