GameAnalytics Your data tracking plan Designing your events A Step-by-Step Guide for GameAnalytics A Step-by- Guide Step for GameAnalytics

Create a tracking plan Create a tracking plan Tracking data is never simple. It takes plenty of effort to make sure you have valuable data downstream. If you want to get the most out of your data within GameAnalytics, you need a solid plan for what events, fields and dimensions you'll be tracking. Creating this plan builds a bridge between the people analyzing the data and the ones collecting it. So make sure you involve both sides when going through these steps. It's also helpful to determine an owner to make sure the event structure, implementation and analysis doesn't get off track. A tracking plan should clearly define the specific data points you want to collect (and how). It serves three purposes: 1. It helps you avoid collecting redundant or 2. inaccurate data. It'll act as a roadmap for how you'll put your 3. processes in place. It'll be a document to make sure you stay consistent if you need to add more tracking or if your team changes. The more precisely you document your process, the more confidently people can analyze the data. more confidently people can analyze the data. Your tracking plan will make sure everyone involved in the data analysis process is on the same page and working towards the same goals. process is on the same page and working towards the same goals. GameAnalytics

GameAnalytics One last thing Contents Contents What’s inside? Keep an eye out for: 1 Brainstorm your burning questions Brainstorm your burning questions duplicate (and mis 2 Using multiple eve Five steps to get you from your questions to Create your events some answers. that nobody unde cracking, Before you get here are some common Putting your event pitfalls we've spotted 3 Define your dimensions and attributes 4 Plug in your game 5 Keep updating your plan

Step one Step 1 Step one Step 1 Brainstorm your burning questions For example, you might come up with: For example, you might come up with: Get everyone in a room and ask them: What ● What do I need to know about my players? questions do we have? Start by thinking about what ● Why are we collecting this data? you need to know about your players and why. It’s ● What are we working towards? ● How long does it take to finish the tutorial? also helpful to break down those burning questions ● What stops people from buying our in-app into sub-questions. purchases? ● How much are players willing to pay for X? ● What are the most (or least) used by active players: levels, items or guilds? ● What IAP packages convert free users into paying users? ● Do players see the weapon stashed in the • corner? Figuring out what questions you have helps you see corner? what you need to measure (your metrics) and how you’ll measure them (your events. and how you'll measure them (your events. GameAnalytics 4

Step two Step 2 Step two Step 2 Create your events Events are distinct actions that a player can Start with our predefined events, then match Events are distinct actions that a player can Start with our predefined events, then match perform in your game. whatever you can to your burning questions. These events include: Struggling to start? We’ve already looked at the most common burning questions and created our ● Session start and end: Triggers automatically. predefined event types. ● Business: Track in-app purchases and validates the receipts on our servers. If you use these, we’ll automatically calculate the ● Resource: Track virtual currencies – like gems relevant key performance indicators (or KPIs) and or lives – and how you manage them. add them to your dashboard. ● Progression: See how players progress through levels with Start, Fail and Complete. ● Error: Submit exception stack traces or custom error messages. ● Ads: See how players interact with ads in your game and monitor how they perform. ● Impression: Get impression data from ad networks. networks. GameAnalytics 5

Step two Step 2 Step two Step 2 Create your events Here are some examples: Here are some examples: You can also design your own events. In these custom Category: Weapon You can alsodesign your own events. In these custom Category: Weapon events, you can have three event dimensions and one Sub Category: [Weapon Name] value. We recommend using the “Category > Sub Action: Fired, Reloaded, Swapped Category > Outcome or Action” framework. This is a standard way of organizing data that focuses on the two Category: Character main components: the object (or item) and the action Sub Category: [Character Name] taken on that object. Action: Created, Leveled up, Equipped item, Used ability Only track events that actually answer your burning questions and consider keeping your designed events Category: Vehicle broad (but not necessarily generic) with clarifying Sub Category: [Vehicle Name] information in the dimensions. Action: Accelerated, Braked, Steered, Used power-up power-up Category: Building As a rule of thumb, we recommend keeping custom events to a Sub Category: [Building Name] Action: Built, Upgraded, Moved, Attacked maximum of 50 unique events. Otherwise, your event plan will Action: Built, Upgraded, Moved, Attacked become difficult to monitor, fix, and analyze. become difficult to monitor, fix, and analyze. GameAnalytics 6