This document discusses redefining success metrics for innovative products versus traditional metrics. It provides examples of innovative games and products that challenged traditional definitions of success, including Ultima Online, Disney Connected Learning, and Shroud of the Avatar. While these games achieved innovations in their fields, they also faced challenges in meeting traditional metrics like revenue goals and user numbers. The conclusion is that innovation and traditional success metrics do not always align, and creators must decide whether pushing boundaries or meeting metrics is most important for their goals.

1. Redefining Success
Versus Innovation

2. Speaker
Starr Long
Executive Producer, The Acceleration Agency
30 Years in Video games and Technology
Electronic Arts / Origin, Disney, NCSoft,
Portalarium
Redefining Success Versus Innovation

3. Redefining Success versus Innovation
Traditional Success Metrics: how many users, how much revenue, how many news
articles, etc.
Innovation: Creates new experiences, sometimes requires thinking not limited by
metrics
Redefinition or Just Different Goals: Are success metrics and innovation conflicts or
just different goals? Do we need different success metrics for innovation based
products?
Redefining Success Versus Innovation

4. Ultima Online
● Development to Release: 1995-1997
● One of the very first MMORPG’s
● Innovations:
○ Coined the terms “MMORPG”, “rares”, “shards”
○ 1st MMO to have player housing
○ 1st Subscription based model
○ Longest running commercial MMO in history
○ 8 Guinness World Records
○ Launched the MMO Industry
● Challenges:
○ Won Coaster of the Year from PC Gamer
○ Plagued by Bugs & Instability at Launch
○ Never broke 300K Users
Redefining Success Versus Innovation

6. Disney Connected Learning
● Development to Release: 2009 - 2013
● Fun Learning Games Connected to a Parent App
● Innovations:
○ 8+ Curriculums in a Relational Database
○ Assessment Engine and Tools to Connect Curriculum to Game Events
○ Facebook Parent App with Game Connections & Convo Starters
○ Club Penguin Integration & Mobile Games
○ Disney’s Vast Catalog
● Challenges:
○ Internal Strategy Conflicts: Entertainment vs. Education
○ Lack of Promotion / Priority
○ Game Designer Training
Redefining Success Versus Innovation

8. Shroud of the Avatar
● Development to Release: 2013 - 2018
● Innovations:
○ Open Development & Crowdsourcing
○ Created a single player game & MMO in one
game
○ Built AAA-lite experience on very modest
budget
○ Second Highest Crowd Funded Video Game
to Ever Release at $12M
● Challenges:
○ The Sausage “Transparency” principle
○ Educating audience about early access
○ Expectations vs Reality / Negative Feedback
Loop Redefining Success Versus Innovation

9. Redefining Success Versus Innovation

10. Live Experience Orchestration
Conclusions
Live Experience Orchestration
Innovation and Traditional Success Metrics do not always have to align. If you are
creating a wholly new experience success may need different metrics
Pushing the boundaries of what is possible and creating entirely new experiences is
not always a recipe for success.
You have to decide for yourself what is most important to you. Doing crazy cutting
edge stuff OR meeting traditional success metrics?

11. Live Experience Orchestration
Questions
& Answers
Live Experience Orchestration
Redefining Success Versus Innovation