What factors led to the sudden 30% decrease in in-game purchases for Behaviour Interactive's Meet Your Maker during its first week after launch?

Introduction

The sudden 30% decrease in in-game purchases for Behaviour Interactive's Meet Your Maker during its first week after launch is a critical issue that demands immediate attention. This analysis will systematically identify, validate, and address the root cause while considering both short-term and long-term implications for the game's success.

I'll approach this problem by first clarifying key details, ruling out external factors, and then diving deep into the product, user journey, and metrics. From there, I'll generate data-driven hypotheses, conduct root cause analysis, and propose validation methods and solutions.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Looking at the timing, I'm thinking there might be a correlation with the launch itself. Was there a significant difference between pre-launch projections and actual performance?

Why it matters: This helps establish a baseline and determine if the issue is truly unexpected. Expected answer: Yes, projections were significantly higher. Impact on approach: If true, we'd focus more on launch-specific factors.

• Considering user segments, I'm curious about the distribution of the decrease. Is the 30% drop uniform across all user types, or is it more pronounced in certain segments?

Why it matters: This could point to specific user experience issues or targeting problems. Expected answer: The decrease is more significant among new users. Impact on approach: If true, we'd prioritize onboarding and early user experience in our analysis.

• Thinking about recent changes, were there any major updates or modifications to the in-game purchase system just before or during the launch week?

Why it matters: This could identify immediate technical or UX issues affecting purchases. Expected answer: A new payment gateway was implemented at launch. Impact on approach: If true, we'd focus more on technical and integration issues.

• Considering market factors, has there been any significant shift in the competitive landscape or pricing strategies of similar games in the week leading up to or during the launch?

Why it matters: External market pressures could be influencing user behavior. Expected answer: No major changes in the competitive landscape. Impact on approach: If true, we'd focus more on internal factors and user experience issues.