The baseline
Beatstar is the latest offering from London-based studio Space Ape, part of the Supercell group. Encouraging gamers to stay connected through music, users can choose from a selection of classic bangers and top hits to compete against other players and place higher on the scoreboard by touching the beat.
Space Ape required a website to launch Beatstar which would provide a realistic insight into what users could expect from the game and encourage them to get their groove on.
The site needed to be able to support large volumes of traffic, enhance the visual assets for the user and communicate the core message of the game, to influence the user journey right through to download.
A digital dance
Having worked with Grandad before, Space Ape were aware of our capabilities and trusted us with creative control to get the job done. Thanks to the game being fully licensed through one developer, Grandad were able to experiment with and implement innovative ideas to bring the experience of the game to a web-based platform. We combined motion graphics and dynamic artwork with a clean yet colourful interface to create an immersive, seamless experience which reflected elements of the game itself.
The Space Ape team created some bespoke motion graphics to move the site away from a static state and act as an extension of the game. As users navigate through the site, they are met with impactful animations of the game in action alongside familiar artwork from featured artists to further excite and motivate them to download.
These graphics were combined with animations which can be controlled by the client through our unique CMS - YouCreate - to create a visually striking environment. A great example of this can be seen on the equalizer bars surrounding the artist artwork on the music carousel: Space Ape can configure the equalizer bars according to the tempo of each song, and this is reflected in the animation. Giving this capability to the client gives them the agency to update the site as the game develops and more artists are added to their library.
Grandad worked to elevate the game’s visual assets so that they were displayed in the best possible way to truly captivate the viewer.
This was achieved simultaneously through the literal positioning of assets on the page and through the use of animations inspired from the game and its trailer. We were able to replicate the motions used in the trailer which were taken from the game itself and insert them subtly into the website to create a fully immersive experience which really brought the game to life. Striking colours were used throughout the entirety of the site to incite emotion within the viewer. This replicates the way in which Beatstar uses colour to communicate the flavour of the music featured. Our use of colour was a reflection of this idea and helped to further aid the user’s understanding and relation to the game’s overall story.
It’s all in the data
The visual elements we discussed previously worked in collaboration with cutting-edge technology to maximise the data obtained about the website’s users. Beatstar is currently only available in certain countries but is being gradually rolled out worldwide. Grandad utilised cloud-based technology to accommodate over two million users globally and provide them with the same seamless experience. Additionally, we utilised user data to personalise their experience within the site according to their location.
Users from countries where the game is available are encouraged to download it through a link, whereas users from countries where the game is unavailable are provided with a call to action to sign up to a newsletter, which will provide them with updates on when the game will be available to play in their region. As users reach the end of the site, they are met with these impactful calls to action alongside links to the game’s social media profiles to continue being a part of the conversation.
A sweet melody
The Beatstar site is a true reflection of Grandad at our most playful - utilising tasteful animations with cinematic visuals to create an out-of-this-world experience for the user. We can’t wait until the Beat drops in the UK, but in the meantime we’ll keep working with Space Ape to achieve a chart-topping hit.
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