Shared Monetization Framework

Design Document

Junghun Kwag
Game Development
03511540

1 Table of Contents
2

Table of Figures ................................................................................................................................... 3

Overview ............................................................................................................................................. 4
3.1

3.1.1

Concept ............................................................................................................................... 4

3.1.2

Goals ................................................................................................................................... 4

3.1.3

Requirements ...................................................................................................................... 4

3.1.4

Risks .................................................................................................................................... 4

3.2

High Level Architecture ............................................................................................................... 4

3.2.1

Design Constraints .............................................................................................................. 5

3.2.2

Tech Constraints .................................................................................................................. 5

3.2.3

Future Considerations ......................................................................................................... 6

3.3
4

Purpose and Scope ...................................................................................................................... 4

References .................................................................................................................................. 6

Systems Architecture .......................................................................................................................... 6

4.1

Player Hub ................................................................................................................................... 6

4.1.1

Overall UI Principles ............................................................................................................ 9

4.1.2

Components ........................................................................................................................ 9

4.2

Branded Bonus Point System .................................................................................................... 11

4.2.1
4.3

Branded Item Gift System ......................................................................................................... 15

4.3.1

Components ...................................................................................................................... 19

4.3.2

Dependencies .................................................................................................................... 19

4.4

Dependencies .................................................................................................................... 15

Branded Coupon System ........................................................................................................... 19

4.4.1

Components ...................................................................................................................... 21

4.4.2

Dependencies .................................................................................................................... 21

Prototypes ........................................................................................................................................ 21
5.1

Prototype specifications ............................................................................................................ 21

5.1.1

Synchronous Cooperative Multiplayer Minigame Prototype ............................................ 21

5.1.2

Solo Competitive Minigame Prototype ............................................................................ 21

2 Table of Figures

Figure 1: Overall Systems Map.................................................................................................................... 5

Figure 2: Player Hub Map ........................................................................................................................... 7
Figure 3: Player Hub Initial Layout .............................................................................................................. 8
Figure 4: Store Layout ................................................................................................................................. 9
Figure 5: Branded Item Display ................................................................................................................. 11
Figure 6: Bonus Point System Flow ........................................................................................................... 12
Figure 7: Bonus Point Display (Purchase) .................................................................................................. 13
Figure 8: Bonus Point Earned in Coupon Progress Popup ......................................................................... 14
Figure 9: Giftee Selection .......................................................................................................................... 16
Figure 10: Branded Gift Content ............................................................................................................... 17
Figure 11: Gift Notification ....................................................................................................................... 18
Figure 12: Branded Coupon System .......................................................................................................... 20

3 Overview
3.1 Purpose and Scope
3.1.1 Concept
The shared monetization framework is at its most basic a loyalty points monetization
system for games that has real world rewards. Through the use of branded items and
branded coupons, this framework will also serve as a marketing/sales lead generator for
partners as well.
3.1.2 Goals
1. This design document will describe the production of a prototype frontend of
the shared monetization framework.
a. All elements that a user will encounter in the use of the share
monetization framework will be modeled.
2. This prototype is meant to illustrate the use cases for such a monetization
system
3.1.3

Requirements
In order for the production of this prototype to occur the following must be completed or
gained:
1. Primary research into the current free-to-play monetization models utilized by games
today
2. An understanding of user interface design and user experience principles
3. HTML5 web programming fluency
4. Unity C# scripting

3.1.4

Risks
The following issues can and/or will alter or disrupt development:
1.
2.
3.
4.

No approximate precursor project to model or gain assistance from

Preproduction research conclusions preclude need
Technical fluency does not meet the requirements
Usage of two distinct languages and platforms

3.2 High Level Architecture

The overall map of the system should look like the following:

Figure 1: Overall Systems Map

3.2.1

Design Constraints
This prototype is frontend systems only and not the backend data systems that would be
required for this framework to function fully.

3.2.2

Tech Constraints
Originally, due to the depth of dependencies and complexity of the systems, Unity UI was not
considered for use in the Prototype. Instead, it would be an HTML5 (JQuery) web view within
the Unity game engine.
1. U Web Kit was initially utilized but it could not hold a session between the multiple
Unity scenes and would not allow hooks into any further scripting within Unity 3D itself
2. Awesomium was tried next but elements within Unity3d would refuse to run. Lack of
error messages made troubleshooting even more difficult
3. Coherent UI is the final toolset that was tried; however when attempting to use
iframes to show multiple menu views; they refused to talk to each other

We have returned to the use of Unity UI with the release of Unity UI 4.6
3.2.3

Future Considerations
Several future design considerations
1. Design of the backend systems
2. Dynamic bonus prompts & sales
3. Bundling systems design

3.3 References

4 Systems Architecture
4.1 Player Hub
This section will cover the flow, components and dependencies involved in the Player hub.
The overall flow of the system should be as follows:

Figure 2: Player Hub Map

Here is the wire frames for the player hub:

Figure 3: Player Hub Initial Layout

Figure 4: Store Layout

4.1.1

Overall UI Principles
In all cases very similar UI rules should be consistently followed. Larger category tabs create a
drop down menu. Type selection is always a button. Sub categories within the larger categories
should lead to a slide out arm which contains the actual specific items. Mousing over specific
selections should provide detail.

4.1.2

Components
The components that make up the Player Hub in the framework encompass

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

The Store
Item Purchase Display
Item Gifting
Virtual Currency Purchase
Coupon Progress

Some components will be explored further in depth later as they are more deeply part of
other systems in the framework.
The most relevant part to this prototype are the Branded Items that are sold in the Store
component. Branded Items are items purchased by the user that carry a partners branding
in some form. The purchase of this item will then reward the player with Branded Bonus
points toward the Branded Coupon.
The Branded Item Purchase display component will show as follows:

Figure 5: Branded Item Display

When the user has clicked on the Branded Items category inside the Purchase section; the tray
will slide out and the Item Display will be shown. Item Display will have the name, price and
Bonus point potential listed. Mousing over (one touch on mobile devices) will show item details.

4.2 Branded Bonus Point System

This section will cover the Branded Bonus Point System. The Bonus Point System is utilized in
conjunction with the purchase. The simple Bonus Point System flow map is below:

Figure 6: Bonus Point System Flow

The Bonus Points System is modifiable by the partners to generate a variable amount of bonus
points per Branded Item. If the partners decide to offer more than one coupon of varying values;
the Bonus Point System can implement a tiered system. This will be explored further in depth in
the Bonus Point Coupon System.
The Bonus Point System for the purposes of this prototype will have the following components:
1. the Bonus Point Potential Display
a. The Branded Item will have a potential Bonus Point value under its VC price
2. Bonus Point Earned Display
a. This will be displayed as part of the Coupon Progress Popup in the
prototype
i. Tier Progress Popup would replace Coupon Progress in the full
framework in some instances
Here are the wireframes for the Bonus Point System

Figure 7: Bonus Point Display (Purchase)

Figure 8: Bonus Point Earned in Coupon Progress Popup

4.2.1

Dependencies
The Bonus Point System requires data from:
1. The Branded Item transaction
2. Category identifiers:
a. Purchase
b. Gift
i. Gifter
ii. Giftee
The Bonus Point System feeds data to:
1. Branded Coupon System

4.3

Branded Item Gift System

The Branded Item Gift system works, in regards to systems flow, in a parallel fashion to the
normal Bonus Point System from store display to transaction. It differs in that the person who
receives the item as a gift also derives a bonus as well. The bonus is set at a fraction of the normal
Bonus Point value. This incentivizes a continuous chain of reciprocity of gifting as well as working
as a form of social recommendation of the product that the coupon is for.
The wireframes are below:

Figure 9: Giftee Selection

Figure 10: Branded Gift Content

Figure 9 continues the design language established throughout this framework. The Gifting type of
transaction is a button which then drops down a selection of giftees to receive the gift.
In figure 10,once the giftee is selected then one can select the specific gift to send through an interface
similar to a normal Branded Item Purchase component.
The giftee will receive a popup once the gift has been sent that is similar to the Coupon progress popup
in the normal system with the added information of the identity of the gifter and what was sent.

Figure 11: Gift Notification

4.3.1

Components
1. Variable Gift Value
a. The Gift system ties into the Bonus Point system almost identically from the
perspective of the gifter but the giftee is treated differently in the framework. They
receive only a fraction (either percentage or set value) of what the gifter receives in
Bonus Points. This should be applied automatically according to the rules set forth
by partners
2. Gift Notification
a. The notification requires both the gifter id data and the item data
b. The Coupon progress system then simply works like normal off both a gifting type of
transaction notifier and the item data.

4.3.2

Dependencies
The Gift System requires data from:
2. Player Hub transaction type
3. User database (n/a)
4. Item Store details
The Gift System feeds data to:
1. Branded Coupon System

4.4 Branded Coupon System

The Branded Coupon System is a way for the user to keep track of their progress towards certain
coupons.
The wireframe for this system is below:

Figure 12: Branded Coupon System

The user selects the Coupon tab. A Brand selection box will drop down. Once one has tapped the brand
logo; coupon information will slide out. Hover/single touch on this arm will bring up a coupon detail
popup. Clicking on the coupon detail will bring the user to the brand item(s) in the item store that will be
relevant to progress on that coupon.

4.4.1

Components
1. Brand Selection
a. Selecting the brand will take one directly to coupon details if there is one coupon
b. If there is more than one; a partner can elect to have an intermediate tiered menu
category appear on the arm and have individual coupons in each tier selected
appear in the same position as the tiered menu through another slide transition.
2. Coupon Progress
a. This system is native here and can simply have its values streamed to the
progression popups that appear in other systems.

4.4.2

Dependencies
The Brand Coupon System is dependent on and feeds:
1. Item Store
2. Bonus Point System
3. Gift System

5 Prototypes
5.1 Prototype specifications
5.1.1

Synchronous Cooperative Multiplayer Minigame Prototype

A multiplayer prototype is required for the purposes of this project in order to show how the
gifting cycle not only works but also for a more dynamic illustration of the social and gameplay
impacts that the shared monetization system would have.
The following specifications should be included
1. Synchronous networking
2. Cooperative gameplay
3. Role differentiation

5.1.2

Solo Competitive Minigame Prototype

A solo competitive minigame prototype is required in order to show how the normal Bonus
Point cycle works.