The Market for Browser and Social Network Games: Table of Contents

Similar documents
Worldwide Market Forecasts for the Video Game and Interactive Entertainment Industry:

Social Network Games Casual Games Sector Report

GAME ON!Online gaming comes of age

Capital Markets Day. P7S1 Digital OTT / Video and Online Gaming. Arnd Benninghoff October 5, Page 1

itunes Connect App Analytics Guide v1

Rating Research Services

Covea Group Core And Guaranteed Companies Outlooks Revised To Positive; 'A' Ratings Affirmed

Criteria Financial Institutions Other: Rating Asset Management Companies

AEG Power Solutions Downgraded To 'CCC+' On Weak Earnings And Delays In Customer Payments; Outlook Negative

Spotlight Management Pack for SCOM

Legal Notices. Purpose and Scope of Website. StanCorp Financial Group, Inc. Contact Us. Public Affairs. Special Investigations Unit

Lear Corp.'s Recovery Rating Profile

Selective Insurance Group Inc. And Operating Companies Ratings Affirmed; Outlook Revised To Negative

Four Subsidiaries Of Covea Assigned Ratings On High Integration Within Group; Outlook Stable

2013 North America Auto Insurance Pricing Benchmark Survey Published by

Software and Data Are Reshaping the Advertising Market

TestFlight FAQ Apple Inc.

Sample Customer Reports

The term Broadway Pet Stores refers we to the owner of the website whose registered office is 6-8 Muswell Hill Broadway, London, N10 3RT.

RESEARCH UPDATE. Global Ad Agency Publicis Groupe BBB+ Rating Still On CreditWatch Negative After Announcement Of Razorfish Acquisition.

Japan Housing Finance Agency Series S-1 To S-12 Structured Notes 'AAA (sf)' Ratings Affirmed

King Reports First Quarter 2014 Results

Global Index Briefing: Germany s DAX

C. System Requirements. Apple Software is supported only on Apple-branded hardware that meets specified system requirements as indicated by Apple.

China Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

Standard & Poor's Base-Case Scenario. Related Criteria And Research

Copy Tool For Dynamics CRM 2013

Organized, Hybridized Network Monitoring

TERMS & CONDITIONS: LIMITED LICENSE:

Implementing Oracle Time Management (US) Release 11.i (A )

Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority; Toll Roads Bridges

Bond markets vote for global recovery

R.V.I. Guaranty Co. Ltd. And Subsidiaries 'BBB' Ratings Affirmed After Insurance Criteria Change; The Outlook Is Stable

Wireshark Certified Network Analyst Official Exam Prep Guide Second Edition

Gaming UNION SQUARE ADVISORS LLC

Terms & Conditions. In this section you can find: - Website usage terms and conditions 1, 2, 3. - Website disclaimer

Largest South African Non-Life Insurer, Santam Ltd., Assigned 'A-' Long-Term And 'zaaa' National Scale Ratings

Primary Credit Analyst: Alex P Herbert, London (44) ; alex.herbert@standardandpoors.com

Denmark-Based Life Insurer Danica Pension Livsforsikringsaktieselskab Rated 'A-'; Outlook Stable

Ratings On Three Finnish Banks Affirmed On Subdued Economic Recovery; Outlooks Remain Negative

Microsoft Windows DCOM Configuration. Windows XP SP3 and Server 2003 SP2 Configuration Guide

Windows Hard Disk Encryption

Web and Application Hosting 2015

Dell Spotlight on Active Directory Server Health Wizard Configuration Guide

Outlooks On Six Insurance Groups Revised To Stable From Negative After Outlook On U.S. Revised To Stable

Performance 2016: Global Stock Markets

Vienna Insurance Group AG Wiener Versicherung Gruppe

How to Open,Verify and Fund Accessible PayPal Account In Any Unsupported Country

Global Index Briefing: Emerging Markets MSCI

MarketsandMarkets. Publisher Sample

Provider secure web portal & Member Care Information portal Registration Form

Italy-Based Veneto Banca Downgraded To 'BB+/B' On Increased Economic Risk; Outlook Negative

Daily FX Focus. 31-Dec-2014

Dogus Holding 'BB/B' Ratings Affirmed On Sustained Investments And Expected Completion Of Garanti Sale; Outlook Negative

Concept report: The Australian Personal Loans Market - Targeting the high value personal loan customer

Iceland-Based Non-Life Insurer Tryggingamidstodin Ratings Affirmed at 'BBB-'; Outlook Stable

Active Directory Auditing: What It Is, and What It Isn t

Mini E-Book Gold Mine

MORTGAGE BANKERS ORIGINATIONS Q3 2015

Spain-Based IT Service Provider Amadeus IT Holding Rating Raised To 'BBB/A-2' On Strong Financials, Outlook Stable

Income Inequality And State Tax Revenue Trends

TaxSaverNetwork. Terms of Service

Terms of Use & Privacy Policy

Nationale Borg Group Outlook Revised To Developing On Uncertainties Related To Sale News; 'A-' Ratings Affirmed

How To Understand The Online Advertising Market In Quatar

PLEASE READ THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU USE THIS WEBSITE. THEY ALSO CONTAIN LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS THAT MAY APPLY TO YOU.

EXPERIAN FOOTFALL: FASHION CONVERSION BENCHMARKING REPORT: 2014

Performance 2013: Global Stock Markets

NorthStar Education Finance Inc. Series 2006-A Ratings Affirmed

Residential Real Estate Company Deutsche Wohnen 'BBB+' Ratings Placed On CreditWatch Negative On Conwert Takeover Offer

WiFiSurvey Using AirPort Utility for WiFi Scanning Guide

Summary: Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget SCA. Table Of Contents. Rationale Outlook Related Criteria And Research. May 28, 2012

Research Update: Steel Group ArcelorMittal Outlook Revised To Negative On Weak Credit Metrics; 'BBB-/A-3' Ratings Affirmed.

Research Update: Ratings On Russian Independent Gas Producer OAO NOVATEK Raised To 'BB+/ruAA+'; Outlook Stable

Guide to the Dow Jones Corporate Bond Index

MarketsandMarkets. Publisher Sample

Performance 2015: Global Stock Markets

Mounting Student Debt Is Reshaping The U.S. Student Loan Market

The Nuts and Bolts of Fixed Indexed Annuities

Healthcare AV Vertical Markets. Corporate Education Government Retail Hospitality. Venues. Global End-User Perspective

Telco Multi-Play and Content Strategies

MarketsandMarkets. Publisher Sample

formerly Help Desk Authority Quest Free Network Tools User Manual

Workshop B: Credit Spread Trends In The Energy Sector

Swedish Housing Company Willhem Affirmed At 'A-/A-2'; Outlook Stable

4 Game Inc. Business Plan

A. M. Best Company & The Rating Process

ENTERPRISE MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORT IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

MAGUSA LOGISTICS WEBSITE TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Factory Mutual Insurance Co. And Core Subsidiaries Assigned 'A+' Rating; Outlook Stable

Content Protection in Silverlight. Microsoft Corporation

Quest Collaboration Services How it Works Guide

What are cookies and how does Glendale Career College use them?

Corporate Government Education Retail Hospitality Healthcare Venues AV Vertical Markets. Global End-User Perspective

MBIA U.K. Insurance Ltd.

prevailing of JAMS/Endispute. The arbitrator's award shall be binding and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction.

TERMS OF USE. Last Updated: October 8, 2015

Research Update: Russia-Based HMS Hydraulic Machines & Systems Group Assigned 'BB-' Corporate Credit Rating; Outlook Stable.

MarketsandMarkets. Publisher Sample

Market Briefing: S&P 500 Bull & Bear Markets & Corrections

Transcription:

DFC Intelligence DFC Intelligence Phone 858-834-4340 12707 High Bluff Drive Fax 858-780-9830 Suite 200 www.dfcint.com San Diego, CA 92130 The Market for Browser and Social Network Games: Table of Contents March 2012

Conditions of Purchase Purchase of this multi-client study is on a nonexclusive basis. This study has not been commissioned or contracted for by any one person or organization. The information contained is confidential to the purchaser, and the purchaser agrees not to circulate or loan the study in whole or in part to: their subsidiaries or divisions, industry trade associations (if not the purchaser), the general public, the media, nor other parties not belonging to their company, agency or organization. Unauthorized reproduction and dissemination which is discovered by DFC Intelligence (the publisher) shall constitute grounds for legal prosecution and damages under U. S. copyright law. DFC Intelligence has made every attempt to verify the accuracy and completeness of information in this study from sources we believe to be reliable. It is understood, however, that our estimates, forecasts, opinions and recommendations represent the judgment of our analysts, based on the best information available at the time of publication. It is recommended that purchasers also consult other available business sources and not rely solely on this analysis as the basis for major strategic, financial, or management decisions. DFC Intelligence makes no warranty or representation, either expressed or implied, with respect to the information in this report. In no event will DFC Intelligence be liable for direct, indirect or consequential damages resulting from any defect or inaccuracy in this report, even if advised of the possibility of such damages. Information about specific companies is not intended to be a complete description, nor of their securities, nor is this study an offer to buy or sell such securities. DFC Intelligence s liability, if any, shall not exceed the amount paid for this study. 2012 DFC Intelligence, a California Corporation. All rights reserved. No part of this report may be sold, reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of DFC Intelligence. This report is for individual use only. Redistribution requires a site license.

About This Report In the ever-changing gaming industry, it is a daunting task to properly define and analyze a market segment in the gaming industry. Especially in the relatively new free-to-play (F2P) segments everything is constantly changing and evolving. In an attempt to achieve such a goal, DFC Intelligence narrows down the research scope as specific as possible even though sometimes it may seems arbitrary. This report looks at a specific segment of the PC online gaming market: products developed for play online within a browser or social network. The main feature of these products is they are easy to access and can be played without the end user needing a high performance system or to download a large client. Other DFC Intelligence reports look at other segments of the online game market, including freeto-play client games, subscription MMOGs, console games and mobile games. The DFC Online Game Market Forecasts and Worldwide Game Market Forecasts aggregate these segments into combined worldwide forecasts including forecasts by individual region and country. This report, co-written by DFC with noted industry veteran and executive Jess Mulligan, covers primarily online games that meet the following criteria: 1) are playable in a browser or social network, 2) allow a user initially to play for free with optional microtransaction-based in-game item purchase and/or subscription for premium content, 3) run on a PC platform, and 4) have no large client. (See the Definition section for detailed explanations.) Popular games that fall into the category include games played on Facebook, such as products from Zynga; games from companies that aren t dependent on social networks, such as Bigpoint in Germany, and; some large virtual worlds such as Club Penguin, Habbo Hotel and Runescape. In this report, we first define and discuss the browser-based and social network business. There is then a discussion of business models for multiple types of games. This includes a look at issues such as marketing and the difference between a game delivered in an independent browser versus one delivered in an application or social network such as Facebook. Five-year forecasts for the segment are provided and there is also a look at some of the top companies and products. San Diego, CA March 2012 David Cole, Founder and Analyst, DFC Intelligence Email: dcole@dfcint.com Web: http://www.dfcint.com/index.php Jess Mulligan Email: jessica.mulligan@gmail.com LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicamulligan

Table of Contents INDEX OF TABLES... 6 I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY... 9 II. MARKET OVERVIEW AND HISTORY... 13 A. OVERVIEW... 13 B. DEFINING BROWSER AND SOCIAL NETWORK GAMES... 18 C. DEFINITIONS... 19 D. HISTORY... 23 E. THE KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BROWSER AND SOCIAL NETWORK GAMES AND OTHER ONLINE GAMES... 28 1. Lower Development Costs... 28 2. Faster Development Cycles... 29 3. Easier to Add or Change Content and Features... 30 4. Accessibility... 31 5. Social Network Games: A More Casual Audience Means a Larger Market... 32 III. CURRENT ISSUES AND TRENDS... 33 A. WHERE THINGS STAND TODAY... 33 1. The Man quisition Roll-Up Strategy... 33 2. The Start of Decline in Active Users or MAUs and DAUs... 34 B. LONGER DEVELOPMENT CYCLES AND HIGHER DEVELOPMENT COSTS... 38 C. MORE POACHING IN NON-BRAND NAME PRODUCTS... 40 D. REVENUE TRENDS TO TODAY... 41 IV. LOOKING FORWARD... 42 A. ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS... 43 B. KEY ISSUE #1: HOW TO GET MORE REVENUE PER PLAYER?... 43 1. More Flogging the Data... 44 C. KEY ISSUE #2: HOW TO CONVERT MORE PLAYERS INTO PAYERS?... 45 1. Design Issues... 45 2. Differentiating Products... 46 3. What Features and Content Will Attract More Players?... 46 D. LAUNCHING IN MORE LANGUAGES/TERRITORIES... 48 1. Cultural Localization... 48 2. Payment Processing... 49 3. Comparing Europe and the US... 49 4. The Ease of Facebook Credits... 52 5. Marketing and Distribution: The Rising Cost of Customer Acquisition... 53 6. Word of Mouth as Guerilla Marketing... 54 E. EXPANDED DISTRIBUTION... 55 1. Territory Expansion... 55 2. Moving Away from Facebook... 56 3. Is Mobile Really Viable?... 57 F. MORE BRAND NAMES IN THE SPACE... 62 G. MORE AND BETTER MARKETING... 63

V. BUSINESS MODELS... 67 A. OVERVIEW... 67 B. REVENUE SIDE ANALYSIS... 68 1. Revenue Model 1: A Modest Success Scenario for a Browser F2P with a Pure Virtual Item Model... 71 2. Revenue Model 2: Solid Hit Browser F2P with Pure Virtual Item Model... 74 3. Revenue Model 3: Slow Build Big Hit Browser F2P/Optional Subscription... 77 4. Revenue Model 4: Massive Hit Browser F2P/Optional Subscription... 80 5. Revenue Model 5: Modest Hit Facebook Game Model... 83 6. Revenue Model 6: Massive Hit Facebook Game Model... 86 7. Revenue Model 7: Steady Hit Facebook Game Model... 89 8. Simple Revenue Business Models... 92 C. COST SIDE ANALYSIS... 97 1. Overview... 97 2. Development Cost... 97 3. Marketing and User Acquisition Cost... 98 4. Payment Methods and Financial Infrastructure Costs... 99 5. Ongoing Costs... 100 6. Browser and Social Network Game Cost Model One... 101 7. Browser and Social Network Game Cost Model Two... 104 8. Browser and Social Network Game Cost Model Three... 107 VI. MARKET SIZE AND FORECASTS... 110 A. NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE GROWTH SCENARIOS... 112 B. WORLDWIDE FORECASTS FOR BROWSER AND SOCIAL NETWORK GAMES... 116 VII. COMPANY AND PRODUCT PROFILES... 123 A. BIGPOINT... 123 B. DISNEY: PLAYDOM AND CLUB PENGUIN... 131 C. ELECTRONIC ARTS, PLAYFISH AND POPCAP... 138 D. FACEBOOK... 142 E. FUNZIO... 151 F. GAMEFORGE... 156 G. JAGEX... 159 H. KABAM... 161 I. SULAKE CORPORATION... 171 J. WOOGA... 175 K. ZYNGA... 179

Index of Tables Table 1 Worldwide PC Online Game Revenue: 2008-2014... 14 Table 2 Worldwide PC Online Game Sales by Region: 2011... 15 Table 3 North America and Europe Browser and Social Network Games as Percent of Total PC Online Games: 2008-2011... 16 Table 4 Zynga Revenue: 2008-2011... 17 Table 5 Facebook Users: 2006-2011... 25 Table 6 Zynga Monthly Active Users: 2009-2011... 26 Table 7 : Comparison browser game dev time versus client/server MMO 2008-2010... 29 Table 8 Facebook Top Games: 2011-2012 (in millions of MAU)... 35 Table 9 Top Facebook Game Publishers: March 2012... 37 Table 10 Projected Development Costs for Browser and Social Network Games: 2008-2015... 38 Table 11 Browser and Client/Server MMO Development Cost Comparisons: 2008-2015... 39 Table 12 Western Europe PC Online Game Revenue by Country: 2010-2016... 49 Table 13 Average 2010 Transaction Size by Country (Europe)... 51 Table 14 Modest Success Scenario for a Browser F2P with a Pure Virtual Item Model... 71 Table 15 Five Year Cumulative Revenue for Modest Success Scenario for a Browser F2P with a Pure Virtual Item Model... 72 Table 16 Solid Hit Scenario for a Browser F2P with a Pure Virtual Item Model... 74 Table 17 Five Year Cumulative Revenue for Solid Hit Scenario for a Browser F2P with a Pure Virtual Item Model... 75 Table 18 Slow Build Big-Hit Scenario for a Browser F2P with an Optional Subscription... 77 Table 19 Five Year Cumulative Revenue for Slow Build Big Hit Scenario F2P with Optional Subscription... 78 Table 20 Massive Hit Scenario for a Browser F2P with an Optional Subscription... 80 Table 21 Five Year Cumulative Revenue for Massive Hit Scenario a Browser F2P with an Optional Subscription... 81 Table 22 Modest Hit Scenario for a Facebook Game... 83 Table 23 Three Year Cumulative Revenue for Modest Hit Facebook Game... 84 Table 24 Facebook Modest Hit Scenario Monthly Active Users First 18 Months... 85 Table 25 Massive Hit Scenario for a Facebook Game... 86 Table 26 Three Year Cumulative Revenue for Massive Hit Facebook Game... 87 Table 27 Facebook Massive Hit Scenario Monthly Active Users First 18 Months... 88 Table 28 Steady Hit Scenario for a Facebook Game... 89 Table 29 Five Year Cumulative Revenue for Steady Hit Facebook Game... 90 Table 30 Facebook Steady Hit Scenario Monthly Active Users First Three Years... 91 Table 31 Basic Revenue Model at 2% Conversion Rate... 93 Table 32 Basic Revenue Model at 5% Conversion Rate... 94 Table 33 Basic Revenue Model at 10% Conversion Rate... 95 Table 34 Basic Revenue Model at 15% Conversion Rate... 96 Table 35 Standard Transaction Fee Comparison between U.S. and Korea... 100 Table 36 Low Cost Browser or Social Network Customer Acquisition Cost Model... 101 Table 37 Low Cost Browser or Social Network Customer First-Year Profit/Loss Analysis at 1% Conversion Rate... 102 Table 38 Low Cost Browser or Social Network Customer First-Year Profit/Loss Analysis at 2% Conversion Rate... 102

Table 39 Low Cost Browser or Social Network Customer First-Year Profit/Loss Analysis at 3% Conversion Rate... 103 Table 40 Moderate Cost Browser or Social Network Customer Acquisition Cost Model... 104 Table 41 Moderate Cost Browser or Social Network Customer First-Year Profit/Loss Analysis at 1% Conversion Rate... 105 Table 42 Moderate Cost Browser or Social Network Customer First-Year Profit/Loss Analysis at 2% Conversion Rate... 105 Table 43 Moderate Cost Browser or Social Network Customer First-Year Profit/Loss Analysis at 3% Conversion Rate... 106 Table 44 High Cost Browser or Social Network Customer Acquisition Cost Model... 107 Table 45 High Cost Browser or Social Network Customer First-Year Profit/Loss Analysis at 1% Conversion Rate... 108 Table 46 High Cost Browser or Social Network Customer First-Year Profit/Loss Analysis at 2% Conversion Rate... 108 Table 47 High Cost Browser or Social Network Customer First-Year Profit/Loss Analysis at 3% Conversion Rate... 109 Table 48 North America and Europe Growth Scenario 1 for Browser and Social Network Games... 113 Table 49 North America and Europe Growth Scenario 2 for Browser and Social Network Games... 114 Table 50 North America and Europe Growth Scenario 3 for Browser and Social Network Games... 114 Table 51 North America and Europe Growth Scenario 4 for Browser and Social Network Games... 115 Table 52 North America and Europe Growth Scenario 5 for Browser and Social Network Games... 115 Table 53 Worldwide Browser Game Forecasts by Region: 2008-2016... 117 Table 54 Worldwide Social Network Game Forecasts by Region: 2008-2016... 118 Table 55 North America Forecasts for Browser and Social Network Games: 2008-2016... 119 Table 56 Europe Forecasts for Browser and Social Network Games: 2008-2016... 120 Table 57 Rest of World Forecasts for Browser and Social Network Games: 2008-2016... 121 Table 58 Worldwide Forecasts for Browser and Social Network Games: 2008-2016... 122 Table 59 Bigpoint Key Facts... 123 Table 60 Registered Users for Key Bigpoint Browser Games: 2011-2012... 124 Table 61 Playdom Key Facts... 132 Table 62 Playdom MySpace Monthly Users by Title: March 2009... 133 Table 63 Playdom Facebook and MySpace Users October 2009... 133 Table 64 Playdom Facebook MAU by Game: March 2012... 134 Table 65 Club Penguin Key Facts... 135 Table 66 Top Electronic Arts Facebook Games: March 2012... 139 Table 67 Facebook Revenue by Type: 2009-2011... 144 Table 68 Facebook Users by Region: 2009-2011... 145 Table 69 Facebook North America Users: 2009-2011... 146 Table 70 Facebook Europe Users: 2009-2011... 148 Table 71 Facebook Asia Users: 2009-2011... 149 Table 72 Facebook Rest of World Users: 2009-2011... 149 Table 73 Funzio Key Facts... 151 Table 74 Gameforge Key Facts... 156 Table 75 Gameforge Browser Games: 2002-2012... 158 Table 76 Jagex Key Facts... 159 Table 77 Kabam Key Facts... 161

Table 78 Sulake Key Facts... 171 Table 79 Sulake Revenue: 2008-2010... 172 Table 80 Wooga Facebook Monthly Active Users: 2010-2012... 177 Table 81 Key Zynga Facts... 179 Table 82 Zynga Revenue and Income: 2008-2011... 181 Table 83 Zynga Expenses: 2008-2011... 182 Table 84 Zynga Daily Active Users: 2010-2011... 183 Table 85 Zynga Monthly Active Users: 2010-2011... 184 Table 86 Zynga Monthly Unique Users: 2010-2011... 185 Table 87 Zynga Monthly Unique Payers... 186 Table 88 Zynga Revenue Per Monthly Active User... 187 Table 89 Zynga Revenue Per Monthly Unique User... 188 Table 90 Zynga Revenue Per Monthly Unique Payer... 189