This document discusses ways to make social games go viral on Facebook, including utilizing all Facebook platform features, incentivizing cooperation and sharing between users, integrating viral features into game mechanics, tracking metrics, and focusing on publicity. It also discusses optimizing publish-to-stream features and the potential for more complex niche games on Facebook in the future.

1. Social gaming “virality and niche games” By Sriram Krishnan sriramkri@gmail.com @sriramkri

2. Contents Designing a viral game on Facebook Optimizing virality Niche games

3. 6 ways to make your app go viral 1. Utilizing all FB Platform features Apps can’t be too dependent on any single FB platform feature … ..but have to utilize all FB platform features available: publish2stream, notifications, publish pictures, become a fan, bookmarking, email Some features are better at acquiring users, some are better at retaining users

7. K.I.S.S

9. Contents Designing a viral game on Facebook Optimizing virality Niche games

10. Those days… Those days, apps relied on notifications, forced invitations and publish 2streams These days, more emphasis on publish2stream; incentivizing cooperation These days…

11. Question: What’s the most important tool you can use to make your game viral on Facebook? Answer: Publish2stream

12. Why do users publish2stream? To show and tellleveling up, win/loss in battle, sending/receiving, challenging friends, obtaining items, finding items To seek favours, to make requests buildings get constructed faster, to grow your farms, fertilize crops, to fill up clan, to fill up homes, hiring friends in Hotel, survey questions about user, to join as clan members, to join as neighbours

13. Incentivizing publish2streams User s encouraged to publish2stream -> More publish2streams User 1 Publishes/Invites -> If User 2 clicks -> Then, User 1 gets incentives -> More nagging and pleading User 1 Publishes -> User 2 clicks -> User 1 + 2 gets incentives -> Win-win Pop-ups can have a variety of incentive strategies

16. Ask yourself… Would you rather click on ….. Get a sign on bonus? Continue to Zoo paradise? Play Tiki resort? Save [your friend’s] cottage?

19. 1 – Picture (d), % of total clicks = d/c

20. 2 – Header (e), % of total clicks = e/c

21. 3 – Small link (f), % of total clicks = f/c

22. Actions completed (republish, redeem, join game, install game, invite friends)

23. 1 – Action 1 – g

24. 2 – Action 2 – h

25. 3 – Action 3 – I

26. Total action completed = g+h+I = j

28. Other general tips Actionable data = very important Relatively Easy - Tracking metrics at the backend Requires some effort - Showing the metrics on dashboard on frontend etc Important - Analysing data, checking which one works better Most important - Acting on it by re-developing, re-designing

30. driven by data, NOT intuition. Avoid idealists, scatter brains at operational levelGood Social game = Excellent product management = monetisation + social/viral + game balance

31. Contents Designing a viral game on Facebook Optimizing virality Niche games

33. But higher the complexity, easier for certain type of users to get hooked to the game

34. High MAU, Low ARPU vs Low MAU, High ARPU. Ie: Kingdom of Camelot

35. Discussions, arguments between game designer/producer and product manager for social features, monetisation -> normalScenarios with simpler game play needed to cater to mass market -> Takes time to convert new users to active, engaging users. Mouse only = Simple Mouse + Keyboard = Complex, Difficult

36. Focus - Kingdoms of Camelot User Acquisition Good Facebook integration. Almost being forced to invite friends and publish streams Cross promotion with 6waves Social + Strategy – first in the business -> Niche Retention Rich design features Self selective audience members -> not 5 minute users Seamless HTML loading. 1st flash screen load takes a long time, but all subsequent loading uses html Monetisation Multiple purchase options – speed up, production, chest etc Requires more robust payment strategy. Mobile payments should be made more obvious, and localised according to markets – geoIP, other methods of payment to load within site, not in a separate window

38. Birth of more complex, niche games

40. Social games could utilize Facebook Connect

41. Stand alone sites monetize better compared to FB

42. Owning the users in the stand alone site