Source: Rachel Kaser, GamesBeat
Browser-based casual games platform Arkadium announced today that it is opening up for third-party game developers. It’s launching a new program called Arkadium for Developers, which allows developers to submit their browser-based titles to Arkadium for consideration. Arkadium offers developers whose games are selected to retain 75% of the revenue. The company plans to offer up to 30 new games this year through the new program.
Arkadium has launched a new portal specifically for developers, and hired Dan Butchko, the former CEO of Playcrafting, as its director of developer relations. Chosen games gain access to not only Arkadium’s site, which hosts all of its browser-based games (or BBGs, as the company calls them), but its 300+ partners. Arkadium’s player count, it says, is around 18 million monthly.
In an interview with GamesBeat, Butchko said that new program was one of his main motivations for joining the company: “The idea to create a new program like this within Arkadium was something that had been bounced around before I joined, and it was something that sounded exciting to me which certainly contributed to my decision to join this amazing team.”
Arkadium and the developer relationship
GamesBeat also spoke with Arkadium CEO Kenny Rosenblatt about the new addition to the company’s paradigm: “The decision to create our Arkadium for Developers program was a bit of art, and a bit of science. It was clear from looking at our analytics and data that our catalog needed to expand to further meet the needs of our very active and growing user base. The art part of the decision was doing this in a way that respected our existing player base, our brand values, and the quality of games that our audience expects from Arkadium. We are passionate about browser-based games, which we call BBGs, and we want to help create more opportunities for this category to grow.”
Butchko and Rosenblatt both stressed that Arkadium offers developers an SDK as well as ad and microtransaction integration with their platform. The games submitted are assessed based on three criteria, said Butchko: “Game design, performance viability, technical fit, brand fit, and development team… When good game design meets a viable business plan, a game’s performance really takes flight with our players. Our extensive analytics and years of experience allow us to assess and forecast performance.”
When asked what kinds of games Arkadium is looking for, Rosenblatt said, “First and foremost, the game will need a very solid core game loop, but will need to include robust meta-game features, microtransactions, live-ops services, daily rewards and events, and social /community components. You’ll also continue to see news later in the year on how Arkadium will continue to support the BBG developer community with new tools and platforms that will allow new/upstart studios get their games on the platform quickly and start collecting valuable data before world-wide launch. Stay tuned for that.”
Butchko added that the company is extended its high bar of quality for its own games to third-party developers: “Arkadium is more than just a platform, it’s an ally for developers. Our partners and players trust us, and that trust is now extended to helping developers. As a developer-first company, we know how to work with teams… By launching on our platform, we’re extending our own process, insights, analytics, and expertise to developers to learn and grow with us.”