Android App of the Month – Clash of Clans

You may have seen the news this week as Supercell, the company behind Clash of Clans, released a new Virtual Reality advert for its top title. The advert immerses you, the viewer, right into the middle of a Clash of Clans battle – letting you see from the perspective of dragons, archers and barbarians

It’s not the first time the game’s advertising has hit the headlines. YouTube published a list of the top gaming videos and right at the top, with over 84million views, was Clash of Clans featuring Liam Neeson in good Taken form.

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But good advertising isn’t the only thing that makes Clash of Clans one of the most popular gaming apps out there. The game has stood out for its addictive and highly engaging format. By combining elements of traditional table top gaming with the latest online and mobile trends Clash of Clans appeals to both old school and new school gamers.

Its popularity means we probably don’t need to go into much detail about the game. The chances are that you’ve already spent hours building up your defences and declaring battles on your enemies (we don’t blame you).

But for those in the dark, Clash of Clans sees users constructing their own village, training warriors to send to battle, raiding and pillaging resources from other users around you.

 

The more trophies you earn, the higher in rank you will climb. The ultimate goal is to work your way to the top – the Champion class, through earning enough money to upgrade your village, train your soldiers, and develop the best strategies for both offense and defence.

The top players can spend nearly all their waking hours on the app, upgrading their entire village and battling with their neighbours.

Supercell has monetised the game with a ‘freemium’ model meaning the app is free to download but constantly tempts the user to speed up their upgrades or purchase new developments with real money. Occasionally, the top gamers can make a bit of money back by posting live-streams of their attacks on sites such as YouTube
and Twitch.

Supercell seems to have its approach to monetisation sorted. All three of its top titles (including Hay Day and Boom Beach) are on the top 10 list of highest grossing gaming apps. Where does this success come from? Some of it seems to be the result of the company’s respect for quality and good user experience. This means the user gets a lot for their initial download. Rather than requiring a load of spend just to make it worthwhile putting time into the game, Clash of Clans is thoroughly enjoyable from the off. Once you’re addicted though, the temptation to put down some cash to sate your impatience becomes incredibly powerful.

For game developers Clash of Clans is one of those examples that ticks all the boxes and shows how to develop and monetise a game really well. When they bring out a virtual reality advert it’s because they’re confident they’ve got something worth shouting about.

If you haven’t already, give Clash of Clans a download and check it out for yourself. If Clash of the Clans isn’t for you, why not get in touch and tell us about your favourite game.

by Sony Mobile PR Team via Blog Portal