developers` guide to the post-publisher era

DEVELOPERS’ GUIDE TO
THE POST-PUBLISHER ERA
WHAT DEVELOPERS NEED TO SUCCEED
IN TODAY’S MOBILE GAME MARKET
Tilting Point Confidential
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THE WORLD
HAS CHANGED
Tilting Point Confidential
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THE TIPPING POINT
Content creators can now
reach mass audiences directly
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VALUE CHAIN HAS SHIFTED
The market is no longer about
developers providing services to publishers
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BUT GOING ALONE IS DAUNTING
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PRODUCTION
VALUES AND
COSTS ARE
RISING
Growth in development
budgets for competitive
free-to-play games
$1,200K
$1,100K
$900K
$700K
$300K
$100K
2008
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$200K
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
$0.00
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Jul-14
Jun-14
May-14
Apr-14
Mar-14
Feb-14
Jan-14
Dec-13
Nov-13
Oct-13
Sep-13
Aug-13
Jul-13
Jun-13
May-13
Apr-13
Mar-13
Feb-13
Jan-13
Dec-12
Nov-12
Oct-12
Sep-12
Aug-12
Jul-12
Jun-12
May-12
Apr-12
Mar-12
Feb-12
Jan-12
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USER ACQUISITION COSTS ARE RISING
Average cost per install. Source:
$4.00
$3.50
iOS $3.00
$2.50
Android $2.00
Facebook $1.50
$1.00
$0.50
0
Tilting
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Point / 148Apps
1.2 MILLION GAMES IN THE iOS APP STORE
2014-02
2013-12
2013-10
2013-08
2013-06
2013-04
2013-02
2012-12
2012-10
2012-08
2012-06
2012-04
2012-02
2011-12
2011-10
2011-08
2011-06
2011-04
2011-02
2010-12
2010-10
2010-08
2010-06
2010-04
2010-02
2009-12
2009-10
2009-08
2009-06
2009-04
2009-02
2008-12
2008-10
2008-08
Number of game
submissions by
month on the
iOS App Store
2008-06
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IT IS INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT
TO GET NOTICED AND STAND OUT
8000
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
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TO COMPETE NOWADAYS,
DEVELOPERS NEED HELP
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THE SOLUTION
PUBLISHING
AS A SERVICE
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DEVELOPERS NEED
PRODUCT
MANAGEMENT
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
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Advice and consultation on game design
Monetization and retention strategies
In-game economy modeling
Performance monitoring
Data-driven feedback
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DEVELOPERS NEED
DESIGN ASSISTANCE &
USER EXPERIENCE OPTIMIZATION
•  User testing, focus groups
•  User flows optimization & wireframes: storefront, social features, tutorials, balancing
•  Recommendations for game mechanics & features
EXAMPLE: LEO’S FORTUNE TUTORIAL & ONBOARDING EXPERIENCE WAS RECOMMENDED BY TILTING POINT
“I want to point out something that is such a great example of their attention to detail: the
tutorial. To do this well takes a lot of design and a lot of thinking.”
John Geleynse – Apple’s Director, Technology and user experience evangelist
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DEVELOPERS NEED
MARKET RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS
Game analysis | Market sizing | Mock reviews | Forecasting
In-house insights and analytics informed by over 25 research & data providers
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DEVELOPERS NEED
CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS
WITH KEY PLATFORMS
Apple Design Awards: 1337 & Senri on stage + live demo
Google I/O on stage-demo of Leo’s Fortune
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Tim Cook’s WWDC keynote
Major App Store featuring
Featured on Google Play Store homepage
Google I/O main keynote
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DEVELOPERS NEED
APP STORE OPTIMIZATION & DISCOVERABILITY
• 
• 
• 
Visual assets: screenshots, app icon, video previews, gameplay trailers, website & SEO
Promotional assets: app store featuring, promotional partnerships
Copy: keyword optimization, game description, competitive analysis, localization
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DEVELOPERS NEED
BRAND MARKETING
Turn games into brands and franchises
Innovative marketing campaigns
LEO’S FORTUNE: Rube Goldberg machine recreating the game’s journey THE SLEEPING PRINCE: 3D light projection on a castle TOY RUSH: Live action trailers bringing the characters to life Tilting Point Confidential
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DEVELOPERS NEED
USER ACQUISITION & ADVERTISING
Relationships with all major vendors and networks
Campaign management, tracking, optimization
Artwork and assets creation, testing & optimization: banners, takeovers, etc.
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DEVELOPERS NEED
PR
• 
• 
• 
• 
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Deep relationships with influential
press outlets and journalists
International outreach and coverage
Gaming and non-gaming press
Community outreach: YouTube / Vine / Instagram
content creators, Twitch broadcasters, etc.
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DEVELOPERS NEED
SCALE
Experience and
relationships that
leverage frequent
product releases;
cross-promotion
network; reach to
overseas territories
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DEVELOPERS NEED
COMMUNITY AND CUSTOMER SERVICE
FAQ/Support site
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International gamers reach out
Response within 2 hours
Bug fixed + walkthrough video
DEVELOPERS NEED
PRODUCTION SUPPORT
QA testing across all devices and platforms
Localization
Platform certification
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DEVELOPERS NEED
A HELPING HAND TO GET
ACROSS THE FINISH LINE
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23
DEVELOPERS
NEED PUBLISHING
AS A SERVICE
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DEVELOPERS NEED A PARTNER
THEY TRUST AND RESPECT
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DEVELOPERS NEED
Tilting Point Confidential
TOM FRISINA
Executive Chairman Interactive entertainment entrepreneur for 30 years and 15-year veteran of Electronic Arts, most
notably serving as Founder and General Manager of EA Partners (EA’s independent developer
division) from 1997-2007
Founder and CEO of Three-Sixty Pacific, a VC-backed video game publisher and developer part
owned by Electronic Arts, 1989-1996. Co-founder and CEO of Accolade, a leading video game
publisher and developer later sold to Warner Music, 1984-1988
Former board member of EA International; board consultant to Bally Technologies;
former Chairman of thatgamecompany
Endowed Professor of Interactive Media at USC's School of Cinematic Arts
OUR
TEAM
Amplifying our
partners’ strengths
with best-in-class
professionals and
deep,
complementary
expertise
KEVIN SEGALLA
Co-Founder and CEO Successful entrepreneur in film industry services, specialty finance, real estate, and digital media for 25 years
Founder and President of CFC Capital, an entertainment-focused investment firm and provider of tax enhanced
specialty finance
Founder of Connecticut Film Center; owns and operates 1.3 million sq feet of real estate, including
NBC Sports Network, Chelsea Piers Connecticut, and film/TV facilities leased to Disney, Universal, DreamWorks,
Sony Pictures, TBS, and others
Previously an independent film producer, serving as President of Platonic Films for 12 years
Produced long and short form programs for HBO, A&E, Nickelodeon, MTV, Sony Pictures, and Lionsgate
DAN SHERMAN
Co-Founder, President & COO Specialist in formulating and maintaining long term publishing partnerships with elite development talent;
15+ years of industry and related experience
Previously spent 8 years at Electronic Arts, most recently as Director of Business Development for EA
Partners, where he drove external financing initiatives and negotiated partnership agreements with studios
such as Respawn Entertainment (for Titanfall), Harmonix Music Systems (for Rock Band),
Insomniac Games, and Id Software
Former financial advisor and demand planning consultant to Ubisoft Entertainment
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Previously worked in New York, Paris, and London as an investment banker at Lehman Brothers and HSBC,
specializing in media, telecommunications, and technology
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TOM BASS
VP of Marketing 17 year game marketing veteran; key member of the startup team that grew 2K Games
into a $600 million business within two years
Led worldwide marketing efforts on blockbusters BioShock and Sid Meier’s Civilization IV and V, exceeding both
forecasts and expectations through award-winning creative that stood out from the industry format
Managed 2K Games’ community development and marketing programs, including award-winning alternate reality
games such as Something in the Sea from BioShock 2
Conceptualized and established a new marketing group focused on improving 2K’s social media, community
efforts, and consumer support that proved pivotal to the success of Borderlands 2 and XCOM: Enemy Unknown
OUR
TEAM
Amplifying our
partners’ strengths
with best-in-class
professionals and
deep,
complementary
expertise
JESSE DIVNICH
VP of Product Strategy & Insights
One of the most trusted analysts and widely-referenced authorities covering
all segments of the game industry
Vice President of Insights & Analysis at Electronic Entertainment Design and Research (EEDAR),
2008-2014; responsible for the creation, development, and execution of quantitative and qualitative
research for publishers, developers, and institutional investors
Over 12 years of experience in video games, 8 of which as a consultant and analyst for numerous public,
private, and institutional clients, including leading Wall Street investment firms with strong financial
interests in the interactive entertainment sector
JIM HSU
SVP of Business & Legal Affairs, General Counsel
Seasoned corporate/commercial lawyer with over 15 years of industry startup,
public company, and law firm experience
Co-founding member of pre-IPO legal department at Zynga and lead counsel for all types of commercial
and corporate matters, including publishing, foreign distribution, merchandising, and transmedia
partnerships as the company quadrupled in size over three years
Before joining Zynga, lead counsel for worldwide acquisitions and other transactions at Electronic Arts,
including acquisitions of Playfish, BioWare/Pandemic, and Jamdat, as well as a variety of commercial and
licensing matters
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Previously part of M&A practice in New York and Silicon Valley offices of global firm Skadden, Arps
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STEVE COALLIER
Senior Director of Development Video game development/production expert with 25 years of industry experience
Previously led development of virtual world VIE the Game as VP of Product Development at enVie Interactive
Former Director of Product Development at Electronic Arts, where, during a 17-year tenure, he led the creation
and training of development teams on best practices and optimized the connection between development and
marketing
Served in QA and as platform lead in the core engine group at Sierra Online, with over 20 titles shipped
Development credits on franchises including The Godfather, Knockout Kings, NCAA Basketball, Wing Commander,
Shadowcaster, Leisure Suit Larry
OUR
TEAM
Amplifying our
partners’ strengths
with best-in-class
professionals and
deep,
complementary
expertise
SCOTT HOFFER
Director of Product Management
Veteran Director of Product Management, with experience working on top social and free-to-play mobile
games at Zynga including FrontierVille,
Hidden Chronicles (over 7 million daily average users), and the Draw Something franchise
Owned feature design and analysis focused on monetization, virality, retention, and cross-promotion for
multiple live games and global launches
Former producer and designer at Area/Code (Drop7), acquired by Zynga in 2011
JACOB SZE
Senior Product Manager
Experienced Senior Product Manager who previously worked at The Playforge,
where he managed the entire product development process for multiple games
Focused on customer insights through player testing and direct customer interaction
Conducted market-wide analyses that allowed better testing of new product features, such as retention,
monetization, and overall engagement
Former data analytics consultant at Treasury Strategies, Inc.
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SAM DALSIMER
Senior PR Manager
PR specialist with a focus on media relations for independent game developers and tech startups
who has worked on several of the most successful mobile brands
Former Account Director at TriplePoint, a leading gaming and tech PR firm, working with companies such
as King, Storm 8, PlayFirst, Pokemon, Imangi Studios, and Paradox Interactive
Launched 100+ mobile games including Candy Crush Saga, Temple Run 2, Kingdom Rush, and Sprinkle
Frequent speaker on the topic of mobile app discovery at global conferences and events
OUR
TEAM
Amplifying our
partners’ strengths
with best-in-class
professionals and
deep,
complementary
expertise
JEROME SUDAN
Senior Marketing Manager Video game marketer with brazen love for game design theory and principles
and their positive implications for business and marketing
Former Marketing Director at RDA, an independent advertising agency, working with companies such as MTV
Networks, VIACOM, Capcom, 2K Games, Sony, Turtle Beach, Jerry Bruckheimer Games, and THQ
Helped launch and propel world-renowned games including Rock Band, The Beatles: Rock Band, Bioshock, DmC
Devil May Cry, Resident Evil: Revelations, Civilization: Revolution, Civilization V, and Dance Central
TERESA LU
User Acquisition Manager
Talented performance marketing and user acquisition expert, with previous experience at DeNA / ngmoco
Managed user acquisition campaigns for over 20 game titles with an annual budget of $12 million, performing daily
optimizations to maintain positive ROI
Implemented campaign strategies that that led games to the #1 top grossing spot on iOS and Android charts
On-boarded over 50 media providers and launched campaigns with Twitter & Facebook mobile platforms
Previously held roles in account management and project management at 4INFO and Rauxa Direct
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ROBERT TZONG
30
Senior Manager, Quality Assurance and Localization
Video game quality assurance expert with 10 years of industry experience. Shipped several multi-platinum games with
industry titans Electronic Arts and 2K Games
Recently held the role of QA Manager at world-renowned Irrational Games on the award-winning BioShock Infinite (94
Metacritic), leading quality assurance for the game in addition to marketing content, websites, and live demos. Created
Irrational’s QA department from the ground up and managed the entire quality assurance process from pre-production
through ship and beyond. Built strong relationships with external testing partners while overseeing multiple testing
efforts in parallel
Former QA Test Lead at Electronic Arts, working on such titles as Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
and Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth II
OUR
TEAM
Amplifying our
partners’ strengths
with best-in-class
professionals and
deep,
complementary
expertise
ANDREW OWENS
Analytics Manager
Successful entrepreneur with proficient knowledge in predictive modeling and data analysis techniques
Former Analyst at Accenture, advising Fortune 500 clients in the electronics and high-tech markets, serving
globally in the US, China, Philippines, Ireland, and Morocco
Co-founder and Analytics Manager of BitFountain, a mobile app development and analytics firm servicing Global
500 firms and well-capitalized startups
Instructor of several Mobile Analytics courses at General Assembly
JEN PEARCE
Senior UI/UX Designer Gifted video game UI/UX designer with a strong focus on mobile games; previous experience at PopCap Games,
Boost Incubator, and Microsoft
Has worked with EA on a number of projects within PopCap, including Plants vs. Zombies 2; while at PopCap, she
created proprietary visual development software used to enhance Bejeweled Blitz
Also has experience as a studio artist with the Xbox Team at Microsoft where she created campaigns, logos, and
brand destinations for the Xbox dashboard and Kinect Hub; covered all aspects of the design process from concept
to production, to polish
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JEFFREY KAUTH
Business Development & Operations Associate
Entrepreneurial specialist in business operations, financial planning, analysis
and market sizing across multiple industries
A former Global Strategist for Samsung in Seoul, South Korea, focusing on the smart home applications market
Previously held positions as an Investment Banking Analyst at Bear Stearns and Equities Analyst at Renaissance
Technologies, specializing in gaming and technology sectors
Co-founder of Ajar and former advisor to Cyc, a New York based fitness startup
OUR
TEAM
Amplifying our
partners’ strengths
with best-in-class
professionals and
deep,
complementary
expertise
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NICK ZASOWSKI
Community & Consumer Support Coordinator
Versatile community manager with a passion for video games and providing great experiences for
players both in and out of games
Former Community Manager at Infernum Productions, building the communities of Brick-Force and
Dragon’s Prophet from closed beta to release and beyond
Responsible for the online content strategy of both titles, while assisting in marketing
and public relations efforts
Previous experience at Ubisoft working on the Assassin’s Creed and Call of Juarez franchises
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GIORDANO CONTESTABILE
Advisor
Mobile gaming veteran with over 10 years of experience in product development
and operations, five of which in free-to-play games
Executive Producer of the Bejeweled franchise at PopCap Games (acquired by EA),
and previously in charge of the company’s mobile products and of business operations in Asia Pacific
Led team responsible for Bejeweled Blitz, a top 10 grossing mobile game with over 6 million
daily active users globally; started up PopCap’s successful mobile business in Japan
Previously held executive roles at mobile gaming companies in North America,
Asia, Latin America, and Europe
OUR
TEAM
Amplifying our
partners’ strengths
with best-in-class
professionals and
deep,
complementary
expertise
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TREVOR KAUFMAN
Advisor
Trevor is the former CEO and founder of Possible Worldwide, a WPP-owned global interactive marketing
agency, and is now the CEO of Tinypass, a provider of ecommerce software for media companies.
Trevor has won numerous creative and business awards for his groundbreaking work, most notably a Cannes
Lion for Google’s Art Project, an Emmy for putting the Beijing Olympics online, selection for the OMMA
Media All-Stars, and inclusion as one of Newsweek’s “50 Most Important People on the Internet.”
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