gdc 2017: evaluating monetization early

Prototyping your Monetization:Evaluating Monetization Early

Adam Telfer@adamwtelferGame Lead, Wooga

“We should have thought of monetization from the start”

What does great monetizationlook like

early in development?

Monetization

None of this matters.

Icing on the cake

You have to create a great base first.

No amount of icing will fix this cake.

What does a good base look like?

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4

STEP 1: DEFINE

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4

What are you selling?

STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING

It’s not about quantity

Core of Monetization = long lasting desire for progress

What is progress in your game?

Speeding up Pacing (to Progress)

So how do I pace progress?

Action

RewardsProgress

4Ways to Pace

Time Stats

Currencies Luck

Currencies

Action

RewardsProgress

4Questions

Action

RewardsProgress

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?

What are you selling?

STEP 1: DEFINE

Define ProgressDefine Pacing

Define what you’re Selling

STEP 1: DEFINE

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4

STEP 1: DEFINE

STEP 2: SCALE

STEP 3

STEP 4

Why do I need a game to scalein order to monetize?

STEP 2: SCALE

68%22%

Bookings

STEP 2: SCALE

Rounds / Day

STEP 2: SCALE

Average Days to First Spend

http://www.gameanalytics.com/blog/how-to-identify-whales-in-your-game.html

Low Spender

Top Spenders dominate revenue

Top Spenders take time to spend

Top Spenders are more engaged

STEP 2: SCALE

Top Spenders want a game where progression lasts

STEP 2: SCALE

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

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

200 Dwellers, All Rooms BuiltIn ~30 Days

STEP 2: SCALE

Let’s Scale!Let’s just make the numbers bigger!

STEP 2: SCALE

Can your game evolve for years?

STEP 2: SCALE

But I’m just a prototype!

STEP 2: SCALE

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

Map out your progress

Mechanics Sessions

Content Economy

How Games Break Scale:STEP 2: SCALE

Mechanics

STEP 2: SCALE

Do the mechanics scalewith progress?

STEP 2: SCALE

Does each stat have a counter?

STEP 2: SCALE

If you can’t get bigger numbers,Add more numbers to upgrade

STEP 2: SCALE

Is the scope of possible upgrades large enough?

Does each upgrade feel meaningful?

Mechanics

Mechanics Sessions

Do the sessions scale?

625 Plots1,254 Clicks / Session

STEP 2: SCALE

Interactions Required / Session

Do the sessions scale?

Less & Easier Interactions

STEP 2: SCALE

# of Raids Required to Progress?

STEP 2: SCALE

Enough Upgrades for Meaningful Sessions?

Mechanics Sessions

Content

Can you Craft 1000+ Levels?

STEP 2: SCALE

Cost vs Consumption?

STEP 2: SCALE

= 5 hours / level

STEP 2: SCALE

= 8 hours / level

STEP 2: SCALE

Cost vs Consumption

5h-8h/ level

3-4 levels/ day

STEP 2: SCALE

5h-8h/ level

15 levels/ day

*Top 10%

Cost vs Consumption

STEP 2: SCALE

5h-8h/ level

40 levels/ day

*Top 1%

Cost vs Consumption

STEP 2: SCALE

Top 5% of playersreach level 600 in <60 days

STEP 2: SCALE

How Costly is your Content?

STEP 2: SCALE

How Costly is your Content?STEP 2: SCALE

STEP 2: SCALE

How much will this cost to produce?

Mechanics Sessions

Content

Mechanics Sessions

Content Economy

STEP 2: SCALE

Does the economy scale?

Do currencies remain valuable?

STEP 2: SCALE

For each currency,What are the sources and sinks?

STEP 2: SCALE

Are the sources and sinks equally powerful?

STEP 2: SCALE

Power of a Source or Sink =

QuantityFrequencyProbability

Limitors

STEP 2: SCALE

How are they limited?How does it grow over time?

STEP 2: SCALE

How are they limited?How does it grow over time?

STEP 2: SCALE

Most games still suffer from some inflation

10 Billion Coins

STEP 2: SCALE

Controlling Inflation:

STEP 2: SCALE

Mechanics Sessions

Content Economy

Will your game break scale?STEP 2: SCALE

STEP 2: SCALE

Ensure your Mechanics, Sessions, Content and Economy

can scale for years!

STEP 1: DEFINE

STEP 2: SCALE

STEP 3

STEP 4

STEP 1: DEFINE

STEP 2: SCALE

STEP 3: TRIGGER

STEP 4

It doesn’t matter if you have a long lasting game,

If nothing is desirable.

STEP 3: TRIGGER

Desire to PlayVs

Desire to Spend FOCUS

STEP 3: TRIGGER

Design triggers for spending

STEP 3: TRIGGER

Find Your TriggersWhy 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

Why are they spending?

To progress past a difficult level!

STEP 3: TRIGGER

What player type?

Competitive Persona

STEP 3: TRIGGER

How do you tighten?Level DifficultySocial PressureTime Pressure

STEP 3: TRIGGER

What triggers spending?

STEP 3: TRIGGER

Loss AversionVanity

CompetitivenessImpatienceInvestment

Social

STEP 3: TRIGGER

Loss AversionVanity

Social

STEP 3: TRIGGER

Loss Aversion

STEP 3: TRIGGER

Loss AversionVanity

Social

STEP 3: TRIGGER

Connection

STEP 3: TRIGGER

Rarity

STEP 3: TRIGGER

Loss AversionVanity

Social

STEP 3: TRIGGER

Loss AversionVanity

Social

STEP 3: TRIGGER

Loss AversionVanity

Social

STEP 3: TRIGGER

Loss AversionVanity

Social

STEP 3: TRIGGER

Loss AversionVanity

Social

Which does your game have?

How can you tighten them?

STEP 3: TRIGGER

Define & Tighten Triggers in your game!

STEP 1: DEFINE

STEP 2: SCALE

STEP 3: TRIGGER

STEP 4

STEP 1: DEFINE

STEP 2: SCALE

STEP 3: TRIGGER

STEP 4: PROTOTYPE

But I’m just a prototype!STEP 4: PROTOTYPE

Fast PacingEasy Difficulty

No Tight Currencies

= Misleading Fun

STEP 4: PROTOTYPE

Free to Play Success:

Pacing Fun

STEP 4: PROTOTYPE

Pacing from the StartSTEP 4: PROTOTYPE

Test Hard DifficultySTEP 4: PROTOTYPE

Include Tight CurrenciesSTEP 4: PROTOTYPE

Playtest!

STEP 4: PROTOTYPE

Playtesting with Pacing:

Real Content Consumption RateWhere & Why HC is spent

Payers vs Non-PayersGet the Pacing right!

STEP 4: PROTOTYPE

Prototype with Pacing & Monetization Mechanics in!

STEP 1: DEFINE

STEP 2: SCALE

STEP 3: TRIGGER

STEP 4: PROTOTYPE

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

Now you have a solid base

Now you can add the Icing

Easy when you’ve got a lasting system

Easy when you’ve got a desire to spend

No amount of icing will fix this cake.

Questions?

slides: mobilefreetoplay.com@adamwtelfer

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