🎙️Unlocking Player Engagement: LiveOps Lessons Learned from Temple Run & Bejeweled Blitz
🎙️Unlocking Player Engagement: LiveOps Lessons Learned from Temple Run & Bejeweled Blitz
Eve Chang discusses some of the biggest lessons learned from leading liveops on legendary games such as Temple Run and Bejeweled Blitz
Look for a new interview every week discussing current and relevant game industry development topics!
This week, Insights covers LiveOps!
Eve Chang, known for her pivotal role in enhancing player experiences in iconic mobile games like Temple Run and Bejeweled, shares her in-depth strategies in LiveOps.
Remember (from last week’s post on The Measurement Crisis) that LiveOps comprises one of the core pillars of game success in the current and foreseeable future market!
This conversation was recorded last year, but finally getting it out. Hope you enjoy this conversation with game industry veteran Eve Chang!
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Speakers:
Eve Chang. Executive Producer at Hitwicket, Founder at Neuro Sisters Studios
Joseph Kim. CEO at Lila Games.
Eve Chang has led LiveOps for some of the industry's most iconic mobile games, such as Temple Run and Bejeweled Blitz!
Here’s a breakdown of her approach, pivotal design/product decisions, and critical lessons learned.
1. Eve's Approach to LiveOps:
Eve emphasizes the need for a comprehensive understanding of both market gaps and player desires, guiding the integration of unique and engaging content.
Key Takeaways:
Understanding Market Gaps: Eve starts by identifying what players are missing in the current market, ensuring her games offer something uniquely compelling.
Tuning into Player Desires: Focus on filling a market void and deeply understanding what players yearn for in their gaming experiences.
Game Objectives Alignment: The essence of LiveOps revolves around aligning game objectives with player engagement, ensuring that new content or features drive players to return.
2. Design and Product Decisions for Live Games:
Her strategy includes aligning game objectives with LiveOps to bolster player engagement and incorporating player feedback into the game development process.
Key Takeaways:
Player Feedback Integration: Leveraging insights from the community to inform updates and features.
Objective Alignment: Ensuring that LiveOps initiatives contribute to the core game goals.
3. Biggest Lessons Learned:
Eve highlights the importance of testing hypotheses with real-world data and the balance between innovation and community expectations.
Key Takeaways:
Data-Driven Testing: The critical role of data in validating new content and features.
Community Expectation Management: Balancing innovation with maintaining the essence of the game.
Through these insights, Eve Chang outlines a forward-thinking approach to LiveOps, stressing the importance of market understanding, player-centric design decisions, and the integration of feedback, which collectively pave the way for sustained game success and player satisfaction.
Joseph, it's fantastic to see you bringing the insights of a veteran like Eve Chang to the forefront. Her experience with Temple Run and Bejeweled Blitz offers invaluable lessons in LiveOps, a domain that's increasingly critical for the longevity of mobile games. What stands out to me, particularly, is Eve's strategic approach to understanding market gaps and tuning into player desires, which isn't just about keeping the game fresh but also about making players feel heard and valued.
Eve's emphasis on integrating player feedback into the development process is a golden nugget for anyone in the game industry. It highlights the importance of building a game that evolves with its community, ensuring longevity and relevance in a fast-paced market. The balance she strikes between innovation and meeting community expectations offers a blueprint for how to navigate the challenges of LiveOps.
I worked on a top-grossing (that I will not name) who did not have a dedicated social media manager no Facebook page, a thriving reddit and discord with no interaction from the product team. Such a waste of an opportunity and leaving money on the table.
Your conversation with Eve is a treasure trove of insights, shedding light on the nuanced art of keeping a game alive and engaging over time. Kudos for sharing such an enlightening discussion; it's content like this that enriches the game development community. Keep up the great work!