GDC 2017: Evaluating Monetization Early
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This document discusses prototyping monetization strategies early in game development. It recommends taking a four step approach: 1) Define the core progression and what can be sold, 2) Ensure the game mechanics, sessions, content and economy can scale for years, 3) Define and tighten triggers that motivate player spending, and 4) Prototype with pacing and monetization mechanics incorporated to test them. The key messages are that monetization should be considered from the start, the game needs a solid base that can sustain long-term player engagement and progression before adding monetization features, and prototyping with monetization elements helps evaluate what works well.
GDC 2017: Evaluating Monetization Early
- 1. Prototyping your Monetization: Evaluating Monetization Early Adam Telfer @adamwtelfer Game Lead, Wooga
- 2. “We should have thought of monetization from the start”
- 3. What does great monetization look like early in development?
- 5. Monetization
- 6. None of this matters.
- 7. Icing on the cake
- 8. You have to create a great base first.
- 9. No amount of icing will fix this cake.
- 10. What does a good base look like?
- 17. What does a good base look like?
- 18. STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3 STEP 4
- 19. STEP 1: DEFINE STEP 2 STEP 3 STEP 4
- 20. What are you selling? STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
- 21. It’s not about quantity STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
- 22. STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
- 23. Core of Monetization = long lasting desire for progress STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
- 24. What is progress in your game? STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
- 25. STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
- 26. STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
- 27. STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
- 28. Speeding up Pacing (to Progress) STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
- 29. STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
- 30. So how do I pace progress? STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
- 31. Action RewardsProgress STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
- 32. STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
- 33. 4Ways to Pace STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
- 34. STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING Time Stats Currencies Luck
- 35. STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
- 36. Time STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
- 37. Stats STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
- 38. Currencies STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
- 39. Luck? STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
- 40. STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
- 41. Action RewardsProgress STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING 4Questions
- 42. Action RewardsProgress STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING What are the major currencies & systems which pace your progress? Where could new pacing mechanisms make natural sense in your loop? Are the purchases repeatable? Should these be purchasable?
- 43. What are you selling? STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
- 44. STEP 1: DEFINE Define Progress Define Pacing Define what you’re Selling
- 45. STEP 1: DEFINE STEP 2 STEP 3 STEP 4
- 46. STEP 1: DEFINE STEP 2: SCALE STEP 3 STEP 4
- 47. Why do I need a game to scale in order to monetize? STEP 2: SCALE
- 49. Rounds / Day STEP 2: SCALE
- 50. STEP 2: SCALE Average Days to First Spend http://www.gameanalytics.com/blog/how-to-identify-whales-in-your-game.html Low Spender
- 51. Top Spenders dominate revenue Top Spenders take time to spend Top Spenders are more engaged STEP 2: SCALE
- 52. Top Spenders want a game where progression lasts STEP 2: SCALE
- 53. STEP 2: SCALE
- 54. Their progress lasts Clash of Clans ~3y 193d* Clash Royale ~2y 168d** *Not Spending, 1 Builder. http://clashofclans.wikia.com/wiki/Cumulative_Costs ** Until Level 12 Progression http://clashroyalearena.com/guides/spend-gems-clash-royale STEP 2: SCALE
- 55. Even with heavy spending. Clash of Clans ~$16,650* Game of War ~$120,000* * Single Player Only http://clashofclans.wikia.com/wiki/Cumulative_Costs *Ignores Social Purchasing http://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/61710/deconstructing-game-of-war/ STEP 2: SCALE
- 56. STEP 2: SCALE
- 57. 200 Dwellers, All Rooms Built In ~30 Days STEP 2: SCALE
- 58. STEP 2: SCALE
- 59. Let’s Scale! Let’s just make the numbers bigger! STEP 2: SCALE
- 60. Can your game evolve for years? STEP 2: SCALE
- 61. But I’m just a prototype! STEP 2: SCALE
- 62. STEP 2: SCALE
- 63. STEP 2: SCALE Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Map out your progress
- 64. Mechanics Sessions Content Economy How Games Break Scale: STEP 2: SCALE
- 65. Mechanics How Games Break Scale: STEP 2: SCALE
- 66. STEP 2: SCALE
- 67. STEP 2: SCALE Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
- 68. Do the mechanics scale with progress? STEP 2: SCALE
- 69. Does each stat have a counter? STEP 2: SCALE
- 70. STEP 2: SCALE
- 71. STEP 2: SCALE Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
- 72. STEP 2: SCALE
- 73. STEP 2: SCALE
- 74. If you can’t get bigger numbers, Add more numbers to upgrade STEP 2: SCALE
- 75. STEP 2: SCALE Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Is the scope of possible upgrades large enough? Does each upgrade feel meaningful?
- 76. Mechanics How Games Break Scale: STEP 2: SCALE
- 77. Mechanics Sessions How Games Break Scale: STEP 2: SCALE
- 78. Do the sessions scale? 625 Plots 1,254 Clicks / Session STEP 2: SCALE
- 79. STEP 2: SCALE Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Interactions Required / Session
- 80. Do the sessions scale? Less & Easier Interactions STEP 2: SCALE
- 81. # of Raids Required to Progress? STEP 2: SCALE
- 82. STEP 2: SCALE Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Enough Upgrades for Meaningful Sessions?
- 83. Mechanics Sessions How Games Break Scale: STEP 2: SCALE
- 84. Mechanics Sessions Content How Games Break Scale: STEP 2: SCALE
- 85. Can you Craft 1000+ Levels? STEP 2: SCALE
- 86. STEP 2: SCALE Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
- 87. STEP 2: SCALE Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
- 88. Cost vs Consumption? STEP 2: SCALE
- 89. STEP 2: SCALE
- 90. STEP 2: SCALE
- 91. = 5 hours / level STEP 2: SCALE
- 92. = 8 hours / level STEP 2: SCALE
- 93. Cost vs Consumption 5h-8h / level 3-4 levels / day STEP 2: SCALE
- 94. 5h-8h / level 15 levels / day *Top 10% Cost vs Consumption STEP 2: SCALE
- 95. 5h-8h / level 40 levels / day *Top 1% Cost vs Consumption STEP 2: SCALE
- 96. Top 5% of players reach level 600 in <60 days STEP 2: SCALE
- 97. STEP 2: SCALE
- 98. How Costly is your Content? STEP 2: SCALE
- 99. How Costly is your Content? STEP 2: SCALE
- 100. How Costly is your Content? STEP 2: SCALE
- 101. How Costly is your Content? STEP 2: SCALE
- 102. STEP 2: SCALE Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 How much will this cost to produce?
- 103. Mechanics Sessions Content How Games Break Scale: STEP 2: SCALE
- 104. Mechanics Sessions Content Economy How Games Break Scale: STEP 2: SCALE
- 105. STEP 2: SCALE Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Does the economy scale?
- 106. Do currencies remain valuable? STEP 2: SCALE
- 107. For each currency, What are the sources and sinks? STEP 2: SCALE
- 108. Are the sources and sinks equally powerful? STEP 2: SCALE
- 109. Power of a Source or Sink = Quantity Frequency Probability Limitors STEP 2: SCALE
- 110. How are they limited? How does it grow over time? STEP 2: SCALE
- 111. How are they limited? How does it grow over time? STEP 2: SCALE
- 112. Most games still suffer from some inflation 10 Billion Coins STEP 2: SCALE
- 113. Controlling Inflation: STEP 2: SCALE
- 114. Mechanics Sessions Content Economy Will your game break scale? STEP 2: SCALE
- 115. STEP 2: SCALE Ensure your Mechanics, Sessions, Content and Economy can scale for years!
- 116. STEP 1: DEFINE STEP 2: SCALE STEP 3 STEP 4
- 117. STEP 1: DEFINE STEP 2: SCALE STEP 3: TRIGGER STEP 4
- 118. It doesn’t matter if you have a long lasting game, If nothing is desirable. STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 119. Desire to Play Vs Desire to Spend FOCUS STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 120. Design triggers for spending STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 121. STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 122. STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 123. STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 124. Find Your Triggers Why are they spending? What player type will spend? How often & much will they spend? What can you do to strengthen the reasons to spend? STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 125. Why are they spending? To progress past a difficult level! STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 126. What player type? Competitive Persona STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 127. How do you tighten? Level Difficulty Social Pressure Time Pressure STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 128. STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 129. What triggers spending? STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 130. Loss Aversion Vanity Competitiveness Impatience Investment Social What triggers spending? STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 131. Loss Aversion Vanity Competitiveness Impatience Investment Social What triggers spending? STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 132. Loss Aversion STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 133. STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 134. STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 135. Loss Aversion Vanity Competitiveness Impatience Investment Social What triggers spending? STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 136. STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 138. STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 139. Loss Aversion Vanity Competitiveness Impatience Investment Social What triggers spending? STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 140. STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 141. STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 142. STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 143. Loss Aversion Vanity Competitiveness Impatience Investment Social What triggers spending? STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 144. STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 145. Loss Aversion Vanity Competitiveness Impatience Investment Social What triggers spending? STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 146. STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 147. STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 148. STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 149. Loss Aversion Vanity Competitiveness Impatience Investment Social What triggers spending? STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 150. STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 151. STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 152. Loss Aversion Vanity Competitiveness Impatience Investment Social Which does your game have? How can you tighten them? STEP 3: TRIGGER
- 153. STEP 3: TRIGGER Define & Tighten Triggers in your game!
- 154. STEP 1: DEFINE STEP 2: SCALE STEP 3: TRIGGER STEP 4
- 155. STEP 1: DEFINE STEP 2: SCALE STEP 3: TRIGGER STEP 4: PROTOTYPE
- 156. But I’m just a prototype! STEP 4: PROTOTYPE
- 157. Fast Pacing Easy Difficulty No Tight Currencies = Misleading Fun STEP 4: PROTOTYPE
- 158. STEP 4: PROTOTYPE
- 159. Free to Play Success: Pacing Fun STEP 4: PROTOTYPE
- 160. Pacing from the Start STEP 4: PROTOTYPE
- 161. Test Hard Difficulty STEP 4: PROTOTYPE
- 162. Include Tight Currencies STEP 4: PROTOTYPE
- 164. Playtesting with Pacing: Real Content Consumption Rate Where & Why HC is spent Payers vs Non-Payers Get the Pacing right! STEP 4: PROTOTYPE
- 165. STEP 4: PROTOTYPE Prototype with Pacing & Monetization Mechanics in!
- 166. STEP 1: DEFINE STEP 2: SCALE STEP 3: TRIGGER STEP 4: PROTOTYPE
- 167. Define the Core Progression & What you can Sell Ensure your game can scale to years Define & Tighten Triggers in your game Prototype with Pacing & Monetization
- 168. Now you have a solid base
- 169. Now you can add the Icing
- 170. Easy when you’ve got a lasting system Easy when you’ve got a desire to spend
- 171. No amount of icing will fix this cake.