[ALL] F2P Is Now Online

GDC Online 2012 that took place in Austin, TX (US) earlier in October (9-11) was my first and last GDC Online. That's because the event is changing its format and switching to mobile and tablets, even though F2P market is flourishing nowadays (as well as mobile platforms).

Austin Convetion Center

Among the biggest participants in client-side section (apart from Wargaming :)) were Riot, NCSoft, CCP. Plus there were lots of Zynga-kind ones and a few F2P research companies. All in all, the online version of the GDC appeared to be poorer than the general one held in San Francisco.

While monetization, marketing, and business development talks were mostly ok, the ones on production, programming, and tech were somewhat worse (based on the feedback of our tech guys) - less innovative, although with some nice exceptions.

I will share some my thoughts on the lectures I have visited personally.

AION example.

By making AION EU F2P (which I believe is not strictly correct since they practically adopted hybrid model) NCSoft managed to overcome underpopulation of game servers and significantly boost the revenue. Their steps were focusing on core community (more likely to spend), making purchasable stuff achievable by playing, not flooding the in-game market at once, investments in huge marketing campaign (they needed to sell 2.5-year-old game once again), and going localized (6-digit amounts are spent to produce single pack VO+text).

General F2P trends.

The share of F2P market (US) in game industry went up from 1% (2007) to estimated 10% (2012). While sub-based games reached their plateau back in 2009 with 7+ mln of users, F2P audience has grown from 9 mln (2007) to estimated 42 mln (2012) - that's taking into account web-based and mobile.  F2P has become the dominant MMO revenue model these days, social games (FB) boast ~40$ ARPPU (average revenue per paying user) with conversion to paying user of about 2.5-3.5%. Obviously, client-side MMOs can have noticeably higher conversion rates (up to 25-30%), while for browser games, it's 5-15%.

F2P has become MP3 in games. It's accessible, affordable, interactive.

Having gone F2P the following titles got much better:

• DC Universe - +1000% CCU (concurrent players) gain, +700% daily revenue
• Everquest II - +40% daily logins, +300% new players
• Everquest - +150% daily logins, +125% boost in Item sales, +350% registrations

The new game ecosystem is now the following: eSports + marketing + global community + livecasting (video streaming). The key focus is now on emergent and sandbox gameplay.

How F2P games are monetized.

The basic principles:

• regular currency is earned through game mechanics
• premium currency is earned by money spent
• no two-way conversion allowed.

Item shop should be a natural part of the game, both regular and premium items should be there.

Leveling/tiering is key to monetization: early game -> mid game -> end game, each with the respective items and prices.

Most popular monetization methods:

1. By unlocks
- unlocks and access to high tiers give access to new items
- monetize rarity: sell rare resources

2. By limits
- monetize storage size or inventory size
- monetize limits of economy power (total cap)
- monetize items with less limits

3. By tiers
- monetize accelerated needs of tiers

4. By power variants
- monetize similar but better items
- use 3 or more power variables (price, duration, power)

5. By time
- universal monetizier: more money spent - less time needed

6. By trade
- amount & slots
- frequency
- time

Pricing guidelines:
- tiering, lowest price is assigned to the lowest tier
- have enough flexibility to adjust prices
- account for psycho barriers - 50, 100, 500, 1000, etc
- use matrix for pricing
- going online a bit expensive, raise item amount per money amount spent

I Invite you to the discussion of the F2P stuff.

Tank Debut Anniversary

The Battle of Flers-Courcelette was a battle within the Franco-British Somme Offensive Operation which took place in the summer and autumn of 1916. Launched on the 15th of September 1916 the battle went on for one week. Flers-Courcelette began with the overall objective of cutting a hole in the German line by using massed artillery and infantry attacks. This hole would then be exploited with the use of cavalry.

However this battled is significant for the first combat use of the tank – Mark I.

The British Mark I was a tracked vehicle developed during the First World War and the world's first combat tank. The project to develop the 'Land Battleship' had commenced in the summer of 1915 under the initiative of the British Landships Committee with the objective of developing an armoured vehicle that would break the deadlock of trench warfare. Under the highest degrees of secrecy the 'tank', as it later became known, was designed and built with the first prototype of the Mark I rolled out in January 1916.

Just less than six months after its first tests, General Sir Douglas Haig had wanted to launch the first mass tank attack on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme. However, the manufacturers could not have the tanks ready in time for the first attacks on July 1.Two and a half months later, as Flers-Corcelette was being planned, the tanks were delivered and Haig had General Sir Henry Rawlinson, his subcommander in charge of 4th Army, incorporate them into his battle plans. From the beginning the tanks were challenged by having to traverse the heavily upset terrain of the Somme battlefield while still beset with numerous mechanical failings and manned by crews that had had little training in their operation. Nonetheless, the decision was taken to send the 49 tanks that were available into battle on September 15. He was warned against this by the engineers who were responsible for the creation of the tank and his subcommanders, such as Ernest Dunlop Swinton (who had been part of the Landships Committee), and the French government, which sent Colonel Jean-Baptiste Eugène Estienne and Sub-secretary of State of Inventions Jean-Louis Bréton, (who were normally arch-enemies), to London, hoping to persuade the British government to overrule Haig. The primary concern of those who didn't want the tank used was that they wanted it kept secret until they could be massed in larger numbers and be more likely to lead to a major breakthrough.

Born of the need to break the domination of trenches and machine guns over the battlefields of the Western Front, it was the first vehicle to be named "tank", as an expedient to maintain secrecy and to disguise its true purpose. It was developed to be able to cross trenches, resist small-arms fire, travel over difficult terrain, carry supplies, and to capture fortified enemy positions. It is regarded as successful in many respects, but suffered from many problems owing to its primitive nature.

Mark I specs:

In service – 1916–1931
Number built – 150
Weight – 27-28 tons
Crew – 8 (commander, driver, two gearsmen and four gunners)
Armour – 0.23–0.47 in (6–12 mm)
Main armament – Male: Two 6 pdr QF or 6 pdr 6 cwt QF, Female: Four .303 Vickers machine guns
Secondary armament – Male: Four .303 in Hotchkiss Machine Guns, Female: Two .303 in Hotchkiss machine guns
Engine – Daimler-Knight 6 cylinder sleeve valve petrol engine 105 hp

QUIZ

1. What is the relation between this woman (see the image) and Mark 1?

 

2. One of the nicknames of this tank was Big Willie, what was the other one?

3. What did Russian soldiers call this tank?

4. What tank was the first to be modeled in World of Tanks (guess game :))?

Post your answers in comments. Don't forget your nickname and server.
Each correct answer will bring you 750 gold, give 4 correct answers - and you will get 5.000 gold.

First 10 luckies will be awarded.

Quiz results here.

Guess 5 Vehicles and Grab Some Gold upon the Release [FINISHED]

The vehicles below are planned to be added to the game later this year.

You are to guess them all and state their correct names in comments. The quickest one who gives 5 correct answers will be awarded with 1.250 gold for the release version (equal to 7-day premium account). While commenting this post, leave your in-game nickname and server (either EU or US).

Example:
1. Tank A
2. Tank B
3. Tank C
4. Tank D
5. Tank E
Overlord (EU)

Here come the pics

#1

#2

 #3

 #4

 #5

NOTE! We have got the winner. 1.250 gold go to xXNightShadeXx (EU).