Users install and play games on a very regular 24-hour/7-day cycle. This post discusses what that means for your game, and how you can leverage that to design features that capitalize and reinforce that natural tendency.
Author: Alexandre Macmillan
I'm a sociologist of technology and culture by training, and have been working at the cross of data analytics and product management in mobile games since 2014.
My PhD and following academic work focused on the way communication technology has contributed to different modes of socialization and cultural frameworks. Working with big data in mobile gaming has been a unique opportunity for me to conduct applied social research on a daily basis.
This blog is the opportunity for me to nerd out, bridge the gap between academia and industry, and share some of my insights on mobile games (and hopefully have those insights enriched and challenged)
Some key topics that interest me and that I treat in this blog are:
* What are some key behavior patterns that can be found across most mobile games?
* How can you leverage some of these common behaviors to design a better product?
* How does big data and the increased production of knowledge impact game making and larger organizational processes?
Finding your North Star
In this post I explain why having a set of game-centric metrics is crucial to understanding how users are interacting with your game and tying your high-level product objectives with gameplay specific targets.
Why you should monetize exclusivity
This post discusses how restricting access of some of the content in your game to customers can be a monetization strategy that is both rewarding for your users and pays off for you.
Focus on monetization, not retention
There is a common theme in the industry that suggests retention is the most important metric for the financial success of any game – more than monetization metrics. This post looks at some key data points that show the difference between monetizing a little bit and monetizing a lot is not due to engagement. It rather results from how frequently users make purchases when they are active in a game.
Determining your IAP price points (hint: make it expensive)
Maximizing revenue in your game is a balancing act between conversion and revenue per transaction. This post looks at the impact price point has on spending patterns and suggests a few rules of thumbs to define your pricing strategy.
Effective data-driven cultures: distinguishing what and why questions
Knowing which questions analytics can and cannot answer is not a theoretical consideration. It has very practical consequences. Having a data-driven culture means knowing what type of questions data can answer, and what type of questions it can’t answer.
Alexandre Macmillan 