Ilkka Paananen, the chief executive of Supercell in Finland, is known for pushing his company to innovate and take bold steps. Despite this, he appears calm and relaxed, walking around the office barefoot, which is apparently a Finnish tradition. In a recent interview, Paananen stressed the need for change and risk-taking in the mobile gaming industry.
He believes that in order to stay ahead of the competition and keep players engaged, new and unique game experiences must be created. While Supercell has already seen great success with games like Clash of Clans and Brawl Stars, Paananen has increased investment in new games, expanded the team, and opened new game studios in recent years.
According to Paananen, the industry is facing tough competition for people’s free time, not just from other games but also from various forms of media available on mobile devices. He emphasizes the importance of innovation by pointing out that last year, 60% of mobile game usage was from games that were at least six years old, and only 10% was from games released in the past year.
However, Paananen acknowledges that the cost of developing games has significantly increased, as the capabilities of smartphones have evolved and the expectations of consumers have risen. This has led to a reluctance to take risks, as failures can be costly and damaging to a company’s reputation.
Supercell itself has faced challenges with new game releases, such as Squad Busters which had a strong start but has since faded. The company has made changes to the game and appointed a new general manager in hopes of reviving it. Another new game, Mo.co, was released but only to a select few with invites from Supercell. While it has not yet seen major success, the company is still experimenting and learning from player feedback.
Neil Long, an industry expert, believes that the era of big game launches may be coming to an end, as some developers are now opting to release games and make changes based on player feedback. Supercell, however, still values the importance of creating games with longevity in mind, as they hope to be a company that lasts for many years to come.
Paananen also sees potential for innovation through the use of AI, which is being explored in Supercell’s AI Innovation Lab. This lab allows external individuals to experiment with the company’s games and characters, with the goal of sparking new ideas and experiences. While AI has been useful in certain areas, such as speeding up game development and analyzing player behavior, it has yet to bring about any major breakthroughs in terms of creating entirely new types of games.