#gamediscovery

[clouddosage]

In a recent Esports 101 interview, Nuuvem CEO Fernando Campos explained how spawnd shortens the path between discovering a game and trying it. The idea is to put playable browser demos where people first hear about games. https://clouddosage.com/nuuvem-ceo-explains-how-spawnd-turns-game-discovery-into-playable-demos/ #GameDiscovery #spawnd #Nuuvem #Gaming

Nuuvem CEO Explains How spawnd Turns Game Discovery Into Playable Demos

[redhawkseve]

Top 6 Ways People Discover Your Mobile Game

Virality and buzz continue to be the best way to inexpensively acquire high-quality users. Social sources (e.g. word of mouth and seeing someone play) are still among the most highly endorsed discovery sources. In addition to these social sources, users also tend to gravitate toward games that have high levels of visibility, for example being featured or near the top of the charts. Video services like YouTube have seen the most dramatic jump in utility, as an increasing number of users are looking to see gameplay firsthand before committing.  Sight, sound and motion continue to be of importance to the overall marketing of a game.

The following are the top six sources mobile gamers use to find new games:

§  BEING NEAR THE TOP OF THE DOWNLOAD CHARTS (43%) Overtaking social sources as the top method of finding new games, a high level of visibility on the app stores’ front pages is now more crucial than ever to draw in new players.

§  WORD OF MOUTH (36%) There have been many academic studies on the profound influence word of mouth has on purchasing behaviors and gaming is no exception.

§  BEING A FEATURED APP (35%) We as consumers have been conditioned to look for things that are being promoted.  There is a reason a typical end cap display in Walmart increases sales 25-50%+ for a product.

§  WATCH PERSON PLAYING GAME (33%)

§  FRIEND’S FACEBOOK POST (21%) Facebook continues to play a key role in user acquisition in 2014 as both a social network and advertising platform. Users remain more responsive to more personalized and indirect forms of advertising - but Connect Invitations (18%) and Facebook Advertisements (18%) remain strong sources for discovery too.

§  VIDEO SERVICES (19%) Year over year, the most dramatic shift has centered on the role that video plays in facilitating user sharing and drumming up buzz. In 2013, Video Services ranked 12th most utilized among 17 potential discovery sources. As of Q3 2014, the use of services such as Everyplay and YouTube to find out about new games has jumped dramatically, now ranking as the 6th most utilized discovery channel. Moving forward, the integration of easy video sharing options will be crucial to driving organic virality and promoting community engagement.

Traditional and Mobile Gaming Websites, although less endorsed as a source by mobile gamers overall (18% and 14%), over-index for Payers and should not be ignored as a discovery source for heavily engaged mobile gamers.

These are the “top of the funnel” numbers around discovering an app or game.  By far the #1 reason a gamer downloads a game is its cost (66% said it is the #1 reason for downloading).  That doesn’t necessarily mean its free but the cost/value equation to the gamer is the most important determinant in whether the game is downloaded.

The bulk of these numbers came from EEDAR’s “Deconstructing Mobile Gamers 2014” report. I encourage you to find it on their website as it has considerably more information of value to the mobile app and gaming community.