Game Design Secrets

Summary

Here are the key points we covered in this chapter:

• Free-to-play will remain king on iOS, so commit to designing games with in-app payments, virtual goods, and other alternative revenue models besides paid downloads.
• Rising user acquisition costs will benefit the big publishers—small developers should consider joining them or find ways to integrate user acquisition with their game mechanics, such as with Draw Something.
• It’s likely that Apple will change the way games are categorized and displayed and will add even more social network integration in the near future.
• iPad will become popular with hard-core gamers, with MMOs and strategy games benefiting most from this move.
• Interest in games with a real-world location-based function will likely grow.
• By 2014, no game with an onscreen virtual D-pad will be in any of the top 50 popular iOS game charts.
• China already has the second largest market for iOS games in the world and will soon become number one. To make your games popular and successful there, encourage Chinese players to spend more via in-app payments to gain a competitive advantage. Additionally, design games with universally recognizable stories and elements and consider adding Chinese elements that integrate well with the existing gameplay.