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While the fundamentals of free-to-play game design seem simple, adapting to this model and understanding it to the depth required to make a successful game has proved a tough challenge even for the most experienced game creators. One effective way to tackle F2P design is to think of its various techniques as a "toolbox"; by building up a collection of design "tools" which you can use to acquire, retain and monetise your players, you can build a comprehensive understanding of how this new business model interacts with your existing game design talents. This lecture will give you concrete examples of F2P "tools" which you can apply to your design, and show you how to create your own tool-based approach.
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The toolbox approach to F2P game
designNicholas Lovell
#f2ptoolbox
Early stage
Late stage
Game design
Frameworks and toolboxes
A disclaimer
Nobody knows anything
1. The funnel
A
M
R
Acquire
Retain
Monetise
Keep monetising
ARM yourself
• Hoping for the best is not good enough, you need to ARM yourself– ACQUISITION: How do I get people through the door
cost-effectively?– RETENTION: How do I keep people coming back for
more?– MONETISATION: How do I build money-making
strategies into gameplay• Acquisition and monetisation are important• Retention is the most important, by far.
2. The pyramid
• The Core Loop is the beating heart of your game
• The Retention Game is what keeps players playing
• The Superfan Game is where the Superfans live
3. The Curve
PRICE
Demand
Revenue opportunity
Marketing opportunity
What AAA asks
“How can I get customers who don’t
want to spend $60 to spend $6?”
What F2P asks
“How can I get customers who do want to spend
$60 to love spending $600, or $6,000?”
There are many different toolboxes
• 4. The Hero’s Journey (read The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler)
• 5. The psychology of marketing (read Influence, the Principles of Persuasion, by Robert Cialdini)
• Any number of game design books (e.g. A Theory of Fun, Raph Koster, or A Book of Lenses, Jesse Schell.)
Here are some of my tools
Conclusion
• Use frameworks and tools that you find useful• Have some for design AND some for business• Find them from anywhere:– Psychology– Writing– Marketing– Economics
• Or just borrow mine
Thank you@nicholaslovell@gamesbrief
www.gamesbrief.com
www.f2ptoolbox.com#f2ptoolbox
