Since the release of Unity 4 earlier this year, the Flash exporting function of Unity came out of beta to become a full-featured add-on. During the beta period, I’ve created a bridge to enable MochiAds integration into a Unity flash game. That original bridge and article can be found here, but isn’t compatible with the current build of Unity anymore. Besides that, Mochi Media hasn’t been sleeping either and introduced their new Mochi API 4.1.1. Reason enough to update the bridge. Now because of the amount of changes in the Mochi API (new CPA ads etc.) and the major changes in the Unity Flash exporter, this update needed some redesigning. And since both Mochi and Unity are awesome, the cupid inside of me made the love just a little bit bigger by adding support for more features than in the first bridge version (like inter-level ads and lots of callbacks).

Let’s get ready

First you’ll need to download Unity, FlashDevelop and the bridge files:

• Unity3D (The bridge should work with 3.5.7 and 4.x)
• Flash Develop (I’m using version 4.3.0 RTM in this demo)
• The Mochi-Unity3D bridge and the FlashDevelop .AS files.

Ready! Next please!

So you’re one step closer to awesomeness? Then lets not waste any more time and get Mochi Ads integrated intro your next big hit game!

First, set up your game in your Mochi Ads Dashboard

• If you don’t have a Mochi Ads account yet, sign up here.
• Add the game to your account.
• Once added, you can create leader boards, awards etc..

Second, let’s prepare your game in Unity3D

• Import the MochiUnityBridge_v0.9.unitypackage file (Assets->Import Package->Custom Package)
• In your FIRST scene, drag the MochiObject prefab (from the prefabs folder) to your hierarchy
• *Optionally, you can set the Award notice in the inspector when you’ve selected the MochiObject*Format can be: “ShortForm”, “LongForm” or “NoForm”Alignment can be: “ALIGN_TL”, “ALIGN_T”, “ALIGN_TR”, “ALIGN_L”, “ALIGN_C”, “ALIGN_R”, “ALIGN_BL”, “ALIGN_B”, “ALIGN_BR”. For Top Left, Top, Top Right, etc.
• You only have to call the methods to the API from here on! Check the list of functions below.
• Build the game (File -> Build Settings)*Make sure all the scenes you use are added to the build and the selected platform is flash. Uncheck “development build” and set the Flash version to 11.2 or higher (I suggest a minimum of 11.2 due to more supported features and video cards). Also keep in mind that the Mochi Live Updates wrapper might run a little behind (you can check the latest supported version in the drop-down when uploading a game using Live Updates, currently up to FP 11.5 is supported)

Next, making a build with FlashDevelop

• Open FlashDevelop and create a new project (Project -> New project -> AS3 project)
• Set the project properties (Project -> properties) to the Flash Player version you also used to export you game with in Unity and your game dimensions.
• Add the with-Unity-created .swf file to the “src” folder.
• Add the embeddingapi.swc (UnityShared.swc in Unity 3) file to the “lib” folder and add it to the library (In FlashDevelop- right click -> Add to Library)
• Download the latest Mochi API from your dashboard.
• Add the mochi folder to the “lib” folder. Right click on the “lib” folder and check “Source Path”.
• Replace Main.as in the “src” folder with the Main.as from the resources downloaded earlier.
• In this new Main.as change MOCHI_GAME_ID to your mochi game id.
• Also in this Main.as change GAME_NAME.swf to your games swf name (should be the same as in the “src” folder)
• Add MochiStuff.as from the resources to the “src” folder
• Create 3 images in the games dimensions that should be shown 1. while loading, 2. If wmode is not direct, 3. if Stage3D is not being used. Add these images to your “src” folder with the names: “loading.jpg”, “wmode_not_direct.jpg” and “no_stage3d.jpg”
• Build your project! (set configuration to “Release” then go to Project -> Build Project).
• The game should now have been published to the “bin” folder. You can upload this .swf file in your MochiAds dashboard! Make sure to use live updates if you want to use a pre-game ad.
• Ad “Stage3D” as a keyword in the game settings. This will make sure the game shows up as a Stage3D enabled game in the feeds and will set the mode to direct on Mochi’s game page.

Do you have a demo of how this stuff works?

Of course! See the little play button in the image below? Click it!

More demo’s, I want more demo’s!

Alright then, here’s a demo video.

Stage3D

Keep in mind that all Flash games created with Unity3D use Stage3D, therefore the game HAS TO BE embedded with the wmode set to direct. Most portals don’t do this yet, which is obviously bad for distribution. Don’t forget to use “Stage3D” as a keyword on your Mochi Ads game settings page.

I did it! Hooray!

That’s awesome. Please share your game with us on the forums!

I tried, but your bridge sucks!

Didn’t get it to work? Let me know on the forums and I’ll try to help!

Available MochiAds methods

// Log a gameplay MochiObject.startPlay();

// Log a gameplay end MochiObject.endPlay();

// Show a leader board MochiObject.showLeaderBoard(string leaderBoardID);

// Send a score to a leader board MochiObject.sendScore(string leaderBoardID, int score);

// Send a score to a leader board with a player name MochiObject.sendScoreWithName(string leaderBoardID, int score, string playerName);

// Show awards MochiObject.showAwards();

// Unlock an award/achievement MochiObject.unlockAchievement(string achievementID);

// Show a click-away ad at position x, y MochiObject.showClickAwayAd(int xpos, int ypos);

// Hide the click-away ad MochiObject.hideClickAwayAd();

// – X AND Y: This represents an X, Y offset from the center. Default: 0

// – adCount: The number of ads to display in the showcase. Default: 5

// – adSize: Force dimensions for all Ads displayed. Default: 90

// – userClose: Allow the use to close the Showcase ad. Default: true MochiObject.loadShowCaseAd(int x, int y, int adCount, int adSize, bool userClose)

// Close the showcase ad MochiObject.closeShowCaseAdGroup();

// Open the closed showcase ad MochiObject.openShowCaseAdGroup();

// – position: Position of the Dock ads. Default: “bottom”. Options are: “top”, “bottom”, “left”, “right”, “top_left”, “top_right”, “bottom_left”, “bottom_right”, “left_top”, “left_bottom”, “right_top”, “right_bottom”.

// – adCount: The number of ads to display in the showcase.

// – adSize: Force dimensions for all Ads displayed. MochiObject.loadDockAd(string position, int adCount, int adSize);

// Close the dock ad MochiObject.closeDockAdGroup();

// Open the closed dock ad MochiObject.openDockAdGroup();

// Slide the dock ad open MochiObject.openDockSlider();

// Show an interlevel ad. showBackGround default: true MochiObject.showInterLevelAd(bool showBackGround);

Callback functions

There are also a bunch of callback functions available, such as for when the interlevel ad is finished, when a user closes a showcase ad, etc. For the complete list of functions and to use them, you can find them in MochiObject.cs

© paralogic for MochiLand, 2013. | Permalink | One comment

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Some may remember a nifty feature we used to support called Universal Data Storage. This feature was tied to our login system, which we deprecated late last year. At the time, that meant that it had to go away as well.

We thought Universal Data Storage was actually a pretty valuable feature for developers, so we have been working hard to re-create it in a way that isn’t reliant on any other product or system here at Mochi Media.

I am happy to announce that today we have re-released the all-new Universal Storage feature in the updated Mochi Media API v.4.1.0!

What is Universal Data Storage?

Universal Data Storage is a feature that allows developers to pass keys and user ids to our system to persist your game data.

This is particularly useful for things such as saving player progress in games, and with this new and improved version, it is possible for developers to make your persisted data computer-agnostic (i.e. your persisted data doesn’t need to rely on the player always playing your game from the same machine).

Developer features:

• Persist data for your games
• Not reliant on any other Mochi Media product or service

Get the Universal Data Storage feature by downloading the updated Mochi Media API v.4.1.0!

© Colin Cupp for MochiLand, 2013. | Permalink | 2 comments

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Explore Platform & Growth Opportunities at Inside Social Apps Conference

If you’re part of the social, mobile, app, or entertainment industries, you shouldn’t miss this June’s Inside Social Apps Conference in San Francisco. You’ll have the opportunity to hear from industry leaders including Deb Liu, Product Manager at Facebook, Travis Boatman, Senior VP of Mobile at Zynga, and Ben Liu, CEO of PocketGems.

Tackle key issues and explore new opportunities facing social and mobile apps and games, including monetization, app and game design, marketing, and growth on established and emerging platforms, including iOS, Android, Facebook, and more.

Sessions will focus in on Trends in Social & Mobile Advertising, Social Monetization and Payments in Games, Mobile App Discovery, How Developers Can Successfully Monetize the Multi-Platform Landscape, and Developing Cross-Platform. Explore the full program here.

You’ll explore ideas and business opportunities with like-minded developers, marketers, investors, brand managers, app publishers, mobile platform innovators, and more during conference sessions, coffee breaks, and a cocktail reception.

Featured session:

Maximizing Player Engagement with In-Game Incentives: This panel is designed specifically for game developers to discuss engagement and design opportunities, including rewarding players. Gabriel Leydon of Machine Zone, Andy Kleinman of Scopely, Scott Prather of PlayPhone, and Arseny Lebedev of Signus Labs will lead the session.

PERK: As a Mochi Media reader, you’ll save 15% off your gold passport to the event when you enter the promo-code: MM15 and register here.

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As a Mochi Media reader, you’ll save 15% off your gold passport to the event when you enter the promo-code: MM15 and register here.

Featured speakers include Travis Boatman of Zynga, Tommy Palm of King.com, Gabriel Leydon of Machine Zone, Olive Lo of App Annie, Niccolo de Masi of Glu Mobile, Bret Terrill of 12 Gigs, and more.

Session topics include:
-Going Social with Entertainment and E-Commerce Apps
-Understanding Analytic, Platform Opportunities
-The Challenge of Mobile App Discovery
-Maximizing Audience Engagement with Real World Incentives
Explore the full program here.

Everyone and anyone interested in this evolving industry and preparing their business, app, or skills for the future should not miss out on this opportunity to hear from top industry leaders and add valuable contacts to their networks. You’ll receive advice from our panels of experts and learn successful tactics, tools, and opportunities to drive business forward.

Save 15% with our code: MM15. You’ll also save an extra $300 off on-site prices when you register before April 25.

© Colin Cupp for MochiLand, 2013. | Permalink | One comment

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I am happy to announce that the new CPA ad products from Mochi Ads are now available in public beta! We plan to keep optimizing this over the next few weeks, but we wanted to get it in developers’ hands as soon as possible.

What is it?

Our intention in creating this new set of ad products was to give developers a flexible, unobtrusive ad that they could utilize anywhere in the game to help boost their revenue. This new CPA ad type also enables us to reach a new category of advertisers (like MMOs), who purchase most or all of their advertising via CPA.

The new Mochi Ads CPA products are based on the “cost per action” or “cost per acquisition” advertising model where advertisers pay once a specific pre-determined action is taken. Because payouts happen once an action has been taken, CPA ads are not paid out on an impression or click-thru basis.

Each ad campaign will have its own unique pre-determined action that is required for payout, so not all campaigns will be the same. The new CPA ad products will enjoy the same revenue share as all of the other products in the Mochi Ads family.

Examples of possible paid actions:

• New user registration
• If the advertisement is for an MMO game, a payable action could be the purchase of an item within that game (note: deeper actions like this also have higher payouts)

The CPA products consist of a bar with 5 (default) ad slots. Each ad within the bar will include a 90×90 graphic, link, and short copy text (visible on the rollover). Placement and use of these ad products is completely up to the developer, with the ability to be placed anywhere inside the game.

Developer features

• Location: you can place the new CPA ads virtually anywhere in your game
• Visibility: the Dock version allows you to conceal the ad unless a player mouses over a particular section
• Scaling: developers can scale the ads to properly fit their games
• Ad quantity: developers have the option to limit the number of ads displayed to as few as 3, with a maximum of 5
• Traffic share*: developers will be able to participate in traffic share ads for this new product, but we will only show traffic share ads from developers whom have implemented a CPA ad in at least one game

Sponsor feature

We have included a feature for game sponsors as well! Game sponsors that Mochi Media currently works with will get a dedicated ad slot in each instance of a Mochi Ads CPA product within their sponsored game.

Showcase & Dock

The new CPA ad comes in two different flavors: Showcase & Dock.

In the Showcase version, the ad is scaled a little larger by default and is static. The ad can be placed anywhere, and is always visible.

In the Dock version, the ad will appear when the player first lands on the screen where the ad is implemented, and will then slide off-screen leaving only a small tab at the edge of the screen. The ad will re-appear when the player mouses over the area of the game screen where the small tab is located. The ad location is determined by the developer.

When should I use it?

This new ad should be used in addition to other Mochi Ads products, helping to really boost your overall ad revenue. Any pause in gameplay is potentially a good time to implement one of these ads (such as menu screens, between levels, shops, etc.).

Note: Even though it is possible, the CPA ad is not really intended to be used on its own. Additionally, use of only the CPA ad in a game will not qualify that game for Mochi Media distribution.

What does it look like?

Here are a few games that are already using this new ad product:

• Papa’s Burgeria
• Dibbles 3
• Papa’s Taco Mia
• City Siege 4: Alien Siege
• Firebug

A few screen shots:

Bearbarians: Showcase ad on the menu screen, player can click the “X” to close.

Takeover: Dock ad slides down from top-left corner (slides back after a few seconds).

Firebug: Dock ad slides out from left (slides back after a few seconds)

Papa’s Burgeria: Dock ad slides out from right (slides back after few seconds), and has been scaled down in size. (while it is up to the developer to do this, we do expect that scaled down ads will lead to diminished performance)

Public beta- how can I try it?

We’re calling this a public beta because we are still working on optimizing this new ad product. The more games and advertisers we get integrated into the new ecosystem, the better it will perform. Ready to get started?!

1. Download the latest version of the Mochi API
2. Follow the documentation for “Dock” & “Showcase” ads

* Traffic share and sponsor ads are obviously not CPA. Even though this is the case, for communications purposes we will continue referring to this new set of products as “CPA ads”.

© Colin Cupp for MochiLand, 2013. | Permalink | 10 comments

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This week’s Flash Game Friday winner is Spaceman vs. Monsters by BestPhysics.com!

Spaceman vs. Monsters is a clever and well thought-out puzzle platformer. You are a spaceman, and your goal is to escape the monster while rescuing your fellow space travelers. Each level presents you with a unique challenge and set of tools to overcome them. It’s your job to solve the riddle to move on!

Spaceman vs. Monsters is a fun, engaging puzzle platformer with a great artistic style, well-designed levels, and nice physics. Congratulations Bestphysics.com!

Get To Know Bestphysics.com

Tell me about yourself- how many people are on your team? Where are you based?

I’m Sergiy and live in Lviv, Ukraine. I worked on this game together with Zhenya Volik who did the all graphics (I dealt with programming and level design).

How long have you been making games? What did you do before?

I can hardly remember now, I tried to make my first game about ten years ago but I never finished. After that I tried again a couple of times but nothing good came out. But when I started to maked a Flash game 3 and a half years ago I had the intention to finish it. I made it in my spare time …it took a while to finish.  I did not have much experience in programming games, I could not draw at all. But it was my dream to make a game, and I finally did finish it.

Then I learned that games can bring profit, and one day I sold my game and it was fantastic. It was a hobby that brought money, it’s something you can only dream about. At that time I had been working in a big IT outsourcing company. After having made a couple of games I decided to leave the job and dedicated myself to game development.

What was your inspiration for “Spaceman vs. Monsters”?

We had been inspired by the game Hambo 2. At first it seemed very much alike but we tried a unique gameplay. I hope we managed to do it but in any case thanks to  Rob Donkin & robotJAM for inspiration and a super game.

Did you encounter any major challenges or hurdles during development?

There are nine types of weapons in the game, and it was chellenging to make them work altogether. There are also  many levels in the game, and it took a lot of time to make and test them all.

What types of games do you like to create the most? What types of games do you like to play the most?

Most of my games are puzzles but I got a bit tired of them and am thinking about making a platformer (or something else). If we talk about “big” games, I like to play RPG, action and some strategies..

How long is your game creation cycle? What is your process?

Usually it takes 1-2 months to make a game. When I have an idea of a game I ask advice of Zhenya and try to make a prototype. Then I look at what comes out and think if it is worthwhile to go on or not. I always show the prototype to my wife Olya who gives me her honest opinion, apart from the times when there are zombies in the game  (cause she’s not going to look anyway). In this case I show the game to someone else. ;)

If the prototype turns out to be good, I begin developing the game (which is always chaotic because the process is unpredictable). When the game is almost ready I add the sounds, test the game, and ask to play my friends. At this stage you find out that there are still many thing to work out.

Well, practically after that the game is ready.

Are there any game developers that you admire or consider “rock stars”?

Juicy Beast , LongAnimals, and a special thanks from my three year-old daughter who is a fan of the games made by ROBIN VENCEL from pencilkids.com :)

What is it about making a new game that you enjoy most?

It is the moment when your idea is being implemented in the game- it makes you feel like a creator.

The thing I don’t like is the polishing of the game (when you think that the game is almost done but you keep finding something to be fixed).

Do you have any hot projects you’re working on right now?

I have just finished a puzzle about hungry hedgehogs called Winter Insomnia and started to make a platformer, but maybe it will be a completely different game genre.

Thanks Sergiy, and good luck with Winter Insomnia!

© Colin Cupp for MochiLand, 2013. | Permalink | 2 comments

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Photo collage from previous HTML5 Developer Conferences

Conference Site, Registration Info:

http://html5devconf.com/

The HTML5 Developer Conference, currently the largest JavaScript and HTML5 Developer Conference in the world thanks to people like you, will be held on April 1-3 at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. This time we are as per requests expanding our training offerings on the third day so check them out if you want to explore some topics in more depth.

We are excited to welcome both new and returning experts. Along with returning favorites we are grateful to some speakers coming for the first time, many making a special trip from outside the area and country.  You can see our current speaker lineup here, which you can check back to see updates as they come.

Early bird tickets are available. Our ticket prices start lower and increase.

We’ve expanded last year’s successful Training Classes selection, which now includes:

• Git & Github Foundations by Matthew McCullough
• Functional JavaScript Programming by Brian Lonsdorf
• JavaScript: The “What You Need To Know” Parts by Kyle Simpson
• Backbone.js and Ember by Chris Nelson
• Web Development with HTML5 by Rick Hurst
• Learn How to Use Node.js In Production by Christian Sanz

Training classes are all on April 3rd, while the conference days are April 1-2. We are proud to offer this quality lineup of instructors.

As HTML5DevConf holds its 4th conference, we hold to our responsibility and community contribution in being a developer-friendly conference by:

• Continuing to offer a diverse group of some of the best speakers in the industry on leading edge topics.
• Continuing to offer the most reasonable price at possibly the most difficult location in the world to do it in — our beloved downtown San Francisco.
• Still being a grass roots event run created people who never wanted to be anything but developers.

Have questions? Email Ann or Dave at organizers@html5devconf.comor tweet us @html5devconf.

© Colin Cupp for MochiLand, 2013. | Permalink | One comment

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We are happy to announce speakers and Mochis Award Show finalists for FGS 5!

FGS 5 Speakers

After a long process of speaking proposal submissions and Advisory Board evaluations, we have selected the best of the best to speak at this year’s conference. Meet the FGS 5 speakers!

• Luc Beaulieu, CTO, Frima Studio
• Carl Callewaert, Product Evangelist, Unity Technologies
• Chris Condon, Game Developer, Con Artist Games
• John Cooney, Game Developer, Kongregate
• Jean-Philippe Doiron, Principal Architect R&D, Frima Studio
• Stephen Harris, Co-Founder, Ninja Kiwi
• Thibault Imbert, Sr. Product Manager, Adobe Systems
• Simon Lachance, Co-founder, Berzerk Studio
• Josh Larson, CEO, Mochi Media, Inc.
• Ethan Levy, Co-founder, Quarter Spiral
• Danny Parker, Head of Technology, Ninja Kiwi Europe
• James Pearmain (Jimp), Freelance Game Artist
• Ryan Schaefer, Associate Director of Development, Monster Media

Meet all of the speakers and learn more about their sessions by visiting the FGS 5 Speakers page!

Mochis Award Show Finalists

After more than 1,400 total submissions for the annual Mochis Award Show, we have our 30 finalists that will compete for the final prize in each of the 10 categories! We are also pleased to announce that our host for the Mochis Award Show this year will be Mike Pollack (a.k.a. Tasselfoot). Visit the Mochis Award Show page for more details!

Best Game Art

1. Knightmare Tower
2. Super Adventure Pals
3. Jacksmith

Best Strategy Game

1. Bloons Tower Defense 5
2. Takeover
3. The Last Stand: The Dead Zone

Best Shooter Game

1. Strike Force Heroes
2. Pirateers!
3. Decision 2: New City

Best Action Game

1. Abobo’s Big Adventure
2. Knightmare  Tower
3. Rogue Soul

Best Cross-Platform Game

1. Bloons Tower Defense 5
2. Paladog
3. Infectonator 2

Best Multiplayer Game

1. Pocket Creature PvP
2. Red Crucible 2
3. Realm of the Mad God

Most Creative Game

1. Sequester
2. Cuboy: Back to the Cubeture #2
3. Super Adventure Pals

Best Sound Design

1. Siegius Arena
2. Sands of the Coliseum
3. Relic of War

Players’ Choice

1. Strike Force Heroes
2. Kawai Run 2
3. Burrito Bison Revenge 2

About FGS 5

Yesterday, there were platform-specific game developers, from Flash to mobile to online. Today, there are just game developers making great content for as many platforms and devices as possible. Being an indie game developer or small development team has never been more exciting.

Game creators with roots in Flash are branching out to new platforms, opening up new opportunities and revenue streams. Often the first (and arguably the easiest) platform for game creation, Flash is playing a huge role in this gaming evolution with a large community of indie game developers, small studios, and gaming portals that spread games across the Internet at lightning speed.

Join us for a one-day conference dedicated to fostering the growth and success of today’s game creators and publishers. This conference will bring together leaders and pioneers in the ever-evolving Flash game space to share industry insights and strategies on successful game design, development, and monetization.

Visit www.flashgamingsummit.com for conference and registration information!

© Colin Cupp for MochiLand, 2013. | Permalink | One comment

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FGS 5 Advisory Board Interview Series, Take 5

Welcome to the fifth edition of the FGS 5 Advisory Board Interview Series! This is your chance to get to know the folks who will determine the content of FGS 5, getting their thoughts on both the conference and the games industry in general.

This time around I chatted with Chris Hughes, Co-founder of FGL.com and Flash games industry veteran. FGL.com has established themselves as the marketplace to buy and sell games, providing game developers with great monetization opportunities. FGL.com is also a consistent sponsor of FGS, and a consistent partner in fielding the industry’s annual market survey. This is the first time Chris has served on the FGS Advisory Board.

For more information on FGS 5, including passes, speakers, or Mochis Award Show information please visit the conference website.

Interview with Chris Hughes

Introduce yourself- who are you, how big is your team, and how do you participate in the Flash games industry?

Howdy.  I’m Chris Hughes, Co-Founder of FGL.com and other FGL properties such as FlashGameDistribution.com and GamerSafe.com.

There are around 15 of us, and you can probably pick us out easily at FGS as we’re the loud ones laughing a lot and poking fun at ourselves.

As for our participation in the industry: In short, we are the industry’s marketplace.  Developers, sponsors, publishers, buyers, and others in the industry come to FGL.com to participate in the community and monetize games.  We’re best known for being the place to find games to license or publish on the web or mobile.

What did you do before, and how did you first get into the Flash games industry? Tell us about your path.

I’ve been an indie Developer for a long time, but I never made much money at it.  To pay the bills I’ve worked at a sporting goods store, been a website designer, taught at ice hockey camps, and various other odd-jobs.  After getting my Masters in Computer Science I was an Engineer at Qualcomm, where I helped test microchips for use in cell phones, and a Software Developer at UC Davis where I built the online system and interface that every student at the school used to manage his or her financial aid.  But my passion was always games.  I was making Flash games on the side in 2007 when I started talking to Adam (who would end up becoming the other Co-Founder of FGL).  After a few talks about trying to make money in the Flash game space a light went off… why not build a place to bring developers and buyers/sponsors together?  So Adam and I built FGL.

What has been your proudest moment since joining the Flash gaming community?

It’s hard to pick any one moment, since there have been so many great experiences for me.  I have really loved working with the Flash gaming community in general. Two moments that made me extremely proud were seeing members of the Flash gaming community come together for Indie Giving the last two years to work at a charity event.  With a group of people as creative and passionate as this community, it is moving to see them apply those same talents to helping others.

What was the biggest challenge for you in the early going? How does that compare to the challenges you face today?

Convincing anyone and everyone outside of the Flash game space to take the Flash game community and industry seriously.  There was a stigma against Flash games and Flash game developers when we first started.  I remember meeting with some very large companies early on who laughed at me when I told them that we were trying to grow the Flash game space.  Some of those very companies are now among the biggest spenders on FGL.  I’d say that today the challenges are similar, but for different reasons.  Large companies and publishers are so entrenched in the way they’re currently doing business that they aren’t open to seeing how they may be able to improve their business by working with developers and games that are creative and innovative because they don’t follow the exact models of their current cash-cow games.  That’s one of our goals for the future, to disrupt that way of thinking, as we did for Flash games in the beginning.

Describe the climate as a game developer today in terms of technology and monetization opportunity. How does it compare to being a game developer 2-3 years ago?

There are definitely many more ways to easily tap into revenue streams.  Sponsorships and licensing remain strong.  In fact, secondary licenses like site-lock licenses have more than doubled on FGL in the last year. We’ve also had the record for most up front money spent on a single game broken in the last year.  So sponsors are paying more than ever for game sponsorships.

Also, third party technology and monetization platforms abound.  Systems for in-game ads and microtransactions have become much more easy to implement, and feature rich.  Many portals have their own systems as well, tailored to their communities.  The flip side of this is that fragmentation of these systems make more work for a developer as well.  To me, though, it is a fair trade off and balances out nicely as long as you’re smart in which platforms you choose to work with.  And, of course, these options can be combined with sponsorships and licensing.

As for technology, I don’t want to just repeat what the other interviewees have said, but it is obvious there have been huge changes in the last 2 – 3 years.

What is it that you love the MOST about the Flash games industry?

The community.  I think people often take for granted what a great thing we have with this community.   A close second would be the innovation.  But I think that’s also due to the way the community works.  New ideas are supported and advice is easy to come by.  This industry has fueled much of the innovation we’ve seen in games in the last few years.

What do you like the least?

The guacamole.

How has the industry changed since you first joined?

There’s way too much to list.  There are now easy ways to communicate with sponsors, publishers, and other developers.  There are various ways to monetize games.  There are ways to port your game to other platforms (though there’s still a ways to go with this). And on and on… oh yeah, and there’s a conference I’ve heard about where everyone in the industry can get together every year and have a great time.

The theme for FGS 5 is “Evolve Your Game”. How do you think Flash game developers are evolving their games today? What could they be doing better / differently?

Developers are evolving on many fronts.  Technically, I see developers trying new things, and using new tools.  Creatively, I see developers innovating and rethinking how games are played, and how to make games easier to access.  I see developers testing the waters in different markets and marketplaces.  As for what they could be doing, my big advice would be not to be afraid to fail.  Right now there is a lot going on, and this community is what will drive things forward.  Failures will happen all around, but we can’t advance without learning from where we fail.  Try new things, try new markets, push yourself past your comfort zone.  You may fail, but that will only help you succeed later.

What part of FGS do you enjoy or look forward to the most?

There are two main things I look forward to:  1) catching up, face to face, with all of the people we work with all year and 2) meeting new people in the industry we haven’t had a chance to work with yet.

In your opinion, why should people come out to FGS 5? What should they expect?

There are many reasons.  As I said, I personally like socializing and catching up with everyone in the community, but the lectures are also often educational and interesting.  And checking out all the new offerings from companies is fun as well, when doing the rounds of the booths.  I’m sure what a lot of people look forward to is hanging out with the FGL crew ;)

Thanks Chris, see you and the FGL.com crew at FGS 5!

© Colin Cupp for MochiLand, 2013. | Permalink | One comment

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FGS 5 Advisory Board Interview Series, Take 4

Welcome to the fourth edition of the FGS 5 Advisory Board Interview Series! This is your chance to get to know the folks who will determine the content of FGS 5, getting their thoughts on both the conference and the games industry in general.

This time around I chatted with Mat Annal, managing director and owner of Nitrome. Nitrome has consistently churned out hit games for years, such as Final Ninja Zero, Twin Shot, and Steamlands (to name a few). This is the second time Mat has served on the FGS Advisory Board.

For more information on FGS 5, including passes, speaking submissions, or Mochis Award Show information please visit the conference website.

Interview with Mat Annal

Introduce yourself- who are you, how big is your team, and how do you participate in the Flash games industry?

Hi, I’m Mat Annal, Managing Director and owner of Nitrome.

We started out just as a team of two but have grown now to a team of 12 full-time employees plus a few extra people that either work freelance or part time for us. We have made over 100 flash games to date, many of which have won awards. The games are all developed in-house under our own brand, and we fund them primarily through advertising on our own site nitrome.com as well as within the games themselves when we distribute them around the internet or sell licenses to other sites that want to host them.

What did you do before?

Before Nitrome I worked making Flash games and Flash microsites for various well-known brands at design agencies.

How did you first get into the Flash games industry? Tell us about your path.

When I was at University I studied Graphic design, and within that course I was particularly taken with the interactive and web modules. I think I always wanted to make games and so was drawn to anything that was more in line with that. A few jobs down the line, I was actually making games within the web space and at the time the only format to realistically use for that was Flash. This of course was all for clients, whom have a tendency to control your games to the point of them lacking the key creative elements I wanted to be able to introduce.

I started Nitrome out of frustration with this situation and produced our first game “Hot Air” as a reaction to my lack of freedom up until that point. It was the real throw-back to the types of games I grew up with and (not a lot of people realise this ) but this was actually the first time I had ever used pixel artwork in a game. This is something we are now well-known for, but at the time it was really a need to do something very different from the vector heavy games I had been making. I had no idea that would be the start of what Nitrome has now become, and I feel very thankful that things worked out the way they did.

What has been your proudest moment since joining the Flash gaming community?

I think my proudest moment was when I got an office in London and took on my first staff. It was then a proper company to me and a very exciting point in my career where anything seemed suddently possible.

Describe the climate as a game developer today in terms of technology and monetization opportunity. How does it compare to being a game developer 2-3 years ago?

2-3 years ago things were a lot easier in the Flash space. It was a lot easier to grow your site traffic and advertisers were generally paying more for ad space than they do today, and both of these are key aspects to funding games in the space.

What is it that you love the MOST about the Flash games industry?

I love the sheer freedom you have in the Flash industry to build what you want both because the tools are quick to build with and because the space allows any sort of game without being bias to a particular dominant genre.

What do you like the least?

I would love for it to have had the same sort of success stories as, say, the App store or Steam gets. People can make money in the space for sure but, portal owners aside, as an actual game developer I have yet to hear of anyone getting very rich from it. So what I like least is the lack of potential in the space, how that makes developers favor other formats, and ultimately how that limits the scope of what you could realistically commit to building in Flash due to the need to make a return on your invested time.

How has the industry changed since you first joined?

When I first joined the Flash industry it was primarally used as an animation tool and was only just starting to be used in some primitive games (Shockwave was used mainly for games back then). So I have seen it evolve into a great games creation tool.

When I started Nitrome most Flash games were still being produced by hobbyists or for promoting a product, both of which limited the scope of the games produced. This changed when developers such as ourselves learned that they could make original games, and did not need to make them for a brand in order to generate revenue. Since then the quality of your average Flash game has vastly improved year over year.

The theme for FGS 5 is “Evolve Your Game”. How do you think Flash game developers are evolving their games today? What could they be doing better / differently?

I think that developers now need to expand their plan on how they are going to monetize their games in the future. With a general slow decline in the Flash space I think it will become increasingly hard to fund game development in Flash from advertising alone so new funding models need to be explored.

Mobile is the new growth area so developers should try to embrace it, but that is not to say that the PC space is dead or that people should jump ship. Steam is incredibly popular and allows Flash (and has a new platform for submissions called “Greenlight”), and the new windows store is bound to offer possibilities as well. There is also the social space and micro transactions, but I feel this is now dominated by larger companies and is a harder space to crack.

Where do you see the Flash games industry going? What’s in store for the future?

I think that Flash is going to evolve from being a browser-based platform to more of a games creation tool for developing games on multiple platforms. I feel like Unity  has the lead on this, but there are a lot of Flash developers out there that love their platform so I think it is up to Adobe to support them in making tools that they can use that are comparable to other games creation platforms. If they get it right I think the Flash platform will remain significant for a long time to come.

What part of FGS do you enjoy or look forward to the most?

I love meeting other people in the Flash space, particularly teams that like us have been making noteworthy games for a few years now. Being based in London it takes an event like FGS to bring the most forward thinking Flash developers to the same space and that is not something I think should be missed.

In your opinion, why should people come out to FGS 5? What should they expect?

I think Flash is at a key turning point in it’s lifecycle so more than ever there are things to discuss. It is a great place to meet like-minded people, make new business contacts and new friends. They should also expect to have tons of fun at the after-party :)

Thanks Mat, see you at FGS 5!

© Colin Cupp for MochiLand, 2013. | Permalink | One comment

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