Giving Gamers What They Want With Rapid User Testing

What the talk is about

Justin Chen explains how rapid testing with target players helps teams learn what gamers want before a game launches. He maps analytics tools along two axes (qualitative vs. quantitative, current vs. target users) and notes that store metrics show what happens but not why. His case study is a large publisher whose new game underperformed in a soft launch. The team ran single-question polls with 50 mobile gamers who spend money in app stores, testing screenshots, the app icon character and the order of description bullets. After the changes, the game hit its install targets in the next soft launch and went on to a successful US release. He also shows how such polls can test names, art themes, characters, gameplay mechanics, competitor comparisons and ads. Useful for product managers, marketers and teams targeting US audiences.