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Game Analytics

Game Analytics Fundamentals

If you've ever wanted to work in the game industry, this course will give you a solid foundation in how game studios use data to make their games successful.

4 Weeks
16 hrs Of Instruction

 

Next Course:     
​
July 2024

What You'll Learn

The Gaming Industry: A brief history of the gaming industry. The main motivation of today’s video and mobile games. Game industry strategy, understanding business needs and innovation types.


Analysis Frameworks: What are analysis frameworks. How are analysis frameworks used in gaming. Framework examples used in mobile gaming including registration and game launch. 


Game Development Lifecycle: The stages of game development. What roles does a game analyst have for each stage. What are soft launch, pre-production and live service. 


Data Preparation: How data is prepared for analysis. Common data issues and challenges in gaming. Root-cause analysis. Data cleaning, transformation and reduction processes. 


Top 10 Metrics & KPIs:  The most important gaming metrics, how they are derived,  where they are used. The difference between metrics, KPIs and OKRs. Different categories of metrics: acquisition, engagement, retention and monetization and how they are derived.


Player Engagement: What is player engagement. Why it is critical for a successful game title. How we measure player engagement effectively.  


Player Groups & Relationships: Why segmentation is important in gaming.

Example segments common in mobile gaming. Motivation and compilation loops. How we discover player segments through data analysis. 


Economies & Monetization: An overview of game economy components. How economies are designed. How economies work with compulsion loops. Example game economy analysis and how it relates to monetization.


Capstone Project: Capstone project requirements. Capstone project template and recommended approach. How to utilize assignments and course work for your capstone project.

Success strategies

Game Analytics Fundamentals

If you've ever wanted to work in the game industry, this course will give you a solid foundation in how game studios use data to make their games successful.

4 Weeks
16 hrs Of Instruction

Next Course:

July 2024

This Course Includes

  • Office Hours With Instructor, Schedulable Instructor 1-On-1s

  • 16 Hours of Instruction Delivered Over 8 Lessons

  • Downloadable Lesson Slides, Downloadable SQL and Python code

  • Lesson Assignments, Lesson Quizzes, In-Class Exercises

  • Final Course Quiz, Capstone Project For Analytics Portfolio

  • Certificate Of Completion, Digital Certificate Credentials

Course Content

LESSON 01: Game Analytics Essentials

  • Course Introduction, Overview & Structure

  • Why Does Analytics In Gaming Matter?

  • History & Background Of Game Analysis

  • Game Analyst Main Tasks

  • Game Industry Business Models

  • Freemium vs Paid Games

  • In-Class Exercise

  • Lesson Quiz & Assignment

LESSON 05: Player Groups & Relationships

  • Game Groups & Relationships

  • Personalization & Its Importance

  • Gaming Group: Examples

  • Compulsion Loops & Economies 

  • How To Define & Analyze Groups

  • Data Classification

  • Explorative Analysis

  • In-Class Exercise

  • Lesson Quiz & Assignment

LESSON 02: Analysis Frameworks & Tracking Strategies

  • Analysis Frameworks

  • Top Game Metrics By Category

  • Event Capture & Tracking Strategies

  • Example Game Capture: Wordle

  • In-Class Exercise

  • Lesson Quiz & Assignment

LESSON 06: Data Pre-Processing

  • Data Pre-processing Concepts

  • Data Quality & Data Cleaning

  • Data Transformation & Reduction

  • Common Data Challenges In Gaming

  • In-Class Exercise

  • Lesson Quiz & Assignment

LESSON 03: Development Lifecycle & Analytics Process

  • Game Development Lifecycle

  • Planning, Pre-production, Testing

  • Soft Launch, Production & Live Service

  • Game Analysis Process Overview

  • In-Class Exercise

  • Lesson Quiz & Assignment

LESSON 07: Game Metrics & KPIs - Part 1

  • Data Metrics & KPIs

  • OKRs

  • Top 10 Game Metrics - Part I

    • Sessions, Session Days

    • Acquisition (Installs, Funnels)

    • Engagement (DAU, MAU, etc.) 

  • Analysis Workshop 

  • In-Class Exercise

  • Lesson Quiz & Assignment

  • Capstone Project - Part I

LESSON 04: Game Analysis & Business Needs

  • Types Of Innovation & Mission Statements

  • Business Needs & Analysis Strategies

  • Example: Acquisition & LTV

  • Asking The Right Questions

  • Root Cause Analysis

  • In-Class Exercise

  • Lesson Quiz & Assignment

LESSON 08: Game Metrics & KPIs - Part 1

  • Setting Your Own KPIs

  • Defining Your Own Metrics

  • Top 10 Game Metrics - Part II

    • Retention

    • Monetization

    • Churn

  • Analysis Workshop 

  • In-Class Exercise

  • Capstone Project - Part II

  • Final Course Quiz


Requirements

  • Ideal candidates for this course should have at least 1-2 years of analysis experience, either as a data analyst, product manager, or business analyst.


  • While not a prerequisite, candidates taking this course would benefit from some experience using SQL for data extraction and analysis. Candidates with no prior SQL experience should review the Game Analysis With SQL Course and consider taking Game Analysis Fundamentals with bundle discount.


  • Part of this course will include the installation and setup of a MySQL server and SQL client software (DBeaver), for which the learner will need software installation privileges on a Windows or Mac computer.

Description

This course is ideal for anyone looking to start or transition to a career as a game analyst in the mobile, console or PC games industry. This course is a great fit for anyone passionate about gaming who is currently a data analyst or working in the game or similar industry as a product manager, designer, or producer and would benefit from learning more about the game analysis process. 


In this course, learners will learn game-specific analytics requirements, including terms, metrics and analytical frameworks and use these to develop the analytical skills required to derive insights from game data. 

In addition, learners will be able to install game data from real and simulated games to use throughout this course in various workshops and assignments, as well as their capstone project, to enhance their practical understanding of game metrics. 


This course features several assignments and quizzes to ensure that learners develop a full understanding of the course materials, are able to complete their capstone project and are eligible for a course completion certificate with distinction.

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