Aeria Mobile Interview
May 1, 2012
In March of 2012, Aeria Games announced that they were growing their brand to include a mobile division. At Aeria mobile's launch, there were three games available with more titles on the horizon. WhatMMORPG.com got the opportunity to chat with the mobile team about their exciting new mobile games division at Aeria Games.


tuff tanks screenshot

Can you talk about the titles that are available right now?
Aeria Mobile has released one game, Tuff Tanks, into a test in Australia and Canada. We have three other games that we expect to release soon, including Eden Eternal: Monster Arena, the first-ever mobile version of the highly successful and critically acclaimed anime MMORPG franchise Eden Eternal; Tuff Tanks, the turn-based MMO tank combat game; ArmyGeddon, a brand new turn-based military strategy game; and Monster Paradise, the hit monster-capture adventure game from Japan's Pokelabo Inc .

Which mobile devices support your games?
We are developing initially for Apple's iOS devices.

What has been the response to your mobile games so far?
It is early days, and we are only live in Australia and Canada with Tuff Tanks so far, but we are pleased with the results we are seeing, including the level of player engagement with the game. Our user testing in focus groups has indicated that there's a lot of enthusiasm for our games, but of course we have to judge our success based on actual market response.

When did Aeria decide to expand into mobile?
The decision was made last year. We have been pursuing in-house and contracted development since then, and have been licensing games from developers in Asia.

How did you go about setting up the mobile division?
Our mobile team is a combination of Aeria team members who displayed a passion for mobile and outside hires.


eden eternal monster arena logo

What opportunities did Aeria see for mobile expansion?
We think that mobile gaming for our target market of "power gamers" presents an incredible opportunity. The market is just starting to form for high engagement multiplayer games suited to mid- and hard-core gamers.

How does Aeria plan to monetize these games?
We will stick to our knitting, and offer freemium games with in-game transactions for virtual goods.

What type of gamers will be your focus in the mobile market?
It will be similar to our focus in the PC market, "power gamers" who invest significant time playing games, in this case mobile games.

How did you choose which games to launch with?
We are testing a variety of game genres - battlefield strategy, monster capture adventure, turn-based shooters, etc. The best way for us to find out what our players want is to give them a lot of choices, and see what takes off.

Where do you feel most of your competition comes from in mobile?
There are a number of quality small developers who have had some success already in our target market for mobile. We also expect competition from the larger casual and social gaming companies, both those that come out of the world and those that have historically targeted casual mobile games.


armygeddon screenshot

How does Eden Eternal: Monster Arena compare to Eden Eternal for PC?
Eden Eternal: Monster Arena is inspired by the online MMORPG Eden Eternal, but it is a new experience created exclusively for the mobile platform. The mobile game brings the anime-style gameplay of the online franchise to an innovative accelerometer-based shooter RPG. The mobile version shares artwork and theme of the MMORPG, and is based on the online game's lush, colorful landscapes. Players prepare their hero with unique weapons, memorize tide-turner spells, capture powerful monsters, and battle through quests or player vs. player combat (PvP).

How do you feel the mobile market will compare with PC in a few years?
The mobile gaming market overall is large and going fast. For the moment, the two markets are not directly competitive, as the game playing occasions and experiences are very different. Over time, there may be a convergence of the two markets, as mobile devices offer more immersive experiences.

What's the split of new vs. current customers playing your mobile games?
It is too early to say.

How frequently will you be releasing new titles?
We aim to release one or two new titles per month.

What's the next step for the mobile division?
More new titles! We are eager to find the games that delight our players, and bring more of them to the market.

With the combination of tried and true titles and their new offerings, Aeria Games should be a solid contender in the rapidly expanding platform of mobile gaming. Check out their new titles on any iOS device (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch) and keep your eye out for expanded offerings very soon. Many thanks to the Aeria Games Mobile Team for sitting down and answering our questions!