Game Analytics : Maximizing the Value of Player Data / edited by Magy Seif El-Nasr, Anders Drachen, Alessandro Canossa.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Seif El-Nasr, Magy, editor.

Drachen, Anders, editor.

Canossa, Alessandro, editor.

SpringerLink (Online service)

Series:

Computer Science (Springer-11645)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

User interfaces (Computer systems).

Optical data processing.

Computer science--Mathematics.

Computer science.

Computer industry.

User Interfaces and Human Computer Interaction.

Computer Imaging, Vision, Pattern Recognition and Graphics.

Mathematical Applications in Computer Science.

The Computer Industry.

Local Subjects:

User Interfaces and Human Computer Interaction.

Computer Imaging, Vision, Pattern Recognition and Graphics.

Mathematical Applications in Computer Science.

The Computer Industry.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (XV, 800 pages) : 222 illustrations, 122 illustrations in color

Edition:

First edition 2013.

Contained In:

Springer eBooks

Place of Publication:

London : Springer London : Imprint: Springer, 2013.

System Details:

text file PDF

Summary:

Developing a successful game in today's market is a challenging endeavor. Thousands of titles are published yearly, all competing for players' time and attention. Game analytics has emerged in the past few years as one of the main resources for ensuring game quality, maximizing success, understanding player behavior and enhancing the quality of the player experience. It has led to a paradigm shift in the development and design strategies of digital games, bringing data-driven intelligence practices into the fray for informing decision making at operational, tactical and strategic levels. Game Analytics - Maximizing the Value of Player Data is the first book on the topic of game analytics; the process of discovering and communicating patterns in data towards evaluating and driving action, improving performance and solving problems in game development and game research. Written by over 50 international experts from industry and research, it covers a comprehensive range of topics across more than 30 chapters, providing an in-depth discussion of game analytics and its practical applications. Topics covered include monetization strategies, design of telemetry systems, analytics for iterative production, game data mining and big data in game development, spatial analytics, visualization and reporting of analysis, player behavior analysis, quantitative user testing and game user research. This state-of-the-art volume is an essential source of reference for game developers and researchers. Key takeaways include: Thorough introduction to game analytics; covering analytics applied to data on players, processes and performance throughout the game lifecycle. In-depth coverage and advice on setting up analytics systems and developing good practices for integrating analytics in game-development and -management. Contributions by leading researchers and experienced professionals from the industry, including Ubisoft, Sony, EA, Bioware, Square Enix, THQ, Volition, and PlayableGames. Interviews with experienced industry professionals on how they use analytics to create hit games.

Contents:

Foreword

Part I - An Introduction to Game Analytics

Introduction

Game Analytics - The Basics

Benefits of Game Analytics -Stakeholders, Contexts and Domains

Game Industry Metrics Terminology and Analytics Case Study

Interview with Jim Baer and Daniel McCaffery from Zynga

Part II - Telemetry Collection and Tools

Telemetry and Analytics Best Practices and Lessons Learned

Game Development Telemetry in Production

Interview with Nicholas Francis and Thomas Hagen from Unity Technologies

Sampling for Game User Research

WebTics: A Web-based Telemetry and Metrics System for Small and Medium Games

Interview with Darius Kazemi

Part III - Game Data Analysis

Game Data Mining

Meaning in Gameplay: Filtering Variables, Defining Metrics, Extracting Features and Creating Models for Gameplay Analysis

Gameplay Metrics in Game User Research: Examples from The Trenches

Interview with Aki Järvinen from Digital Chocolate

Better Game Experience through Game Metrics: A Rally Videogame Case Study

Part IV - Metrics Visualization

Spatial Game Analytics

Visual Game Analytics

Visual Analytics Tools: A Lens into Players' Temporal Progression and Behavior

Interview with Nicklas "Nifflas" Nygren

Part V - Mixed Methods for Game Evaluation

Contextualizing Data

Combining Back-End Telemetry Data with Established User Testing Protocols: A Love Story

Game Metrics through Questionnaires

Interview with Simon Møller from Kiloo

Visual Attention and Gaze Behavior in Games: An Object-based Approach

An Introduction to Physiological Player Metrics for Evaluating Games

Improving Gameplay with Game Metrics and Player Metrics

Part VI - Analytics and Player Communities

Data Collection in Massively Multiplayer Online Games: Methods, Analytic Obstacles, and Case Studies

Designer, Analyst, Tinker: How Game Analytics Will Contribute to Science

Interview with Ola Holmdahl and Ivan Garde from Junebud

Part VII - Metrics and Learning

Metrics in Simulations and Games for Learning

Conceptually Meaningful Metrics: Inferring Optimal Challenge and Mindset from Gameplay

Interview with Simon Egenfeldt Nielsen from Serious Games Interactive

Part VIII - Metrics and Content Generation

Metrics for Better Puzzles.

Other Format:

Printed edition:

ISBN:

978-1-4471-4769-5

9781447147695

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.