Social games development involves balancing conflicting requirements between conventional and casual games. The process starts like packaged goods development but evolves into a web service model. Design and development is iterative with implementation, testing, and continuous service releases. Tools are separated into modular components like game tuning, asset management, and monitoring. Analytics are integrated at all levels for simple stats and detailed tracking. The architecture is designed for scaling without scaling through siloed design and limiting single points of failure. Fault tolerance is built into multiple layers to fail gracefully on the platform and API levels through techniques like queuing, batching, and asynchronous calls. Monitoring is integrated with stats and uses dynamic alerts.

1. Social Games: Development ProcessJiaShenCEO and Founder

2. Collision of WorldsConventional & Casual GamesEntertainmentEngagementOnline GamesLong term engagementMonetizationPerformance MarketingUser acquisition

3. Conflicting RequirementsIncreasing High QualityMafia Wars to CityVilleFast Development Time-table3-6 months in Social1-5 years in consoleAgility

4. ComplexitiesScaling before needing to scaleBuilding on someone else’s platformHigh level of unreliability

5. How do we develop and design?

6. PhasesStarts like a Packaged Goods

7. Evolves into a Web ServiceDesign and DevelopmentImplementationQA

8. Service Releases

9. Tools of the trade

10. Separate Out DependenciesGame TuningAsset ManagementRelease Management / Site MaintenanceEventsMonitoring and Tracking

11. Game EditingGame Editable

12. Doesn’t Require Dev

13. Extracs out DependenciesAnalyticsSimple StatsAnyone can integratePut it everywhereProduction MonitoringKeystats PM’s can set to notify operationsCohort TrackingRetention

14. Simple StatsSimple input integration to all layersSimple output integrationRaw DataGraphingMonitoring

15. Detailed Tracking

16. Integrate with MonitoringIssue with Release

17. Architecture

18. Scaling without ScalingLimit Failure PointsCommoditize HardwareLoad balance

19. Silo DesignGame SiloGame SiloGame SiloGame SiloLoad BalancerLoad BalancerLoad BalancerLoad BalancerFirewallFirewallFirewallFirewallApplication ServerApplication ServerApplication ServerApplication ServerApplication ServerApplication ServerApplication ServerApplication ServerApplication ServerApplication ServerApplication ServerApplication ServerDB’sDB’sDB’sDB’sDB’sDB’sDB’sDB’sDB’sDB’sDB’sDB’sDistributed StorageShared DatabasesUsersLoggingAnaylticsCloudCDNLocal

20. Fault ToleranceMultiple layers = multiple points of failureCan’t reduce points of failureDesign for failures on all levelsFail Gracefully

21. Tolerance on a Web PlatformNetworks LagAPI’s FailXMLHttpRequests Unreliable

22. Tolerance on an APIDelegate to the server when possibleQueue and Batch callssending app-to-user message can be asynchronousFail Gracefully in the UI

23. MonitoringDynamic AlertsAllows any party to set upAllows for flexible deploymentsIntegrate with Stats System