Setting Bejeweled Blitz Free
March 6, 2012, Game Developers’ Conference, San Francisco—Giordano Contestabile from PopCap Games described the work needed to change a game franchise from paid to freemium.
Bejeweled was the first PopCap game and was followed by 2 and 3. The games originally were built for the PC and moved to Facebook, iOS, and over 30 other platforms. They sold 755 M games, had over 200 M installs, and 25 M on-line players every day.
The latest version, Blitz, is the first iPhone native game and the first to integrate Facebook and iOS features into the game. This version is a 1 minute game that has some modes only on the premium version, but at the same time, the freemium version is a stand-alone version. This has changed Bejeweled into an ongoing service.
The company was retiring version 2 as they launched Blitz, and started with Canada and two weeks later released it to the rest of the world. This flow gives them the chance to check the servers and other on-line functions, before they take on the world. They saw over 10 M units in the 1st month.
As they launched, they had to ask if the freemium model increases users. The results were that their user base increased by a factor of 5, and they also got the same increase in revenue. Total downloads increased by a factor of 9. Users noted higher levels of engagement. The iOS version got 2 times the downloads as the Facebook version.
The key to their success was to increase the percentage of users who pay. They designed the game to be a part of the mobile experience, an always on, always me function. This is a bite-sized game that is played in 1 minute increments, well suited for the mobile user. Although they prefer Facebook, since all the users have their credit on file, the Apple exposure was positive.
They are seeing good crossover from Facebook users into the iOS platforms, and are seeing the power of free. Results show that there are more users who are fully engaged and willing to spend money for extra features. Although many play for free, the increased number of people is leading to increased conversions to paid.
One issue is that Facebook Connect is required for the full feature set, because they needed Facebook to maintain and grow the user base. They have an ongoing campaign to incentivize users to connect. By cross promoting between the iOS and Facebook sites, they can use Facebook to increase social engagement.
This product has high complexity to maintain and operate. When they first entered the Apple Store, they got low star ratings, because of speed differences. They reduced the speed to match Facebook and even though it seemed slower and scores dropped, the game was tweaked to work better. They had a new client running in 3 days.
They worked with Apple to get fast track approval for the changes. The parameterized modules in the design allowed for quick changes and testing when they launched the new version. They learned that ratings drop when launching new versions because the first adopters don’t like something about the game.
The experience taught them that you cannot mess with success. You have to listen to the feedback and address the issues. Be sure that you can address the issues if you take the feedback, because the users are not going to tolerate inaction. Make updating the game easy and be proactive. Happy users don’t submit ratings, but unhappy ones criticize every perceived flaw. Following up with the critics converts them into advocates and evangelists.
The purpose of a game is to make money. Boosts are low cost items that provide a small edge for the buyer. You can get an additional 5 seconds play time, or a 2X multiplier for a small fee. Neither of these additional capabilities will allow a mediocre player to beat a good one. Another built-in feature is rare gems, which you can harvest and add to the boosts. Some require skill, others add visual effects that activate over the course of a few games. The relative randomness of the new features increases the entertainment value about the same amount as a boost. Other on-line features include daily spins and the ability to buy a package of spins. A spin clears the whole screen and greatly increases your score.
The key tenets for mixed mode payments is to allow people to play forever without paying. The game has to be fun and balanced even for the free version. People will pay to have fun, but others should not be punished for not paying. They created server-side code to tweak the on-line economy in real time to change the value of various items. Events tied to the game are important, so marketing needs to have and publish a calendar of events. These events drive engagement and bring in more revenue.
The secret is like science. More fun leads to greater engagement, more returning players, and more money. Increasing the number of downloads on Apple creates positive results on the charts. Organic growth is the same. The free app didn’t work well so they changed it and found that organic growth is more than paid growth. Success requires sustained efforts, constant updates, and built-in incentives to continue playing.
Now Bejeweled premium has quarterly updates, new modes, and ongoing contests. iOS is simpler than Android, since the hardware and interface is fixed. Android is a fragmented space with multiple systems, screen resolutions, and OS versions. The aggregate is 100 variations for the Android market. It cannot be ignored, as there will be over 1B Android devices out there next year. Nevertheless, the Android market needs more standardization and developments require more resources.
Freemium is the biggest opportunity since the start of gaming. Over 1 B new players will be entering the market next year, and the number will continue to grow at a high rate. The freemium model allows you to get into many outlets.
