This document discusses the top 10 secrets of success for virtual goods in social games. These include limited time offers, crafting systems, crew mechanics, neighbor interactions like gifting and visits, achievements and quests, boosts from energy systems, timed appointments, cute aesthetics, daily bonuses, and consecutive login rewards. It provides an example for each category and shows how implementing these features increased player engagement and monetization for various popular social games.

1. for a virtual good?

3. Secrets of Success for Virtual Goods

4. Largest 25 Social Games By DAU
1
2
3
4
FarmVille
FrontierVille
Texas HoldEm Poker
Mafia Wars
5
6
7
8
Bejeweled Blitz
Café World
Treasure Isle
Millionaire City
9
10
11
12
Pet Society
Restaurant City
MindJolt Games
Happy Aquarium
13
14
15
16
PetVille
開心水族箱開心水族箱開心水族箱開心水族箱 Happy Fish Bowl
GSN Games
Car Town
17
18
19
20
開心農場開心農場開心農場開心農場 Happy Harvest
Family Feud
Ninja Saga
Baking Life
21
22
23
24
FishVille
Bubble Island
Nightclub City
Fashion World
25 Mall Town
Zynga
Zynga
Zynga
Zynga
PopCap
Zynga
Zynga
Digital Chocolate
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
MindJolt
CrowdStar
Zynga
Happy Elements
GSN
Cie Games
Elex
iWin
Ninja Saga
ZipZapPlay
Zynga
wooga
Booyah
Metrogames
50 Cubes
16,791,088
6,998,687
6,132,905
4,795,514
4,602,039
4,254,062
3,361,749
2,502,808
2,201,646
2,132,275
1,864,037
1,781,983
1,575,784
1,376,957
1,348,028
1,280,323
1.222,902
1.169,645
1,066,013
1.039,382
1.007.741
979,801
966,404
964.289
925,649
# Game Developer DAU
23%
10%
8%
7%
6%
6%
5%
3%
3%
3%
3%
2%
2%
2%
2%
2%
2%
2%
2%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%

5. Secrets of Success

6. 10. Daily Bonuses

7. Daily Bonus FishVille

8. Consecutive CaféWorld

9. Daily Spin Bejeweled Blitz

10. Daily Spin Bejeweled Blitz
Daily Active Users
Daily Spin
July 2010
2009 2010
500,000
4,500,000
3,500,000
2,500,000
1,500,000
+60%

11. 9. Cuteness

13. Free PetVille

14. Sell FarmVille - Treasure Isle

15. Viral Happy Island

16. Unlock Bubble Popp 2

17. 8. Appointments

18. Harvesting Happy Farm

19. Timed Reward Caesar City

20. Renting Millionaire City

21. 7. Boosts

22. Boosts Bejeweled Blitz

23. 6. Energy

24. Energy Mob Wars

25. Energy Various Games

26. Energy Island Escape

27. 5. Achievements & Quests

28. 2
Achievements Mafia Wars

29. 2
Stickiness Mafia Wars
First Cuba Loot Offerings
July 2009 ( 30%)
Achievements launched
April 2009 (23% 25%)

30. Ribbons FarmVille

31. 2
Stickiness FarmVille
Ribbons
August 2009
37%
DAU/MAU

32. 2
Cross-App Quest FrontierVille

33. 4. Neighbor Interactions

34. Friend Visits FrontierVille

35. Gifting FarmVille

36. 3. Crew

37. Hiring Friends Baking Life

38. Crew Mechanic Mafia Wars

39. 2. Crafting

40. Horse Stable FarmVille

41. Horse Stable
+20%
Horse Stable FarmVille
Daily Active Users

42. 1. Limited Offers

43. Special Payment Offer Poker

44. Limited Offers FarmVille

45. Secrets ofSecrets of
SuccessSuccess
1.1. Limited OffersLimited Offers
2.2. CraftingCrafting
3.3. CrewCrew
4.4. Neighbor InteractionsNeighbor Interactions
5.5. AchievementsAchievements
6.6. EnergyEnergy
7.7. BoostsBoosts
8.8. AppointmentsAppointments
9.9. CutenessCuteness
10.10.Daily BonusDaily Bonus
Top 10Top 10

47. About The Author
Michael Kalkowski is Co-Founder and
Creative Director of GameDuell and respon-
sible for the company`s games, websites,
social media, player community, and user
experience.
He has designed and produced more than 50
games and a passion for creating highly
effective systems.
Michael (37) is a serial entrepreneur who also
co-founded the consumer portal dooyoo.com
in 1999. Previously, he worked as an inter-
national consultant for product and online-
marketing. He holds a degree from the
advertising academy, a Masters degree in
marketing and consumer psychology from the
University of Cologne, and an MBA from
Eastern Illinois University (USA).
Contact: michael.kalkowski@gameduell.com
GameDuell is one of the best monetizing, as
well as one of the largest social games
communities in the world. In the last 7 years
they developed and optimized over 50 social
games and many engagement enhancing
features.
• Founded: 2003
• Customers: More than 20m registered
• Games: 50+ games developed in-house
• Team: 170+ employees and contractors
• Funding: $19m venture capital from Burda
Digital Ventures, Holtzbrinck Ventures, and
Wellington Partners
• Marketing: 1000+ partner portals and sites
• Revenues: Transaction, subscription,
sponsoring, virtual goods
• International: Available in 7 languages
• Website: enjoy at www.gameduell.com