IP Licensing
12.06.2023
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5 mins read
Fil Robinson, BD Manager IP Licensing | Yodo1
When you think of licensing... think of a Happy Meal!
Licensing. It's a term many of us have heard tossed around, but may not know what it actually is, or the huge role it plays in the world of business, entertainment, food, and fashion.
Since becoming the IP licensing Manager at Yodo1, many people have asked me "What do you do?" or “What is licensing?" Initially, I tried numerous variations of the formal business definitions, such as "I work with companies to make business agreements, whereby a company authorizes another company the right to use its IP or brand for a set period of time."
I soon found that lines like these weren’t relatable to most people, and so to keep things simple, I decided to use the analogy of a McDonald's Happy Meal. "Every month or so, McDonald's has a new toy, usually based on a children’s movie, TV show, or toy brand, which gets included in a Happy Meal. My job is to accomplish that, but for different video games instead of Happy Meals."
Once you start to look, you’ll find the Happy Meal licensing analogy all around you, in every facet of consumer products and merchandise life. From limited-edition cars to board games, toys, and fashion, examples are everywhere. The images below are just a small showcase of the numerous and unique products which can come to life through licensing agreements.
SpongeBob Kyrie 5 via Nike
Via Star Wars
In this article, I will be looking into how licensing works, especially within the context of the gaming industry, and its future potential.
The basic concept of licensing is this: one party/company grants another the right to use their IP or brand for an agreed-upon period of time, just like a Happy Meal. You have the licensor and the licensee. The licensor (e.g. Disney) is the owner of the IP or Brand and decides who gets to use it for a set period of time (the licensee). The licensee (e.g. McDonald's) is the party/company that uses the granted license to make a new product inspired by the IP or brand. Aside from the obvious advantage to the consumer in the creation of some seriously cool products, there are many benefits to both the licensor and licensee from this agreement-some are outlined in the image below.
A royalty is a binding payment made to an individual or company for the ongoing use of their assets (including IPs or brands). Licensors have a right to receive a payment for every product sold related to their IP. The licensor and licensee negotiate and agree on what percentage each party should receive for every IP-related item sold (this is commonly known as Revenue Share).
This model is popular for licensees as no capital investment needs to be paid to the licensor upfront.
Royalties with a Minimum Guarantee are similar to royalties, but require the licensee to guarantee an agreed amount of royalties to the licensor. Even if the total royalties do not reach the agreed amount, the licensor will be guaranteed that money. The MG amount is usually based on the IP and how the licensor values it. It’s not fixed and so can be negotiated between the licensor and licensee. It is normally paid upon signing of the agreement (though it can be split into multiple payments), so it’s an important financial investment for licensors.
MGs are recoupable against royalties, so once the event takes place and royalties are generated and calculated, the MG is deducted and the remaining revenue is paid. So net-net, if the event goes well, everyone achieves a successful outcome: The licensee will recoup the MG with revenue from sales and the licensor will receive more royalties beyond the MG.
The Flat Fee model requires the licensee to pay a fee (which, again, can be split into several payments) to the licensor for the use of the license for a specific period of time. The flat fee price is negotiable between the licensor and the licensee. The fee is non-recoupable for the licensee. In this case, the outcome of the event is less relevant for the licensor as they are not receiving royalties for any sales related to the IP.
The flat fee model is often a good option for a licensee on their first IP collaboration, as they will not be required to provide a licensor with a highly detailed report of sales based on the IP once the collaboration is complete.
With these three commercial models used as a basis for many licensing deals across multiple industries, huge revenues are being generated, with nearly unlimited potential. In the 2021 fiscal year, $260.8 billion in revenue was reported (sold at retail) based on the top 88 companies who submitted to License Global's top Global Licensors Report 2022. This was an increase of 28.35% from $203.2 billion over the previous year.
Entertainment licensors were the top-performing licensing sector in 2021, with many of their IPs being the top media-performing IPs of 2021. Many of their IPs and the licensees (game studios within the entertainment licensing sub-sector of gaming) have been used to drive growth and revenue within the entertainment licensing sector overall.
Via License Global
Licensing in gaming has been around for decades (since the 1970s), but its growth and revenue generation in the last decade has grown exponentially. Mobile games have been at the forefront of this. The development of mobile technology and free-to-play games have been major factors driving this growth, according to the 2022 Newzoo IP Mobile Games Report.
Developers usually choose to incorporate IPs into games in one of two ways:
Timed events/DLCs such as the recent Last Shelter: Survival x The Walking Dead or Top War x Pacific Rim, have brought IPs into an existing game for a limited period of time, or standalone games (brand new games), which are developed from scratch based on an IP, such as Transformers: Earth Wars or Monopoly Go.
The image below reflects the growth in IP-based games (based on standalone IP-based mobile games) developed and launched by game studios (licensees) year-on-year.
Note: The slowdown of standalone IP-based games in 2021 can be attributed to Covid development delays and the trend towards more live service games (like Fortnite, etc, which are games continually in development that were initially released a while ago).
Via Newzoo
The combination of mobile games and IPs has become very popular and powerful, with IP-based games being the most downloaded and biggest revenue-generating games in the mobile sector throughout 2021 (as shown in the images below). Marvel in particular is a great example of how a licensor with a big IP can do very well when incorporated into top mobile games (such as Strikeforce or The Game Awards 2022 Mobile Game of the Year Marvel SNAP).
Via Newzoo
Licensing within the gaming industry is only set to keep growing. The continued development of gaming technology (e.g. VR, AR), innovation, and the numerous benefits for both the licensor and licensee, as outlined in this article, ensures that new ideas for collaborations will continue to come to the fore. The success of entertainment licensor's IPs/brands (including game studios) has attracted the interest of licensors in everything from fashion, food and beverage, to sports and corporate brands across the world—everyone wants in on the potential for growth and revenue generation. Game studios who’ve seen this explosion of success amongst their fellow studios that have engaged in IP licensing also want to join the party.
At Yodo1 we bring a decade of industry-leading experience to the table to assist both global IP licensors and game studios to achieve successful IP gaming collaborations. Are you ready to dive into the world of IP licensing? Reach out at BIG@Yodo1.com to learn more.
Culture
26.05.2023
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5 mins read
Flo Alcasas | Head of HR at Yodo1 Games
Having a company all hands is far from the only way to engage people in a fully remote company. They can be a great tool, of course, but with a team that includes well over a hundred people across more than 30 countries—in time zones ranging from Vancouver to the Gold Coast—getting everyone together in a Zoom room isn’t something we at Yodo1 do more than a few times a year.
And yet finding ways to meaningfully engage and connect within and across teams is vital to the way we operate. How? Here are seven ways we’ve worked to keep our fully remote team engaged and prospering. Feel free to crib or tweak them to help you achieve the same!
Collaborative learning is a great way for teams to connect and share knowledge, skills, and feedback with each other. By focusing on input (learning) rather than output (work results), team members can explore new ways of working and develop skills together.
Making learning together a habit and deeply rooted part of the culture also helps companies stay on top of industry trends and innovations, and identify new opportunities for growth and development. Plus, it helps build strong, supportive, and resilient teams that can adapt to any challenge and achieve great things together.
Let’s take, as an example, good communication. It’s essential to success in any organization and becomes even more important when working in a fully remote, globally dispersed, and culturally diverse team.
To help people at Yodo1—regardless of their position—improve spoken communication, presentation skills, confidence speaking in front of an audience (often in English as a second language), and ability to inspire others and gain support for their ideas, we’ve been running multiple chapters of Pitch Club for over four years.
Besides live online events, learning together can be done asynchronously—why not try a chat group dedicated to reading together or sharing knowledge on a certain topic? You could pick one book to read each month and encourage people to share their thoughts, takeaways, and favorite quotes in the chat group as they go.
From Pitch Club
While it may seem counterintuitive, being able to goof around and crack jokes sometimes might be just what your people need to pull out of a slump and get some real work done. Humor can help the team re-engage the work at hand with fresh inspiration, and it’s a great social habit to build into your communication—be it by cracking jokes in a meeting or sharing memes in your team chat.
You can also build connection into your daily routine with habits like sharing fun photos or spending the first five to ten minutes of your weekly team meeting on a non-work topic where you can learn something new about each other.
One of our most active chats at Yodo1 is a company-wide group called “WFA Share Your Day.” Here, people share pictures from their vacations, family activities, or a new location they’re working from. Other examples of fun company-wide chat groups include “Games We Play” (we are a gaming company, after all!), “AI Best Practices” for sharing cool ways to use AI, and a planned “Duolingo Leaderboard” to compete for the longest streak.
There should never be pressure to participate, but if you diversify by having chat groups on a range of topics, people will find something that clicks and that they want to be a part of, and that’s the key.
Experiment with different standing sessions on the company calendar that give people a break from their usual routine and a chance to connect with others. Here are a few we’ve had fun with–you could try out a couple for say, six months, and see which resonate best with your company.
All Staff Workshop: A 30 to 60-minute event that all staff are invited to but not required to attend, where we invite one person to teach us something they know, with a short presentation followed by live discussions and Q&A.
Meet & Greet: When a new person joins the company, organize a welcome session on their first day with members of their department and other stakeholders.
Coworking Space: A simple virtual room people can drop into to work alongside someone new. You can use your company’s meeting software of choice for this, or look into some of the other options out there designed to create a fluid virtual coworking environment.
Friday Happy Hour: A casual session people can join to hang out and chat with coworkers before signing off for the week.
Of course, you don’t want to overdo it. But having, for example, one or two sessions like this on the calendar in a given week gives people options to connect and engage if and when they want.
Milos and Roberta in Amsterdam
In any company, the salespeople are likely to be out a lot, meeting people and attending events. But they’re not the only ones who can do so! Your engineers may want to join an online or local tech community. There may be local or virtual conferences that are particularly relevant for a department that doesn’t get out much.
As I entered a new role in HR early last year, it was helpful to find communities I could network with and learn from, and I discovered a combination of online and offline events I could join. The Women in Games community on Discord, the Quan Wellbeing community for people leaders on Slack, and a host of webinars and AMAs by remote work and HR tech companies are just a few of the communities I’ve benefited from over the years.
In short, you don’t have to be in BD to network. Encourage all of your people to join communities where they can connect and learn from people in their fields of expertise, and consider a budget for these types of events, especially when they involve ongoing learning.
Not putting any geographical restrictions on your team means they can–and often do–end up anywhere in the world. But if you find there are local or regional clusters where it doesn’t take too much to get people together in person, why not go for it?
Encouraging people to get out of their usual environment and co-work with nearby colleagues or simply spend time at a co-working spot or cafe can be a great way to remind your team to break their routines and engage with others IRL. Providing a way for relevant expenses to be reimbursed is a simple way to encourage this, without forcing anyone to participate.
Simply changing your environment on occasion can be refreshing and stimulating for creativity and productivity. It also provides an opportunity to engage with others face-to-face, which can be a welcome change from collaborating on screen and help foster a sense of community and collaboration.
Since we introduced “Coworking Day” at Yodo1, we’ve had meetups in places like China, Vietnam, Amsterdam, and Pakistan, and traveling Yodies often stop along the way to meet people in the areas they pass through, be it New York or Hong Kong.
Yodies Coworking in Vietnam
Yodies Coworking in Amsterdam
If someone isn’t located near anyone else in the company, going to a co-working spot can provide similar benefits, and a chance to network and build relationships with other professionals that may lead to new ideas and opportunities.
Keep in mind that different people have different needs. One person may love the peace of working from home and having lunch with their family every day; another may crave being in a bustling environment surrounded by other professionals. In the future of work, there are ways for fully remote companies to accommodate both.
While the above tips and tools can do wonders to help your remote teams bond and prosper, you’ll likely find it important to organize opportunities for teams to meet and work together in person—even if it means flying some people halfway around the world sometimes.
How often your team can or should meet up in person is completely up to you—and them—of course, but it should be well planned with a specific outcome in mind and not just because you feel it’s something that “should” happen.
There’s plenty out there on why in-person team building is (and isn’t) important. In short, can you build an amazing, well-functioning team without meeting in person? Yes, absolutely! Are there specific benefits to relationships, teamwork, and outcomes when you do meet in person? Also yes!
LinkedIn’s 2022 report The Reinvention of Company Culture highlights the ways that what employees want and need has evolved, and it’s clear that companies that are in tune and moving with these changes are the future of business.
Last but not least, don’t force things; make engagement opportunities available and optional. People are different and at different points in their lives; some will be looking for more ways to engage with their coworkers, and others for more time to focus on non-work relationships. When you have to participate in work events that aren’t relevant to you, it’s pretty painful. But if you want to be there, it’s great.
At the end of the day, engagement isn’t as simple as how many people join a session or react to an announcement. It starts at a personal level—Do people care about what they’re doing? And at a team level—Are they trusted and supported by their team? Do they know they’re trusted to do their job when and where they prefer and that they can get help when they need it?
Focus on building and empowering great teams and giving people meaningful work, and the rest should be the icing on the cake. In the HR department, we might have a tendency to think we have to make engagement happen. Sometimes, it can be more impactful to empower teams to do their own thing in their own way, checking in and providing support when needed. Then stand back and watch what they can do!
If you’re looking for a career in the mobile gaming industry and value the freedom to work from anywhere in the world, we encourage you to explore our careers page and see what opportunities may be right for you.
Culture
19.05.2023
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5 mins read
Is it really so surprising to see the continual rise of office space vacancies in the post-pandemic world? Resoundingly, no. Too many of us have seen the light, and it’s not fluorescent. In the future of work, balance and flexibility will emerge as widely-adopted norms no company can ignore—and rightly so.
Yodo1 Games is proud to be recognized as one of the 30 leading companies offering the most work-from-anywhere job opportunities, according to a recent Forbes article. As we take the lead in shaping the future of work, we are committed to cultivating a remote work environment that attracts the best talent in the gaming industry and enables our team members to unlock their full potential.
Our decision to shift to a fully remote policy in early 2020 was driven by our belief that exceptional work requires flexibility—it was time for a rewrite of the status quo. After over three years, we continue to push the envelope and hone our approach to cultivating a diverse high-trust remote workforce where each team member is empowered to live on their own terms.
If you're looking for a career in the mobile gaming industry and value the freedom to work from anywhere in the world, we encourage you to explore our careers page and see what opportunities may be right for you. Join us in revolutionizing the way we work and play.
IP Licensing
15.05.2023
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5 mins read
Ismael Jorge, BD Manager for Global Games at Yodo1
A new player has emerged in the mobile game industry, and it’s got everyone buzzing. Developed by Scopely in partnership with Hasbro, Monopoly GO!, based on Hasbro’s legendary original, boasts an impressive lineup of features that has, within a month of launching, propelled it to the top of the charts in terms of revenue and downloads. According to AppMagic, the game has already raked in over $10 million in revenue and soared past 20 million downloads. Let’s look into some of the key elements, from an IP-licensing standpoint, that helped Monopoly GO! achieve its meteoric rise.
Via Scopely
Newzoo's IP-based games report outlines several critical factors that can propel an IP-based game to success, and Monopoly GO! seems to check all the right boxes. The game's developers have crafted a product that caters to a broad audience, from long-time fans of the classic board game to new players looking for a casual gaming experience.
The game's market fit is undoubtedly one of its strongest suits. With over one billion Monopoly players worldwide and licensing agreements in more than 100 countries, Monopoly GO! has a built-in fan base that spans generations. On top of this, the casual/board games market niche caters to players of all ages, making it a perfect fit for the mobile gaming market. Combining laid-back gameplay mechanics with an iconic IP creates the perfect synergy for Monopoly GO!’s target audience.
Another critical factor in the game's success lies in its game design. The developers have masterfully woven together traditional Monopoly elements with fresh, inventive mechanics, creating a game that captivates both long-time enthusiasts and new players.
Monopoly GO! also features mini-games outside the realm of the classic board game, providing an extra layer of excitement, as well as fast options for gamers on the go. The game's smooth progression system allows players to unlock a treasure trove of over 100 new boards, ensuring there are always fresh experiences that keep players coming back for more. Most importantly, perhaps, the game manages to preserve the competitive essence of the original Monopoly while presenting it in a revitalized, dynamic form. Combining nostalgia and innovation is powerful.
https://youtu.be/cwfoZy3mNTI
Business considerations also play a critical role in shaping a mobile game's success story, and Monopoly GO! seems to have hit the nail on the head in this regard, too. Its launch is impeccably timed, capitalizing on the buzz generated by Scopely's recent acquisition by Savvy. The alliance with Hasbro, combined with Scopely's mobile gaming prowess, forms a potent recipe for success in marketing and distribution, with both sides of the partnership having a wide reach that they can take advantage of in promotions.
While Monopoly GO! is free to play, the game's in-game purchases strike a thoughtful balance, and even though some items may appear pricey for players unaccustomed to spending in-game, they’re designed to truly enhance the gaming experience. There is also a clear effort from the developers to prioritize player retention by bringing in enticing daily events and limited-time rewards, as well as offering both cooperative and competitive play modes.
With eight out of last year's top ten most downloaded games (excluding hyper-casual games) being IP-based, Monopoly GO!'s careful consideration of market fit, game design, and business factors make it a strong contender for a spot among the top titles of 2023. Whether or not it will roll the dice and beat everyone to the finish line remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure—Monopoly GO! is definitely in the running.
Publishing
08.05.2023
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5 mins read
As the world's largest gaming market, China generates billions in revenue annually. Yet, the 2018 game licensing freeze left developers struggling to break in. Things are changing. As the gates begin to swing open, a sea of opportunities awaits those ready to take full advantage of this newly-accessible blue ocean. Get ready to explore the latest developments and learn how you can be the first in line to reach Chinese gamers eager to play your games.
Entering the Chinese gaming market requires obtaining an ISBN license. In 2018, a game licensing freeze significantly affected the plans of developers and publishers alike (including some of ours). Things started changing in 2021 and 2022, with over 3,500 games receiving licenses, primarily benefiting local Chinese developers.
Enter 2023, which saw a resurgence in foreign game licensing that included two approval batches within just three months—a stark contrast to the previous pace of one batch per year. This shift has paved the way for a more favorable environment for developers and publishers, suggesting that we are looking at a new era in access to Chinese gamers. As a publisher with over ten years of experience publishing games in China, Yodo1 has been monitoring these changes closely, and one thing has become clear: The time to act is now.
With over 1.5 billion players worldwide and major success publishing hit games like Rodeo Stampede and Transformers Earth Wars to the China market, we feel well-positioned to help you ride this wave and succeed in the world's largest gaming market. Case in point: Yodo1 is helping Western game developers like Smart Project GmbH thrive in China’s ever-changing regulatory environment. We recently acquired an ISBN for their casual puzzle game "5 Differences," which earned its license among the first 27 foreign games this year. But we didn’t stop there. Given that Yodo’s expertise spans localization, marketing, and distribution within the complex Chinese app store landscape where major platforms like Google Play do not operate, we are now collaborating with the Smart Project team to help them prepare for a successful launch in the world’s biggest gaming market.
If your game has a unique selling point with over US$5 million in annual revenue globally and you are looking to unlock one of the biggest untapped mobile gaming markets in the world, partnering with Yodo1 could be your best path to next-level growth.
The unfreezing of game licensing in China has opened the growth potential floodgates. Put simply—the TAM is huge, and it’s open for business. But that doesn’t mean the waters are easy to navigate—that’s what we’re here for. With a partner like Yodo1 Games helping guide your game through the choppy waters of regulation, potential policy changes, and complex app store ecosystems, you can look forward to a bright future in the world's largest gaming market. So, what are you waiting for? Let's join forces and conquer the gaming world together!
To submit your game for consideration by our publishing team, click the button below.
Game Growth
03.05.2023
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5 mins read
Andrew Tan, Game Community Manager | Yodo1
The gaming industry is undergoing a seismic shift as female gamers increasingly become a force to be reckoned with. In fact, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) reported that in 2021, female gamers represented over 40% of US gamers. That's right—and what’s more, mobile gaming has been particularly alluring to female players, attracting 55% of this demographic in the US and a whopping 70% in Europe.
As a mobile game developer, are you fully capitalizing on this expanding market, or are you missing out on your game's full potential?
While some genres like first-person shooters remain predominantly male, others, like RPGs and adventure games, tend to have a more balanced gender representation, thanks in part to well-developed social systems that appeal to female gamers.
But let's not sugarcoat it: the dark side of online gaming is very real. Female gamers often face harassment and bullying, particularly when their gender is revealed through voice chat.
This has driven many women to avoid voice communication, and even to steer clear of playing social games altogether. A 2019 qualitative study exposed the hostility, invisibility, and objectification experienced by female gamers, who often hid their gender identity to avoid harassment.
Let's face it; if the social aspect of a game is a significant part of its appeal, but the experience is immediately soured by harassment, it's no wonder these players don't stick around.
To foster a more inclusive and welcoming gaming environment, developers must be savvy about their game's genre and its natural player base. Laying down rules and establishing moderation systems to maintain a respectful environment is key. Developers can create a safer gaming experience by moderating social interactions, implementing clear rules against harassment, and enforcing these rules with temporary or permanent bans as needed.
Think about tapping into your player community by introducing a scoring system to assess flagged content severity and inviting reliable players to join the moderation team. Providing player moderators with the right tools to identify and report issues is a smart strategy. Make it loud and clear to your community that such behavior isn't tolerated, and back it up with solid action and enforcement—that's how you make a lasting impact.
Also worth considering: positive reinforcement and community settings are just as crucial as clear boundaries and rules. Riot Games, the developer of League of Legends, instituted measures like opt-in chat and an honor system, both of which decreased negativity significantly. A safer gaming environment benefits not only female gamers but all players, resulting in increased player retention and a more positive overall gaming experience.
To tap into the incredible potential of the female gaming market, developers need to think outside the box and cater to their unique preferences. Here are some best practices to capture their attention and keep them coming back for more:
Via Playstation
Final Fantasy XIV, an MMORPG with a significant female player base, has succeeded in creating and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. The game also offers extensive character customization, detailed outfits, player housing, and a diverse cast of main characters. As outlined above, providing more character customization options and adding features beyond the primary game mechanic are great ways to help your game appeal to a wider audience.
Via Reddit
In other genres, Rodeo Stampede exemplifies how two broad mechanics (zoo and endless runner) work together in a game, increasing its appeal to more players. Fire Emblem, a turn-based strategy game with a more female-based audience, contains interesting social systems like marriage and character interactions. Puzzle games like Candy Crush are also popular among female players, possibly due to a lack of time-sensitive reaction-based mechanics. Additionally, hit games with female leads such as Tomb Raider, Metroid, and the Horizon series clearly demonstrate the appeal of female representation in games when done right.
To tap into the female gaming market, mobile game developers must understand and cater to the unique needs and preferences of female gamers. By addressing the challenges faced by this demographic and implementing best practices for creating inclusive and safe gaming environments, developers can appeal to a wider audience and create a more positive gaming experience for all players.
Ultimately, designing games that resonate with a diverse array of players, including women, isn't just a matter of social responsibility—it's a savvy business strategy. So, embrace the shift in the gaming landscape and seize the opportunity to unlock the immense potential of the female gaming market.
Game Growth
11.04.2023
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5 mins read
As one of the fastest-growing entertainment sectors, the mobile gaming industry continues to see massive, exponential growth for both established game studios and indie developers. As a result, though, there are now millions of games available in app stores, making it more of a challenge to stand out from the crowd and create a viral hit that achieves long-term success - having a clever idea is no longer enough.
Today we’re going to talk about what developers can do to increase their chances of creating a viral hit game, and, if you should hit that lucky jackpot, how best to leverage success to achieve long-term growth and staying power.
An excellent example of viral success is Backrooms, a mobile game by Indian developer Sibi Chakravarthy, based on a popular urban legend meme that originated on the imageboard 4chan before gaining notoriety on Reddit. From there it morphed into a fun, popular trope that developers built games around - an alternate reality consisting of endless, poorly-lit rooms inhabited by entities that may or may not be hostile to humans.
Via Oculus
In Sibi’s game, players explore an endless maze of rooms, avoiding dangerous entities in search of the exit. While the game is not directly tied to the original Backrooms lore, it draws heavily from its themes and aesthetics. Initially developed for Oculus (VR), the game gained popularity on TikTok as enthusiastic players shared their experiences and helped to spread the word. With this clear indicator of potential in mind, Chakravarthy created a version of Backrooms for mobile, which was soon featured on the app store in Saudi Arabia, attracting an even wider audience.
Via TikTok
What did players love about Backrooms and what lessons can we glean from this case about achieving viral success? As mobile game publishers with over 10 years and 1.5 billion players under our belts, a few fundamentals are clear. While it goes without saying that implementing these elements cannot guarantee success, getting the basics right can significantly increase the chances of achieving an organic viral boost. Let’s explore.
Via Epic Games
Compatibility across devices and platforms: How people play games varies from region to region, and across demographics. The more people are able to access your game on their device of choice, the more you’re expanding your potential reach.
Solid gameplay mechanics: This is key. Something simple that works well is far better than a glossy, error-filled gaming experience.
Social media optimization: While it’s important to be active on social media yourself, building features that lend to shareability, particularly on fast-paced platforms like Tiktok, is a critical component of any viral success. Create opportunities for shareable moments. A good example of this is how players can easily share screenshots of new animals in Rodeo Stampede.
Via Thinknoodles
Insight: The key to achieving viral success is not about following a set of guaranteed steps. Rather, it's in realizing that viral games aren't accidents, but share key elements that increase their chances of taking off. These elements amount to algorithm velcro.
So you’ve followed these steps, and now there is a solid core of players who love your game and are telling others about it. What next? Here are some ways to build on that in order to achieve the sustained success that keeps your game at the top of the charts.
Insight: Sustained long-term growth doesn't have shortcuts. Whether your game goes viral or not, putting in the right effort with consistency is the foundation of any successful mobile game.
To scale up your game successfully, you must develop a deep understanding of your players over time. Diving into your analytics and understanding your players more deeply can lead to tremendous insights: where are you trending and why? Gaining this kind of awareness of player behavior patterns and demographics will uncover paths for continued growth.
And of course, ASO and UA will be key as you continue scaling up.
Check out our video on increasing your downloads with ASO:
https://youtu.be/YlG4pPeWDl8
Not budgeting enough for UA early on can also hamper growth. You might not think you can afford it, but it can certainly be well worth investing in and testing UA, even if you have to start with a smaller budget. UA testing, ROI aside, will help you understand how to scale up your game and what you should be spending the most time and effort on; it’s like your R&D department.
Insight: As your game grows, you will gain an ever-more precise (data-driven) understanding of your players, and an intuition for what works and what doesn’t. That means fully leveraging growth to generate the insights that will unlock your next stage of growth.
Success doesn't come with a guaranteed blueprint, but diving headfirst into the strategies we’ve covered will help tip the scales in your favor and prepare you to ride the wave of momentum when your game takes off.
Also remember that there are no shortcuts, particularly when it comes to growth over the long term. Developing a curious and iterative mindset will drive you to make data-driven decisions that resonate with your existing players, fueling your next level of growth.
Learn more about how Yodo1 helps game developers at all stages grow their games here.
IP Licensing
31.03.2023
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5 mins read
The gaming industry is one of the fastest-growing segments in entertainment, growing by 26% between 2019 and 2021, and with no signs of slowing down, it continues to provide nearly unlimited scope and opportunity.
Limited-time IP collaborations have become increasingly popular in the industry, and for good reason: they’re an amazing way to reach new players and generate buzz around your game.
As your games continue to grow, you’re probably wondering, what comes next? How can you take your growth to the next level, expand your player base, and maximize your revenue? As experts in limited-time IP collaborations, we have a birds-eye view of which IPs work best with which games, and the factors that lead to the most successful collaborations.
Let’s look at how these exclusive, short-term collaborations between games and films—we’re including TV shows and animation in this catchall term—benefit each side.
Suppose a superhero movie wants to generate buzz around its upcoming film with the ultimate goal of getting more people in the theater. A limited-time collaboration with a game that has clear audience overlap might be just the thing; a win for the game because existing players love exclusive content, while the film’s high-profile IP can bring a new cohort of players into the game. Bonus, a subset of players will connect the dots and realize there's a movie out! This is a true win-win scenario, perhaps best demonstrated by Fortnite, who often drop exclusive skins from an IP collaboration just before a new movie to TV series release, as they did for the release of John Wick 3: Parabellum in 2019—just one among their many successful events.
Image Credit: Early Game
By bringing well-known IPs with millions of fans to the world of a game, developers and studios can tap into a pre-existing fan base, potentially increasing their game's popularity and profitability. Additionally, if a film is involved in the collaboration and has notable talent, such as A-list celebrities, this can generate huge exposure and become a major driver of traffic for the game.
By associating with a successful film franchise, developers can gain significant credibility and enhance their reputation in the industry, which can lead to not only an immediate revenue boost but also increased opportunities for future projects.
Insight: Finding mutually advantageous collaborations can improve your negotiating position and your bottom line.
Practically speaking, games can be developed and released much more quickly than films, thus allowing filmmakers to promote new content and generate excitement among fans before the film's release.
Other pluses include increased audience engagement, expanded reach, and efficient, targeted content promotion giving the IP a chance to experiment and try out new things with a specific demographic. And of course, games often attract a new audience that may not have been exposed to the film, expanding its reach and popularity.
Insight: Collaborations between films and games offer numerous, tangible benefits to both parties, including increased exposure, credibility, and financial success. The trick is finding the right match.
To reap these rewards, however, it’s crucial that game studios do their homework and invest in IPs that match their game’s demographic in order to get the best possible ROI. Understanding your audience will give you insight into the IPs that may work for your game. If you get this wrong, you could be bringing players in who stop playing immediately. If there’s a fundamental mismatch, it’ll be a bad investment.
Let’s explore the current landscape of entertainment IPs in games, to uncover insights and trends to help you reach new plates and continue scaling your game.
Integrations with live-action shows or movies—such as The Walking Dead in Monster Legends and Puzzles & Survival—have obvious big pluses, as they feature famous celebrities that are recognized and loved by many. Harnessing this star power has resulted in some fabulous limited-time partnerships, like the Fortnite x Dune collab in 2021 that brought Paul Atreides and Chani into the game.
In collaborations involving animation, the negotiation process is generally more straightforward, and everything is also much simpler from a production and approval standpoint. Animated films and shows have more assets ready to be used in games, and of course, likenesses are not an issue. The limited-time collaboration between One Punch Man and Overwatch, which started last week and will continue through April 6, is a great example of a crossover generating a lot of buzz in real-time.
Image Credit: Blizzard
Insight: Live-action and animation each come with their advantages. Understanding these in the context of your game and players can make all the difference when choosing an IP to collaborate with.
A majority of the most successful examples of IPs in games involve a fantasy (defined broadly) or sci-fi element. Why? Well, these genres often come with a built-in fanbase and, more importantly, expansive, detailed worlds that lend themselves well to game adaptations. Game developers can take advantage of these pre-existing worlds to create an alternative universe or mix up characters from the IP and the game to create new stories and experiences.
Star Wars is a great example: whether it’s a first-person shooter, racing, or even a puzzle game, there’s a vast treasure house of lore to mine, and an audience that is endlessly excited by it.
Sci-fi and fantasy IPs are primarily male-driven, another point in their favor since, as a group, they are the biggest spenders in mobile games. Overall, the sky is the limit: characters from action films like Top Gun and Jurassic World, fantasy franchises like Lord of the Rings, the MCU, Harry Potter, and Avatar, and the robots from Terminator and Transformers, all offer great opportunities for time-limited collaborations with games. This is a case where there are myriad options for overlapping audiences, like the very successful Transformers x Top War crossover.
Image Credit: Transformer World
Horror and thriller franchises, also popular among the male gamer demographic, can be highly effective when paired with the right type of game and targeting a specific niche of players. Fans of horror and thriller franchises tend to be very loyal, long-time players who are willing to invest both time and money in games that deliver an immersive and terrifying experience. This dedicated fanbase can create a lucrative opportunity for game developers looking to collaborate with these types of IPs. By tapping into the suspense of horror and thriller franchises, game developers can create games that not only entertain and engage players but also capitalize on the pre-existing popularity of these iconic film genres.
Some IPs, however, regardless of popular appeal, don’t lend themselves as well to collaborations. Can you imagine a first-person shooter based on Titanic? Probably not!
Insight: Generally speaking, the gaming potential of an entertainment IP is a function of its scope and how close it sits to reality. Put simply, sci-fi and fantasy worlds have more possibilities.
Interestingly, in the puzzle and simulation genres, women players outnumber men by quite a margin, and now make up a significant percentage of RPG and MMO players too. The challenge is that they tend to prefer drama, romance, as well as other more reality-based programming, and these more realistic IPs have proven harder to incorporate into games in a way that feels authentic. Not impossible, but it’s certainly more of a challenge to find a game these genres can sync with.
So what’s the solution for this increasingly strong demographic? Looking outside the confines of IP as just movies, anime, or TV shows to find matches among other brands. Fashion is a fast-growing appeal. For example, dressing characters and avatars in interactive and simulation games can be a clear and attractive path to incorporate a fashion designer label into the game.
Music is another avenue that can be used to target the female demographic effectively; recent successful examples of live, in-game concerts include BLACKPINK in PUBG Mobile and Ariana Grande in Fortnite, to resounding success.
Insight: Different audiences require creativity in matching IP with appealing interests, but thinking outside the box to brands beyond entertainment can open up new avenues for collaborations.
You may have noticed that we haven’t mentioned campaigns targeted at children. In general, these have not proven the ideal market for limited-time IP collaborations. Due to specific restrictions—for good reason—on advertising aimed at children, most games for younger age groups monetize using a subscription model, making it challenging to monetize the IP once in the game, and the ROI is often not worth it.
Some IPs target game collaborations specifically during premiere launches or other new-content drops. This can be more expensive for games but is usually more than worth it due to extra promotion tied in with the huge marketing campaigns the IPs are already taking on.
Licensors will start discussing game collabs for these big launches about a year in advance, so they can sync these up with other facets of their promotional launch campaigns, so plan well ahead. Large IPs tend to have very loyal fanbases, which can lead these brands to be more conservative in their marketing choices. If it’s a real out-of-the-box collaboration, a newer IP is often more flexible and open to something different.
In practice, the standard is for at least four of the IP’s iconic characters to be introduced to the game; usually several are offered free and the others are purchasable. If there’s something else strongly associated with the brand—a vehicle, weapon, or other recognizable items—these are great to incorporate, too. Amazon Prime show The Boys teamed up with PUBG MOBILE for the former’s Season 3 launch by offering, among others, exclusive Homelander, Soldier Boy, and Starlight super suits, weapon skins, and even a one-of-a-kind parachute.
Image Credit: Variety
Whether it’s characters or items, this is where the limited-time angle of the collaboration comes into play: if you’re a fan, it’s now or never for these special items. That’s why they have to be well-selected so that what is offered generates excitement and FOMO among fans.
Insight: Think ahead, plan well, and make sure your audience knows what’s on offer and that it won’t be around for long–leverage FOMO to your advantage.
If your game is growing steadily but has hit a plateau in terms of players and revenue, or maybe it’s still growing but you want to try something new to attract a new audience and expand revenue further, now is the time to dig in and see if limited-time events are the next step in your growth trajectory and worth the investment.
The goal: increased purchases from existing players who are excited at the new content on offer, and new players who come to the game as fans of the IP. It’s a way to stay relevant if your game has been around for years, or, conversely, a way to put yourself on the map if you haven’t, linking your name with a top IP.
At Yodo1, we’re experienced in creating successful matches between brands and games. We know the ins and outs of licensing details, contracts, and legalities and can help you navigate them—and in many cases, take them off your hands—setting you on the path to a successful pairing. Reach out today to learn how!
Culture
08.03.2023
•
5 mins read
At Yodo1, we’ve championed the importance of equity and diversity from day one. When we launched over 10 years ago, half of our founding team was women, and all these years later, that fact remains true among our leadership team.
Today, we recognize the success of seven incredible women from across Yodo1—and worldwide—who are making waves in the mobile gaming industry. By diversifying perspectives and taking risks, these inspiring women have achieved remarkable growth and built a life they love through mobile games.
Join us as we share their stories and highlight their incredible accomplishments to celebrate International Women’s Day!
Vivien Zhang joined Yodo1 in an entry-level marketing position in 2012. A few years later, she was leading the Chinese marketing department. As Yodo1 became globally focused, Vivien got the opportunity to reinvent herself as head of a completely new IP licensing business unit launched in 2019 called Brands in Games.
As her career was advancing, Vivien also started a family. From newly-wed to new mom, Yodo1’s Work From Anywhere (WFA) policy has given her the flexibility to spend more quality time with her daughter, travel as a family, and strengthen bonds.
Vivien continues to lead her teams in what is now our fastest-growing business line and she has been a member of Yodo1’s executive management team for over five years.
Vivien, how has Yodo1 empowered you?
Over the past ten years, I have grown professionally and started a family at the same time. As a woman, I feel strongly that Yodo1 always trusts and encourages me to take on new challenges and helps me succeed. I’m given the chance and guidance to try new things and even if I eventually fail in some of them, what I learn in the process is still a great treasure to me. Also, the management and my peers respect my personal life and have supported me when I had to deal with family issues.
What advice would you give to other women who want to advance their careers without sacrificing family life?
In current society, women are under even more pressure than men. We have to take care of the kids and family while also being excellent at work.
My suggestion to you is not to lose yourself in all the daily chores and tasks. Remember, you are the most important person in your life. When at work, do your best so there’s no room for regret. Reserve time for yourself and doing what makes you happy.
Trust me, if you do this and stay positive in everything, you will find your life and work getting better!
Elizabeth currently lives in Dublin with her 12-year-old daughter. She joined the Yodo1 team in Beijing in 2014 as an accountant and was later based out of Hong Kong. In 2022, she decided to take full advantage of our Work From Anywhere arrangement and relocate to Ireland for her daughter’s studies.
Moving to a different country and time zone is never easy, but it didn’t stop Elizabeth from being promoted from Accounting Lead to leading the entire Finance Team and earning a spot in management for her outstanding work in transforming Yodo1’s finance function.
Elizabeth, how has Yodo1 empowered you?
Yodo1 embraces our mobility through Work From Anywhere. I’m very glad I’ve continued my job while navigating a new hometown. It empowers me and my daughter, as she can pursue her preferred education. With the flexibility to work from anywhere, we’re able to live in an area with better education opportunities that’s more affordable than in other regions of Hong Kong.
What advice would you give women who are thinking about relocating for work?
It certainly takes a great deal of time and effort to blend into a new environment. Being respectful in a new society is important. Be focused and prepared to explore; get ready to experience a bit of a bumpy ride sometimes and, most importantly, have fun!
Marina moved from her hometown of Barcelona to Beijing in 2017 to study Mandarin. In 2019, after being enticed by the gaming industry, Marina started an entry-level position as a Monetization Manager at Yodo1. After less than six months, she led the team, and one year after that, she became the head of Yodo1’s MAS business unit—managing 30+ people and becoming Yodo1’s youngest-ever business leader.
In 2022, Marina moved to a new challenge, becoming Head of Strategic Partnerships for our Publishing and IP Licensing teams. Today, she is fully focused on expanding our global licensing partnerships and Brands in Games collaborations.
She’s also a certified sailor and can even do a headstand!
Marina, how has Yodo1 empowered you?
Yodo1 allowed me to grow extremely fast in the past four years, trusting me to do things I had never done before. I got the chance to work in the three main business units, engage with, and learn from many different teams around the company.
Working remotely allowed me to be based in Barcelona but have the freedom to travel often for work and pleasure, planning my working hours in a way that best fits me.
I have also been able to hire great team members from all around the world. Not being limited by a geo-location when building a team is extremely empowering and allowed me to hire the best people for each role.
What advice would you give to women who want to stay physically active and socially connected while advancing their careers in a remote work environment?
If you want to advance quickly without sacrificing your health or social life—especially when working remotely—you need to create the right environment for yourself.
Choosing a place to live where you have friends or at least have the chance to meet people is important, as you're going to spend a lot of time working by yourself, connected to your colleagues online but far away physically.
In my case, using a co-working space really helped, as I got to meet new people and have a more stable routine. It feels like having the perks of an office with the freedom of working remotely.
Lastly, I think it's important to make the effort to meet your colleagues in person once a quarter to strengthen personal connections and engagement with the company.
Flo was never interested in a traditional career path. After high school, she left her home country of the Netherlands to volunteer in Asia while pursuing an online college degree and teaching English on the side. Coincidentally, it was when she started running a blog that she landed her first freelance writing work with Yodo1. After a few months, she was offered a part-time and eventually full-time position in the PR department.
The big leap came when Yodo1 closed its Beijing office and went fully remote. Co-founder and Co-CEO James LaLonde asked Flo if she was interested in leading Yodo1’s new global recruiting efforts. Four months after that, she became the Head of HR—leading recruitment and people operations—and hasn’t looked back since.
Flo, how has Yodo1 empowered you?
My boss and mentor was quick to see my potential in areas I’d previously never imagined myself working. Along with new opportunities, I got a lot of coaching, on-the-job learning experience, and—most importantly—a lot of trust to try my hand at a new set of challenges.
I’ve never heard of a company that promotes people as quickly as Yodo1. And it’s super empowering to work alongside so many exceptional women leaders!
What advice would you give to freelancers who want to transition to a full-time career?
Whatever job comes your way, don’t take it unless you’re going to give it your best. Freelancers build their careers by establishing a reputation of excellence, whether the assignment is one hour or one year.
Do the research needed, pay attention to detail, double and triple check. Once you are known for delivering at your best on whatever task you’re given, clients will keep coming back and may even want to bring you on full-time if an opportunity opens up.
Winnie joined Yodo1 in 2019 as a project manager in the Publishing department, handling the game production schedule, ensuring quality releases, and managing external communications.
As she gained more experience and demonstrated her capabilities, she was given the opportunity to take on a bigger role within the team. Now, she oversees the entire game production team, operates multiple projects, and helps run the business unit.
Winnie, how has Yodo1 empowered you?
Yodo1 empowers me by trusting me with increasing responsibilities and providing opportunities for growth and development.
Moving to my new role, I had to start managing people, costs, and strategic direction. One of the biggest challenges I faced was transitioning from a hands-on worker to a more strategic thinker, which required me to learn how to delegate tasks effectively, empower team members to make decisions, and focus on the bigger picture of the business.
Despite the challenges, my work at Yodo1 has been extremely rewarding, allowing me to significantly impact the company. Overall, this role has been an incredible opportunity for growth and development, and I am excited to see where it will take me.
What advice would you give to women wanting to become gaming industry leaders?
I honed leadership skills such as communication, delegation, and decision-making to succeed in my role. I built relationships with key stakeholders. These are important skills to develop.
Additionally, I stay up-to-date with industry trends and best practices to ensure our games remain competitive and engaging for players.
My advice — believe in yourself, develop your skills, seek mentorship and support, and remain persistent in pursuing your goals.
One of our first employees, Nina, joined Yodo1 in the early Beijing days in 2012. Four years later, she left to pursue a different path, and in 2020, she returned to continue her career in gaming. By this time, Yodo1 was a completely different company… and while COVID disrupted work, it didn’t slow Nina’s growth.
Starting as a Product Manager for a publishing project in China, Nina eventually took on the brand new challenge of leading Yodo1’s first globally published game.
Though it required getting out of her comfort zone, Nina stepped up to the plate and led her fully-remote (and now globally distributed team) to success with ARBS, increasing the game’s player base by 50x
Nina, how has Yodo1 empowered you?
At work, Yodo1 gives me a lot of room to play. When I face unknowns, my leaders never give me direct orders, but they provide me with a lot of information and inspiration to explore and learn on my own. My colleagues also share recent discoveries and grow together. I feel that I am making progress every year, every month, and even every day at Yodo1 and this makes me feel more empowered and confident.
There is one more point I want to make about women. For women my age, I am often asked when I am looking for a job in China, "When are you going to get married?" "When are you going to have children?" But the interviewers at Yodo1 never asked anything like this; they were focused on my career plan, professionalism, and potential. This made me feel very well taken care of as a woman.
What advice would you give non-native English speakers wanting to break into a global workspace?
Get out there and talk! Speak out loud. Don't worry about grammar or word choice. The first step is always to speak. People are very tolerant of non-native English speakers. They will encourage you if they understand what you are trying to say and see that you’re making the effort. The more you speak, the more you’ll get used to it and the better you will become!
Nadiia, a digital nomad from Ukraine, was living and working in Vietnam when she decided it was time for a new challenge. She spotted one of Yodo1’s “work from anywhere” job openings and joined the team as a User Acquisition Specialist in 2021. It wasn’t long before she was promoted to UA Team Lead, and in less than a year, she became Head of Game Marketing and a member of our management team!
Nadiia was at a Yodo1 offsite in Thailand when the war started. If not for the trip, she would have been in Ukraine. Today, she is living and working in Canada.
Nadiia, how has Yodo1 empowered you?
Working at Yodo1 helped me keep moving despite the difficult war situation back home and inspired me to grow myself, my skills, and my team.
Receiving constant support from my team has been almost life-saving for me during such a difficult time. But the cherry on top is when I hear testimonials from our developers and receive sincere thanks and positive feedback directly from them. Being in a role where I can directly help developers empowers me greatly!
What advice would you give to women wanting to enter the gaming industry?
With focus and determination, nothing can stop you from succeeding, so keep moving towards your goals!
Ready to grow with us? Check out our Careers page!
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