Early Results of Running with Friends
The worldwide release of the free version of Running with Friends took place in mid-May. Just yesterday, the soft launch of the paid version of the game began in Canada. So, it's time to draw some preliminary conclusions.
At least, that's what they believe at Pocket Gamer, noting that 18 months have already passed since the emergence of the genre (with the release of Temple Run).
We, on the other hand, have long been puzzled by the question: is there any point in creating such projects (with very low ARPU, high market competition, but a good level of user retention) right now?
Undoubtedly, Zynga asked itself this same question. It’s likely they were also interested in how to make their runner stand out in the sea of existing ones. What special “hook” is needed for this?
Reflecting back on the release, the answer wasn't buried too deeply. Just like the creators of Subway Surfers, the developers of Running with Friends focused on PvP. They expanded it by adding a full asynchronous multiplayer mode and the ability to "duel" a friend.
This, in theory, immediately solved the monetization issue. Want to win competitions? Pay for additional lives, which cost a certain number of gems and can be bought for real money.
But did these solutions make the game a box-office hit?
Judging by the American top charts, no. In the top-grossing iPhone apps, the game reached a maximum position of 15th. On the other hand, that's still quite good, especially considering that Running with Friends consistently remains in the top-grossing twenty. But will it be able to show extraordinary endurance in terms of downloads and compete with Temple Run 2 and Subway Surfers in the long run?
We have our doubts.
One of the advantages of the two main runner hits (Temple Run 2 and Subway Surfers) was their subtlety in monetization and the lack of necessity to log in via Facebook. In this respect, Running with Friends is off-putting. On one hand, as we see, it generates revenue; on the other hand, it deters users. And it’s unclear how this will impact the project’s metrics in the long term. It's clear that Pincus can constantly funnel traffic into the game, but what then will be the ROI?
Perhaps, based on this thought, Zynga seems to be planning to launch a paid version of Running with Friends specifically for skittish users (it's already available in the Canadian store). However, the initial price, to say the least, is daunting – $4.99. Who needs a runner for that kind of money?
