The influence of the free-to-play business model on visual development and art direction in mobile games

Abstract

This paper is an exploration of the area between the art and business sides of mobile game development. The main goals are to attempt to discover the influence of the free-to-play business model on the art-direction, to allocate the tools for reasonable decision making during the visual development process and to build a solid understanding of the role the art plays in a success of a game. As game development is a relatively new industry, this exploration required a composite approach, and this paper includes several research methods. First, an overview of the free-to-play business model and the role of the art in games through the study of academic papers, web-articles and available statistics. Second, the analysis of the modern practices in the game development conducted with the semi-structured interview method. Third, the case study of the Angry Birds Dream Blast, a mobile game by Rovio Entertainment. The research partially confirmed the initial hypothesis of the influence of the free-to-play business model on the visual development process and art direction of a mobile game. The effect the business model has is indirect; the free-to-play approach makes demands to the design and marketing aspects of a game and through that affects the artistic decisions made throughout a project.