Game Data Analysis – Tools and Methods

A data-driven approach to video game production

Overview

• Familiarize yourself with the main key performance indicators for game data analysis
• Understand the data mining environment used for game data analysis
• Choose reporting tools available on the market according to your needs

In Detail

Publishing video games online has been gaining in popularity for a number of years, but with the advent of social networks and the use of in-game data analysis recently, its potential profitability has skyrocketed. The power of video game analytics is immensely beneficial if done well; it can provide a lot of information with a high level of relevancy.

Game Data Analysis – Tools and Methods is a practical, hands-on guide that provides you with a large overview of the choices available performing video game data analysis. From the technical aspect of the field to its implications in terms of game design, you will be able to choose the right tools for your needs.

This book looks at the most useful key performance indicators used in video games and then highlights the strengths and weaknesses of different solutions that are available in order to collect your data. The book will finally explain the kind of analysis you need to perform according the content of your game.

You will learn how to generate content through the use of data analysis with A/B testing and multivariate testing. We will also take a look at the general rules of data visualization, and we will describe some of the typical traps that you should avoid when manipulating numbers. So, if you want to acquire all the basics of game data analysis, this book is ideal for you.

Video Game Data Analysis – Tools and Methods will teach you everything you need to know in order to make the right choice when it comes to the technical solutions and methods available in the field.

What you will learn from this book

• Monitor key performance indicators for game data analysis
• Understand the issues and benefits of different types of data mining environments, such as MySQL or Hadoop
• Explore the issues and benefits of different reporting solutions, such as Facebook Insights, Kontagent, or Honey Track
• Avoid some of the typical traps of data analysis
• Express important game design topics of your products through numbers and indicators
• Generate content for your game through A/B testing

Approach

This book features an introduction to the basic theoretical tenets of data analysis from a game developer’s point of view, as well as a practical guide to performing gameplay analysis on a real-world game.

Who this book is written for

This book is ideal for video game developers who want to try and experiment with the game analytics approach for their own productions. It will provide a good overview of the themes you need to pay attention to, and will pave the way for success. Furthermore, the book also provides a wide range of concrete examples that will be useful for any game data analysts or scientists who want to improve their general knowledge of the topic.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Context and Themes in Games
Chapter 2: Common Key Performance Indicators of Game Data Analysis
Chapter 3: Environment and Tools for Data Analysis
Chapter 4: Game Analytics and Generation of Content
Chapter 5: Advanced Analysis and Statistical Methods
Chapter 6: Data Visualization
Chapter 7: Limits of Game Data Analysis