Future of Gaming: Synchronous & Multiplayer Gameplay | Hussein Chahine
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Transcript of Future of Gaming: Synchronous & Multiplayer Gameplay | Hussein Chahine
THE FUTURE OFGAMINGPlaying together is a truly shared experience
Amsterdam – February 18, 2016
INTRODUCTION
AN ANALOGY
If Nintendo Wii was...
Free
Global
On computer, smartphone and tablet
Anytime, anywhere
Instant & bite-sized
GAMES ARE INHERENTLY SOCIAL
Play is what happy people engage in.
Personal interaction builds a dynamic and cooperation which is psychologically positive
BUT THERE’S LITTLE THAT’S SOCIAL IN SOCIAL GAMES
Would playing solitaire on Facebook, make it a social game?
The definition of a social game
Games that run on or integrate with a social network and use that network to enhance gameplay between players - Quora
YAZINO VISION
YAZINO CONNECTS MILLIONS OF PEOPLE THROUGH GAMES
THE YAZINO OPPORTUNITY
© MIMO BRANDS
TIME TO RETHINK…HOW TO BE DIFFERENT A disruptive approach in a crowded market to
social games powered by synchronous game technology
WHY YAZINO?
Yazino’s ‘platform focus to remove friction to game development, operations and promotion‣ Strata’ technology significantly reduces cost and time to market‣ Highly scalable platform featuring an independent social graph‣ High barriers to entry: £15m R&D investment since 2009 ‣ ‘Proven quality: reliable, secure and fast
Industry leading game KPIs with limited historical marketing and experience:
‣ Invested £4.4m in marketing activities on Slots Wheel Deal, generated so far over $25m (£15m)
WHAT IS YAZINO?
Synchronous game publisher promoting innovative, multiplayer, social games for web, smartphones and tablets‣ Successful Slots Wheel Deal App with three games‣ Casino games: Blackjack, Roulette, Bingo and Poker‣ Two prototype games: Extreme Bingo and Hissteria
Social casino that brought casino games to the mass market in a shared experience
Founded by Hussein Chahine and located in London
SYNCHRONOUS TRIGGERS ‘NEED SATISFACTION’
Synchronous games are psychologically positive, supporting long-term community building and retention
Autonomy
Mastery
Relatedness
Self Actualisation
SelfEsteem
Belonging
Safety
Psychological
“Synchronous play has a much deeper opportunity over asynchronous play with
respect to multiple need satisfactions, each of which incrementally contributes to sustained engagement and an enhanced
competitive advantage for Yazino.”
– Scott Rigby, Author of Glued to Games
WHY IS SYNCHRONOUS THE FUTURE?
ASYNCHRONOUS GAMES Connect players but are about playing alone
Extrinsic motivationGame mechanics rely on negative emotional drivers – “I need to”
Scripted experience leads to short shelf-lifeGameplay follows a set path and does not change, resulting in content being quickly consumed and abandoned. Necessitates ongoing, rapid new content development to keep player interest
Delayed competitionCompetition is a secondary element of the game, provided through scoreboards, levels, badges, etc.
Limits social connectionsStatic interaction severely limits the ability to meet and connect with other players
Crowded market95% of social games are asynchronous (ex: Candy Crush Saga, Pet Rescue Saga, Slotomania)
Intrinsic motivationGame mechanics rely on positive emotional drivers – “I want to”
Dynamic experience leads to long shelf-lifeGameplay constantly changes based on the actions of other players. Social and competitive aspects of game content create stickiness, resulting in players being more engaged and staying longer
Real-time competitionCompetition is a key part of the game. More immediate, intense, and rewarding gameplay
Enables social connectionsReal-time interaction builds a dynamic of friendly competition and cooperation, enables deeper connections between players
Market opportunityComparatively very few synchronous games, because of the technical difficulty in creating them
SYNCHRONOUS GAMESReal-time player interaction creates a shared experienceVS
SOCIAL GAMING TRENDS
Social games are evolving from...
Yazino is already at the forefront of game innovation
Single-player, offline gamesPlay alone, limited social interaction. Game is free-standing and not connected (e.g. Angry Birds)
People you know Play with friends and family (Facebook, mobile address book, email contacts)
Facebook-powered social featuresInvite friends, send gifts, publish to stream
‘Timeline’ style social interactionContent becomes a permanent archive
Single-platform game developmentCore game experience only available on lead platform
Multiplayer, network-enabled gamesCommunity is key to the experience. Includes account creation to save progress and social features (e.g. World of Warcraft)
People you want to know Profile matching (based on shared interests, geo-location) promotes meeting new, like-minded people / cafe culture
Platform independent social featuresFind friends, send gifts, chat, in-app inbox, publish to proprietary social graph
Immediate, ephemeral social interactionContent is instant, temporary, cross-platform
Multiplatform game developmentUbiquitous game experience on all platforms
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Social casino is the fastest-growing gaming category
In Dec 2013, five of the 25 top grossing social games in the iOS US App Store and eight of the 25 top grossing social games in the Google Play US Store are social casino games. Five of Facebook’s Top Games of the Year are social casino applications, which is over a fifth of the 23 games on the select list
Top performing KPIS: Proven game mechanics and audience and strong monetisation and retention (3-10X casual games ARPDAU)
Social casino products are starting to become commoditised in the same way that online gambling has, with little differentiation between games
Vertical becoming very crowded on Facebook and mobile. Small developers are dropping out due to difficulty in making a good, unique product and cost to compete. Top team and a lot of marketing money required to succeed
Advertising acquisition costs are continuing to skyrocket. For the industry, the average CPI was $4.36 and reached $7 to $8 in December 2013. (288% increase since 2012)
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SOCIAL CASINO OVERVIEW
SOURCES:1. AppAnnie2. Facebook’s Games of the Year 2013 list is selected on the basis of “user ratings, Facebook implementation, growth, and overall quality 3.‘Social Casino Games Market Report,’ Social Casino Intelligence, 20134. Superdata Research
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Yazino OpportunityOffer highly differentiated, synchronous social casino
games, taking advantage of Yazino’s new game studio to
create exciting content and of the industry-leading monetisation already achieved. Leverage
partnerships and licensing to grow the opportunity even further.
Superdata Research, Western markets only (North America, Europe)
REAL-MONEY GAMBLING MARKET
SOURCES:1. PokerUpdate.com, “Gaming Market to Grow Sharply by 2018,” September 20132. Eiler’s Social Casino Tracker, August 2013
People served by online gambling
industry
People who love casino games
Huge opportunity for online gambling to expand reach by embracing social gaming and new, innovative technologies
The gambling market is thriving
The global gaming industry is projected to be worth $174.1 billion by 2018, a 28% increase from current values. Strong future growth is coming from the opening of online gaming markets in the US and from Asia
Gambling firms have been the source of major acquisitions in the last few years, reflecting the ongoing convergence of gambling and social gaming:
• 2011: Caesars buys Playtika (Slotomania) for $100M+• 2012: IGT buys Double Down Interactive for $500M• 2012: Aristocrat buys Product Madness• 2013: Caesars/Playtika buys Buffalo Studios ($50M) and EA Montreal
Five out of the top 10 largest social casino gaming publishers now come from the real-money gaming industry (as a result of M&A)
Branded/licensed games help to achieve differentiation and improved monetisation. Proven land-based slot content monetises 2-3x higher versus traditional online social casino games (ex: IGT/DoubleDown, WMS/Jackpot)
Incorporating community slots into land-based casinos is also a big opportunity (ex: Bejeweled slot game in Vegas casinos)
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Yazino is the first platform wired for both social and
real-money gaming
STRATA PLATFORM and GAME DEVELOPMENT
EFFICIENT GAME DEVELOPMENT
Our objective is to significantly reduces cost and time to market‣ Eliminates the need to build a synchronous engine from scratch, a
complicated process that can take several years of engineering with no guaranteed result
‣ Removes the requirement to develop a new version of the game for each publishing platform (Web, Facebook Canvas, iOS, Google and Amazon)
‣ Makes it possible to produce a game from a complete concept in months, not years
Proven synchronous, multiplayer game technology ‣ Reliable, real-world tested game server eliminates performance risk‣ Includes the tools required for sophisticated, data-driven marketing
communications and promotion‣ Already wired for free-to-play or play-for-money gaming‣ Flexible platform with ongoing optimisations‣ Allows game developers to focus on making quality game content
Our biggest barrier that nearly killed us many times
CROSS-PLATFORM BEHAVIOUR DRIVEN CRM
BONUS MANAGEMENT TOOL
Daily AwardAdds free bonus chips
Buy ChipsDiscounts chip packages Deposit
YAZINO BI
Real-time Segmentation ‣ Segmentation based on player behaviour
Smart Message Delivery ‣ Management of automated retention
program ‣ Reflex and one-off campaign messaging ‣ Smart message routing to relevant
communication channel
Reporting ‣ Real-time dashboards and analytics
CommunicationChannels
iOS Push
Android Push (Google)
Android Push (Amazon)
Facebook Notifications
Facebook Requests
While many systems can manage message delivery and reporting for a single channel, a truly comprehensive, cross-platform CRM with a single BI does not yet exist on the market. This technology required significant time and investment to build.
Our CRM helped us accelerate revenues while also cutting the costs of working with multiple suppliers to deliver targeted, cross-platform messaging.
PROPRIETARY SOCIAL GRAPH
SOCIAL FEED STORIES‘Stories’ generated based on user activity
and game progress (e.g. Level-ups, Achievements, Leaderboards)
P2P COMMUNICATIONDirect player to player engagement
through app features (e.g Challenge, Gifting, Chat)
CommunicationChannels
EmailiOS Push
Android Push (Google)Android Push (Amazon)
Facebook RequestsFacebook Notifications
Player activity and engagement with P2P features create stories and notifications to be delivered to
other players
One story or message delivered to other
players’ buddies using optimal channels
Yazino’s independent, cross-platform social graph enables connections and more rewarding social engagement
Removes the reliance on and restrictions of platform providers (e.g. Facebook limits interaction and gameplay to people you already know)
Encourages meeting, playing and interacting with new, like-minded gamers. Allows for the development of strong relationships that make players more engaged and stay longer
Combines the best features of...
‣Social Games: Playing with friends
‣Social Discovery: Recommendation of like-minded people (based on interests, geography, community status, level, etc.)
‣Online Dating: Meeting new people
‣Instant Messaging: Chatting with friends
World of Warcraft and FIFA have used similar social features to develop a passionate, loyal community. Yazino is the first to achieve this
powerful social graph cross-platform.
FLEXIBLE PLATFORM
Yazino prototyped Extreme Bingo (strategy game) and Hissteria (casual game), demonstrating the flexibility of the Strata platform to power very different types of games
EXTREME BINGOBingo just became a
contact sport!Category: Strategy game
Overview: Extreme Bingo is a completely new, exciting twist on classic bingo. As in normal bingo, players had Bingo cards which they completed as the Bingo ball numbers were called in the game to win a prize.
However, everything else about this version of the game is extreme! Yazino introduced a multiplayer community ‘Battleboard’ and team gameplay elements including Bingo ball ‘slots’ that could be defended or attacked by other players, power-ups that released explosive flames, and both community and individual prizes. Teams worked together to dominate the battleboard and win the community prize.
Category: Casual game
Overview: Hissteria is a dynamic, fast-paced new take on the classic board game, Snakes & Ladders. Players roll the dice as fast as they can in a race to be the first to reach the end of the board and collect the jackpot.
The game became multiplayer and highly competitive by removing the traditional snake and ladder icons from the board and placing them on the dice. Rolling a ladder moved a player forward. Rolling a snake gave a player the option to throw the snake at another player on the board and move him backward.
HISSTERIASnakes & Ladders
gone bad!
GAME PORTFOLIO
Legacy Games
TEXAS HOLD’EMSLOTS HIGH STAKES
ROULETTE HISSTERIAEXTREME BINGO
Prototype Games
Slots Wheel DealMultiplayer slots with game show thrills
LUXOR BlackjackMultiplayer and multi-table Blackjack
Current Games
Slots Wheel DealMultiplayer slots with game show thrills
High-quality portfolio of social games
SLOTS WHEEL DEAL CASE STUDY
★ Launch Date: Nov 2010 (web)★ Over $25m in revenue since launch★ 7 million unique registrations (all platforms) ★ Close to 4 million mobile app downloads (iOS & Android)★ iOS app has reached number #1 (grossing in Casino category) in 9 countries on
iPhone and 14 countries on iPad. Top #4 grossing in key markets including US, UK, Canada and Australia.
★ Launched Sep 2013 on Facebook Canvas.★ Nearly 1 million Facebook fans on Yazino and Wheel Deal pages
*Limited investment‣ Yazino has spent a maximum of $122K monthly (8-month increment 2011/2012) on
Facebook, and a maximum of $245K monthly (2-month increment 2012) on iOS.‣ By contrast, competitors are investing between $1m-$10m monthly on Facebook. The
leading social casino games are investing a minimum of $2m monthly on IOS.
MONETISATION KPIs
DAU / MAUGrowth opportunity
Social graph enhancements and new game content development are shifting Yazino above industry average and improve all other KPIs
Industry
25%
Yazino
30%
ADVERTISING ROIExcellent ROI
With a marketing investment of only $7.2m, Yazino has already generated close to $20.3m in revenue
$25m$7.2m
BUYER LTV
Yazino24 mo. LTV
$300
Yazino6 mo. LTV
$130
Yazino12 mo. LTV
$180
Yazino 36 mo. LTV
$415
Buyers stay for the long runYazino games have a very long shelf life, with players still buying even after 3 years.
Unlike other ‘hit’ games (e.g. Draw Something) that come and go, Yazino’s multiplayer synchronous games retain purchasers over time.
AVERAGE REVENUE PER PAYING USER (ARPPU)
ARPPU calculated per month and is a 6-month weighted average from July - Dec 2015Yazino ‘User’ defined as someone who plays
Industry Leading MonetisationYazino outperforms industry on monetising players. Competitor ARPPU ranges from $20-$50 monthly based on game genre
Social CasinoARPPU
Avg. ~$40YazinoARPPU
$53
CHALLENGES OF SYNCHRONOUS SOCIAL GAMES
WHY isn’t everyone doing it? We got it wrong so many times….
Technology intellectually challenging
Game agnostic
Synchronous broadcasting
Low latency and transactional
Financially very expensive to develop
Eco-system to support business
THANK YOU!ANY QUESTIONS?