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Mastering Retention Podcast

Solving problems in your mobile game

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iZqg2b38i8⁠

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🎙️ Mastering Retention Podcast Episode: Interview with Mladen Dulanović from Nordeus

Host: Tom Hammond, Co-founder of UserWise

Guest: Mladen Dulanović, QA Department Founder and Veteran at Nordeus

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Introduction

In this episode of the Mastering Retention Podcast, host Tom Hammond welcomes Mladen Dulanović from Nordeus, the company behind the enduring football (soccer) management game Top Eleven. They discuss Mladen's unexpected journey into the gaming industry, his experiences at Nordeus, and valuable insights on game development, retention strategies, and balancing new game creation with maintaining existing titles.

Mladen's Journey into Gaming

🎲 Accidental Start: Mladen began in quality assurance (QA) for Nokia's mobile software in Belgrade. After Nokia outsourced their QA department, he found himself unemployed.

🎮 Joining Nordeus: Coincidentally, Nordeus was starting up around the same time. In 2010, Mladen joined to form the QA department for Top Eleven, then only a few months into development.

💡 Transition to Gaming: Without prior gaming industry experience, Mladen embraced the challenges and opportunities, despite societal perceptions in Serbia about gaming not being a "regular" job.

📈 Top Eleven's Growth: Initially launched on Facebook and web platforms, the game expanded to mobile devices, becoming one of the first to offer a fully cross-platform experience.

Developing Successful Games

❓ No One-Size-Fits-All Approach: There's no definitive formula for creating a successful game; each studio must find its own path.

🔑 Three Key Considerations:

❤️ Passion: Develop games the team is genuinely passionate about.

📊 Market Demand: Ensure there's a market need or desire for the game type.

🤝 Capability: Assess if the team has the skills and resources to create it.

👥 Audience-Driven Development: Understanding and addressing target audience needs and pain points is crucial.

⚖️ Balancing Strategy and Practice: While a solid strategy is important, flexibility and responsiveness during execution are essential for success.

Prototyping and Learning from Failures

🎯 Setting Clear Goals: Before launching a prototype, set specific targets (e.g., Day 1 retention rates) to decide on success or the need to pivot.

📝 Preparation: Thoroughly understand the entire game experience before development to avoid unnecessary experimentation.

🔍 Learning from Hypotheses Testing: Analyze why initial hypotheses failed through qualitative methods like surveys and focus groups.

📋 Effective Surveys: Keep them user-friendly with scales and open-ended questions; supplement insights with gameplay recordings and feedback.

Moving Towards Global Launch

🚀 Soft Launch Importance: Should closely resemble the full launch in game readiness, allowing fine-tuning based on player behavior.

🛠️ Preparation Steps:

Test user acquisition strategies.

Develop marketing materials and app store assets.

Engage with platform partners for promotion opportunities.

✅ Confidence in Metrics: Proceed to full launch only when performance metrics meet or exceed set goals.

Live Operations and Player Engagement

✨ Delivering New Content: Players crave new experiences; developers must balance this demand with resource constraints.

⚙️ Content vs. Systems: Depending on the game, focus on creating new content or developing systems for ongoing engagement.

🤗 Leveraging Existing Audience: Use insights from current players to understand needs and preferences, enhancing retention and loyalty.

Tools and Infrastructure

🏗️ Internal vs. External Tools: Nordeus builds internal systems for live operations, but smaller studios might opt for external solutions based on business needs.

🎯 Strategic Advantage: Choose tools that support fast iterations, A/B testing, and efficient content delivery to maintain a competitive edge.

Retention Strategies

🔍 Audience Segmentation: Divide the player base into distinct segments based on behavior, spending, and engagement.

🎁 Customized Engagement: Understand what each segment enjoys and tailor in-game offerings to encourage higher engagement.

🎯 Goal: Increase retention by providing targeted experiences that resonate with different player segments.

Conclusion

Mladen shares valuable insights from his extensive gaming industry experience, highlighting the importance of understanding both the market and the players. By combining passion, strategic planning, and responsiveness to player feedback, studios can enhance their chances of developing successful, long-lasting games.

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📞 Connect with Mladen Dulanović:

LinkedIn:

Mladen's Profile⁠

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