How to port a mobile project to a PC?
To successfully port a mobile project to a PC, you need to focus on casual gamers who love hardcore games, – says Frederick Wester, CEO of Paradox Interactive studio.
“Casual” and “hardcore player” are not mutually exclusive concepts, Wester is convinced. The fact is that many fans of “farms” have experience interacting with hardcore games for PC and consoles. Such players like short gaming sessions for the opportunity to play during a busy working day. But they also appreciate the challenging and addictive gameplay.
However, you need to remember: users play games differently at home and on a smartphone. In order for the game to be successful on mobile devices and on PC, it must maintain a delicate balance between casual game mechanics and exciting gameplay. It should be convenient to play it for 5 minutes on a smartphone – and 50 minutes on a computer.
An example of a game that has found such a balance, Wester considers his own title Knights of Pen and Paper, which, after success on mobile devices, was released on PC. In the game, the user can choose between short-term contractions that last a couple of minutes – or embark on a journey that involves a longer session. Knights of Pen and Paper is a board game simulator with RPG elements, which attracts a hardcore audience. However, the threshold for entering the game is so low that it has a chance to appeal even to those who know about Dungeons & Dragons only by hearsay.
A chart that reflects the rating of the Knights of Pen and Paper game in the American box office chart (data AppAnnie.com ). Considering that the cost of the title is almost $ 5, the results are not bad.Thus, Wester concludes, if the developers manage to maintain the balance between mobile and hardcore gameplay, which he has already mentioned, then they will find their audience.
The success on PC of games such as Plauge Inc: Evolved and Kingdom Rush confirms this idea.
Other materials on the topic:Atari: A mobile game cannot be a PC game
The title projects are a series of games for PC Europa Universalis and Crusader Kings.
