Free-to-Play Making Money From Games You Give Away

by Luton, Will

• ISBN13: 9780321919014
• ISBN10: 0321919017
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2013-06-06
• Publisher: New Riders

Summary

“ Will’s knowledge of F2P comes from years of building games,  as well as writing about and consulting with developers on the  model. All the topics covered in this book—economics, gameplay, monetization,  analytics and marketing—are important to consider when you’re building  an F2P game, and Will covers each with an easy-to-digest style.” —Ian Marsh, co-founder, NimbleBit

Free-to-Play: Making Money From Games You Give Away is an accessible and complete guide to the business model that has revolutionized the videogames industry, creating huge hits, multi-billion-dollar startups and a new deal for players: Play for free, spend on what you like.

Written by respected game designer and consultant Will Luton, Free-to-Play gives you the in-the-trenches insight you need to build, run and make money from games you give away. In it you’ll find:

• Psychology behind player decisions and the motivations to play

• Simple and accessible explanations of the math and economic theories behind F2P, including working examples

• Processes for capturing and using player data to improve your game

• Marketing tips on positioning your game and attracting players

• Plus: A downloadable F2P spreadsheet, articles from the author, a foreword by NimbleBit co-founder Ian Marsh and an interview with Zynga CEO, Mark Pincus.

Author Biography

Will Luton is a consultant in design, retention, marketing and monetization for videogames, advising companies such as SEGA and Ukie.

Previously, as Creative Director at developer Mobile Pie, he worked with clients including Channel 4, EA's Chillingo, Aardman Animation and Spil Games.

He writes a monthly column for Develop Magazine and have contributed to Edge, Gamasutra, GamesIndustry.biz, PocketGamer.biz, GamesBrief and the New Statesman.

He has a BA (Hons) Computer Games Design and earned AAA production credits from SEGA Europe.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Introduction: How F2P Changed Everything

WTF Just Happened?

Why F2P Works

How This Book Works

1. Economics: How The Money Works

Physical vs Digital (or Why Bits Aren’t Atoms)

The Internet Is An Open Economy, Your Game Isn’t

We Don’t Buy Things, We Buy Emotions

Not All Players Spend Evenly

The Math

Winning At F2P: Increasing Profits with KPIs

2. Gameplay: Keeping Players Coming Back

F2P: The Good Games Revolution

Core Loops: The Beating Heart of Games

Sessioning: Showing Your Players the Door

Return Triggers: Enticing Your Players to Come Back

Player Motivations: Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds and Spades

Goal Systems: Retaining Players For Years

Don’t Tick Boxes

3. Monetization: Players Reward You With Their $$$

In-App Purchases & Four Cs

The Magic of Creating Value

Supply, Demand & Pinch

Breaking The Barrier: Getting Players To Spend

Beyond IAPs: Other Revenue Streams

4. Analytics: Understanding Players, Serving Players

The Eternal Beta

Don’t Listen to What People Say, Look At What They Do

The Art of Interpretation

Analysts Toolbox

Collecting Data

5. Marketing: Getting Players In

Pour Players In The Funnel

Acquiring Players

No Players Are The Same

Network Effect: Moving Players

The High Level Proposition

Strategic Positioning

Appendix

F2P spreadsheet download

Glossary