This MasterClass is about exploring and understanding the fundamental elements of game balance and game economies. Through clear examples and exercises, you will equip yourself with language and tools to deliver design and monetisation solutions that delight your players, whilst protecting the things that make your game special.

Key takeaways include:

• How to appreciate balance (and imbalance) when approaching challenges in your game.
• How to discuss the economy of the game in shared terms.
• How to deliver monetisation that does not undermine your economy or balance.

TARGET AUDIENCE: For this MasterClass, we recommend that attendees have a basic understanding of the game development process, lifecycle and game design principles.

This class is for designers, product managers, and producers who want to optimise the game balance, economy, and monetisation. This MasterClass would be most suited to developers who wish to take a game into a GAAS setting, but has important content that existing live games developers will not want to miss.

Meet the Mentor

Glyn Fairweather has spent over a decade on the frontlines of Live-Ops/GAAS working British titans like Jagex and Space Ape Games, using game intelligence and data insight to provide end-end delivery of Live Game Content for multiple titles. Glyn now works at Fundamentally Games, providing analysis of titles that are looking to make the leap into GAAS and helping them build their games with live-ops in mind.

Content breakdown

Part 1: Balance (60 minutes)

Using popular industry examples, we will look at the relationship between balance and imbalance, and how to approach problems in your game without upsetting the equilibriums that delight your players.

Part 2: Economy (60 minutes)

We will dip our toes into the waters of “Game Economies”. Discarding what we think we know, in exchange for guiding principles, which we can then apply to a real problem.

Part 3: Monetisation (60 minutes)

In the third act, we will look at how all of this plays into our capacity to delight and monetise players in a way that provides a mutual exchange of value, without undermining the economy, or the balance.

Teaching Format

Each of the three subtopics listed will take around an hour, and be broken down into the following format, which will include teaching, group work and a chance to feedback and review work.

Part 1:

• Presentation lecture (20 mins)
• Group activity (20 mins)
• Feedback and review (20 mins)

Part 2:

• Presentation lecture (20 mins)
• Group activity (20 mins)
• Feedback and review (20 mins)

Part 3:

• Presentation lecture (20 mins)
• Group activity (20 mins)
• Feedback and review (20 mins)

Looking for more MasterClasses in game design?

This MasterClass is part of a wider series of deep-dive workshop sessions, covering practical game design topics, brought to you by PocketGamer.biz in collaboration with some of the finest minds in the games industry.

If you’re interested in attending another MasterClass, you can find more information at www.pocketgamer.biz/masterclass

Monday 13 September (10:00 - 13:00)

Lessons with a Growth Hacker: Successfully Scale a Living Game, with Oliver Kern

Monday 13 September (14:00 - 17:00)

Save Your Game From Disaster: Playtesting Secrets From a Former Ubisoft Expert, with Pascal Luban

Wednesday 15 September (14:00 - 17:00)

Get Your Shit Together with Player Behaviour, with Kelly Vero

Thursday 16 September (14:00 - 17:00)

Game Design: How to Benchmark, Create and Measure Fun, with Javier Barnes

Friday 17 September (10:00 - 13:00)

Building an Audience: Marketing, UA, & Creative Production, with Mobile Game Doctor

Don’t forget, we have some superb multi-booking discount deals...

• 3 for 2: book three MasterClasses for the price of two!
• Corporate discount: bespoke offers available for large groups and/or multiple MasterClass sessions (please email to discuss discounts)

To arrange any of the bespoke packages above, please email katy.reilly@steelmedianetwork.com for more information.

Please note the final ticket price is in £UK, and conference tickets can be subject to UK VAT at a rate of 20%. You will be sent a VAT receipt by email along with confirmation of your booking.

For all other questions, please contact support@pgconnects.com.

Terms and conditions apply