8 Essential Skills for Game Producers

Master these to become a top producer: 1. Vision Creation 🌟 - Craft a clear direction for the project- Convey and inspire the team with your vision- Align with stakeholders 2. Industry Knowledge 📚 - Understand gaming industry trends deeply- Perform continuous competitor analysis- Be well-versed in a broad range of references 3. Game Design 🎨 - Master game design principles- Understand project economy and balance- Be skilled in user flow and UI/UX- Find fun and work with game loops 4. Technical Understanding 💻 - Familiarize yourself with game engines and technologies- Know game development processes- Understand technical constraints and possibilities- Communicate effectively with technical teams 5. Product Thinking 🧠 - Grasp the product goal for each feature- Prioritize development based on product impact- Understand player needs and pain points 6. Leadership 🏆 - Inspire, motivate, and guide your team- […]

Anton Slashcev July 18

Journal

Improve Monetization or Engagement?

This is the main question when developing a new feature in Live Ops. Monetization: ↳ Improve monetization to increase revenue from the player directly. Examples: • Battle Pass• Piggy Bank and new offers• Holiday Events• Loot Boxes• Casino mechanics (Roulettes, slots)• Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment Engagement: ↳ Improve engagement by increasing retention and/or playtime, hoping to indirectly boost revenue. Examples: • Daily Bonus• Win Streak• Social Features (Clans, Friends, Leaderboard, etc.)• Happy Hours• Meta-related Features Both approaches aim to eventually improve LTV, but in different ways. Is it possible to improve both at the same time? In most cases, no.Trying to enhance both often leads to zero results.

Anton Slashcev July 18

Journal

Are Downloads and Revenue Indicators of Success?

Downloads and revenue are not indicators of a game's success.Many large games operate with a negative ROAS throughout their existence.Despite impressive numbers, they often bring their owners nothing but losses.So why do studios continue to buy traffic for such games and lose money?Here are several reasons:• Hope for profitability: Belief in a turnaround during the live-ops phase• Competitive strategy: Securing traffic share to force competitors to bid higher.• Inflating valuation: Boosting overall ARR before selling the company.• Attracting investments: Demonstrating potential to draw in investors.• Misjudgment: Sometimes, it's simply foolishness. :)There are rare cases where buying traffic for a loss-making game makes sense.But it's mostly an attempt to create the illusion of a successful game for investors or stakeholders.Profit > Volume

Anton Slashcev July 16

Journal

10 Game Monetization Models

Here’s a quick overview of 10 different models, each with its pros and cons. 1. Premium Pros:- Immediate revenue upon sale- Complete experience for players Cons:- High price can deter players- Heavy reliance on initial launch success 2. Free-to-Play Pros:- Large player base- High revenue potential through in-game purchases Cons:- Challenges with user acquisition- Requires constant updates 3. Subscription Pros:- Predictable, steady revenue stream- Encourages long-term engagementCons:- Requires ongoing high-quality content- Achieving profitability can take years 4. Ads-Based Pros:- Free for players, large player base- Quick profitability Cons:- Poor user experience- Short engagement span- Volatile ad revenue 5. Hybrid Pros:- Flexibility to cater to various player types- Diverse revenue streamsCons:- Complexity in managing and balancing methods- Risk of overwhelming players 6. DLC (Downloadable Content) Pros:- Extends game lifecycle- Provides post-launch revenueCons:- Requires ongoing development- Balancing free content and paid DLC […]

Anton Slashcev July 16

Journal

15 Red Flags For Game Producers

If you hear statements like these - RUN! 🚩 1) "The more meetings we have, the faster tasks get done!" 2) "I don't care about player feedback; we just make money." 3) "I don't need market research; I have a Vision." 4) "I don't need a Vision; I have market research." 5) "We won't use new tools; everyone is already used to Excel!" 6) "We need to add AI because everyone else is adding it." 7) "I listen to those I like and ignore the rest of the team." 8) "I don't trust my team and personally check every task." 9) "If I'm crunching, everyone must crunch." 10) "I could do this task faster myself; why does it take the developer so long?" 11) "I don't have time to play other games; I'm busy developing our game." 12) "No one is indispensable; the team is just parts of a big […]

Anton Slashcev July 15

Journal

All Key Game Metrics In One Place

Here is the list of all crucial metrics to track: Progression: - Unlock Rates for Features/Items- Avg. Time to Finish Level- Player Level Distribution- Level Completion Rates- Feature Usage Rates- Churn Rate Engagement: - Levels per Session- DAU / WAU / MAU- Retention D1-D360- Sessions Per User- Session Length- Playtime Balance: - Currency Consumption Per User- Income/Spending by Source- Currency Income Per User- Currencies Per User- Attempts Per Level- Win/Loss Ratio Technical: - Build Size- Load Time- ANR Rate- Crash Rate- Frame Rate (FPS) Community & Support: - Social Media Engagement- User Reviews and Ratings- Response Time- Common Issues- Support Tickets Volume Marketing: - ROAS- k-Factor- CPI / CPM- CVR / CTR- Target Spend- Monthly Installs Monetization: - Ads Fill Rate- ARPU / ARPPU- LTV / Avg. Check- Conversion Rate- Payer Cohort Distribution- Player Spendings by Sources Business: - Revenue- […]

Anton Slashcev July 11

Journal

Game Development Tools Cheat Sheet

Planning Asana: https://asana.com/Jira: https://www.atlassian.com/software/jiraClickUp: https://clickup.com/ Communication Slack: https://slack.com/Discord: https://discord.com/Microsoft Teams: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/group-chat-software Documentation Notion: https://www.notion.so/Confluence: https://www.atlassian.com/software/confluenceGoogle Docs: https://www.google.com/docs/about/ Whiteboard Figma: https://www.figma.com/Miro: https://miro.com/Canva: https://www.canva.com/ Game Engine Unity: https://unity.com/Unreal Engine: https://www.unrealengine.com/Godot: https://godotengine.org/ IDEs JetBrains: https://www.jetbrains.com/Visual Studio: https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/Eclipse: https://www.eclipse.org/ Networking Photon: https://www.photonengine.com/Mirror: https://mirror-networking.com/Nakama: https://heroiclabs.com/nakama/ CI/CD TeamCity: https://www.jetbrains.com/teamcity/Jenkins: https://www.jenkins.io/GitLab CI/CD: https://about.gitlab.com/stages-devops-lifecycle/continuous-integration/ Art Photoshop: https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html3DS Max: https://www.autodesk.com/products/3ds-max/overviewSubstance Painter: https://www.substance3d.com/products/substance-painter/ Animation Maya: https://www.autodesk.com/products/maya/overviewCascadeur: https://cascadeur.com/Mixamo: https://www.mixamo.com/ Sound Wwise: https://www.audiokinetic.com/Audacity: https://www.audacityteam.org/FMOD: https://www.fmod.com/ Text Articy: Draft: https://www.articy.com/en/Google Sheets: https://www.google.com/sheets/about/Lokalise: https://lokalise.com/ Market Research Sensor Tower: https://sensortower.com/AppMagic: https://appmagic.rocks/Playliner: https://www.playliner.com/ Analytics Game Analytics: https://gameanalytics.com/Tableau: https://www.tableau.com/Firebase: https://firebase.google.com/ Playtesting Antidote: https://www.antidote.gg/PlaytestCloud: https://www.playtestcloud.com/Bugsee: https://www.bugsee.com/ Monetization AppLovin: https://www.applovin.com/AdMob: https://admob.google.com/home/Balancy: https://balancy.com/

Anton Slashcev July 8

Journal

User Journey in Mobile Games

The main steps in the interaction between the player and the product are: 🎯 Marketing: 1A. ADS CreativeGoal: Hook attention and drive interest in the game.1B. Store SearchGoal: Ensure visibility and discovery in the store using ASO.1C. Store FeaturingGoal: Hook attention and drive interest in the game.2. Game Store PageGoal: Persuade users to download the game. 🚀 Onboarding: 3. InstallGoal: Convert interest into a completed & fast app install.4. First LaunchGoal: Deliver fast loading and a smooth initial experience.5. TutorialGoal: Educate players on game mechanics and controls.6. Core Game LoopGoal: Hook players with fun and repeatable gameplay. 🔥 Engagement: 7. Return to the GameGoal: Encourage users to come back and play again.8. ProgressionGoal: Provide a sense of achievement and advancement.9. Live-OpsGoal: Offer new content and events to maintain interest. 💰 Monetization: 10. First PaywallGoal: Monetize player engagement without a high […]

Anton Slashcev July 2

Journal

Live Ops Feature Pipeline: A Complete Guide

Here's a step-by-step breakdown of the process: I. Pre-Production: 1. Concept 💡• Identify feature goals• Specify aspects to improve or develop• Provide references• Define the target audience• Set KPIs and profit forecasts2. Specification 📋• Describe all mechanics, states, user flow, and corner cases• Ensure interaction with other features• Prepare UI/UX mockup• Balance calculation• Team presentation3. Planning 🗓️• Scope estimation: Evaluate the scope of mechanics and art assets• Milestones: Define key milestones• Sprint planning: Break down tasks into manageable sprints• Risks: Identify potential risks II. Production: 4. Development 🛠️• Develop feature components (code, art, UI, level design, VFX, sound, etc.)• Implement key parts• Focus on core user flow and primary use cases5. Prototype 🧪• Initial build with only key mechanics & tutorial• Use draft or placeholder art• Evaluate overall game feel and adjust vision6. Iterations 🔄• Feedback iteration: Refine the feature […]

Anton Slashcev July 1

Journal

There Is No Single Right Approach To A Feature

There's no single right approach to a feature or a game. I learned this lesson early on at Playrix.Years ago, I reviewed a new feature prototype for Fishdom.It was complex, experimental, and heavily inspired by another game.After playing, I felt the prototype missed the mark.The feature didn't evoke the desired emotions like its reference.So, I prepared detailed feedback:• Pointed out the flaws and differences• Suggested changes to align it closer to the referenceI was confident my feedback was perfect.I thought I found the only "right answer," as if it was a math equation.Later on, my mentor looked at my feedback and said:💬 "Anton, your feedback boils down to remaking everything from scratch to get closer to the initial reference.While that may be valid, did you consider finding something that works well and could be developed in a new direction, even […]

Anton Slashcev June 24

Journal

Game Publishers vs Investors: Key Differences

I have made deals with both investors and publishers. Here are the key differences between them based on my experience: Funding 💰- Publisher: Provides milestone-based funding specifically for the game.- Investor: Provides lump-sum or structured equity investments for the company.Terms & Ownership 📜- Publisher: Takes 30-70% of game revenue, may own the game IP, and covers their costs before distributing profits.- Investor: Takes 20-40% equity in your company, with the IP remaining yours.Focus 🎯- Publisher: Seeks marketable concepts, high success potential, clear USPs, and alignment with their portfolio.- Investor: Looks for great founders, a cohesive team, and a strong, innovative vision.Deal Speed ⏳- Publisher: Faster (1-3 months) with a detailed publishing agreement.- Investor: Slower (3-6 months) due to due diligence, legal issues, and incorporation.Additional Value 🌟- Publisher: Handles marketing, distribution, game feedback, QA, and localization.- Investor: May provide marketing loans […]

Anton Slashcev June 21

Journal

Desire Beats Pain In Game Monetization

Many game designers think the key to successful monetization is creating pain points for players. But this often leads to mediocre conversion rates and significant churns.Why?Because Pain points give players two options to relieve the pain:1. Pay2. Close the gameAnd many will choose to close.A more effective strategy is to create Desire:Make players really want something that requires a purchase.Desire also causes a form of Pain—the Pain of not having what they want.But there's a crucial difference:- Pain points offer two choices to relieve the pain: pay or leave- Desire offers only one: obtain the Desired itemThis way, players feel like they're making their own decisions and getting extra value for their money.In the "carrot and stick" system, the carrot always wins.Desire > Pain

Anton Slashcev June 20

Anton Slashcev

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