This document discusses using companion games to build brand engagement across multiple platforms. It provides examples of companion games that extend core games' stories, allow transferring of items/cash/abilities, and provide starting advantages. Building concurrent and continual engagement through companion games can create loyal fans similar to other entertainment franchises. However, linking games also poses synchronization and cheating challenges that require active game management. The goal is to extend brands and stories across platforms to drive long-term revenues through customer loyalty.

1. Companion Gaming
Single Brand Engagement Across
Multiple Platforms
Chris Early – chris.early@ubisoft.com
March 13, 2011
My background:

2. Brand Engagement
Why is it important?

3. Brand Engagement = Loyalty
More frequently …
… for longer periods of time …
… results in more loyalty

4. Recommendation Revenues

5. Players: Ongoing pleasure and comfort
Creative: We can tell our story
Business: Long term viability

6. So how have we build brand
engagement in games?

7. Expansion Packs
&
Sequels

8. Not Ideal
No concurrent reinforcement of engagement
Long time between engagements
Breaks in engagement results in breaks of loyalty
Concurrent and continual engagement needed

9. Concurrent and Continual = Loyal Baseball Fan

10. So how do we
build this kind of
brand engagement
in games?

11. Companion Games
to build
Brand Engagement
Concurrent and Continual Engagement

12. Companion Game Examples

15. Base Game
Role Playing
Dev: Lionhead
Pub: Microsoft
Rel: Oct 21, 2008
Xbox 360

16. Web
Companion Game Base Game Companion Game

17. Companion Game
Card & Board
CG: Cash Exchange
CG: Item Transfer
CG: 2 Months Ahead Pub: Microsoft
Rel: Aug 13, 2008
CG: Starting Advantage $10 on Xbox LIVE Arcade

18. Companion Game
CG: Cash Exchange CG: Continuing Benefit
CG: Sold Part of Base Game?

19. Companion Game
Role Playing CG: Story Prologue
CG: Item Transfer
CG: 1 Month Ahead
CG: Starting Advantage
Pub: Microsoft
Rel: September 2008
Free on Web

21. Base Game
Role Playing
Dev: Lionhead
Pub: Microsoft
Rel: Oct 26, 2010
Xbox 360, PC

22. Companion Game
Base Game

23. Companion Game
Puzzle & Trivia
CG: Cash Transfer
CG: Too Late? Pub: Microsoft
Rel: Soon? (6 Months Later)
$TBD on Windows Phone 7

25. Base Game
Action Adventure
Shooter
Dev: Ruffian Games
Pub: Microsoft
Rel: Jul 6, 2010
Xbox 360

26. Companion Game
Base Game

27. Companion Game
Puzzle & Trivia
CG: Abilities Exchange
CG: Too Late?
Pub: Microsoft
Rel: Dec 15, 2010 (+ 6 Mos)
$2.99 on Windows Phone 7

29. Base Game
Strategy &
Simulation
Dev: Signal Studios
Pub: Microsoft
Rel: Mar 3, 2010
$15 Xbox LIVE Arcade

30. Companion Game
Base Game

31. Companion Game
Puzzle
Source: AppData.com
CG: Metagame Pub: Microsoft
CG: Connectivity Broken Initially Rel: Feb 13, 2010
CG: Item Bonus Facebook

32. CASE STUDIES

34. Base Game
Role Playing
Action & Adventure
Dev: Bioware
Pub: Electronic Arts
Rel: Mar 8, 2011
Xbox 360, PS/3, PC

35. Companion Game
HTML 5 Base Game
Helper App

36. Companion Game
Role Playing
Pub: Electronic Arts
Rel: Private Feb 2011
Facebook

37. Companion Game
CG: Starting Advantage
CG: Item Unlock

38. Companion Game
CG: One Month Before Base
Source: AppData.com

39. Companion Game
CG: Cross Brand Loyalty

40. Game Helper App
Designed for iDevices, Android, Tablets
HTML 5 Application
CG: Maintenance / Helper Application

42. Base Game
Action Adventure
Dev: Blue Castle
Pub: Capcom
Rel: Sep 28, 2010
Xbox 360, PS/3, PC

43. Companion Game Base Game Story Extension

44. Companion Game
CG: Story Prologue
Action Adventure
CG: Cash Transfer
CG: Item Transfer
CG: Exp. Transfer
Pub: Capcom
CG: Starting Advantage Rel: Aug 31, 2010
$5 on Xbox LIVE Arcade

45. Increased Sales – Increased Exposure
Bonus
NEW 50%+ Revenue ~25%
Loyal
New Brand Exposure
Engagement
New Revenue

46. Stand Alone Epilogue
CG: Story Extension Action Adventure
CG: No Linking
Pub: Capcom
Rel: Dec 27, 2010
$10 on Xbox LIVE Arcade

47. Christian Svensson
SVP Capcom
“I think that our experience with Case Zero and Case West
has taught us how powerful a tool companion gaming can
be, even on the same platform…
… pulling these off is a lot harder than it looks. There was
literally years of planning and this strategy was a part of
the plan from the very beginning of the project.”

49. Base Game
Action Adventure
Dev: Ubisoft Montreal
Pub: Ubisoft
Rel: Nov 16, 2010
Xbox 360, PS/3, PC

50. Companion Game
Base Game

51. Companion Game
X-Wars
CG: Story Extension CG: 1 Month Ahead
CG: Cash Exchange CG: Starting Advantage Pub: Ubisoft
Rel: Oct 5, 2010
CG: Exp. Exchange CG: Connectivity Difficult Facebook

52. Source: AppData.com
CG: Continuing Value

53. Source: AppData.com
CG: Broad Audience

54. Companion Game Principles

55. CG: Story Extension CG: Starting Advantage
CG: Story Prologue CG: Continuing Benefit
CG: Story Epilogue
CG: One Month Before Base
CG: Cash Transfer CG: 2 Months Ahead
CG: Cash Exchange CG: Too Late?
CG: No Linking
CG: Item Transfer CG: Cross Brand Loyalty
CG: Broad Audience
CG: Item Bonus CG: Helper Application
CG: Connectivity Difficult
CG: Abilities Exchange CG: Metagame
CG: Connectivity Broken Initially
CG: Exp. Transfer
CG: Sold Part of Base Game?
CG: Exp. Exchange

56. Principles
Extend the Story
Concurrent Engagement
Continual Engagement
Create Residual Value
Coherent Advancement
Standalone Gameplay
Platform Diversity

57. Difficulties
Cross Platform Synchronization = HARD
People will cheat – how will you handle?
Games are linked – for better or worse

58. “No man is an island…”
- John Donne, 1624

59. ACTIVE GAME MANAGEMENT
QUESTIONS