The document discusses the significance of defining appropriate KPIs for mobile game operations, highlighting the challenges faced by developers in data analysis and user engagement. It emphasizes the need for continuous data assessment throughout the game lifecycle, capturing essential metrics such as retention, acquisition, and monetization to improve performance. Additionally, it mentions the rise of strategy and RPG games in the mobile market while providing insights into user preferences and retention rates.

1. How to Define Just Right KPIs for Game
Operation
TalkingData Leo Cui

2. TalkingData Product Line
TalkingData TalkingData TalkingData
Analytics Campaign Insight
• Third-party mobile app • Mobile app campaign • Personalized
statistical analysis tools monitoring and assessment recommendation engine/data
platform mining service
• Professional mobile app
data analysis/consulting • iOS monitoring tool • Forecast model and
service released in Jun, 2012
emulation service
• Specialized product and • Currently tracking about 1
methodology for mobile million valid app activations • User attributes tagging and
games per day in App Store preferences mining service
“TalkingData is a professional data service platform for mobile applications, serving 2,500+ active
apps presently，with almost 1,000 apps are mobile games ”

3. • TalkingData Analytics is the fastest growing mobile data analysis
platform, already covering over 5 millions devices 6 months after
the official release. Monthly growth rate holds at above 100%
TalkingData analytics official
release published in May, 2012,
the right timing to witness the high
30M growth of mobile Internet in China.
14M
7M
1M 3M
2012.5 2012.6 2012.7 2012.8 2012.9

4. Game developers need
Mobile game developers facing "data dilemma" continuous data
analysis to enhance
Operation based on
products
data through out the
whole game life cycle Most developers don't
have professional
knowledge to analyze data
systematically, and in the
mean time, facing the
Whale users Game balance Mobile game
developer pressure of tight schedule,
high costs of man power
Paying player
conversion Game release and hardware
Virtual
Economy
Props purchase stats
... How many registrations?
Player conversion/retention Data How about DAU、MAU ?
Platform …….
Campaign result tracking
Joint
operation/release Game improvement
App store tracking
Player levels/progresses
Marketing campaign players classified by their
activeness

5. Game vendors' favorite game types are changing
Casual games are gradually falling out of favor evidenced by the number of
games, while strategy and RPG games are becoming hotter since they are more
suitable for revenue generating through IAP
Data source: “Mobile App Data Analysis Q3 Report 2012 ", joint released by TalkingData and NetEase
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
Apr May Jun Jul Aug
Casual RPG Strategy

6. New player day 10 retention of different types of games
Desktop games excelling at retention, with more well polished products;
more rough ones in other types of games, especially RPG, dragging
down the whole average rate.
Data source: “Mobile App Data Analysis Q3 Report 2012 ", joint released by TalkingData and NetEase
100.0%
75.0%
50.0%
25.0%
0.0%
New +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10
players
Strategy Action RPG Casual Puzzle Desktop

7. Life time distribution of diff. types of games
Hard core players usually have shorter life time, therefore need to be motivated by continuous
flow of new contents. Desktop games have more well defined playing routes, but with lots of
variations, and have higher player stickiness.
Data source: “Mobile App Data Analysis Q3 Report 2012 ", joint released by TalkingData and NetEase
60.00%
50.00%
40.00%
Strategy
30.00%
Action
RPG
20.00%
Casual
10.00% Puzzle
Desktop
0.00%

8. User preferences aggregation distribution research – hard
core player
Data source: TalkingData data mining research team
40.00%
35.00%
战略
30.00% 休闲
射击
25.00% 体育
动作
20.00% 益智
角色扮演
15.00% 冒险
棋牌
10.00% 养成
经营
5.00%
模拟器
网游
0.00%
角色扮演 射击游戏 动作游戏 战略游戏

9. KPI！=Superficial metrics
• Superficial metrics
– Cannot be changed
– Non-executable Fine Superficial
operation metric
– Lack of benchmark
• KPI
– Focusing on commercial
purpose
– Approved by management
– Executable
– Benchmark available

10. CAC VS LTV？
• Free
• Virally
• campaign
Monetization
(LTV)
Customer
Acquisition
cost
(CAC)

11. KPI needs standardized metrics definition
Acquisition Activation Retention
ACQ = F(Campaign,channel, ACT = F(First time RET = F(User guide，
Users，CAC, Conv%) Experience， operation，task，alert)
Usage,Design/UX)
• Install / Sign-ups • DAU • DAU/MAU
By campaign/channel • MAU • Retention
CAC（Channel） • Next Day Activities 1 day/
Conversion （Channel） • Usage 7day
• Organic Users Login times 30day
• Marketing Users Login length •
• Click -to- Install -to- Sync • Monthly Active Days Monthly Logins per User
• Fake Users Lifetime sessions
• New User Perception 1～10-day activity after
Perception by Channel Install
• User lifetime

12. KPI for AARRR
Revenue Refer
REV = F(Charge trap,whale, REF = F(Excitation,UX)
Conv%)
• ARPU（Monthly） • K-factor
• ARPPU（Avg. Revenue per Paying • Invites
User Per DAU
• LTV （lifetime value） Per who send invite
• • Invite accept（%）
By level/By date • Times By type
By types purchased Massages
• Paying users（%） E-mail
• New paying users • Cohort by invitee
• Time/level of first charge Revenue
• Whale ARPU

13. KPI Model- needs professional methodology
• Ads/Campaigns
• Social Networks • Publisher
• PR/Forum/Download sites
• Apps Store(New/update) • Traffic exchange
• SEO/SEM
• Lowest price
promotion, Limited Free • EDM
ACQUISITION
• Excitation
• Viral
Emails & Guide 、 first
Alerts time
experience
• User guide
• Task
Ads、IAP、
Freemium
Degree of
difficulty, time, inter
ests

14. Red Infinity was established in 2010 and
has rich experience in product
development and publishing. The
company has become one of the industry
leaders in justmoney？
Make one year.
Metrics-driven design
SNS,，SLG，Poker，Puzzle
MAU 4,000,000

15. Versions
Initial release：Sep 14, 2012
Current version：Nov 1, 2012
Description
★ TouchArcade.com HOT
NEW GAME ★
Puzzle + Battle
+ Collection + EDU

16. Test in App store，Without Marketing.

17. KPI How to optimize?
Dashboards and Alerts – Why did it Happen? – Advantage - Dashboards
 DAU
 Day 1 retention
 Day 7 retention
 Virtual income
 Marketing Users

18. The most Important Metric between Initial release.
The first experience
WHY？ It’s been relatively Low
Day 1 Retention Alert
Avg. 18.2%

19. Bad Day 1 retention，but kind of okay after day 2. Cause: new players
Why
？

20. Sign up
Connect
Loading

21. Bad Connetion
Abruptly lost
introduction

22. What can I do？
 Move to more reliable data center
 Consider domestic and overseas server distribution


Simplify introduction, less steps
Embellish introduction
Advantage
 Polish pet UI to make it more attractive

23. Difficulty？ Operation.
Daily awards
Know players progress
Pay attention to degree of difficulty of early levels

24.  Daily task
 Login bonus
 Scheduled copy
 Bonus pet
 Friends aid
Only 9 %，WHY？

25. Difficulty？

26. Make more money.
A/B test
Drill down
Whale

28. What’s your
opinions?
Extra gems?
Bonus pets?

29. Is it possible to let
more players make
purchase earlier?
Compared to revenue
graph, purchase is
distributed more balanced
and forwarding

30. Talkingdata Game Analytics
Standardized metrics
Alarm monitoring
Immense visual appeal –
Premade PowerPoint Templates

31. 数据运营之路依然漫长！
TalkingData Game Analytics
Data mining
• Statistics (regression analysis, association
analysis)
• Forecast model (revenue/active users)
Data analysis • Pattern recognition (Probability of
loss, probability of paying)
• user segmentation (specific user group analysis)
• multi-dimensional analysis (multiple dimensions combo analysis)
• cohort analysis (time slice analysis)
Data statistics
• A/B Test (functional analysis)
• Standard reports (something wrong with the game?)
• Custom reports (find problem: when? where? who?)
• Metrics monitoring (need any action?)

32. Sina micro-blog: Leo_Cui
Web: www.talkingdata.net
Thank You