Future Principles and DNA for Sustainable Games

Given the industry’s hardships and recent dynamics on all fronts from macro to micro, I’m giving here a shot on listing down principles and DNA for building sustainable games for the future — over which I think the industry would benefit on making bets vs. repeating what has driven to us where we are today.

So, buckle up! It’s going to be a bumpy and insightful ride all together when you’re reading this article. As a special mention, before jumping straight to things, it should be noted that I’m keeping these principles and points on high-level, as I’ve extensively covered each of these topics already in my blog. For diving further to these mentioned points, I highly recommend checking my posts.

Principles and DNA of Sustainable Games

In the rapidly evolving landscape of game development, creating long-term sustainable games requires at minimum a proper positioning strategy, a deep understanding of player profiling (incl. demographics, motivations, archetypes, content consumption, etc.), having innovative social mechanisms / layers in the game, and focusing on social and intrinsic monetization strategies.

Drawing inspiration from my previous discussions on these topics, this article delves into the foundational principles and DNA essential for developing enduring games across mobile, premium, and hybrid monetization models. Be it a new game or existing franchise / IP you’re working over, all of the titles in question would benefit from more or more of these — incl. some existing live service titles that are out there.

Intrinsic Product Positioning: Aligning with Player Perceptions

Understanding player profiles, demographics, motivations, and archetypes is crucial for crafting games that resonate on a personal level. This intrinsic approach ensures that the game’s unique selling points (USPs) and value propositions align seamlessly with player expectations.

• Player-Centric Design: Utilize data-informed insights to tailor game mechanics and narratives that align with the intrinsic motivations of target audiences, enhancing engagement and satisfaction.
• Strategic Marketing Alignment: Develop marketing campaigns that reflect the game’s core values and resonate with the intended player base, ensuring consistency between the game’s experience and its promotional messaging.
• Dynamic Live Ops: Implement live ops strategies that offer personalized content and events tailored with player profiles in mind, keeping the experience fresh and relevant for diverse player segments.

My articles on the topic:

Unleashing Social 2.0: Expanding the Horizons of Player Interaction

While traditional social features in games have facilitated basic interactions, we’ve only scratched the surface — perhaps exploring just 25% — of what’s truly possible. The next evolution, Social 2.0, aims to deepen these connections by fostering meaningful relationships and collaborative experiences.

• Enhanced Social Mechanics: Integrate features that encourage players to form alliances, share user-generated content (direct or indirect, e.g., a player-made character / hero can be counted in as indirect UGC type of creation), and participate in cooperative challenges. These mechanics not only boost engagement but also cultivate a sense of community and belonging.
• Real-World Integration: Develop systems that bridge in-game interactions with real-world connections, while keeping this side optional for players to engage in, to strengthen and create potential bonds between players beyond the digital realm.

My articles on the topic:

Embracing Emergent and Systemic Gameplay

Designing games with emergent and systemic systems enriches gameplay by allowing complex interactions to arise from simple rules, leading to increased depth and replayability.

• Core Loop Innovation: Develop core gameplay loops that encourage experimentation and offer varied outcomes, motivating players to engage repeatedly.
• Meta and Social Systems: Incorporate meta game elements and social features that promote community involvement and content sharing, fostering organic growth and player retention.
• Cost-Effective Development: Leverage systemic design to create content that remains engaging over time without the need for constant updates, optimizing resource allocation.

My articles on the topic:

Prioritizing Intrinsic and Social Monetization Strategies

Shifting focus towards intrinsic and social group monetization mechanisms can lead to healthier and more sustainable revenue models.

• Intrinsic Monetization: Offer value-driven purchases that enhance the core experience, such as cosmetic items or expansion packs, appealing to players’ desires for personalization and mastery. On top of this, look how player perception on their competencies work, on top of which offer possibilities for players to invest in their competencies and things that lean to them. All should be based on autonomy over things when it comes to right execution approach and strategy on this.
• Social Group Monetization: Design monetization features that encourage group participation, like collaborative event passes or group discounts, fostering a sense of community and shared investment.
• Balanced Approach: While intrinsic and social monetization should be prioritized, a balanced inclusion of extrinsic rewards can cater to a broader audience, ensuring financial viability.

My articles on the topic

Integrating Sustainable Practices from F2P and Hybrid Models

Adopting successful elements from F2P mobile games can e.g., enhance hybrid monetization models, which combine premium purchases with F2P economies; and vice versa.

• Retention Strategies: Implement daily rewards, limited-time events, and progression systems that keep players engaged over extended periods.
• Flexible Monetization Options: Provide a range of purchase options, from e.g., one-time premium buys to microtransactions, catering to different spending preferences.
• Ethical Design: Ensure that monetization strategies are fair and non-exploitative, maintaining player trust and long-term satisfaction.

My articles on the topic:

Mastering Marketing and Distribution

Effective marketing and distribution are critical to a game’s success, requiring strategies that enhance visibility and accessibility.

• Platform Optimization: Tailor marketing efforts to the strengths and audiences of each platform, whether it’s mobile, console, or PC, to maximize reach and impact.
• Marketability Focus: Enhance the game’s appeal through compelling USPs and differentiation factors, reducing customer acquisition costs and standing out in a crowded market.
• Innovative Distribution Channels: Explore alternative distribution methods when it comes handy and adds large impact, e.g., web-based platforms or proprietary launchers, to circumvent platform limitations and reach a broader audience.

My articles on the topic:

Fostering Strong Team Dynamics and Iterative Development

Building a cohesive team of subject matter experts across disciplines is vital for the iterative development process, which focuses on refining the game through continuous feedback and improvement.

• Unified Vision: Establish clear goals and open communication channels to ensure all team members are aligned and working towards the same objectives.
• Iterative Mindset: Encourage a culture of experimentation and learning, where ideas are tested, analyzed, and refined to enhance both fun and business metrics.
• Empowerment and Autonomy: Allow team members the freedom to innovate within their expertise, fostering creativity and ownership of the project.

My articles on the topic:

Learning from Industry Challenges

Reflecting on past industry missteps, such as accelerated growth leading to unsustainable practices, offers valuable lessons for future development.

• Cost Efficiency: Prioritize resource management and scalable solutions to avoid overextension and financial strain.
• Player-Centric Focus: Maintain a commitment to delivering value and quality to players, ensuring that business decisions align with player satisfaction and long-term engagement.
• AI: The amount of money invested in AI side of things will make AI tools to be developed further — meaning, this will stay. It’s definitely important to find a way to use them one or another way, instead of not using them. This side is of course still somewhat optional, but at some point I believe we’ll perceive these services as tools same way as we use game engines, creative software, etc. currently in our daily work.

Final Thoughts

By embedding these principles into the core DNA of game development, creators can craft experiences that are not only enjoyable and engaging but also sustainable and resilient in the ever-changing gaming landscape. You don’t need to have all in place, some might be enough as said in the beginning of the article vs. all — but the more these are followed up upon on, the more these can add positive compounding effects on certain types of games.

The ‘full funnel’ of things is pretty much covered here, in terms of having this article working as a playbook for the readers, on top of which I might update this article from time to time as I discover new fronts and depths on these things (one topic of such will probably be intrinsic and social live ops strategies) — which I’m hoping my readers will self-propagate themselves on based on what I’ve covered here and on my articles taking deep takes on each of the points listed here.