Theoretical Framework

The Engagement Hierarchy

The Engagement Hierarchy tries to graphically capture the idea that engagement is far more than a number.

You can (and should) measure the retention of your game as best you can. But you also need to qualitatively

understand what kind of engagement your game is generating, or trying to generate. Otherwise you might

do stupid things, like try and sell poorly thought-out virtual goods to an audience that is so engaged that it

finds such things cheapen their experience. Conversely, you might make the mistake of trying to charge

subscription for a game that is really not valuable enough to warrant that kind of model.

The five levels are:

1. Distraction: Your game is simply something that users do because they are bored. It usually takes

30 to 60 minutes. They can take it or leave it at any time. Very low lifetime value, often

worthless creatively, but might be the sort of game that players would play repeatedly if

motivated with a prize or something similar.

2. Amusement: There's something charming or fun about your game that keeps players coming

back. It takes 1 to 2 hours. And it might not be particularly sophisticated, but with the right

mechanics you could spin up a decent rate of daily return.

3. Connection: The game strikes some kind of emotional nerve with the player, enough that they

would like to dig deep into it. That nerve might be a fantasy that the player wants to play, a

game world that he finds interesting, or a game that generates social recommendation and

encourages the player to get interested. This level takes 2 to 4 hours playing nonstop.

4. Investment: The player develops emotional investment with the game. There is something about

the game that chimes with something in the player, and the so the game comes to have meaning

to them. Investment does not necessarily mean creative or artistic significance. It could be an
 urge to master, to become the best and satisfy the student within. This level takes 4 to 6 hours

playing.

5. Culture: The game becomes a social experience. When a game becomes a culture, it has

embedded itself deep into the substrate of players such that it becomes a conversation topic, a

language and an obsession. Cultures are sometimes lifelong, and they are most often the games

that change the world. Usually its 7 hours and an above(Kelly T. 2010).