mobile games are the most competitive game market so far. Companies of all sizes are looking for new ways to make their products stand out. As one of the major global markets, works that can top the US free list are undoubtedly successful. However, Lion Studios, a distribution studio under AppLovin, has been successful recently, this time it is "Flip Trickster".
According to GameLook, this game was actually released as early as February, but it was re-listed after optimization with Lion Studios and was successful. So, what kind of adjustments did Lion Studios make to the game? As a buying volume platform, how did AppLovin give "Flip Trickster" a second life?
AppLovin has become another one: "Flip Trickster" dominated the US iOS free list for a week in a row
If we look at the gameplay, "Flip Trickster" is actually not from scratch. There have been mini-games with backflip gameplay before, such as "Backflip Madness" released by Gamesoul Studio in 2013, which achieved relatively good results. However, unlike this, the game released by Lion Studios adopts a cartoon style with bright tones and simplifies the operation. You only need to click or hold the right side of the screen to complete all the actions. Of course, since there are no skill buttons, if you want to show off a fancy backflip, players need to be familiar with the physical gameplay in the game. For example, you have to seize the opportunity and decide when to click, when to hold, and when to release the button to end.
Due to the addition of physical factors, for unfamiliar players, the jumping movements of characters are very clumsy, so they often have more funny actions when they first get started:
Like many casual games, "Flip Trickster" has added in-app purchase and advertising options. You can pay to advertise and buy gold coins, or double the reward for passing the level by watching advertisements. The gold coins in the game are mainly used to skip some difficult levels and purchase decorative props. Currently, the game has 7 scenes, each scene has 7 levels. After the first 6 levels are unlocked, you need to pass all levels at once to enter the next scene. Due to the different height and obstacle position, the factors that players need to consider when performing backflips have changed more. Behind the success of
: How to "resurrect" the independent game?
However, this game is more worth noting that "Flip Trickster" was released as early as February this year. After cooperating with Lion Studios, the developer removed the game and then re-listed it after optimization. According to Rafael Vivas, president of Lion Studios, in an interview, the game was actually a winning project in the "End Game Changer" competition. Before the collaboration, Flip Trickster was downloaded no more than 100,000 times. He said that the purpose of the "Ultimate Game Changer" challenge launched by Lion Studios is to re-release the mobile game with no previous downloads of no more than 100,000 after optimization, trying to make it top the free list.
"Flip Trickster" is a game developed by 21-year-old Swedish developer Oliver Erikkson alone. According to statistics from App Annie, the game has been the champion of the free list of the United States and the United Kingdom in the past week, and has topped the 39-country free list.
Another thing that has to be said is that Erikkson has postponed it many times before, and he decided to accept an interview until the game tops. So, as a distribution studio under the Buy Volume Platform, why is Lion Studios so confident about being on the top free list? After all, even top mobile game studios may not be guaranteed to be able to do it.
Vivas said, "In fact, the same is true for us. We have never been 100% sure to reach the top. The competition in the mobile game market is cruel, especially when King just released a new work (Candy Crush Friends Saga), but we are confident in our distribution ability because we can market the game during the competition.We saw that the data on retention, participation and marketing potential of "Flip Trickster" is very high, so we are more confident, but we are not absolutely sure whether we can win the championship. "
"Flip Trickster" list performance
In mobile games, especially casual mobile games, the US and UK markets are very important, but Vivas believes that this is just the beginning of "Flip Trickster" at the top of the list. "Our previous game "Happy Water Cup" has topped the free list of 25 countries, but we have done a lot of localization for the release of "Flip Trickster", so the goal is to surpass "Happy Water Cup". My personal goal is to make it top the free list of 50 countries, but I don't know how the result is."
Although retention rate and participation are the key to the continued success of mobile games, the marketing potential of the game is also crucial for the free list of free list, although Lion Studios did not disclose the marketing costs invested in this game, but the company repeatedly emphasized that the key to reaching mobile game users is not how much money you invest, but how to maximize the use of marketing budget.
For the release of "Flip Trickster", Lion Studios uses various advertising forms, including banners, interest advertising and incentive video advertising. The company said that incentive video advertising and full-screen interest advertising are the most efficient marketing methods, but Vivas also revealed that the team is also very picky about the choice of marketing budget investment platforms.
"Part of our strategy is to maximize the use of marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, AppLovin and our incubation platform, to maximize the The marketing effect of all platforms and creating marketing activities is an important condition for us to reach the top.
However, Vivas emphasized that in the mobile game field, only marketing methods cannot guarantee success. A very important factor lies in the game itself. In a parallax filled with match-three, construction, parkour and other casual gameplay games, you need some original and high-quality content to win. "First of all, make a unique game, especially products that are rare on the market, such as "Flip Trickster, we have seen a lot of fitness and parkour games in the past, but have never seen it like this, which is one of the reasons why the game won our competition. In the field of mini-games, it is fresh for consumers.
"Secondly, you need to find the right partners. As an independent developer, you are not in enough staff and funds. Finding the right partners can provide you with marketing and game optimization advice. This is how our cooperation with Oliver is. Then, when the game is developed, partners can use marketing advantages to help you promote it."
's challenge of winning the rankings continuously: top-ranking the free list is not the only condition for success
0 top-ranking the free list in the United States is already a success, but it will face greater challenges to maintain this position. Lion Studios will continue to market for Flip Trickster and plan to help Erikkson improve user retention and ensure that the game can stay at the top of the list for a long time. It is obvious that the publisher is confident in maintaining the rankings, but how long does it take to last?
Vivas said, "I think everyone's answer is to stay in the championship position forever, but in fact, our "Happy Water Cup" has maintained the first place for four consecutive weeks. In fact, according to the App According to Annie's statistics, it is also the world's most downloaded mobile game last month. For Flip Trickster, based on the data we have seen so far, we believe it can last for a month or more.
As of now, AppLovin and Lion Studios do not intend to start another Ultimate Game Changer Contest, but through this event, they learned a lot, that is, "there are a large number of young and excellent independent game developers in the industry who need help."
When this event was first released, both companies were not sure what it would end up with, but in the end they received hundreds of game applications from more than 40 countries, which, of course, proves the fierce competition in the mobile game market. For projects that were not selected, Vivas said that reaching the top of the free list is not indispensable for the success of a game.
"You look at Supercell. Their annual revenue exceeds $1 billion, but games rarely enter the top 10 free list. As a game, the most important thing is to provide content that people are willing to experience spontaneously, or to do selective marketing activities when acquiring new users. This is of high value. How many people enter the game is not the whole of success."
"In fact, if you have played Flip Trickster and our other games, although these are mini-games, we still make sure to create a deep economic system for high-engagement users, we have the ability to expand the life cycle of the game, and provide more in-depth gameplay for high-stick users."
