Prototyping your Monetization:
Evaluating Monetization Early
Adam Telfer
@adamwtelfer
Game Lead, Wooga
“We should have thought of
monetization from the start”
What does great monetization
look 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?
What does a good base look like?
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3
STEP 4
STEP 1: DEFINE
STEP 2
STEP 3
STEP 4
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
What are you selling?
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
It’s not about quantity
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
Core of Monetization =
long lasting desire for progress
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
What is progress in your game?
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
Speeding up Pacing (to Progress)
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
So how do I pace progress?
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
Action
Progress Rewards
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
4
Ways to Pace
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
Time Stats
Currencies Luck
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
Time
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
Stats
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
Currencies
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
Luck?
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
Action
Progress
4
Questions Rewards
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
What are the major currencies & systems
Action
which pace your progress?
Where could new pacing mechanisms
make natural sense in your loop?
Are the purchases repeatable?
Progress Rewards
Should these be purchasable?
STEP 1: DEFINE WHAT YOU’RE SELLING
What are you selling?
STEP 1: DEFINE
Define Progress
Define 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
STEP 2: SCALE
Why do I need a game to scale
in order to monetize?
STEP 2: SCALE
3% 3%
14%
DAU
96%
83%
10%
30%
22%
Bookings 68% 55%
15%
STEP 2: SCALE
Rounds / Day
STEP 2: SCALE
Average Days to First Spend
Low Spender
[Link]
STEP 2: SCALE
Top Spenders dominate revenue
Top Spenders are more engaged
Top Spenders take time to spend
STEP 2: SCALE
Top Spenders want a game where
progression lasts
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
Their progress lasts
Clash of Clans ~3y 193d*
Clash Royale ~2y 168d**
*Not Spending, 1 Builder. [Link]
** Until Level 12 Progression [Link]
STEP 2: SCALE
Even with heavy spending.
Clash of Clans ~$16,650*
Game of War ~$120,000*
* Single Player Only [Link]
*Ignores Social Purchasing [Link]
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
200 Dwellers, All Rooms Built
In ~30 Days
STEP 2: SCALE
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
STEP 2: SCALE
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
Map out your progress
STEP 2: SCALE
How Games Break Scale:
Mechanics Sessions
Content Economy
STEP 2: SCALE
How Games Break Scale:
Mechanics
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
STEP 2: SCALE
Do the mechanics scale
with progress?
STEP 2: SCALE
Does each stat have a counter?
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
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?
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
STEP 2: SCALE
How Games Break Scale:
Mechanics
STEP 2: SCALE
How Games Break Scale:
Mechanics Sessions
STEP 2: SCALE
Do the sessions scale?
625 Plots
1,254 Clicks / Session
STEP 2: SCALE
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
Interactions Required / Session
STEP 2: SCALE
Do the sessions scale?
Less & Easier Interactions
STEP 2: SCALE
# of Raids Required to Progress?
STEP 2: SCALE
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
Enough Upgrades
for Meaningful Sessions?
STEP 2: SCALE
How Games Break Scale:
Mechanics Sessions
STEP 2: SCALE
How Games Break Scale:
Mechanics Sessions
Content
STEP 2: SCALE
Can you Craft 1000+ Levels?
STEP 2: SCALE
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
STEP 2: SCALE
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
STEP 2: SCALE
Cost vs Consumption?
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
= 5 hours / level
STEP 2: SCALE
= 8 hours / level
STEP 2: SCALE
Cost vs Consumption
5h-8h 3-4 levels
/ level / day
STEP 2: SCALE
Cost vs Consumption
5h-8h 15 levels
/ level / day
*Top 10%
STEP 2: SCALE
Cost vs Consumption
5h-8h 40 levels
/ level / day
*Top 1%
STEP 2: SCALE
Top 5% of players
reach level 600 in <60 days
STEP 2: SCALE
STEP 2: SCALE
How Costly is your Content?
STEP 2: SCALE
How Costly is your Content?
STEP 2: SCALE
How Costly is your Content?
STEP 2: SCALE
How Costly is your Content?
STEP 2: SCALE
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
How much will this cost to produce?
STEP 2: SCALE
How Games Break Scale:
Mechanics Sessions
Content
STEP 2: SCALE
How Games Break Scale:
Mechanics Sessions
Content Economy
STEP 2: SCALE
Does the economy scale?
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
STEP 2: 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 =
Quantity
Frequency
Probability
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
Will your game break scale?
Mechanics Sessions
Content Economy
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
STEP 3: TRIGGER
It doesn’t matter
if you have a long lasting game,
If nothing is desirable.
STEP 3: TRIGGER
Desire to Play
Vs
Desire to Spend FOCUS
STEP 3: TRIGGER
Design triggers for spending
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
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
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 Difficulty
Social Pressure
Time Pressure
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
What triggers spending?
STEP 3: TRIGGER
What triggers spending?
Loss Aversion
Vanity
Competitiveness
Impatience
Investment
Social
STEP 3: TRIGGER
What triggers spending?
Loss Aversion
Vanity
Competitiveness
Impatience
Investment
Social
STEP 3: TRIGGER
Loss Aversion
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
What triggers spending?
Loss Aversion
Vanity
Competitiveness
Impatience
Investment
Social
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
Connection Rarity
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
What triggers spending?
Loss Aversion
Vanity
Competitiveness
Impatience
Investment
Social
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
What triggers spending?
Loss Aversion
Vanity
Competitiveness
Impatience
Investment
Social
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
What triggers spending?
Loss Aversion
Vanity
Competitiveness
Impatience
Investment
Social
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
What triggers spending?
Loss Aversion
Vanity
Competitiveness
Impatience
Investment
Social
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
STEP 3: TRIGGER
Which does your game have?
Loss Aversion
Vanity
Competitiveness
Impatience
Investment
Social
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
STEP 4: PROTOTYPE
But I’m just a prototype!
STEP 4: PROTOTYPE
Fast Pacing
Easy Difficulty
No Tight Currencies
= Misleading Fun
STEP 4: PROTOTYPE
STEP 4: PROTOTYPE
Free to Play Success:
Pacing Fun
STEP 4: PROTOTYPE
Pacing from the Start
STEP 4: PROTOTYPE
Test Hard Difficulty
STEP 4: PROTOTYPE
Include Tight Currencies
STEP 4: PROTOTYPE
Playtest!
STEP 4: PROTOTYPE
Playtesting with Pacing:
Real Content Consumption Rate
Where & Why HC is spent
Payers vs Non-Payers
Get 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: [Link]
@adamwtelfer