Platform Patterns & Ecosystems
Implications for the Future of Mobile Gaming
Hi, Offenbach!
Jan Beckers
Serial Entrepreneur Angel Investor Mobile Gamer
The Past Founded:
Invested in:
etc........
................................................................................................................................
Job Platform 50 Employees
Mobile Ad Network 80 Employees
Monetization Platform 120 Employees
The Present
Entrepreneurial Game Distribution Group 70+ employees and growing
The Existence of Platform Patterns
Platforms are just like Countries
#1 Rules & Regulation
#2 Growth & Decline
#3 Competition
#4 Democratic vs. Dictatorial
#5 You pay tax!
Countries =
platforms without underlying technology
“a favorite theory of mine – to wit, that no occurence is sole and solitary, but is merely a repetition of a thing which has happened before, and perhaps often.“
- Mark Twain
History repeats itself!
Platforms create Ecosystems
#1 New platform emerges
#2 New technology standards
#3 New platform policies & rules
#4 New audiences & usage patterns
#5 New organizations emerge -> ecosystem created
#2
#3
#4
+
+
=
} Specialized knowledge needed
6 important Platform Patterns
#1 Platform Hype-Cycle
Be aware of the irrational up & down of platform
expectations and consequences for investments, user
acquisition cost, and competition.
#2 Focus: from Marketing to Product
New product = uninformed user
Old product = informed user
Marketing wins on new platforms!
Use initial success to build the best product over time.
#3 Wild-Wild-West
2008 Master Class:
Aggressive Strategies can be highly successful in the
Wild-Wild-West of early Platform Times.
#4 Increasing Power of the Owner
Be early on promising platforms – and always be aware
that you do business in a house which is not yours!
#5 Acceleration
Competition in mobile gaming will heat up faster than on
any other platform before.
#6 From Platform-Specificity to Audience & Genre Focus
Power shift: from platform to audience.
Platfrom-focused players will dominate early platform
days. Dominance will pass after platform-knowledge
turns into a commodity.
Outlook
Old
New
Key to future success:
Focus on a specific audience & genre
Thanks, Offenbach!