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Gaming Disruption
2 The Pulse of Gaming
Executive Summary
The worldwide video game 1. An Evolving Customer Base However, big players are taking notice
of how low development costs and a
industry is expected to grow Video game consumers are increasingly cult-like following can draw large loyal
to nearly $87 billion by diverse and gaming behaviors are less communities. For example, Microsoft
homogenous than in the past.
2017, and with each year, recently purchased Minecraft for
The number of people playing games $2.5 billion in an effort to capture
digital customers and digital
is growing, with the US being one of the a larger audience for its smaller form
distribution create more largest markets for the gaming industry. factor devices.
diversity and complexity With mobile increasing the accessibility Beyond traditional screens and mobile
in the industry.1 of video games, the number and diversity devices, innovative form factors are
of gamers continues to expand. providing new options for creating
This growth is driven by a surge in the immersive experiences. Devices that
In this digital world, greater availability
number of users equipped with powerful enable virtual and augmented reality
of low-cost good enough alternatives
new devices capable of gaming and a rise gaming experiences, like Oculus Rift,
is driving consumer expectations for more
in the amount of time gamers are playing. are nearing broad commercial release,
value from games. Moreover, the digital
As the industry grows in an increasingly leaving the door wide open for new
age has empowered customers, allowing
digital world, four major shifts are driving game content specifically for these devices.
them to be more vocal than ever before,
tremendous industry disruption: Initiatives like Googles Project Tango are
and their peers are listeningwith social
media having an increased influence in encouraging virtual-like experiences by
purchasing decisions. These shifts present enhancing the real world surrounding the
many opportunities, but also challenges, gamer. Just as mobile helped consumers
for gaming companies. Delivering to the find new ways to squeeze in gaming, new
right screens with the right content will form factors and immersive experiences
ultimately lead to success. bring new opportunities to games, increase
share of overall leisure time, and steal
2. Evolving Definition share from time spent on the console.
31%
of the gaming
population are
adult women.
19%
of the gaming population are boys
age 17 or younger.
At 11%
gaming is still a small slice of overall
consumer media consumption.
165 billion
hours Americans spent gaming in
2012 represents a 9% increase YoY.
28%
of consumers strongly agree that
comments posted on social media sites
contribute to their buying decisions.
2011 $2 $4 $4 $1
2012 $2 $4 $6 $1
2013 $2 $4 $10 $2
2014 $2 $4 $12 $2
2015 $2 $3 $13 $3
2016 $2 $3 $15 $3
2017 $2 $3 $16 $4
Source: Created by Accenture based on Gartner report, Forecast: Video Game Ecosystem, Worldwide, 4Q13, October 14, 2013, G00246826, Brian Blau et al.
8 The Pulse of Gaming
Roles in the value chain played by the company Roles in the value chain not played by the company
Unique Personalized Experiences Personalized Content Game companies that are able to leverage
Personalization can drive customer value Provides gamers with the ability to the wealth of gamer data to drive actionable
as a differentiating characteristic of the individualize in-game content, such as outcomes will be able to increase their
game, and using the data derived from customizing avatars, building and sharing probability of success. The challenge,
personalization can help extract additional level components and creating in-game however, is an over-reliance on data,
value. Game companies that can enhance items. This allows a game company to create while ignoring other core aspects of game
their data analytics capabilities will be able new revenue streams for their existing IP. design. Leading edge game companies will
to glean new insights to inform future Team Fortress 2, developed by Valve, enables strike a balance between the science of
content and distribution decisions, and users to customize weapons or in-game data-driven decision making, and the
drive additional revenues. items, and monetize their creations in the art of game development.
Steam Community Market.
Two challenges emerge when it comes
to personalization: acquiring access to Personalized Experiences Cautionary Tale:
meaningful and accurate gamer data, Bolsters the games ecosystem Data-Dependent Zynga
and centralizing that data to be analyzed through companion apps, tailored device
experiences and integration of social Zynga, for example, showed quick
in different ways within the game property, success in its ability to mine user
across game properties and across the networks. Gamers can customize the way
in which they interact with the content, data and use its analytic capabilities
organization. While methods of data to attract users to its games. Shortly
collection and storage can vary widely unlocking bonuses and exclusives
based on attaching to the ecosystem. after its IPO in 2011, the stock price
based on the intended objectives and skyrocketed to $13.39, with Facebook
potential impacts to game design, the most This approach allows a game company
to dominate leisure time by leveraging revealing that 12 percent of its
important component of personalization revenue came from Zynga.
is getting buy-in from the gamer. the broader ecosystem and creating
second screen experiences. Many industry insiders believe
The right value proposition is needed that Zyngas downfall came from
to get users to willingly provide data. Realizing the benefits from gamer data
requires not only the presence of data, but an over-emphasis on hard metrics
Customers are more willing to share and sacrificing the creativity in
their information if they can see the also the ability to centralize it, continuously
update it, and drive insights at the user and their content. Zynga became data-
value and potential benefits of doing so. dependent; its success was too closely
segment level. Master data management
According to the Accenture Digital and smart data design are core capabilities tied to the monetization of just
Consumer Tech Survey 2014, 70 percent that enable game companies to turn 2 percent of users, regardless of the
of surveyed consumers would share their data into insights, and use the insights to duration of the gamer lifecycle. As
personal data in exchange for a reward achieve outcomes. When data is managed content became stale and new game
if it was used only by their providers, and properly, it improves the analysis to drive releases were duplications of the same
65 percent would share if the provider business outcomes and also can improve model, daily active users continued to
complies with data protection laws. It is customer experience. For example, when decline from 72 million at its peak in
also worth noting that early adopters in-game data is captured in the same place 2012 to just 29 million in June 2014,
which many gamers can be consideredare as billing, account and user profile data, and the stock recently hit a 52 week
much more confident in online security of it can be presented to a customer support low at just $2.27. In a free to play
their personal data (64 percent) than late representative to improve a customer world, developing engaging content to
adopters (24 percent).8 interaction. When a gamer can see all his keep gamers interested over a longer
information in one place, it can increase period allows the organization to focus
By collecting user-level data, game
self-service for simple customer support on conversion rather than attrition to
companies can facilitate hyper-
tasks, and free up support teams to drive a longer tail of revenues.9
personalization, providing end users with
customized and individualized content handle more challenging tasks.
or experiences. Deciding whether to
personalize content, experiences, or both
depends on the type of game and overall
end goal of the personalization.
Gaming Disruption 13
Break down entire user base - Inform future game design - Data ownership
Gamer along various criteria such as: and development - Privacy
Segmentation - User demographics - Refine features and content - Centralized access of
- Gameplay patterns to tailor to segments gamer records and analysis
- Perceived price
- Develop pricing strategies - Quickly adjust prices to discrimination
Pricing and based on user segments maintain competitiveness
- Requires pricing control
Targeted Offers - Implement dynamic pricing and - Increase propensity to buy
offers for specific user/segments based on offer/promotions - Recommendation engine
costs and maintenance
- Achieve better insights into - Anticipate customer needs - Requires long lead time
Next-Best Action the lifecycle of a customer to provide timely offers to achieve enough data
Marketing - Understand progression
- Improve recommendations to track trends
of purchases for users
Delivering Content Where or to leverage already established channels of multiple business models to extend
with proven reach. Owning a direct-to- their revenues. To create sustainable
Gamers Want It: Digital
consumer channel means having complete revenue and growth, companies must
Distribution control over the data analytics, pricing, identify the pricing and monetization
In the digital world, distribution involves promotions, marketing and management strategies that best fit each game and
more than just how the game gets to the of customer relationships. However, in order branch out of existing franchises with
customer. Distribution has become more to be successful, the purchasing process innovative new intellectual property.
of a portfolio management function than needs to be frictionless and simplewhich
a single decision. Pricing control, level of requires strong capabilities in managing Demonstrate the Value
customer interaction, and ownership of a cloud-based commerce platform and of Premium Content
gamer-related data are important variables efficient customer relationship management Pricing and monetization across various
in determining channel strategy. and support functions. business models varies significantly, with
A note on being exclusive: Even after the traditional model requiring the most
The first decision to make is determining
the where and how of distribution are upfront risk for the gamer and other
how many channels to pursue, which is
decided, a game company must determine models shifting the risk to the publisher
largely constrained by budget availability.
the extent to which the game will be or supplier. In all models, as avoiding
Where will the company place its bets and
exclusive to specific platforms or channels. gamer downtime is an important factor
in what sequence? How will marketing
Platform exclusivity can drive console sales, in mitigating publisher risk, the need
dollars be invested? The inclination is to
and offering special editions or exclusive for core cloud capabilities that enable
decide to be everywhere to dominate
content packages can help promote the gamer to access content anytime,
gamer mindshare across platforms. This
specific channels. Just the act of exclusivity anywhere and on any platform become
decision comes with significant costs;
can be a marketing tool to pique additional critical to the games success.
preparing a game to be distributed on
multiple platforms and in different formats interest and increase awareness.
increases development costs, requires When it comes to distribution,
maintenance of relationships with various understanding the tradeoffs between
channel partners, and tracking each channels and the combined benefits of
channels success requires a large amount being on multiple channels is critical to
of overhead. Digital distribution is not ensuring that the game is not just placed
about doing it right once and replicating where the customers want it, but that
each digital channel has its own those channels are also playing to the
success factors. companys core capabilities and goals.
Once the company decides in which
channels it wants to invest, the next step Innovating Both Business
is determining how it will manage the Model and Franchise IP
gamer relationship. Should the company
create its own direct-to-consumer The traditional game purchase
channel? Does it want to work with an model is now just one of many
online or console-based marketplace? It is options available to gamers looking
critical to determine what capabilities are to make their next purchase decision.
needed to support a direct-to-consumer Such a model requires a strong value
relationship, and whether it is better to proposition for the purchase price and
invest the effort to build a new channel many companies are leveraging aspects
Gaming Disruption 15
If a game company decides to stick to the models to extend their revenues. However, when Steam Sales were
traditional model, it is imperative to justify These forms of revenue can extend introducedincreased promotion and
the higher price point with more than the life of existing games and extract temporary discounts in priceValves
just the cost to provide the experience. additional revenues from high value leading competitive first-person shooter,
Game companies can demonstrate value gamers who are open to paying for Counter-Strike, had an increase in sales by
with differentiated game mechanics additional content above the initial sticker a factor of 40, as compared to silent price
or an increased number of gameplay price. For example, World of Warcraft modification. Upon further investigation,
hours. Upping the replay factor with leverages subscriptions, micro-transactions, Valve noticed that sales increased both
new gameplay modes (such as online and expansion packs to supplement the for the retail and digital channel, and
multiplayer) and multi-branched storylines outright purchase of the game. the increase persisted after the sale.11
can help justify a premium sticker price.
Experimentation with pricing models This example demonstrates that price
If the experience is unique, highly valued
and dynamic pricing changes allows and promotion decisions are inextricably
by gamers, and worth the price it can
game companies to better understand linked and, importantly, in an industry
still be successful in the traditional model.
the elasticity of their product, and adjust where customers are always online and
Titanfall, which was released exclusively on
quickly to changes in demand. Valve always watching, the transparency
Xbox One, had more than 900,000 copies
Corporation, a major content provider of a companys price and promotion
sold within a week of its release on March
for PC games, even hired an economist strategy is critical.
11, 2014.10 The traditional model may not
to research the elasticity of game pricing.
be growing, but the model is still viable
Through rigorous (and transparent)
for the mega studios that can support it.
price testing on its customer base, Valve
At the same time, large studios that use
determined that no matter the price,
the traditional outright purchase model
overall revenue appeared to remain flat.
are adopting elements of other business
Responsible party Retailer/Supply chain Marketplace host Cloud service provider Cloud service provider
Inability to generate
Deferred revenue/ Deferred revenue/ Refunds/credits to win
Financial impact Lost sales
revenueloss is
Lost sales back customers
permanent
Publisher/Developer
Gamer Developer Publisher/Developer
Conversion rate of
Owner of risk High upfront cost Revenue share with Attrition of customers
customers from free
without a trial marketplace over time
to paid
Branch Out of Existing Franchises completely new story or in the form of Enable Discovery with Test Drives
with Innovative New IP new gamer mechanics. In either case, Selecting where and how to promote a
the testing ground for pure innovation game plays a critical role in determining
The commercial success of a game heavily
should be new IP. Once new IP is its success. Machinima and Twitch, which
relies on the collective opinion of the
developed, enabling game discovery was recently acquired by Amazon for
customers. A game can have a big budget,
becomes an important success factor. $970 million,13 demonstrate the importance
a successful franchise history, and even a
of discovery platforms. Machinima has 21
cult following, but it is still not guaranteed Innovate with New Stories
channels14 in YouTubes top 100 channels
to be a success. For example, Duke Nukem Developing a new story with new characters
and Twitch accounted for 1.8 percent
Forever, the long-awaited addition to the can invigorate a game companys existing
of US peak Internet traffic in Feb 2014.15
Duke Nukem franchise, was a commercial core base, gain new fans and reacquire
Machinima and Twitch are game focused
failure after its launch in 2011, primarily those that might have fallen off an existing
user generated video sites that allow
due to release delays and a lack of franchise. For example, Titanfall is built
gamers to watch and learn how to play
advancement in graphics and storytelling on a combination of traditional first
games, and also get buyer advice from
to reflect gamer expectations of the time. person shooter and of MechWarrior-like
gamers who have had hands-on experience
Conversely, games with no budget, no mechanics, but takes on a whole new story,
with the game. With new games, content
proven following and limited graphics and with various classes of Pilots and Titans.
creators must leverage platforms like
level design can be huge hits. Flappy Bird,
Revolutionize with New Game Mechanics Twitch to highlight the new stories and
a mobile game developed by Dong Nguyen,
Leveraging new technologies or rethinking demonstrate new game mechanics to
amassed $50,000 in ad revenue per day
the mechanics of how a game can be enable game discovery and start the fly-
at its peak, with no formal promotion and
played are risky, but if done well can prove wheel of gamers generating their own clips
a one man development team.12 Given
to be huge successes. Destiny, a title from to share with others. With an increasing
that there is no foolproof formula for a
Bungie and Activision, is described as a number of game titles available
commercial win, game companies need
shared world shooter. Players can fully every day it becomes even more critical
to create game portfolios that reduce
experience the game solo, but the game to demonstrate a games value before
overall risk and improve success rates
is designed to be shared and seamlessly the gamer makes the purchase decision.
for games in development.
connects to other players. The always-on
In order to create sustainable growth
Portfolio risk can be reduced by enhancing requirement does require gamers to be fully
and profit, game companies must
art with a little bit of science, and by connected to the shared world to play, but
be able to continue to innovate with
conducting careful innovation planning. the lack of a subscription fee differentiates
new ideas and for new platforms, while
Gamer analytics and live experimentation it from other massively multiplayer online
creating compelling franchise extensions
can improve a games probability of success experiences. The open-world view allows
that meet customer expectations.
by providing a deeper understanding of the player to be immersed in an expansive
consumers, and how they relate to content. environment, and experience different
Especially for games that rely on sustained aspects of the game each time he or she
gamer interest (such as installments, logs in. These innovations are challenging
franchise expansions or subscription-based the way gamers think about traditional
games), incremental improvements and first-person shooter games, and will prove
increased responsiveness to data-driven to be commercially successful if a large
insights can lengthen the lifecycle of enough network of gamers are willing
a successful game or franchise. to commit to the $60 price tag.
Even with rich data analytics and rapid
experimentation, a franchise is still at the
whim of gamer interests and their ability
to assess games before buying them.
In order to hedge bets on new games
within a major franchise, new IP should
continue to be developed. Innovation
can come through development of a
Gaming Disruption 17
Conclusion
Sources:
1. PWC Global entertainment and media outlook 2014-2018, 10. http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/03/27/xbox-ones-
http://www.pwcmediaoutlook.com/segment/VIDGAM titanfall-and-ps4s-infamous-second-son-t.aspx
2. The Global Mobile Games Landscape 11. http://www.geekwire.com/2011/experiments-video-game-
http://www.applift.com/blog/mobile-games-market.html economics-valves-gabe-newell/
3. Gartner Forecast: Video Game Ecosystem, Worldwide, 4Q13 12. http://mashable.com/2014/02/10/flappy-bird-story/
4. The Entertainment Software Association Essential Facts 13. http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-why-amazon-paid-
http://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/esa_ef_2013.pdf almost-1-billion-for-twitch-2014-8
5. http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-07-02-npd- 14. http://www.tubefilter.com/2014/08/29/top-100-most-viewed-
preparing-to-track-digital-sales-this-year youtube-gaming-channels-worldwide-july-2014/
6. www.gamesindustry.biz 15. http://blog.twitch.tv/2014/02/twitch-community-4th-in-peak-
us-internet-traffic/
7. Wired UK, Gamasutra, NY Times Dealbook
16. http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240175747/Kingcom-
8. Accenture Digital Consumer Tech Survey 2014
gaming-site-unlocks-big-data-with-Hadoop
http://www.accenture.com/us-en/Pages/insight-digital-
consumer-tech-survey-2014.aspx
9. http://www.statista.com/statistics/193422/daily-active-users-of-
zynga-since-2009/
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/02/10/how-many-
zynga-players-pay-to-play.aspx
http://www.jbgnews.com/2014/10/zyngas-financial-woes-
continue-as-stock-price-falls-to-52-week-low/013610.html
About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and
outsourcing company, with more than 305,000 people serving clients in
more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive
capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research
on the worlds most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients
to help them become high-performance businesses and governments.
The company generated net revenues of US$30.0 billion for the fiscal year
ended Aug. 31, 2014. Its home page is www.accenture.com.
Authors
Christian Kelly
Managing Director
Accenture Electronics & High Tech
christian.j.kelly@accenture.com
Bikash Mishra
Senior Manager
Accenture Strategy, Communications, Media & Technology
bikash.mishra@accenture.com
Justine Jequinto
Accenture Strategy, Communications, Media & Technology
justine.jequinto@accenture.com
Acknowledgement
Wed like to acknowledge the significant contributions of Eddie Gonzales,
a manager in our CMT Strategy practice, and Sarah Freeman, a consultant
in our CMT Strategy practice.
This report makes descriptive reference to trademarks that may be owned by others.
The use of such trademarks herein is not an assertion of ownership of such trademarks
by Accenture and is not intended to represent or imply the existence of an association
between Accenture and the lawful owners of such trademarks.