Introduction
Although Genshin Impact offers Daily Commission Rewards (in-game) and Daily Check-In Rewards (in HoYoLAB/outside of the game) for all its players, I intend to iterate the experience of gaining daily login rewards to provoke engagement. (PS: The reason for picking this feature is written in the appendix.)
Genshin Impact[1]
“As an action RPG developed by miHoYo, the game features an anime-style open-world environment and an action-based battle system using elemental magic and character-switching. It is free-to-play and monetized through gacha mechanics, through which players can obtain new characters and weapons. ”
Target Audience
I define new players as playing the game for shorter than 3 months because they need to play enough hours to unlock, progress and understand major gameplay mechanics and systems.
Business Model/Monetization Loop
The core monetization loop revolves around obtaining (a gacha mechanic) and levelling up characters and equipment by consuming primogems, moras, and all sorts of enhancement materials.
Existing Daily Rewards Pattern
Firstly, the commission rewards are not taken into consideration. Then, by analyzing the current daily check-in rewards (not in-game but on a community webpage), I realized the recurring pattern matched the core monetization loop, which offers currencies and enhancement materials that players will frequently desire to use for empowering their avatars (including upgrading characters and equipment). For instance, A, C, D, and E can be used for characters, while B, C and D are beneficial for equipment improvement (more details in the appendix). In addition, I am designing the features below to enhance new players' holistic experiences.
Feature Description & Purpose
Embed the daily check-in rewards in-game to replace the old one so players must log in to the game to claim rewards instead of opening a webpage – To motivate successful daily login behaviours
Pop up a daily check-in window and automatically check in when players log in to the game first time in a day (in their time zone); players can re-open/re-access it in the Game/Event UI Menu – To reduce the confusion of finding the entrance and present a sense of daily achievements
Provide a surprising/random reward/celebration when it is a festival in the real world, e.g., a Christmas gratitude card – To show the players respect and gratitude to create emotional attachments
Adjust the final reward on the last day of each month to be a character or weapon as a full-attendance bonus – To encourage players to log in actively with a big bonus and promote auxiliary props in point 5
Merchandise replenish/recharge props/cards to help players maintain continuous check-ins if they miss any day’s check-in – To offset the negative influence of losing the ultimate bonus
All flexible parameters can be configured flexibly as live-op activities in advance.
User Flow
Log in to an account→Choose a server →Log in to the game successfully→Check if it is the first-time login of the day (the same time zone aligned with the player’s phone)→Pop up a check-in window→Automatically check in→Players claim rewards→If the day is a festival, a surprise pops up→Claim rewards→If it is the final day of the month, show the character/weapon→Claim rewards & close the windows→Back to the gameplay.
Metrics/Evaluation
Prerequisite: Assuming no other features will affect the retention rates dramatically after the release.
Next Steps
Prioritize & assess the features with the project manager and team members
Describe detailed requirements in terms of visual, audio and technical aspects (frontend & backend)
Follow up on the implementing process, including BI reports, then re-evaluate the feature for iterations
APPENDIX (This section is not included in the limitation of 2-page length.)
Why did I pick the design of the new player daily login reward?
Since [a specific video game] was not accessible on my laptop, I chose another game – Genshin Impact, to demonstrate my capabilities in product design. Hence, after considering the following reasonings:
New player daily login reward – A reward-driven motivation to assist player retention.
Lunar new year special sale event – A seasonal promotion event to stimulate monetization policies when players have more money and time, which is not available in the game.
Push Notifications: Combined with rewards or special events to trigger players to open the game, being considered an auxiliary nudging technique.
I think option 1 is the best choice.
Current Daily Check-In Reward Analysis
Check-In Link: https://act.hoyolab.com/ys/event/signin-sea-v3/index.html?act_id=e202102251931481 or search for “Genshin Impact Daily Check-in” to access the page.
Reference: [1] Genshin Impact: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genshin_Impact
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