How can Behaviour Interactive balance adding new content to Dead by Daylight versus fixing existing bugs and performance issues?

Introduction

Balancing new content creation with bug fixes and performance improvements is a critical challenge for Behaviour Interactive's Dead by Daylight. This trade-off impacts user satisfaction, retention, and the game's long-term success. I'll analyze this situation using a structured approach, considering user needs, business goals, and technical constraints.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Context: I'm assuming Dead by Daylight is a live service game with regular updates. Could you confirm the current update cadence and how it's split between new content and bug fixes?

Why it matters: Helps understand the current balance and resource allocation Expected answer: Monthly updates with a 70/30 split favoring new content Impact: A higher focus on new content might indicate a need to shift resources to bug fixes

• Business Context: Based on the game's monetization model, I'm thinking new content drives revenue. How does new content correlate with player spending and engagement?

Why it matters: Determines the financial impact of focusing on bug fixes over new content Expected answer: Strong correlation between new content releases and revenue spikes Impact: High correlation would necessitate a careful approach to reducing new content

• User Impact: I'm assuming there are different player segments with varying preferences. Can you share insights on how casual vs. hardcore players react to new content vs. bug fixes?

Why it matters: Helps tailor the strategy to meet diverse user needs Expected answer: Hardcore players more vocal about bugs, casuals drawn by new content Impact: Might suggest a segmented approach to addressing the trade-off

• Technical: Considering the game's age, I'm thinking there might be technical debt. How complex are the bug fixes typically, and do they often introduce new issues?

Why it matters: Assesses the feasibility and risk of focusing on bug fixes Expected answer: Moderate complexity, occasional new issues from fixes Impact: High complexity or risk might favor a more gradual shift towards bug fixing

• Resource: I'm assuming the development team has distinct skills for content creation vs. bug fixing. How flexible is the team in shifting between these tasks?

Why it matters: Determines the practicality of reallocating resources Expected answer: Some flexibility, but specialized skills exist Impact: Low flexibility might require hiring or training to shift focus