The success of a game?

[W3Theory || Peter]

With some people stating that their game or website is successful, I started to wonder what really constitutes ones' ability to say their website is successful? So i decided to create a thread/poll just for a casual friendly conversation over this matter, as I was just curious. And this is not meant to flame anyone but as a sincere conversation.

Edited June 28, 2012 by W3Theory || Peter

[Octet]

To me, success on a game or website can either be measured on two things:

-The Sentimental Aspect-

If people enjoy the game/website then I suppose you could consider it as a success, as you have completed your objective or creating something that members of the public enjoy.

-The Business Aspect-

You could also rate success on the business side (which I prefer to go with), if your website or game has a high traffic it proves both the sentimental aspect and brings in a source of income.

Personally, if you have a high traffic flow that includes returning visitors then I would class it as a success.

[W3Theory || Peter]

To me, success on a game or website can either be measured on two things:

-The Sentimental Aspect-

If people enjoy the game/website then I suppose you could consider it as a success, as you have completed your objective or creating something that members of the public enjoy.

-The Business Aspect-

You could also rate success on the business side (which I prefer to go with), if your website or game has a high traffic it proves both the sentimental aspect and brings in a source of income.

Personally, if you have a high traffic flow that includes returning visitors then I would class it as a success.

 

Very true, I should of added that into the poll as an option. The reputation/entertainment received from the site by it's members.

[danger boy]

I totally agree with Octet and that should have been an option. If players are enjoying a game it makes it a success in my opinion. Many owners objective is to bring a game that players enjoy.

[rulerofzu]

Zu was created for a group from a different game as they was unhappy with how it was proceeding.

Memberbase has never been more than 50 online at any time

They all login chat and play everyday

The like the content, features and new features and enjoy the challenges I set etc

Has made a nice pile of $ which is always a bonus.

I deem that as a success.

Longevity of your game is a big factor regardless of the number of players. I see lots of people going my past game(s) but where are they now? dead. Whilst it was a success the fact its now dead n buried means it was a flash in the pan.

Edited June 28, 2012 by rulerofzu

[Octet]

Success is in the eyes of the beholder. When thinking about success all that really matters is "did you complete what you set out to achieve?". There will always be people who dont like your product but there will always be someone who does...even if its just yourself lol. Some people create projects with no intent on ever releasing it to anyone, just for learning purposes and if thats what they wanted to do with it then thats successful. Some people have 50,000 members active every day but that doesn't make their project any more successful than the guy who only wanted a learning project...So I'd say its based on what pinnacles you plan to reach. And actually on that note the members will do the same, they will base your success off what pinnacles they expect you to reach so when broken down its just each persons individual expectation for the product. Its nice to have others view your site as a success to, but at the end of the day, its truly a success when you decide you have done everything you set out to do with it.

Very nice point, I think you have hit the nail on the head. Now I think about it more, I would class my project as a success if it works but that doesn't mean it shall be popular. As Henry Ford stated, 'a business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.'

[newttster]

For myself ... I prefer to measure success in stages. I am basing my opinion on a game. I imagine non-gaming sites would rate it differently.

Getting your first page to display you want it to. Getting your first mod to work exactly the way you want it to. Getting your first player to sign up. Getting that first player who stays to actually play, not just "check" things out. Your first donation. People passing on the word about your site.

Obviously you can see where I am going with this. As you feel "successsful" and take pride in each stage of the project as it is accomplished ... that to me is the pinacle of success.

[Cronus]

I usually gauge my success based on how many players are playing on a daily basis.

0-100 Too Small (although for the first month or so this wouldn't be a bad number)

101-150 Growing

151-250 Successful

250-400 Thriving

No matter how many "donators", the site is almost guaranteed to be bringing in more than enough to call "succesfu"l financially and community-wise if you have more than 200 daily.

Anything above 400 daily you are doing extremely well, you probably need to start focusing on optimization, and pushing more advertising into the game.

Please take into consideration your advertising, if you are in a period of intense advertising, these numbers reflect nothing, as they are hyperinflated.

[HauntedDawg]

For me, due to my past game, and my newly found job. I would classify it on, time on site.

Yes, time on site. Google Analytics can track this for you. But, i would also judge on the amount of playing daily according to these numbers:

(AFTER 4 MONTHS ONLINE)

# 0 - 300 , your not putting enough effort in it.

# 300 - 800, you have some nice activity.

# 800 - 3000, your doing good.

# 3000 - 10000, your doing excellent.

# 10000 +, no need to bother, your making easily $50,000 a month.

[danger boy]

@haunteddawg out of curiosity, would that be for users online or for the users in total? I think i understand which one your talking about but thought i would ask lol

[HauntedDawg]

Users online daily.

[lucky3809]

Could not pick two options lol.

So here is my two cents - Traffic, the more traffic you have the more popular your game becomes, and the more cash flow comes.

-Up to the owner- The owner is the main key to any successful game/website what he/she does with the coding is what makes the traffic come in, if less effort is shown the less successful you are, if you are putting in a lot of effort and updating it periodically for your users the more success you'll see.

Cons

-Profit, does not always mean it is successful. Unless you have EVERY player donating or if you have over 70% donating.

-Duration, just because you have your domain and game up for 10 years does not mean you are successful, I have seen games up for a long time and barely hanging on.

I think over all the more traffic you have the more success you see, and the traffic is up to you to decide, because you are drawing that traffic in by your designs, and programming.

[rulerofzu]

Users online really depends on if your running your game as a business or not.

I know a game which has several hundred players on in 24hrs most are playing for free though so whilst one one hand you can call that a success for having the users online. Business wise they sold it as it was making little money. So for them it wasnt a success.

[HauntedDawg]

With several hundred, your ought to have atleast 10% or more of your user base donating. And if each are donating $10 every month, thats:

 

$10 * 89(`member_online_base` = 890 players) = thats 890 USD a month. In a 2 year period it is $10680. That is enough to keep your server online, and still advertise.

[Dominion]

To be honest I agree with the viewpoint that it depends what you set out to achieve. If you set out to learn, and finish with greater understand, more confidence, and maybe even making a small sum when you open up your site... well it’s a success.

From a business point of view I feel it takes a lot more than just the website itself to decide if it’s a success. For example say you spend two+ years getting a game ready, and earn £10k over the course of another two years. When you account for both the programming time, and the time it takes out of your day to run it (would vary from game to game depending on updates, time to staff it etc) could you have earned more by simply doing freelance jobs? You also need to consider the investment into the game (for example design and cost of the engine if you’re using one), and if that was really worth it.

At the end of the day it’s all opinion on if the game is successful or not. If you open the game as a business then you will never consider it as successful as someone who opened it for fun, and is earning a relatively nice amount.

[DylC0N]

I agree with what some others have said. For me I base whether a project in general has been succesfully based on if I have achieved what I set out to do with said project.

For example with my current game I'm making my main focus is making a game that is as fun and enjoyable as I can for the players, with a secondary objective of generating some income from it. So if I was making £5,000 a month but my game wasn't that fun or enjoyable I would deem that a failure as it didn't achieve what I set out to achieve, where as someone else may have set out purely to make profit in which case the previous example to them would be considered a success.

[dnenb]

As a student studying informatics _I_ will be successful if I learn something making games that'll help me in my studies/future job. Of course it wouldn't hurt if the game earned enough money for me to manage without a job next to school :)