1. How to Innovate in the Land of Clones Nick Fortugno, CCO/Co-Founder Playmatics

2. Life in the Clone Wars  Crisis of cloning in the industry  Casual games have always had this problem, but social games take it to a new level.  Wasn’t sure if I could in good conscience tell you to innovate

3. Inspirational Examples City of Eternals - Ohai

4. Inspirational Examples Vikings of Thule - Gogogic

5. Inspirational Examples Bite Me – Three Rings

6. Why Innovate?  First comers own their space. At least recognized first comers.  Markets evolve as users get sophisticated and jaded.

7. Real Top Games - 2003 * casualcharts.com

8. Real Top Games - 2005 * casualcharts.com

9. Real Top Games - 2007 * casualcharts.com

10. Real Top Games - 2009 * casualcharts.com

11. Advice for Innovating

12. Point#1: Start from Known Places

13.  Well, there’s this really popular game called Zuma… Luxor Sources

14. Zuma

15.  Well, there’s this really popular game called Zuma…  And there’s other really popular game called Ricochet… Luxor Sources

16. Ricochet: Lost Worlds

17.  Well, there’s this really popular game called Zuma…  And there’s other really popular game called Ricochet…  And if we take the ball shooting of Zuma and the power-up catching of Ricochet… Luxor Sources

18. Zuma + Ricochet = Luxor And a casual hit is born! Luxor

19. Point#2: Be Inspired by Other Media

20.  Start with a very successful web game. Plants vs. Zombies Sources

21. Desktop Tower Defense

22.  Start with a very successful web game.  Now bring it to the casual audience:  Make enemy movement simpler.  Make the end condition more comprehensible.  Make units more knowable.  Change narrative.  Polish, polish, polish. Plants vs. Zombies

23. And voila! A brand new casual genre! Plants vs. Zombies

24. Point#3: Build New Mechanics around Proven Desires

25. Known FB Mechanics  Slow-growth progress models work.

26. Mafia Games

27. Known FB Mechanics  Slow-growth progress models work.  Restaurants are fun spaces.

28. Restaurant Games

29. Known FB Mechanics  Slow-growth progress models work.  Restaurants are fun spaces.  Cute characters you have to care for are compelling.

30. Pet Society

31. Known FB Mechanics  Slow-growth progress models work.  Restaurants are fun spaces.  Cute characters you have to care for are compelling.  Playing with friends in an asynchronous way is very fun.

32. Any FB Game, really

33. Restaurant City And a thousand ships are launched!

34. Point#4: Go Big or Go Home  Anything easy to make is easy to steal.  And they have MUCH more money than you to market the game.  So do something hard that will be difficult to replicate:  Complex mechanics under the hood  High production values  Next level technology

35. Point#5:Don’t Assume Your Audience is Solved

36. Questions? nick@playmatics.com