Authentic Virality You Share if You Care

Jussi Laakkonen, Applifier The Kitten’s Toe

Lots of data. Just 20 minutes.

No need to do notes. Download presentation for data:

http://slideshare.net/abyssi/

Data from two surveys

1800 mobile gamers North America March 2013

3000 mobile gamers North America Q2 2013 Heavy payer: >$10 / month

For the last five games you’ve downloaded, what was highly influential in your decisions?

00%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

Word of mouth, social media

App Store TV, Youtube, web sites, print or other

media

Advertising

24%

26%

34%

35%

36%

40%

42%

48%

58%

63%

67%

72%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Twitter post

Mainstream media

Text message invite

Video service

Mobile game discovery app

Gaming websites

Ads in other apps

Facebook invite or post by a friend

Top charts in storefront

Featured apps in storefront

Saw another person

Word of mouth

Percentage of Mobile Gamers that Endorse They Sometimes or Often Use Source

Sources Mobile Gamers use to Discover Games

Simplified chart. See appendix for full chart.

“Hey, you got to play this game. Watch this!”

00%

05%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Hearing from a friend, family

Seeing gameplay

Facebook post

Tweet Shared screenshot

Fan videos

In person Online

For the last five games you’ve downloaded, what was highly influential in your decisions?

Opportunity

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Which of the following features are important while playing?

Extremely important Somewhat important Not important

Viral growth

Playing together Sharing

Viral growth through

invites

Viral growth through

shared content

Playing together Sharing

Viral growth through

invites

Playing together

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Easy to invite friends Playing with real friends Playing with non-friends

Playing with real friends nearly 2 x more important than with non-friends

Extremely important Somewhat important Not important

Which of the following features are important while playing?

34% 44% 24%

But >60% prefer nicknames over real identity

21%

Real identity (e.g. login with Facebook)

19% Nick name + stylized photo that masks my real identity 43%

Nick name + avatar (e.g. game character)

17%

No identity even if it means friends can’t find me

How do you want to appear to others when you play?

Fairly few use social gaming services

00%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Which mobile game services have you used?

Your Contacts are your real friends.

Fairly few games leverage Contacts, while all mobile social services do this to bootstrap growth (e.g. Snapchat)

Go with nicknames or partial identity (e.g. “Jussi L”)

Don’t force FB login.

Demonstrate fun first, then upsell Facebook Connect to play with friends

Incentivize FB Connect (questionable, but works)

“We never spam your friends”

Viral growth through

shared content

Sharing

10-20% rank sharing extremely important

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Sharing tips, helping others

Sharing achievements

Sharing screenshots

Sharing video replays

Broadcasting my game

Extremely important Somewhat important Not important

Which of the following features are important while playing?

Sharers

22%

27%

33%

34%

44%

47%

54%

74%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Post a video of gameplay footage

Discuss the game on the forums

Write a review in the storefront

Invite friends through email

Invite friends to play through FB

Give the game a star rating

Show friends gameplay

Tell friends about the game verbally

Percentage of Mobile Gamers that Endorse Reason

Mobile gaming sharing activities

Sharers play more

00%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Games downloaded / month Hours played / week

00%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

All respondents Sharing is extremely important

5%

11%

25%

40%

55%

55%

55%

34%

20%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

All mobile gamers

Heavy Sharers

Heavy Video Sharers

Heavy payer Payer Non-Payer

Mobile Game Spending by Sharing Activeness

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Discuss the game on the forums

Invite friends through email

Post a video of gameplay footage

Invite friends to play through FB

Write a review in the storefront

Give the game a star rating

Show friends gameplay

Tell friends about the game verbally

Percentage of Mobile Gamers that Endorse They Sometimes or Often Use Source Heavy payer Payer Non-Payer

Mobile game sharing activities [By Spend Segment]

Simplified chart. See appendix for full chart.

Sharers = your most valuable users

Play More Pay More

Spread the Word

31%

38%

44%

59%

67%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

To be more involved in the game’s community

To be an expert in the game

To show off my skill or accomplishments in the game

To get my friends to play the game with me

To let others know about a game I enjoy

Percentage of Mobile Gamers that Endorse Sometimes or Often Engaging in Activity

Reasons Mobile Gamers Engage in Sharing Activities

7%

12%

14%

20%

19%

18%

26%

32%

43%

40%

47%

56%

57%

54%

56%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

To be more involved in the game’s community

To be an expert in the game

To show off my skill or accomplishments in the game

To get my friends to play the game with me

To let others know about a game I enjoy

Heavy Video Sharers Heavy Sharers Full Sample

Reasons Mobile Gamers Engage in Sharing Activities [By sharing activeness, only “Endorse reason often”]

Percentage of Mobile Gamers who Endorse Often Engaging in Activity

Sharers are more social. Part 1

All respondents Sharing is extremely important

Which of the following features are extremely important while playing?

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Sharers are more social. Part 2

All respondents Sharing is extremely important

Which of the following features are extremely important while playing?

Sharers = Retaining users, want community features

Sharers more likely to find games through WoM, advertisements, media

00%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

140%

Word of mouth, social media

App Store TV, Youtube, web sites, print or other

media

Advertising

All respondents Sharing is extremely important

For the last five games you’ve downloaded, what was highly influential in your decisions?

Remember this?

00%

05%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Hearing from a friend, family

Seeing gameplay

Facebook post

Tweet Shared screenshot

Fan videos

In person Online

For the last five games you’ve downloaded, what was highly influential in your decisions?

Opportunity

WoM: Sharers find games more often online than in-person

All respondents Sharing is extremely important

For the last five games you’ve downloaded, what was highly influential in your decisions?

00%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Hearing from a friend, family

Seeing gameplay

Facebook post

Tweet Shared screenshot

Fan videos

5%

8%

7%

8%

10%

10%

13%

18%

16%

18%

23%

24%

37%

53%

43%

54%

44%

50%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Twitter post

Another social network

Text message invite

Video service

Facebook invite

Facebook post by a friend

Heavy Video Sharers Heavy Sharers Full Sample

Sources Mobile Gamers Use to Discover games [Only “Often used online social sources”]

Percentage of Mobile Gamers who Endorse Reason Often

Share from the game,

invite

Social media

Try a new game

Sharers

Get engaged

What type of sharing is most influential?

It’s like snake, but you fight monsters. Swipe to steer your snake made of heroes you level

up, kill the baddies and don’t hit anything!

SHARED WITH

Videos drive installs, decision making and referral

All respondents Sharing is extremely important

What actions have you taken after watching game related video?

00%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

You share if you care. Tap into emotions.

Show, don’t tell à screenshots, video.

Automatic screenshots, instant replays à just share!

Sharing is self-reinforcing

Build social features to attract & retain Sharers

Sharers play & pay and get your more users. You want them.

slideshare.net/abyssi jussi@everyplay.com

@jussil

For More Information on EEDAR’s Annual Deconstructing Mobile & Tablet

Gaming Report Visit www.EEDAR.com

Data Appendix

24%  

26%  

29%  

31%  

34%  

35%  

36%  

36%  

40%  

41%  

42%  

45%  

48%  

58%  

63%  

67%  

72%  

0%   10%   20%   30%   40%   50%   60%   70%   80%   90%   100%  

Twi0er  post  

Mainstream  media    

Another  social  network  

Currency  offer  in  an  app    

Text  message  invite  

Video  service  

TradiIonal  gaming  websites  

Mobile  game  discovery  app    

Mobile  gaming  websites  

Facebook  adverIsement  

Banner  ads  in  other  apps    

Facebook  invite  

Facebook  post  by  a  friend  

Top  charts  in  storefront  

Featured  apps  in  storefront  

Saw  another  person  

Word  of  mouth    

Percentage  of  Mobile  Gamers  that  Endorse  They  SomeDmes  or  OFen  Use  Source  

Source  

Sources  Mobile  Gamers  Use  to  Discover  Mobile  Games  

2%

6%

12%

12%

22%

33%

42%

65%

16%

18%

29%

23%

42%

59%

65%

83%

50%

59%

64%

72%

77%

83%

91%

94%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Discuss the game on the forums

Invite friends through email

Post a video of gameplay footage

Invite friends to play through FB

Write a review in the storefront

Give the game a star rating

Show friends gameplay

Tell friends about the game verbally

Percentage of Mobile Gamers that Endorse They Sometimes or Often Use Source

Sour

ce

Mobile Gaming Sharing Activities [By Spend Segment]

Heavy payer Payer Non-Payer