(From venturebeat.com)
It has to say, lots of Chines mobile publishers know about the great potential of the Chinese mobile game market, but they still cannot prevent players pay a foreign company. The problem is, why Supercell can motivate consumers to pay for the mobile game?
First, Clash Royale is a free mobile game, which is similar to many other mobile games, is free to play. However, the gem as currency in the game needs to purchase. Players use their gems to get cards or upgrade, the higher level cards help players to get higher ratings. The high rating as the condition to allow players to get new cards. Furthermore, for free player they can prevail others to get boxes and take the time or use gem to open it. In simple words, Supercell create two main demands to their consumers, collect cards and player competition. These two demands are related, players need to collect cards to win the competition, or win the competition to get cards. Players must encounter other powerful players, and may be ridiculed by internal expression. This means players will face bottlenecks, choose to play in the hard way or pay for relaxing.
People playing a game for relax, but it is quite strange that they face the trouble and may need to pay to deal with it. Even the reason is game publishers making other players to create this uncomfortable situation and they compete each other by themselves.
However, all the things said before were based on one condition. Which is the players already have the demand of this mobile game. Then they are willing to meet the internals need. This may due to the huge promotion and the intellectual property or the background setting from Clash of Clans, which is another famous mobile game published by Supercell. Also, Supercell provide "Facebook link", which means players can invite and challenge their Facebook friends. The competition between friends and social media influence also becomes one factor to attract more players.
In fact, there are lots of mobile games already using "collection" and "competition" these two factors to make money in China. Even some players think about the mobile games as"you should not play unless to pay, although this is a free game". The atmosphere of mobile games market becomes worse due to publishers eager creating internal demands to make money, even some games without IP licensing, and disappeared after have gotten money.
It is understandable to create demand for consumers' motivation, also "collection" and "competition" can be the game theory which using the marketing. But how long will those players keep opposing and pay for the game? Or the publishers do not care because they can use the money they earned to develop a new mobile game infinite loop.
How about developing a soccer mobile game? “Manage football players" corresponds "collection", and " football game" corresponds "competition".
Reference:
Jeff, G. (2016) - Supercell’s Clash Royale on pace for $1B year after $110M debut last month. From: http://venturebeat.com/2016/04/14/supercells-clash-royale-on-pace-for-1b-year-after-110m-debut-last-month/
Solomon, Michael R. (2015) - Consumer behavior ed
Vespoli, Eve M. and behavior
