VIDEO: How a Sequel Drives Sales to Its Prequel - Fireside Chat with Clique Games & Innoverse
In this special fireside chat, Clique Games' leadership team and Innoverse Games discuss how Frenzy Extinction, the sequel to Frenzy VR, revitalized interest in the original game. Learn how a well-executed franchise strategy, community engagement, and targeted marketing can drive success across multiple titles.
Quick Summary with Time Stamps:
[00:00] Introduction: Clique Games and Innoverse Games introduce themselves and set the stage for discussing the success of Frenzy Extinction and its impact on Frenzy VR.
[02:00] Evolution of Frenzy VR: Steve from Innoverse talks about the origins of Frenzy VR, focusing on sandbox destruction and how it gained traction with fans.
[10:00] Developing a Sequel: The team discusses why they created Frenzy Extinction, the challenges they faced, and how they ensured it would be distinct yet connected to the original game.
[20:00] Marketing Strategy: Brandon and Sam explain how TikTok marketing and community engagement drove excitement for Frenzy Extinction and encouraged players to revisit Frenzy VR.
[30:00] Community Feedback & Play Tests: Insights into how community feedback and play tests shaped the development and marketing strategies, leading to better player experiences.
[40:00] Future Plans & Mod Support: The team teases exciting updates, including mod support and future developments for the Frenzy franchise.
[50:00] Conclusion: Final thoughts on the importance of community-driven game development and how a sequel can breathe new life into an entire franchise.
Highlights and Main Points:
The Power of a Sequel:
Frenzy Extinction was developed with a distinct identity but shared core elements with Frenzy VR, creating a cohesive franchise experience.
From August to September 2024:
Sales of Frenzy VR increased by 56%, as players revisited the original in anticipation of the sequel.
Daily active users doubled, growing by 104%, reflecting renewed excitement.
Community Engagement Drives Success:
The Frenzy team heavily relied on community feedback and engagement, especially through TikTok, Discord, and play tests, to refine the gaming experience.
Players' input was crucial in shaping both games and driving ongoing improvements.
Effective Marketing Strategies:
Leveraging social media platforms, especially TikTok, helped Frenzy Extinction go viral and draw attention back to Frenzy VR.
The team focused on showcasing fun, chaotic gameplay to appeal to a broader audience and encourage organic shares.
Future Developments & Mod Support:
The addition of mod support for Frenzy VR aims to keep the community engaged and let players create their own unique experiences.
Future updates and potential new games in the Frenzy series were hinted at, indicating a long-term franchise strategy.
Key Takeaways: Insights on Frenzy Franchise Success
"I think the key thing that binds them together is summed up in the word 'chaos.' So, we wanted all our games to have a level of just absolute absurdity to them. — Steve (Innoverse)
Context: Steve explains the consistent theme that ties Frenzy VR and Frenzy Extinction together, highlighting their focus on chaotic, absurd gameplay elements.
"Publishing as a decision comes down to, 'Do we feel confident that we can bring value to anything at any time in its lifetime?' Right? It doesn’t have to just be at launch." — Waylon (Clique Games, COO)
Context: Waylon discusses the role of a publisher, emphasizing that their support extends beyond just the initial launch phase, focusing on long-term value.
"The main reason we drove traffic from the Innoverse page to the Frenzy Extinction page was a simple tool called reposting." — Sam (Innoverse)
Context: Sam explains a straightforward yet effective marketing strategy used to grow Frenzy Extinction’s audience by leveraging existing social media followings.
"When you're trying to go after new players and new users for a sequel, you already have a large pool set right there that you can start with before you even have to do any external marketing." — Waylon
Context: Highlighting the importance of leveraging an existing fan base when launching a sequel, which helps build momentum early on.
"We have dozens of ideas and loads of concepts we’d love to make. However, we do have to stay true and loyal to our fan base, which is what we’ve always promised to do." — Sam
Context: Sam stresses the importance of listening to the community and prioritizing fan expectations in future development plans.
"When you care about your players, you make more money. You don’t have to pick one." — Jon-Luke (Clique Games, CMO)
Context: Jon-Luke emphasizes that prioritizing player experience and satisfaction can lead to increased sales, dispelling the myth that profitability and player care are mutually exclusive.
"What’s the point of retargeting someone if you don’t know if they’ve bought the game? I don’t want to spam someone with ads about a game I know they’re interested in if they just bought it." — Brandon (Clique Games, CEO)
Context: Discussing the limitations of current ad-tracking systems, Brandon points out the inefficiencies caused by not having proper conversion data.
"It’s not just out of a side of like, 'Well, more people are buying, and we can make more money.' It’s also out of a side of showing appreciation to the people that are still supporting a game that long." — Brandon
Context: On the importance of continuous updates and community engagement, even for older titles, to show gratitude towards long-term supporters.
"People want direction. There are specific sects of gaming that are reserved for people that want to be told what to do next." — Waylon
Context: Waylon highlights the differences between sandbox and objective-driven gameplay, emphasizing the need to clearly communicate gameplay goals to players.
"We found from feedback from Frenzy VR that people really wanted a more involved fighting system, and they wanted multiplayer. So we said, 'Hey, here you go; here’s both.'" — Steve
Context: Addressing how player feedback directly influenced the development decisions for Frenzy Extinction.
"Our most effective and efficient customer acquisition strategy is going after our current customers." — Jon-Luke
Context: Reaffirming the value of focusing on existing users as a key strategy for growth, especially when promoting new titles in a franchise.
"We’re going to clip that and then paste it below every comment asking, 'Can we have multiplayer?' That’s going to be the response. 'Yes, if you don’t mind fewer enemies and not as much destruction.'" — Brandon
Context: This humorous yet honest response to player requests for multiplayer in Frenzy VR underscores the technical and design challenges of integrating such features.
"I think the main thing people want, and it sounds silly, but they just want a fun game." — Steve
Context: A simple yet crucial insight on game design—focusing on ensuring the core gameplay is enjoyable rather than getting bogged down by extraneous features.
"With Frenzy Extinction, we tried to implement as much fun as possible with the weapons you can use and all of the mechanics." — Steve
Context: Highlighting how the design philosophy of Frenzy Extinction was centered around creating an engaging, fun experience right from the start.
"The Extinction launch proves there is no such thing as a dead game. Frenzy VR has never been dead; it has consistently been one of the top sellers." — Brandon
Context: A statement reinforcing that continuous engagement and strategic marketing can keep older games relevant and profitable.
