a/b testing Archives - game economist consulting

On Trials & the “Drug-Dealer” Model of Hard Currency

a/b testing, currency, marketingBy pblack August 8, 2021 Leave a comment

One of my favorite folk-lore design positions is the notion of giving away free hard currency. Without hesitation, every product manager I’ve worked with will off-handily assert the “drug-dealer” model. Supposedly, after experiencing the wonders of hard currency, players will be more likely to spend real money on hard currency rather than just enjoying the…

There’s More to A/B Testing Then A & B: I

a/b testing, academia invadesBy pblack December 20, 2015 Leave a comment

One of the most powerful features of mobile games is the ability to run simultaneous randomized experiments at no cost. Academics swoon at such a possibility, and it’s very real and very spectacular in F2P games. Decades of running experiments in academic research can lend insight to developer scientists. An example is an insight from…