Using Analytics to Create Viral Games

My note on the video Using Analytics to Create Viral Games by Gavin Eisenbeisz

Viral games are "made" by content creators.
Content creators play games that increase their retention rate, because that's how they get paid
Make games that naturally creates videos with high retention rates.

[[Game Retention Study.pdf]] was made studying retention on no-commentaries gameplay video.
(So something that directly matches how your game can create high retention rates for content creators)

How to increase retention rate on videos

• Work toward a goal

Author's DevLog template video:

• 1st 5 seconds: explain the problem / story -> what goal do I need to accomplish in this video
• 10-15seconds: Additional context
• 45-60 seconds: Rapide progress toward the goal
• Twist / Additional challenge
• Rest of the video: Progress interrupted by intermediate conflicts
  • Close to the curve in [[Game Retention Study.pdf]]
  • Constant remind the public of the goal and where we are -> like in a car ride with child "Are we there yet?!" -> Progress bar

Game features decreasing retention rate

Keep in mind that some features are bad for retention in a video, but good for player experience, so it's a balance.

• Bad menu screen 🔽
  Applicable only on no-commentaries gameplay video, because on edited video, bad menus will be edited-out most likely
• Player deaths 🔼
  Every time the player dies, you loose retention -> the tension to move toward the goal is release, so you loose viewers
  Why ? They are followed by long game over screens, then loading screen, then have to retrace already traveled paths
  => Cut respawn time to the smallest possible time / instant
  In horror game though, players death is expected at least once with a jumpscare
• Level / Match completion / Win screens 🔽
  Probably cut in edited video but valid for livestream / no-commentaries gameplay
• Notes / Wall of text ⏫
  Notes are worse for retention the longer they are and the sooner in the game they appear
  => If note can't be avoided: Few words, big fonts, pictures, later in the game
• Expositions dump ⏫
  Similar to notes - Big cinematics / monologs / dialogs. Worst if not acted
• Backtracking 🔼
  When player goes to a long dead-end path / when player died and the waypoint is too far off
• Credits 🔽
  People leave as soon as the credits rolls
  => Put the credits as a button in you main menu
• Walking simulator 🔽
  Variety in environment is needed, as well as landmarks, and goal visible from a distance
• Dullness 🔼
  Overly dull / slow gameplay moment
• Lighting / Obscure style 🔽
  Harsh art style / difficult to read the scene
• Repetition 🔼
  Core gameplay repeating in under 10sec
  => Add variety in the gameplay

Features that help hold retention

• Chase scene 🔼
  Slowly increase the intensity of the chase as time goes on.
  Maybe inching the player closer and closer to dying, without actually dying.
  Enemy must be close, and visible
  Don't end the scene to abruptly => transition to a new goal
• Boss fights 🔼
• Parkour 🔽
  Not a lot of data on this one, but even in the same game, levels with a lot of parkour holds attention more than levels with high action
• Clear definition of goals ⏫
  Most important feature, basically encompassing all of the above: having a clear goal is creating anticipation of something to come and increases stakes. Creating features with clear definition of goals is key to keep audience engaged (and thus make content creator more likely to pick up you game)

Features that bump retention

• Jumpscares ⏫
  People are re-watching the video at this point.
  Subtle jumpscares / stinger are not as effective, but still work
  Re-using jumpscares loose the impact => Avoir re-using the same jumpscare
• Secrets 🔽
• Sexualization 🔼
  Personal note: I don't want that in my game anyway
• Random interesting moments 🔼
  Random / Funny / Out of the blue moments that happen once in a game
• Trippy stuff / illusions 🔽

Nuance features and other notes

• Action scenes
  Player is in control of the situation (vs a chase where the player is not at all in control)
  No real challenge / tension, the player is going to win
  Actions scenes can cause bump, and hold for some seconds, but retention will drop drastically after that
  Slower / more strategic multiplayer shooter (PUBG) are good are retaining views, because the tension build, the action is intense and the resolution is uncertain
• Cutscenes
  Can be bad, like big expo dump / long dialogs
  But good if short / show the goal
• Mystery and Tension
  A mysterious story can hold attention, but not if it's build with big expodumps
  => brief conversations / environment cues
• Subtitles
  Nuance because sometimes the content creator will do the voice adapted to their audience