ZiMAD’s adventure to a 100 million obtain hit

• ZiMAD CEO Dmitry Bobrov credit the Magic Jigsaw Puzzles’ longevity to innovation and flexibility.
• Core mechanics stay unchanged to keep the standard puzzle revel in however retention is boosted via more than a few reside ops content material.
• Monetisation developed from top rate and unfastened apps to a multi-model manner.

Magic Jigsaw Puzzles lately celebrated its 14th anniversary, a significant milestone for a sport that introduced when a lot of the cellular video games trade used to be discovering its toes. ZiMAD’s virtual puzzler has, over time, strived to construct a faithful neighborhood, accumulating over 100 million downloads.

So what’s been the name of the game to the sport’s longevity? 

“From day one, we’ve been pushed by means of a spirit of innovation, a willingness to take dangers, discover new concepts and push past our convenience zone,” ZiMAD CEO Dmitry Bobrov tells PocketGamer.biz.

On the other hand, innovation by itself doesn’t maintain a sport for over a decade. The staff has needed to frequently refine and reimagine the sport’s mannequin and design to stick related. From person interface overhauls to tweaks in monetisation technique and backend upgrades. 

“In a all of a sudden converting marketplace, staying related way staying adaptable and we’ve embraced that problem at each step,” says Bobrov.

Custom and evolution 

As cellular video games have developed over time, there was a some distance higher focal point on reside ops and new retention strategies. With such adjustments, Magic Jigsaw Puzzles has needed to develop along the cellular marketplace. For Bobrov, the trick has been balancing the wishes of a faithful participant base that values simplicity. 

“A lot of our maximum unswerving gamers search a equivalent, comfy revel in, one who mirrors the standard puzzle fixing they know from the bodily global,” he explains. 

That’s why the core mechanics of the sport have remained in large part unchanged over time. To succeed in new audiences and stay gamers engaged, ZiMAD has layered in options to spice up retention and re-engagement equivalent to mid and long-term progressions techniques like ordinary and seasonal occasions, missions, leaderboards and puzzle calendars. 

“Those components upload intensity and motivation for persisted play,” Bobrov provides. 

Those options are meant to provide deeper development and long-term targets for gamers, however they’re additionally sparsely created to not disrupt the vintage puzzle fixing revel in.

“For plenty of gamers, much less is extra,” Bobrov notes. “No longer everybody desires to take part in each match or function. That’s why we make sure that time-limited content material is non-compulsory or unobtrusive.” 

Puzzle assortment

In conjunction with more than a few facets of the sport its monetisation mannequin has additionally developed through the years. Bobrov recollects the early days, when the sport didn’t get started as a unmarried unified product. 

“In its earliest shape the sport consisted of separate top rate and unfastened apps, every excited by particular puzzle subject matters. Then in 2011, this idea developed into what was the primary huge scale virtual puzzle assortment in the marketplace.”

From there, monetisation expanded to incorporate promoting permitting gamers to earn in-game forex or pay outright for puzzles to stay the revel in obtainable. Later, a subscription mannequin used to be then offered, providing ad-free gameplay and limitless get admission to to the puzzle library.

“These days, all 3 fashions – ad-based, à l. a. carte purchases and subscriptions – coexist in cohesion,” Bobrov says. “They praise every different and most significantly empower gamers to select how they need to interact with the sport, together with a completely unfastened revel in if they like.”

The hot Apple App Retailer coverage shift round exterior choices for bills has additionally stuck the staff’s consideration, regardless that it is one thing ZiMAD is taking a wary stance on. 

“We’re these days taking a conservative manner, aligning with the extra conventional perspectives of our core target market,” states  Bobrov. “On the identical time, we keep in mind that there may well be positive advantages for us at this time. However our precedence is to offer gamers with cost strategies which might be acquainted and really feel depended on.”

On the other hand, he provides that the corporate is “indisputably retaining a detailed eye on how the placement evolves” and might undertake exterior billing as an extra possibility at some point.

Partnerships and participant voices

A big phase that has helped to look Magic Jigsaw Puzzles over the years is contemporary content material, and far of that comes from inventive partnerships.

“We’re pioneers in running with main IPs and more than a few forms of distinctive content material, now not handiest throughout the jigsaw puzzle mechanics however around the broader puzzle sport class as a complete,” claims Bobrov.

He is going on to give an explanation for how ZiMAD noticed doable on this again when it began taking part with widely recognized photographers and later with large manufacturers within the early 2010s. He is going on to mention that the staff sees even larger doable lately.

“That is what means that you can stand out in a extremely aggressive marketplace, the facility to construct actual narrative round vintage gameplay, ship distinctive feelings and studies to gamers and be offering one thing adapted to the choice of various participant segments,” Bobrov says.

He is going on to fret that similarly vital is the voice of the neighborhood. Comments, particularly that from long-term gamers has a key position in each the video games day by day enhancements and its strategic course. The staff defends comments to distinguish between the wishes of veteran gamers and learners, permitting them to fine-tune options in a becoming means.

The street forward

Regardless of the sport drawing near 15 years, Magic Jigsaw Puzzles is having a look to go into a brand new bankruptcy. Bobrov hints at a number of main updates at the horizon, together with new partnerships, hand made content material and a sensible content material advice machine, in addition to persisted accessibility enchantments. 

At the back of the scenes, technical enhancements are anticipated to make sure a fair smoother and extra responsive gameplay revel in too. 

“Due to years of improbable strengthen from our gamers, the sport continues to really feel contemporary and younger and is able to marvel everybody over and over,” Bobrov concludes.