OIA - a system for evaluating ideas and prototypes of game projects
The problem of choice is relevant absolutely in everything. Even when it comes to game development, the number of options is many times greater than the possibilities, and as a result, any development team has to compare ideas with each other in order to select the most promising ones. But how to understand which idea is better? What are the criteria for selection? In this article, we will talk about the methodology used by the Focused Apps team, known for developments such as Hit Tennis and Super Txt (more than 20 million installations in the App Store).
Since only two people work on a permanent basis in Focused Apps, the guys decided to approach the choice of ideas as simple as possible: an idea is evaluated according to three criteria, each of which has a maximum weight of 3 points (0 = bad, 1 = normal, 2 = good, 3 = super). One additional point may be awarded if one of the assessment factors is so good that three points are not enough. Thus, we have a ten-point scale for evaluating ideas for development. The system itself got its name from the first letters of the evaluation factors: Pleasure, Opportunity, Market. Next, we consider each of these factors in more detail.
Pleasure
This factor is fundamental. Even the most ingenious monetization system and the most extensive advertising campaign will by no means pay for the game if it does not give the user pleasure. To maximize pleasure, we consider the following:
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• Simplicity and intuitiveness. Is it possible to do with a simple short instruction or without it at all?
• Can the user in the first 20 seconds of the application understand the basic principle and start enjoying its use?
• Does the user always have what to do in the game world?
• How insulting to lose?
• Is it convenient to play in public transport?
• How much do gaming activities mimic reality? Are they intuitive? How rhythmic are they?
• Is the difficulty of the game adapted to the player's skills?
• Are there any tasks in the game that require special skills?
• Does it have something really fun and interesting?
• In the game, can something happen by chance (what happens regardless of the player causes more adrenaline)?
• How easy is it to evaluate your gaming progress? Is there a special checklist for this?
• Does the user have reasons to enter the application at regular intervals?
• Is there a connection between the game plot and the things that motivate people to act in real life (for example, striving to get rich, become famous, become the best in something, drag someone into bed)?
• Are there kittens in the game? Or beautiful girls? Or at least guys? Or cars ...
• Is the game nostalgic?
• Is it interesting to discuss it with friends?
• Or maybe it can be played with friends or against them?
• Or not even with friends, but with random players from the Internet?
• When we test a prototype on our friends, can they understand what to do without explanation on our part?
• When testing for adults, do they really play or briefly describe their impressions and change the subject?
• When testing on children, do they continue to play or immediately switch to another application as soon as we turn away?
Opportunities
Given our strengths and weaknesses, some products are easier for us than others. The meaning of "Opportunities" is to assess how much we ourselves want to be engaged in a particular project. We only want to do what we love and therefore answer the following questions:
• Do we like doing this? Do we enjoy the process?
• How big is the project? To produce small products is much easier.
• Does it make sense to first release the beta version, and then supplement it with constant updates aimed at improving gameplay and monetization?
• Can we draw the game ourselves? Can we buy ready-made traced models or is it better to hire someone who will do it under our strict control?
• What is the balance between the software part (our strength) and visualization (our weakness)?
• Can we generate new game levels programmatically? Or do you have to prescribe "pens"?
• If the game comes out, will we be proud to have created it?
Market
This is a business. This is our job. We make money on entertainment. We do not position ourselves as artists, especially considering that a true artist must be hungry. For us, the game is a sales funnel. We want every detail, starting from the name and screenshots in the App Store and ending with the most subtle details of the gameplay, as positively correlated with profit. In order to achieve financial solvency, we want to maximize conversion in the short term and improve measurement and conversion tools in the long term. We operate in the Market and follow its laws:
• How attractive will the game be in the mass market?
• How popular are search queries containing keywords of our product?
• Does the name and icon of the application give a clear idea of its essence? Looking at them, can the user assume that this particular game will appeal to him?
• Will any national barriers arise? Will the game be in different demand in different parts of the world?
• How cool will the screenshots look?
• How well do screenshots reflect gameplay?
• Is the game interesting for the press? Is it possible to somehow make it so?
• Is there something new and unique in the game?
• Is there a chance that Apple will help advance the game?
• Does the target audience overlap with our other products? Is it possible to conduct joint marketing campaigns?
• Can we think of effective advertising for the game?
• Will users recommend the game to their friends?
• Is the name of the game simple and memorable?
• What purchases can users make inside the app?
• Is the pricing policy for advertising inside the application?
• Is there a decent bonus system?
• How can a game play on human vanity? Will this play a cruel joke?
• Can we sell new levels, characters, equipment?
• Is there a customer segment for advertising inside the application?
• Is there user generated content in the game?
• Is the game design suitable for full-screen banners?
• Will the project interest the investor?
• Does the game have any age limits?
• Is there a risk that the App Store will not allow the app to be published?
• Is there a springboard for the transition to the new version? Do we have a strategy to transfer players to the new version of the game? How will monetization of the second version be better than the first?
Finally
At the time of this writing, Focused Apps released two games: Hit Tennis 2 and Santa's Lil Zombies. Hit Tennis 2 turned out to be a very profitable project, while Santa's Lil Zombies did not bring profit at all. According to the OVR system, Tennis scored 7 points, and Santa - 4 (the assessment was made after the fact, both games were released before the OIA system appeared).
Today, the guys from Focused Apps use their system to evaluate all ideas and prototypes. She helps them to structure their thoughts about projects, put everything on the shelves and make important decisions. Moreover, the developers claim that they are not the target audience of their own applications (they prefer computer games like Civilization IV), and the OIA system helps them better understand the market and draw a line between what they like and what the market is waiting for.
Since only two people work on a permanent basis in Focused Apps, the guys decided to approach the choice of ideas as simple as possible: an idea is evaluated according to three criteria, each of which has a maximum weight of 3 points (0 = bad, 1 = normal, 2 = good, 3 = super). One additional point may be awarded if one of the assessment factors is so good that three points are not enough. Thus, we have a ten-point scale for evaluating ideas for development. The system itself got its name from the first letters of the evaluation factors: Pleasure, Opportunity, Market. Next, we consider each of these factors in more detail.
Pleasure
This factor is fundamental. Even the most ingenious monetization system and the most extensive advertising campaign will by no means pay for the game if it does not give the user pleasure. To maximize pleasure, we consider the following:
')
• Simplicity and intuitiveness. Is it possible to do with a simple short instruction or without it at all?
• Can the user in the first 20 seconds of the application understand the basic principle and start enjoying its use?
• Does the user always have what to do in the game world?
• How insulting to lose?
• Is it convenient to play in public transport?
• How much do gaming activities mimic reality? Are they intuitive? How rhythmic are they?
• Is the difficulty of the game adapted to the player's skills?
• Are there any tasks in the game that require special skills?
• Does it have something really fun and interesting?
• In the game, can something happen by chance (what happens regardless of the player causes more adrenaline)?
• How easy is it to evaluate your gaming progress? Is there a special checklist for this?
• Does the user have reasons to enter the application at regular intervals?
• Is there a connection between the game plot and the things that motivate people to act in real life (for example, striving to get rich, become famous, become the best in something, drag someone into bed)?
• Are there kittens in the game? Or beautiful girls? Or at least guys? Or cars ...
• Is the game nostalgic?
• Is it interesting to discuss it with friends?
• Or maybe it can be played with friends or against them?
• Or not even with friends, but with random players from the Internet?
• When we test a prototype on our friends, can they understand what to do without explanation on our part?
• When testing for adults, do they really play or briefly describe their impressions and change the subject?
• When testing on children, do they continue to play or immediately switch to another application as soon as we turn away?
Opportunities
Given our strengths and weaknesses, some products are easier for us than others. The meaning of "Opportunities" is to assess how much we ourselves want to be engaged in a particular project. We only want to do what we love and therefore answer the following questions:
• Do we like doing this? Do we enjoy the process?
• How big is the project? To produce small products is much easier.
• Does it make sense to first release the beta version, and then supplement it with constant updates aimed at improving gameplay and monetization?
• Can we draw the game ourselves? Can we buy ready-made traced models or is it better to hire someone who will do it under our strict control?
• What is the balance between the software part (our strength) and visualization (our weakness)?
• Can we generate new game levels programmatically? Or do you have to prescribe "pens"?
• If the game comes out, will we be proud to have created it?
Market
This is a business. This is our job. We make money on entertainment. We do not position ourselves as artists, especially considering that a true artist must be hungry. For us, the game is a sales funnel. We want every detail, starting from the name and screenshots in the App Store and ending with the most subtle details of the gameplay, as positively correlated with profit. In order to achieve financial solvency, we want to maximize conversion in the short term and improve measurement and conversion tools in the long term. We operate in the Market and follow its laws:
• How attractive will the game be in the mass market?
• How popular are search queries containing keywords of our product?
• Does the name and icon of the application give a clear idea of its essence? Looking at them, can the user assume that this particular game will appeal to him?
• Will any national barriers arise? Will the game be in different demand in different parts of the world?
• How cool will the screenshots look?
• How well do screenshots reflect gameplay?
• Is the game interesting for the press? Is it possible to somehow make it so?
• Is there something new and unique in the game?
• Is there a chance that Apple will help advance the game?
• Does the target audience overlap with our other products? Is it possible to conduct joint marketing campaigns?
• Can we think of effective advertising for the game?
• Will users recommend the game to their friends?
• Is the name of the game simple and memorable?
• What purchases can users make inside the app?
• Is the pricing policy for advertising inside the application?
• Is there a decent bonus system?
• How can a game play on human vanity? Will this play a cruel joke?
• Can we sell new levels, characters, equipment?
• Is there a customer segment for advertising inside the application?
• Is there user generated content in the game?
• Is the game design suitable for full-screen banners?
• Will the project interest the investor?
• Does the game have any age limits?
• Is there a risk that the App Store will not allow the app to be published?
• Is there a springboard for the transition to the new version? Do we have a strategy to transfer players to the new version of the game? How will monetization of the second version be better than the first?
Finally
At the time of this writing, Focused Apps released two games: Hit Tennis 2 and Santa's Lil Zombies. Hit Tennis 2 turned out to be a very profitable project, while Santa's Lil Zombies did not bring profit at all. According to the OVR system, Tennis scored 7 points, and Santa - 4 (the assessment was made after the fact, both games were released before the OIA system appeared).
Today, the guys from Focused Apps use their system to evaluate all ideas and prototypes. She helps them to structure their thoughts about projects, put everything on the shelves and make important decisions. Moreover, the developers claim that they are not the target audience of their own applications (they prefer computer games like Civilization IV), and the OIA system helps them better understand the market and draw a line between what they like and what the market is waiting for.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/293796/
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