This document discusses social game design and data analysis challenges. It describes GREE as a global gaming company and outlines where mobile gaming is headed. It then covers building successful social features through integration, rewards, and campaigns. Key elements of social data are explored, including how it impacts product development, operations, marketing and requires a shift to analyzing collective player data and groups. Unique challenges of A/B testing and social network analysis in live games are also presented.

1. Data-Driven Social Game Design:
A Deep-Dive into What The
Industry Is Doing
Dr. Volkan Ediz
Director of Product
GREE confidential

2. But first, who is GREE….?

3. GREE
Headquarters
Tokyo,
Japan
GREE
Interna7onal,
Inc.
San
Francisco,
CA
GREE
Canada
Vancouver,
BC
QUICK
FACTS
6
Con7nents
playing
GREE
games
1,882
Employees
Worldwide
13
Games
made
in
North
America
2004
2011
2013
MILESTONES
GAME
STATS
-­‐
4
9tles
in
top
100
grossing
as
of
Nov.
2014*
Crime
City
(Studios)
Reached
Top
10
Grossing
in
140
countries
Top
100
Grossing
in
19
countries,
over
3
years
since
launch
*App
Annie
GREE – A Global Gaming Powerhouse
Knights
&
Dragons
(Publishing)
Reached
Top
10
Grossing
in
41
countries
Top
100
Grossing
in
22
countries

4. Where is Mobile Gaming Going?
• Over 2.1b devices in
circulation WW today
• The 2nd largest sector of the
gaming business
• Represents 40% of App Store
downloads and 80%+ of
revenue
• Surpassing
$22
billion
by
‘14,
over $35 billion business in
‘17
• Asia
Pacific
to
become
the
largest
market
with
$12.2B
in
revenue
in
‘14
• North
America
and
Europe
represent
together
$8.1b
in
’14
WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE WANT TO BE!

5. Agenda
1) Building Social Features
2) Elements of Social Data
3) Unique Challenges of Social Data

6. Why do We Need Social Features?
• Growth Engine
• Retention/Monetization
• User Acquisition Cost
Savings
No other features can touch on all three at once.

7. How to Build Successful Social Features?
Deep Social Features
Campaigns
Reward
Structure
Integration

8. Social Integration
Social Connections
Invite / Referral
Codes
Social Footprint on
UI
Integrating Social
into Tutorial

9. Social Rewards and Campaigns
Social Rewards Campaigns
Basic Incentives
• Rare Items
• Stats Boots
• Free Energy
• Free Currency
Milestone Rewards
• Rewards are given for hitting certain
milestones for Invites
• Progressive milestones for each
referral
Daily Gifting
Limited-time
rewards
Rewarding multiple
postings/likes/
shares

10. Deep Integration Pays Off
Massive increase in
referred installs helps
to decrease cost of
user acquisition
Low Medium High Low Medium HighLevel of FB
Integration
Referred players are 2x-4x better retained and monetized

11. Agenda
1) Building Social Features
2) Elements of Social Data
3) Unique Challenges of Social Data

12. Sources of Social Gaming Data
SOCIAL
DATA
In-Game Chat
Messaging Apps Guild Activity
Forums
Wiki-How
Ratings & ReviewsSocial Networks

13. Social Data Impacts Every Aspect of the Business
SOCIAL
DATA
Product
Development
Live Ops
Optimization
Targeted Sales /
Promos
Marketing
• What do our customers want?
• What features should we build
next?
• How do we adjust the event
difficulty?
• How do we increase user
engagement?
• How do we boost customer
spending?
• What is optimum volume,
frequency and duration of
sales/promos?
• How do we target customers?
• Which channels provide the
most engaged users?
• How can we decrease cost of
user acquisition?

14. Social Data Requires Shift in Traditional Thinking:
Individual vs Collective Data
KPIs
SOCIAL
DATA
Game Strategy
Behaviors
Social
Activity
Marketing Evolution of
Groups
Solo Player
Guild of Players
Influencers
http://www.clashheads.com/

15. Social Data Requires Shift in Traditional Thinking:
Individual vs Collective Data
SOCIAL
DATA
Panda – Clash of Clans
$7K/month
Panda’s Guild
50 people - $100K/month
http://www.clashheads.com/
“I actually save
money playing these
games instead of
going out and
drinking,”
What would you pay for this influencer to try out your game?

16. 1) Building Social Features
2) Elements of Social Data
3) Unique Challenges of Social Data
Agenda

17. Split Testing In An Ideal World

18. What really happens in Social Games
SPLIT DATA
TEST
GROUP A
GROUP B

19. “Pseudo A/B groups” may provide directional
guidance.
1. Choose pseudo “control” and “test” groups where:
– The install date of cohorts are as close as possible to the introduction of the A/
B test.
– Both groups get exposed to same events.
– Assume that the quality of installs are similar for both groups.
2. Compare metrics of “control” and “test” groups based on customer segmentation
GREE Confidential
“If there’s no A/B test conducted in the woods, can an analyst still ‘analyze’ the data?”
Methodology to Analyze Pseudo A/B Test
Day 2 Day 5 Day 6 Day7Day 1
Test
Introduced
Day 3
“Control” Period “Test” Period
Live Event Xn
Live Event Yn
Live Event Xn+1
Live Event Yn+1

20. Segmenting Customers Allow Us to See the Effect of
A/B Tests on User Behavior
Why segment customers?
• A user who’s willing to spend early will be different from a user who buys later.
• A user who buys large packages will be different from one who buys small packages.
• We use the user’s first purchase time and first purchase amount to segment.
GREE Confidential
Hasty Minnow = I’m willing to try out IAPs and I
want instant gratification.
Hesitant Minnow = I will try out IAPs only after
careful thought.
Hasty Dolphin = I want some value for my IAPs
and I will spend quickly to progress.
Hesitant Dolphin = I consider value/cost trade offs
of IAPs and buy after getting a feel for the game.
Hasty Whale = I will invest quickly and heavily in a
game in order to speed up.
Hesitant Whale = I am prone to largesse, but I
have to feel that I’m getting the best.

21. Social Network Analysis Has Unique Challenges
Identify Key
Actors
Player Attribute
and Behavior
Social Sharing
and Filtering
Interaction
Analysis

22. Thank
You!
Dr.
Volkan
Ediz
Director
of
Product,
GREE
Interna7onal
volkan.ediz@gree.net