目前，Facebook等平台上的农场类游戏或RPG游戏等社交游戏都融入了大量的货币化渠道和游戏元素以吸引玩家。然而其中也不乏许多游戏用户较少的“轻量级”游戏和休闲游戏，去货币化渠道也相对较为单一。

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最近据游戏邦了解，西雅图新兴公司AppPrize正致力于为此类“轻量级”游戏融入新款游戏机制——竞赛。与BringIt或GSN公司通过游戏设计和复杂运算的技巧性竞赛不同，AppPrizes的竞赛游戏机制简单且易于融入游戏之中，譬如在游戏体验中加入得分等。

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另外，AppPrizes目前以提供现实奖品为主（未来也将提供虚拟商品和虚拟货币奖励）。这也正是AppPrizes的一种主要经营模式。该公司会请用户们挑选自己所想要的奖品以便更好地进行目标广告。其中，游戏开发商可以获得一定的广告营收分成。同时，玩家如果不愿意通过比赛赢取奖品的话，也可选择购买商品，这就又实现了AppPrizes的另一种营收渠道。对此，AppPrize表示其主要目的是为了提升简单游戏的游戏粘性。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，转载请注明来源：游戏邦）

Sims, farming games, RPGs and other standard social game genres all offer strong monetization and engagement opportunities to developers. But what about Facebook’s many lightweight and casual games? For these, it can be difficult to keep users around, much less paying.

AppPrizes, a Seattle-based startup, is working on a way to plug in a major new mechanic to lightweight games: tournaments.

Unlike companies like BringIt or GSN, which offer skill-based tournaments that are closely integrated into the game design and make complex calculations, AppPrizes’ tournaments are basic and fast to add in, simply adding up scores from gameplay in the examples the company showed us.

Also unlike other tournaments, AppPrizes actually offers real prizes, instead of virtual goods or currency (although the latter may be required to join). This is where its business model comes in. The company initially asks users to choose potential prizes, which helps it to run targeted ads. The develop gets a portion of this ad revenue.

Some users may also choose to buy a prize if they don’t manage to win it, adding a bit more to the revenue. The real point of the tournaments, though, is to increase retention and help differentiate simple games, according to AppPrizes. (Source：Inside social Games)