A Case Study to determine the success factors of Clash of Clans

Abstract

Clash of Clans has been one of the most popular and successful mobile game since its initial launch and release in 2012. For the last whole decade, it has charted every year in the top mobile games list.

The purpose of this thesis was to determine factors at play that have led to the success and popularity of the Clash of Clans for the last ten year. Passionate and curious game developers can use the results and findings of this thesis to develop successful games using the potential success factors explored in this thesis.

The background of the thesis presents the history of mobile devices and mobile games that initiated the introduction of games to mobile devices that led to mobile platforms becoming the biggest gaming platform today. The thesis then introduces game monetization strategies that developers and companies implement in their business models to generate revenue off their mobile applications and mobile games. The thesis then continues to describe the impact of Covid 19 on mobile gaming and the community with the entire world going into lockdown and been affected by the pandemic. All these topics introduce the reader to various factors affecting mobile gaming habits and the sales, success, and potential of mobile games.

Section 3 of the thesis presents a case study of Clash of Clans, its developing company, Supercell and looks at all the features, attributes ang gaming mechanics employed by Supercell to keep the game successful over the years and have a strong player loyalty and player retention.

The results of the research present a clear objective and mission that Supercell has, which is to develop games that are played for years and remembered forever, and they have achieved this with Clash of Clans by having a clearly defined game core loop, making the game playable for infinite number of times. The gameplay of the Clash of Clans also makes for the success factor of the game as it always presents players with something to do such as collecting resources, upgrading, or building new buildings in the village. The study has also given a better understanding of player expectations and player behavior.