Mobile gaming is always being touted as the next-big thing in gaming. We're continually being told that all the money is in the mobile market. Well, it's kind of hard to argue with that point when something like Subway Surfers surfs onto the scene with more than 130 million downloads, 25 million daily active users and a forecast of 250 million downloads by the end of the year.
So how does it work and why has it worked? Well Kiloo Games works with a 50/50 model where they handle all the front-end monetary systems, marketing and interface and they leave the actual content creation to established developers from core PC and console game design.
Jacob Moller, founder and CEO of Kiloo commented about the surprise hit of Subway Surfers using this new model, saying...
“The idea of partnering two distinct talent sets and giving them a common goal was made popular with paired programming in Silicon Valley,”...“We’ve taken the same concept but applied it to mobile gaming, and so far, it’s paying off with Subway Surfers. We’re hoping to see this become the next generation of free-to-play game development across the industry.”
According to the data, the game is maintaining about three times the retention rates of most other mobile games. The company managed to maintain 91 percent of their users after the first day of the game going live, more than 81 percent of their users after a week and 60 percent of their user base after 30 days.
Simon Moller, chief creative officer of Kiloo shared a few thoughts about the business model, saying...
“The 50/50 business model was inspired in part by my and my brother Jacob’s relationship growing up,”. “When everyone’s equally invested, everyone has the same incentive to make the game a success—it’s the perfect model for mobile gaming.”
I'm curious, however, if this is just a one-off case or if this model is sustainable. Tecmo Koei's Toronto studio recently closed despite focusing on mobile games. Just because you go mobile doesn't mean you'll always profit.
Will Subway Surfers mark a new trend using this 50/50 method for mobile game development? Time will tell. We'll keep you clued into Kiloo's future endeavors following their obvious success with Subway Surfers.
You learn more about Subway Surfers by paying a visit to the official website.
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