Most likely, the number one reason you're reading this post is because (good) MOBAs have proven to be an extremely lucrative business. For example,  Riot Games' League of Legends generated $624M in 2013. Number two reason for reading this post comes likely from the fact that 0% of DotA or LoL players are playing MOBAs on mobile or tablet even though probably at least half of them owns a tablet device. Number three is simply thegrowth of tablet market.

Tablets are perfect for MOBAs. They have a touch large screen, internet connection and they are used mostly at home, where the sessions can be long and uninterrupted. Put two and two together and you'll quickly realize why there are dozens of developers racing to take the dominant spot as the number one MOBA on the new platform.

In this post, I'll analyze the market for mobile MOBA's concentrating specifically on competition and players. In my next posts, I'll deconstruct my favorite mobile MOBAs, which most likely you haven't played. 
 

Multiplayer Mobile Battle Arena?

In all simplicity multiplayer mobile battle arenas (MOBA) is a gaming genre in which two teams of 3 to 5 players try to destroy each others' command centers, heavily guarded structures at opposing corners of the map. Two of the most iconic MOBAs out there are Valve's Defense of the Ancients (DotA) and Riot Game's League of Legends (LoL). Both of the games are extremely popular and most importantly, run only on Windows and Macs.

MOBAs are hero brawlers in which teams work together to destroy each other's bases located on the opposite side of a mirrored map. The appeal comes from action-filled gameplay, teamwork, and careful character balancing.

MOBA sounds like a fun and easy game but in reality, it's impossible for the majority of players to enjoy DotA or LoL. In fact simply getting into these games is a chore. The first step is the installation of the game client. Prepare to wait up to hours even when connected to high-speed internet. The second step is the update - just when you think the wait is over, prepare to wait a lot more. The third step is the boring tutorial. Even though these are free-to-play games, their onramp is something you'd see in a console game - filled with long texts and full of self-evident instructions. The fourth step is getting humiliated. Just when you think that all the waiting and learning transforms into fun action your first sessions will be simply about respawning and getting extremely confused about the in-game shop and why you can't slay any of the opponents. Unless you have a good friend next to you guiding through each of these steps and beyond, the fourth step will be your final one. 

But if you manage to get through the onboarding boot camp, you're in for life. Best of MOBAs are extremely well balanced offering an incredible amount of depth, they rely on team play and they are highly competitive. Most importantly they are not only fun to play but also fun to watch. For example, over 32 million fans watched League of Legends tournament finale in front of a sold-out Staples Center. At the peak, more than 8.5 million fans were watching at the same time online.

In order to understand what MOBAs mean to the player, you should watch the FREE TO PLAY documentary. It is a feature-length documentary that follows three professional gamers from around the world as they compete for a million dollar prize in the first Dota 2 International Tournament.  
 

Beating Competition

If your goals are to take over and grow the MOBA market in the tablet the first step is to examine who is it you're competing against. The easy way would be to narrow down the competition to just MOBAs on a tablet. This approach may easily lead you to a conclusion that the direct competition is both limited and weak. 

Playing an MOBA requires between 10 to 35 minutes of uninterrupted playtime. Because of the nature of the session and the time it requires, most people play MOBAs at home, where the player will have the opportunity to choose between a tablet or browser version. This is why I suggest including browser MOBAs into the list of competitors as well.

In short, MOBA competition can be divided into three categories:

1. Direct fast follow of PC MOBAs

Instead of understanding the essence of MOBAs and combining this gaming experience with player habits on tablet direct fast follow of browser MOBAs simply copy core features and art style from best in class MOBAs. These fast follows don't really add anything to the genre and are frankly inferior to the browser MOBAs the copy from in all aspect from art and controls to game depth and balancing.

The only selling argument for these games is that they are on tablets but the poor technical implementation combined with the lack of knowledge in how players play games on a tablet versus on the browser kills any accessibility the tablet platform might offer. 

Case Example: Heroes of Order & Chaos

Heroes of Order and Chaos

(HOC) looks like League of Legends on mobile from the far. Yet first sessions reveal clunky controls, server instability, poor balancing and unintuitive UI, which is why this game hasn't been able to garner mentionable success after being live for a year. Instead of getting first mover advantage on the market HOC is a checklist for mistakes to avoid when creating a tablet MOBA. 

2. Simplified fast follow of League of Legends

One of the cornerstones of best in class MOBAs is a combination of carefully balanced characters and map design - a combo that is the foundation of team play, depth and extremely long player lifetimes. Simplified versions of MOBAs on mobile disregard how and why players traditionally play these games choosing to focus on player versus player action and short sessions. The result is a fast and accessible mobile MOBA but because of very limited depth and teamwork player lifetimes are short.

Case Example: Solstice Arena

Solstice Arena

succeeds in what it intended to do - and that is getting players into the game fast. Yet the simplification of this title has gone so far that it has rubbed off the depth and strategy elements that make MOBAs so successful. Straightforward maps and one-dimensional characters are great for the first sessions but offer little incentive for progressed players.

3. The PC MOBAs

Frankly speaking, unless you have unlimited resources and time combined with a strong IP, there's now way you can steal players from leading browser MOBAs. The amount of work that has been put into these games results in unique competitive advantages, which allow catering to the devoted fan base. Fast following DotA or LoL results only in a disappointment for both the developer and the players. 

The only way to compete with leading browser MOBAs is through differentiation enabled by the tablet platform. The first step is accessibility. Rework on-ramp flow to support new players instead of scaring them away. The second step is session length. Aim for shorter sessions. Uninterrupted 25 minute long sessions are perfect for teenagers but if you want adults playing your game, cut that in half. Third and by far most significant step is game design. What's the point of copying design mantras such as last-hit rule* if your aim is to capture new players? By obeying to all of the existing game design mantras developers simply destine themselves to fast follow. On the other hand, dropping these mantras will open up doors to unique hero brawlers designed specifically for tablets. 

* the Last-hit rule in MOBAs means that player who makes the killing blow gets all the precious experience points. Because of this rule, there are no truly supportive characters who could concentrate only on enhancing and healing team members. This rule also dictates map design.
 

Winning Over Players

My suggestion though is to take a more objective look and identify your competition based on the players you're after. Most likely you're looking at two of the following indirect competitors. 

1. Mobile Mid-Core Players

After playing games like Clash of Clans, Kingdoms of Camelot and Game of War for several years I doubt how many repetitions of these games players can endure. Don't get me wrong, building and battling is fun but we all know that free-to-play tower defense genre is about timers and speedups instead of action and progress. 

Village defenders, which are simply copies of each other, are exhausting the market.

I personally believe that a sizable portion of these players would be happy to abandon or at least reduce their daily grind with production timers and use that saved time to take on players in an action-packed hero brawler. 

Because of the longer uninterrupted sessions, MOBAs don't compete directly with card battlers and tower defenders. They won't fight mid-core games for those short sessions that occur throughout the day but they will take over players when they get home to their tablets. Because the major portion of monetization in mid-core games takes place with longer sessions and the fact that these players are getting bored out of their mind, MOBAs possess that billion dollar market opportunity. 

2. Lapsed Browser MOBA Players

Browser MOBAs require an extensive investment of time from their players. Just getting into the game will take hours and then in order to enjoy it an average user will need at least a hundred of hours of playing and watching gameplay videos. With each match taking anywhere between 30min to an hour it is safe to say that despite enjoying the genre, not everyone can afford to spend tens of hours a week on a game. 

Tablet MOBAs aim to target this audience of lapsed or lapsing browser MOBA players by offering them a bit lighter and a bit more action centered version. These players are extremely valuable as they not only know how to play these games but also understand the importance of community. The hardest part is finding the balance between accessibility and depth. Simplifying too much will take away the much-needed depth of gameplay while not simplifying enough will result in a browser MOBA on a tablet with inferior controls and the limited amount of content. 

3. New Players

As the tablet market grows so does a number of players on the platform. New players, who aren't looking for short sessions will be compelled to spend their evenings with an entertaining hero brawler instead of speeding timers.

My personal view is that in order to reach this audience game requires strong word-of-mouth. This is an audience that owns a tablet for other reasons than playing games but with an encouragement from a friend, this may change. And by the encouragement, I do not mean a Facebook invite. The thing what makes tablet MOBAs great is that there's no effort in taking your tablet without when you go and see your friend. Few team battles after you're hooked.
 

Tough Competition, Great Prize

Tablets offer an opportunity to grow the MOBA market and engage new player segment that hasn't previously played these games. As the growth of high-end tablet segment continues we'll be seeing a rush of MOBAs on tablet and an extremely tough competition for the top position. In addition to a the platform-specific competition, tablet MOBAs will also face competition both from existing and upcoming browser MOBAs as players will seek deeper experience and more content. 

In my opinion, a developer that can capture the essence of a social hero brawling game and convert it into a tablet game without clinging to all of the design mantras of established MOBAs will take over, grow and hold the market for tablet MOBAs. I believe that a combination of accessibility and depth is the winning formula.