Stephen Lee (DECA Games) – Live Ops Learnings and Best Practices

Live Operations and Games as a Service

Introduction to the speaker and his excitement about being in Minsk.
Deca Games as a publisher specializing in live operations.
Background of Deca Games and its senior leadership.
Explanation of live operations and games as a service.
Emphasis on the complexity of live ops and the misconception of it being just events or updates.
Shift in the gaming industry and the challenges of making a game successful.
The traditional marketing user acquisition funnel and the high cost of marketing.
Loss of users at every step of the funnel leading to wasted money.

Traditional marketing strategies may not lead to sustainable revenue in the long term.
As games age, acquiring new users becomes more difficult and existing players expect new content.
Two common options for older games are to keep them in maintenance mode or shut them down completely.
Live operations, or "door number three," offer a more holistic approach to keeping games alive.
Live ops involve creating an experience that keeps players engaged and coming back daily for years.
Deca Games, for example, aims to operate games for at least ten years.
The case study of the game "Realm of the Mad God" highlights the potential of live operations.
Acquiring the game, Deca Games focused on unlocking its potential through live ops.
Playing the game extensively was the first step in understanding how to improve and sustain it.

Superfans are dedicated players who have been playing the game since day one and have extensive knowledge and love for the game.
Finding superfans is crucial for understanding player frustrations and gathering valuable feedback.
Superfans helped identify a problem with the game's upgrade system, which created a divide between paying and non-paying players.
Engaging with superfans and addressing their frustrations made them excited and more invested in the game.
Utilizing social media and the game's subreddit helped build momentum and buzz around the game.
Hiring superfans as employees allowed for their expertise to be leveraged in game balancing and beta testing.
Investing in tools for user-generated content, such as allowing players to design their own skins, enhanced the user experience.

Introduced user skins and allowed players to design their own dungeons.
Approached players as peers and incorporated content created by fellow players.
De-emphasized the divisive pet system and reduced pay-to-win elements.
Emphasized customization and made player-created skins rare items.
Increased profitability compared to the previous game operator.
Maintained the game rigorously, addressing bugs and improving player experience.
Actively engaged with players, seeking feedback and informing them of updates.
Doubled daily active users (DAU) and increased the number of paying players (DAC).

The game has seen a record year in terms of revenue.
No money has been spent on marketing and user acquisition.
The focus has been on live operations and understanding and catering to the needs of diehard players.
Building trust and loyalty with players has been the key to success.
The strategy involves working closely with superfans and utilizing their help to engage and reengage other players.
New content is consistently released and discussed with the community, further building trust and loyalty.
The goal is to understand what superfans want and give it to them, leading to genuine passion and increased revenues.
Retention is considered more important than revenue.
The decision to focus on live operations is based on factors such as liking the gameplay, team passion, and a steady community.
The number of daily active users is in the thousands, not just a hundred.
The amount spent on acquiring the game has not been shared.