COD Mobile First Time User Experience, Part 2
In part one of our analysis on Call of Duty (COD) Mobile’s first-time user experience (FTUE), we did the following:
Discussed the audience that is downloading the game
Summarized the current state of the FTUE
Analyzed the following parts of the FTUE:
Account-Type Specific FTUE
Notification Request
More Information On Guns
Additional Information On Controls, How To Deliver It
Tutorial Experience Analysis
Bots in the Beginning?
Aim Accuracy
In this article we continue our analysis, discuss the game’s controls, and how the FTUE relates to the core gameplay loop.
Controls
Controls make or break a game. In a mobile shooter, where controls directly correspond to feedback and reaction time, providing assistance to the player’s movements and properly showing them the controls is paramount to the gameplay experience.
User story:
“As a user, I want to get acquainted with the controls of the game quickly so that I can be more competitive and accelerate my level progression.”
Fast to Game
The controls tutorial is rudimentary. It shows how to move and shoot. Control indicators are displayed on the screen - as shown in the picture below. Then the player is given the option to choose between [Simple Mode] or [Advanced Mode], and that’s about it. We believe COD Mobile’s developers made the safe assumption that most first time players would choose [Simple Mode] since it is the default option with the smallest number of controls. But, by the time the players decide to adjust their controls, they’ll have invested too much time into the game to research another control layout on their own without feeling lost or discouraged.
Advanced Mode - Control Layout. Woah! That’s a lot of buttons. Why are the two shooting buttons (left/right-leaning bullets) angled differently?
The advanced control layout works very well for most players, but it isn’t without its flaws:
The screen has many buttons and minimal tooltips which can look and feel daunting to new players.
There is no explanation for the difference between the two identical shooting buttons (For those who are curious, the right side bullet lets the player aim AND shoot while the left shoots only).
Players are irritated when they see other players doing an activity that they don’t know how to perform because they’re not sure what buttons to press. This irritated feeling peaks when the player is killed precisely due to the inability to perform said action. The slide mechanism - which requires running + double-tapping on crouch - is a perfect example of this. Throwing and changing grenades is another, although less critical.
There is no explanation for some advanced game settings. Between the three authors we currently average over level 50, and we were still unsure of what “ADS” or “HIP” meant before writing this article (as can be seen in the image below).
Aiming sensitivity, the speed at which the character moves their sight in all directions, directly impacts player performance and skill. In other words, we want players to start perfecting their control sweet spots early on and not wait until they’re too familiar with the default controls and become risk-averse to change.
Improvements to Controls
In mobile gaming, there are trade-offs with adding any feature. In this critique, we cannot guess the internal decisions within Activision or Tencent. Therefore, before we recommend anything, we want to recognize that it is highly probable that the developers dismissed recommendations like ours for higher impact features or content. Here are our recommendations for how to improve the controls of the game:
Access To Other Predefined Layouts: Currently, COD has one default setting for controls. But we believe it would be beneficial to analyze the most popular ways players set their control schemes to create a few options for new players to choose. For example, the claw method is a high-rank control setting scheme where a player puts all fingers in a claw-like fashion on the screen with the tablet or phone sitting on the table. It may sound slightly unconventional (and a tad painful), but this is how many professional players play. This method allows for a faster reaction, but many of us are so used to our current controls that we are reluctant to try. The same won’t happen to another new player if given the option initially.
Optional Advanced Tutorial: Not all players might want to start with simple controls. Whether in mobile or PC, many long-time gamers realize the importance of setting appropriate controls and its direct effect on gameplay enjoyment. An optional and gradual in-depth tutorial explaining the advanced controls and settings could help alleviate first time frustrations.
Sensitivity Simulation: Both camera movement and aiming sensitivity are vital to surviving a fast-paced FPS game. Creating a timed aiming mini-game where players have to turn, aim, and shoot randomly generated targets to maximize an accuracy metric measured over multiple instances is a great way to help players find their sensitivity sweet spot.
First Time User Experience => Core Game Loop
Built into the Loop
The core loop of shooting games isn’t complicated, and the tutorial does a fantastic job of getting you acquainted with the game:
COD Mobile Tutorial: Learn game and control basics -> showcase progression and customization -> play and get better
Core Game Loop for shooting games: play matches-> player increases in skill and expertise -> player rewarded for playtime and skill -> play more matches. The core game loop is illustrated below with more detail.
Knowing what level you can unlock perks (as seen in the bottom right hand corner of the above image) creates an incentive for continuous play.
COD Mobile does a great job teaching the player the additional actions that are COD-specific: Scorestreaks, Lethal, Tactical Equipment, and Perks. Unlike advanced movements, like sliding, these are introduced along with your loadout before your first game with real players. This gives the player a feel for the vast customization to come and very subtly sets up monetization incentives.
Monetization: Slow Burn
User story:
“As a user, I want monetization options that bring value so that I am more engaged in the game.”
Many mobile games feel the need to introduce aggressive monetization schemes very early - way before the player is hooked on the game, a grave mistake in product strategy for games that rely on long-term retention. COD Mobile has a well-designed monetization system that is fair and doesn’t significantly undermine player skill. Players mostly spend real money to buy epic skins for weapons that are available for free. A few have small perks in non-ranked play, such as instant reloading after a double kill. These perks have minimal impact on actual gameplay but bring significant value to the players since they feel as if they have an edge.
The BattlePass is introduced during the FTUE as a mechanism for players to speed up reward progression and for COD Mobile to boost engagement, retention, and monetization. It not only comes with free skins and doubles the rewards for season progression, but it also pushes for long-term retention by giving players currency to buy the next season’s pass if the player climbs high enough in the current seasons’ reward ladder.
Lastly, it is worth mentioning that there is a degree of nuance with how COD Mobile introduces paid weapon skins. Many games deliberately push paid skins to be more visible or make the pay screen more accessible on different parts of the game to increase click-through rate and revenue. But COD Mobile chooses to focus on delivering themed seasonal content with a limited number of weapon effects. The strategy is to get the player addicted to the game and refresh that interest with punchy new content that holds their weight. After players become so vested in the game, they will eventually take a casual stroll around the skin shop to customize (read: pimp out) their character. Smart move, Activision….., or is it Tencent?
Casual Adrenaline-fueled Addiction
Short matches of adrenaline-pumping action paired with casual participation - two seemingly contradictory feelings - are what made the COD franchise what it is today. Be it the spawn points, the gradual recovery system, a well made matching-making framework, or a combination of all of these; COD Mobile shines in the same spotlight. The game’s controls feel superbly natural to the point where you wouldn’t notice any wrist strain until you’ve been playing for hours. It’s not difficult to get kills, even if you’re not a shooter veteran. The progression is evenly paced - just enough so that when you get bored with your current gun or loadout, the next one is around the corner.
Most importantly, all of the above creates a sense of casualness that is excessively difficult to mirror in competitive shooting games. Counter-Strike 1.5 always felt more competitive, either because you had to know your way around the map (remember de_dust2?), or because you got killed real quickly (no $$ to buy armor), or because there are niche “pro” tricks that are just out of this world (rabbit hop anyone?). No doubt, there are competitive players in COD Mobile, and they have rightly earned their rank. But for most of us, we’re happy to crack open our favorite drink, slump down on the sofa, and play a few matches to work towards our next gun unlock. That is the psychology and beauty of COD Mobile’s game loop: creating momentary thrill and tension during pockets of boredom that rapidly deescalates as the match ends.
“Dude, that was an intense match, we almost had them.”
“Meh, you want another beer?”
Of course, this is not new, and many have tried to replicate the same formula; yet very few have managed to create a game that is as easy to pick up and as addictive to replay as COD: Mobile.
Conclusion
COD Mobile is an incredibly well-made game, and it has sky-rocketed to the top of the charts in every way. Our analysis on the FTUE focuses on different ways the developers can improve the overall experience of starting the game with the goal of potentially raising the Day-1 retention KPI so that more players are retained and continue to enjoy this fantastic game.
About the authors: Raja, Jack, and Pedro are aspiring Product Managers.