By Dmitry Bobrov, chief govt officer of ZiMAD.
Free-to-play video games are nothing like they was ten years in the past. Folks nonetheless take pleasure in these merchandise and play them lots, however on the similar time, the expectations concerning the initiatives’ high quality and LiveOps proceed to develop. It’s now not sufficient to launch an replace each six months. As an alternative it’s a must to work in your undertaking 24/7, and gamers ought to see that.
Alexander Grishin, Head of ZiMAD’s Magic Jigsaw Puzzles undertaking, shares how his crew has been managing to make the sport content material numerous, improve the metrics, and preserve the followers of the world’s greatest assortment of digital puzzles hungry for extra content material for over ten years.
The crew is the important thing to success
LiveOps technique represents flexibility and refers to any updates and enhancements together with new content material, occasions, minor actions, a particular affords system, neighborhood and person assist, and so on.
In 2009, we determined to create a basic puzzle recreation for iPad. Our product was alleged to be distinctive due to its handy interface and a store with tons of content material – i.e. varied puzzle packs. The sport was offered as a free-to-play product with a possibility to purchase new puzzle collections within the store.
Naturally, offering gamers with high-quality LiveOps is unimaginable with no crew of designers, content material managers, monetization specialists, product analysts, and assist managers. And, after all, you possibly can’t make a recreation with out recreation designers, builders, artists, and QA engineers since you received’t be capable to launch common updates, occasions, and new content material.
Nevertheless, implementing LiveOps means being on the reducing fringe of the cellular business. It’s essential to at all times able to be as versatile as doable to regulate to the present scenario.
Common content material updates
The most important a part of the work is producing new content material, selling it within the recreation, and holding completely different occasions and actions. All of those comprise a steady course of and usually are not unbiased actions. A profitable launch requires planning all of your actions, resembling particular packs, occasions, and their launch schedule. Despite the fact that we attempt to launch one essential replace per 30 days, we frequently find yourself having minor weekly updates. The explanation for this fast tempo lies within the vital variety of third-party SDKs that require frequent updating.
We analyse the statistics on puzzle packs and separate puzzles and thoroughly research person evaluations and suggestions acquired from all out there channels. It goes with out saying that we pay particular consideration to the numerous international and nationwide occasions, holidays, and releases. We normally observe probably the most notable exercise development throughout the in-game occasions, particularly over the Christmas season.
Working with IP
ZiMAD has been working with main IPs since 2016, due to which we are able to entertain our gamers with distinctive content material from Disney, Nickelodeon, Nationwide Geographic, Sony Photos, and different corporations. We just lately introduced our collaboration with the LIFE journal, and noticed a surge of latest gamers who take pleasure in fixing puzzles which characteristic the world’s legendary images. Working with an IP not solely will increase the variety of digital puzzle admirers—it additionally straight impacts the income. Furthermore, such partnerships assist generate new actions each within the recreation and locally.
Particular affords techniques
Folks love shopping for on sale, and there’s nothing dangerous about it because it offers gamers a possibility to buy one thing they need at an inexpensive worth. On the similar time, this implies further work to your crew. So you might want to put together the infrastructure that allows working with particular affords regularly. In Magic Jigsaw Puzzles, we now have an prolonged particular affords system geared toward changing gamers into subscribers or paying gamers. We additionally run A/B checks now and again to enhance the conversion price and improve the common spend.
Communication with gamers
The Magic Jigsaw Puzzles neighborhood is a few years outdated, and it undoubtedly requires loads of work to keep up. Other than the routine duties and speaking with gamers we put together new content material, occasions, evaluations, actions on creating content material along with gamers, questionnaires, exterior options, content material checks and lots of different issues. It’s important for gamers to be concerned and to know that they will contribute to the event of the undertaking.
So, to sum up…
The principle substances to profitable LiveOps:
• Meta gameplay is essential
Updating your meta gameplay will enhance your recreation. Gamers are at all times searching for new content material, new ranges, and new occasions. New gamers keep in the event that they see that the sport is numerous and frequently affords distinctive content material.
• A/B Assessments
Every little thing that may be examined and improved should be improved. That’s precisely what makes the sport carry out nicely. All recreation mechanics will carry out finest solely after a number of evolutionary iterations. If you find yourself uncertain about how gamers will reply to modifications, take a look at these new options on a spotlight group.
• Working along with your neighborhood
It’s very important to at all times be in contact along with your gamers and there to deal with all their questions and issues in actual time. Even when the sport crashes a caring neighborhood supervisor is at all times there to assist and a participant is extra more likely to keep within the recreation. And their loyalty would possibly rise too. And don’t neglect about common actions to interact your neighborhood.
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About ZiMAD.
ZiMAD is a world firm, developer, and writer of cellular video games. The corporate entered the market in 2009 and has gained an viewers of 200M+ customers of its merchandise, with titles resembling Magic Jigsaw Puzzle, Domino On-line and Jigsaw Puzzle Villa. Whereas the crew is distributed across the globe, ZiMAD holds its headquarters in Florida, US.
