ARK: Survival Ascended's Modding Revolution: Industry Leading Creator Earnings Fosters Massive Content Growth And An Engaged Player Base

Rhea-AI Summary

Snail Games (Nasdaq: SNAL), a global developer and publisher, announced that ARK: Survival Ascended's ARK x POWER RANGERS Premium Mod achieved over half a million downloads in its first week. The game's partnership with CurseForge extends modders' reach and enhances player experience across platforms. The revenue-sharing model offers mod creators a 50% share, fostering innovation. With over 190 million mod downloads, ARK: Survival Ascended empowers modders using Unreal Engine 5 to create high-quality mods. This model maximizes the game's replayability and transforms its base gameplay.

Positive

• Over 500,000 downloads of ARK x POWER RANGERS Premium Mod in the first week.
• Creators receive a 50% share of revenue from mod sales.
• Partnership with CurseForge expands modding reach and diversity.
• Over 190 million mod downloads for ARK: Survival Ascended.
• Use of Unreal Engine 5 allows for creating high-quality mods.

Negative

• None.

Insights

Market Research Analyst

ARK: Survival Ascended and its collaboration with CurseForge and Overwolf represents a significant shift in the gaming industry. The 50% revenue-sharing model for creators is quite remarkable, given the industry standard is typically much lower. This incentivizes high-quality content creation, ensuring a continuous influx of new mods that can keep players engaged for longer periods. This model not only increases player retention but also potentially attracts new players interested in custom and unique game experiences.

For Snail, Inc., this move can translate into enhanced player engagement, a more loyal community and potentially higher revenue streams from both new and existing players. The partnerships with recognizable brands like POWER RANGERS also add a layer of marketing appeal, helping to draw attention from broader audiences beyond just the gaming community. This strategy could very well position Snail, Inc. as a pioneer in monetizing user-generated content in the gaming sector.

From a retail investor’s perspective, these developments suggest a promising growth trajectory for Snail, Inc., provided the company continues to support and expand on these initiatives. The success of the ARK x POWER RANGERS Premium Mod indicates player enthusiasm and a thriving modding community, which are critical components for sustained growth in the digital entertainment market.

Financial Analyst

The financial implications of ARK: Survival Ascended's modding approach are noteworthy. By sharing 50% of revenue with creators, Snail, Inc. ensures a strong incentive for the production of high-quality mods. This revenue-sharing model can drive substantial recurring income as more players purchase mods, thus increasing the game's lifetime value. Given that over half a million units of the premium mod were sold in just a week, the revenue potential from these mods is substantial.

Furthermore, the use of Unreal Engine 5 for mod creation can lead to visually impressive and complex mods, potentially increasing their value and sales. This technological edge sets ARK apart from other games and could attract a technically skilled modding community, leading to even higher-quality content.

For investors, this revenue model could translate to more predictable and growing revenue streams. The partnership with CurseForge and Overwolf also promises a broadened reach and enhanced monetization capabilities. However, it's important to monitor how sustainable this model is and whether it continues to attract and retain creators over the long term.

Tech Expert

The integration of professional tools like Unreal Engine 5 in ARK: Survival Ascended is a game-changer for modding communities. It enables creators to produce high-quality, sophisticated mods that can rival official game content. This not only enhances the gaming experience for players but also opens up avenues for independent developers to showcase their talent and creativity on a large platform.

The partnership with CurseForge and Overwolf is equally significant from a technological standpoint. These platforms specialize in mod distribution, providing a seamless and reliable environment for modders to upload and monetize their content. This strategic alliance can streamline the process for creators and ensures that mods are easily accessible to players across different platforms.

For players, this means a richer and more varied gaming experience, where mods can introduce new gameplay mechanics, storylines and visual enhancements. The ability to stack mods further adds to the customization and replayability, keeping the game engaging over a prolonged period. This technical infrastructure not only benefits the current player base but can also attract a new audience interested in a modding-friendly game environment.

CULVER CITY, Calif., June 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Snail, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNAL) ("Snail Games" or the "Company"), a leading global independent developer and publisher of interactive digital entertainment, celebrates over half a million units dropped of ARK: Survival Ascended's ARK x POWER RANGERS  Premium Mod within the first week of its reveal. ASA's active player base and its partnership with the world's largest repository of mods and addons for video games, CurseForge, a division of Overwolf, significantly extends the reach of modders and expands the diversity of experience for players across platforms

"We have been blown away by the ARK community's positive response to the ARK X POWER RANGER Premium Mod," commented Uri Marchand, Overwolf CEO and Co-founder. "This successful collaboration reaffirms our belief that brands integrating directly in-game through UGC is the future of the games industry."

ARK: Survival Ascended's revenue-sharing model offers creators an industry-leading 50% share of the revenue generated from mod sales. By providing modders with the opportunity to monetize their work, the company fosters innovation and creativity within the ARK Universe.

The ARK x POWER RANGERS Premium Mod is just one of many premium mods available for download on PC and console. With over 190 million mod downloads, ARK: Survival Ascended proves to be an appealing opportunity for both creators and players alike. ARK: Survival Ascended is the first game to empower modders with the ability to leverage professional tools, such as Unreal Engine 5, to create high-quality premium mods that are available on all platforms.

Creators are able to make anything from a cosmetic skin pack to be used in ASA  to a completely original game that looks nothing like ARK: Survival Ascended. They are able to then leverage ASA's existing player base and its partnership with CurseForge to monetize their creations and take advantage of this industry-leading revenue model which offers creators a 50% share of revenue generated. 

ASA's premium mod business model tailored to entice and reward creators keeps ARK Survival Ascended fresh by transforming its base gameplay and maximizing the game's replayability through player choice. Players are able to customize their experience by engaging with mods and even stacking them in game which leads to endless possibilities for players and creators alike.

About Snail, Inc.

Snail is a leading, global independent developer and publisher of interactive digital entertainment for consumers around the world, with a premier portfolio of premium games designed for use on a variety of platforms, including consoles, PCs and mobile devices.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements. Many of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "expect," "should," "plan," "intend," "may," "predict," "continue," "estimate" and "potential," or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements appear in a number of places in this press release and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Snail's intent, belief or current expectations, including an update regarding the number of downloads of ARK: Survival Ascended's ARK x Power Ranger cosmetic mod within the first week of its reveal and information regarding ARK: Survival Ascended's revenue-sharing model significant update for ARK: Survival Ascended, their leading action-adventure survival game, which free expansion introduces a vast new map that is double the size of a standard ARK island, features diverse biomes, intricate hand-crafted environments, and numerous new challenges. These forward-looking statements include information about Snail's commitment to delivering engaging content for ARK: Survival Ascended and how these updates will enhance the player experience and continue to drive strong engagement and growth for Snail's flagship title. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors" sections of (i) the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, which was filed by the Company with the SEC on April 1, 2024, and (ii) the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for quarter ended March 31, 2024, which was filed by the Company with the SEC on May 15, 2024, and other documents filed by the Company from time to time with the SEC. The Company does not undertake or accept any obligation to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Contacts:

Investors:
investors@snail.com 
Press:
media@snail.com 

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SOURCE Snail, Inc.

FAQ

How successful was ARK: Survival Ascended's ARK x POWER RANGERS Premium Mod after its release?

The ARK x POWER RANGERS Premium Mod achieved over 500,000 downloads within the first week of its release.

What is the revenue-sharing model for ARK: Survival Ascended mods?

ARK: Survival Ascended offers a revenue-sharing model where mod creators receive a 50% share of the revenue generated from mod sales.

How many mod downloads does ARK: Survival Ascended have?

ARK: Survival Ascended has surpassed 190 million mod downloads.

What tools are available for modders in ARK: Survival Ascended?

Modders in ARK: Survival Ascended can use professional tools like Unreal Engine 5 to create high-quality premium mods.

How does the partnership with CurseForge benefit ARK: Survival Ascended?

The partnership with CurseForge extends the reach of modders and enhances the diversity of the player experience across platforms.