rpg report september 2020 asdfsdfsdfs
TRANSCRIPT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
IMPACT DRIVER 3
Player Choice Retention Bonus Daily Login Bonus Update in Dragon Ball Legends
Product Insights
TRENDS 8
Bonus Features by App RPG Feature Investment
REVENUE MOVEMENT 11
Quest Event with In-Game Time Progression Servant Summer Festival in Fate/Grand Order
NEW CONTENT 15
Content Releases
MARKET WATCH 18
Soft-Launch & Breakout Apps Notable Releases
APPENDIX 23
Dragon Ball Legends Release Schedule Premium Partnerships RPG Mechanics Taxonomy
SEPTEMBER
2020
4
RPG > FEATURES > BONUSES
Player Choice Retention Bonus Daily Login Bonus Update in Dragon Ball Legends
Dragon Ball Legends
Dow
nloa
ds p
er D
ay
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
Reve
nue
per D
ay
$50K
$100K
$150K
$200K
$250K
6/21/20 7/5/20 7/19/20 8/2/20 8/16/20 8/30/20 9/13/20
Revenue Downloads Daily Login Bonus Update
REVENUE ANALYSIS
5
Dragon Ball Legends' revenue was +40% and downloads were -40% MoM after the launch of the Daily Login Bonus Update and Main Story Part 8 content expansion. Because the Daily Login Bonus Update focused on retention, revenue growth was likely driven by the Main Story Part 8 expansion.
MoM = Month over month Graph data is iOS, U.S. only.
See the Appendix for a full release schedule.
Details • Players choose one of nine rewards to receive for their next login
bonus (1, 2, and video). • Crystals used for hero summons are tagged as "Recommended." • Rewards refresh occasionally.
Additional Information • See the Daily Login Bonus Update library for more images and
videos. More References for Player Choice Retention Bonuses • Summer Delights in AFK Arena • Recruitment in Arknights • Choose a Character Summons Tickets in BLEACH Brave Souls
FEATURE TEARDOWN
A retention bonus feature lets players choose between nine rewards.
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Choices are inherently rewarding. The five players we interviewed all preferred the new bonus to the old one, which did not offer a choice of rewards. One medium-spending player even cited the old daily bonus as a reason he temporarily stopped playing.1
Research shows that people prefer to have choices and that simply anticipating a choice activates reward centers in the brain.2 Moreover, people enjoy rewards that they choose more than rewards chosen for them.3 For another example of retention reward choice, look at Arknights' Recruitment system, which allows players to pick a time and target for a random summon (1).
Limit bonuses to a few attractive rewards to increase perceived variety while simplifying decisions. Having too few options can lead to dissatisfaction, but having too many can be overwhelming.4 In fact, making a series of decisions has been shown to decrease task persistence and performance, a phenomenon known as decision fatigue.5
So how do you give players the selection they want without swamping them in choices? One approach is to ensure that all rewards are attractive. This increases perceived variety, which lets you offer fewer rewards without hurting player satisfaction.6 If you do it right, players will feel like they have plenty to choose from without facing too difficult of a decision.
Dragon Ball Legends further simplifies the process by suggesting a "recommended" reward (2). Players specifically called this out as helpful: "Had it not been highlighted, [the other options] probably would have distracted me from my goal."7
Add an unlockable random reward option to give high-level players a shot at rare items. While the daily login rewards may be valuable for new players, all players we interviewed said that only the summoning crystals are consistently desirable for high-level play. In light of this, most said they would like sporadic opportunities for rarer rewards.
Consider unlocking a random reward option, like a wheel spin or pick'em, for players above a certain level. This would not only add excitement but would also give experienced players a chance at rarer rewards without over-inflating the economy. As one high-spending player said, "It would definitely make me more interested because every day I log in, I could be like, 'I'm not going to get the chrono crystal. I might get something better.'"8
1 Subject A: Age 25 male, $20/month spend, 30 hours/week playtime 2 The Inherent Reward of Choice 3 How Choice Reveals and Shapes Expected Hedonic Outcome 4 How Assortment Variety Affects Assortment Attractiveness, p. 103
5 Decision Fatigue Exhausts Self-Regulatory Resources, p. 23–25 6 Assortment Size and Option Attractiveness in Consumer Choice Among Retailers, p. 418
7 Subject A 8 Subject B: Age 27 male, $100/month spend, 25 hours/week playtime
7
PRODUCT INSIGHTS For this report, Liquid & Grit interviewed five Dragon Ball Legends players who spend $10–$100 per month.
1
2
8
Tracked RPG Apps: AFK Arena, BLEACH Brave Souls, Dragon Ball Legends, Empires & Puzzles, Epic Seven, Final Fantasy XV: A New Empire, Fire Emblem Heroes, Guns of Glory, King of Avalon: Dragon Warfare, Last Shelter: Survival, Lords Mobile: War Kingdom, MARVEL Strike Force, RAID: Shadow Legends, Rise of Kingdoms, Star Trek Fleet Command, Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, Summoners War
TRENDSInvestment trends for event and feature releases
Bonus Features by App (Past 12 Months)
BLEACH Brave Souls
RAID: Shadow Legends
Dragon Ball Legends
Epic Seven
Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes
Number of Releases
1 2 3 4
BONUS FEATURE RELEASES ARE RARE
9
Few tracked apps have released new bonus features in the past 12 months. BLEACH Brave Souls led with three releases.
RPG Feature Investment (Past 3 Months)
Num
ber o
f Rel
ease
s
5
10
15
20
25
30
Clu
bs
Cur
renc
ies
Com
petit
ions
Cosm
etic
s
Expa
nsio
ns
Colle
ctio
ns
Flow
s
Confl
icts
Leve
ls
Acce
lera
tors
Miss
ions
Not
ices
Rew
ards
Profi
les
Que
sts
Cha
lleng
es
Oth
er
Bonu
ses
Purc
hase
s
Inte
ract
ions
Cus
tom
Des
ign
Min
i-Gam
es
BONUSES TRAIL RPG FEATURE INVESTMENTS; CLUBS LEAD
10
Bonus features were in the bottom 20% of feature investments for tracked RPG apps during the past three months.
12
RPG > EVENTS > QUESTS
Quest Event with In-Game Time Progression Servant Summer Festival in Fate/Grand Order
REVENUE ANALYSIS
13
Fate/Grand Order's revenue was +92% and downloads were +29% 20Do20D during the Servant Summer Festival quest event, which ran from 8/3 to 8/22.
20Do20D = 20 days over 20 days Graph data is iOS, U.S. only.
Fate/Grand Order
Dow
nloa
ds p
er D
ay
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
Reve
nue
per D
ay
$100K
$200K
$300K
$400K
$500K
$600K
4/20/20 5/4/20 5/18/20 6/1/20 6/15/20 6/29/20 7/13/20 7/27/20 8/10/20 8/24/20 9/7/20
Revenue Downloads
Servant Summer Festival
Although Fate/Grand Order is not one of our tracked RPG apps, we wanted to highlight this event's exceptional revenue impact.
Details • During this event, quests switch in-game time between day and night phases (1). • Story quests advance the main narrative. • Free quests award event points to unlock the next story quest. • The second half of the event offers repeatable battles that lower certain enemies' health (2).
• Certain heroes and items give collection bonuses (3). • Event items acquired through quests can be exchanged for rewards (4). • Completing the event awards an exclusive hero (5). • Some quests offer hero enhancement rewards.
• A mastery challenge unlocks after the final quest. Additional Information • View Fate/Grand Order on the App Store.
FEATURE TEARDOWN
Players complete two types of quests to progress through a story with day and night phases. Repeatable battles decrease the total health of certain enemies.
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2
4
1
5
3
CONTENT RELEASES I
16
2
6
4
1
5
3
RPG > Content > Abilities, Equipment, and Heroes
8/19 8/5
8/20 8/5
8/12 8/16 8/31 8/12 8/26 8/12 8/26 8/31
8/1 8/20 8/27
8/5 8/5
8/13 8/20 8/27
8/5 8/27
8/5
Hero Adjustments and Changes — AFK Arena abilities Lucius The Mariner Skin — AFK Arena equipment Belinda Summer Belle Skin — AFK Arena equipment (1) Drez the Quicksand Recluse — AFK Arena hero Ezio — AFK Arena hero (2) Fierce Battle Summons: Genius — BLEACH Brave Souls heroes CFYOW Round 8 — BLEACH Brave Souls heroes Leave my dad...ALONE! Memory No. 1 — Dragon Ball Legends equipment Awakened Don't you agree? No. 1 — Dragon Ball Legends equipment Legends Rising Reawaken — Dragon Ball Legends heroes Legends Proud to Fight — Dragon Ball Legends heroes (3) Balance Changes — Empires & Puzzles abilities Zocc — Empires & Puzzles hero Miki — Empires & Puzzles hero (4) Frigg — Empires & Puzzles hero Doll Maker Pearlhorizon Specialty Change — Epic Seven abilities Hero Balance Adjustments — Epic Seven abilities Rise of a Monarch — Epic Seven equipment Crown of Glory — Epic Seven equipment (5) Snow Crystal — Epic Seven equipment Briar Witch Iseria — Epic Seven hero Choux — Epic Seven hero (6) Weapon Refinery Update — Fire Emblem Heroes abilities
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CONTENT RELEASES II2
6
4
1
5
3
RPG > Content > Abilities, Equipment, and Heroes
8/7 8/8
8/10 8/18 8/19 8/25 8/31 8/11 8/17
8/5 8/11 8/19
8/3 8/19 8/28 8/14
8/3 8/5 8/5
8/27 8/31 8/31
Pirate's Pride — Fire Emblem Heroes heroes (1) Darros: Seawalker — Fire Emblem Heroes hero Olwen: Blue Mage Knight — Fire Emblem Heroes hero A New Future — Fire Emblem Heroes heroes Jorge: Traveling Peddler — Fire Emblem Heroes hero Eirika: Restoration Lady — Fire Emblem Heroes hero Corrin: Child of Dusk — Fire Emblem Heroes hero (2) Guard Skills Optimization — Guns of Glory abilities Thunderbolt R7 Coat of Arms — Guns of Glory equipment Genesis Statues — King of Avalon: Dragon Warfare equipment Hero Skill Optimization — Last Shelter: Survival abilities Character Updates — MARVEL Strike Force abilities Emma Frost — MARVEL Strike Force hero (3) Swarm — MARVEL Strike Force hero Baron Zemo — MARVEL Strike Force hero Kreela Witch-Arm — RAID: Shadow Legends hero (4) William I — Rise of Kingdoms hero Stella Updates — Star Trek Fleet Command equipment Outlaws Part 3 — Star Trek Fleet Command heroes (5) Admiral Firmus Piett — Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes hero Monster Skill Balancing — Summoners War abilities Street Fighter V Collaboration — Summoners War heroes (6)
Angry Birds Legends by RovioSoft-Launch App Details • Players recruit Angry Birds, pigs, and humans in this turn-based RPG (1). • Combat uses a card-like battle system. • Certain heroes can merge abilities for special attacks and power-ups.
• A main quest campaign takes place on a 3D world map (2). • The re-launched version of the app included substantial graphics updates
and some combat balance adjustments. Launch Information • Soft-launched 3/25/20 on Android in the U.K., Finland, and Sweden • Inactive beginning 5/3/20 • Soft-launched again on 9/1/20 • Total revenue since initial launch: $34 • Total downloads since initial launch: 4,323 • View Angry Birds Legends on Google Play
Tom Clancy's Elite Squad by UbisoftBreakout App Details • Heroes and levels are drawn from popular Tom Clancy
franchises like Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon, The Division, Splinter Cell, H.A.W.X., and Endwar (3).
• Combat uses a mixture of auto-attack and real-time abilities (4). • Gameplay includes a story campaign as well as cooperative and
competitive multiplayer modes.
Launch Information • Released worldwide on 8/24/20 • 41st highest-grossing RPG as of 9/1/20 • Average daily U.S. revenue: $20,235 • Average daily U.S. downloads: 44,168 • View Tom Clancy's Elite Squad on the App Store
Rovio seems to be testing a non-Angry Birds version of this app called Chronicles of Legends. Both versions have alternated soft-launches in the same regions. See Chronicles of Legends on Google Play for more information.
SOFT-LAUNCH & BREAKOUT APPS
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1
2
3
4
NOTABLE RELEASES I
20
1
2
3
4
App Library Description
AFK Arena
Arena of Trials quest feature
• Players can test newly released heroes in a series of battles for rewards (1 and video).
The Misty Valley quest event
• Daily battles unlock on a quest map (video). • Each battle contains three tiers of challenges for reward chests (2). • During the first tier, players can spend diamonds to request help from friends.
• Completing all battles awards a large chest of player-chosen rewards.
Dragon Ball Legends
Raid Rush Extreme Clash!! Otherworld
Warriors club event
• Players team up to defeat a series of bosses for medals (3 and video). • Medals are used to purchase rewards.
Empires & Puzzles
Goblin Balloon collection feature
• Completed challenges award crates to fill a balloon with five slots (4). • Items from crates can be purchased or exchanged for other rewards (video). • Filling the balloon and purchasing all stored items unlocks a mystery crate.
NOTABLE RELEASES II
21
1
2
3
4
App Library Description
Guns of Glory
Battle Drills quest event
• Daily series of challenges reward players for defeating enemy troops (1 and video). • Battles use temporary troops instead of those owned by players.
Tide of Darkness club event
• Clubs compete to earn merit by attacking and occupying towns on a map (2 and video). • Players earn supply points for their clubs by gathering resources and defeating enemies. • Supply points unlock banners. • Banners expand clubs' territories and add merit bonuses. • Clubs can destroy each other's banners and repair their own.
• Leaderboards reward players based on club merit, solo supply points, and solo town damage.
King of Avalon: Dragon Warfare
3D World Map cosmetic feature • The world map is now fully 3D and more detailed (3 and video).
Camelot Championship
club event
• Kingdoms battle each other in a three-stage tournament. • In the first stage, players compete on leaderboards to deal the most damage to a boss (video). • Kingdoms with at least one top-ranked player advance to the next stage. • The top 50 players advance to the next stage.
• In the second stage, kingdoms are grouped into sets for a single-elimination tournament (4). • The final stage consists of a three-round battle using temporary troops.
NOTABLE RELEASES III
22
1
2
3
4
App Library Description
King of Avalon: Dragon Warfare
Path of Conquest club event
• Alliances compete to capture castles for reputation (1 and video). • Leaderboards rank alliances and individuals by reputation for rewards.
Lords Mobile: War Kingdom
Royal Treasures purchase event
• Players earn points for making purchases. • Points can be exchanged for in-game and real-world prizes (2 and video). • A leaderboard ranks players based on the number of prizes earned for additional rewards.
Star Wars: Galaxy of
Heroes
Galactic Challenges expansion feature
• Multiple tiers of challenges offer different difficulties, boosts, debuffs, and rewards (3 and video).
Summoners War
Street Fighter V Collaboration reward event
• This collaboration with Capcom's Street Fighter V includes daily login rewards, an event collection, and an event store.
• Players earn points by using energy, spending arena tickets, and summoning monsters. • Points are used to purchase rewards, including Street Fighter V hero Ken (4). • Daily missions allow players to upgrade Ken (video).
Quickly review all features and events
Filter the Library Tool by month and year to see all new releases.
This event contributed to +21% 3Do3D revenue growth.
5K
10K
$125K
$250K
6/21/20 7/5/20 7/19/20 8/2/20 8/16/20 8/30/20 9/13/20
Revenue Downloads
Reve
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ownloads per D
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Dragon Ball Legends Daily Bonus Update
Releases
7/29–8/25: Legends Rising The Crusher reward event 8/5–8/31: BEAT THE HEAT!! Campaign reward event 8/12–8/26: Ginyu Force: Sizzling Summer Boot Camp collection event 8/12–8/26: Turn into Sweets!! Majin Buu quest event 8/12–9/2: Legends Rising Reawaken reward event 8/17–8/27: Choice Battle!! challenge event 8/19–8/27: Legends Androids Vol. 4 reward event 8/19–9/1: Golden Showdown #2 competition event 8/19–9/7: 600K SNS Followers Worldwide Celebration Campaign notice event 8/19–9/8: Legends Return - Piccolo reward event 8/19–9/9: Main Story Progress Support Campaign!! accelerator event 8/19–9/9: Your Power Level Is Puny! - Overhaul! mission event 8/19–9/16: Legends Road - Goku (Youth) - Overhaul! quest event 8/22–8/25: Happy Weekend reward event 8/26: Awakened Don't you agree? No. 1 equipment content 8/26: Daily Login Bonus Update bonus feature
8/26: Legends Proud to Fight hero content 8/26: Main Story Part 8 expansion feature 8/26–9/2: Increased Crystals Ultra Space-Time Rush mission event 8/26–9/5: Super Chrono Crystal Sale purchase event 8/26–9/23: Legends Late Summer Adventure 2020 collection event 8/26–9/26: Special Summer Sale purchase event 8/26–10/1: Legends Proud to Fight reward event 8/26: • $7.99 Chrono Crystal F IAP to #2 (NPL) • $20.99 Chrono Crystal W IAP to #6 (NPL) • $13.99 Chrono Crystal Y IAP moved +1 to #9
8/28: • $13.99 Chrono Crystal Y IAP moved +3 to #6 • $7.99 Pack E to #10 (NPL)
8/29–9/1: Happy Weekend reward event NPL = Not previously listed
DRAGON BALL LEGENDS RELEASE SCHEDULE
24Graph data is iOS, U.S. only.
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RPG MECHANICS TAXONOMY
26
Family Definition
Accelerators Increases the power, impact, or efficiency of play
Banks Saves a % of spend that can be unlocked later
Bonuses Free bonuses given to players (e.g., retention or W2E)
Challenges Goal-oriented tasks for players to complete
Clubs Groups that accomplish goals or compete with other groups
Collections A set of items players collect (often for a completion prize)
Competitions Players competing against other players
Conflicts Players engaging in battle with their characters
Cosmetics Improvements or updates to the app or a feature
Currencies Changes to currencies, economies, stores, and items
Custom Design Options to customize aesthetics
Expansions Additional rooms, worlds, play modes, VIP lounges, etc.
Flows Specific flows, like the NUX, ratings, and surveys
Family Definition
Hazards Level elements/blockers that make levels more difficult
Interactions Social features with direct or indirect interaction
Leaderboards Stand-alone leaderboards
Levels Anything to do with leveling
Mini-Games Smaller, shorter games within a game (e.g., scratcher cards)
Missions Linear sets of tasks that players must complete
Notices Feature or product announcements
Other Miscellaneous features and outliers
Profiles Players' setups, profiles, settings, and controls
Purchases Anything to do with purchases
Quests Tasks that players complete to progress along a map
Rewards Rewards players receive for engagement or spend (other than those in the bonuses family)
"And sometimes, when you fall, you fly."
— Morpheus, The Sandman Vol. 6
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