Game Network Newsletter - September 2010
September 21, 2010 (Back to archive)
In This Issue
- GDC Online - Mark Rein discusses Epic's mobile plans
- GDC Online - Playspan CEO Karl Mehta on monetization
- Gamasutra.com - Palm's $1 million contest, Director Ben Galbraith
Mark Rein, founder and VP of Epic Games talks mobile gaming, the Unreal Engine 3, and GDC Online plans
 Mark Rein |
Q: Why is mobile becoming a big push for Epic?
Mark Rein: Many of us here at Epic love technology and gadgets so the opportunity to get out technology working on an iPhone was just irresistible and a true labor of love. But it also became a great business opportunity because of the huge number of mobile devices in customers' hands that are powerful enough to run Unreal Engine 3 and are able to deliver the kind of high-quality entertainment experience that we and our licensees like to make with it. We have Apple to thank for that. The iPhone 3GS was the first mobile device powerful enough to run Unreal Engine 3. Soon after that they brought out the third-generation iPod touch followed by the iPad and now the iPhone 4, which is a real powerhouse. These are amazing devices for gaming and the success of the iTunes App Store has been incredible.
Q: On what mobile devices will we be seeing Epic technology?
Rein: Our main push will be for iOS devices although we've also demonstrated our engine on Android. We have some really cool things in the works for Apple's gaming platforms and we're just getting started.
Q: What are some of the Unreal Engine 3 projects in the works that excite you most?
Rein: The ones that have received the most public acclaim recently include "BioShock Infinite," "Batman: Arkham City," "Gears of War 3," "Bulletstorm," "Mortal Kombat 9," "TRON: Evolution," "Enslaved," "Hunted: The Demon's Forge," and "Thor: The Video Game." Uber recently released "Monday Night Combat" for Xbox LIVE Arcade, and it is a really fun multiplayer game that shooter fans shouldn't miss. We're working on a really cool iOS game as well that we'll be announcing shortly.
Q: How can people start using the engine if they just want to try it out?
Rein: The Unreal Development Kit (UDK) has all the latest features of Unreal Engine 3 and anyone can try it out for free at www.udk.com. We like to point people to the showcase page, which provides just a tiny glimpse of some of the cool things people are doing with UDK. In addition, we have several tutorials and sample games people can look at and dissect to learn how to get the most out of UDK.
Q: Epic has been a long-time supporter of several Game Network products -- such as the Game Developers Conference (GDC), Gamasutra.com, and Game Developer Magazine. Why do these products continue to be an important part of Epic's marketing strategy?
Rein: There are a lot of great developers out there who I believe would hugely benefit by using Unreal Engine 3, and the GDC events and publications are among the best ways to try to reach out to them in hopes of starting up a conversation. We obviously already have relationships with many of the best studios in the business, but reaching the smaller guys -- the future stars of the industry -- is harder to do. We want those folks to know we're here for them and are eager to show them our technologies and see what we can do to help them.
Q: Can we expect to see Epic make any mobile announcements around GDC Online (formerly GDC Austin)? Care to give us a teaser?
Rein: Yes and no. :)
Q: Mark, any closing comments you wish to leave with the developer community?
Rein: I love this industry and the people in it. I love that we can, in our own small way, help other developers achieve success within the industry. My door is always open to developers large and small, so let's have a conversation and see what we can do together. Feel free to e-mail me at any time.
Karl Mehta, founder and CEO of PlaySpan, Inc. talks growth drivers, pricing strategies for online monetization
 Karl Mehta |
Q: The revenue growth associated with the monetization of online and mobile games has been astronomical. Free-to-play games alone are projected to hit $7 billion worldwide by 2015. What are the key factors driving this rapid growth?
Karl Mehta: In my opinion, the top three growth drivers are these:
The growth of the social network sites, mobile proliferation, and the games on them have enabled and encouraged hundreds of millions of people of all demographics to experience and enjoy gaming. This has also helped change the perception of gaming from nerdy and niche to mass acceptance.
The game developers creating fun, easy-to-play social games that propagate virally and quickly with a virtual currency/digital goods business model. This business model in particular lowers the bar to entry. Rather than asking gamers to pay $60 upfront, this model draws in players who might not otherwise play at all.
Lastly, the proliferation of worldwide payment methods that enable everyone – regardless of age or social or economic status – to purchase digital goods.
Q: What advice would you give companies trying to figure out the right pricing strategies for monetizing their games and virtual goods?
Mehta: Test, test, test. Experiment with pricing, bundles, incentives, payment methods, seeding, and so on. Conversion is king and developers must continually strive for increased conversions. Focus your resources and efforts on doing what you do best -- creating fun, compelling experiences that keep people playing and paying. Focus on your core competency -- making great games – and let the monetization experts manage billing, payments, remittance, fraud, tax, etc.
Q: How do PlaySpan's monetization solutions differ from others on the market?
Mehta: PlaySpan is the global leader in monetization solutions. Our "Monetization as a Service" (MaaS) platform provides a proven solution to drive higher revenues and cost efficiency across platforms, devices, and games. PlaySpan powers payments across 1,000 online games, social networks, and videos. Our flagship product, UltimatePay (the combination PayByCash's 12 years of payment services experience and Spare Change's social network micropayment expertise), provides over 85 global payment methods, including international credit cards, PayPal, mobile, and the top-selling Ultimate Game Card. Not only do we facilitate basic payments, we also leverage our extensive experience to partner with our customers to help them increase conversions, reduce fraud, and drive revenues. No other provider comes close to PlaySpan's breadth or expertise.
Q: Why should publishers and players take notice of your monetization solutions?
Mehta: PlaySpan has almost 150 full-time employees dedicated to monetization. We're a global company specializing in digital goods monetization, and we've successfully launched and scaled products with hundreds of partners. Our daily focus is to improve our clients' conversion to drive increased revenue while providing a high-quality payment experience for gamers. Over 1,000 games and many millions of players have benefited from PlaySpan's products and services.
Q: What makes GDC Online (formerly GDC Austin) such an important venue for PlaySpan's marketing strategy?
Mehta: Austin is the historical core of MMORPGs with hundreds of professional online game developers and that conference has always been perceived as focused online. It's only natural that GDC changed the name. In fact, I'm surprised it's taken this long. Online game developers are our core target, so GDC Online (in Austin) is a must-attend venue.
Q: PlaySpan will have a half-day of sessions at GDC Online's sponsored Monetization Track. Can you give us a teaser on what attendees can expect?
Mehta: PlaySpan's 2nd Annual Monetization Forum on October 7 is must-attend event for everyone going to GDC Online. Industry executives and visionaries from Playfish, Microsoft, Zynga, Playdom, Ubisoft, and more, will deliver critical insights and best practices through lively panel discussions, case-studies, and live demos. Learn from the leaders how to maximize conversion and ARPU through Monetization-as-a-Service™.
Ben Galbraith, director of developer relations of Palm, Inc. discusses the new webOS Plug-in Development Kit and $1,000,000 contest
 Ben Galbraith |
Q: Palm released a webOS Plug-in Development Kit. What's new that mobile platform developers should be excited about?
Ben Galbraith: The majority of mobile games are written using C++ and OpenGL. webOS is focused on Web technologies but we didn't want to force game developers to have to rewrite their games using HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. By releasing the PDK, we've enabled developers to bring C++ and OpenGL games over to our platform with a minimum amount of effort. What we've learned from talking to everyone from EA to small indies is that, in some cases, it takes just a day or a few days to port a title. On the outside, just a week or two. So it's a win for both consumers and developers. For consumers, they get access to the best games in the mobile market on Palm devices. And, for developers, they have a new channel to sell their games with a minimal amount of incremental investment.
Q: The PDK is available now?
Galbraith: Yes. It's actually been available in pre-release for the past few months. And just in the last few weeks we've opened it up to the general public for developers to be able to distribute their PDK games into our application catalog.
Q: There has been a lot of buzz around Palm's Hot Apps Program contest that gives away $1 million in cash and prizes. How does that work?
Galbraith: From mid-July until the end of September -- the apps that are downloaded the most win the most money. We have the promotion divided into “free” and “paid.” The top downloaded free app and the top downloaded paid app each wins $100,000 and then we have other tiers that win $50,000, $10,000, and $1,000 each. Check the leaderboard to see which are currently the most popular.
I'm especially excited about the fact that free applications are part of the process because it gives their developers the opportunity to really make some money in a situation where they typically wouldn't be able to. And because so many games are paid games, if you submit a free application, you have a strong likelihood of taking home some money. So it pays to not only submit your content but also to promote it.
Q: The smartphone space is getting very competitive with Android, iPhone, and Blackberry. Why should game developers choose to develop on the Palm platform?
Galbraith: What we love about the PDK solution is that it gives game developers the opportunity to bring their C++ and OpenGL titles to our platform with a minimum of additional time and investment. In exchange for a few hours to a few days of effort, you get access to our marketplace. Our device penetration may not be as big as Android's or iPhone's, but it's certainly big enough for any game developer to increase their revenue stream. And if you act now, you can be part of the PDK promotion and magnify your earnings.
Q: What advice would you give to game developers currently working on apps for Palm?
Galbraith: Pay a lot of attention to the quality of the game's assets. Most game developers spend a lot of time trying to make the game fun, as they should. But many developers don't understand the role of high-quality graphics, sound, and production values when it comes to the interface. And that can really make a difference between a mediocre and a best-selling title. You can see when you play with a lot of games on our device—or in the mobile app eco-system in general—that the gameplay mechanics are very simple. It's pretty rare that you find something that's truly innovative. What tends to keep things fresh are the assets. There is a robust community of graphic designers out there with whom you can easily partner and it pays to work with those people to bring that extra level of polish to your game.
Also, it makes sense to work with a bunch of different vehicles to promote your title and build awareness—Gamasutra.com being one of them. It can make the difference between a title that's released to obscurity and one that gets some attention. One way to get your title noticed is to e-mail us at pdc@palm.com and let us know about the game you're making—perhaps two weeks before its release—and give us a chance to look at it so that we can also participate in that promotional process. Then we're able to use some of the social outlets that we have to tell people about the game if we're excited about it.
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By Paul "The Game Master" Hyman
Paul has covered the videogames industry for over 15 years now, currently writes for Gamasutra.com, and was editor-in-chief of UBM's GamePower.com. He can be reached at phyman@gdmag.com.
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