The Facebook Gaming team is discussing: should we implement universal in-game currency or let games maintain separate economies?

Introduction

The Facebook Gaming team is facing a critical decision: should we implement a universal in-game currency or allow games to maintain separate economies? This trade-off involves balancing platform cohesion with game-specific flexibility. I'll analyze this decision through the lens of user experience, developer incentives, and platform economics.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Context: I'm assuming this decision is being considered for the entire Facebook Gaming platform. Could you confirm if this applies to all games or a specific subset?

Why it matters: Scope impacts implementation complexity and potential user confusion. Expected answer: All games on the platform. Impact: A universal approach would require a more comprehensive strategy.

• Business Context: Based on our revenue model, I'm thinking this could significantly impact our monetization strategy. How does our current revenue split work with game developers?

Why it matters: Understanding the financial implications helps prioritize the decision. Expected answer: Revenue is shared, with Facebook taking a percentage of in-game purchases. Impact: A universal currency might require renegotiating terms with developers.

• User Impact: Considering user behavior, I'm curious about the current cross-game spending patterns. Do we see users frequently purchasing across multiple games?

Why it matters: This indicates potential demand for a universal currency. Expected answer: Some cross-game spending, but not widespread. Impact: Low cross-game spending might suggest separate economies are sufficient.

• Technical Feasibility: Given our platform architecture, I'm wondering about the technical challenges of implementing a universal currency. How integrated are our payment systems across games?

Why it matters: Technical complexity could impact timeline and resources needed. Expected answer: Varying levels of integration, some legacy systems exist. Impact: High complexity might favor maintaining separate economies in the short term.

• Timeline: Considering potential market opportunities, is there a specific timeline we're working towards for this decision?

Why it matters: Urgency could influence the depth of analysis and experimentation. Expected answer: Aiming for a decision within the next quarter. Impact: A tight timeline might necessitate a phased approach or limited initial rollout.