InGyre presentation

Transcript

1. InGyre RESHAPING MOBILE GAMING Alexander Dadashev alexander.dadashev@gmail.com
2. 2 INGYRE GENERAL CONCEPT •  Most of mobile games lack innovation and are unremarkable – we believe that mobile gamers deserve better •  We aspire to break this pattern and build truly outstanding products, both in terms of technical quality and gameplay •  We strongly believe that there are multiple opportunities to build novel games in almost any genre •  We see clear evidence that today truly innovative games can reach huge audiences with almost no investments in marketing due to very limited competition •  We consider the difficulties related to gathering a team capable of building such games to be the most critical obstacle to their emergence •  We have put together a great team that is capable of building outstanding products •  Today, we have 2 great games at the final stages of development which can be ready to be shipped to the market within the next 6-9 months
3. 3 MOBILE GAMING MARKET IS ALREADY HUGE AND STILL GROWING… North America: •  $4,900MM revenue •  152MM gamers, 66MM payers •  $6.21 average spend per payer (1) Latin America: •  $510MM revenue •  148MM gamers, 57MM payers •  $0.74 average spend per payer (1) Eastern Europe: •  $630MM revenue •  110MM gamers, 35MM payers •  $1.53 average spend per payer (1) Asia Pacific: •  $12,200MM revenue •  740MM gamers, 243MM payers •  $4.17 average spend per payer (1) Middle East and Africa: •  $380MM revenue •  178MM gamers, 59MM payers •  $0.54 average spend per payer (1) Western Europe: •  $3,200MM revenue •  153MM gamers, 53MM payers •  $4.95 average spend per payer (1) Source: AppLift ata for 1H14;; Newzoo Global Games Market Report from Jun-14 Note: 1. Per month per paying mobile gamer •  Mobile games are expected to bring $21.7Bn in revenues in 2014, up from $17.5Bn in 2013 •  By 2017, mobile gaming market size will reach $35.4Bn, representing 19.1% CAGR for 2013-2017 •  The number of mobile gamers is expected to increase from 1.35Bn in 2013 to 1.85Bn in 2017
4. Developing Technology Platform Building Engaging Gameplay Defining Marketing Strategy Monetizing Game Audience Working on Updates or Sequels 4 …YET THE RISE OF NEW PLATFORMS HAS CREATED NEW QUESTIONS All of this leads to a question whether the Holy Grail of successful mobile game development does actually exist… And if it does, where can it be found? •  The market for mobile games is already huge and continues to grow at an impressive pace •  However, many things on mobile have proved to be very different compared to PC or console markets: ‒  Very high supply of games and casual nature of most games driving prices down and forcing game developers and publishers to adopt freemium monetization model ‒  Rise of CPA-based marketing tools making promotion of games through CPI model possible ‒  Support of the games by app stores has proven to be very important to games success
5. Unique Technical Platform •  Pros: ‒  Very low supply of technically innovative games due to lack of capable teams ‒  Mobile games market is longing for such games ‒  High chances for the game to get noticed by app store teams, journalists and gamers •  Cons: ‒  Difficult to assemble good enough technical team ‒  High development costs 5 FOCUS IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL FOR SUCCESS ON MOBILE… Core Focus Marketing for “Safe Genre” Games •  Pros: ‒  Low development costs ‒  Unit economics and outcome can be forecasted at some level of accuracy •  Cons: ‒  Necessity to enter a very crowded market ‒  Almost zero chances to be featured by app stores ‒  Low margins because of heavy marketing spend required to get noticed by gamers Innovative Gameplay •  Pros: ‒  Very catchy product if done right ‒  Opportunity to build franchise around successful characters •  Cons: ‒  The whole game depending on the main character ‒  Balance being very important and can be very hard to get right ‒  Difficulties with forecasting whether gamers will like the product and the character •  95-99% of total number of games •  Vast majority tend to fail •  Tens to hundreds games per year •  Several are able to demonstrate very decent traction, including: •  Several games per year •  All tend to be able to demonstrate significant traction, including:
6. 6 …AND OBVIOUS CHOICES ARE NOT ALWAYS THE RIGHT ONES •  Hundreds of games are being released every day •  Most game developers and publishers opt for genres and game mechanics with proven marketing strategies and monetization models, paying little attention to technical quality of the product •  As a result, the market is filled with thousands of very similar games that for gamers are almost undistinguishable from each other •  Such games have to rely on significant marketing budgets in order to be able to compete for top spots in rankings and attract attention of gamers •  At the same time, a small number of game studios have been successfully building great products under the radar for years, releasing a very small number of high-grade and original games every year •  Each of these games were able to garner attention of the whole ecosystem without substantial investments in marketing, with app stores’ featuring, reviews and word of mouth serving as their main channels for promotion
7. 7 BUT IN MOBILE GAMING, TO BUILD THE RIGHT PRODUCT CAN BE ENOUGH •  1st game built by small Finland-based game studio •  2nd game developed by U.K.-based game studio •  1st game built by Sweden-based game studio 1337 & Senri •  3rd game built by small Sweden-based game studio From From From From •  Complex physics •  Outstanding graphics •  Original game mechanics •  Over 23MM downloads on iOS and 38MM downloads on Android •  Lengthy featuring from Apple App Store and Google Play •  Complex physics •  Original game mechanics •  Very original graphics •  Unique game mechanics •  Very high quality graphics •  Complex physics •  Over 1.8MM downloads on iPhone and 0.9MM downloads on iPad at $3.99 price •  Apple Design Award in 2013 •  Over 1.3MM downloads on iPhone and 0.6MM downloads on iPad at $3.99 price •  Lengthy featuring from Apple App Store •  Apple Design Award in 2014 •  Over 320K downloads on iPhone and 228K downloads on iPad at $4.99 price •  Apple Design Award in 2014 Overview Key Features Key Achievements
8. 8 MEDIOCRE: SWEDISH INDIE GAME STUDIO WHICH GOT IT RIGHT •  3D runner; Freemium •  19.7MM downloads on iOS •  31MM downloads on Android •  2D runner; $1.99 •  1.1MM downloads on iOS •  271K downloads on Android •  Founded in 2011 •  Released 4 games, each with unique technical engine and gameplay •  Never spent any money on marketing, except from hiring PR agency •  All 4 games were warmly welcomed by gamers all over the world and demonstrated outstanding traction •  In August 2014, Apple featured Mediocre in a separate section dedicated exclusively to Mediocre games •  Puzzle; $1.99 •  1.5MM downloads on iOS •  462K downloads on Android •  Puzzle; $1.99/$0.99 •  585K downloads on iOS •  122K downloads on Android Source: Numbers of downloads are based on xyo.net estimates
9. 9 OUR PRODUCTS BEARD OF POWER RISING TIDE Description: Endless 2D runner with multiple settings Plot: A wizard going to the mystical forest for a hunt for magical fireflies Monetization model: Freemium version with in-app purchases aimed to allow player to survive for a longer time and featuring RPG-like gameplay Key feature: Build from the ground up game engine, allowing to make a runner free of all traditional limitations of the genre Description: 3D tower defense with the main action taking place on water areas Plot: Thalassic empire falling under attack of the evil golems and has to defend its boundaries Monetization model: Paid version with in-app purchases to accelerate game progress + free version with limited functionality and in-app purchases Key feature: Build from the ground up physical engine responsible for accurate modeling of currents and featuring unique gameplay
10. •  Most runners, especially on mobile, are explicitly simplistic and fully dependent on technical capabilities of game engines they are powered by, which leaves them with severe limitations •  These bounds essentially limit both the attractiveness of the game for players, and the opportunities for monetization 10 BEARD OF POWER: UNIQUE MIX OF RUNNER AND RPG (1/3) •  We have built Beard of Power free of all of these limitations •  Built from the ground up sophisticated physical engine allowed us to create a game that is a runner in appearance, but has gameplay features previously unseen in runners on mobile •  Innovative game mechanics allows to extend average game session several times compared to other runners •  This makes possible introduction of RPG elements, which allows to introduce new game elements and improve monetization, while still retaining appeal of the game to very wide audience
11. 11 BEARD OF POWER: UNIQUE MIX OF RUNNER AND RPG (2/3) Key technical features: •  Game engine with sophisticated physics (over 1,500 program lines of code responsible for main character’s behavior only) •  Surfaces and islands of any form •  Shield protecting the character from hindrances and enemies •  Normal mapping, gloss mapping and other lighting effects •  Sophisticated parallax •  Flexible enemies system •  Fully functional native level editor for iPhone and iPad …and much more!
12. 12 BEARD OF POWER: UNIQUE MIX OF RUNNER AND RPG (3/3) Gameplay: •  A wizard going to the mystical forest to collect magical fireflies required to renew his magic supply •  Scale of magic required to cast spells on his enemies or to power the shield •  State of oversupply of magic, with wizard becoming immortal to any clashes into hindrances but being extremely vulnerable for any further magic supply Monetization: •  Number of things to be bought through in- app purchases: ‒  Fireflies used to supply the wizard with magic ‒  Rare crystals which can be either collected in the game only in limited quantity ‒  Recipes for creation of items used for permanent enhancement of capabilities of main character ‒  Totems used for saving game progress Closest peer •  Complex physical engine combined with outstanding graphics and engaging game mechanics •  Very original approach to 3D runner genre •  Over 19.7MM downloads on iOS and 31MM downloads on Android
13. •  Hardly any game places significant action on the water or makes water a important part of the gameplay •  Accurate water visualization and modeling of currents represents a very complex and computationally intensive task •  Limited resources available on mobile and tablets make the problem even more complicated •  At the same time such physical engine can allow to build games with unique gameplay and very appealing graphics 13 RISING TIDE: INTRODUCING NEW DIMENSION TO TOWER DEFENSE GENRE (1/3) •  We have made Rising Tide a game with unique, eye-catching and engaging gameplay, allowing it to differentiate from all existing games in the space •  Accurate physical model of currents, options for influencing currents locally and advanced water visualization have made it possible for us to create a game offering players game experience previously unseen on mobile or on any other gaming platform
14. 14 RISING TIDE: INTRODUCING NEW DIMENSION TO TOWER DEFENSE GENRE (2/3) Key technical features: •  Accurate physical model of currents in the complex geometries based on solving of two-dimensional fluid dynamics problem in real-time •  Options for influencing currents locally with whirlpools, water jets, etc. •  Advanced water visualization based on extensive usage of the newest methods from across fluid dynamics, computer graphics and modeling •  Extensive performance optimizations allowing the game to be run on all new smartphones and tablets •  Cross-platform approach allowing to port the game to other platforms with minimum efforts •  Flexible artificial intelligence engine powering behavior of the enemies …and much more!
15. 15 RISING TIDE: INTRODUCING NEW DIMENSION TO TOWER DEFENSE GENRE (3/3) Gameplay: •  Confrontation of thalassic empire and the golems •  The main action happening on water, with the enemy operating ships and the player operating towers •  Towers equipped with various types of weapons and able to create various types of whirlpools, water jets, etc. •  Motion paths of the ships defined by currents, which in turn can be influenced by the towers Monetization: •  Paid version with full functionality and freemium one with demo functionality •  Two types of “currency”: ‒  General currency to be earned in the game ‒  Rare currency to be earned in the game in a limited quantity, or bought through in- app purchases •  All items in the game (towers, special items, etc.) can be bought with a combination of general and rare currency Closest peer •  Engaging and addictive gameplay combined with outstanding graphics •  A near perfect classic tower defense game for mobile and tablets •  Over 2.2MM downloads on iPhone and iPad for its paid versions for both Fieldrunners and Fieldrunners 2
16. Egor Fominykh Software Developer 16 OUR TEAM Seraphim Chekalkin Chief of Development Alexander Dadashev Chief of Product Dmitry Purtov Software Developer Andrey Voynov Software Developer •  Tight-knit team with hands-on experience in mobile and software development, venture capital and startups •  Deep experience in a number of areas of mathematics and computer science •  All team members have graduated from Moscow State University with MSc in Mathematics
17. 17 INGYRE HISTORY AND FUNDRAISING General idea for InGyre born Winter 2013 “Beard of Power” development started March 2013 Core development team assembled June 2013 “Rising Tide” development started July 2013 Development team went to working full- time on the project September 2013 MVP for “Rising Tide” finished July 2014 MVP for “Beard of Power” finished June 2014 Investment required: seed round for the next 12 months to finish development of both games and bring them to market InGyre Historical Timeline •  Current status: ‒  MVPs for both games finished •  Time to market: ‒  6 months for “Beard of Power” ‒  9 months for “Rising Tide” •  Key expenditure items: ‒  Finishing game development ‒  Game design ‒  Attendance to conferences to promote games and build relations with app store teams ‒  PR activities •  Current shareholders structure: ‒  The Company is 100% owned by founders
18. 18 INGYRE FUTURE PLANS InGyre 4 Years Roadmap Key Goals •  Reach break-even with seed financing •  Ship to market at least 5 games in the next 4 years •  Build a large and profitable company with a wide portfolio of high grade games, allowing to promote new titles to the audience of all games produced by InGyre Jan-15 Dec-18 Release “Beard of Power” Game Aug-15 Release “Rising Tide” Game Oct-15 Release Stealth Action Game Jul-16 Release “Rising Tide 2” Game Jan-17 Reach Break-even Nov-15 Reach at least $20MM in annual revenues Jun-17 Release God Simulator Game Jan-18