

Or simply that the Gem cost to skip wait timers would be ultimately more profitable. Much of Animation Throwdown's monetisation is straight from the CCG playbook.īut perhaps Kongregate concluded that this would result in player burning through all research combinations too quickly.

You'd think that these would be incredibly popular, in the same way that the third builder is almost a compulsory early purchase for anyone serious about Clash of Clans. A surprising omission, though, is that a third or even fourth are not unlockable via IAP. The time this takes depends on the rarity of the combination - could be 15 minutes, could be two hours.Ī nice touch is that you're given two slots for this as standard, meaning you can research two pairs simultaneously. Not all character and card combinations are available immediately, however, with many requiring research first. These range from 1,000 Coins (soft currency) for one random card to 900 Gems (hard currency, worth approximately $10.90) for six cards, two of which are guaranteed to be high-value Epics. Of course, a key pillar in monetising this is the purchasable card packs. The significance of this is that, with the actual card-based gameplay relatively simple, it's these combinations that provide the most value - especially for the die-hard fans to whom Kongregate is appealing.
ANIMATION THROWDOWN THE QUEST FOR CARDS FOR PC TV
Examples include Art, Aircraft, Weapon, and School.Ĭombining these in play creates an alternate version of the character in question, which references an event from the TV series. It builds the core of the gameplay (and monetisation) around fan service.Įssentially, there are two types of cards: characters and other, seemingly random items or concepts. It handles this smartly, by building the core of the gameplay (and monetisation) around fan service. Now this is nigh-on essential for any collectible card game, but especially so for one that's so built around recognisable brands.Īnd indeed, the game finds itself in the difficult position of having to offer compelling strategy, but make it accessible for a casual Family Guy fan who might never have played a CCG before. Kongregate being a Gamestop company, Animation Throwdown: The Quest for Cards also has the rare luxury of in-store promotion across 4,200 US retail store locations.īetween a quintuple brand threat and this kind of promotion, it's little surprise that the game is performing well when it comes to downloads, thus far peaking at #2 in the US App Store Games Downloads charts.īut how does it monetise and retain its players once it's got them?įirst off, Animation Throwdown leads with the characters. The firm has also taken the same 'more is more' approach behind the scenes, with Kongregate, Synapse Games, and Chinzilla Games all co-developing the title. These are Futurama, King of the Hill, Family Guy, Bob's Burgers, and American Dad. If one IP can boost your game to the top of the App Store, then how about five?īut if one IP can boost your game to the top of the App Store, then how about five? This seems to be the thinking behind Animation Throwdown: The Quest for Cards, a new Kongregate-published CCG that uses five of Fox's animated comedy brands.
