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#Game Deconstructions
Part 3 of Advanced UX Prototyping: Next Gen. Prototyping For Games & Apps
Editorās Note:Ā this post was originally published by Om Tandon,Ā Director of User Experience at Digit. With overĀ 14 years experience, Om specializes in UX design, UI design and User Interaction, has previously worked at Gameloft and June Software,Ā andĀ is also a guest writer at Deconstructor of Fun.Ā No code. No game engine. No scripting. Next Generation Game UX Prototypes and prototyping skills are here! If you have been reading or following this article series since last year, you are in for a treat! (Previous articles in this series can be foundĀ hereĀ andĀ here.) To recap: Necessity indeed is the mother of invention, and methodology behind this series was born with: LACKĀ of dev. capacity & time for UX prototyping. TheĀ NEED & DESIREĀ for pushing the boundaries of existing UX tools. Prototypes are the bedrock of usability testing way early in pre-production to gather valuable make-or-break user feedback....
#Data & Analytics
Overview Of The Current Mobile RPG Market
Editorās Note: this post was originally published by Erno Kiiski, Chief Game Analyst at GameRefinery. In his job, he’s played and analyzed hundreds of titles on a feature level, giving him a strong sense of the current mobile game market. A couple of months agoĀ GameRefinery took a look at the Match3 marketĀ and what kind of games are driving revenues there. In this blog post, they shift their focus to mobile RPG games and examine how various RPG archetypes are faring on the market at the moment. Before we dive further into the data, itās good to understand how GameRefinery view the mobile game market in terms of genres and game types. In order to classify games in a meaningful way, they take into consideration gamesā feature-set, theme and defining mechanics, resulting in a three-layered taxonomy where every game is assigned...
#Data & Analytics
5 Key Lessons To Boost Retention And Increase Engagement
One of the best ways to find out how your title is performing is by taking a long hard look at the retention and engagement of your game. Not only are these great ways for you to measure the playability of your title, but these metrics give developers an early sense of if their game is going to succeed or not. Hugo Peyron, Publishing Expert at Voodoo, even commented on the importance of retention – especially when the they take on new games: āWe look for the highest numbers possible. If a game has low retention, we will kill it.ā With this thought in the back of our heads, the biggest question developers tend to find themselves asking is: āHow can I boost my retention and increase the engagement of my game?ā And by looking at key stats from our...
#Marketing & Publishing
3 Creative Ways To Build Your Community Before Launching Your Game
Building a community for your game can be tricky, especially when youāre still working away on the core features of your project. And one of the biggest questions developers ask themselves is āhow can I get people talking about my game before Iāve even launched it?ā. Thereās no straight answer to this question, but there is a ton of useful advice out there. To help get your creative juices flowing, we’ve found 3 unique stories where developers went the extra mile to build their community, and what their thought process was when doing so. Youāll want to make sure to primarily use these case studies as inspiration for your own development. Who knows, there may be even better creative routes hiding away in the back of your mind that are more specific to your game. What can I learn at...
#Game Deconstructions
8 Awesome Games Released in 2018
This past year has been excellent for the mobile games industry. In all directions, the sector seems to be expanding, catering to over 2 billion users worldwide and generating well over $100 billion this year alone. But what makes a mobile game particularly great? And what trends can we see from the best games published this year? In no particular order, we take a look at what we think are the best games of 2018 that any developer can take inspiration from. 1. Altoās Odyssey Developer: Snowman (dubbed Team Alto) Launch date: 21st February 2018 iOS, 25th July 2018 Android Price:Ā $0.99 Available on: iOS, Android Awards won: Apple Design Award for Outstanding Design and Innovation Altoās Odyssey is the follow-up title to the critically acclaimed Altoās Adventure, an endless runner snowboard game developed by Snowman. If youāre not familiar with...
#Marketing & Publishing
Publisher Market Share 2018 Infographic
Editorās Note:Ā this post was originally published byĀ Mikael Orpana, Marketing Manager at GameRefinery. With years of Marketing experience under his belt, as well as over two decades of playing games, Mikael has a strong understanding of what the best marketing strategies are within the gaming industry. GameRefinery recently took a look at theĀ mobile gameĀ market share, and now as 2018 comes to a close itās a good time to take a look at how the mobile gaming industry has developed over the past year and shifted publisher market share in the US. The publisher landscape looks much like it did a year ago, but several publishers rose to make a distinct impression. Who made a splash and who couldnāt quite maintain last yearās momentum? Check it out in their infographic below: You can learn more about the GameRefinery platform here. Fancy some...
#Game Deconstructions
Building My First Game – Terry Karavoulias’s Story
Editors Note – this post was originally published by Terry Karavoulias. Working as a director in web, Terry has little to no experience in designing or programming video games, but does have a heck of a lot of YouTube tutorials, and a ton of motivation. Last year during my Christmas break, I had an itch to start a new side project. I wasnāt sure what I wanted to work on, but I knew that it wasnāt going to be another website. I manage a web development team by trade, so I needed something different and challenging. While enjoying the time off, I was playing with my Nintendo Switch and downloadedĀ Blossom Tales. If youāre not familiar with the game, itās an indie title that can best be described asĀ Zelda: A Link to the Past, but with slightly less charm.Ā Blossom TalesĀ reminded me...
#Data & Analytics
What Kinds Of Western Games Have Taken Off In Japan?
Editorās Note:Ā this post was originally published byĀ Kalle Heikkinen, Chief Game Analyst at GameRefinery. With almost 400 game analysed under his belt, Kalle has a solid understanding of what works and what doesn’t in the mobile game market. A few weeks back, GameRefiney took a look atĀ which Western games have been able to make a splash in China. This time around, they set their gaze on the land of the rising sun, an extremely attractive market with one of the highest average revenue per player-stats in the world. Gaining traction in this highly competitive market is difficult, however, as local brands and publishers have a strong following among the Japanese. Nonetheless, despite these challenges, a good number of Western games have been able to hold decent top grossing positions in Japan. The question is: what are these games and what genres...
#Guides
Mobile vs Desktop UI: Key Differences In Design
Mobile gaming continues to outpace both PC and console segments in the global games market, and now represents over half (51 per cent) of the total market share, according to Newzoo. And in todayās market, developers are no longer making a game for just one device. Mobile games in particular can now be been seen on desktop, Nintendo Switch, and other top consoles. So when keeping all of these unique devices in mind, how can you make sure your gameās UI works across them all? Psst! This post is slightly longer than usual, so you can jump to something in particular, if you want: Keeping it simple – difference in space and layout Choose your controls well – buttons vs. HUDs When to turn up the graphics – quality control UI checklist: testing your interface Top takeaways: everything summed up...
#Marketing & Publishing
Boyfriend Dungeon: The Secrets Of Their Email Marketing Strategy
Editorās Note:Ā this post was originally published by Chris Zukowski, Creative Director at Return to Adventure Mountain, who also developers games that are bizarre twists on classic genres. You’ll recognise his work in titles such as Return of the Zombie King and Wizard Golf RPG.Ā Boyfriend Dungeon is an indie game being developed by Kitfox Games about dating luxuriously beautiful weapons and then using them to fight monsters. It was originally announced back in October 2017. On August 15th of 2018, the Kitfox team launched a Kickstarter for the game. The Kickstarter took the internet by storm and went totally viral on social media. The Boyfriend fever even reached as far as general interest magazines like Gentleman’s Quarterly. The game was funded within hours and when the Kickstarter ended 30 days later it earned 4x its initial goal. The team executed...
#Game Deconstructions
Taking The Plunge Into Game Dev – Beasts Of Burden Interview
Located within the Copenhagen branch of GameAnalytics is our GameHub, where anyone can come and use the space in order to develop and grow their games. One such group are the developers of Beasts of Burden, who have just started their kickstarter campaign… Thanks for chatting with me today. Can you shed a light on what Beasts of Burden is? Gladly. So, in short, Beasts of Burden – bob – is a game-driven approach to establishing better habits, overcoming stress, and improving feelings of well-being. Weāve based this game on 30 years of research into stress management, and it provides bite-sized and fun activities proven to build a resilient mindset. All of which is delivered by powerful A.I. within one central app. Hereās a nifty video we put together to build a better picture of what itās about: And how...
#GameAnalytics Updates
GameAnalytics Product Update – What’s New In Our Platform
Earlier this year, we ended our open beta and officially released a major upgrade to GameAnalytics. To keep you in the loop with whatās new, weāve outlined the improvements and features that have been released since we went live, and what you can expect to see on the horizon. Whatās changed with the upgrade? The first thing youāll notice is that we have introduced new functionality like multidimensional filtering, the ability to split your data by specific dimensions or events, and changing gameplay parameters within your live games. Weāve also refreshed our existing features. Check out these blog posts to learn more: GameAnalytics Beta Update Overview New & Improved Multidimensional filtering About Druid – GameAnalytics New Backend Technology Improvements since we went live Since we went live in September, we have been listening closely to your thoughts and feedback. The...
#Game Deconstructions
Key Lessons From Studio Q – BitMango Interview
After the launch of one of their biggest games, I spoke with Sung-Ku Kim, Director of Studio Q at BitMango, to understand more about the history of the company, and key lessons the studio learned on their path to success.Ā Before we dig into the details, are you able to give us some background into how BitMango started? BitMango has had an interesting journey actually. We originally started out as a subsidiary of a company called Datawave, which was mainly focused on keyword search ads. The CEO of Datawave, Kisup Lee, was inspired by the gaming industry, and so looked to invest in it. And thatās where BitMango came in. To enter such a competitive market, we really had to maximize our data analysis capabilities and use key metrics to monitor the performance of our games Ā – which was our...
#Editor's pick
Game data pipeline: Building vs buying
As a large number of studios, publishers, and game developers are heavily relying on data to guide their decisions, they need to decide between building or buying. But which one is more efficient? To assist you in understanding the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), we broke down the following key considerations: Setup requirements Cost calculation Team needs and recruitment
#Editor's pick
Mobile gaming benchmarks for Q1 2024
Uncover the industry’s performance with Q1 2024 benchmarks. Explore key metrics like retention rates and session engagement to benchmark your games against industry standards. What’s inside? Retention benchmarks for casual, classic, and mid-core games Session length benchmarks for games launched in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Session count benchmarks across 15 game genres
#Editor's pick
Grow your revenue with Xsolla Web Shop for Mobile Games
āXsolla anticipated this seismic shift earlier this year, when we launched multiple products that are being actively used by some of the worldās largest game companies to increase profit and build closer relationships with their mobile and pc players. Weāve now combined these products and learnings into an elegant new solution called Xsolla Web Shop for Mobile Games,ā said Chris Hewish, President of Xsolla. Through Xsolla Web Shop for Mobile Games, developers can expect significant revenue growth and can reach new players in new geographies previously unavailable to them. This solution solves many challenges developers face; such as discoverability, declining profit margins, lack of control over the user experience, access to localized payment methods, cross game marketing, more efficient user acquisition, effective collaboration with creators and influencers, and much more. Three industry-changing announcements make this opportunity more timely than ever:...
#Editor's pick
2023 Roblox report: Behind the data with GameAnalytics
Download a comprehensive report of Roblox player behavior and game performance based on GameAnalytics data from 2023. This report highlights critical benchmarks and insights to help Roblox creators optimize their games. What’s inside? Devices analysis Players’ daily session frequency Average revenue spent per user Session length and count benchmarks Retention benchmarks Revenue benchmarks
#Editor's pick
The Game Developer’s Handbook to Mastering Data Solutions
Data is the key to success in the ever-evolving landscape of game development. Explore this guide to transform your data into insights using our turn-key data solutions. What’s inside? Our comprehensive guide explores cost-saving strategies and real-world applications for advanced use cases. Learn how to seamlessly integrate data sources, unlock detailed player insights with Player Warehouse, access real-time data with Raw Export, and ensure data privacy compliance.
#Case study
Developing a #1 VR MMO: Ramen VR’s Journey with GameAnalytics
Discover how Ramen VR used data-driven game development to launch "Zenith: The Last City", which became the #1 bestselling game all major VR platformsāincluding Meta Quest/Rift, Steam and PlayStation VR.
#Editor's pick
Using AI to Supercharge Your Game Art Design
Discover how tweaking AI tool settings can help you generate varied art styles, produce better concepts, and speed up the process from prototype to final design. With AI on your team, creating unique game art has never been easier or faster.
#Editor's pick
Event Design & Tracking Guide for GameAnalytics
Learn how to create an adaptable tracking plan, enabling you to unlock richer insights and maximize the value of your data within GameAnalytics.
#Editor's pick
How studios use DataSuite to find hit games
Learn how successful publishers evaluate hundreds of games per month, to find the next hit game.
#Editor's pick
Among Us VR dev talks about how to create immersive worlds
VR is all about immersion. Itās about allowing players to lose themselves in more than just a game, but a new world. You have to build VR experiences the right way to make this happen. This goal is always top-of-mind for Schell Games. In this interview, we spoke to Schell Gamesā Vice President of Product, Charlie Amis, to learn their story. āFor VR, you want to make the player feel like theyāre actually in the world youāve created. This isnāt as true or a high priority in PC and console games. If people start to lose that sense of presence and immersion, then a lot of the reason they put the headset on is hurt. They want to go to another world or be someone new. So you need to help them feel like they’re really there and really that...
#Editor's pick
GameAnalytics H1 Update: New Product Improvements!
Itās been a busy time since February, when the largest update in GameAnalytics history was launched. Read on for more information about whatās changed recently, and new functionality coming to the platform very soon.
#Case study
How TapNation uses DataSuite to increase the LTV of 19 hit games by 50% in only 6 months
Smashing obstacles with Giant Rush While theyāve seen huge improvements using DataSuite across their portfolio, one game stands out in particular: Giant Rush. (And not just because the character is huge.) The title has now reached over 140 million downloads. And, through a series of A/B tests and insights from the data they collected, theyāve been able to increase the LTV by a whopping 200% over six months for this specific title. āItās because we A/B test every day,ā Philippe Grazina from TapNation says. āWe ask questions like: When are players leaving the game? For example, the boss in Giant Rush. If we spot that theyāre leaving at the same point every time, we know we need to make a change. Small details like that really help.ā Through these granular insights, TapNation can iterate and improve on their game step...
#Editor's pick
How to Build a Data Warehouse for Games from Scratch
Over our last couple of blogs around data warehouses, weāve explained how they let you analyze data from across your portfolio and look at what insights you can gather from them. Now, weāll dive into how to build a data warehouse. What steps do you need to take and what resources will you need? To figure this out, we’ve rounded up the costs, steps, and tools we think you’ll need to get started. Please note, that we haven’t included the cost of running an engineering department (which you’ll need), which can end up being a lot of $$$. What do I need to get started? Before you start, youāll need to ensure you have the right people. Youāll likely need a software or data engineer, and perhaps an architect or DevOps engineer. Youāll also need to budget for tools like...