Amplify and Retain Player Engagement with Modern Game Analytics Software

It’s no secret that, in today’s market, video game development has become an ever-evolving field of storytelling, science, and problem-solving. This reality means that having good Business Intelligence (BI) is even more important to this industry now than ever.

Assuring Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and having good Customer Relationship Management (CRM) when a game goes live can be incredibly demanding now. Game developers are having a grueling time understanding player behaviors and performance, which diminishes retention and revenue.

BI and data, specifically data gathered through analytics software and the potential leaks of said data, have become integral in keeping audiences invested and secure. Knowledge is power, after all.

Navigating the Issue of “Too Much Data”

Good BI is bolstered by software solutions that can boost the results in every aspect of production through the visualization and organization of analytics. Development, publishing, distribution, and, of course, the players themselves reap the reward of knowing what’s being done in-game.

However, data mining to track a player’s actions has been a source of debate between gamers and game developers for quite some time. Recent news about modern online gaming paints it as a radically invasive undertaking and a consumer risk. The public is generally untrusting of new monetization techniques due to intrusive analytical practices regarding their personal information.

Anti-cheat software meant to protect players from malicious actions beyond cheating has become increasingly more of an issue. With kernel access and personal data beyond location, date of access, and account information becoming more frequent, it can be nerve-racking for players to play. As such, gamers will go to another title that can ensure the safety of their information and continued support of the game from the developer.

It’s very easy to fall into the pitfall of gathering as much data as possible about how players are playing the game and the players themselves. Game developers can monitor all of the inputs a person does on a controller, mouse, and keyboard to know how to adjust these things accordingly. Only relevant data is needed when tackling any particular problem, such as character movements in a tutorial that needs optimization, item or perk usage, and other issues.

The result of obtaining too much information is overfilled databases and confusing reports on the happenings within the game and the game’s performance. This aspect applies to all game development companies.

Developers have simple yet crucial issues: misunderstanding player data due to improper visualization, organization, and amount. The same game developers can mitigate these problems with analytics software that contains proper in-depth dashboards, benchmarking, and data connectors.

On top of this, with enterprise-level identity & assessment management (IAM) and dynamic application security tests (DASC), developers can secure their players’ data and run simulations of potential security scenarios without running into leak risks.

Optimizing Game Development by Streamlining & Securing Data

At the center of Average Revenue Per Paying User (ARPPU) and KPI issues is a need for more understanding of what relevant data looks like, both literally and figuratively. Today most titles are “live” in some form, making easy-to-read analytics software that can offer a comprehensive, in-depth, multi-faceted look at player activity, performance, and how that leads to revenue important.

In-game monetization such as Battle Passes, constant bug and glitch fixes, character rebalancing, weapon & item usage/cycling, and collectibles found; all of these things make post-launch an incredibly daunting task.

Every team needs to gather, clean, and analyze data accordingly. This helps with understanding the relationships between player acquisition, engagement, retention, and conversion. Game companies can achieve this with a team of expert-level software developers.

This process begins with one of the most fundamental of features.

• Data Connectors

  • Observable data that game developers need to begin their analysis of how the game is doing and, more importantly, what players are doing in their game becomes compiled and periodically (or automatically) streamed to a respective server.

  • Data connectors can encrypt data upon ingesting to secure player information, bolstering cybersecurity.

  • It can also provide real-time data visualization to aid in understanding said information.

With a stream of safe and applicable information available to game developers, the visualization problem comes into play. However, skillful software developers can provide the right graphical tools to fully understand, study, and present results to ensure KPI and avoid irrelevancy.

• Dashboards

  • Working in tandem with data connectors, Dashboards offer navigation and understanding ease to accurately depict how the company is performing financially and the inside information on what’s happening in games.

  • It can be customized to provide and organize acquired data using colors, spacing, and categories, making it possible to become aware of and efficiently fix issues.

Alongside gathering and examining data, the results garnered can be used in another integral aspect of game design: benchmarking. Satisfying intended and advertised product quality is key to increasing audience retention, engagement, and conversion.

Cross-Platform Success

In the past a game would be developed, shipped, and then developers would move on to the next project. Modern gaming faces a different set of issues than in the past. Even with the older problems of producing a quality game, with the trappings and ironic liberties of online gaming and the new culture, the most helpful tool is knowledge.

Gamers are conscious and hesitant when it comes to their personal information. Add the fact that other technologies used in hacking have advanced; the best thing that any online game developer can do is ensure the safety of their player base and deliver on that ever-evolving title using community feedback.

The right tools and an expert-level software developer can alleviate the hurdles of visualizing, gathering and securing data. This leaves game developers with the opportunity to reach their intended quality goals and make sure the game keeps being played.