"Ah?" Paul Wilder was taken aback. "This game is dual-platform?"
A boy asked, "You can play it on mobile too? What about the data? Is it synchronized?"
Alex Parker replied, "Yes, the data is synchronized. You can play it directly on your computer and save it on your mobile."
"Wow, why didn't you say so earlier, store manager!"
Paul quickly took out his phone, connected it to the computer, and installed "Plants vs. Zombies."
The resource pack wasn't large, and the installation was quick. Paul opened the game on his phone and logged in with his Thunderbolt Game Pass. Sure enough, the game loaded his progress directly.
"It really is dual-platform," Paul said.
Lily Emerson leaned over to take a look. "It really is. It even looks a bit more refined than on the computer."
Paul said, "No, it's the same. It's just that the phone screen is smaller, so it looks more detailed. However, this control mode works well on both mobile and computer. The interface design is also universal. I thought the buttons felt a bit large on the computer, but it turns out it's to make it easier for them to click on the phone."
The others also removed their phones and installed "Plants vs. Zombies."
Alex hadn't released "Plants vs. Zombies" on the app store yet, so these people were the first batch of testers. Once Alex was confident about the game's data, he would release it for public download.
"Alright, are we all done? Let's go," Jessica Thompson said reluctantly as she glanced at the game screen, then led the group out.
"Store manager, we're leaving," Jessica waved at Alex.
Alex nodded. "If you have any questions about the game, feel free to return. I'll consider all your feedback."
Jessica and the others left the experience store.
"Are you guys coming back tomorrow?"
"It's also on mobile; you can play on your phone too."
"But I think playing on the computer in the experience store has a better atmosphere..."
The group left while chatting.
Alex ordered dinner and then opened his backend management system to check the data from these players.
During the design phase, Alex had deliberately set up some recording nodes in the game to collect player data.
For example: Which level took the longest for players? Which level had the most failures? How long did it take players to complete each level? What was the usage rate of various plants? Which zombie broke through the player's defences the most? Which zombie caused the most damage to the player's plants?
Players usually don't care about these statistics, but they are crucial for Alex.
Players' feelings are often dull, or sometimes they feel discomfort but don't know where it comes from.
For a designer, it's essential to identify all factors causing player frustration and quantify all data to adjust the game to its optimal state.
Based on some abnormal data, Alex made some tweaks to the game's values and levels, slightly lowering the difficulty of certain levels. He also included occasional bottlenecks after a few manageable levels to give players a proper challenge.
After making these adjustments, Alex could update the game package with these data changes anytime. This process would continue many times until the game reached a perfect state in Alex's mind.
...
Three days later.
Simon Dominic took a taxi to Alex's experience store. As he was about to enter, he saw eight or nine people inside, all engrossed in the game.
Among them, two or three seemed to be together, discussing strategies as they played.
"Use a bomb; it's steady. When a large wave of zombies comes, one bomb clears them out, perfect for emergencies."
"It's okay if you plant something wrong; just dig it up. There's a little shovel, but generally, don't dig because it doesn't refund sunlight; it's too wasteful."
Athen Carter was curious. Alex told him that the game was finished and that the players were ready to experience it in the store. Was it really done so quickly?
Athen Carter had thought that Alex's first game would take at least half a year or even longer to develop. After all, a designer's first game shouldn't be overly simple and should have some length to it.
But Alex had finished it in just over three months?
Athen Carter walked into the store and saw Alex sitting at the bar. He went over to greet him.
"Hey, you're here." Alex noticed Athen Carter and greeted him.
Athen Carter sat on a seat next to the bar. "There are quite a few players here. Looks like the game is going well?"
Alex nodded. "Yes, it's going well. I've adjusted the values a few times based on player data. I plan to release it on the app store this weekend. How's your game going?"
Athen Carter said, "It's already on the app store. You should be able to see it now."
"Is that so? I'll download it and support you." Alex opened his phone and searched for "Storm Knight Adventure" in the app store.
Athen Carter had priced the game at $20. It wasn't cheap, but it wasn't too expensive either. It was a one-time purchase, with all future data adjustments and expansion packs included for free.
Alex paid for the download and gave it a five-star review.
"How are the stats?" Alex asked.
Athen Carter replied, "Not bad! Player reviews are generally good, but the download count isn't as high yet. The price is a bit steep."
Alex nodded. Indeed, spending $20 on a small mobile game was rare. But given the game's rich content, it was worth the price.
"Once the reviews are in, you can run some promotions and sell it at half-price," Alex suggested.
Athen Carter nodded. "Yes, that's what I was thinking. A half-price sale should boost sales significantly."
Alex checked the "Storm Knight Adventure" data on the app store's homepage.
It was currently ranked 6th on the new game list but hadn't made it to the paid or best-selling lists yet. It had a relatively low-profile recommendation spot in the latest game boutique section.
The app store's various lists and recommendations mainly were generated automatically, refreshing every three hours. An algorithm filtered out games suspected of manipulating data, placing them on a watch list for manual review.
The main lists in the mobile app store included the paid download chart, free download chart, and best-selling chart.
Other smaller lists were also included, such as the new game list (for games released within the last month), the classic game list (for games over a year old), and category-specific lists (action, adventure, strategy, etc.).
Additionally, some essential recommendation spots were selected based on various data points. These are refreshed daily, and a game could be featured multiple times.
"Storm Knight Adventure" was currently ranked 6th on the new game list and had a recommendation spot, which was a perfect start. Once the initial players gave high ratings, Athen Carter could run a half-price promotion.
The game had been online for less than 24 hours, with around 400 downloads and over 30 five-star reviews. At this rate, it had a good chance of becoming a minor hit during its new game period.