How do you incorporate player feedback into your game development process, and what methods do you use to prioritize and implement changes?

I actively gather player feedback through playtesting sessions, surveys, and community engagement to understand their experiences and than I identify areas for improvement if necessary. I prioritize changes by evaluating their impact on gameplay, alignment with the core vision, and feasibility within the development timeline. Additionally, I keep the client involved throughout the process, especially when introducing new core mechanics, ensuring that the game evolves in a way that meets both player expectations and the project's goals.

Here’s how I incorporate player feedback effectively:

1. Collect Feedback: Use surveys, forums, and in-game tools to gather player input.
2. Analyze Data: Group similar feedback to identify patterns and common issues.
3. Prioritize Changes: Focus on fixes or features with the highest impact on player experience.
4. Engage Players: Communicate with players to clarify their concerns or suggestions.
5. Prototyping: Test major changes with quick prototypes to validate ideas.
6. Internal Testing: Evaluate the changes with the team or QA before release.
7. Incremental Updates: Roll out changes gradually to minimize disruption.
8. Monitor Impact: Track metrics and player reactions post-update.
9. Iterate: Refine features based on continued feedback and performance.
10. Acknowledge Players: Show appreciation for valuable suggestions to build trust.

Feedback is gold when managed right!

Incorporating player feedback is key to refining the gaming experience. Here’s my approach:

I collect feedback from alpha and beta testers, focusing on both gameplay mechanics and user experience. I use surveys, playtesting sessions, and in-game analytics to gather insights into what players enjoy and what needs improvement. I categorize feedback into themes like gameplay, difficulty, and user interface, which helps me identify recurring issues and prioritize changes that impact the most players.

To decide on priorities, I weigh feedback based on frequency, severity, and alignment with the game’s core vision. Urgent issues, such as bugs and usability problems, take precedence, while feature requests are considered based on feasibility and potential impact on player engagement.

Once priorities are set, I implement changes iteratively, testing each adjustment to ensure it enhances the overall experience without introducing new issues. This structured, player-centered approach helps me create games that resonate with players and evolve based on their input.

Our approach to gathering and implementing player feedback is: 

• Closed Beta: We launch a closed beta, inviting selected players to test and provide insights on their likes, dislikes, and suggestions for improvement. 
• Analytics: We track player progression, monetization, and gameplay flow with analytics with lead tools like gameanalytics, firebase, facebook. This data shows us exactly where player drop off, their scores, and overall progression, allowing us to fine tune the gameplay.
• In-Game Options: We include both a public rating system and a private feedback channel, so players can provide specific insights directly to us. 

To incorporate the player feedback, first task is to

1. Gather Feedback. 

• If the game is on appstore or playstore. Lookout for the reviews users leave. Also ask users to leave feedback by giving them some stuff inside the game. 
• Make some survey forms and ask users to fill them out. 

2. Analyze Feedback

• Organize the feedback into categories for example gameplay, graphics, monetization etc. 
• Create a matrix to evaluate feedback based on impact (how much it affects the player experience) and effort (how much work it takes to implement).

3. Prioritze Changes

• Prioritize features or fixes that have a strong consensus among players or are frequently requested.
•  Ensure that changes align with the overall vision and goals of the game. Sometimes player desires may diverge from the intended direction. 

4. Implement Changes

• Use an agile approach to iteratively implement changes, allowing for quick adjustments based on ongoing feedback.
• Rapidly prototype suggested changes and conduct follow-up playtests to assess their effectiveness before full implementation.
• Keep players informed about what feedback has been implemented, what’s being considered, and why certain suggestions may not be feasible. This builds trust and keeps players engaged.

Here's a simpler way to think about incorporating player feedback:

1. Listen to Players: Pay attention to what players say about your game.
2. Identify Problems: Figure out what's not working well.
3. Fix the Problems: Make changes to improve the game.
4. Test the Changes: Make sure the changes work and don't break anything else.
5. Release the Update: Share the improvements with players.

Remember: 

- Not every idea is good. Pick the best ones.
- Don't break what's already working. Test carefully.
- Keep listening. Players are always the best source of feedback. 

By following these steps, you can create a game that players love. 

If you need any help there we are here to help you

I’ve been incorporating player feedback for 8 years, with

• 50% coming from app store reviews,
• 25% from social media comments,
• and 25% through in-game feedback forms.

I use an iterative process, where my team and I discuss feedback with the client, prioritize key changes, and release updates on a monthly basis based on player input.

In-Game Surveys

1. We can collect user feedback using the specific plugins available: I mostly use PlayFab and Google Forms for the surveys. Note: Make sure not to show the survey popup frequently; it can irritate some users.
2. You can release the beta version of your game and then get reviews and feedback from specific users.
3. Use analytics to track player behavior. Unity Analytics, third-party tools, or Firebase can give insights into player interactions, highlighting areas that need improvement.

Organizing Feedbacks:

1. Organize feedback into different categories, such as bug reports, feature requests, difficulty adjustments, and user experience. You can use a project management tool like Trello or Jira to keep everything in one place.
2. Separate feedback like game visuals, crashes, and level drop-offs at certain levels.

Prioritizing Feedback by Users

1.  Prioritize feedback that significantly affects gameplay, such as bugs that prevent progress or mechanics that frustrate players.
2. Address issues that are repeatedly mentioned by players. If multiple users report the same bug or frustration.
3. Prioritize feedback related to the core loop of your game. If something impacts the fundamental experience (e.g., player controls or core mechanics), address it early.

Implementing Changes and Testing

1. Implement two versions of a feature and test them with different sets of players(A/B Testing) to see which one performs better. 
2. Work in sprints and adjust priorities based on feedback received in earlier cycles. Unity’s flexible editor allows for rapid iterations during development.

Links for using plugins: 

https://firebase.google.com/docs/unity/setup

https://playfab.com/