关于在线游戏行业术语的名词解释(5)

I’ve taken the glossary from How to Publish a Game and reproduced here. Over time, I expect to add to it as new terms are adopted. If there is anyting you would like to see in here, let me know.

A/B testing

Also known as split-testing, A/B testing involves testing two small changes to your website or game on a live service and measuring which performs better.

Ad Server

A web tool such as OpenX or DoubleClick’s DART that intelligently delivers multiple advertising campaigns spread over time.

Affiliate marketing

Affiliates are third-party websites which refer users to your site in return for a payment (on a CPC or more usually a CPA basis). They are often managed through Affiliate Networks such as Commission Junction or TradeDoubler. If you are referring gamers to a site such as Amazon or iTunes that sells your own game, you can register and become an affiliate yourself, generating additional revenue (typically 5-10% of the sales generated) from sending traffic to the site.

App

Currently means an application for smartphones such as the iPhone and Android, as distinct from a web page accessed from a mobile phone. AppStore Apple’s online store for applications for the iPhone. ARPU

Average revenue per user. A metric borrowed from the mobile industry, it shows how much the average user spends. Typically a monthly, rather than a yearly, figure. Not to be confused with ARPPU.

ARPPU

Average revenue per PAYING user. Confusion between ARPU and ARPPU is rife. In a free to play game, there may be many millions of users, but only a percentage of them pay. Most games companies quote ARPPU, but many observers multiply ARPPU by total number of users to get revenue. To calculate revenue, they should multiply EITHER ARPPU x number of paying users OR ARPPU x total users x conversion rate.