Mobile & social game design : monetization methods and mechanics / Tim Fields.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Successfully Navigate the Evolving World of Mobile and Social Game Design and Monetization

Completely updated, Mobile & Social Game Design: Monetization Methods and Mechanics, Second Edition explains how to use the interconnectedness of social networks to make "stickier," more compelling games on all types of devices. Through the book's many design and marketing techniques, strategies, and examples, you will acquire a better understanding of the design and monetization mechanics of mobile and social games as well as working knowledge of industry practices and terminology.

Learn How to Attract--and Retain--Gamers and Make Money

The book explores how the gaming sector has changed, including the evolution of free-to-play games on mobile and tablet devices, sophisticated subscription model-based products, and games for social media websites, such as Facebook. It also demystifies the alphabet soup of industry terms that have sprouted up around mobile and social game design and monetization. A major focus of the book is on popular mechanisms for acquiring users and methods of monetizing users. The author explains how to put the right kinds of hooks in your games, gather the appropriate metrics, and evaluate that information to increase the game's overall stickiness and revenue per user. He also discusses the sale of virtual goods and the types of currency used in games, including single and dual currency models. Each chapter includes an interview with industry leaders who share their insight on designing and producing games, analyzing metrics, and much more.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• About the Author (p. xiii)
• Chapter 1 Introduction (p. 1)
• 1.1 The Chancing Tide (p. 1)
• 1.2 What this Book Is Not (p. 5)
• Chapter 2 What Is a Social Game? Are Mobile Games Social? (p. 7)
• 2.1 Meet Your Competition (p. 7)
• 2.2 BBS Games and Muds (p. 9)
• 2.3 MMOS (p. 11)
• 2.4 Just Being Multiplayer Doesn't Make You Social (p. 12)
• 2.5 Great Mobile Games Are Social (p. 13)
• 2.6 Interview with Words with Friends Creators Paul Bettner and David Bettner of Newtoy (p. 16)
• Chapter 3 History of Game Monetization (p. 21)
• 3.1 What do We Mean By Monetization? (p. 21)
• 3.2 A Brief History of Game Monetization (p. 21)
• 3.3 Interview with Richard Garriott: "The Three Grand Eras of Gaming" (p. 25)
• Chapter 4 Why Create a Social or Mobile Game? (p. 35)
• 4.1 Social and Mobile Games Put a Lot of Power in the Hands of the Developers (p. 35)
• 4.1.1 Smaller Development Teams and Shorter Development Cycles (p. 36)
• 4.1.2 No Need to Ship a Boxed Product (p. 36)
• 4.1.3 Ability to Be Your Own Publisher (p. 37)
• 4.1.4 Faster Payments (p. 37)
• 4.1.5 No Need to Own Your Own Servers (p. 38)
• 4.1.6 Immediate Feedback from Players (p. 38)
• 4.2 Social Games Make the Developer Responsible (p. 39)
• 4.3 Social Games Give Power to the Users (p. 40)
• 4.3.1 Make It Easy to Start Playing (p. 40)
• 4.3.2 Make It Easy to Stop Playing (p. 41)
• 4.3.3 Make It Easy to Play with Friends (p. 43)
• 4.3.4 Let the User Decide How Much Is the Right Amount (p. 44)
• 4.3.5 Make It Easy to Return to the Game (p. 46)
• 4.4 Used Retail Game Sales: Friend to Social and Mobile Game Developers (p. 46)
• 4.5 Interview with Jason Decker and Pocket Legends: "Love Letters From Your Community" (p. 48)
• Chapter 5 Industry Terms and Metrics (p. 57)
• 5.1 Industry Terms and Metrics (p. 57)
• 5.2 Measuring Player Population (p. 57)
• 5.2.1 Daily Active Users (p. 57)
• 5.2.2 Monthly Active Users (p. 58)
• 5.2.3 Peak Concurrent Users (p. 59)
• 5.3 Measuring Monetization (p. 59)
• 5.4 Social Network Advertising (p. 61)
• 5.5 Mobile Terms (p. 62)
• 5.6 General Terms (p. 62)
• 5.7 Why These Metrics Matter (p. 65)
• 5.8 Case Study: Ravenwood Fair and the Use of Metrics in Game Design (p. 67)
• 5.9 Interview With Everett Lee: "The Science of Social Game Design" (p. 72)
• Chapter 6 What Is a Social Network? (p. 79)
• 6.1 How Do We Make Any Game Social? (p. 79)
• 6.2 Who Is The Average Social Gamer? Who Is The Average Mobile Gamer? (p. 81)
• 6.3 What Social Networks Are Popular Today? (p. 86)
• 6.3.1 Top Social Networking Websites of 2013 (p. 87)
• 6.4 Games are Global (p. 93)
• 6.5 It's All About Scale (p. 94)
• 6.6 Using Social Networks to Extend Traditional Games (p. 96)
• 6.7 Creating Social Networks as a Platform Holder (p. 100)
• 6.8 Is Apple's Game Center a Social Network? (p. 101)
• 6.9 Conclusions (p. 102)
• 6.10 Interview with Janus Anderson: "Gaming and the Social Graph" (p. 102)
• Chapter 7 How to Acquire, Keep, and Regain Users (p. 111)
• 7.1 How to Build it So They'll Come (p. 111)
• 7.2 The Purchase Funnel (p. 111)
• 7.3 Acquisition: How to Get Players (p. 114)
• 7.4 Acquiring New Users on Facebook (p. 116)
• 7.5 Acquiring New Users on Mobile Platforms (p. 117)
• 7.6 Advertising Efficiently (p. 118)
• 7.7 The Rising Cost of CPI (p. 118)
• 7.8 Virality (p. 119)
• 7.9 Redirecting Users for Increased Virality (p. 120)
• 7.10 How to Retain Users (p. 121)
• 7.11 Tracking Retention (p. 123)
• 7.12 Using Leaderboards and Messaging to Add Stickiness (p. 124)
• 7.13 Using Messages to Remind Users to Return (p. 128)
• 7.14 Only the Last Inch Matters (p. 128)
• 7.15 Interview with Exploding Barrel: "Give them What they Want" (p. 129)
• Chapter 8 Monetization Strategies (p. 139)
• 8.1 Show Us the Money (p. 139)
• 8.2 Classic Premium Download Model (p. 139)
• 8.2.1 Mobile Application Stores (p. 139)
• 8.2.2 Steam (p. 141)
• 8.2.3 Alternatives to Steam (p. 142)
• 8.3 Subscriptions (p. 143)
• 8.4 Freemium (p. 145)
• 8.4.1 Sell Time (p. 145)
• 8.4.2 Sell Virtual Goods (p. 146)
• 8.4.3 Game Content Unlocks & PDLC (p. 146)
• 8.4.4 Cover Charge (p. 148)
• 8.4.5 Sell Your Players' Eyes (p. 148)
• 8.4.6 Offer Walls (p. 148)
• 8.4.7 Popup Ads (p. 150)
• 8.4.8 Ad Placement (p. 150)
• 8.4.9 Advertainment (p. 150)
• 8.4.10 Motivate LTNV (p. 151)
• 8.5 Play the Numbers (p. 152)
• 8.6 Combinations (p. 153)
• 8.7 Case Study: Hunters Episode One and Different Monetization Methods (p. 153)
• 8.8 Why You Should Avoid Giving Players Real Money (p. 157)
• 8.9 Transitioning Models (p. 158)
• 8.10 Which Models Fit Best for Which Type of Game? (p. 160)
• 8.10.1 Role-Playing Games (p. 160)
• 8.10.2 Turn-Based Building Games (p. 161)
• 8.10.3 Simulation Games (p. 162)
• 8.10.4 Virtual Worlds (p. 162)
• 8.10.5 Non-Persistent Action and RTS Games (p. 163)
• 8.10.6 Online Trading Card Games (p. 165)
• 8.11 Interview with Ryan Cleven: "Social Platforms" (p. 166)
• Chapter 9 Virtual Goods (p. 175)
• 9.1 Fake Estates (p. 175)
• 9.2 Selling Premium Goods (p. 175)
• 9.3 Functional Advantages (p. 177)
• 9.4 Game Balance Considerations (p. 179)
• 9.5 Aesthetic "Vanity" Items (p. 181)
• 9.6 Rarity (p. 182)
• 9.7 Interview with Dimitri Delattre, Founder of Deadpan Dodo: "Indie Perspective" (p. 183)
• Chapter 10 Currency (p. 189)
• 10.1 Greenspan for the Win (p. 189)
• 10.2 Single Currency Models (p. 189)
• 10.3 Dual Currency Models (p. 190)
• 10.3.1 Uses for Soft and Hard Currencies (p. 191)
• 10.3.2 Additional Tips for Running a Dual Currency Game (p. 193)
• 10.4 Closed and Open Economies (p. 195)
• 10.5 Addressing the Matter of "Honest" Gameplay (p. 196)
• 10.6 Interview With Ben Lamm: "Controlling Chaos" (p. 197)
• Chapter 11 Conclusions (p. 201)
• 11.1 The Plentiful Tide (p. 201)
• 11.2 Review (p. 202)
• 11.3 A Fond Farewell to Friends (p. 209)
• Index (p. 211)

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Since 1995, Tim Fields has worked in the game industry as a producer, project manager, design lead, and business developer. Tim has helped small studios and top publishers, such as EA and Microsoft, run teams that create great games. He has worked on shooters, sports games, racing titles, and RPGs using talent and teams from North America, Asia, and Europe.