Brutally Honest #114 by Matej Lancaric

Brutally Honest #114 by Matej Lancaric

Hey, FAM! What’s up?

?? Drink talk

It's quite easy just to bitch about different things and hate everyone. We can see that in “This Week in Internet Bullying.”

Try to give guidance and offer solutions instead. That is always the hardest part.

??Tip of the week

When it comes to deciding KPI goals, here's what you need to consider:

Focusing on ROI over time is crucial. If there's no gain, it's just money down the drain. The data always shows that you need distinct D7 ROAS goals per UA channel. A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work. Applovin and Unity outshine Facebook and Google in long-term retention.

However, you also need to check your D60, D90, and D120 retention. You can’t set a D120 payback period when your D90 retention is 0%.

Each network demands unique KPI goals. That’s why you need detailed retention data at D60, D90, and D120, which are easily accessible in your BI tool or MMP. Not only retention data, but also ROAS/LTV curve.

Understand that higher goals typically mean lower spending. I always analyze how ROAS evolves over time, especially post-D90, to see the growth trajectory.

D90payback could be tight, but it could work. I always try to be cautious. Once you gather enough cohort data at D120, 150, and 180, you can adjust. Just play it safe!

So, what do you need to consider? Retention profile, LTV curve, and money in your bank account!

?? Dr. Doom is not amused

One of my industry friends amused me with his direct and honest TL;DRs, so we agreed to share it here, too! My friend remains anonymous as Dr.Doom!

"This whole situation about this new mysterious game from Valve is either a genius marketing move or complete incompetency. Currently, over 90 videos of this game have already been leaked, and there is no single word from Valve itself. On top of this, one of the leakers even made Steam database stats for the game public ??. Insert the burning "everything is fine" meme."

Sincerely, Doom (https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/this-is-getting-ridiculous-it-looks-like-one-of-deadlocks-leakers-has-made-it-so-you-can-see-the-unannounced-valve-shooters-playtest-concurrents-hero-code-names-and-update-history-on-steamdb/ )

??? “Ha-ha” moment

Because life is too short to be serious.

Thank you for reading Brutally Honest by Matej Lancaric. This post is public so feel free to share it. Share

?? two & a half gamers - SayGames Review with Anton

SayGames is a small team of 170 people that focuses on automating their processes and using internal tools to operate their games.

Their journey from hyper-casual to hybrid casual gaming is fueled by close collaboration and continuous iteration. SayGames UA ops thrives on automation through in-house tools, and after years of hard work, they've developed their own analytics system and SDK. This shift has driven significant IAP revenue alongside the ad revenue.

In this discussion, we delved into the monetization strategies and challenges in the hybrid casual gaming industry, emphasizing the importance of testing, data-driven decisions, and the dynamic nature of game development. Continuous learning and adaptation are key in this evolving landscape, from the strategic use of currencies to optimizing interstitial ads and segmenting user experiences.

Tune in:

?? Watch on Youtube

?? Listen on Spotify

??Paid subs only

Sneak peek at what you get for your support:

Match 3D UA playbook - Real data inside!

Here we go again! Another paid newsletter filled with Tips & Tricks! Let's dive into the Match 3D UA Playbook. While match-3 games have been around for years, Match 3D adds a more recognizable dimension. The game takes the proven match-3 gameplay and pushes it into 3D. The difference is more than superficial, it profoundly affects gameplay and the strategies players need to conquer the gaming table.

Read full story

How to soft launch a mobile game in 2024? Benchmarks & Real data inside!

How to Soft launch your game in 2024? Did something change? Of course, YES! Although the soft launch framework, in general, has not changed much, some aspects of the process are done differently. Launching a mobile game takes loads of work. After months of development and production time, the soft launch period comes.

Read full story

Creative framework: How to win in 2024?

Let's just dive directly into the creative framework for 2024 without any fluff. This is what I am going to touch on in this article so you know why you should upgrade your subscription to paid: Creative Process Creative research How to test creatives?

Read full story

?? Diary of a Dancing Unicorn

Today was a good day.

Hey hey! How is everything? How the fuck are you able to do all those activities?

Yo! It's all good; not complaining. What do you mean?

Podcast, blog, newsletter, paid newsletter, and do the work.

Yeah, it’s really hard. I just have blocks of time to do different stuff to keep up with all the tasks. I am also trying not to waste time.

Hahahah, well, I just finished watching 2hours YouTube video about nature and birds.

Let me know what you have learned. Sounds like an interesting educational shit.

Yeah, man, I don’t even remember. I was watching that stuff and thinking about something else…

….

Today was a good day.

?? Quote of the week

“Matej, you keep asking questions.” - Anton, latest 2.5gamers episode

How to increase IAP revenue by 375% - SayGames

?? Level up yourself

I launched a YouTube Channel . I'm putting a ton of energy into creating valuable content that I think you'll like. Check out the latest stuff , and give me a like and subscribe.

??? Gaming blast from the past

Do you remember this game? What did you play when you were young?

??Before you go

Ask Matej AI a question. It’s actually quite good!

Also, we produced one more episode on our no-BS gaming show. Check it out!

?? Fun starts here

We are opening up a Slack channel for everybody. It is the most inclusive slack for all of the gaming industry. Female, male, non-binary, juniors, mid-level, seniors, vendors, developers = EVERYBODY! We are waiting for you ??

Feel free to join here !


??Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter!

Please do me a favor and share this with someone in your network who you think would benefit from the insights and brutal honesty. It would mean a lot to me!

Take care, everyone! See you next Thursday!

Share Brutally Honest by Matej Lancaric

?? Reach out for feedback or questions, or say hi!

Give me some love (or hate) & Subscribe everywhere! ??

Stano Várady

Freelance Marketing Generalist

5 个月

Nice to see ROAS *and* retention coming into picture. Being in e-commerce, I don't see that so often. If it's not secret – which BI tool do you prefer and why?

Michal Rahamim Maor

?? LinkedIn Top Voice | ?? Co-Founder & COO @ Liberty Pixel | ?? $1M Raised | ?? Recruiting Talent

5 个月

Great one, If there's no gain, it's just money down the drain. very true. D90 payback really depends on what scheme of monetization and game genre you'll be doing, should decide what you aim for before even analyzing data.

要查看或添加评论,请登录

社区洞察

其他会员也浏览了