Game Analytics & Revenue Optimization Articles

The Verticalization Hypothesis for MMM

The Verticalization Hypothesis is that MMM engines can be shared across industries, but MMM implementations are usually vertical-specific. Different verticals use different structural forms, measure outcomes differently, and require different controls, data, experiments, and decision workflows. As engines become open and interchangeable, commercial advantage will shift to vertical expertise and implementation.

Aug 16 2026 . 14 min read

Marketing Measurement Has a Measurement Problem

In this essay, I want to convince you that, unless steps are taken, the future of MMM as a robust and commercially viable area for analytical decision-making products is in jeopardy. If the category continues on its current path, MMM risks joining the dust heap of analytics history alongside other once-promising technologies whose commercial claims raced ahead of any practical way to evaluate them before purchase. That’s a bold claim, and bold claims require both disclaimers and evidence. My disclaimers are simple: GDP is a boutique analytics consultancy. We are not selling an MMM product, and we have no intention

Apr 19 2026 . 11 min read

Peter Drucker’s Feedback Analysis Just Got a Lot More Practical (Thanks to AI)

Peter Drucker once wrote “The only way to discover your strengths is through feedback analysis. Whenever you make a key decision or take a key action, write down what you expect will happen. Nine or 12 months later, compare the actual results with your expectations. I have been practicing this method for 15 to 20 years now, and every time I do it, I am surprised.” It’s a simple idea, but in practice it’s surprisingly hard to do consistently. People forget what they thought, lose the original context, or never quite get around to doing the retrospective analysis. But

Mar 31 2026 . 3 min read

Sometimes, Everyone Agrees

I recently published a blog post arguing that over the next 5 years many commercial MMM engine developers might face an uncomfortable truth: their code and algorithms are not defensible. As part of that article, I separated the “MMM Vendor Value Prop” into four components: I then sketched out an argument that because the first two bullet points are very hard to defend, durable value will move “up the stack” into domain-and-vertical-specific intelligence, operational reliability, and ease of integration (into both other product-based components of the marketing stack and with internal toolchains and processes). Here’s the actual statement: The

Jan 27 2026 . 6 min read

The Engine Layer Opens

Open-source frameworks increasingly provide the estimation, transformations, diagnostics, and optimization required for modern MMM. As those frameworks improve, proprietary engines become harder to defend as a source of lasting commercial advantage.

Jan 16 2026 . 15 min read

If Your Incrementality Model Is “Better,” Ship the Test Suite

I’m excited about innovations in incrementality. I’m less excited about black-box measurement claims—especially when teams and budgets depend on them.

Dec 21 2025 . 4 min read

Seven Things That Are Absolutely Going To Happen in 2026

We walk through seven big bets for the games industry in 2026—from revenue growing while headcount keeps shrinking, to adjacent consumer apps poaching mobile‑game marketers, to AI‑generated ads that are often weirder and more entertaining than the games they promote. I argue that GTA‑6 will reset the conversation about live‑ops, Apple will finally standardize app‑store fees at 15% (with Google close behind), Elon Musk will drag Neuralink into the “ultimate gaming platform” discourse, and the PS6 will slip to 2028.

Dec 05 2025 . 13 min read

Evaluating Our Predictions for 2025

A panel of synthetic AI personas evaluates our predictions for 2025 (predictions made in December 2024). We did pretty good!

Nov 27 2025 . 6 min read

Integrating Experimentation into Marketing Measurement

Understanding advertising effectiveness is crucial for any marketing strategy because it directly impacts resource allocation, campaign optimization, and overall return on investment (ROI). Integrating experimentation into marketing measurement is one of the most effective ways to achieve advertising effectiveness.

Nov 13 2025 . 13 min read

The Walls Continue to Crumble

Apple will not be able to charge a 27% “tax” on web storefronts that are linked from the game for much longer. This is a huge win for developers but is best understood as part of a larger trend towards government regulation of “walled gardens.”

May 01 2025 . 2 min read

Reporting from the 2025 Game Revenue Optimization Mini-Summit

The combination of the incredible speakers and the amazing audience meant that the happy hour was more than just an excuse to have reuben croquettes and duck mole tacos while downing plastic glasses of red wine. The food was good, but the conversations were excellent and lasted until the museum closed.

Mar 25 2025 . 2 min read

The Game Revenue Optimization Mini-Summit Rides Again

Want to learn more about revenue optimization in gaming? Join us for the Revenue Optimization in Games Mini-Summit and Happy Hour at 2 PM on March 19 at the American Bookbinder’s Museum in downtown San Francisco. We’re a little over two weeks away from our yearly GDC event (signup here) and I’m really excited. This is our once-a-year community-building event where we take some time to talk revenue optimization with our peers, as a community, and it’s looking incredible. We’ve got a great schedule: That’s an amazing set of speakers and talks. But, to be honest, I’m equally excited by the

Mar 01 2025 . < 1 minute read

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