Trolls vs Vikings II prepares to Launch
Although the second installment of Trolls vs Vikings is set to be released publically around March 2017, the lucky ones can enjoy it already in Norway, Canada and the Philippines.This is as a test period to collect vital metrics. The commercial release will take place around next year March, founder Jørgen Tharaldsen says.
Everything taking place now is in preparation for the commercial launch. Trolls vs Vikings has been in launch mode now for about 8 months, testing different aspects of the game and measuring what users respond to. The team has decided first to launch with Android for test purposes, but will release both for IOS and Android when officially launching. Android is a “faster turnaround platform”. Using Google allows Megapop (the company who designs Trolls vs Vikings), more flexibility with their testing. Google applies less stringent rules for deploying new versions and allows AB testing. AB testing lets developers test different screenshots on different users and observe what users respond to best. “We made about 30 or 40 different icons for the game, tons of screenshots, lots of different texts, so we just experiment with those in the market,” explained Jørgen.
For those who aren’t familiar with Trolls vs Vikings, it is a mobile phone game based on Norwegian folklore and history. You as a player are enlisted to help Emma (a sweet troll) defend her people against greedy Vikings trying to steal their gold. Trolls and vikings each have special personalities and abilities. For those who are familiar with Trolls vs Vikings I some changes you can expect are new and interesting ways to play, more play time, a different economy system and some simpler play. Additionally Megapop has changed the content creation system to a “procedural” one. This gives the game large amounts of content. “We automatically generate the levels… based upon a lot of templates, the game will generate challenges by itself based upon certain parameters like where you are, what level you are on and what kind of viking or troll you’re meeting…” said Jørgen.
Emma, the troll
When I asked Jørgen whether or not they would consider moving towards console games, he said “Never say never, but right now we won’t”; and continued to explain how the gaming market is very fast paced but right now mobile is the biggest platform in terms of player base and revenue as well. Looking at the game market some interesting observations are the rate at which mobile games are gaining market share. In 2016 revenue from mobile games is $36,9 billion (27% of the market), and console games have 29%. Further predictions are that by 2017 market share of mobile games to console games will be 30% to 28% and in 2018 a further takeover of 32% to 27%
Newzoo: Free Global Games Market, 2016
These stats can be misleading however, if not put into context. Overall revenue is set to increase over these years from $99,6 billion (2016) to $106,5 bn (2017) and in 2018 to $112,5 bn. Perhaps there is a cross over from console to mobile, but it is more widely viewed as an ability of mobile games to capture new markets for gaming, and this is the phenomenon. Mobile games cater to a different group of people from console games, they are not in competition (largely) with them. A simple stat such as: 53% of mobile gamers in 2015 were female versus 41% of video gamers in 2015 were female (Entertainment Software Association, 2015), tells much about the demographics for mobile versus console games.
An interesting market with interesting developments. It’ll be exciting to see what the future holds, for now however it holds Trolls vs Vikings II!
Originally published at www.meshnorway.com.
