Data Driven Design and Production - Collect the right data to make smarter game designs (Mike Ambinder)

Training created on 6/19/24. Last update on 9/10/25.
Programme version: 1
Satisfaction rate of learners
9,1/10 (7 review)

Type of training

Face-to-face

Training duration

7 hours (1 day)

Accessibility

Yes
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Data Driven Design and Production - Collect the right data to make smarter game designs (Mike Ambinder)


As game designers, our hope is that every design decision we make is the ‘right’ one. Unfortunately, the real world is far less kind. Put another way, game designs are hypotheses about predicted player behavior. In this class, you will learn how to use data (all kinds of data) to validate these hypotheses, drive your design-making, and maximize your chances at making the best possible game – at any stage of development. The workshop will be led by Mike Ambinder who spent 15 years guiding games research efforts at Valve using these exact methods. 1) The scientific approach to game design a- Introduction to data-driven decision-making b- Data collection methodologies c- Pitfalls d- Case studies 2) Expert Practical a- Playtests b- Interviews c- Game Telemetry d- Surveys e- Design Experiments 3) Wrap-up a- Summary b- Future thoughts c- Final Q&A

Objectives of the training

  • Implement the most useful ways to gather player data to inform game design (playtesting, game telemetry, surveys, interviews, design experiments)
  • Work on how data-informed game design increases the likelihood of predicting player behavior
  • Develop your awareness of the biases and confounds present in data (and data collection) that can lead to erroneous conclusions about player intent
  • Master the techniques needed to accurately measure player sentiment and engagement at every point of your development timeline.

Profile of beneficiaries

For whom
  • Game Designers
  • Producers
  • Game Developers
  • User Experience Designers and Researchers
  • Any discipline in game development looking to make more informed decisions
Requirements
  • Professional game design experience expected
  • Master class in English

Training content

The scientific approach to game design
  • Introduction to data-driven decision-making Game design basics, data collection basics, using data to inform decision-making.
  • Data collection methodologies Kinds of data – playtests, telemetry, interviews, surveys, ancillary sources.
  • Pitfalls
  • Case studies
Expert Practical
  • Playtest
  • Interviews
  • Game Telemetry
  • Surveys
  • Design Experiments
Wrap-up
  • Summary
  • Future thoughts
  • Final Q&A

Teaching team

Mike Ambinder spent 15 years at Valve as an applied psychologist working at the intersections of psychology, game design, statistics and data science, machine learning, brain-computer interfaces, and user research all in service of improving the quality of game design decision-making. Regarded in the field as a pioneer in the disciplines of Games User Research, Applied Psychology and Game Design, and Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) based gaming, Mike now consults for game companies seeking to make better games through empirical research. Professional credits: Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Team Fortress 2, Half-Life: Alyx, Portal 2, Alien Swarm, Counter-Strike 2, Underlords, Artifact, Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2, Steam, Valve Index, HTC Vive, Steam Controller, and Steam Deck.

Monitoring of implementation and evaluation of results

  • Assessment of acquired skills via a questionnaire

Quality and satisfaction

Satisfaction rate of learners
9,1/10 (7 review)

Certification procedures

Expected results at the end of the training
  • Délivrance d'un certificat de réalisation

Reception capacity

Between 6 and 20 learners

Login delay

2 weeks

Accessibility

Pour les entreprises qui souhaitent une prise en charge par leur OPCO, l’inscription doit être réalisée au plus tard deux semaines avant le début de la formation pour respecter les délais d’instruction des OPCO. Dans les autres cas, les inscriptions peuvent être enregistrées jusqu’à 2 jours ouvrés avant le démarrage de la formation. Accessibilité : Nous sommes à la disposition des personnes en situation de handicap pour évaluer avec elles les aménagements nécessaires pour qu’elles puissent suivre sereinement les formations proposées.