by Eric Seufert Read the Original
Summary Notes
To successfully resonate with their target demographic, mobile game developers must consider the game's tone, theme and core mechanic, known as the "Power Triad of Resonance". This can be tested through click testing and focus groups, as exemplified by Glu's Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, which combined a comic book art style, the Kim Kardashian brand and a role playing game mechanic. While IPs can help marketability, developers must consider if the combination of elements will actually work together to attract potential players.
Key Learnings
- Resonance with a target demographic is crucial for mobile game success, and can be achieved by considering the game's tone, theme and core mechanic.
- Click testing and focus groups can help to evaluate the Power Triad of Resonance.
- IPs can help with marketability, but they are not a panacea, as the game's visuals must come together to attract potential players.
- Successful games must combine the right IP, gameplay and theme to be successful.
- Summary Notes
- Key Learnings
- Power Triad of Resonance: Crafting Successful Games
- Leveraging IPs for Game Marketability
Power Triad of Resonance: Crafting Successful Games
Developers need to consider a game's tone, theme and core mechanic to ensure it resonates with their target demographic. This "Power Triad of Resonance" can be tested via click testing and focus groups. Examples of successful games include Glu's Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, which combined a comic book art style, the Kim Kardashian brand, and a role playing game mechanic. “Distribution on mobile — for games and for all types of apps — is challenging, but it’s not broken: game developers of various sizes are able to successfully grow their audiences in this market without marketing at a loss.” Despite the difficulty of reaching players on mobile, developers of all sizes can still be successful without investing heavily in marketing.
Leveraging IPs for Game Marketability
IPs can help a game's marketability, but developers must consider if the right IP, gameplay and theme will truly help the game succeed. IPs aren't a panacea; marketability depends on how all elements come together visually to appeal to potential players. “The ideal combination of these components can be gathered from click testing and focus groups.” To determine what resonates with a target demographic, the combination of game tone, theme and core mechanic can be tested through click testing and focus groups.