What You Need To Know About The Mobile App Business - Captivate 2013, William Volk

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE MOBILE APP BUSINESS

(CAPTIVATE 2013)

WILLIAM VOLK

CCO, PLAYSCREEN

Sunday, October 6, 13

ABOUT ME

STARTED IN GAME BUSINESS IN 1980

MANAGED TO BECOME THE VP OF ACTIVISON

BEEN IN MOBILE APPS SINCE 2001

EMAIL: [email protected]

TWITTER: WILLIAM_VOLK


mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

TEXT

2001 WAP

2003 J2ME

2007/8 WEB APPS

2008 APP STORE

2010 FREE-TO-PLAY

2012 CONSUMABLES

2013 REAL $$ GAMES

2014 ????

ME AND MOBILE


SO YOU WANT TO BE AN APP SUPERSTAR?


THERE’S COMPETITION


A LOT OF COMPETITION


1,257,119 APPS, 231,816 DEVS785 CARTS


HISTORYSOFTWARE AND GAMES ORIGINALLY SOLD AT HIGH PRICES


NOW WE SHIP MEGABYTES AND HOPE 3% WILL PAY US A FEW PENNIES A DAY

PROGRESS!


2008 APP GOLD RUSH

SOME DEVELOPERS WHO GOT IN EARLY CAPTURED MARKET SHARE WITH LITTLE OR NO EFFORT.

RICHES FOR THE FIRST MOVERS.


AS THE MARKET MATURED ...

AD NETWORKS, MARKETING AND ANALYTIC FIRMS GATHER MOST OF THE REVENUE.

MOST APPS FAIL.

0.5% APPS = 50% OF $


BUT THESE ARE‘OUTLIERS’, EXCEPTIONS TO THE EXPERIENCES OF MOST DEVELOPERS.

INSTANT SUCCESS IS POSSIBLE


MOST APPS WILL FAIL TO

MAKE A PROFIT


HOW APPS MAKE

MONEY


SOLD (PREMIUM)


AD SUPPORTED


FREE TO PLAY (FREEMIUM)


HOW DO PEOPLE FIND

APPS?


WORD OF MOUTH


CHARTS


ADS


GETTING STARTED


WHAT DO YOU WANT

TO BE?


GAME DESIGNER/PUBLISHER?


UTILITY APP DEVELOPER


EDUCATION APP

CREATOR


NICHES ARE GOOD!


DESIGNNOT AN OPTION


A DESIGN SHOULD BE A COMPLETE VISUALIZATION AND DESCRIPTION

OF THE PRODUCT


AND BE PREPARED TO

THROW AWAY MUCH

OF IT


PROTOTYPE, PROTOTYPE (AND PROTOTYPE)


PROTOTYPE PLAY CAN CONFIRM

GAME DESIGN


PRODUCING A BETTER PRODUCT


DEVELOPMENTGOOD DEVELOPMENT STARTS WITH GREAT DESIGN


OUT SOURCE OR IN HOUSEMANAGEMENT IS STILL REQUIRED


DON’T FORGET MORALEIT’S IMPORTANT


MARKETING STRATEGYIT DEPENDS


SHIP PAID AND PRAY?


FREE TO PLAY?


DON’T FORGET

ANALYTICS


LOG EVERYTHING!


HOW TO FAIL


DON’T STUDY THE

STORE


ADVERTISE WITHOUT

MEASURING RESULTS


DEPEND ON GOOD PRESS


NO MARKETING

BUDGET


NO REVENUE PLAN


EXAMPLE: BOCCE BALL


WE FAILED TO HAVE A

PROVEN REVENUE

PLAN


HOW TO WIN!STRATEGY AND EXAMPLES


KNOW THE CATEGORY

GUNGHO’S “PUZZLE AND

DRAGONS”


GREAT REVENUE

PLAN

CSR RACING


MARKETING AT THE START

CANDY CRUSH SAGA


STRATEGY

SMALL INDIE GAME

DEVELOPER


STRATEGY

LIFESTYLE APP


STRATEGY

EDUCATIONAL GAME


STRATEGY

STRONG BRAND


APP MARKET CRASH?APPLE AND OR GOOGLE WILL EVENTUALLY FIND A WAY OF

STOPPING GARBAGE FROM APPEARING ON THE STORES

TEXT

"THE ONLY THING I THINK THE PLATFORM HOLDERS COULD DO TO HELP IS STOP ALLOWING CRAP TO BE RELEASED. THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH SPACE FOR FEATURES AND THE END USERS ONLY HAVE SO MUCH EFFORT IN THEM TO LOOK UNDER ALL THE CATEGORIES ALL THE TIME, SO I REALLY DON'T THINK ADDING MORE OF THEM WOULD HELP MUCH ... “ - PAUL JOHNSON, MANAGING DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDER OF RUBICON


CONCLUSIONS

Development is hard. Marketing is difficult.

Nobody knows nothing.


What You Need To Know About The Mobile App Business - Captivate 2013, William Volk

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