Marvelous launches indie dev support program

Marvelous AQL Europe has launched a new scheme to help small free-to-play developers release their games on the App Store.

The partnership program, called MarvDev, has been designed to help smartphone devs with funding, game design, operations and marketing.

The scheme is targeted at Western developers, as the studio stated that many indies and small start-ups in the region struggled to keep a hold of their players, highlighting the recent Playnomics report that suggested 85% of social games players left a game after 24 hours.

In a statement on its website, Marvelous said it would help developers hone their gameplay, help with player retention and monetisation as well as marketing and PR to help drive interest toward their title.

"With Japan and Asia’s free-to-play markets being considerably more established than western ones, there are clear lessons to be learned, and benefits to partnering with a Japanese/Western team to maximise a game’s potential,” read a statement on the Marvelous website.

“What we’re seeing is that, despite certain cultural aesthetic and gameplay differences, the core social mechanics seem to work worldwide. Western developers excel at creating fun, polished games, but may need help keeping people playing, and getting people paying. That’s where we can help.”

Marvelous claimed that successful Japanese mobile and social games that had managed to retain their players as well as offer an enjoyable experience could achieve an average revenue per paying user in excess of $200 per month, citing DeNA’s Rage of Bahamut as an example.

For more information on potential partnerships with the studio, visit the official website.