Clash of Clans has been attracting attention not just for its huge popularity with gamers, but for the enormous commercial success makers Supercell have enjoyed. In 2013, Air Herald reported that Clash of Clans contributed to Supercell’s revenue of $892 million (on the back of just two games), and with daily revenue from Clash of Clans now predicted to be over $5 million, one can conclude they have crossed the billion dollar mark some time ago.
It turns out that the secret of Clash of Clans ‘ success might be no secret at all. Clash of Clans , instead, is a demonstration of what can be achieved through a combination of smart marketing, consistent testing, and better execution than competitors of tried-and-tested core gameplay elements.
The link exploited by Clash of Clans between resource gathering, building bases, and enabling more effective combat is extremely addictive. It was first seen in the genre-defining Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty ( The Battle for Arrakis in Europe). Much like in Clash of Clans , resources (in the form of Spice) were essential to constructing an effective base from which to construct better units and wage war more effectively. Better units in both Dune and Clash of Clans require better buildings, which requires more resource gathering, and so the addictive loop seen in Clash of Clans is complete, keeping players hooked.
Of course, Clash of Clans , launched 30 years after Dune can draw on greater technology to keep fans hooked for longer. Experienced growth hacker (marketer) Nate Desmond explains that Clash of Clans sees developers able to continually test and roll out new game components. Continually chasing the next level of unit, building, and achievement, not only achieves coverage of those Clash of Clans features , but keeps players hooked for longer as it moves their goals further into the future.
Taking advantage of online gameplay also takes Clash of Clans’ success further than could have been achieved at the time Dune was released and allows them to take advantage of the community they are building around the game. Those who are interested (or addicted enough to Clash of Clans ) can head to Helsinki on October 24, 2015 for the Clash of Clans fan convention, or ClashCon for 99 Euros.
Supercell have demonstrated, with Clash of Clans , that through a combination of tried-and-tested gameplay, taking advantage of the power of online gaming, constant testing, and better execution of a marketing strategy, a billion-dollar gaming empire can be forged. If Clash of Clans continues to be supported by well-tested upgrades, millions of dollars in advertising and live community events, we could see Clash of Clans near the top of the download charts for some time to come.
Do you think Clash of Clans can keep innovating and keep you playing into 2016? We’d love to hear what you think.
[Image Source: Supercell / For Media]