Trusting Gut Instinct in Game Development

Lately the word 'gut' has raised its head in connection with many occasions on social media and work, so I decided to add my input to how 'gut' should be perceived and used as a tool. 💡 Nowadays instead of pure 'gut', I'm treating it as a combination of:- experience as a gamer,- experience as a game developer, plus- know-how, insights, existing data such as market data, player research findings, competitive data, etc. 🎯Given above, in short, it is more than a best guess - one could say it is in many cases even more data-informed than one would thought about it. So, if someone is questioning your gut and saying not to trust to it, I believe in many cases it showcases immature thinking, as gut should have certainly a higher prio than that.❗️Why gut plays a big role […]

Antti Kananen January 3

Journal

Increase Player Retention Through In-App Purchases

Studios always seek innovative ways to keep players monetized and engaged. Paid Periodic Bonus is an approach where players make a purchase with real money and, in return, receive continuous bonuses. This strategy not only enhances the value of the purchase but also keeps players returning for more.This model's 𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞𝐬 and its ability to be tailored to different player segments makes it an invaluable tool for developers seeking to maintain a competitive edge.𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬:𝐄𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: Players perceive more value in their purchase because it unlocks ongoing rewards.𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝: The offer entices players to spend more by presenting a compelling deal.𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: To collect all their bonuses, players must return to the game over several days.🎮 A stellar example this year is the offer 'Get Chuck And Lots Of Staff Earlier.' It provides early access […]

Oxana Fomina December 25

Journal

Increased Holiday Events And Sales In Games

To amplify this festive spirit, introduce an element of enchantment and the chance to perform a good deed. Consider offering players an 𝐞𝐜𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 from Dots.eco. Players can plant trees, save baby sea turtles and many more environmental activities in the real-world as part of the game experience.The Advent Calendar, popular not just at Christmas but for various holidays, presents a prime opportunity to integrate eco-rewards. Benefits of Advent Calendars Retention By offering daily surprises, players are encouraged to return, enhancing game retention.Engagement Boost involvement with the main gameplay and events. Offering limited-time boosters and event-specific currency can deepen user engagement and prolong gaming sessions.Monetization Choose the monetization methods that are optimal for your game’s audience: Incorporate special discount offers within the advent calendar as an additional incentive. Add a place at the bottom of the calendar for special offers […]

Oxana Fomina November 27

Journal

Win Streak Offer In Candy Crush Saga By King

The offer has appeared in the game. It opens when the player loses the maximum permanent streak bonus, allowing the player to save their maximum permanent streak bonus for premium currency. Monetization 𝐀 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫. Players invest considerable effort to attain the highest streak bonus, a milestone they value greatly. The likelihood of players spending money to maintain this status symbol is increased, seeing it as a worthwhile investment to safeguard their progress. Engagement The loss of a streak often leads to the end of a gaming session. However, with the Win Streak Offer, players are more inclined to continue playing, perceiving the purchase as a second wind—a lifeline that keeps them engaged.Match-3 games frequently incorporate streak mechanics, compelling players to clear levels consecutively without defeat. The three primary streak formats—streak-rewards, streak-location, and streak-tournament—encourage the use of extra moves and […]

Oxana Fomina November 14

Journal

How Monopoly GO Leverages Coin Master’s Live Ops Strategies

𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 Monopoly Go allows players to participate in events from the start, offering free dice, reducing early player drop-off. 24-𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 Unlike Coin Master’s 6-hour tournaments, Monopoly Go’s day-long events encourage players to return multiple times during the day to secure rewards and positions. 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐞 Monopoly Go alternates between easy and hard challenges, maintaining player interest, whereas Coin Master toughens events for paying players. 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 Monopoly Go utilizes short-term bonus events, offering time-limited advantages and keeping players engaged. 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 With co-op events where friends work towards common goals, Monopoly Go encourages deeper player engagement.By examining top-performing games, developers can blend mechanics, events, offers, and gameplay to optimize their game strategy and boost initial profits.

Oxana Fomina October 30

Journal

Pizza And Hybrid Casual Games Going Together?

Let's take a closer look! Supercent - Pizza Ready! MondayOFF - Like a Pizza Geisha Tokyo - Pizzaiolo! DevGame - Masha and the Bear Pizza Maker TapBlaze - Good Pizza, Great Pizza

Zack Weiss October 30

Journal

Unlocking Success In Monopoly GO: First Purchases

Mastering The Art Of First Purchases And Personalized Offers! An outstanding strategy for initiating the first transaction in the Monopoly GO game involves taking advantage of a unique opportunity. As players step into the in-game store, they are greeted with a special bonus applicable to their inaugural purchase of any rolls available. This serves as a catalyst for transforming various player profiles into paying customers right from their initial transaction. Moreover, this initial purchase sets the stage for tailoring future offers to align with each player's specific preferences based on their maiden purchase.Additionally, a gift becomes accessible in the store every 8 hours, fostering the habit of daily store visits and enabling players to explore new, enticing offers consistently.

Oxana Fomina October 16

Journal

AI generated content will become very popular in Game Dev

AI generated content will become very popular in game development, considering the current AI developments! 🎯 Images here were generated by me in just minutes. Just needed proper prompts and a couple of iterations to the input! Any style and direction was achievable, with some iteration cycles. All of this can be done very FAST - which is pretty amazing! 🚀💯How can this evolve the industry? Here are some thoughts:- Outsource work for AI- Small teams can take over challenging genres with improved content output/pipeline and challenge big players- Concept art without concept artists- Character designs generated by AI- Reference art that you could use straight-forward- Assets directly ready for implementation- Board game developers, e.g., create games with just designing them and putting in AI art- Etc.Potential challenges?- Legislation?- Ownership?- What else?There are also high opportunities for other industries:- Writers […]

Antti Kananen September 14

Journal

Boosting Monetization: Season Pass In Candy Crush Soda Saga

Candy Crush Soda Saga by King now offers players a new version of the season pass, allowing them to choose a paid pass that best suits their level of involvement and participation in the game. Monetization The introduction of the new season pass option enhances monetization for the developer. Previously, players had only one fixed option, paying $5.99 for rewards upon completing eight stages. However, with the new system, players can earn more rewards by actively participating in the game. Now they can choose seasonal pass with 7, 14, and 21 stages. Price starts from $4.99 to $12.99𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞 By offering various tiers of season passes based on player activity, the average spending in the game is expected to rise. Players who are more engaged and committed to completing more stages will naturally invest more in the game […]

Oxana Fomina August 28

Journal

Mobile Game Web Shops Analysis

Analyzing the web shops of various games, I divided them into three types: 1. Simple2. Feature Oriented3. Web Shop As Part Of A Unified Monetization Strategy Supercell Web shop I attributed to the second type of web shop. 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ● 𝐀𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 for the features that are in demand (Diamond and Gold Pass).● 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐬. The monetization event is updated in the game on a monthly basis. Buying a special offer with access to such monetization event at a bargain price will motivate users to actively participate in the game in order to progress through the stages and receive prizes for a long time.𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ● 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬’ 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. Currently, only players from certain countries can make purchases on the web shop.● 𝐋𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. To […]

Oxana Fomina July 24

Journal

Interesting Example Of Survivorship Bias In Live Ops

The new event where the player gets a reward multiplier for clearing levels on the 1st attempt has been introduced to Project Makeover. The event appeared in the game only once and has never been repeated. At the same time, similar events are actively used in games such as Homescapes and Matchington Mansion. When you are planning an event, it is important to study not only successful cases of its use, but also cases where the event did not lead to the desired results. Survivorship bias is a type of systematic selection error when there is a lot of data for one group of objects (conditionally called “survivors”) and practically no data for the other (“dead”). As a result, researchers try to look for commonalities among the "survivors" and lose sight of the fact that no less important information is […]

Oxana Fomina June 1

Journal

Dreams in the Witch House

Here’s a brief review of an interesting retro-style point-and-click adventure game that just released a few days ago on Steam [LINK] and I’ve found enjoyable, although perhaps not flawless. At first glance, one could just think this is just another point-and-click game, with the only particularity of being based on the Cthulhu Mythos. But there’s a bit more than that. On top of the classic mechanics of the genre, Dreams in the Witch House has an interesting twist by adding survival/RPG mechanics to the formula.On top of solving the puzzles, the player has to deal with the main character's needs like in The Sims: having to get food, obtain wood to keep his room warm, get clothing (based on the weather), and take proper rest to avoid handicaps and even death.And like in Bully or the Persona series, the player has to study different subjects and pass exams to continue being a […]

Javier Barnes March 24

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