1. Clash of Clans is a popular free-to-play mobile strategy game where players build villages, gather resources, and attack other villages. 2. Though the game is free to play, it makes money through in-app purchases of gems using a freemium model. 3. The game's financial success is based on a three-layer ecosystem where different layers serve different purposes to create scale, commitment, and profit. The first layer reaches a wide audience, the second invites player investment through base-building, and the third offers tools that can be upgraded through optional in-app purchases.

1. Whatisthesecretbehind
thefinancialsuccess? Melt
Fromthevisual
strategybook
#meltCASE STUDY

2. WhatisClashofClans?
Clash of Clans is a social real-time
online strategy game designed for
mobile touch screen devices.
The game involves building a village,
gathering resources, attacking other
villages and teaming up with fellow
players to form clans.
BACKGROUND

3. Howdoesitmakemoney?
The revenue generation model is
based on the successful free-to-play
strategy that is widely used in
mobile games; actual playing is
free, but in-app purchases can
be made during the game.
BACKGROUND

4. This
ismy
village

5. Key factors
the success?
behind
1 2 3

6. It’s 1
It’saddictive!
It’sfun!
People
want to
play it!
agreat
game!
From Supercell’s
Clash of Clans Super Bowl Ad.

7. Those are qualities
of a great game,
but…
What
makesit
afinancial
From Supercell’s
Clash of Clans Super Bowl Ad.
success?

8. Let’s take
a closer
look using
the melt
frame.

9. Thisis
thematerial
world
e.g.
objects
and actions

10. e.g. emotions,
competences
and knowledge
Thisis
theimmaterial
world

11. Technology
hascreated
newwaysfor
themto
melt

12. Servitization
Sharing
economy
Social
media
meltInternet
This‘melt’has
manynames:
Data
networks
IndustrialInternet
Home
automation
AI Internet of
things
Collaborative
economy

13. Melt’sconceptof
time
is new and somewhat
unknown.
It has features from both the
immaterial and material world and it
varies according to the viewpoint.
Clash of Clans uses this
brilliantly!

14. Bendingtime
2
Clash of Clans makes use of the temporal
concept of three different worlds.

15. Players may feel advancing their villages
is important in order to correspond with
the players’ skills, to receive admiration
from others, or out of simple curiosity to
see what the future holds.
THE PLAYERS’
NEEDS EXIST IN
NONLINEAR TIME.
BA C

16. THE GAME IS PORTRAYED
AS IF HAPPENING IN
”REAL TIME”.
The material “real time” is embedded
firmly into the gameplay. Constructing a
defense structure for a village may take
several days. Advancement takes longer as
the game progresses.
BA C

17. Players are offered ways to fulfill their
immaterial needs by “bending the time” – by
momentarily escaping the material time by
buying gems as in-app purchases.
THE GAME ACTUALLY TAKES
PLACE IN ”MELT TIME”.
THIS APPEARS TO BE LINEAR,
BUT CAN BE ALTERED.
BA C

18. Layered
ecosystem
3
The financial profitability of Clash of Clans is
established on a three-layer ecosystem.

19. Ecosystemrolesserve
differentpurposes.
SCALE
LAYERA
Onetocreate
scale.
TOOL
LAYERCHOME
LAYERB
Onetocreate
commitment.
Onetocreate
profit.

20. REACHING AS
MANY PLAYERS
AS POSSIBLE
Clash of Clans is a free-to-play game epiphyte
in Apple and Google ecosystems.
APPLE AND
GOOGLE
ECOSYSTEMS
SCALE
LAYERA TOOL
LAYERCHOME
LAYERB
Clash of
Clans is
here!

21. Inviting players to create their own “homes”
inside the game by letting players build
villages and clans as they wish.
HOME
LAYERB TOOL
LAYERCSCALE
LAYERA
HANDING OVER OWNERSHIP
TO THE PLAYERS
Players’
“homes”

22. Players can advance their villages by
collecting coins, elixir and gems.
OFFERING VARIOUS
TOOLS TO ADVANCE
IN THE GAME
TOOL
LAYERCSCALE
LAYERA HOME
LAYERB
Tactics
and skills

23. PROFIT
SOME OF THESE
TOOLS CAN CAN
HAVE PAID OPTIONS
SCALE
LAYERA HOME
LAYERB TOOL
LAYERC
Gems can be also be
purchased during the game.

24. PROFIT
SCALE
LAYERA HOME
LAYERB TOOL
LAYERC
The free-to-play model typically
involves only a few percent of players
actually spending money on the game,
while most play for free.

25. Whathave
welearned?
TAKE AWAY

26. TAKEAWAY
USE
IMMATERIAL
MOTIVATORS.
Fame,fear,
curiosity…

27. TAKEAWAY
MAKE IT
FEEL REAL!
Peoplearefarmorelikely
topayforsomethingthey
perceiveasmaterial.

28. TAKEAWAY USE
MULTIPLE
ECOSYSTEM
ROLES.
Onetocreatescale.
Onetocreatecommitment.
Onetocreateprofit.

29. Youarenowfamiliar
withfree-to-playandmelt.
Youmaycopy,modifyandusetheseideasasyouwish.
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