Platform Patterns & Ecosystems

Implications for the Future of Mobile Gaming

Hi, Offenbach!

Jan Beckers

Serial Entrepreneur Angel Investor Mobile Gamer

The Past Founded:

Invested in:

etc........  

................................................................................................................................  

Job Platform 50 Employees  

Mobile Ad Network 80 Employees  

Monetization Platform 120 Employees  

The Present

Entrepreneurial Game Distribution Group 70+ employees and growing

The Existence of Platform Patterns

Platforms are just like Countries

#1 Rules & Regulation

#2 Growth & Decline

#3 Competition

#4 Democratic vs. Dictatorial

#5 You pay tax!

Countries =

platforms without underlying technology

“a favorite theory of mine – to wit, that no occurence is sole and solitary, but is merely a repetition of a thing which has happened before, and perhaps often.“

- Mark Twain

History repeats itself!

Platforms create Ecosystems

#1 New platform emerges

#2 New technology standards

#3 New platform policies & rules

#4 New audiences & usage patterns

#5 New organizations emerge -> ecosystem created

#2

#3

#4

+

+

=

} Specialized knowledge needed

6 important Platform Patterns

#1 Platform Hype-Cycle

Be aware of the irrational up & down of platform

expectations and consequences for investments, user

acquisition cost, and competition.

#2 Focus: from Marketing to Product

New product = uninformed user

Old product = informed user

Marketing wins on new platforms!

Use initial success to build the best product over time.

#3 Wild-Wild-West

2008 Master Class:

Aggressive Strategies can be highly successful in the

Wild-Wild-West of early Platform Times.

#4 Increasing Power of the Owner

Be early on promising platforms – and always be aware

that you do business in a house which is not yours!

#5 Acceleration

Competition in mobile gaming will heat up faster than on

any other platform before.

#6 From Platform-Specificity to Audience & Genre Focus

Power shift: from platform to audience.

Platfrom-focused players will dominate early platform

days. Dominance will pass after platform-knowledge

turns into a commodity.

Outlook

Old

New

Key to future success:

Focus on a specific audience & genre

Thanks, Offenbach!

jb@hitfox-ventures.com