The threshold for entering the mobile games market is still low

On the eve of the Casual Connect conference, as part of a special project prepared by the editors of the App2Top portal, Alexander Egoshin, head of mobile production at Alawar Entertainment, answered our questions. He spoke about the mistakes of developers when positioning the project, as well as about the main criteria for selecting games for production.

How has the situation in the mobile games market changed compared to last year?

There are more games, good and different. More and more major players are entering the mobile market, bringing their titles to tablets and phones. At the same time, of course, the flow of applications from small studios, indie developers has not gone anywhere. Of course, the possibility and wealth of choice is good, but sometimes you still want the requirements for the submission to be tightened ;)

How many percent of the incoming offers to the publisher do you end up taking?

We did not count the exact percentage, but if we talk in general, then a little. This is due, firstly, to the competition in the mobile market, which has been very high for a long time. And secondly, with the fact that the “cost of entry” into the market is still very low. At the same time, the number of success stories, which all thematic resources will always talk about, is only growing, so the number of applicants is also not decreasing.

In order to survive and start earning a decent living, it is not enough just to have a prototype of a physical jigsaw puzzle, it is necessary to have decent, competitive art, thoughtful monetization, understanding of the development of the project. Only if there are all or at least several components, it makes sense to discuss the terms of further cooperation.

How is the work of the publishing direction structured: one producer for each project, or, let’s say, each producer is engaged in games of a certain genre, or who has the time, does he take it?

We don’t have any kind of “genre selection”, each producer can engage in both action games and, for example, “meditative” projects. In fact, the producer is the head of the project team. And the group at the same time can consist of either one person or several. For example, it is more correct to entrust one person to work with the balance in the game, while the other will give the most valuable advice in terms of usability in the game. The saying “one head is good, two is a mutation” is not always true ;)

What mistakes are most often made by mobile game developers who offer you their projects for publishing?

They write: “We have a unique concept, like Angry Birds and Cut the Rope, something in between, but everything is cooler!” I’m kidding (although it also happens).

Rather than mistakes, but some little things that, in fact, delay the decision about whether we cooperate together or not. For example, a partial presentation of information about the project, or the presence of only art, without understanding how and where to further develop the project.

How do you choose which games you will take on and which you won’t?

First, the producer communicates with the studio. It is necessary to understand what the project is, how it will develop, where and how you can earn money. Of course, the potential of the studio is also evaluated both by previously completed projects and by the composition of the team.

If everything suits, then the project is submitted to the “collegial council”, the so-called “project protection”. And at this stage, the producer who presents the project to all interested parties (other producers, marketers, product managers) must tell and show what will happen in the game and what it will all come to. If the producer has convinced his colleagues in the publishing house that the idea is good, then we start work.

What is the biggest achievement to date?

We are very pleased that Robber Rabbits has become Game of the Week in a number of countries, and that we are working with Grizzly Jr. studio, which made this game. We are also proud of Shake Spears, because the game regularly hits the TOP and gets featured. And, of course, I love and often play The Treasures of Montezuma 3 myself – a great game!

How did you manage to get a feature for Shake Spears on the App Store and Google Play?

Made a good game. We constantly updated and developed the project. Added more and more new opportunities for players. Probably so.

Then we talked with representatives of Apple and Google about the game, received comments on the project, listened to the advice and showed the game again.

What has changed in the latest version of the game? After all, it existed before that. What was so critical about her that she became a megahit?

The most important thing that greatly influenced the growth was the transfer of the game to the Free–2-play model. The results were very good, and we began to develop the project further.

Name three mobile games that you particularly remember over the past six months?

I guess my memory is too short – I remember the last couple of months. During this period, if I don’t remember our games, I remember Rayman Jungle Run, Clash of Clans, Fieldrunners2.

How do you plan to develop? (For example, more different games, focus on one big project, etc. Well, or something else)

There will be both big projects and smaller projects. My opinion is that there is no need to be afraid of development and diversity! :)