David Helgason, executive Director of Unity, believes that the era of “stagnation” has come in the gaming industry, especially mobile. Companies like King and Supercell are at the top of the charts month after month and, according to Helgason, it’s terrible. According to him, the times when there was constant movement in the rating were much more interesting.
King, the authors of the game “three-in-a–row” Candy Crush Saga and Supercell with their Clash of Clans – these are two companies that have not given their top places in the App Store and Google Play since 2012. Helgason believes that the projects of these two gaming giants are not particularly good – no better than those of competitors. And they get prizes for “a number of reasons,” including aggressive marketing and the purchase of new users.
“As a friend of [Supercell employees. – Approx. editorial offices] I wish them the best. But as a representative of the game industry, I hope that Supercell and the like will die out overnight. The industry needs to be shaken up properly, it will benefit it.”
Despite Helgason’s categorical position regarding the top positions of the charts and those who occupy them, he assesses the prospects of the industry as a whole positively.
We should not forget, says the executive director of Unity, that the market has grown to such a size that even the 30th place in the rating guarantees high profits, which means that games from indie developers will be able to pay off and break the way up.
Helgason advised developers who want to be on a par with serious industry players the following: firstly, do not neglect analytics and, secondly, provide the player with the opportunity to share information about the game on social networks.
The right approach to analytical data will help studios understand what exactly attracts attention in the game – and use the information to make the player’s involvement deeper.
As an example of working with social networks, the executive director of Unity mentioned the company’s own experience, namely, its acquisition of the Everyplay service, which allows the player to record the game process and share it. Such an option, Helgason is sure, increases the viral potential of the game, but, like analytical data, developers often neglect this opportunity.
One of the key features of the toolkit since its release has been a user-friendly editor.