Pocket Gems Developers Share Tips on How to Extend the Lifespan of Mobile Games

Mobile game company Pocket Gems, drawing on its own product Tap Paradise Cove, explains to readers how to maximize a game’s lifecycle in five key areas.*Paradise Cove* was released in 2012. At that time, the average lifespan of a mobile game was one month. However, looking at the mobile gaming industry as a whole, if a game gains popularity among players, developers will continue to introduce new features and updates, allowing such games to remain popular for several years.For example, *Puzzle & Dragons*, released by GungHo in 2012, and Supercell’s *Clash of Clans* remain at the top of the best-seller charts in many countries to this day. *Paradise Cove* also remained in the top 50 of the best-seller charts for 100 consecutive weeks. 

Maximizing the lifecycle of a mobile game largely depends on developers’ ongoing, meaningful updates to the game’s content, features, and gameplay. Pocket Gems’ goal has always been to operate games as a service (Game as a Service), ensuring that players experience something fresh and exciting every time they play.Another approach is to introduce hardcore gameplay mechanics after players have initially been drawn in by the game’s casual elements. Below, the game’s founder shares five strategies for maximizing a mobile game’s longevity.

1. Frequent updates

Currently, successful mobile games on the market are constantly updated, with major updates released almost every month. Developers don’t simply wait for revenue to rise after launching a product; they need to continuously provide content updates to increase player retention. On top of that, players look forward to new visual effects and characters.We’ve found that repeatedly adding side quests to a game can boost user retention even when player activity dips for a period of time. While this may seem unbelievable to smaller teams, reusing existing resources in fresh and engaging ways—and launching in-game events that encourage players to create their own content—are extremely effective strategies for building a sustainable content cycle.Pocket Gems’ core technology allows us to quickly modify in-game assets and values.

2. Continuously iterate on the game's main quests

A successful mobile game developer should treat the launch day as the “first day” of the game’s development. In addition to frequent content updates, adding new features and game modes will provide existing players with fresh and varied experiences. For example, a few months after the release of *Paradise Harbor*, we introduced a new gameplay mechanic: pirates can attack towns built by players.The pirates would hover at the top of the screen, and your town would come under attack until you returned to the game to defeat them. A month later, we built on this by adding PvP combat elements, which represented a massive upgrade for the game and propelled our series to incredible new heights.

3. Incorporate authentic social features

Every successful mobile game incorporates some level of social functionality, and most successful game companies are highly skilled in this area. Offering features that allow players to interact with friends—whether passively or actively—plays a crucial role in the lifecycle of a mobile game. For Pocket Gems,

We sought an effective way to interact with friends through the game. Creating an AI to send game invitations to friends was not an effective approach. However, while PVP game mechanics might traditionally be viewed as a “hardcore” game mechanic, when we introduced this mode into the game and allowed players to invite friends to battle, retention rates skyrocketed.Additionally, *Candy Crush Saga* introduced a one-click Facebook feature that shares friends’ map rankings, allowing players to clearly see their friends’ progress and rankings in the game, which subtly enhanced the game’s social features.

4. Enhance the game's core loop mechanics

In addition, drawing on experience from previous games, we’ve expanded the game’s core loop—that is, broadened the core gameplay—to provide players with a deeper interactive experience. *Paradise Harbor* was initially launched as a casual game—a simulation, exploration, and building game—but over time, we’ve expanded its core gameplay by adding more activities. Through this process, the game has become more engaging,and the game’s lifespan has significantly increased. Today, the game is no longer limited to the simple house-building and coin-collecting mechanics of the original version; players can now craft items, go on voyages, and battle pirates, among other activities. Retaining existing players is easier than acquiring new ones, so adding depth to the game’s content from the perspective of veteran players is one of the keys to our success.

5. Interacting with Players

Finally, we’ll make players an integral part of the game’s ongoing updates. We’ll maintain constant communication with players, analyze player data, and respond to player feedback.The success of a mobile game as a service depends on the ability to evolve and update the game over time. Continuous iteration, listening to players, optimizing the game based on feedback, and adding new features all help developers retain existing users and attract new ones.

(This article is sourced from Gamasutra and translated by Game Teahouse. Please credit the source if you wish to repost it.)

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