Development of the gaming industry is now not just for entertainment for its users. Social development of the media was also influenced the development of "social games" in which applications, games started to go into social media. This fact, could be fertile ground to reap profits for the developers. Before talking about business models, developers should analyze the behavior of gamers. "Gamers that there are manifold. There is a Core Gamer, Gamer Status, Actual Gamers, and Social Gamer. Before getting into the gaming business you should know before going into the gamer market where, among the four types of gamers."
Are you social gamer or social game developer?
Core gamer is a gamer who spends all his time just to play games. It could even be three days and three nights in front of computer screens or gaming device hers. While the Status Gamers are gamers who just love collecting gadgets in which to provide gaming applications. Status gamers never even finish every game he plays because that sought only the social status that he is a lover of games and have all the gadgets and gaming equipment from old products to new products.
Actual gamers are gamers who only play games on the sidelines of the activity through the mobile phone, laptop, or tablet. While social gamer is a gamer who plays games via social media applications with the goal of expanding the network of friends.
"People who play games on Facebook are not necessarily categorized as a social gamer. If he does not aim to expand friendships and simply play a constant application, he can be categorized as core gamers," .
After learning the types of gamers and their behavior, game developers can start building the game with a focus on one type of gamer. Social gamers is one of the good market at present because of the increasing number of social media users is significant enough to be a target game business.
Based on data from Dean Takahashi, to build social media game, a developer requires a minimal budget 100000-300000 U.S. dollars to the developing time for 4 to 12 weeks, and developing a team total of at least 10 people. Once the game is built and published, the important thing to always do is run weekly feature updates and respond back any feedback from users.
"Weekly update feature should be routinely performed, if not, gamers will be bored. However, weekly updates are costly, so you should also think about the mutual money from gamers. Do not be proud of your game is played hundreds of thousands or even millions of users, but if not no money, useless games you do business".
To earn income from the business this game, developers must determine the business model of the executable.
To earn income from the business this game, developers must determine the business model of the executable. Business models for video games is starting from the developer to publisher, to the end user. While the business model for mobile game developers are starting to firm ported, then the publisher, just got to the end user.
The company is porting porting service provider for gaming applications on mobile devices. "The game is finished, it should be ported in order to support for many handsets. Standard ported is 250 times. So one game alone should be ported over 250 times. So, for developers who want to do business in the mobile application, must provide an additional budget ported for this."
After learning the business model, developers can determine the mode of payment. Method of payment for the game that had been done among others through subscribe, download, or F2P (free to play). there is recommendation using a F2P to develop social gaming. F2P also has a variety of options, namely the item mall, Donations, exclusive sponsorship, and Ingame / advergaming.
The payment system is an item mall game that is played for free at the beginning but for some specific items, gamers must pay some money. If you choose to continue playing for free, gamers have only limited access to some specific items only. Donations While the payment system is to allow gamers to donate some money without being given a specific target. Players can transfer within its capabilities.
Then the exclusive sponsorship of the payment system is that you build a game to use a company's marketing communications to convey messages of the product. Some companies such as manufacturers of cigarettes and drinks ions never do this to educate consumers about the product at the company closer to consumers. The entire cost of production will ditangung company and you will be able to make a profit.
Last is the payment system with ingame / advergaming is you put ad links on the right or left side of the game, or even after the game was over played. The ads also can be a link to your own subsidiary or links to other games that you also develop. This system is commonly called cross promotion. This system was made by Zynga, which makes gamers know all Zynga games are developed without excessive promotion.