Intenium

INTENIUM GmbH

Type	Private
Industry	Casual games
Headquarters	Hamburg, Germany
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Thorsten Kolisch Konstantin Nikulin Stefan Jansen Nils Wriedt Alla Khramtsova
Number of employees	70+
Website	Intenium.com ScreenSeven.com Deutschland-spielt.de

Intenium GmbH is a European publisher and distributor of casual games designed for females. The company focuses on social and casual multiplayer online gaming, including Bonga Online, Alamandi and an unannounced product that was first unveiled in closed beta at the very end of 2012. Intenium started with downloadable games and now operates an online distribution network in Western Europe and has access to European retail chains. After years of work in game business the following consumer brands were established: «DEUTSCHLAND SPIELT!», «SCREENSEVEN», «INSIDER TALES», «ALAMANDI» (in partnership with Ravensburger).

About the company

Intenium is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, the game development branch - «Intenium Studio» - is based in Kaliningrad, Russia.

Intenium maintains strong relationships with online and retail distribution partners in Europe.(Saturn, Karstadt, Auchan, Bart Smit, Tesco).^[1] The company collaborates closely with publishers and game developers from around the world, and is the publisher for and producer for more than a dozen of popular titles with external teams over the years (successful coops with development studios «DeepShadows», «Lesta», «World-Loom» etc.) There are 70+ employees working in the company. Currently, Intenium launches around 200 new products per year.

Intenium holds IP rights to a number of casual games on several platforms (PC, mobile, TV). Games are released in English, German, French, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Sweden, Polish, Russian, Korean and Japanese. Among self-developed series of products are following: Beetle Bug, Lost Lagoon, Insider Tales, Diamond Drop etc.

Intenium advertises on TV regularly to promote both its own services and specific games from its portfolio. Key partners for such marketing activities are German TV channels such as ProsiebenSat.1, RTL and RTL2, as well as French M6. Furthermore, this cooperation embraces also presence on the internet portals of TV channels where sections with casual games from Intenium’s portfolio are presented. These portals provide popular information and entertaining resources for mainstream audiences.

On November 18, 2011, Intenium GmbH was awarded the honorary prize «The best Russian mid-size company in Germany» by the German-Russian Chamber of Commerce (AHK). With this award, AHK singles out the innovation in strengthening Russian-German relations by the casual games developer and publisher as well as entrepreneurial spirit of the company's Founder Konstantin Nikulin. This award is given out every two years. AHK strives to recognize excellence and innovation of medium-sized and family-run German and Russian companies.

Business model

The main business model of Intenium is freemium in which a product or service is provided free of charge, but a premium is charged for advanced features and/or functionality, item-selling or subscription.^[2][3]

Downloadable games played for Intenium historically a big role as Intenium's business started with those. Therefore, the business model called try before you buy is also widely used in company in its classical offerings. Try before you buy provides to users a download option without payment on a trial basis (play limited by time). The aim of this model is to give buyers the opportunity to play and judge the game before purchasing a license (i.e. to pay the price of game) for the full version. The software distributed on this basis is also called shareware.

Furthermore, Intenium’s own CDs are carried by retailers under «Deutschland-spielt» brand.

Distribution network

The distribution network of Intenium comprises own national Deutschland-Spielt and own international casual games portals as well as internationally-active partner portals in USA, UK, France, Scandinavia, Russia and the Netherlands as well as Bild.de and Sat1.de, bringing gaming section to their portals based on Game Center technology. Which is all in one: valuable marketing instrument, easy customizable white label solution for portals, secure DRM software and keep in contact with users, once installed a game, using Tray Client system notification.

Future of casual gaming industry

Online games are booming across all sectors of gaming market. Free-to-play become the major distribution model. Social, casual, mobile games and online games merge.

In future there might be the only one difference between the games: whether they are casual or hardcore - platform will not matter. Top games will be available at any time, on any platform, at any place. Development and improvement of multiplatform technologies will make it possible. Social in-game interactions already now play huge role (playing with friends, sending gifts, help requests etc.)

Alamandi

«World of Alamandi»

«Alamandi» represents multiplayer online world that is targeted at core casual game consumers.

The game allows users traveling between different locations, while playing and solving cooperatively different tasks of the online world and, at the same time, to explore it. Players can go to one of the mini-games and compete for treasures, customize their game characters and build their own home in the world of Alamandi. Most recognized by players mini-games are «Turtle (match-3)», «Bingo» and «Yahzee» (dice game).

«Alamandi» is characterized by numerous social networking elements and extensive interaction opportunities between the players. Playing in «Alamandi» is free. Business model is based on micro-transactions (item-selling, game credits) and subscription (Memberships), which isn’t mandatory for the players.^[4]

In 2010 game was nominated for «LARA Online». LARA award recognizes high-quality games, that offer good game-play and possess one or more attributes which make them unique and desirable for the players.

In April-march of 2011 took place a 1.000.000 euro prize contest. Contest was supported by TV advertising campaign and promotion through online-channels, social networks and partners portals of INTENIUM.

Bonga Online

17 November 2011 INTENIUM launched the Open Beta of this browser-based online game Bonga Online.

Bonga Online is the first browser online game in company’s portfolio. It was developed in own development unit «INTENIUM Studio» in Kaliningrad, Russia. Gameplay was developed and balanced specifically for the female audience and is based on trendy and popular principle of Tamagotchi and simulation. Bonga Online is all in one world with dynamically changing environment.

In the middle of 2012 Bonga Online was launched on Facebook and a number of other Social networks tapping into social gaming potential.

In January 2013 Bonga Online was nominated for Best Casual Browser MMO of 2013 presented by Game Genetics. The MMO of the Year 2013 features a total of 20 categories across all platforms. As stated in voting rules there are two titles awarded per category, one voted by our jurors and the other one by the audience. Counting more than half a million visitors and fifty thousand validated votes, last year's contest has been the biggest one so far.^[5]

Company products

Online games

• Alamandi
• Bonga Online

Downloadable games

References

External links

• Corporate site
• Screen Seven (English)
• Deutschland-Spielt (German)