🎙️ Mastering Retention Podcast: Designing Long-Term Engagement with Jonathan Durr
Host: Tom Hammond, Co-founder of UserWise
Guest: Jonathan Durr, Co-founder of FoxBear Games
Introduction
Began his career at EA Tiburon as a QA tester, working on titles like Madden NFL. Transitioned into game design after four years in QA. Worked at THQ, Kabam, and FoxNext Games. Played a key role in the development of Marvel Strike Force. Currently the Co-founder of FoxBear Games, partnered with Wildlife Studios. Founding FoxBear Games
🏗️ Partnership with Wildlife Studios: Wildlife approached Jonathan with an opportunity to create a new studio under their sponsorship. FoxBear Games was established with creative control and Wildlife's support. The studio benefits from collaboration with other experienced teams within Wildlife's network. Avoiding hyper-casual games and massive projects requiring large teams over many years. Leveraging Jonathan's expertise in mid-core to hardcore mobile games. Challenges in Mobile Game Development
🌊 Navigating the Red Ocean: Recognizing the difficulty in finding unique opportunities in a saturated market. Understanding that even well-made games can fail in soft launch due to scalability issues. Emphasizing the importance of data-driven decisions to identify audience needs. Acknowledging that making successful games often involves educated guesses and risks. Designing Features for Marvel Strike Force
Studied successful games like Heroes Charge and Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes. Identified key features that resonated with players in the hero collector genre. Engaged with elite players from other games to gather insights. Asked questions about what they loved, their engagement drivers, and pain points. Used content creators and community leaders to reach top players. ✅ Validating Assumptions: Tested initial design hypotheses against player feedback. Ensured that new features addressed real player desires and problems. The Importance of Regularity
Regularity measures how consistently players engage with the game. A player who logs in seven consecutive days becomes a "regular." Regulars have a high likelihood (around 98%) of returning the next day. Regular players constitute about 70-80% of the game's revenue. Focusing on regularity helps in designing features that enhance daily engagement. Understanding Different Player Behaviors
Acknowledged that players have different play styles and schedules. "Schizophrenic Nancy": Plays in short bursts whenever possible. "Planned Out Suzy": Schedules longer, dedicated play sessions. 🎯 Designing for Core Players: Prioritized designing for competitive players who are deeply engaged. Allowed casual players to enjoy the game at their own pace without diluting core features. Designing for Long-Term Engagement
Recognized the need for meaningful player goals extending three years and beyond. Developed a rough roadmap for future features and content expansions. 🌌 Introducing End-Game Content: Created features like Dark Dimension as challenging, long-term objectives. Provided players with a "North Star" goal to work towards over time. Continuously added new challenges to keep the game fresh. Balanced between offering new content and maintaining game stability. Live Operations (LiveOps) for Long-Term Games
Implemented a strategy to introduce something new in the game daily. Scheduled events, character releases, offers, and messages to keep engagement high. 🛠️ Sustainability Challenges: Addressed the risk of developer burnout due to constant content creation. Emphasized the importance of sustainable practices to maintain team health. Planned major updates or events once or twice a year. Included smaller monthly events to maintain player interest without overwhelming them. Communicating with Players
📣 Transparency and Roadmaps: Provided players with regular updates on upcoming features and bug fixes. Conducted bi-annual roadmap presentations to align player expectations. Involved top players in testing and providing feedback on major features. Fostered a sense of collaboration and trust between developers and the community. Potential Pitfalls in LiveOps
⚠️ Managing Player Feedback: Recognized that acting on all feedback could harm game balance. Avoided over-rewarding players, which could disrupt the in-game economy. 🐞 Dealing with Bugs and Errors: Shared examples of offers with incorrect values (e.g., extra zeros). Emphasized the importance of swift, fair responses to maintain player trust. 🔄 Learning from Mistakes: Used errors as opportunities to create positive experiences (e.g., generous compensation). Updated policies and rules to prevent future issues. Testing and Feature Development
🎮 Importance of Playtesting: Stressed the need for team members to play development builds regularly. Identified issues early and improved overall game quality. Used tools like Excel to model game economies and player progression. Started with big numbers to allow room for adjustments. Ensured that new features provided value without disrupting existing systems. Considered player investment when making changes to game mechanics. Adding New Features like Battle Pass
🎯 Problem-Solving Approach: Identified the core issue or opportunity before designing a feature. Considered how the feature would enhance the player experience. 💡 Creating Emotional Moments: Aimed to evoke strong emotions, both positive and negative, to increase engagement. Designed features that provided excitement, such as unlocking powerful characters. 💰 Monetization Considerations: Researched industry standards for pricing and rewards. Carefully set expectations to allow for future adjustments without disappointing players. Tips for Improving Retention
Social Obligations: Incorporate alliance features that require daily participation. Players are more likely to stay engaged when they feel responsible to their team. Regular Updates: Continuously provide new content and experiences. Keep players excited with daily changes and periodic major events. Player Communication: Maintain transparency and involve players in development. Build trust and foster a strong community around the game. Conclusion
📞 Connecting with Jonathan Durr: Open to discussions about game development and FoxBear Games. Emphasized the importance of sustainable practices in long-term game development. Highlighted the need for balancing player engagement with team well-being. Recognized that making successful games involves risk, experimentation, and continuous learning. 
