This presentation was broken into two parts. The first part covers various approaches to creating games on mobile platforms with some details specific to Windows 8. The second part covers strategies for creating successful mobile games including promotion and monetization strategies. While this talk was primarily to a Windows 8 developer audience, the talk was largely cross-platform focused, and parts of the second half on mobile strategy can apply to both apps as well as games.

1. Presented by Roger Peters
Atlanta Windows Apps Meetup
February 4th, 2013

2. Roger Peters (@SmartyP)
Independent Mobile Developer
AllMobileEverything.com
SmartyPantsCoding.com
SmartyP.net

6. You can create games the same way
you create apps today.
Minesweeper Solitaire Alpha Jax

7. • XAML, C#, VB, etc.
• Visual Studio / Expression Blend
• HTML5, EaselJS, jQuery, etc.

9. More examples
Blackjack Metro Krashlander

10. Pros
• Utilize existing app dev knowledge
• Leverage platform tools and capabilities
(databinding, animation systems, etc.)
• Apply learnings from game dev back
towards app development
Cons
• Platform specific investments
• Rendering capabilities and limitations
(3D rendering, frame rate, shaders)
• Performance

11. Code Share
• Game resources and relative parsers
(level definitions, image and sound assets)
• POCO types, constants, and interfaces
• Game logic (via Mono)
Platform specific code investment
• All view related layouts and definitions
(ex: XAML, XIB, XML layouts)
• Code-behind layer powering the device-
specific view

13. Create any game you want. Master the
art of game creation and coding.
I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MBIES 1N IT!!!1
(Xbox Live Arcade)

14. • Update() / Draw() loop
• Allocate all memory up front
• Utilize sprite sheets for animation
• Factor in elapsed time in game logic
ex: move 200px per second:
pos_x = pos_x + 200 * Elapsed.Seconds

15. C++ & DirectX
• Cocos2d-x
• Box2D
• etc.
MonoGame [XNA]
• C#, VB, etc.
• Box2D.XNA
• Farseer Physics Engine

17. Fez, Xbox Live Arcade (XNA)

18. Meat Boy, Xbox Live Arcade

19. Pros
• Built on basic game concept (update/draw loop)
• Great for education
• Performance
• Large community of platforms and resources
(Cocos2d-x, Box2d, Farseer, etc.)
• Cross-platform support
• Cost
Cons
• Very limited and low level operations
• No integrated physics engine, editors, etc.
• Do most things ‘by hand’

21. Invest in tools that put creating
blockbuster titles within reach.
Zombieland USA 2 Bad Piggies

22. Unity

23. Game Engines
• Unity* (C#)
• Rapid 2D (C++, uses Box2D)
• Game Salad
* Coming soon, part of Unity 4.x release timeframe

24. Pros
• Speed of game creation
• Performance and optimization
• Cross-platform support
• Built in physics and animation systems
• Mostly abstracted from platform
• Very extensible
Cons
• Licensing costs
• Learning curve
• Dependent on cross-platform support of engine

27. • Games which are monetizing the best are
using a ‘freemium’ model. Users are cheap,
don’t be stingy.
• Industry leaders focus on RPI (return-per-
install), ASO (app-store-optimization), and
large scale user acquisition.
• Cross-platform games have a larger
potential user base, have their word-of-
mouth and social marketing go further, and
are less affected by market shifts.

28. “Success is Where
Preparation Meets
Opportunity”
-Henry Hartman

29. “Flashlight” earns $1400+/day today on iOS – not
because it was revolutionary, but because it was
established in the market before it was oversaturated.

30. Design
• Never design for fixed screen sizes
• Design for a higher resolution than necessary
• Create assets in vector formats when
possible (most important for 2D games)
• Invest time in your marketplace assets
• Don’t reinvent the wheel
(utilize Unity Store, and other asset libraries)

31. Monetization
• Get familiar with in app purchases (IAP)
• Consumables
• Unlockables
• Get familiar with IAP methods
• Virtual currency
• Virtual items
• Reward users
• Return visits
• Leaving reviews
• Sharing with friends

32. Monetization (continued)
• Sell, sell, sell
• Ads (banner, full-screen interstitial)
• Via in-app stores, pause screens, and
popups
General
• Must go-wide for ‘freemium’ to work
• Paid apps account for only 10% of downloads
• Build an app network for cross-promotion and
multiple revenue streams
• Don’t annoy your users (limit ad frequency, etc.)
• Spend time analyzing marketplace top charts
• Read other games’ post-mortems

33. Jumpers
Runners
Task-based games

34. Currently #2 in all free games What’s the Word?

38. To experiment with game ideas?
• Use the practical approach – no big investment, and
you get to see your game idea sooner
To start a new hobby? To learn something
new? Educational purposes?
• Use the Hobbyist approach or hardcore approach –
learn traditional game coding techniques, and how
today’s best game shops create their games
To make money?
• Building the game is secondary – understanding how
to monetize is tantamount. Consider outsourcing, or
leveraging existing game engines.

41. Roger Peters (@SmartyP)
Independent Mobile Developer
AllMobileEverything.com
SmartyPantsCoding.com
SmartyP.net