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

Journal

Scopely Earns a Place Among the Giants

But they didn't just stumble onto the TIME100 list. How to secure your spot? Three key takeaways: 1. Innovate: Scopely's "MONOPOLY GO!" launch was a game-changer, becoming the biggest mobile game launch in the United States.2. Build Community: Gaming isn't just about play and connection. Scopely's "commitment to cultivating highly social experiences" fosters engagement across generations and geographies.3. Create Impact: TIME evaluates companies based on impact. Scopely's growth to the #1 mobile games company in the U.S. demonstrates the significance of their influence.Success comes from the ability to translate vision into reality.Scopely's recognition proves that the gaming industry is not just about entertainment.It's a platform for innovation, community building, and global impact.And remember, it's not about the destination. It's about who you become, the communities you build, and the lives you touch.So, game devs and fans, are you ready to […]

Ali Farha June 19

Journal

The Value of QA Metrics in Predicting Game Success

This should help remove your doubts and highlight the critical role of these metrics. Think about these points:• Some developers ignore the importance of QA metrics.• Ignoring QA metrics means missing essential insights.• The need for more understanding and experience.But there's a bright side:• It's never too late to start applying QA metrics.• The gaming community values data-driven methods. Consider these facts: - QA metrics reveal unseen patterns and trends.- Your use of metrics distinguishes you uniquely.- Metrics impact significantly, even with minor changes.- Quality metrics offer consistent product performance.Metrics to consider:1. Time to Fix Bugs2. User Feedback and Ratings3. Performance and Loading Times4. Number of Bugs Found and Fixed5. Percentage of Successful/Unsuccessful TestsStart using QA metrics today and watch your game's potential.

Ali Farha June 17

Journal

What Is The Process Of Creating a Narrative In Games?

Here is the pipeline I created and used when I was a Narrative Producer: 0) Logline— High-concept premise— Two or three sentences— Includes the protagonist, goal, and main conflict1) Synopsis— Brief story overview (1-2 pages)— Follows a three-act structure— Outlines main plot points, key characters, and the overall story arc2) Story Outline— Breakdown narrative into acts and major chapters— Highlight key events, character development, and plot twists— Roadmap for the entire story2A) Worldbuilding— Create the game's setting— Focus on aspects that influence the story and characters2B) Characters Passports— Backstory and motivation— Key character traits— Role in the plot— Description of appearance— References2C) Speech Characteristics— Unique speech patterns for each character— Examples: old-fashioned or slang speech, stuttering, etc.— Sample of dialogue3) Chapter Flowchart— Visual representation of story progression— Detail branching paths, scenes, player decisions, and possible outcomes— Indicates game mechanics used […]

Anton Slashcev June 17

Journal

Game Retention Cheatsheet

To improve retention, it's necessary to deconstruct the factors influencing it. Here’s a cheatsheet on how to keep players engaged from the start: I. Short-Term Retention (Day 1-3) 1) Onboarding:🎯 Clear objectives🧠 Minimal cognitive load⚡ Immediate action2) First Impressions:🎨 Strong graphics and good readability🖱️ Intuitive UI/UX📜 Compelling story hook3) Core Gameplay Loop:🎮 Fun & engaging gameplay📏 Easy-to-understand rules🎁 Rewarding sessions II. Mid-Term Retention (Day 3-30) 1) Game Depth:♟️ Diverse strategies🆕 New mechanics🗺️ Side quests2) Live-Ops:🔄 Regular updates🎉 Events⏳ Limited-time content3) Progression & Difficulty:🏆 Balanced challenges📈 Satisfying progression4) Engagement Mechanics:🎁 Daily bonuses🗓️ Quests🔔 Push notifications III. Long-Term Retention (Day 30-360) 1) Meta and Long-Term Goals📑 Narrative🏡 Decor👤 Character customization🎨 Cosmetic items2) Endgame content and loop 🏁3) Social engagement👪 Community Features:🛡️ Guilds and Clans🏅 Leaderboards🤝 Co-op, PvE & PvP events4) Balanced economy ⚖️5) Technical Stability🛠️ Continuous optimization🐛 Bug fixes IV. Monetization 💸 […]

Anton Slashcev June 17

Journal

Why Players Are Jumping The Ship

Most likely you are one of them. To understand why players abandon games before completion, we must understand player behavior and market trends. The main reasons behind this trend: 1. The Challenge FactorDifficulty spikes and frustrating gameplay elements often deter players from going further.2. Engagement ShortfallsGames that fail to consistently engage players with exciting content or mechanics often face high abandonment rates.3. Shiny ObjectPlayers ' preferences constantly evolve with the era of new games and genres being launched.4. The Time DilemmaModern lifestyles allow limited gaming time. Consequently, games that demand significant time investment risk being abandoned for shorter, more accessible experiences.5. Financial AspectsGiven the rising costs of games coupled with economic uncertainties, players may prefer free-to-play games or those sold at discounted prices.

Ali Farha June 12

Journal

Knowing Your Game Is Half the Battle

But the other half? Understanding the genres. To simplify, here's a list: 1. MMORPGs2. Puzzle Games3. Hybrid Games4. Sports Games5. Shooter Games6. Fighting Games7. Platform Games8. Simulation Games9. Dance/Rhythm Games10. Survival Horror Games11. Action Adventure Games12. Role Playing Games (RPGs)13. Turn Based Strategy Games14. Real Time Strategy (RTS) GamesThis list is by no means exhaustive or strict. Each genre can overlap and bleed into another. The only limit is the imagination of the game developers.

Ali Farha June 10

Journal

Iteration over Innovation? Case: Makeover Match

Making games is hard. As player expectations rise and market conditions become more challenging, creating a successful game and maintaining that success is becoming increasingly difficult. It looks like these are not enough to stop Tactile, the Danish studio behind smash hit Lily’s Garden, from working on a new title since they launched their latest game Makeover Match in March 2023. Although the Tactile team has several titles under their portfolio, the well-known swapping mechanic is not very common among their games. Especially with their two most recent titles Lily’s Garden and Penny & Flo, Tactile has been a stronghold for story-driven puzzle games with the collapse mechanic. Releasing a match-3 game with the swapping mechanic is certainly a demonstration of their eagerness to take on a new challenge. However, quite counterintuitively, the strongest aspect of Makeover Match is the […]

Ahmetcan Demirel June 10

Journal

Game Development Tools Landscape

I wish I had the tools available today when I joined gaming 12 years ago. Still, 3 sins can ruin your game production. (I must admit, I’ve committed all 3 sins)1. "Why buy this tool? A weekend and energy drinks, and I'll make a new one. It'll even make coffee!"Avoid this because:• 61% producers aim for 1–2-week releases.• that's a lot of energy drinks.• not enough weekends.2. “Our custom tool? It's so unique, only three people in the world understand it.Two of them just quit.”Avoid this because:• 53% longer to onboard with in-house tools• less focus in creating the game experience• the remaining one writes in hieroglyphs.3. "This third-party AI pathfinding? My pet could write better algorithms. Hold my keyboard."Avoid this because:• 66% of development timelines fall short.• solving solved issues wastes resources.• wheel reinvention proves its necessity."Okay, your idea, […]

Sergei Vasiuk June 10

Journal

Top 10 Tools Every Game Developer Must Know

Having the right tools can make all the difference. These tools collectively cover the essential aspects of: • Performance optimization• Project management• Game development• Design• Coding The must know tools are: 1. Game Engines: Unreal, Unity, Godot2. Scripting Tools: Visual Studio, Xcode, Eclipse3. Animation Software: Adobe Photoshop, Blender, Inkscape4. Asset Marketplaces: Adobe Audition, Audacity5. Audio Editing Software: Git, SVN6. Version Control Systems: JIRA, Trello7. Graphics Design Software: NVIDIA Nsight, Intel VTune8. Project Management Tools: Houdini FX, Spine9. Performance Analysis Tools: Lua, Blueprint10. Integrated Development Environments: Unity Asset Store, Unreal Engine MarketplaceDon't feel pressured to master all these tools immediately. Choose one, get familiar with it, and then gradually introduce others.

Ali Farha June 5

Journal

Survivor.io by Habby: Game Breakdown

🎮 Survivor.io by Habby: Game Breakdown 🎮 In Survivor.io, Habby led by Stefan Wang, Blu Chen (Xiaoqing Chen), Jiyeon Shin, Kris Jia, 赵书香, Xiaochen Wang, Jealous Zhang, Chang Ma, 郭丹萍, Cici Peng and many more have implemented a variety of in-app purchases (IAPs) and ad monetization strategies to enhance the player experience while generating revenue. 1) Name Changing: Players can change their name for free the first time. However, any subsequent changes cost 100 diamonds 💎, adding a strategic layer to personalization choices.2) Revival Options: Upon dying in the game, players have a choice to revive their character. They can either watch a rewarded ad 🎥 for a free revival or use a new life item found within the game ❤️, ensuring they can continue their progress without losing momentum.3) Game Play Costs: It costs 5 thunder ⚡ to play […]

Vamsi Penmetsa June 3

Journal

Live-Ops Product Management: Cycle Breakdown

Product management during the live-ops stage is very much like maneuvering ships in the open ocean. 🌊Here’s a breakdown of the cycle, complete with sailors' analogies to keep you anchored! ⚓️🌟 1. Vision (1-10 years)Objective: Define the long-term purpose of the productParticipants: Executives, Producer/Product Managers, StakeholdersAnalogy: Guiding Star 🌟🧭 2. Strategy (6-24 months)Objective: Outline key directions to achieve the visionParticipants: Product Manager, Executives, MarketingAnalogy: Compass 🧭🗺️ 3. Roadmap (3-12 months)Objective: High-level plan for major milestones and deliverablesParticipants: Producer, PM, Heads of DepartmentsAnalogy: Treasure Map 🗺️⚓ 4. Milestones & Releases (1-2 months)Objective: Detail the next release with features and contentParticipants: Producer, PM, QA, Team LeadsAnalogy: Anchor ⚓🚢 5. Sprint (1-3 weeks)Objective: Plan the work for the next sprintParticipants: PM, Team Leads, Heads of DepartmentsAnalogy: At Full Sail! 🚢🛠️ 6. Daily Operations (daily)Objective: Execute tasks and monitor progressParticipants: Development, Design & QA, […]

Anton Slashcev May 13

gamedevelopment

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