Flamingo: The First Step Towards Creating a Better Game Development Environment
At Aloha Factory, through our Partners program, we engage with and learn from the stories and experiences of small game developers from around the world. We believe in discovering great games that have yet to be recognized and helping them find their way to a global audience. Our passion lies in working with developers who pour their energy into creating fun and innovative games, and we are committed to growing alongside them as we bring these games to the world.
What should we never overlook in the journey from developing a great game to reaching our players?
While immersing yourself in creating a game with an original concept and exciting ideas, there are critical factors that must be considered throughout the process. Often, developers can become so focused on the game’s development that they may miss the core element of fun that the game needs, or struggle with connecting the game to a viable monetization strategy, leading to difficulties in generating revenue. Additionally, a lack of attention to marketing investments can pose the risk of the game going unnoticed in the marketplace.
This is why it is crucial to continuously assess and review your product from the early stages of game development. Step-by-step evaluation ensures that every aspect of your game — from gameplay to monetization and marketability — aligns with creating a successful and well-received game.
Product Checklist
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Is the game you're developing aligned with current market trends and captivating to users?
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Are there any elements in the onboarding process that disrupt the user experience?
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Assess the overall UI/UX to ensure it enhances the user’s journey.
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Identify potential drop-off points during the initial learning of game mechanics.
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Does the game offer enough to keep players engaged and encourage return visits?
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Ensure there is a sufficient amount of content to maintain interest.
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Maintain proper game balance by carefully placing growth milestones and hurdles.
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Is the game’s balance and monetization strategy seamlessly integrated?
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Do you have a solid marketing strategy to promote your product effectively?
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Develop a global UA (User Acquisition) strategy.
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Focus on app store optimization (ASO).
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Create optimized creatives to maximize UA efforts
The level of detail and consideration you apply to these processes can significantly expand the potential of your product. By targeting not only the domestic market but also global users, you can broaden your traffic reach and achieve greater profitability.
Our first step in executing this process is Flamingo, a data analysis and management tool that allows anyone to easily access game data. But why did we decide to create Flamingo when so many data analysis tools already exist? The answer lies in our belief that “we are building games together.”
Flamingo is designed to support the entire value chain of game services (game development - marketing - monetization - operations) and begins its journey at the very first stage: game development. Starting from the early stages of development, Flamingo enables continuous discussions and data-driven insights that help developers strengthen their games at every phase.
Additionally, by going through Aloha’s FUN QA process (gameplay consulting), we combine both qualitative and quantitative analyses. This ensures that the subjective fun of the game aligns with objective metrics, helping us find the optimal areas for improvement and enhancing the overall game experience.
Basic Structure of the Flamingo Report
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Is the game we’re developing capable of resonating with the market?
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Marketability Test: Assess whether the game concept is appealing to users and can generate interest in the current market.
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If the market reaction is positive, does the game have a strong core that keeps users engaged?
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If engagement is lacking, analyze areas for improvement to determine if the game can move to the next stage.
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Re-engagement & Churn Analysis: Examine the retention rates and pinpoint specific points where users drop off, to inform necessary adjustments.
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Does the game have sufficient profitability potential?
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If monetization is underperforming, focus on improving the game's monetization mechanics before advancing to the operational stage.
Once a well-structured game is ready to launch, we begin scaling up marketing efforts. The process of marketing scale-up requires continuous monitoring and optimization to ensure that campaigns remain efficient. This involves regularly tracking the most effective countries, channels, and creatives. At this stage, Flamingo provides detailed marketing reports that break down ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) and ROI by country, channel, game, and time period.
The importance of a solid marketing strategy lies in the fact that small adjustments can lead to significant differences in revenue. Having an experienced expert who understands the unique characteristics of each country and platform can greatly maximize the return on investment (ROI) and ensure that the marketing spend is used in the most effective way possible.
Once a game enters the operational phase, stable service management becomes just as important as marketing efforts. While the scope of operations varies by game genre, for light-core games in particular, stable operation of aspects related to payments and revenue, as well as the monitoring of in-game currency, content depletion, and continuous monetization improvements, are critical.
At this stage, unlike the early development phase, specific metrics need to be monitored daily. Flamingo focuses on providing essential daily reports that track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as:
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Daily marketing and traffic performance
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Retention rates
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Profitability metrics
These reports help ensure that any potential issues are quickly identified. Additionally, they assist in monitoring for any operational issues, including abuse or fraud, which could affect the game’s balance or profitability. Regularly checking these indicators allows for swift response and adjustments to maintain the game’s stability and success during its live service phase.
In addition, Flamingo offers a range of operational features designed to support game developers in creating better games within an optimized environment. These features assist in various aspects of the development process, ensuring a smoother and more efficient workflow.
Many of our Aloha Partners are already utilizing Flamingo to enhance the growth of their products, and we look forward to seeing these developers succeed in the global market.
Interested in learning how to easily access and improve your data?
Become a partner with Aloha Factory