Should Moon Active prioritize adding new villages to Coin Master or improving existing gameplay features to maximize user engagement?

Introduction

The trade-off question at hand is whether Moon Active should prioritize adding new villages to Coin Master or focus on improving existing gameplay features to maximize user engagement. This scenario involves balancing the expansion of content versus refining the core experience. I'll approach this analysis by examining the product context, identifying key metrics, designing experiments, and providing a data-driven recommendation.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Context: I'm assuming Coin Master is experiencing a plateau in user engagement. Could you confirm if this is the case, and if so, how long has this trend been observed?

Why it matters: Helps determine the urgency of the situation and informs our approach. Expected answer: Engagement has been flat for the past quarter. Impact on approach: A longer plateau might justify more drastic changes.

• Business Context: Based on the mobile gaming industry trends, I'm thinking in-app purchases are a significant revenue stream. What percentage of Coin Master's revenue comes from in-app purchases versus ads?

Why it matters: Influences which metrics to prioritize and which features to focus on. Expected answer: 70% in-app purchases, 30% ads. Impact on approach: Higher in-app purchase percentage would lean towards improving existing gameplay.

• User Impact: I'm assuming there are different user segments based on engagement levels. Can you share the breakdown of casual vs. hardcore players?

Why it matters: Helps tailor solutions to the most impactful user segments. Expected answer: 60% casual, 40% hardcore. Impact on approach: A higher percentage of hardcore players might favor adding new content.

• Technical: Considering the complexity of mobile game development, I'm curious about the technical effort required for adding new villages versus improving existing features. Could you provide a rough estimate of the development time for each?

Why it matters: Helps assess feasibility and resource allocation. Expected answer: New villages take 2-3 months, feature improvements 1-2 months. Impact on approach: Shorter development times might allow for a combined approach.

• Resource: Looking at team capacity, I'm wondering about the current workload. Are there any other major projects or updates in the pipeline that could impact our decision?

Why it matters: Ensures we're considering the full context of team resources. Expected answer: A major UI overhaul is planned for Q4. Impact on approach: Might need to prioritize one option to avoid overextending the team.