Casual games live or die by their 'conversion rate' - the percentage of people who buy the game after trying the demo. But, Reflexive's Russell Carroll suggests that it's not just a simple conversion percentage that should be considered, in this fascinating exclusive Gamasutra feature. In this extract from the introduction, Carroll, who works as Director Of Marketing for the Wik & The Fable Of Souls and Big Kahuna Reef developer, as well as running important indie/casual gaming site GameTunnel, notes: "Conversion rate has become the standard for determining success in the casual games space. In both formal and informal meetings within the casual games industry, conversion rates are both guarded and flaunted depending on what your numbers look like. Microsoft has taken every opportunity to mention the conversion rates of the top Xbox Live Arcade games, and the larger casual games industry has noted the need to improve conversion rates in order to become even more financially successful. While improving conversion rates is certainly a good area of focus, there are limitations to conversion rate that make it an incomplete measure of the casual games industry. In addition to Conversion Rate there are three new metrics (penetration, proficiency, and reach) that can be used by large casual game websites to more precisely identify and measure areas for improvement. Looking at Proficiency and Reach in addition to Conversion Rate reveals helpful information in regards the customer’s journey towards purchasing a game and can help identify ways in which to improve customer retention through the sales process." You can now read the full Gamasutra feature on the subject, including plenty of further innovative analysis on this important subject (no registration required, please feel free to link to this feature from external websites).