The main goal of my Ph.D. research is to create a new model for how game analytics effectively can guide indie game developers’ decision making. This new model mainly focuses on supporting indie mobile game self-publishing and covers the whole mobile game publishing process. As our model is based on game data collection and data analysis, it is termed a data-driven model for mobile game self-publishing.
With the appearance of smart mobile devices, the traditional game value chain has evolved into the new mobile game value chain. The mobile game value chain refers to a new situation where a game developer can publish mobile games directly through distribution channels such as Google Play and App Store. It makes game developer self-publishing possible. In addition, as more and more mobile games appear, we also see an increasing number of independent (indie) game development studios. Many indie game studios are good at game development, but most lack experience in game self-publishing. They do not know how user acquisition works and how to transfer users into loyal and also paying players.
My research will focus on the main points of mobile game self-publishing for indie game developers. Through interviews with indie game developers, I will find out their main challenges with self-publishing. Based on the identified needs, I will set up a new model. Our model will cover the whole process of game publishing including Soft launch, Global launch, and Online Services. This new model will be based on game analytics and will guide the decision-making of mobile game self-publishing.
The main contribution of this research is based on the game industry value chain evolution and also the indie game interviews, to identify key issues for indie game developers mobile game self-publishing, then to propose a new model for guiding the whole indie mobile game self-publishing process.
Thesis proposal, PhD programme, University of Skövde