As most of you know, this blog started with a focus on helping social game companies increase their international business, largely reflecting my role at Disney/Playdom leading the EMEA/LATAM/Russia/India team. As my career has evolved, so has the blog, though my strongest passion remains international opportunities in social gaming. Thus, I am really happy to have a chance to blog about an international topic, two emerging market countries where recent developments suggest you should avoid or pull back.
Author: Lloyd Melnick
I am GM of Chumba at VGW, where I lead the Chumba Casino team. Previously, I was Director of StarsPlay, the social gaming vertical for the Stars Group. I was also Sr Dir at Zynga's social casino (including Hit It Rich! slots, Zynga Poker and our mobile games), where I led VIP CRM efforts and arranged licensing deals. I have been a central part of the senior management team (CCO, GM and CGO) at three exits (Merscom/Playdom, Playdom/Disney and Spooky Cool/Zynga) worth over $700 million.
Join me at TiE Carolinas Dinner Event: Are you serious or Social? Gaming as you have never known it before
I am going to be speaking at the TiE Carolinas Dinner: Are you serious or social? Gaming as you have never known before. The dinner is Thursday, 17 May in Raleigh, and I think it will be really interesting. If you are planning on attending let me know so we can chat.
Looking into the Zynga.com numbers
One of the most telling statistics I have seen recently is that Zynga.com had 2.8 million MAU (monthly active users) in April, after a March launch. These numbers show that Zynga will not build a viable alternative to Facebook, and if Zynga cannot do it, then nobody can.
Kindle Fire may not be a great alternative
I have been a huge advocate of developing social games for the Kindle Fire since it launched last year, but the most recent sales data has me thinking twice.
Given the numbers, coupled with Microsoft’s Nook investment and the interesting new tablets coming from Samsung, it probably makes sense to look at the Android tablet market overall rather than just focusing on the Fire.
The most important secret in monetization
There are many conversations, articles and even books on how to optimize in-application purchases (IAP) in social games but most neglect the most important element. Rather than focusing on adding friction, tweaking price levels, running sales, etc., there is one aspect that does not get enough attention and can make all the difference between success and failure: Continue reading “The most important secret in monetization”
Microsoft’s Nook investment is huge for the social game industry
Microsoft’s $300 million initial investment in Barnes & Noble’s Nook unit is arguably the biggest news to hit the social game industry this year. Just last week, I was saying to some colleagues that there have not been any major developments in our sector recently. That changed yesterday. Over the next five years, Microsoft has committed to a total investment of $605 million in Barnes & Noble’s Nook, making it a bigger deal than Disney’s acquisition of Playdom in 2010.
Continue reading “Microsoft’s Nook investment is huge for the social game industry”
Great Blog Post About Moneyball
Last week I posted about how the book and movie Moneyball provided great lessons for the social game industry (Lessons from Moneyball for the social game industry post). I just came across a post on the Business 2 Community blog (Game Change: Moneyball and the Reality of Social Business)that did a great job of showing how the lessons from Moneyball and the rise of Billy Beane is so similar to what happens in social businesses (including social gaming). It really makes some great points about hiring, arguably your most important task. I definitely recommend you take a look at the post.
You are not creating the next Apple or Instagram
Sometimes, a few things happen concurrently that drives home a point, and last week I had one of those moments. Last week, I taught several sections of a marketing class at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, focusing on new product launches. One question that came up repeatedly was how Apple was so successful despite not following many of the principles I was outlining, particularly on involving customers in the product development phase.
Then, over the weekend, one of my favorite blogs (Both Sides of the Table by Mark Suster) wrote about why you should not try to replicate Instagram’s $500 million raise (read the post, Don’t Try to “Pull an Instagram.” Here’s Why …). Continue reading “You are not creating the next Apple or Instagram”
Job Opportunities at FiveOneNine Games
We are currently recruiting for multiple positions. If you or any associates are interested in joining one of the fastest-growing social game companies, please have them check out our Resumator Job Board.
Becoming a Great Social Game Company Leader
Given that many readers of this blog are in leadership positions at social game companies, I wanted to pass on the key lessons from an article in the MIT Sloan Management Review on How to Become a Better Leader. The gist of the article is that while great leaders make their work look natural, the reality is that most work very hard to manage or compensate potentially career limiting traits. Even Richard Branson, who seems like one of the most natural and gifted leaders, said he was “shy and retiring” before starting Virgin Airways.
The article points out that there are five traits commonly accepted by researchers in leadership to describe leaders. Below, I will summarize these five traits and how leaders control these traits to become great and hopefully ways you can apply them to create a great social game company. Continue reading “Becoming a Great Social Game Company Leader”
The Business of Social Games and Casino 