GDC 2017: Evaluating Monetization Early
-
Upload
adam-telfer -
Category
Mobile
-
view
6.155 -
download
0
Transcript of GDC 2017: Evaluating Monetization Early
Prototyping your Monetization:Evaluating Monetization Early
Adam Telfer@adamwtelferGame Lead, Wooga
“We should have thought of monetization from the start”
What does great monetizationlook like
early in development?
Monetization
None of this matters.
Icing on the cake
You have to create a great base first.
No amount of icing will fix this cake.
What does a good base look like?
What does a good base look like?
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3
STEP 4
STEP 1: DEFINE
STEP 2
STEP 3
STEP 4
What are you selling?
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
It’s not about quantity
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
Core of Monetization = long lasting desire for progress
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
What is progress in your game?
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
Speeding up Pacing (to Progress)
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
So how do I pace progress?
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
Action
RewardsProgress
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
4Ways to Pace
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
Time Stats
Currencies Luck
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
Time
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
Stats
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
Currencies
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
Luck?
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
Action
RewardsProgress
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
4Questions
Action
RewardsProgress
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
What are the major currencies & systems which pace your progress?
Where could new pacing mechanisms make natural sense in your loop?
Are the purchases repeatable?
Should these be purchasable?
What are you selling?
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
STEP 1: DEFINE
Define ProgressDefine Pacing
Define what you’re Selling
STEP 1: DEFINE
STEP 2
STEP 3
STEP 4
STEP 1: DEFINE
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 3
STEP 4
Why do I need a game to scalein order to monetize?
STEP 2: SCALE
83%
14%3%
68%22%
10%
96%
3%
55%
30%
15%
Bookings
DAU
STEP 2: SCALE
Rounds / Day
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
Average Days to First Spend
http://www.gameanalytics.com/blog/how-to-identify-whales-in-your-game.html
Low Spender
Top Spenders dominate revenue
Top Spenders take time to spend
Top Spenders are more engaged
STEP 2: SCALE
Top Spenders want a game where progression lasts
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
Their progress lasts
Clash of Clans ~3y 193d*Clash Royale ~2y 168d**
*Not Spending, 1 Builder. http://clashofclans.wikia.com/wiki/Cumulative_Costs** Until Level 12 Progression http://clashroyalearena.com/guides/spend-gems-clash-royale
STEP 2: SCALE
Even with heavy spending.
Clash of Clans ~$16,650*Game of War ~$120,000*
* Single Player Only http://clashofclans.wikia.com/wiki/Cumulative_Costs*Ignores Social Purchasing http://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/61710/deconstructing-game-of-war/
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
200 Dwellers, All Rooms BuiltIn ~30 Days
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
Let’s Scale!Let’s just make the numbers bigger!
STEP 2: SCALE
Can your game evolve for years?
STEP 2: SCALE
But I’m just a prototype!
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
Map out your progress
Mechanics Sessions
Content Economy
How Games Break Scale:STEP 2: SCALE
Mechanics
How Games Break Scale:STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
Do the mechanics scalewith progress?
STEP 2: SCALE
Does each stat have a counter?
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
If you can’t get bigger numbers,Add more numbers to upgrade
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
Is the scope of possible upgrades large enough?
Does each upgrade feel meaningful?
Mechanics
How Games Break Scale:STEP 2: SCALE
Mechanics Sessions
How Games Break Scale:STEP 2: SCALE
Do the sessions scale?
625 Plots1,254 Clicks / Session
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
Interactions Required / Session
Do the sessions scale?
Less & Easier Interactions
STEP 2: SCALE
# of Raids Required to Progress?
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
Enough Upgrades for Meaningful Sessions?
Mechanics Sessions
How Games Break Scale:STEP 2: SCALE
Mechanics Sessions
Content
How Games Break Scale:STEP 2: SCALE
Can you Craft 1000+ Levels?
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
STEP 2: SCALE
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
Cost vs Consumption?
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
= 5 hours / level
STEP 2: SCALE
= 8 hours / level
STEP 2: SCALE
Cost vs Consumption
5h-8h/ level
3-4 levels/ day
STEP 2: SCALE
5h-8h/ level
15 levels/ day
*Top 10%
Cost vs Consumption
STEP 2: SCALE
5h-8h/ level
40 levels/ day
*Top 1%
Cost vs Consumption
STEP 2: SCALE
Top 5% of playersreach level 600 in <60 days
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
How Costly is your Content?
STEP 2: SCALE
How Costly is your Content?STEP 2: SCALE
How Costly is your Content?STEP 2: SCALE
How Costly is your Content?STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
How much will this cost to produce?
Mechanics Sessions
Content
How Games Break Scale:STEP 2: SCALE
Mechanics Sessions
Content Economy
How Games Break Scale:STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
Does the economy scale?
Do currencies remain valuable?
STEP 2: SCALE
For each currency,What are the sources and sinks?
STEP 2: SCALE
Are the sources and sinks equally powerful?
STEP 2: SCALE
Power of a Source or Sink =
QuantityFrequencyProbability
Limitors
STEP 2: SCALE
How are they limited?How does it grow over time?
STEP 2: SCALE
How are they limited?How does it grow over time?
STEP 2: SCALE
Most games still suffer from some inflation
10 Billion Coins
STEP 2: SCALE
Controlling Inflation:
STEP 2: SCALE
Mechanics Sessions
Content Economy
Will your game break scale?STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
Ensure your Mechanics, Sessions, Content and Economy
can scale for years!
STEP 1: DEFINE
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 3
STEP 4
STEP 1: DEFINE
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 4
It doesn’t matter if you have a long lasting game,
If nothing is desirable.
STEP 3: TRIGGER
Desire to PlayVs
Desire to Spend FOCUS
STEP 3: TRIGGER
Design triggers for spending
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
Find Your TriggersWhy are they spending?
What player type will spend?How often & much will they spend?
What can you do to strengthen the reasons to spend?
STEP 3: TRIGGER
Why are they spending?
To progress past a difficult level!
STEP 3: TRIGGER
What player type?
Competitive Persona
STEP 3: TRIGGER
How do you tighten?Level DifficultySocial PressureTime Pressure
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
What triggers spending?
STEP 3: TRIGGER
Loss AversionVanity
CompetitivenessImpatienceInvestment
Social
What triggers spending?
STEP 3: TRIGGER
Loss AversionVanity
CompetitivenessImpatienceInvestment
Social
What triggers spending?
STEP 3: TRIGGER
Loss Aversion
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
Loss AversionVanity
CompetitivenessImpatienceInvestment
Social
What triggers spending?
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
Connection
STEP 3: TRIGGER
Rarity
STEP 3: TRIGGER
Loss AversionVanity
CompetitivenessImpatienceInvestment
Social
What triggers spending?
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
Loss AversionVanity
CompetitivenessImpatienceInvestment
Social
What triggers spending?
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
Loss AversionVanity
CompetitivenessImpatienceInvestment
Social
What triggers spending?
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
Loss AversionVanity
CompetitivenessImpatienceInvestment
Social
What triggers spending?
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
Loss AversionVanity
CompetitivenessImpatienceInvestment
Social
Which does your game have?
How can you tighten them?
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
Define & Tighten Triggers in your game!
STEP 1: DEFINE
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 4
STEP 1: DEFINE
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 4: PROTOTYPE
But I’m just a prototype!STEP 4: PROTOTYPE
Fast PacingEasy Difficulty
No Tight Currencies
= Misleading Fun
STEP 4: PROTOTYPE
STEP 4: PROTOTYPE
Free to Play Success:
Pacing Fun
STEP 4: PROTOTYPE
Pacing from the StartSTEP 4: PROTOTYPE
Test Hard DifficultySTEP 4: PROTOTYPE
Include Tight CurrenciesSTEP 4: PROTOTYPE
Playtest!
STEP 4: PROTOTYPE
Playtesting with Pacing:
Real Content Consumption RateWhere & Why HC is spent
Payers vs Non-PayersGet the Pacing right!
STEP 4: PROTOTYPE
STEP 4: PROTOTYPE
Prototype with Pacing & Monetization Mechanics in!
STEP 1: DEFINE
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 4: PROTOTYPE
Define the Core Progression & What you can Sell
Ensure your game can scale to years
Define & Tighten Triggers in your game
Prototype with Pacing & Monetization
Now you have a solid base
Now you can add the Icing
Easy when you’ve got a lasting system
Easy when you’ve got a desire to spend
No amount of icing will fix this cake.
Questions?
slides: mobilefreetoplay.com@adamwtelfer