1. Game Mechanics to
Improve User Engagement
Future Digital Games Summit
(2011-Nov-16)
Gerald Tan
Co-Founder, COO (Head of Product)

2. 2

3. GERALD TAN
Co-founder, COO (Head of Product)
Plumbee
Independent Consultant 2011
Strategic Advisor Stealth Social Games Publisher 2011
Senior Product Manager / Producer Playfish (EA) 2009-2011
Finance and Business Manager Pogo.com and EA Online
Publishing (EA) 2007-2009
Financial Reporting and Control Manager EMI Group PLC
2004 - 2007
ICAEW Qualified Chartered Accountant
2002
gerald@plumbee.co.uk
Twitter: @tan_gerald

4. What is…
Layering of game
mechanics into your
application, using metrics to
understand results to fine
Gay-mee-fee-kay-shun tune your customer’s user
experience and engagement
- Gerald Tan, 2011
4

5. can you
please
repeat
that?
5

6. NOT the
product and
NOT a game
…
… layer that
makes the
experience
more
engaging …
6

7. … or (at least) make a chore less tedious
7

8. Challenges
Levels …the Analogy
Social
Avatar
Virtual
Currency
RE-PLAY Core game / product Leaderboards
Newbie
8

9. Social Games
Mobile Games
Source: Mashable, Oct 2011 9

10. Not about badges,
or levels,
or challenges…
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11. Integrated system
where each piece
is connected
11

12. Step
#1
Objectives
12

13. Step
#2
Right
components
Meaningless components leads to
sub-optimal results… 13

14. Step
#3
User
Experience
Reason to lapse
14

15. 15

16. Legend
User
Motivation
Caution
Reward
16

17. #1 Newbie Experience
17

18. Key Steps
Progress quickly
Experimenting
NO FAILING!
Regular User
18

19. Decay curve of a social game
Only 35% and 45% of users
% returning users
actually come back the
next day
Days since install
The rest lapse out
19

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21. #2 Challenges
21

22. Key Steps
Sense of purpose / target
Achievement
Complex or convoluted
Next challenge
22

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24. User Behavior and User Interface

25. #3 Badges
25

26. Key Steps
(Virtual) reward
Collecting
Badgification
Recognition / Collection
26

27. 27

28. 28

29. Just got
a badge
for
having a
badge
Beware Badgification
29

30. #4 Levels / Points
30

31. Key Steps
Persistent progress
Status / Progress
Tedious or unachievable
Access
31

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34. Don’t confuse with user interface
34

35. #5 Veterans and Leaderboards
35

36. Key Steps
On-going recognition
Mastering
Lack of content
Bragging rights
36

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39. #6 Social
39

40. 40

41. Metrics
41

42. New
User
% return rate
User
Engagement
42

43. …not a new idea
Contributes to success when
done right 43

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45. Gerald Tan
gerald@plumbee.co.uk
twitter.com/tan_gerald
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