作者：MATT TUBERGEN

可以这么说，在这个盗版满天飞的世界里，独树一帜是件很难的事情。诚然，你可以在已证实有效的游戏引擎基础上构建新主题游戏。但如果内容得不到用户响应，这种做法也不会有多大功效。

在免费增值游戏世界中，有个我们称之为“可爱化”的变革。以特定用户群体为目标的小众市场策略已不再是什么锦囊妙计。目前，免费增值游戏覆盖各个层次的用户，许多顶级社交游戏公司因“可爱化”这一战略而大获成功。

免费增值游戏的可爱化可以确保你的作品对老幼具有同等杀伤力。或许你的游戏未必会对铁杆玩家产生吸引力，但多数人都会喜欢可爱的企鹅或活泼的海豚。而且，这让免费增值和休闲游戏真正变得“休闲”。相比硬核游戏中的亡灵而言，小精灵和霍比特人（游戏邦注：《指环王》中的小矮人种族）之类的设计所带来的轻松体验，可能会让玩家产生更愉悦的感觉。

cute-factor(from mobileorchard.com)

看看2011年5月17日的上升最快免费增值游戏排行榜，每个游戏的图标都非常可爱。这意味着什么呢？除非你的游戏内容是面向某个特定用户群体，否则就将游戏设计得尽量可爱些！尽可能让老年玩家都能沉浸在游戏内容中，这样你的应用肯定会成为市场巨作。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

How to build a freemium mobile game: Go cute or go home

MATT TUBERGEN

Let’s shift gears this week and talk a little bit about freemium content. It’s safe to say that in a world of copycat engines and concepts it’s hard to stand out. Sure, you can create new themes built on a proven game engine, but if the content doesn’t resonate with the users it simply won’t work.

There is a movement in the freemium game world that we call the “Cuteness” movement. No longer does targeting a specific demographic guarantee a success in a specific category. Today’s freemium games target a broad base of users and leave no stone unturned. Many top social game companies found success in this broad target by going cute.

Going cute with your freemium game will ensure that you can attract young and old alike. You might not necessarily “appeal” to a core gamer… but c’mon, who doesn’t love cute penguins or playful dolphins? And freemium/casual games have turned into just that “casual”…. Gamers are better off to have a relaxing enjoyable experience with a bunch of cute elf-like, hobbit-like creatures vs. hard core death ridden monsters. Don’t believe me that going “cute” works?

Take a look at some of the top grossing freemium titles as of 5/17/11, every single icon screams “cute”. So what does this mean? Unless you’re going after a specific demographic with a unique genre of content, stick to cute! Make it as freakin’ cute as possible. Do your best to get as many 45 year old males to go goo-goo and gah-gah over your content and your app is sure to be a hit.

Do you have a question about freemium gaming or a topic you’d like us to explore? Let us know in the comments or catch us on twitter @rechargestudios or @w3i. (Source: Mobile Orchard)