Yup, I like detailed failure stories because it always give more insights versus success stories which can have the "survivor bias". So, get a cup of coffee and sit in a comfy chair because it's a long read (but not boring):

http://gamasutra.com/blogs/AdriaanDeJongh/20150527/244437/Closing_Game_Oven_numbers_and_struggles.php

So now I can play games while baking cakes. Tasty.

Interesting post as always catpower.

"iOS, iOS, iOS, iOS, Android, iOS, Android, iOS, Android..."

No wonder they closed.

Well, I'm pretty sure that if you hang around the hastag screenshotsaturday tomoroow, there will be tons of games you've never heard of and probably will never see again ;)
https://twitter.com/hashtag/screenshotsaturday

Also, the mobile market is quite special with all these "unknown" titles. Last video of Pewdiepie shows what could be a potential bestseller on steam
https://youtu.be/klZaeTk8H2w

PS; In fact, I exchanged a few tweets with the author a while ago, so I'm biased :o)

Yeah, looking at the choice of platforms makes me scratch my head (and explains why i never heard of them before). It depends on what the games are, but the mobile market is... very cutthroat, with most products are free with heavy emphasis on ads...

Not to mention when iOS updates, it often breaks games and applications until they are re-submitted, and some devs just refuse to update because they don't have the time and money to invest in it.

yeah no wonder i never heard of them either

Great read. Thanks for sharing this.

I had no idea developers could track pirated games like that. Interesting to see China and Russia are indeed the lead pirates. :)

I guess you already have to be versed in their lingo to know what they're talking about.

For example, they say, "We had a preference towards the premium game business model in which every sale comes down to doing marketing well". Later they add, "Also, the overall piracy percentage of 35% only applies to premium games and doesn't include the downloads of our barely pirated free-to-download games".

I have no idea what "the premium game business model" is.

Is it 'games sold as-is with no in-game shop to buy more stuf'? Is it the name of a specific Apple or Google App Store marketing choice? Maybe it means they'll be selling boxed copies in stores like Best Buy? Or..? Who knows...

Besides that, they tell us things like, "Imagine trying to show someone the fun of Fingle or Bounden or Friendstrap using only screen captures!!".

I mean - just imagine! Since I have no idea what these games are or how they look or how they are played, I guess I have to imagine it. (Sure I could google it; but t's just more 'assumed knowledge' - I'll pass..)

They also reinforce why I avoid all that "smartphone" stuff: "tracking ID's". Everyone loves to "track" everyone these days. Thanks, but no thanks. Want my dollars? I'll buy stuff that doesn't wantonly "track" me. Yeah, I know - in that case, no one wants my dollars. That's fine. I'll spend elsewhere..

Overall it's nice to see these "post-mortem" articles. Even when they assume certain 'business lingo' knowledge on the part of the reader.

so they open sourced their game engine or are they planning on, would love to take a pick on it

Yes. Basically, it's the "standard" business model for games (or used to be), which is you make a game, and then sell it to people.

Yes and no ==>> Premium means an upfront payment to get access to the game like we do on GOG, etc. After that, there could be or not an in-game shop or some kind of DLC.

From the same lingo, "Freemium" is the equivalent of F2P (aka "free to play" ^o^).

Okay, thanks for the explanations.

So if I have the gist: "Premium" is just the label used to say "you pay up front - regardless if there's other things to buy later or not", versus (I suppose) "freemium" which means "free download to start playing - may or may not (but probably does) have more stuff to buy ('in-app store').

We will be telling the same story with Sega and Konami in a few years, I'm sure.

The mobile market is a big bubble which will burst soon all will destroy every company tied to it, for some companies it already did (Zynga, Rovio).

A fascinating read. I agree with you about business failure stories generally providing more insights than success stories.