Adopting A Metrics Driven

Approach
GDC 2010 MicroTalk

Christian Primozich
Mososh, Inc.
 Who Am I
• Origin Systems, 94-96
• High Tech Startups/Consulting, 97-06

• Helped start Challenge Games in late 06

• Started Mososh in April:
 Deluge of Data
• The Web: Page Views, Uniques, Registrations,
Return Visits, Time on Site, Referrers, Click Paths…..
• The Game: Battles, Gear, Revenue, Trophies, Levels,
Economy…..
• Social: Number of Invites, K Factor, Stream Posts,
Gifts…..
 What Should You Measure
• It depends (of course)
• Hardest part: figuring out what to focus on
• Command & Conquer: build, harvest, move, attack
• Quantify the important qualitative aspects
• Web games
– Funnel analysis
• Clicks -> Acquisition -> Playing -> Paying
– More sophisticated companies able to do this at a very granular level
– Everything tracks back to revenue
 A Metrics Driven Approach
• Ideas and the right questions, for example:
– “Will people play more or less and why”
– “Will people spend more or less and why”
– “What do we need to measure”
– “How will we measure X vs Y”
• MVP (Min. Viable Product: paper,
ppt, demo)
• Measurement
• Iteration
• Don’t lose perspective Graphic “borrowed” from Eric Ries
Lean Startup presentation GDC ‘10
 A Simple Example
• Question: Where to develop games
VS

• Data: Number of players

• Minimum Viable Product (MVP):

Tom A. To and Ro-Bo-Fish

 An Example (cont’d)

✔ API
✔ Features
✔ Users
✔ Community

~140 # of Players (1st week) ~2000 ✔

 Ask the right questions as
early as possible – then validate (or invalidate) your assumptions
and iterate quickly.

Graphic “borrowed” from Eric Ries

Lean Startup presentation GDC ‘10
 Further Reading
• Lean Startup
• Ash Maurya (www.ashmaurya.com)
• Eric Ries (www.startuplessonslearned.com)
• Dave McClure (Startup Metrics for Pirates)
• My blog: pwp.typepad.com
• My site: www.mososh.com
• Twitter: theprimozich