It came in 2013 as an unexpected gust of wind, a small typhoon in the palm of our hand . That year, the Spanish-speaking world knew for the first time Trivia Crack , a simple and highly entertaining question game that encouraged social interaction and healthy competition. Its creator, Maximo Cavazzani , took around five months to develop and by the end of the year it was already one of the most downloaded and consumed games on the Smartphone market. And it still is.
The hallmark behind this bombshell is etermax, a company founded in 2009 by Cavazzani in his native Argentina that specialized in the development of software for mobile devices and found its success in the different, simple and constantly updated approach to its creations. These three adjectives could be the ones that define the mentality of etermax , which has specialized in designing games that succeed because of how fun they are and that grow day by day thanks to their work and the collaboration of users, who have become a authentic community.
Eleven years have passed since the establishment of etermax and seven since the appearance of its flagship. The company has added to its list of titles Spoken , Mixed , Tricked 2 or Guess and reinforces its action in the digitization of content and classic games adapted to the new times.
We spoke with Maximo Cavazzani, CEO of etermax, to learn first-hand about the principles by which they are governed and the next steps along the way.
With a society so full of stimuli and options and increasingly predisposed to change and constant novelty, how do you get a Smartphone game to become a success and above all to last?
From the etermax Gaming division, we are committed to developing casual games with a global reach that entertain, connect people with each other and contribute to generating knowledge, taking fun to the next level.
There are four main characteristics that stand out in our games: they have simple mechanics that entertain even in short sessions, most focus on the importance of language to enhance cognitive skills (trivia, crosswords, word searches or riddles), they generate communities connected and encourage interaction between people and, being mobile, we can launch them simultaneously around the world.
In an industry as dynamic as technology and especially video games, at etermax we believe that innovation comes from constant iteration and experimentation . Those processes are part of our DNA as a company. In this sense, we are convinced that understanding what works among users and listening to their opinions and contributions are key to achieving successful games that last over time, such as Apalabrados (2011) or Questioned (2013), which currently lead rankings in hundreds of countries.
On the other hand, we must be at the forefront of technology and take our experiences where users are. Thus, Asked was the first game to be presented on the Apple Watch and is a pioneer in voice devices such as Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, where it is also one of the most played.
Based on your experience in the sector, what is the user looking for when they go to your titles?
With over 10 years of industry experience, our games are available in 34 languages and have been downloaded over 700 million in over 180 countries . In this time we have understood that to know what users are looking for, it is best to communicate with them.
That happened to us with Trivia Crack , a multiplatform entertainment franchise that already has more than 150 million annual players , three active games ( Trivia Crack , Trivia Crack 2 and Trivia Crack Kingdoms ), mass consumer products and even an animated series based on its characters: Triviatopia . We saw that the concept worked very well around the world, but there was a challenge in terms of content. We had to offer relevant and interesting questions for different audiences in different countries. That is why we invite you to submit your own questions and answers , something that is still done today through the Question Factory. This helped transform the game into an open community in which you can actively participate by contributing, correcting or translating content. Currently we have registered more than 28 million questions , of which about 8 million were suggested in the Spanish language and within which, about 2 million came from Spain.
Etermax has proven to be able to innovate and surprise, but two of your biggest hits (Questioned and Apalabrados) are based on the Trivial and Scrable games. Do you always have to look ahead or should you keep track of the classics?
Games with words, logic, questions – that is, games that help to exercise the mind – have always existed. At Etermax we have built on these games that triumphed in the 80s to reinvent them and adapt them to today’s technology . In addition, these types of games do not understand age or gender. In Spain, according to the latest data from etermax , more women than men play Apalabrados. Most users are between the ages of 25 and 34, followed by the range from 35 to 44 and then from 45 to 54.
Although we are already seeing it, what role will content and media digitization play in the immediate future?
The situation we are experiencing makes us reflect on how we have communicated so far and how we will do so in the future . Everything indicates that the digitization of information and content that we have experienced in recent years has accelerated with confinement. From one day to the next, the online world became our main vehicle to enjoy leisure, work, inform ourselves and talk with our family and friends.
The technologies that allowed digitization in the past decade will increase their impact, reinforced by novelties such as blockchain or AI. In the field of video games, the application of this type of technology opens up a world of infinite possibilities. If we are able to use the Big Data that we have to create enriching experiences that contribute to the user, we will be able to succeed in the digital entertainment of the future.
In times of pandemic, video games have turned out to be, in addition to a very effective way of entertaining, a tool to connect with our own. How important is the interaction between players in your titles?
In normal contexts, gamers choose to play video games mainly to combat boredom (68%) and to have fun with friends (38%) , according to research by Global Web Index.
In the framework of the quarantine, the use of video games soared around the world. We observe that the number of new daily users of the games has multiplied in almost all countries. But in particular, the percentage of players challenging a friend to a game grew 50% from the previous quarter in Trivia Crack 2 and Guess. It has even been duplicated in Trivia Crack , where there was also an abysmal jump in the use of the application’s chat. We attribute this to the fact that users are not looking only for entertainment but also for connection .
Gaming has always had the ability to form communities and foster interaction. That is why, at a time when social distancing separates us from our loved ones, video games have been a key element to keep in touch , meet new people or play some games with our friends and families.
That is why from etermax we have joined #PlayApartTogether , an initiative that has emerged in the gaming industry and that already has the support of 18 leaders in the sector. The initiative tries, on the one hand, to transmit the messages of the WHO, and on the other to encourage gamers to stay connected and informed through video games . Through various actions, it is intended to draw attention to the positive role that mobile games can have in situations of social distancing.
Where is the Smartphone Video Game Industry Going? And where is etermax going?
Mobile games play a central role in the industry, already accounting for 48% of its total revenue . In recent years, many titles born for PC and consoles have been launched in mobile format with great success, thanks to the availability of increasingly sophisticated devices. On this platform, there are three trends that will be key to the future of video games: Big Data , augmented reality and social gaming .
Although smartphones play a very important role, the future of video games also includes new devices. As we said before, with Trivia Crack we were pioneers in launching a game for Apple Watch and today we are leaders in personal assistants such as Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa.
At etermax we always work to be at the forefront, developing and taking our games to new and innovative platforms. We have become a leading international technology company . The future of etermax is focused on continuing to build universes based on technology, creativity and the development of active communities .
