Activision Researcher

Community General Discussion
1

This is why the game is going down the drain. Using psychology and statistics to steer development of their games to increase whatever metrics they find desirable. It’s no wonder we have Allied races dangled in front of us, titanforging, RNG PvP gearing, etc.

https://activision.referrals.selectminds.com/jobs/researcher-2712

Researcher

Santa Monica, California, United States

:briefcase:

Central Studio/Operations

ADM00001Z

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Activision is looking for a passionate and experienced quantitative researcher and gamer to carry out and support user research on some of the world’s best-known franchises. Your role will primarily focus on analyzing data obtained via survey and telemetry data to improve the quality of the research team’s quantitative data. Tasks will include: visualizing captured research data for development teams, unearthing deeper trends using inferential statistics, championing & analyzing pre-launch telemetry, and working as a liaison between User Research, development studios, and Activision’s Game Analytics team.

Responsibilities:

  • Carry out research using a variety of methods, including, but not limited to: data analysis, balance testing, survey design, significance testing, regression modelling, and exploratory research
  • Process and improve statistical models using historical data within a game mode, franchise, or across competitor titles
  • Create actionable data-informed reports including the creation of visualization dashboards and/or graphs to supplement qualitative research and to inform and educate stakeholders
  • Help implement pre-launch telemetry and hooks across multiple projects
  • Coordinate user research findings with dev studios and the Game Analytics team
  • Conduct and oversee quantitative user experience research for a variety of game projects, including all stages from planning to execution
  • Provide and discuss research results directly with dev teams for implementation
  • Produce design suggestions based on observation, research, and expertise
  • Oversee the creation and execution of large-scale surveys such as alpha/beta release surveys and focused external consumer insights research
  • Educate fellow research staff on the use of quantitative data and collection methods
  • Support fellow research staff by leading qualitative or 1-on-1 studies as needed

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree required (branches of psychology, human computer interaction, human factors, information technology, statistics, or related field). Advanced degree is preferred.
  • Two to three years of experience conducting user research for video games, or three years of experience conducting user research outside of the videogame entertainment industry.
  • Must have a passion for video games, especially FPS or competitive multiplayer games
  • Knowledge of scripting languages and analysis tools (e.g. Python, PHP, R, SPSS)
  • Advanced expertise with Tableau or similar data visualization software
  • Proficient in statistics, especially those related to inferential statistics
  • Excellent interpersonal communication (both written and verbal)
  • Excellent knowledge of quantitative research methods
  • Familiarity with qualitative research methods is a plus

Here is an example of some of their work:

https://www.pcgamer.com/activision-wins-patent-that-uses-matchmaking-to-make-you-want-to-buy-stuff/

Summary

"Here’s the abstract from the patent, granted today after its filing two years ago:

“A system and method is provided that drives microtransactions in multiplayer video games. The system may include a microtransaction arrange matches to influence game-related purchases. For instance, the system may match a more expert/marquee player with a junior player to encourage the junior player to make game-related purchases of items possessed/used by the marquee player. A junior player may wish to emulate the marquee player by obtaining weapons or other items used by the marquee player.” "

An example of that being implemented is pointed out here in a reddit post:

https://www.reddit.com/r/WWII/comments/7myn41/activision_hired_psychologist_to_maximize_on_this/

Summary

"Just a few things I noticed that were definitely tested and tweaked to maximize cash flow.

Head Quarters - While this is a cool new feature. It’s main purpose for Activision was opening supply drops in front of other people.

Imagine sitting in a room of 30 or 40 people. 5 of them are scratching off scratch off lotto tickets. You can see what prizes they win. Now imagine you too can get some scratch off tickets with a few simple clicks."

13 Likes
2

Ha ha! Oddly enough, I could do that job :smiley:
Well, except for the “passion” “especially FPS” part lol.

3

I get that they want to make money and stay profitable. They have to. They have a massive “machine” to feed. A machine that’s made up of people’s families and livelihoods. I get that.

However, I think that what made all this go in the first place is this picture:

http://us.blizzard.com/static/_images/company/about/b20/photo-gallery/photos/a06.jpg

That’s the founding of Blizzard. That’s Mike Morhaime and Chris Metzen on the right. They were successful because they loved what they were doing. They didn’t set out to make billions. They set out to make a game that they loved. They took everyone else along with them.

There’s a bit of romanticism in that statement perhaps but I think it’s true. They were doing what they loved because they loved it. The success came as a result of that.

I don’t know how they “de-corporatize” and recapture that but it would be awesome if they did.

20 Likes
4

I had to go take a bunch of IQ tests and stuff for a medical issue a few years ago. The bad news was that I’m not a genius (lol), but the doctor liked me and sat down and talked with me just about life and our dogs and stuff after we were finished. He told me that most people in his field work for businesses and the government to find ways to manipulate target audiences. He said it demonstrably works to target people with designed manipulation, partly because we all want to believe we can’t be manipulated. He said casinos hire a lot of psych researchers and so does the military.

And now so do game companies, obviously.

The way to not get played by these people is to know they are always trying to play you and know that you are not immune to this crap.

If we teach our kids that there is a whole industry devoted to getting them to do what the government and companies want, they will be somewhat immunized. And we should be aware ourselves.

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5

I agree which is why is posted this.

1 Like
6

They just come up with new tactics. It’s ever evolving as we continue to educate ourselves into the knowing.

@Hexxes

I’m not surprised or shocked by any of this. I suspected as much that most every major Company/Government uses these kinds of research to figure out how to play people. :rainbow:

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7

Buy back all the stock and go private

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8

This is the only chance of it, but to be honest I don’t know if even that would change anything. I am firmly in the “If there is a boogeyman it is Blizzard, not Activision.” camp.

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9

The idea that WoW is some static game that can only be worked on by “passionate” people is nonsense. Watch the Blizzard documentary. You’ll learn very quickly that without outside money they would have never made it. Whether you believe Activision is some corporate boogeyman or not is kinda irrelevant. The truth is the game changed and you haven’t. You’re the same person you’ll always be.

Hur Durr Changes bad. I see you.

1 Like
10

I found this article pretty telling, especially the part about the finance department leading strategic decisions

https://wccftech.com/decisions-blizzard-being-driven-finance/

11

I don’t know why they need “research” since they already know what would fix everything: a phone version!!!

2 Likes
12

Yeah, I’ve read it. My thing is they talk about “Activision way seeping into Blizzard” but I am not sure it is that anymore. Think of it as putting a drink mix into water. In the beginning it is just drink mix sitting on top of the water… and slowly more and more sinks into the water… and eventually there is no “just water” or “just drink mix” it’s one thing and you can’t ever turn it back into water and drink mix.

Hopefully that made some sort of sense.

edit: I am not claiming it is a good thing or a bad thing personally… just a thing. :slight_smile:

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13

We interrupt this daily broadcast to bring you news that companies hire analysts to help make decisions. More at 11.

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14

You can’t see anything with those flaming coals in your eyeballs.

Stop lying.

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15

It made sense. I don’t think it’d be much of an issue though if the accountants stayed out of the way and let Ion and the other developers do what they do rather than hamstring them and have to resort to an MAU system to gauge success.

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16

That’s true enough. Science/Math and Art rarely mesh well. :slight_smile:

1 Like
17

First time seeing this, but I think this is actually exactly what Blizzard needs as well.
Seems like so many things in the game are met with polar opposite reactions and “feelings” as to what is logical, that you pretty much NEED a psychologist to figure this stuff out.

The examples you list casually are great examples honestly.

They do things that are all but begged for by the community, then the community says they aren’t good enough, aren’t fun, or even things like “titanforge makes gear unrewarding,” or other objective contradictions.

How do you fix a problem like that, when a system is designed to work one way and players “feel” it works the complete opposite of what the data should suggest?

That posting was for Activision, but I want to see Blizzard thinking along those lines as well, because right now it feels like they have a lot of great ideas on paper, but no matter what they do they can’t seem to make them work well enough in game for people to be happy with them.

18

I seriously doubt they know WTF they’re doing here (since their best devs went over to mobile). There is such a thing as lying with statistics. I can sit at a Coke vending machine and tell you 100% of customers prefer Coke over Pepsi, and it would be true, since every single customer that came up to that machine chose a Coke product. Or how tons of characters have earned Pathfinder or rep grind achievements, therefore it must be popular with the masses.

Yeah I got a bad feeling about this.

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19

This.

Let the people that love the game do what they love and make the game.

The corporate stuff is garbage. No amount of ‘circle back’, ‘dive deep’, or ‘touch base’ is going to make this game succeed. That’s just nonsense framework that suits try to hide behind to make themselves seem relevant.

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20

I think you may have missed my point. I posted this to just shed light on what they are already doing and why it is bad for the game. Instead of the devs being allowed to freely work and make the best possible game they can (which is how WoW came to exist in the first place) they are being influenced and guided by this “research” where someone uses psychology and statistics to guide game development.

The end result being the examples I provided such as titanforging, RNG PvP gearing, Allied races gated behind time and rep requirements, etc. These are all just tactics to eek out every last drop of play time from their customers.

4 Likes