Reveal a clever monetization strategy to charge for basic free (F2P) games

ByMarcX Photography

Most of the games advertised as "basic free" in PC games and smartphone applications sell some convenient items and limited collection items that can be used in the game for a fee. The player who started the game "It's free ..." should have thought about playing the game until paying at that point, but the game-related news siteGamasutraI have published a paper inWargaming AmericaEconomistRamin ShokrizadeMr,"Monetization trick for basic free (F2P) gamesI'm posting a blog called.

Gamasutra: Ramin Shokrizade's Blog - The Top F2P Monetization Tricks
http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/RaminShokrizade/20130626/194933/The_Top_F2P_Monetization_Tricks.php


◆ Mandatory monetization model

ByThe World According To Marty

The mandatory monetization model for basic free (F2P) games uses a technique of how to make consumers perceive. According to the research "Game gem"In-game premium currency has the effect of losing the real sense of money of consumers, and it can remove" pain "that pays actual money. Activities relating to the exchange of money take place in the front of the frontal cortex of the brain and this area continues to develop until about 25 years of age.

The possibility that the collection is failed when targeting 18 year old and under is a possibility, you can use the credit card, and the "legal adult" player of 18 to 25 years old who is not matured is suitable for forced monetization model It is targeted. Many products use animated cartoon graphics for children is also conscious of the target age group. In other words, the quality of the product that sets the age group of the target widely increases, for exampleCandy · crash · sagaTo operateKing.com80% of the players are women. By age, 34% is composed of 22 years old to 30 years old and 9% by 21 years old or less.

◆ Premium Currency

ByKana Natsuno

The mandatory monetization model is maximally activated by using a game gem which is a premium currency. The "in-app charges" button in the iOS application is ideal if it can be installed in the game.

Also, it is an effective technique to set up a big banner such as "Game Gem 15% discount" because users feel "money saved" by doing "discount" of premium currency. If you display the balance of the actual bank account in the application, the user refrains from purchasing, but it shows the effect of relieving the user by showing the balance of the premium currency.

◆ From skill games to money games


"Skill game" refers to a game in which the skill acquired is a game decision and success game, "money game" refers to a game in which money is determined and succeeded in the game. Every user prefers skill games, but many forced monetization models are money games disguised as skill games.

Early maps and stages can be completed without paying anyone, but as the game progresses the difficulty will rise and players by having them use the premium currency to boost the necessary skills to clear It will depend on it. As the timing of this change is clever, the user is more likely to misunderstand that the user is playing a skill game. Candy · crash · saga is one of applications that balances the skill and money elements.

◆ Remove by giving a reward

ByThomas Hawk

A way to give a user of a technique a very attractive reward such as a level up item and remove the reward from the user after a limited time is one of the techniques of a powerful forced monetization model. this isPuzzle & DragonsIt is also used frequently, the user enjoying skill games digest items equivalent to more than 4 hours of real time, and if losing it will pay 1 dollar (about 100 yen) or lose all the reward It means that you will be forced to choose and shift to money games little by little.

◆ Progress Gate


"Advance Gate" informs customers how much money they need for further advance of the game.ZyngaIt is widely used in building simulation applications of the premium currency to increase the speed of the gauge displayed in items under construction and to eliminate it by setting level cap of towns and cities that can be built Show that.

◆ Soft boost and hard boost

ByJpellgen

There are "soft boost" and "hard boost" for effective promotion to raise sales with money games. Soft boost can raise the status of a character or become unbeatable for a certain time if paying about 1 dollar (about 100 yen). Hardboost is what is called "Kompu Gacha (compgacha)" in which random and precious items are hit. In the puzzle & dragons, rare cards hit by rare monsters are $ 5 (about 500 yen) once. However, Gacha is beginning to be regulated in Asia, as problems arise that juveniles spend a lot of money.

Mr. Shokrizade, author of the paper, defines the state-of-the-art games that incorporate the above-mentioned "mandatory monetization model" technique as "puzzle & dragons". Although it is possible to create games with a high commercial competition rate without using a forced monetization model, it is predicted that the forced monetization model will continue in the coming years. After the current young users have accumulated years of experience, the flow may change.


In addition, for games that says "Free-to-play", you may need to charge items in the game. For such F2P games in Europe,The European CommissionRecommends to the game company "All games and applications that need to be charged should not be advertised as" basic free "because they invite misreading of consumers and especially children."

"Free-to-play" misleading advertising in Europe | GamesIndustry International
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-02-27-free-to-play-misleading-advertising-in-europe


In the UKA 13-year-old boy who downloaded the game for 422 pounds (about 72,000 yen) was killed by her mother and suicideBecause the incident that happens also occurs, it seems that the mechanism that children with poor judgment ability can do settlement will be severely enforced.